JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – The community came together in a powerful display of compassion and commitment during the Passion 4 Pets Adoptathon, held all day at Channel 4 on May 21, 2025.
Organized by News4JAX in partnership with Doc Tony and seven dedicated local shelters and organizations, the event showcased what can happen when media, animal advocates, and kind-hearted viewers unite for a shared mission: saving lives and finding forever homes for pets in need.
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Running from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., the event captivated viewers across all News4JAX platforms, including television, digital and social, and delivered tangible results. The Passion 4 Pets landing page saw a 116% spike in same-day traffic, with thousands tuning in to our live broadcast and online coverage. Our digital content also reached over 500,000 views across web and social media platforms.
Most importantly, lives were changed.
Local shelters reported a wave of adoption inquiries, with touching stories of long-term residents finally finding a home.
Nearly a dozen kittens from the Jacksonville Humane Society mentioned during our broadcast were adopted after our event, and Clay County Animal Services said they saw a spike in adoption inquiries.
We sincerely appreciate the opportunity to participate in your adoption event. It was a pleasure for Pumpernickel and me to represent Clay County Animal Services, and we are truly grateful for the warm welcome.
We are delighted to share that following the event, we have experienced an increase in adoption inquiries. Most notably, one of our longest-term residents, Nathaniel, found his forever home—a testament to the impact of such events in connecting deserving animals with loving families.
Katelyn Smith, Operations Coordinator with Clay County Animal Services
S.A.F.E. Pet Rescue in St. Augustine announced that Saint, the adorable pup featured during the event, has been adopted by a loving family.
We were very thankful for the invitation to participate. Saint was actually adopted last Saturday by someone who saw her on the broadcast and we do have interest in Sampson as well stemming from the broadcast.
Rebecca LeClaire with S.A.F.E. Pet Rescue in St. Augustine
South Georgia Equine Rescue shared that they received donations from viewers and hopes the community will continue to support their mission beyond the event.
We had a large uptake in followers, post reactions, and hits on our website the day of the event and the following day. It was such a positive experience for us and getting the words out about our small rescue was a huge help to us. We’re continuing to see daily interactions increase, even a few weeks later. We cannot thank you enough at News4Jax for the amazing opportunity to share what we do in our small part of Southeast Georgia... We also got $125 from new to us donors which was pretty exciting.
We hope to continue to see a rise in our followers with hopes we get more adoptions and support from our immediate community and farther. If you have any questions about the information sent, please feel free to reach out.
Amy Campos with South Georgia Equine Rescue
K9s For Warriors also shared that Kona, featured during the event, was adopted!
I’m pleased to share that Kona was adopted by a loving family. We also have a handful of interests for Astro that have been submitted by News4Jax viewers. We will be sure to update you on his status when he’s adopted.
Looking forward to working with your team more in the future!
Carly Kramer, Public Relations Manager with K9s For Warriors
This success would not have been possible without our event sponsor, Doc Tony, and the generous participation of the following organizations:
We extend our heartfelt thanks to these organizations for their tireless work and to every viewer who scanned a QR code, shared a post, made a donation, or opened their hearts and homes to a new furry family member.
Passion 4 Pets is more than just a campaign—it’s a commitment. And judging by the incredible community support, this is only the beginning.
Thank you, Jacksonville, for helping us make a difference—one paw at a time.
To learn more about adoptable pets and how you can help make a difference, visit the Passion 4 Pets page.