And every day, well-meaning rescuers email me asking me to take in pregnant cats.
Of course, another solution to pet overpopulation is adoption, and since May is Global Pet Adoptathon® at Animal League America, I want to share the great news. On May 2 and 3, we held a very successful Adoptathon kickoff weekend for this worldwide event on our Long Island campus. When our adoption center opened that Saturday morning, the line of potential adopters waiting to meet their new best friends stretched all the way around the block! By Sunday, 218 dogs, cats, puppies, and kittens found forever families, and that was just the beginning of our month-long Global Pet Adoptathon. This is truly something to celebrate!
Happy Adoptathon Adopters!!
This marks the 31st year for this event, which begins on Long Island but literally spans the globe. More than 2,000 rescue partners participate in our Adoptathon, in cities from Nashville to San Francisco and in smaller towns as well.
It’s thrilling to think about how Animal League America is helping so many local organizations find loving homes for the pets in their communities. Internationally, the Adoptathon works with shelters from Australia to the West Indies. I am so proud to be part of an organization whose lifesaving mission is changing the world for animals.
So what can we do besides spay/neuter and adopt? Foster!
May is National Pet Foster Care Month, making this the perfect time to open your heart — and just one room, even if it’s only a small bathroom — to a cat/kitten/pregnant mama in need. Fostering a homeless cat or dog is one of the most rewarding experiences a person can have, and it is so important. It’s my purpose and bliss in life, even when it’s complicated.
For example, my “shed mama,” Missy, will be spayed and released after she nurtures and weans her babies, and she is doing such a great job. I plan to work with her and socialize her, but I’m not optimistic. I certainly will socialize the kittens, but Missy is very feral. If she truly needs to live apart from people, I’ll have to release her into a cared-for colony. I am already so attached to her, and I know that it’s going to be emotional for me to say goodbye when the time comes. But seeing her kittens adopted into responsible, loving homes will help me cope with my disappointment.
Animal League America offers a beautiful Foster Care Program that educates, guides, and supports foster caregivers every step of the way. Check out the program here for details and inspiring foster stories that will bring tears to your eyes. I can’t find words to express how joyful it is to foster a life that needs me so much. I consider it a gift and a privilege.
So, since May is National Dog Rescue Month and May 20 is National Rescue Dog Day, I want to tell you about three good dogs currently at our Adoption Center on Long Island: Dallas is looking for a foster home, while Sinatra and Bobby are ready for adoption.
Foster Dallas (adopt ID: AK0130) is looking for someone to help him on his journey to his forever home. All he needs is a chance to prove that epilepsy will not stop him from being a wonderful pet. When he arrived from Arkansas last December, he was a happy puppy. Then our veterinary team discovered that this sweet Hound mix has epilepsy and will need medication for the rest of his life.
My colleagues at Animal League America say he’s playful, full of love, eager to learn, and just wants someone to love him as he is.
Dallas arrived with his siblings and watched as they all found their forever homes. He has been overlooked for too long. He needs someone to look beyond his diagnosis—someone who believes every dog deserves a chance. Dallas is waiting at our Port Washington Adoption Center. If you’re interested in more information about this sweet pup, please email [email protected]. And if you can, share his story to help him find the home he so desperately deserves.
Adopt Sinatra (ID: T106377) I love this dog’s name, and while he isn’t “old blue eyes,” his big brown eyes seem to sparkle with intelligence, energy, and fun. He’s a Hound mix from Tennessee with classic good looks who needs an active family, an experienced adopter, and an adult-only home. He also insists on being the only pet in the family. This Sinatra is a solo act — no duets for him! To learn more and see his video, visit his profile.
Adopt Bobby ID: G27993 Just looking at Bobby’s face makes me smile. A big dog with a big, goofy spirit, he is, in my opinion, perfect boyfriend material. My colleagues tell me that this handsome Blue Nose Pittie mix recently started his training with our team and is looking for an adopter to continue his education at home. Bobby needs an experienced adopter in an all-adult home who will provide him with regular structure and guidance to help him become the best dog he can be. Affectionate and playful, Bobby has become a staff favorite, which you’ll see for yourself in his video.
Dallas, Sinatra, and Bobby are just three of the countless reasons to celebrate all the good work we do at Animal League America. Our programs address every issue in animal rescue. Our reach is local, national, and international. We are the oldest, largest, and longest-running no-kill animal rescue organization in the world. And our mission to Rescue, Nurture, Adopt, and Educate makes us powerful and unique.
So, on Thursday, June 12, we will gather in Manhattan to celebrate our successes and our goals for the future by sharing rescue stories, raising money to write even more happy endings, and spending time with people who share our vision for a more humane world for animals.
I am proud and honored to be the chairperson of this exciting, joyful, and inspiring event. Please join me for this wonderful evening, which will feature an exciting performance by the incredibly talented Hank Azaria and his Bruce Springsteen tribute group, the EZ Street Band. This is especially sweet for me, because Hank and his wife, Katie, adopted two kittens from me a few years ago!
There’s still time to RSVP HERE. I can’t wait to celebrate with you at our Celebration of Rescue!
xo
Beth
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