Remember Me Thursday 2023: Date, History, Facts about Animal Shelters

Today, on Remember Me Thursday, which occurs on the fourth Thursday of every September, we are raising awareness for abandoned and sheltered animals. This year, it is on September 28, and the purpose of the day is to raise awareness about the significance of pet adoption and bring attention to all orphaned animals in shelters and rescues. Since its inception in the year 2012, Remember Me Thursday has made more than one billion impressions on social media and has been saving companion lives ever since.

The background of Remember Me Thursday

All pets, including strays and orphans, deserve to be cherished, cared for, and appreciated in loving homes. Adopting a companion can be a life-altering decision for both the animal and the adopting family. Over one million pets are euthanized annually, and while this number has decreased steadily over the past decade, there is still a great deal of work to be done to raise awareness. Remember Me Thursday was designed specifically for this purpose.

Mike Arms, the CEO of Helen Woodward Animal Center, a non-profit organization in San Diego County that has been assisting animals find new homes for over four decades, founded the movement in 2012. It was founded in 1972 and offers educational and therapeutic programs for humans, as well as humane care and adoption for stray animals.

Since the organization’s inception of the movement, the popularity of animal adoption has consistently increased. During the previous six years of the campaign, over 190 countries supported the movement, with hundreds of thousands of individuals and over 700 distinct animal welfare organizations holding their own candle-lighting ceremonies, spreading the word on social media, visiting the Remember Me Thursday website, or lighting a virtual candle. In fact, by 2017, over 330 million people participated in the animal adoption awareness campaign, making it a global event.

Even some of your beloved celebrities want to get involved, with Diane Keaton, George Lopez, Katherine Heigl, and many others using social media to spread the word and save abandoned animals. Remember Me Thursday is observed annually on the fourth Thursday of September, which is September 23 this year, and aims to unite individuals and pet adoption organizations around the globe to be an unstoppable, unified voice for orphan pets in need of permanent homes.

5 ANIMAL SHELTER FACTS YOU SHOULD KNOW

Owner surrender is a significant driver of shelter populations because many pets are handed over to shelters by their owners.

While the majority of available information on animal shelters pertains to cats and canines, shelters and rescue organizations may house a wide variety of other animals.

Every day, over 70,000 puppies and kittens are born, resulting in a growing population of unwanted or inadvertent puppies and kittens worldwide.

According to available data, approximately 56% of canines and 71% of cats that enter shelters in the United States are euthanized.

Adopting a companion is typically free or costs up to $250, which is significantly less than purchasing certain dog breeds.

REMEMBER ME THURSDAY DATES