A Little Dog Inspires a Major Accomplishment
Transcription
A Little Dog Inspires a Major Accomplishment
QUARTERLY ISSUE FEB 2015 NURTURE: A Little Dog Inspires a Major Accomplishment Late last year, one of our hardworking international rescue partners on the Cayman Islands told us about a special dog. Apparently this abandoned little Mutt-i-gree® was born with a deformed left front foot. Doctors there amputated the foot, but the pup was still having problems. Could we help? Fifteen hundred miles later, Blaze, as we named him, was safe on our Long Island, NY campus undergoing careful evaluation. Everyone agreed he was one of the most charming, good-natured dogs ever. But our doctors were concerned about the location of the amputation, which is at the carpus, or “wrist,” joint. As a result, Blaze continued to use his leg, tearing and bruising the nub over and over. On the bright side, the fact that Blaze could still use his leg meant that the limb itself had not deteriorated, making him a good candidate for a prosthetic. Plus, Blaze had the kind of easy-going personality necessary for such a challenge. The Animal League’s Chief of Medical Staff, Dr. Mark Verdino, enlisted the expertise of one of our assistant veterinary technicians, Howard Schwartz, a retired industrial designer with a deep love for animals. Together, Dr. Verdino and Howard created a customized prosthetic — think Canine Blade Runner — for this resilient pup. The process took five weeks, including three weeks of tweaking to ensure the dog’s comfort and mobility. Throughout, Blaze continued to be his cooperative, happygo-lucky self. And the end result—the first of its kind in Animal League history—was accomplished entirely in house! Working together, Dr. Verdino, Howard, Blaze, and the medical team showed just how far North Shore Animal League America will go to nurture and mend a broken life. Blaze took to his new foot quickly and made his official debut to cheers and tears at Gala 2014 in November. Blaze is now recuperating with a loving foster family. He has also just joined the family of Sponsor Pets. See the back cover and learn more about pet sponsorship! To see a video of Blaze in action and to read about the Animal League’s brilliant work to heal this great dog, please visit us at: http://www.animalleague.org/blaze-prosthetic.html Running Their Tails Off Go Team Animal League Dear Friends, Perhaps it’s because we just finished celebrating our 70th anniversary—filled with memories of our innovative history— but I’ve been thinking a lot lately about how Mutt-i-grees have enriched our lives over the years. And I’ve come up with an idea that, I believe, will help create a nationwide community of individuals and families who, for generations, have proudly shared their lives with Mutt-i-grees. Think of it as the Mutt-i-grees Family Album®, an online collection of memories and images of all the rescue dogs and cats we’ve ever loved and cared for. Maybe it was the dog who ran to greet you every afternoon after school. Maybe it was a neighbor’s dog or your uncle’s favorite cat. Maybe your father gave you a photo of his best pal when he was growing up decades ago. In all of our lives, there are images of loved dogs and cats that jostle our memories, connecting us to each other and to those unforgettable Mutt-i-grees. The Mutt-i-grees Family Album will work like this: You send us a digital photo of your Mutt-i-gree, feline or canine, past and/ or present, along with some vital information: your name, city, and state; the pet’s name; the pet’s years; and how/where the pet was acquired. It doesn’t matter if the Mutt-i-gree was adopted from a shelter or rescue group, a stray you rescued from the street, or a pet whose owners no longer wanted him. As long as they weren’t bought, they’re all Mutt-i-grees, and they’re all welcome in the Mutt-i-grees Family Album. We’ll post your photo and information to build an online memory bank for all of us to share. In the process, family members will be reminiscing, connecting, and sharing thoughts about how important these pets were to everyone who knew them. We also hope our Muttigrees Family Album will create an anecdotal but revealing picture of the importance that animal shelters and rescue groups play in our communities. In fact, we hope to provide shelters, libraries, and schools with ways to participate, too. We plan to begin developing this project in the near future with a launch mid-2015. We’ll keep you posted. In the meantime, begin collecting those memories! Warm regards, J. John Stevenson, President 2 On Sunday, Nov. 2, one of the windiest days of the fall, 38 dedicated members of Team Animal League America zipped up their sweatshirts, laced up their running shoes, and layered on the Gore-Tex. It was the 44th running of the celebrated New York City Marathon, and our runners were not about to let chilly weather and 37-mph wind gusts get in their way. By the end of that exhausting day, Team Animal League had run a collective 995.6 miles, covered all five of the city’s boroughs, and raised $130,000 toward our capital campaign for Bianca’s Furry Friends Feline Adoption & Wellness Center. Proudly wearing a bright blue Team Animal League singlet, each runner was a moving tribute to the Animal League’s lifesaving mission. But as any runner knows, it isn’t only about marathon day. It’s also about the countless hours of training, dedication, and perseverance. And for these runners, there’s yet another factor to consider: the many dogs, cats, puppies, and kittens whose lives their efforts will save. On Sept. 14, several core team members gathered at our Long Island campus to learn firsthand about our work and to pick up a few training tips from team captain, Scott Guber, CPA, for whom this was marathon number 20! Then, on the day before the race, many of our athletes shared a pre-race rally lunch. Captain Scott made helpful suggestions about clothing, refreshments, and nourishment to help prepare novice runners and to generate a sense of camaraderie among all participants, regardless of their experience. And to provide even more inspiration, an adorable bunch of our puppies was on hand, calming prerace jitters and reminding all the runners why their hard work matters so much. To find out how you can join Team Animal League for all of its exciting runs, including the 2015 TCS New York City Marathon, please see page 7 of this issue of Pawprints. PAWPRINTS ISSUE 1 2015 Photography by Lori Cannava Gala 2014: Oh, What a Night! On Friday, Nov. 14, more than 300 friends filled the Grand Ballroom at New York’s Plaza Hotel for North Shore Animal League America’s 2014 Gala: Celebrating 70 Years of Saving Lives. Cocktails, a silent auction, a lineup of compelling speakers, presenters, and entertainers—and stories about wonderful dogs and cats from our Help Me Heal Program—illustrated exactly what our mission to rescue, nurture, and adopt is all about. The theme for the evening was “nurture.” For Blaze, our first “Blade Runner” dog, nurture means a customized prosthetic foot designed entirely at the Animal League. For Cassie, nurture means rescue from the horrors of four years in a “dog factory”—and treatment for so many serious problems that our medical team called her “one of the Rachael Ray Makes Giving Tuesday a Day to Remember worst cases we’ve ever rescued from a puppy mill.” Brighteyed Cassie is now in a loving foster home. And for us, nurture means you! We thank you for your support, which enables us to care for every animal who comes to us. Your trust in us means we can keep our no-kill promise and build on our achievements for an even more humane and compassionate future. An important part of that future is Bianca’s Furry Friends Adoption & Wellness Center, which is even closer to reality thanks to the net proceeds from Gala 2014. We extend a special thank-you to our Gala Committee; CoChairs Beth and Howard Stern; the evening’s host, designer and author Nate Berkus; and our generous Gala sponsors: Tri-State Mazda Dealers; Canine Company; IBM SWG; DNL OmniMedia, Inc.; eBay Enterprise; Mel Karmazin Foundation; Purina, RR Donnelley; Beth Stern; The Eric Trump Foundation; and Wells Fargo Advisors. On the “Rachael Ray Show”, Animal League spokesperson Beth Stern joined Rachael as a special guest. The two old friends chatted about their mutual love for shelter pets and the role that North Shore Animal League America’s Bianca’s Furry Friends Feline Adoption & Wellness Center will play in saving the lives of even more cats in need. To demonstrate how adoption and love can transform a feline, an oversized, white poof-ball of a cat named Yoda took to the stage. Yoda is one of Beth and Howard Stern’s six amazing felines and the title character in Beth’s wonderful new bestseller, “Yoda: The Story of a Cat and His Kittens.” (please see page 8 for details) While Yoda exuded his unique brand of fluffy, laid-back charisma, Rachael made a surprise announcement, presenting Beth with a check for $500,000 to support the capital campaign for Bianca’s Furry Friends. Yoda, totally unimpressed, decided he’d just as soon go backstage and snooze. Everyone else, however—Rachael, Beth, and the entire studio audience—was thrilled—and even a bit teary. It was Giving Tuesday 2014, the first Tuesday after Thanksgiving, a day when nonprofits across the country make special appeals for their many worthy causes. Special thanks to our friend Rachael Ray for her generous donation! PAWPRINTS ISSUE 1 2015 3 Donor Spotlight: Tracy Krulik and Tom Dillickrath For Tracy Krulik and Tom Dillickrath, of Alexandria, Va., compassion for animals involves both how they live — and how they give. “Tom and I control the things we can control,” says Tracy. “We control our food, for example, by being vegans. And we make our home welcoming, safe, and fun for our rescues. But we can help only so much. By supporting North Shore Animal League America, we can help so many more animals.” Tracy and Tom began their association with the Animal League in 2012, following the death of their beautiful calico cat, Briscoe. “Tom wanted to donate to someplace that represented the values he found most important and reflected the way he wanted to honor Briscoe. The Animal League’s mission was exactly what he was looking for—no kill, great care of animals, large scale mission, really making a difference. We need to believe in the mission of any organization we support. But just as important, we need to see that the organization operates in such a way that it effectively furthers that mission and maximizes its resources. The Animal League met our criteria, and we were so happy when Tom was able to sponsor towers for the cat room.” A year later, Tracy and Tom lost Briscoe’s littermate, Curtiss. Faced with an empty house, they decided to travel to Long Island to adopt a dog from the Animal League. “I fell in love with one of the first dogs I saw,” Tracy recalls. “This little freckled, tri-color beagle was curled up asleep in a crate—she looked like Briscoe! I sat down, and Emma—our name for her— immediately crawled into my lap. She pressed all of her weight into me and stayed there snuggled up. Tom looked down and said, ‘Great! Now we need to find a second dog for me.’ I told him to sit next to me, and when he did, Emma placed one paw on his leg, then another, and then crawled into his lap for a hug. I looked up and said, ‘Wrap her up! We’re done here.’” Tracy and Tom are proud that Emma embodies our mission. The Animal League rescued her from a kill-shelter in Tennessee. Before that, she’d been a caged breeding dog in a puppy mill. About five days after she arrived on our campus, Tracy and Tom gave her a permanent, loving home. “When she first came into our family, she was afraid of everything—wood floors, sidewalks, cars, streets, strollers, elevators!” Tracy says. “Now she is this incredibly gentle, sweet, fun, happy, playful little girl. North Shore Animal League America gave her the opportunity to have this life. For that we will forever be grateful.” To learn more about how you can support our lifesaving mission with a gift, please contact Jill Burkhardt, at [email protected], or call (516) 883-7900, ext 833. In Memoriam: Karen LaRocca — Friend, Volunteer, Supporter North Shore Animal League America mourns the passing, on Nov. 20, 2014, of Karen LaRocca. For more than 17 years, Karen gave her time, compassion, creativity, and financial support to our most needy pets, endearing herself not only to the many animals she personally nurtured, but also to everyone at the Animal League who had the pleasure of knowing and working with her. Joanne Yohannan, Senior Vice President of Shelter Operations, remembers Karen’s “soft spot” for special-needs dogs like Toby and Franklin, with whom Karen spent countless hours. 4 Both dogs thrived thanks to expert medical treatment and Karen’s gentle attention. With her husband, Donald, who died in November 2012, Karen funded the Animal League’s dog park. Dedicated in 2003, the park enhances our ability to showcase the charm and adoptability of our canines and to improve and maintain their socialization. Karen and Don also provided financial support for our new pet wellness center, scheduled to open later this year. A state-of-theart outpatient facility, the center will enable us to serve many more pets from the tri-state region, saving even more lives by offering affordable medical care to pets who would otherwise not receive it. As President J. John Stevenson notes, Karen will be greatly missed. “She had an unequalled passion for making the lives of homeless pets better. She was a true friend and tireless supporter of the Animal League.” PAWPRINTS ISSUE 1 2015 The Fine Art of Fostering “The best advice I’d give to anyone interested in fostering is to talk to an experienced foster parent like Marilyn. Fostering is great, and I want as many parents as I can get, but you have to be sure it’s the right fit for you. The goal should be to help an animal in need. If you wind up falling in love with the animal and wanting to keep him, I see that as a nice bonus. But if you want to foster, you must ask yourself if you can handle giving the animal back when it’s time.” Marilyn and Alex agree that the rewards of letting go and making room for another are immeasurable. As Alex explains, each of the Animal League’s more than 468 foster placements in 2014 saved the lives of countless additional animals in need. For most of the dogs and cats who find sanctuary in the homes of our foster families, everything from floors and bowls to brushes and toys represent brand-new experiences. In fact, foster homes are often the first homes these animals have ever known. Veteran foster caregiver Marilyn McKaie has nurtured more than 30 puppies, kittens, and dogs during her five years as a foster parent for North Shore Animal League America. More often than not, the dogs she’s taken into her home have been puppy mill rescues. “What’s so sad,” she says, “is that puppy mill dogs seem to have no emotion. When they arrive, they just stand there. They’ve never been encouraged to move or play or interact in any way. It just breaks your heart. They don’t know how to be dogs.” Socializing dogs who’ve had to shut down emotionally is a challenge. But for Marilyn, helping them break through their protective shells by teaching them how to trust is her most important task as a foster parent. In effect, Marilyn is finding the keys to unlock the emotional cages that have imprisoned them from birth. Patience and perspective, she says, are crucial. “What you’re doing as a foster parent is making the pet adoptable. The hurdle is letting the animal go when it’s time and the perfect permanent home has appeared. It’s hard to say good-bye, even though I play a role in the adoption process and I stay in touch with many of the adopter families. Still, it’s difficult—but it’s what you have to do, because there’s always another animal who needs you.” “By fostering, you aren’t helping only the pet you take into your home,” he says. “You’ve also opened up space at our shelter, which is some pretty valuable real estate. That space then makes room for another animal. So if you foster a dog for three months,” he continues, “we probably use that space at least 10 times for different animals who would never have gotten that chance if not for our foster parents—wonderful people who often have no idea how many lives they’ve actually saved.” Special Recover Center Update North Shore Animal League America is excited to announce that construction of the Elizabeth Ann Freed Special Recovery Center will begin in mid-2015. The Animal League received the necessary final town permits to move forward on this project in October. Contractor bids were quickly received and painstakingly evaluated to ensure the success of this important project. The center will consist of a 2,000-square-foot, freestanding building designed to provide a safe, comfortable environment for our Mutti-grees with contagious diseases. Pets in this isolation area will receive the specialized treatment they need to recover, without the possibility of spreading disease to healthy animals. We thank our generous donors for giving us the means to offer even more sophisticated care to animals in need. Marilyn says she treats her fosters exactly as she treats her own two permanent rescues—because, she says, “For the time they’re with me, they are my dogs, and my responsibility. While they’re in my home, I want them to feel they’re really home.” According to Alex Bab, who oversees our Foster Care Program, fostering is a great option for people who want to help homeless pets but, for various reasons, can’t make the long-term commitment to adopt. He says that most of the Animal League’s 259 registered foster parents are either retirees or people in their 20s and 30s. PAWPRINTS ISSUE 1 2015 5 Lifesaving Journey #15 Spring will be just around the corner when North Shore Animal League America’s 15th annual Tour For Life® takes to the highways once again. The first stop on the itinerary is Atlanta on March 12, followed by visits to Miami, New Orleans, Chicago, and Pittsburgh. The route also includes many smaller communities, from Waynesville, Mo., to Parma, Ohio, to Cedar Rapids, Iowa. When the mobile adoption units return to Manhattan on May 9, the tour will have covered a total of 18,000 lifesaving miles. Four of the Animal League’s fully equipped “shelters on wheels” will simultaneously cross the country, following separate routes and visiting a total of 40 cities in 26 states, plus our nation’s capital. Like previous tours, this year’s coastto-coast effort will promote the importance of shelter and rescue adoption. Our offsite adoption team will work side by side with community agencies and organizations to help find loving, permanent homes for all their orphaned pets. Along the way, we’ll join with schools, libraries, and local animal welfare organizations to hold family-friendly festivities that highlight all of the wonderful Mutt-i-grees waiting for homes in shelters nationwide. Local media, celebrities, and community leaders will also play important roles in communicating the Mutt-i-grees message. And if this year’s event is anything like last year’s, 2,600 dogs, cats, puppies, and kittens will be enjoying safe, loving homes at tour’s end. To find a Tour For Life stop near you, please visit: www.animalleague.org/tourforlife2015. Game Day Highlights Kitten Bowl II Excessive Cuteness and Adorable Delay of Game Make Kitten Bowl II a Hilarious Success Wes Whisker showed a lot of hot-shot attitude, and Joe Fluffo roughed the kicker every chance he got. Clawvin Jackson, wearing a tuxedo, was offsides all the time, and the calico? She was way out of bounds, scratching on the goal post. It was Kitten Bowl II, broadcast on the Hallmark Channel on February 1, aka Su-purrr Bowl Sunday. The spectacle, which was taped in September, was a collaboration between North Shore Animal League America, Last Hope Animal Rescue and Rehabilitation, and our good friends at the Hallmark Channel. Animal League spokesperson Beth Stern and “radio voice of the Yankees” John Sterling returned for the second year to do color and play-by-play. Beth happily described the gridiron mood as “kitten chaos,” and she was right, with all 92 playful players giving 110 percent of the goofiest antics imaginable. And everyone went home a winner, especially the irresistible adoptables who all found loving homes. 6 The cat-letes were divided into eight “teams”—the Hallmark Channel Hearties and the North Shore Bengals, for example— who took turns on the turf. The teams are part of the FFL (Feline Football League), whose commissioner, Boomer Esiason, called the cat-letes “super fuzzy super stars.” Fortunately, Commissioner Esiason made no mention of banning certain…uh…substances, like catnip! But seriously, it’s not all fur and games. There’s a very serious, lifesaving purpose behind all this charm, and that’s to raise awareness about the need to adopt cats and kittens from shelters and rescue groups across the country. Many Animal League adoption partners held Kitten Bowl Parties to generate funds and adoptions in their own communities. And viewers across the country got a chance to see just how endearing and sweet feline shenanigans can be. PAWPRINTS ISSUE 1 2015 Join Us in the Wonderful Work of Saving Lives North Shore Animal League America offers a full calendar of lifesaving events that friends and sponsors can support in ways that best suit their individual tastes and talents. Like all of our events, these special occasions provide ways for people to meet others who share their concern for pets while enabling us to rescue, nurture, and adopt even more Mutt-i-grees®. A d o pti o n Team Animal Leag u e The goal of everything we do at the Animal League is to make sure that our Mutt-i-grees find loving, responsible homes. This year, we’ll kick off our signature adoption event—our 21st annual, worldwide Pet Adoptathon®— at 9 a.m. on Saturday, June 6. For the following 36 hours, our campus will be abuzz with adoptable pets and their new families. In addition, our global Pet Adoptathon will continue on our campus and around the world for the entire month of June. And if you take part in social networking, please share Pet Adoptathon with your online community to encourage adoptions at our Long Island campus and at participating shelters and rescue partners around the world. Since its debut in 2008, “Team Animal League” has referred to our stalwart New York City Marathon runners. Each year, they attack this legendary race with passion and gusto to support our wonderful Mutt-i-grees. Each one of these terrific people is a winner in our record book! And like everything else at the Animal League, opportunities for athletes and others to contribute to our mission are constantly growing. If you’re interested in a 5K walk/run at your comfort level, the Generosity Series Brooklyn 5K Race is ideal. This annual event, scheduled for March 29 in Prospect Park, is a great way for you— and your dog!—to support our mission. You can register as a participant or you can support your favorite Team Animal League athlete—or the team itself. Check out generositybrooklyn.com for details. If you’re looking for a workout in early fall, consider joining Team Animal League for the Hamptons Marathon, on Saturday, Sept. 26. Those interested in half- or fullmarathons can register at www.AnimalLeague.org/2015NYCMarathon, and enjoy a run across the beautiful terrain of the East End. Finally, Team Animal League will once again regroup for the New York City Marathon, on Sunday, November 1. You can reserve a spot on the team on a first-come firstserved basis. Once the roster is full, you can sign up for our waiting list. Contact [email protected] for details. All pets adopted during adoptathon will be entered in the North Shore Animal League America national Muttigrees Rescue Registry celebrating all rescued animals – whether mixed or pure breed, young or old, canine or feline – and creating the world’s 1st census of rescued pets. You too can make history with us by joining the tens of thousands of others who have already registered their pets and received their papers! Visit www.animalleague.org/registry, and receive your very own Muttigrees papers to display proudly. Lifesaving events at a glance: S o cial Gatherings The Animal League holds two special events each year to honor the contributions of people, organizations, and Mutt-i-grees who inspire us and further the goals of animal welfare. This year’s Lewyt Humane Awards Luncheon will take place on June 24,2015 at Leonard’s Palazzo in Great Neck N.Y. Supporters can join us as attendees, sponsors, journal entrants, and/or auction donors, all of which are greatly welcomed. Please visit animalleague.org/2015lewytluncheon for details. Net proceeds from this festive afternoon will support an ongoing capital campaign for Bianca’s Furry Friends Feline Wellness & Adoption Center. In November, the Animal League will hold its annual Gala, scheduled for November 20, 2015 at The Pierre in Manhattan. This elegant evening is always filled with inspiration and promise, as we celebrate another year of our lifesaving, no-kill mission. Highlights of Gala 2014 are available at animalleague.org/2014gala, which will give you an idea of the excitement and compassion that characterize this fantastic evening. Supporters are invited to take part in a variety of ways—as attendees, sponsors, auction donors, or journal entrants. Net proceeds from the Gala will also support our capital campaign for Bianca’s Furry Friends Feline Wellness & Adoption Center. Generosity Series Brooklyn 5K Race March 29, 2015 / Pet Adoptathon June 6-7, 2015 Lewyt Humane Awards Luncheon June 24, 2015 / Hamptons Marathon September 26, 2015 New York City Marathon November 1, 2015 / Animal League 2015 Gala November 20, 2015 PAWPRINTS ISSUE 1 2015 7 Honor the memory of a beloved pet with a Legacy Gift When Cynthia Mancuso lost her beloved dog Rocky to old age, she knew that as a life-long pet lover she would adopt again, but only when the time was right. “Something told me to go to North Shore Animal League America on a Sunday” says Cynthia, and so it was that on October 6th, 2000 she found her “angel” St. Bernard / Collie Mutt-i-gree Beethoven – all 70 pounds of him at only seven months old! For almost 14 wonderful years, Beethoven, whom the Animal League had rescued from a kill shelter in Tennessee, was Cynthia’s constant companion and best friend. But sadly, after a long battle with cancer, he passed away in April of 2014. In honor of Beethoven’s spirit and to celebrate the love that pets bring into all of our lives, Cynthia contacted the Animal League to inform us that she would be leaving the contents of her insurance policy to our organization in memory of Beethoven and would become the newest member of North Shore Animal League America’s Pet Protectors Society. Cynthia’s generous, future gift will help ensure that North Shore Animal League America can continue its no-kill mission long into the future and that we will always be here to rescue pets like Beethoven from desperate situations all across the country. Legacy gifts like Cynthia’s that are given in memory of a pet can take the form of a gift from a will, trust, TOD account or insurance policy. To quote Cynthia, “People don’t know what they are missing if they don’t adopt…pets warm your soul and bring happiness to your heart. It’s a big responsibility, but worth everything for the love you get in return.” To learn how you can support our no-kill mission and honor the memory of a pet or pet lover with a Legacy gift, please contact Eric N. Lieberman: (516) 812-7218 • [email protected] Beth, Yoda, and a Lifesaving Book Save a life, month after month—Join the Animal League’s Pet Sponsor Program! Some of the dogs and cats who come to North Shore Animal League America have chronic illness that call for behavieral training and extensive care before they can be adopted. Many also require lifelong medical treatment.These special-needs Mutt-i-grees® would most likely be considered lost causes by other shelters—and suffer tragic, unnecessary deaths. Through our vital Sponsor Program, your monthly gift will enable us to keep our promise to care for these deserving pets for the rest of their lives. You can make a difference—the difference between life and death—to a sponsor pet who truly needs you! Don’t delay! Save a life today by calling 1-877-BE_MY_PAL (1-877-236-9725). You can also send us an email at [email protected] or visit animalleague.org/sponsor. 8 North Shore Animal League America is delighted to introduce you to “Yoda: The Story of a Cat and His Kittens,” written by our spokesperson and New York Times bestselling author, Beth Stern. This inspiring book for Mutt-i-gree-lovers of all ages tells the story of a matted, depressed, lonely cat who, once adopted by Beth and Howard Stern, discovers not only love and a second chance, but also a purpose in life—as the feline caretaker and role model for the Sterns’ many foster kittens. We are deeply grateful to Beth, who is generously donating all of the proceeds from this book to North Shore Animal League’s Bianca’s Furry Friends Feline Adoption & Wellness Center capital campaign. To order your copy, please visit: www.animalleague.org/Yoda Thank You, Banfield Charitable Trust Our special thanks to the Banfield Charitable Trust for a $10,000 grant to replenish the Animal League’s Pet Emergency Care Fund, which began in 2013. This fund enables many pets belonging to people facing financial hardship to receive emergency medical attention. Qualified recipients may apply for grants of up to $500 to help cover the costs of emergency services provided on the Animal League campus by our veterinary staff. More than two-dozen dogs and cats—with names like Bear, Sox, Chubby, and Blue—have already benefited from this fund. Thanks to the generous Banfield Veterinary Assistance Grant to North Shore Animal League America, even more pets will receive expert medical attention when they need it most. Two of the satisfied patients who benefited from the Pet Emergency Care Fund in 2014. Pawprints is a newsletter of: North Shore Animal League America, 16 Lewyt Street, Port Washington, NY 11050 1.877.472.8373 • www.AnimalLeague.org NL-1-2015