Connie Crayden Urges Fans to Adopt, Not Shop!

Posted on by PETA Australia

Married at First Sight fan favourite Connie Crayden is helping others find love – by starring in a new PETA adoption ad!

The Melbourne influencer has teamed up with us to pose with her adorable rescued greyhound, Skyla, with the tagline “Find your perfect match at your local shelter.”

Crayden adopted Skyla in October last year and says, “I couldn’t imagine my life without her.”

Connie Crayden stands with her greyhound companion, Skyla

“There are so many people who want to bring an animal into their family, so people should really be considering … adopting. … When you adopt a dog, they feel the love, and they give it back 10 times more.”

It’s never been so important to adopt, not shop. Earlier this year, Australian shelters were bursting at the seams as people surrendered animals following the 2020 “pandemic puppy” boom.

The RSPCA shelters in New South Wales reported 95% capacity for dogs and 125% capacity for cats, and the Western Sydney dog shelter Rescue Hub went so far as to announce it has closed its doors to new animals after a huge influx.

 

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A post shared by Connie Crayden (@connie.crayden)

Approximately 200,000 dogs enter Australia’s shelters and pounds every year, and about 44,000 of them are euthanised. The tally for homeless and euthanised cats is even greater.

It’s more important now than ever to stay away from pet stores and breeders – no matter how reputable they may seem – since breeding any animals while others are desperately in need of homes is not only irresponsible but also deadly – and only ever adopt from a rescue group or shelter.

Connie and her dog Skyla

Skyla was fortunate to be rescued from the cruel greyhound-racing industry. Because they’re forced to work for profit, greyhounds in the racing industry are treated as possessions rather than the sensitive, loving animals they are. They’re often confined to cramped, barren pens and kennels, completely deprived of human companionship and stimulation for up to 23 hours a day.

In 2015, the greyhound industry itself admitted to killing up to 17,000 healthy dogs each year, including around 7,000 young dogs who never even made it to the track. While recent scrutiny of the industry has apparently depressed breeding figures, thousands of dogs still go missing – and are feared killed – each year.

Please take a moment to sign our petition to the New South Wales government requesting that it ban greyhound racing:

a greyhound in a kennelAct Now!Jo-Anne McArthur We Animals