The Cat Daddy. Chief cat advocate. Cat whisperer. Call him what you want, but cat behaviorist Jackson Galaxy has an undeniable connection to felines.
This year, he’ll bring his cat expertise to NBCUniversal Local's 10th annual nationwide pet adoption and donation campaign as the "Clear The Shelters" advocate for Hill’s Pet Nutrition, the initiative’s national sponsor for the last seven years.
Galaxy, who was the host and executive producer of Animal Planet’s “My Cat from Hell” for nearly a decade, has worked with cats and their guardians for more than 25 years. Along with authoring two New York Times best-selling books, he posts educational content on his YouTube channel and social accounts.
Prior to that, Galaxy worked at the Humane Society of Boulder Valley in Colorado 31 years ago — and believe it or not, he wasn’t naturally drawn to the cats. Galaxy, who was born and raised in New York City, grew up with dogs and didn’t have an “immediate bond” with cats.
Get top local stories in San Diego delivered to you every morning. >Sign up for NBC San Diego's News Headlines newsletter.
His coworker at the shelter, however, quickly noticed the felines’ “immediate attachment” to Galaxy and started calling it out.
“Every time I walked into a room and I’d sit down, all the cats would come to me,” Galaxy said. “They picked me, and I went along for the ride. But then, of course, it was pretty quick that it became bigger than that.”
Whether at animal shelters or in people’s homes, Galaxy has worked with thousands of cats to improve their behavior and wellness. Each one of them, no matter how short the time, is meaningful to him.
Galaxy credits his work with his feline friends for helping him overcome his alcohol and drug addiction.
“I got sober, in part, because I valued this work,” he said. “I could tell that I was only getting so far with the animals I was working with. But then it bled over to relationships with humans. Any time you shine a light back onto yourself in terms of your own pluses and minuses in a relationship, you get better.”
This life-changing relationship between cats and humans informs Galaxy’s approach to teaching other guardians how to care for their animals. He says it’s not about “technique,” but rather, giving love to cats so that they can confidently accept humans and other animals into their lives.
Clear The Shelters
After working with countless animal rescues over the years, Galaxy has observed one of the greatest obstacles for shelters nationwide: “the public’s perception of what a shelter is.”
“We’re communicating the message to the public that we’re not just there to put lost animals in cages,” Galaxy said. “We are a refuge of information and, oftentimes, supplies when times are tough for you.”
Galaxy said he is "honored" to join this year’s Clear The Shelters campaign, which runs Aug. 10 to Sept. 10., in partnership with NBCUniversal Local and Hill’s Pet Nutrition.
Since its inception in 2015, Clear The Shelters has worked with more than 1,400 shelters across the country to help over 1 million animals find their forever homes. Galaxy, who has worked in partnering shelters, has seen the impact of the annual campaign on individual rescues and homes.
“If you just look at Clear The Shelters as a phenomenon in itself, over 10 years, a million animals have gone home. A million families have been forever changed,” Galaxy said. “It takes campaigns like this, eye-on-the-prize campaigns to get us to the next place.”
The next place, according to the Cat Daddy? Clearing the shelters — and keeping them cleared.
“We're giving new adopters and old adopters alike tools so that if an issue crops up … we'll find ways to keep them in their homes,” Galaxy said.
Galaxy encourages those interested in the campaign to support it in whatever way they can.
“Help us out in adoption events. Come on in here and spend some time with the animals, getting to know them with no pressure whatsoever,” he said. “Can't do that? Help us donate. Can't do that? I mean, there's this whole wonderful chain that you can participate in, and it doesn't have to just begin and end with adopting.”
To learn more about Clear The Shelters 2024 and search for adoptable pets in your area, visit cleartheshelters.com. You can also donate to your local animal shelters and rescue groups by visiting clearthesheltersfund.org.
Check out Jackson Galaxy’s website to learn more about him.
Follow Clear The Shelters on Facebook and Instagram to stay up to date on this year's pet adoption and donation news:
Hashtags: #ClearTheShelters & #DesocuparLosAlbergues
