MUTTS Comic Strip Launches Adopt Love Campaign to Tackle Shelter Overcrowding
Animal shelters across the US, particularly in New York City, are facing unprecedented overcrowding. To combat this, Patrick McDonnell, creator of the popular comic strip MUTTS, has launched the Adopt Love campaign during August's Clear the Shelters Month. The campaign leverages McDonnell's popular comic strip to raise awareness and encourage pet adoption and fostering. Adopt Love partners with organizations like the Animal Care Centers of NYC (ACC), Muddy Paws Rescue, and @SimonSits to highlight adoptable animals and promote donations. A key focus is fundraising for the ACC's STAR fund, which provides crucial medical care for shelter animals. The campaign features heartwarming comic strips showcasing adoptable pets, increasing visibility for animals in need. The initiative is part of the larger Clear the Shelters program, a nationwide effort that has facilitated over 1.2 million adoptions since 2015. The rising number of animals in shelters since 2021, attributed to factors like housing insecurity and increased pet care costs, underscores the urgency of the campaign. Adopt Love encourages various forms of support: adopting or fostering pets, donating to shelters or the STAR fund, providing supplies, volunteering at shelters, and spreading awareness through social media. The campaign highlights the positive impact of community involvement in addressing the critical issue of animal shelter overcrowding and promoting responsible pet ownership.
The campaign also highlights how proper pet care tools, including the best pet food dispensers of 2026, can help new adopters succeed.
Many participating shelters are modernizing their facilities with resources like an automatic pet feeder shelter system to improve care efficiency during adoption events.
New pet parents who adopt shelter cats often search for the best automatic cat feeders adopt-friendly households use to ease their pets' transition.
Many shelters participating in the campaign recommend the best automatic pet feeders shelter volunteers use to maintain consistent feeding schedules for rescued animals.
(Source: https://www.dogster.com/barking-news/comic-strip-campaign-helps-clear-overcrowded-animal-shelters)


