Riverside, California (NAPSI) - One film star is stepping out of the spotlight to shine a light on homeless pets. It turns out that Josh Duhamel, an actor known for numerous action films, has a serious soft spot when it comes to pet adoption.
Rescuing a dachshund, Meatloaf, several years ago inspired Duhamel and his production company, Dakotakid Media, to join forces with the country’s leading funder of animal welfare efforts, PetSmart Charities, to create a Web series in support of the nonprofit’s Rescue Waggin’ program.
As executive producer of the eight-episode Web series “Rescue Waggin’: Tales from the Road,” Duhamel and his team follow homeless dogs and puppies as they travel hundreds, even thousands of miles for a better chance of being adopted. The Web series includes cameos from a cache of celebrity pet adoption advocates including Kristen Bell, Adam Shankman and Bret Michaels.
“Thousands of dogs are euthanized in shelters every day be_cause the adoption demand does not meet the supply of pets,” said Duhamel. “When I saw what PetSmart Charities was doing, loading pets into vans and transporting them to shelters where they have a better chance of being adopted, I wanted to tell the story of this lifesaving program.”
“Rescue Waggin’: Tales from the Road” puts viewers in the passenger’s seat of the Rescue Waggin’ vehicle to experience the shelter pet transport process from start to finish.
The Web series chronicles the real stories of dogs and puppies from communities with more pets than adopters to communities where adoptable pets are in demand.
Rescue Waggin’ vehicles travel up to 3,000 miles a week giving hopeless pets a new “leash” on life. When one of the dogs is settled into his new shelter, he is usually adopted within three to seven days. PetSmart Charities estimates the Rescue Waggin’ program has saved more than 70,000 dogs and puppies since 2004.
“I actually bought my first dog, Zoe, and I got some criticism from family and friends over it. So when it came time to find her a companion, we realized that adoption was the only way to go. Adopted dogs and cats make incredible pets,” said Duhamel.
Many dogs, such as Meatloaf, are finding homes thanks to Pet-Smart Charities and the Rescue Waggin’ program. To see Duhamel and the star-studded cast in the Web series “Rescue Waggin’: Tales from the Road,” visit www.rescuewaggin.org.
