Actress Katherine Heigl hosts "Shelter Me."

Shelter Me is the perfect hour long testimony on why adopting shelter pets is vital. It’s hosted by actress and animal activist Katherine Heigl and is on tonight at 7 p.m on GPB.

Dogs can touch our lives in such special ways. (I shared my personal story about how our shelter pet, Bijou helped our family deal with grief.) Shelter Me mines even more incredible stories about how dogs are impacting people’s lives.

Some of the stories...

There are the shelter dogs being trained by women in prison to become service dogs.

I particularly love the segment on the shelter dogs helping veterans cope with PTSD. For many returning solders, the companionship of a dog or cat is the only way to heal the trauma of war.

Veteran Alexander Trotto and his black Lab Teka are profiled on the show.

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Unfortunately more than three millions dogs and cats don’t get a chance to make a difference in people’s lives because they are euthanized at America’s shelters.

What You Can Do: Paws in the Park 2012 Charity Walk

If you are in Atlanta on September 23, here is something you can do.

You can participate in the Paws in the Park charity walk and expo at Centennial Olympic Park from 12 p.m. - 5 p.m. (Register for the half mile charity walk here.) This event benefits Atlanta Pet Rescue & Adoption Inc. "a nonprofit, volunteer-based, no-kill shelter dedicated to rescuing, rehabilitating and adopting homeless dogs and cats into loving homes"

It certainly sounds like a party with a purpose as it will also include entertainment, demonstrations, a vendor expo, pet health screenings and of course the opportunity to adopt a rescue animal on the spot.

So how are you helping homeless animals? Share your stories here.