Remember Me Thursday is coming up on September 24, and since COVID is preventing many communities from celebrating with large candle-lighting events like in years past, there are many easy ways to participate online. Keep reading to learn how you can make a huge impact for rescue pets right from the comfort of your home.

Remember Me Thursday® (RMT) is a worldwide pet adoption awareness campaign now in its eighth year. RMT was established in 2013 by Helen Woodward Animal Center President and CEO Mike Arms. Moved by the staggering statistics that over a million homeless pets lose their lives each year in the U.S., Arms put out a call to rescue organizations in an attempt to create a social media global awareness campaign. 

“We understand that not everyone is in the position to adopt a pet,” explained Arms, “but we also know that anyone who loves animals and is tapped into social media has the ability to share a message of support. By uniting all of these social media voices on one day, we can make a larger impact and really affect change.”

The campaign has been supported by 190 countries, with hundreds of thousands of individuals and more than 1,000 separate animal welfare organizations around the globe holding candle-lighting ceremonies of their own, spreading the message on social media or lighting a virtual candle.

How To Get Involved

1. Post on social media using #SeeTheLight and #RememberMeThursday.

On Sept. 24, help make sure everyone who opens their social media accounts sees a message about pet adoption by sharing your rescue pet’s story, sharing ready-made graphics available at this link: Downloadable graphics.

2. Enter the #RememberMeThursday Contest.

Animal-lovers can also win life-saving funds, toys and food for adoptable pets looking for forever families at their favorite non-profit, pet adoption organization.

There are two ways to enter:

• Submit your pet’s photo and story to the contest page.
• Post a picture of your pet on social media using the hashtags #RememberMeThursday and #SeeTheLight.

Don’t forget to nominate your favorite shelter or rescue.

In addition to the Top 3 entries selected by judges, a fourth winner will be chosen as The People’s Choice Winner and will receive pawsome Remember Me Thursday swag, along with a gift basket filled with a choice of cat or dog gear, toys and accessories. (After entering on the contest website, you will receive a custom link to share with family and friends so they can cast their vote for you and your beloved rescue pet.)

3. Join the Remember Me Thursday Virtual Global Candle Lighting Ceremony.

This one-of-a-kind Zoom event will unite animal rescue advocates all over the world, and takes place 

The virtual program will also include words from RMT founder and Center President and CEO Mike Arms, a reading of the official RMT poem and a presentation of the RMT Rescue Pet Hero award.

The ceremony will end the international candle lighting in remembrance of the millions of orphan pets still waiting in shelters for their own forever homes.

The Zoom call will be available online for the animal-loving public to watch. Those who wish to register to watch can click here.

4. Download the song

You can download the official Remember Me Thursday song, “This Candle Burns Bright” by Stevie Woodward, on ITunes.

5. Adopt

The Helen Woodward Center is inviting people to visit their local shelter to adopt, and to encourage friends and family to do the same.

To see adoptable animals available at the Helen Woodward Center, click here.

Celebrity support for RMT includes stars such as Bethenny Frankel, Kristin Chenoweth, Carrie Ann Inaba, Katherine Heigl, Rick Springfield, Wynonna Judd, George Lopez, along with dozens of athletes, designers, musicians, and social media influencers. With over 100 luminaries onboard, the star power behind the campaign has resulted in the topic trending each year on both Facebook and Twitter, garnering more than 1 billion social media impressions since its start.

For more information on Remember Me Thursday® and a full list of participating celebrities and animal welfare organizations, go to www.remembermethursday.org.

*Restrictions apply.  Final selection remains at the sole discretion of Helen Woodward Animal Center).