Hayes Grier Has a Special Co-Star in His peta2 Ad—His Pup, Zan!

Vine Superstar Encourages Everyone to Adopt, Don’t Shop

For Immediate Release:
December 17, 2015

Contact:
Moira Colley 202-483-7382

Fifteen-year-old Hayes Grier has a message for his 4.2 million Vine followers: If you’re going to add a dog or cat to your family, make sure that you adopt. In a brand-new ad for peta2, PETA’s youth division, the Dancing With the Stars alumnus appears holding his pup, Zan, above the words “Find Your Special Someone: Adopt, Don’t Shop. Never Buy Animals From Pet Stores or Breeders.” And as befitting a social-media superstar, Hayes and Zan also star in a shareable Instagram video that features behind-the-scenes footage from their peta2 photoshoot.

“Right now, millions of dogs and cats are waiting for the right family to come along and give them a home,” says Hayes. “My friends at peta2 and I want everyone to know that helping homeless animals is as easy as visiting your local animal shelter and always being sure to spay and neuter, too.”

Every year, more than 6 million unwanted dogs and cats enter U.S. animal shelters, and half of them must be euthanized because there aren’t enough good homes for them. Buying an animal from a pet store or breeder robs a homeless animal of his or her chance at finding a loving home. The less fortunate never even make it to a safe haven—they’re left to fend for themselves on the streets, where they may be abused by cruel people, be injured by cars, or succumb to starvation or disease.

During the holiday season, peta2—whose motto reads, in part, that “animals are not ours to abuse in any way”—further cautions that animals don’t make good gifts. Animal shelters are flooded after the holidays with puppies and kittens who “didn’t work out” for one reason or another. Instead, peta2 suggests a gift certificate from a local animal shelter as a thoughtful present for a family who is ready and able to commit to adopting an animal.

Hayes joins a growing list of celebrities—including Fifth Harmony, Kalel Kitten, Jordyn Jones, Daniella Monet, and many more—who’ve teamed up with peta2 to promote kindness to animals.

For more information, please visit peta2.com.