Jon Kortajarena’s Birthday Plea: ‘Adopt, Never Buy’

International Top Model and the Dog He Rescued 12 Years Ago Star in New PETA Campaign

For Immediate Release:
May 21, 2020

Contact:
Moira Colley 202-483-7382

Cuddling up with his rescued dog, Ator, top model Jon Kortajarena stars in a new PETA ad campaign that proclaims, “Adoption Is Love.” Kortajarena debuted the ad on Instagram on his birthday to encourage his millions of followers to support PETA’s lifesaving work for animals.

Kortajarena personally rescued Ator over a decade ago. “I was walking with my grandpa in the countryside, and we saw this guy hitting a litter of dogs,” he tells PETA. “Ator was one of them, and when we took him to the vet, he was really bad …. But with lots of care and love, he survived and he became the smartest dog I ever had. Somehow, he knew we saved him, and he has been grateful and loyal for these 12 years. He is an amazing companion. Sometimes, he just looks at me and I believe he can understand how I feel. Hugging him at night is the best therapy.”

Millions of animals end up in shelters every year, and countless others struggle to survive on the streets. PETA encourages everyone always to adopt and never buy from pet stores or breeders, which contributes to the homeless-animal overpopulation crisis.

Known for his high-profile ad campaigns with Versace, Armani, Guess, Tom Ford, and other brands—as well as his performance in A Single Man—Kortajarena joins Kim Basinger, Marisa Miller, Penélope Cruz, Eva Mendes, Charlize Theron, and many other celebrities who’ve teamed up with PETA or its affiliates to promote kindness to animals.

PETA—whose motto reads, in part, that “animals are not ours to abuse in any way”—opposes speciesism, which is a human-supremacist worldview. For more information, please visit PETA.org.