TODAY, THE WORLD SHINES A LIGHT ON ORPHAN PETS!

Remember Me Thursday® Unites Animal-Lovers, Celebrities and Rescue Organizations Across the Globe to #ShineALight for Pets Waiting for Forever Homes… 

RANCHO SANTA FE, Calif., Sept. 24, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, a worldwide wave of compassion is shining a light on orphan pets. Animal lovers everywhere have joined the 14th annual Remember Me Thursday® (RMT) global movement to create an unstoppable voice for pets still waiting for forever homes. Celebrated on the fourth Thursday in September, RMT brings together pet-lovers, celebrities and animal welfare organizations across the globe through social media postings, candle-lighting ceremonies, proclamations, flag raisings and more. By posting using @RememberMeThursday and #ShineALight, participants are sending one powerful message around the world: orphan pets deserve to be seen, remembered and given the chance to find a home. Helen Woodward Animal Center hopes the public will join the movement TODAY – Remember Me Thursday®, September 24th – and #ShineALight on the life-changing importance of pet adoption. 

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.

Now in its 14th year, Remember Me Thursday® has grown into a worldwide movement powered by hundreds of thousands of passionate animal lovers and more than 1,000 animal welfare organizations in over 180 countries. The campaign gives everyone a way to shine a light on the pets still waiting for homes—from sharing the story of a rescue pet on social media to joining special ceremonies that honor the lives, resilience and second chances of orphan animals. Together, these voices create a powerful global reminder that every pet deserves to be remembered—and every rescue pet deserves a forever home. The enormous swell of celebrity support has resulted in the topic trending each year on both Facebook and Twitter. 

Alicia Silverstone is the latest high-profile celebrity to step into the role of Featured RMT Luminary, following a roster of notable advocates including Kristin Chenoweth, Kaley Cuoco and Wynonna Judd. Silverstone is best known for her iconic role as Cher Horowitz in Clueless and will reprise the role in an upcoming six-episode series for Paramount+. Other well-known work includes appearances in Batman & Robin, Blast from the Past, Excess Baggage, The Killing of a Sacred Deer, Bugonia and television's Miss Match, for which she was nominated for a Golden Globe.

Beyond acting and producing, Silverstone has become one of Hollywood's most visible voices for animal rights, environmental awareness, and plant-based living. A passionate vegan for decades, she founded the wellness platform The Kind Life, which promotes compassionate living, sustainability, and holistic wellness and authored several books, including the bestselling The Kind Diet and The Kind Mama, encouraging readers to explore plant-based nutrition and mindful living. Now, she headlines a movement that has grown from one organization's call to action into a worldwide phenomenon.

"Remember Me Thursday is such an important reminder that these animals are here, they are worthy, and they are waiting for someone to choose them," said Silverstone.

Silverstone joins an impressive list of celebrity supporters also aligning themselves with RMT. Since its launch, Remember Me Thursday® has united an inspiring roster of actors, athletes, musicians, animal behaviorists and social media personalities who have used their voices to help shine a light on the thousands of orphan pets still waiting for homes. Among those lending their star power are Andie MacDowell (2023 Official Spokesperson), Katherine Heigl, (Rainey Qualley (2023 Official Spokesperson), Bo Derek, and new 2026 supporters Bob Odenkirk, Morgan Fairchild, Alan Tudyk, Scoot McNairy, and Los Angeles Chargers players Daiyan Henley, Omarion Hampton and Teair Tart, among many others. To see the full roster of 2026 RMT luminaries, visit www.RememberMeThursday.org.

Today, Thursday, September 24^th, the public is invited to join the movement by tweeting, tagging, posting and sharing a story of the beauty, and life-saving significance, an adopted pet has made, alongside @RememberMeThursday and #ShineALight. 

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

About Remember Me Thursday®
Animal lovers and organizations across the globe unite on the fourth Thursday in September to light a candle in remembrance of the millions of homeless pets who lost their lives without the benefit of a loving home and to shine a light via social media on the millions of orphan pets still waiting for their forever homes. The Remember Me Thursday® global awareness campaign is championed by Mike Arms, President of Helen Woodward Animal Center, and creator of both the International Pet Adoptathon and successful Home 4 the Holidays program which, in partnership with national animal organizations, has placed over 22 million pets in homes since 1999. For more information, please visit www.remembermethursday.org. 

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/today-the-world-shines-a-light-on-orphan-pets-302888322.html

SOURCE Helen Woodward Animal Center