Theron Humphrey is on a mission to tell the stories of shelter pets across the country, and we're proud to help make it happen.
Last year, we worked with Theron to kick off his 2012 Why We Rescue project - an online collection of photographs and interviews with 12 New York City residents that focused on the relationships between shelter pets and the people who adopted them. Theron's photographs and recordings brought their stories to life in a way that was more powerful than we could have imagined. Each unique and inspiring story gave us a whole new perspective on why people choose to adopt a pet.
Because we loved these stories so much - and because Theron loved telling them - we were inspired to team up and make the project even bigger. Theron and his dog, Maddie, are already veteran travelers, and spent most of 2012 driving around the country in his truck, taking photos. For 2013, we've partnered with Theron to document and share pet adoption stories from every state in the nation. 50 pets. 50 stories. 50 new ways to think about what makes pets so important to all of us. We decided to help make this inspiring journey possible, and soon Theron and Maddie will take to the road in their new trailer for a great adventure. The resulting stories will fuel our larger effort to change the negative perceptions that prevent too many people from considering a shelter pet when they are ready to adopt a new pet.
How will they find adoption stories to tell? That's where you come in. Theron wants to tell real stories from real people, about the pets that are part of our everyday lives. If you adopted your pet from a shelter, and you want to share the story of your relationship together, visit the Why We Rescue website, click on "Sign Up," choose your state and tell your story. Maybe you'll be the one who inspires us next.