Kathy Griffin Stars in Pet Adoption Campaign amid 'Shelter Crisis': 'This Is Your Wake-Up Call!'

The comedian appears in PETA's new campaign with her four rescue dogs

Kathy Griffin isn't joking about the importance of pet adoption.

The comedian is the celebrity at the center of the new pet adoption campaign from People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA).

PEOPLE has an exclusive first look at the campaign, which also includes a video of Griffin in her Malibu home with her four rescue dogs, sharing a straightforward message about pet adoption.

"It's not OK to buy a dog from a breeder, even if someone says they're a responsible breeder, because there's actually no such thing," Griffin said in a statement regarding the adoption campaign. "Right now, there is a shelter crisis, and it's just horrifying to me as a dog lover."

The new campaign's poster features Griffin in bed with her adopted dogs and the text "This is your wake-up call to adopt, don't shop." Like Taylor Swift, Griffin has a pet named Olivia Benson, inspired by Mariska Hargitay's Law & Order: SVU character. The comedian also has a dog named after Benson's TV partner, Elliot Stabler (played by Christopher Meloni), and pups named Mary and Maggie.

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Griffin added in her statement that this campaign is important to her as a pet parent and a Los Angeles resident. According to PETA, the California city recently took steps to halt the issuance of dog-breeding permits because L.A.'s animal shelters are all at 75% capacity or over. The organization estimates about 70 million homeless cats and dogs are waiting to be adopted across the U.S.

"Each one of us does have the power to turn this crisis around," Griffin shared. "Volunteer at your local shelter, because these dogs, they really need you. [And] if you can, just really think about rescuing a dog."

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The comedian joins numerous other animal-loving stars, including Lisa Ann Walter, Ron Perlman, Tom Hardy, John Stamos, and Ryan Eggold, who have helped PETA promote pet adoption.

To learn more about the campaign, and pet adoption, visit PETA's website.

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