Snuggling up to a pair of kittens from the Mayhew Animal Home, The Vamps’ lead guitarist, James McVey stars in a new PETA campaign that proclaims, “Save a Life: Adopt!” The advert, which was shot by top celebrity photographer Ruth Rose, goes on stress the importance of adopting homeless animals from shelters and never buying them from breeders or pet stores.

“There are millions of animals already in shelters – kittens … puppies, dogs, a variety of animals”, says McVey. “So go to a shelter, adopt and save a life!”

Every year, hundreds of thousands of dogs and cats end up in animal shelters, and many of them have to be euthanized simply because there aren’t enough good homes for them. Every time someone buys a kitten or a puppy from a breeder or a pet store, a dog or a cat in a shelter loses his or her chance at finding a home. That’s why McVey and PETA – whose motto reads, in part, that “animals are not ours to abuse in any way” – encourage anyone who’s thinking of adding an animal to his or her family to visit a local shelter or rescue group.

McVey joins a long list of musicians – including Little Mix, P!nk, Cody Simpson, Kesha and many others – who have teamed up with PETA to promote kindness to animals.

For more information, please visit PETA.org.uk.

Photos courtesy of Ruth Rose.