Nordics’ pet store chain, Musti Group, has launched Adoption Live, which it claims is the world’s first fully live-streamed outdoor campaign to help solve the problem of abandoned cats in Finland, where over 20,000 cats are abandoned each year, and animal shelter resources are stretching thin. The nationwide campaign allows people to kick off their pet adoption process via billboards that broadcast live from animal shelters with the aim of connecting pets with their new forever homes.

Viewers who see the livestream are directed to a website where they can find all the pets awaiting adoption from SEY's member organizations. Prospective pet owners interested in adoption will undergo a thorough process to ensure the suitability of the pet for their home.

While the ongoing cat crisis in Finland is alarming, the issue extends globally. According to the International Organization for Animal Protection, an estimated 4m cats are euthanized in animal shelters worldwide every year. The current situation places immense pressure on animal welfare organizations, with many operating at full capacity.

Adoption Live aims to find new homes for as many pets as possible together with SEY Animal Welfare, Finland’s largest animal welfare organization. At the same time, it encourages people to support SEY and its member organizations through various means.

“The current situation of our member organizations is simply untenable, and we urgently need swift solutions to calm the situation,” said Kati White, Executive Director of SE. “Meanwhile, our organizations have limited resources for actively marketing their own initiatives. That's why we need collaborative efforts like Adoption Live, that offer visibility to pets seeking homes.”

Beyond social media, Adoption Live can be followed in the streets nationwide. The broadcast is live-streamed on hundreds of outdoor advertising spaces around Finland This nationwide exposure has been made possible by Musti Group, a longstanding partner of SEY.

The creative partner behind the idea is Helsinki-based creative duo Erma&Reinikainen. Their ‘Be Aware of the Dogs’ campaign for Musti Group was awarded with a Bronze Lion in Cannes last summer. The campaign used reactive outdoor advertising to showcase how the sounds of fireworks affect dogs during New Year’s Eve.