Looking for an excuse to adopt a dog? Drew Barrymore and Dave Bautista have you covered.
This month — Adopt a Shelter Dog Month — the two acclaimed actors are leaning into their roles as dog parents to help the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals get adoptable pups into loving homes.
Throughout the month, both Barrymore and Bautista will post ASPCA adoptable dogs on their social media channels, calling their audiences to adopt or foster in honor of the awareness month.
Barrymore posted her first installation of the campaign on Instagram this morning.
“Douglas and I are thrilled to partner with the ASPCA to raise awareness about dog adoption and fostering,” she wrote, accompanying a photo of her and her pooch.
“Shelters across the country are full,” she continued. “The work they do on the front lines every day is critical in caring for thousands of animals in need of loving homes.”
It’s true; animal shelters across the country are overflowing.
According to a press release from ASPCA, last year, 3.2 million dogs entered animal shelters in the United States, and only 2.2 million of them were adopted.
When this happens, shelter teams are overworked and left with minimal resources to care for an increasing proportion of animals with higher medical and behavioral needs who stay longer in the shelter.
Along with these pets remaining in cages instead of in loving homes, overcrowding also makes it nearly impossible to rescue more animals in need, with nowhere to house and care for them.
Sharing their stories — and adorable photos — on social media helps everyday dog lovers find their new family members. And with the reach of Barrymore and Bautista, who have a combined total of 23.5 million followers on Instagram, these furry friends are sure to find their permanent safe havens.
“We are thankful for the support of Drew Barrymore and Dave Bautista, who have proven to be compassionate ambassadors for dogs in shelters,” said Matt Bershadker, CEO of ASPCA.
“This Adopt a Shelter Dog Month, we hope Drew and Dave’s efforts will inspire the public to adopt or foster a pet, making an impact that ripples throughout shelters nationwide while creating space for more dogs in need.”
The actors will also highlight The Rescue Effect, a campaign that showcases the impact that adopting or fostering a pet can have on these crowded shelters.
“When you adopt or foster, you create a ripple effect that helps save even more animals nationwide,” Barrymore wrote on Instagram.
She has also begun highlighting adoptable dogs on her Stories, including Loofah and Dibo, both available for adoption at the ASPCA Adoption Center in New York City.
Barrymore has been a lifelong supporter of animal welfare causes and has adopted her dog, Douglas, four cats, a bearded dragon, and a snake.
Her menagerie of adopted pets, plus her public efforts, led to her winning the ASPCA Compassion Award in 2016, which is given to individuals in arts and entertainment who have “made outstanding contributions to animal welfare,” according to the ASPCA.
“As a dog rescuer for over 22 years, I applaud the work you do and am humbled and grateful to be in your company,” she wrote to the organization in 2016, after winning the award. “Animals will teach us kindness and a world where we are all good to each other, is the world I wish to live in.”
Bautista is also a well-known dog-lover who has used his platform — both as a wrestler and actor — to support pet adoption and animal protection. He currently owns four adopted pit bulls and champions the “bully” breed.
“Every day, my rescue dogs Ollie, Maggie, Penny and Talulah, show me why all shelter pets deserve compassion, care and unconditional love. They’ve changed my life in the best way as much as I’ve changed theirs,” Bautista said in a statement.
“By choosing to adopt, I not only gave them second chances at life, but also helped create room at my local shelter for other rescue pets to find good, loving families. A positive future for shelter pets starts with someone like you, or me.”
Header image courtesy of ASPCA
