It was a terrible thing to lay in bed at night and think about this cat suffering for so many weeks in so much pain, and no one doing anything for her.  I can’t even imagine the pain and I keep hearing over in my head the little  whimper she made as I held her when we we first got her here at Pets Alive.  At the time we didn’t think too much of it, but by the next day, when we found out what was wrong with her, it was deeply unsettling to us all.  With that fueling us, Pets Alive went on the attack.  John Sibley, a regular volunteer at Pets Alive and also a web blogger who first told us about Gloria, also had a lot to say about the issue – check out his blogs here.

Normally I would just attack via social media and it might spread viral across the web and a lot of people would know about it, but this time I decided to try something else.  I called them and asked them about it.  I have a person I would call a friend at the ASPCA and I said “How did this happen.  How could this happen.”  And you know something?  She was aghast.  And astonished and just as upset as I was.  And she turned it over to her superiors and you know what happened?  They looked into it.  They did a complete investigation as to what happened and why and how and they came to some conclusions.

Are you ready for this?

They said: We were wrong.  We made a mistake in this situation, and we’re putting in place change so something like this can never happen again.

Here is the press statement that is being released by the ASPCA in response to Gloria.

The ASPCA has conducted an internal investigation into why Gloria, a stray cat with a broken leg who was abandoned in front of one of the ASPCA’s mobile spay/neuter vehicles, was transferred to NYC AC&C.

So let’s take a look at this.The ASPCA brought Gloria the cat to the ACC because that was standard protocol. The cat was a stray and if the owner was looking for her the only place they can find her is at the ACC. So that is where they bring her and they TELL them the cat needs care immediately.

It appears that by this statement, the ASPCA is taking full responsibility for maybe dropping the ball on Gloria, but my mind really goes to the ACC. The ASPCA had the cat, diagnosed the cat, followed protocol and brought the cat to the ACC where she was….what? Neglected for three weeks and then put on a death list. But I digress.  This is about the ASPCA.  The ASPCA followed their protocols.

Pets Alive has similar ones. When people bring a stray animal to us, we always tell them it has to go first to the local humane society so that if the owner is looking for the pet they have the best chance of finding him or her. Then we do monitor the dog or cat, because once an animal steps foot on this property we wind up all feeling a bit of a sense of responsibility to that animal and if they go on to a death list we will pull and take them here, but at least their owners had the best possible chance of recovering the animal! So we can’t really attack the ASPCA for doing that. I understand the part about bringing a stray to the place the owners can find their pet, should they be looking. And they told the ACC about this and why should they not have expected the ACC to treat Gloria? After all the ACC is responsible for the animals in NYC aren’t they? Darnit, I digress again.

But in this case the ASPCA issues this statement and they CHANGE that policy – my friends this is completely astonishing.  This press release says to me, if I were to sum it up: “Wow. We messed up on this one. We should have done things differently. We are upset about this and we’re damn well going to change things and do things differently from now on”.

And then they acknowledge US and ask for people to make donations to us?  How gracious is that? But more importantly than that they are changing their protocols. If an animal crosses their path it won’t be standard any more to bring to the ACC. Instead they will take responsibility and care for that animal. Should they have done this in the first place? Yes. No question in my mind. Yes. An animal needs medical care and you have a medical facility well then help the animal. Then again, no one ever really believes what a crummy place the ACC really is. This is just more proof.

When I got the call from the ASPCA to tell me this, they sounded very upset about the whole thing.  It wasn’t a snow job. I completely felt that they meant it.  They had launched an investigation.  They had gotten to the bottom of what had happened. They CHANGED their protocols.  I was completely astonished.  My contact at the ASPCA said to me “When it is about the animal, and everyone remembers that, the right thing WILL happen”.

This isn’t about the ASPCA.  This isn’t about Pets Alive.  This isn’t about an “image” for the media. This isn’t even about the ACC (ok, it is but I’m trying to make a point here).  This is about Gloria.  It was about failing Gloria and then fixing that. I will be the first one out there attacking and reporting when I’m upset with the way things are being handled by other organizations and if I am going to do that then I also have to be the first one to say “I’m impressed.  GREAT job” when they do something right.  In this case the ASPCA did something right.  They admitted fault. They fixed it going forward.  And I will tell you that as the director of Pets Alive I have made many mistakes over the years.  I like to think I never make them twice. But there is no way you are always going to do everything perfectly and neither will our staff.  When we have screwed up, we acknowledge it and we fix it going forward.

I’m impressed with the ASPCA in this situation.  And yes I’m grateful that they will help us with the costs for Gloria, which has been financially staggering to us…but that isn’t it.  It isn’t about the money. I’m over joyed that they looked into this. Were upset about it. Fixed it. And contacted me about it.  I’m super impressed with this press release. It means a great deal. It means a lot. Read between the lines at all the meaning behind this. And be impressed too.

Now, ASPCA if you would just get behind CARA, we would be happy to rename the proposed law to “The ASPCA is FREAKING awesome ACT of 2012“. Whaddya say?

And ACC?  Really. The ASPCA, in my opinion, had MUCH MUCH less responsibility in this situation. You examined Gloria THREE times. Yet they stand here and take the blame for this. They had Gloria just a few hours. And THEY are standing here accepting responsibility. You had Gloria in your “care” for more than three weeks. YOU examined her three separate times. You let her suffer like this. YOU need to step up and make changes to make sure this never happens again.  Will you? What changes can you make there to make sure cats like Gloria don’t slip through the cracks?

(Damnit. I made it about the ACC again. I can’t seem to help myself.)

But anyway, thank you ASPCA for stepping up. Responding to this. And fixing it going forward. It is what we needed for you and we’re glad that you addressed this.

(I personally love the press release part where you mention Pets Alive!!!!!! – can we throw in a URL there? A donation box? No? Ok, Yeah that would be pushing it.)

Jenessa is great, and she will do wonderfully.  I know she has to be nervous right now.  Westchester is a massive facility. Two to three times the size of Pets Alive Middletown in capacity for animals and staff and budget. It’s a lot to take on and I know that Jen has to be nervous about this.  I know I would be.  :)  But at least for Jen a lot of the most difficult work there has been done.

Let me tell you a little story. When we first took over the Elmsford Animal Shelter I will admit - I was against it.  Believe it or not I was the only board member that voted NO to taking it over. Hey look, we all have our moments of weakness.  Right off the heels of rebuilding Pets Alive Middletown, knowing how hard it was, how much work it was, how much stress and pain and emotion – I was gun shy at believing we could do it again.  And with Pets Alive Middletown we had Best Friends to help us.  They brought trained staff, lots of money, tons of support, they had all the answers, they knew what they were doing.

We only had three years under our belt.  Could we really take over an organization that had no programs in place, a staff that had not been well trained, no money at ALL in their coffers, 1100 animals, many in horrible, terrible conditions, and the monthly outlay was $125,000??  Yes.  Seriously.  You heard me right.  They were spending $125,000 a MONTH and had no money at all.  They were three months away from shutting down, that was all the money there was.  They had no email list, no mailing list for donors, no donation program, no fund raising, no offsite events, no adoption program…..NOTHING.  And just three months of money, At Pets Alive Middletown we only had about $85,000 in the bank.  I thought we had to be crazy to take this on.  CRAZY.  Especially if I was the one to have to do most of the work!!!  (Yeah, I know but hey, remember I already had a full time job running Middletown, so cut me some slack, will ya? I couldn’t imagine finding any more hours in my day).  But the board thought we could do it and so we did. Crazy?  Yes.  Risky?  Very. Frightening? Terrifying.

So we threw ourselves into it. I remember talking to Nathan Winograd once about taking over a previously existing shelter and he said that in most cases you wind up firing 1/3 of the staff because they can’t get with the new program.  They are too ensconced in the old ways and can’t change, or won’t change, and they become major obstacles to your success.  This was true.  Within weeks we had to let go of about 1/3 of the staff for the sheer negativity and the constant hurdles they threw at us, the outright refusal to do things a new way or the fact that they simply had no ethics when it came to animals. Nathan went on to say that 1/3 of the staff would leave on their own and 1/3 would rise and shine! Again he was right on.  We fired 1/3 of the staff and another 1/3 within the next couple of months left on their own.  They disagreed with us, they didn’t like the re-org, they didn’t believe in no-kill – whatever their reasons they left.  And the last 1/3 is still with us.  Shining.  They picked up the ball and they ran with it.  They blew through obstacles, they held our hands and walked us through getting to know all the animals, they worked long hours, they dealt with stress and frustration and difficulty.  And they shined. They are still shining.  We are grateful to them every single day. Without them, we may not have succeeded. (Special thanks especially to Mara and Christian).

So after months of stuttering stops and starts, Joy and I had a discussion.  Joy was already on our board of directors.  She knew Pets Alive inside and out. She loved us. We loved her.  Every task she had ever undertaken for Pets Alive was done well and far exceeded our expectations.  Would she, could she, might she, consider taking over Pets Alive Westchester as the Executive Director?

Joy already had a good job, making a great salary.  We enticed her in by offering her about half that salary. See?  We know how to bargain!  We said, hey we can’t really pay you anything at all, and you’ll be working twice as many hours as you did in your other job, and you’ll have a long commute, and emotionally you’ll go home crying every night, but it will get better and hey look over here – PUPPY BREATH!  And so that was it, she accepted.  Who could blame her. (OK, at that point I did start to wonder about her intelligence, but then again I did the same thing.  Took this job for about a third of my previous salary and I didn’t think I was an idiot.  Maybe Joy wasn’t either! ). And so Joy became the Executive Director.  And life at Pets Alive Westchester did a 180.  The staff got much needed training and organization. The animals started receiving medical care and attention.  All the animals came out of cages and into healthier and stimulating environments. Offsite events and volunteer coordination got off the ground.  Fund raising was started. Supporters were approached and asked for help. The paperwork was organized and the bills got paid.  Joy got the monthly expenses to a more manageable level. She brought Ken in as the facility and adoption manager.  Ken took adoptions from 1-5 animals a week to soaring over 15-30 a week in a snap. Senior animals were flying out the door.  Donations were up.  Volunteers were coming in droves. Wow. Could this thing really work?  Could we really save the Elmsford Shelter? Yes. Joy did that. Joy did ALL of that. Yes she had a staff, yes she had volunteers, yes, she had Ken who was instrumental in putting everything on the right track, but Joy was the force behind it all. Making tough choices and difficult decisions every single day.  Going home crying and hurt and wounded, yet still getting up again the next day and coming back in and doing it all again.

In the past year Joy and I have become very good friends. Everyone has someone in their life that THEY look to for support or for help or as a mentor or idol.  Even though Joy came “after” me into Pets Alive, she is the person I look up to.  She is the person that I talk to when I’m unsure of a decision.  When I’m anxious, stressed, nervous, or scared. Yes I get scared.  Hey, a lot of animals depend on us.  We can’t screw up.  We have to make the right decisions.  Sometimes it can be overwhelming.  Joy is always the voice of reason.  The steadying hand.  The calming factor.  She makes me laugh when there isn’t anything to laugh about.  She holds me up when I feel like I’m faltering. She is such a force in the world of animal welfare, love, commitment and care.  I learn something from her every day.  She is brilliant and personable.  She is tough and stubborn.  She is efficient and organized. She is humble and self deprecating. She never gives up, she never gives in, she never doesn’t believe.  She always KNOWS we can do it.  She always just “does it”.

Is everything perfect now at Westchester? No. We are still deep in the red.  We still need more financial support.  We still need more of the “legacy animals” placed (animals still there from the “old” days, some which were born there and are still there ten years later), we still need more medical care for the animals, we still need facility improvements.  This is where Jen will come in, and shine.  She takes over a well oiled machine now.  A machine that still needs an engineer and a mechanic, but that now runs again.

And as to Joy and Ken?  Who better to go into the unknown?  Into Puerto Rico with all the challenges there, and start a fresh new world of life saving?  Who better than these two amazing people to work more miracles and work more magic.  I just can’t wait to see what they do with Puerto Rico.  I can’t wait to see them shine there. But I will miss Joy very much.  I will miss our light hearted banter.  I will miss her warm hugs when the world seems to be falling down.  I will miss her easy laughter and quick come backs.  I will miss my friend. Thank you Joy for saving Pets Alive Westchester and making it what it is today.  Thank you for lifting me up when I needed a friend.  Thank you for all the love you have given to Pets Alive and to your staff.  And thank you for taking on Pets Alive Puerto Rico.  There isn’t anyone else in the world I think could succeed like you two will there. I can’t wait to see the deprived, starved, abused and beaten animals of Puerto Rico fall into your loving and caring arms, and to watch their transformation.  I am so sad for us to be saying goodbye to you, and so happy for them that they get to have you.

Good luck my friend.
You leave with all our admiration and love and hopes for the future.
Go git em.
I’ll miss you.

After one year as Executive Director of Pets Alive Westchester, I am leaving to take on the role of Executive Director of Pets Alive Puerto Rico. It’s a bittersweet transition for me.

While I look forward to the new challenge in Puerto Rico, I look around and see so much still to be done in Westchester.
Mostly I see the faces of the animals. I have come to love each and every one of them, and leaving them is very difficult. But I know I am leaving them in capable hands. Jenessa Taylor, the new Executive Director, is able to step into this role without missing a beat. She comes to PAW from Pets Alive Middletown, where she was the Executive Administrator working right alongside the President of the Board and Executive Director at Middletown. Jen has extensive knowledge and experience in handling the day to day operation as well as in keeping the long term goals on track. She knows that the top priority is to get these animals into loving homes and to ensure that their lives are enriched while they are still here. The staff at Pets Alive Westchester is a strong group of committed, capable, caring, compassionate people. Led by Jenessa, they will not only accomplish the goals already set forth, but with your support, they will take Pets Alive Westchester to places not yet imagined!

So go ahead – RING OUT THE OLD!

It has been such an honor working with you to lead this organization over the past year, and to be able to play a small part in helping to improve the lives of the animals at Pets Alive Westchester. Thank you all for being a part of PAW, and for all your support and encouragement.

Always remember that none of this can happen without you, so please give generously in 2012 of your time, your money and most of all your love. Thank you for loving the animals. Your love worked miracles in 2011. There are more miracles to come in 2012.

RING IN THE NEW!

Love,

Joy XOXOXO

I am very proud to tell you about some of the accomplishments that your support made possible in 2011. What a year it has been!

ADOPTIONS

In 2011, PAW found homes for more than 1,000 animals – hundreds of them were seniors who had been here for many years.

ENRICHMENT

For those dogs and cats who remain in our care, we implemented some wonderful programs to enrich their lives.

• The “Senior Foster Program” asks people to commit to a dog or cat for the rest of its life. Pets Alive Westchester pays all the medical expenses. Currently 6 senior dogs and 1 senior cat are in this program.
• The “Senior Weekend Getaway” program allows volunteers to bring a senior dog home for an overnight or weekend stay. 5 dogs regularly “getaway”.
• The “Train to Adopt Program” consists of dedicated volunteers who meet with the staff trainer on a weekly basis and learn training techniques to help make dogs more adoptable.
• The “K9 Basics” training classes graduated 82 students. We know that when a new adopter attends training classes with their dog, the likelihood is greatly reduced that the dog will be returned
• “Doggie Play Groups” bring dogs together in the play yard for fun and exercise. Dozens of dogs who were labeled “dog-aggressive” have been reevaluated and now participate in play groups after years of being deprived of any interaction with other dogs!
• FIV cats are now showcased in their own new room right off the lobby, and volunteers are encouraged to visit and socialize with them.
• Sam, a dog once labeled severely aggressive has been rehabilitated. He now lives happily in the office, loves everyone, and is training to become a licensed therapy dog.
• The renovation and beautification of the cat rooms is almost complete and will provide more comfy sleeping areas and nooks and crannies for hiding”

MEDICAL

With so many senior animals, the ability to provide medical care onsite is a top priority. The new medical suite, outfitted with state of the art equipment, meets that need.

• There is a large treatment room for first aid, dentals, and surgery prep, and a separate operating room where surgeries are performed.
• The new cat infirmary is almost complete, and will provide our feline furries with a spacious and clean place to recuperate from illness, injury or surgery.
• The medical team consists of staff veterinarian Christina Nutini, DVM and two vet assistants, and is overseen by Dr. Christopher Puzio, owner of Rockland veterinary. I am so proud to be able to say that everyone on the medical team embraces the Pets Alive no-kill philosophy and is committed to providing the highest quality medical care in a loving and compassionate manner.
• Early 2012 will bring a renovated dog infirmary, and in the second half of the year PAW will begin offering low cost spay/neuter to the community.

FACILITIES MAINTENANCE

• The installation of the new HVAC system is underway and expected to be completed any day now. With winter upon us, and with the memories of getting through last winter without reliable heat still fresh in our mind, this costly project could not be postponed any longer. New boilers, duct work, air handlers, controls, and a special filtering system for the medical areas will result in a safe, healthy and cozy indoor environment year round.
• The lobby has been redecorated and now has a clean and spacious look, and our logo graces the entryway – all thanks to Diana who had a vision to help Pets Alive Westchester and a mission to complete her Girl Scout Gold Award project.
• A dream came true just a few weeks ago when a donor agreed to sponsor a beautiful new sign for the outside of the building to show all the world that we are Pets Alive Westchester!

Our mission is to improve the lives of companion animals everywhere by any means possible, including rescue, adoption, advocacy, collaboration, intervention and education. Please consider making a donation to help us.

I’m surprised that people don’t understand this.
Surprised that some of YOU don’t understand it, and I felt that writing a blog would help to overcome some of the misconceptions.

Have you ever read Pets Alive mission statement?  Oh don’t bother to go and look for it, let me post it here for you:

Our mission is to improve the lives of companion animals everywhere by any means possible, including rescue, adoption, advocacy, collaboration, intervention and education.

That’s our mission statement.  Short and sweet.

One of the key words? COLLABORATION. Meaning?

1. the act of working with another or others on a joint project
2. something created by working jointly with another or others

So when we are approached by ANYONE to help them save the lives of animals, we need only consider our mission statement before saying YES.

I don’t disagree with everything the ASPCA has done.  They have done a lot of good.  They have a kick-ass spay/neuter program in NYC that spays, neuters and vaccinates pit bulls for FREE,  all the time, not just “on special”.  They do humane education. They offer low cost spay and neuter for other breeds via their mobile clinics.

I’m not going to be a commercial for the ASPCA.  I can’t sing.  (OK, *I* think I can, but other people tell me I can’t).

You all are well aware of the MAJOR issue that we have with them, but to not help 100 little furry lives in Arkansas because we have issues between us is completely disgusting, reprehensible and absurd.

Our mission is to help animals. We would never ever turn away help to do that in any way.  Why should we?  Why would we?

Look at all the faces in this blog. Without the ASPCA’s help this time around, there would be NO WAY our rescue could afford to get them here.  It is costing between $5,000 and $10,000 to do so.  Our budget has absolutely no where near that sort of excess in it.  We struggle each month to pay all our bills and have a little left to buy needed operational items.  Our tractor just died.  Our gator barely works. Without a tractor the boys do everything manually.  When the gator goes, I can’t even imagine the extra work, especially with the farm animals.  Right now the axle of the gator is held together with a wrench that is permanently attached and can’t be moved. It’s a matter of time….

So when another organization steps up to the plate and says yes they will help and they have the money and the power to do so, then I say jump on board and let’s take this ride, because there are a lot of little lives counting on us.

Last year we had some major disagreements with Best Friends.  Yet when they needed help with saving all those beagles from the laboratories we said YES, bring them here, we will help. And we did.  And together many lives were saved and we adopted out over 100 beagles in less than two weeks. What was the answer for those dogs if we had not stepped up?  If they had not stepped up?

We don’t have a lot of money but we ARE an adoption machine. The organizations that DO have a lot of money can work with us to save more lives, more animals AND more quickly and more efficiently.  So it behooves us all to work together to do that.

In this case we are working with the ASPCA, and Southwind Veterinary Hospital and another animal organization in Arkansas called AARF and I’ve also reached out to another organization in Arkansas (thank you Joy McMannus!) to help us go forward and be backup support for the rescue we are taking the 100 dogs from.  As they close their doors they will need support if any more animals get dumped on their doorstep.

It is all of us working together that will save these lives.

We could not afford to do it on our own.  The other organizations also couldn’t do it alone – they need someone to step up and take the animals in.  I’m forever grateful that we have our Westchester Facility with so much space, that we ARE able to do this.

Alone we can save a number of lives.  Working TOGETHER we can save vastly more.  The numbers are actually limitless.

So what do you choose?
Save a few here and there?  Or save them all?

You have also asked if it is difficult to work with groups we have argued with and so vehemently disagreed with in the past.  That’s a good question.  I will admit it can be awkward and uncomfortable at times, but in this case and in the case with Best Friends, while we disagreed with decisions their upper management were making, the people on the ground, shoulder to shoulder with us, working in the trenches, scooping the animals up and working on solutions – were exactly like us.  No different.  They all loved animals.  They all wanted to see them safe.  They all hoped for the best and hoped for the future of the animals that were suddenly put into their arena and that they suddenly took responsibility for.

We are all the same.  We are all different.

But putting aside differences to work on saving lives CAN be done, and done well.

I genuinely like the people I have been working with at the ASPCA on this mission.  Very much.  And I genuinely like the people I worked with on all the Best Friends joint ventures we have done.

We won’t ever forget our differences and it is likely our organizations will never agree with each other, but I find it inspiring and commendable to see us all come together when the lives of animals are at stake.  To put aside our differences and in front of us see ONLY that set of eyes that has no where else to turn. I’m not going to let those little eyes down.  None of us are.

So in this case all I can say is:
“Hey ASPCA – you ROCKED IT!  Thank you!”

So in conclusion what does this mean? Well to the dogs in Arkansas? “We got yer back little furry ones. We’re all here to be a soft landing for you.  I can’t wait for you to get here on Tuesday and to start to send you on your way to some warm and loving homes.”

And because of us, and because of the ASPCA and because of Southwind Animal Hospital,  100 dogs will find a safe place to land for Christmas.

Look at the pictures on this page.

They are worth anything.

They are worth everything.

They published “15 Key Insights From 2011 From 15 Key Thinkers And Writers.”
Here’s insight number 8:

“Most people assume that the ASPCA, one of the largest and most well-funded animal-rights groups in the world, who profess to prevent cruelty to animals, would be all for advocating that homeless cats and dogs not be killed at animal shelters. Not so. A big eye opener: The ASPCA has actively fought to prevent cities from establishing no-kill shelters and aggressively fights bills proposed in local city councils that aim to reduce the number of innocent animals being killed. Another shocker? PETA, does too. The true protectors of animals are not the bureaucracy-rich animal rights organizations, but smaller groups and individuals. Nathan Winograd, author of Redemption, and Stanford-law-educated ex-criminal prosecutor and corporate attorney, is the founder of a growing no-kill-shelter movement—and gets my vote for most important intellectual this year. His no-kill actions challenge the status quo by thinking beyond the box. He’s developed a creative and realistic plan that many cities are successfully using to save most of their homeless animals. New York City’s ACC, who murders hundreds of cats and dogs each week needs to reform and implement his ideas.”

What does this mean to us?  To those of us in the trenches of the no-kill movement?
Simple.

It means that OUR views, our passion, and our belief that no kill is not only the right path for all shelters, but that it is the ONLY path, is no longer some small grassroots movement and idyllic philosophy.

The fact that Forbes would publish such a statement means that we have now entered the “mainstream media” (Ryan Clinton’s words).  This article means much more than the statement it presented to the public.  This article means that the mainstream media is not looking upon our movement as a small bunch of crazy radicals.  Instead we are being taken seriously, we are being discussed, talked about, and written about, and that they look at Nathan’s book and his ideas and his statements as true, factual and realistic.

My friends, this is absolutely pivotal.

For quite a long time we have believed this, lived it, fought for it, defended it, embraced it, and convinced others of it’s truth.  Now, we are being looked upon and recognized as the leaders, as the way to RIGHT and the ASPCA, long heralded as the organization to follow and believe in, with all their money and all their power, can not stop people from looking upon them with disgust and shame and demanding change.

The ASPCA is still fighting and still arguing the facts but in fact, they have already lost.  They already lost their battle and soon they too will have no choice but to join the rest of us “terrorists” and “extremists” because the wave is swallowing up everything else in its’ path and it is time now to get on board, or drown.  Indeed I feel the ASPCA is drowning now in their own mandates and policies and change is now truly inevitable for them.

The masses have spoken.
The people have spoken.

People WANT no kill.

They want to BELIEVE in shelters that don’t kill animals and that if they bring an animal to a shelter that the animal will be well cared for and adopted to a loving family again.  I would bet there isn’t anyone you could poll that would say “no I don’t want that.  I want to see the animal killed or treated horribly and kept in a cage and not adopted”.  No one wants that.  I believe that everyone wants to see animals survive in shelters and get out of them.

The disagreement is just about HOW it can be achieved and IF it can be done, and Nathan, through his book Redemption has PROVEN to America how it can be done.  If you have not read the book – GET IT.  If you are a non believer and are wrapped up in old myths that there are too many animals and not enough homes – GET THE BOOK.  Read it.  Then come back and talk to us.

When I look back over the past five years, to the differences in kill vs no-kill, and the amount of change that has occurred in just five years it is a riveting view. I see all change for the better. So many kill shelters that Pets Alive used to work with are now no kill.  We have been a part of helping them to accomplish that.   The annual no-kill conference has been a huge part of that happening.  Nathan is truly a visionary of our time.

And whether you like Nathan or dislike him – that is irrelevant.  You can not argue with the facts. You can not question the impact that he has had on changing things in America. It has been his mission, and his goal, and his life.  Long after Nathan is gone from this world, the instruments he has put in place will still be implemented and I believe that when the United States becomes a no-kill country, that our children and grandchildren will look to him as the father of that change. A catalyst if you will.

You don’t even have to agree with all his points of views.  But you can’t deny that the man has done more for the no kill movement than any other organization or individual.  So when you look at the history of our fight for no kill you will see Nathan there.

You will see Ryan Clinton there. A huge force in this area and having a huge impact in Texas….and across the nation as he speaks and encourages and supports no kill.

You will see Bonnie Brown – the first to implement no kill on such a prodigious scale and pioneering the public/private partnership model.

You will see Best Friends there – one of the first to embrace no kill. Long before anyone thought it even possible, Best Friends started a no kill sanctuary and they were looked upon as completely crazy.  But they did it.  Taking in and saving hundreds and then thousands of animals a year as they built their network and reach.

But in addition to people, there have been other catalysts for no-kill.  There are many, but for me one of the BIGGEST – one that effected the most change, was the killing of Oreo in NYC, by the ASPCA.

This was an absolute key moment and catalyst in the no kill movement.

That one action resulted in the mass uprising of angry animal lovers all across the world. Not just in New York.  Not just in the United States.  We heard from people ACROSS THE ENTIRE WORLD that emailed, wrote, commented on blogs – OUTRAGED at the death of Oreo.

I used to think that Oreo’s death was a tragedy.  Indeed it was, however, Oreo died and that birthed an entire movement.  Oreo’s death launched an unstoppable wave of anger, and movement, and change, and involvement like never before seen.

It was said (and I don’t know if this is verifiable)  that Ed Sayres told his people not to worry. That after a day or so the furor over Oreo’s death would pass and people would move on. That didn’t happen. I want to say “Hey, how’s that working for ya Ed”?

Instead of it dying down, it launched a massive outpouring of anger, outrage, and fury. Hundreds of people canceled sponsorships to the ASPCA (at least that is what they emailed and told us) and so it impacted them financially as well. And it didn’t die down.  Out of that one event, even politicians got involved.  Micah Kellner helped sponsor a bill called Oreo’s Law.  Stating that an organization could NOT slaughter – oh, I’m sorry, murder ….wait, I mean, kill…., oh wait, they call it “euthanize” –  an animal if another organization has the room and qualifications to accept that animal into their facility.  Seems pretty smart, right?  And from Oreo’s Law sprang CAARA (Companion Animal Access and Rescue Act), and so far two states have already made it a law, and 5 others are working on passing it right now.

Not bad.
Oreo’s death was a pivotal catalyst. It was a marked event for our movement.
It was a defining moment in our history.  In the history of no kill.

Every movement had it’s key figures and leaders and every movement had it’s key events that changed the world forever.  Much like Lincoln being elected president was a catalyst for the abolition of slavery, much like the Wright brothers believing they could fly, much like Rosa Parks demanding equality, or Susan B. Anthony fighting for the right to vote, much like the bombing of Pearl Harbor or the attack on 9/11 – it all resulted in extensive changes and action.

Oreo’s death and the leaders that stepped forward in the aftermath, and the change that resulted as a direct response to that killing – was a catalyst for change, a marked event, a pivotal turning point.

I’m sorry Oreo was killed.  I always will be.
But now I can also look at that event as an amazing and radical stimulus.
Oreo’s death birthed a new world.

Welcome to that new world.
Keep fighting.
Because …know what?

We are winning.

I’m talking about well meaning rescuers that have let their hearts lead the way and they put their logic and their finances aside to try to help “just one more”.

I’ve seen so many cases where people were living in absolute squalor, all their resources gone, all their money gone, their homes in foreclosure and still much of the rescue community looks at them like they were heroes.

“They gave their WHOLE lives to the animals”.

I’m not impressed.
These people don’t impress me. I pity them. Not only that but they are HURTING us, our no-kill movement, they make us all look bad and “suspect”, and they are not good for the future of the animals in their care.

Now that they have lost everything, what will happen to those animals that they accepted responsibility for? What will happen to the future ones that they could have saved if they had the sense to develop a plan, stop taking animals in when it became more than they could handle, and prepare for the future for themselves and the animals?

We have had to stop working with people in our own organization, or had to let them go because they had this same mentality. “I will stay up all night and drive 48 hours straight to save a dog!”. And there is applause everywhere. Huh? I say yes save that dog, but be smart. Network the dog. Ask for help, board the dog for a day, drive safely, don’t use the last cent you had. And if your mentality is “just one more” in some cases this can be a good thing (if you think outside the box and make it work) and on another it can be a bad thing – when you have animals stacked on top of each other, living in cages, living in filth or you don’t have the means to address their medical or care needs.

Be smarter. Plan. By doing so you will save ten dogs instead of one, and then 100 instead of ten.

And when you are out of money, space, or resources, learn to say no. It doesn’t mean ever giving up. You can network that animal, you can offer suggestions, you can ask the people to hold or foster on your waiting list but when you are out of space and out of energy and out of creativity and out of money, you must recognize that.

That doesn’t mean ever accepting death is the answer, it just means that maybe TODAY that YOU might not be the answer. But with your help, someone else could be.

One time we heard of a mother dog about to give birth in a high kill shelter. We couldn’t get her. She was very far away in another state and she was due to give birth any second and she was scheduled to die the next day. We couldn’t take her. But we networked like crazy and found someone that DID.

Never give up. Always keep striving to do better, be better, and work better and smarter…but KNOW your limitations and when you hit them, get help. I like to believe that when we can reach out for help we then HAVE no limitations and we CAN save them all. But you personally, alone, can not. You must form partnerships, alliances, friends and allies, and be able to reach out and ask for help when needed. Your community should be involved, your volunteers can be helping you and supporting you if you are willing to work with them and LET them.

It is also not ok to take in animals when you can not provide for all their needs. You can not warehouse dogs and cats. You can not stack them in crates or in runs and interact with them briefly once a day when you feed them. If you are starting a rescue you MUST be able to meet the animals emotional and mental needs as WELL as their physical needs. You must play with them, walk them, provide toys and mental stimulation. You must meet these needs EVERY DAY until you have placed them into a home.

In many cases there are really bright, really well meaning people that for years have helped animals and saved lives. Many times they run the operation out of their home. They have no succession. And when tragedy strikes, there is no plan for what to do with sometimes hundreds of animals. This happened here too. Pets Alive. Five years ago. Founder is dying. No one to take over. No one to help. No funds put aside. Not even a book with logins and passwords and accounts. I sat with Sara in the hospital as she died and thankfully she had a good memory, and dictated to me lots of helpful information. But still. Why was there no plan in place?

Look, no one EXPECTS to die. No one WANTS to die, no one THINKS they will die. But one or two people running a rescue with over 100 animals could be slammed into by a truck and wiped off the planet in seconds. If there is no plan in place, what do they think will happen? And yet we see this constantly. If you are going to start a rescue – ESPECIALLY OUT OF YOUR OWN HOME – you absolutely must have a plan for what will happen. Don’t assume anything. Don’t think that someone else will step up. Everyone has their own lives and as much as they may WANT to help or as much as they love to volunteer, your dream isn’t necessarily their dream.

We are down in Arkansas because there was no contingency plan. Best Friend saved Pets Alive because there was no contingency plan.

Get a plan.
Get a board.
Get a list or a book or all the important things about your rescue – banking information, website logins and details, email passwords, mailing list accesses and databases. Help people to save the animals you loved, if the worst were to happen.

And set it up ahead of time.
Get legal paperwork stating what happens and how things will be handled in the event something befalls you.
Don’t assume that “someone’ will step up.

There are no “someone’s”.

Additionally you must STOP being so picky about every single application. I can not tell you enough how many rescues shoot themselves in their own foot because they make adopters jump through hoops to adopt animals. It is a source of pride for them to brag about how hard it is to adopt an animal from them, how many checks are done on the people and how many people they turn away.

This disgusts me.
This angers me.
This makes me weep with despair over how many animals are dying while rescues turn away loving homes because of absurd reasons.

To rescues and shelters I tell you – make it EASY to adopt your animals. Make your application as short as it can be for you to get a good understanding of the people. Then get them on site. Rejecting people based on what they put on paper is absurd. Meet them. Talk to them. THAT alone will tell you more than a 15 page application will.

I see rescues that will not adopt a dog to a home without a yard.
Really?
Tell me….who interacts more with their dog?
The person that opens a door three times a day to let the dog go outside?
Or the person that walks their dog three times a day – takes a long walk with their dog and spends time with their dog doing that?
Which dog is more social? The one that meets and greets people as they pass them on the street and meets and sniffs and says hello to other dogs on the sidewalk? …or the one sitting alone in a yard never encountering strangers or other animals?
Yet you see this time and again. No yard? Well that equals rejection for many rescues. How sick.

You see people rejected because of other silly reasons too that on the surface SOUND good but in retrospect are absurd. They put YES that they will declaw the cat they want to adopt from you. Well instead of turning them down, have them come in. Show them pictures of what declawing is. Talk to them about it. Watch their face and see if they get it. So many people have ABSOLUTELY NO CLUE WHAT IT REALLY MEANS TO DECLAW A CAT! They think it is just clipping the nails way back. And if they get it and they don’t care or they don’t agree for whatever reason they think is important, then take a look around your shelter. How many declawed cats do you have? Show them THOSE cats. If everything else about this family is perfect and they are a good home, then don’t let this stop you from giving them a cat, adopt a cat to them that is already declawed. What a win. A cat gets a home and another one does NOT have this barbaric surgery performed.

Let’s look at one more scenario that I see rescues rejecting people for, under the guise of “protecting” their animals from them.
“I work 8 hours a day”.
DING DING DING – rejected. MANY MANY rescues reject people if they answer this question this way.
Well hello. Newsflash. I’m sorry to say that almost EVERY household has people that work that long – every day, often BOTH parents.
TALK to the people.
What is the plan for the animal?
Do they have a dog walker that will come in?
DO THEY WORK FROM HOME?????
Do their children come home at 2:30 from school?
Do they take their pets to work?
Is the dog an older dog that can manage being alone?
DO THEY HAVE OTHER DOGS IN THE HOUSE FOR COMPANIONSHIP to this one?

Please rescues, it is 2011. It isn’t the life of when we were young, and moms were often home all day and dads went to work. Times have changed. If you are looking for people that are home all day, take their pets on vacation with them, and have yards and have disposable incomes then YOU are responsible for a good number of animals that are dying in shelters every day.

Be proud of a less aggressive adoption policy.
Be proud of adopting to people and TALKING to people when there are “flags’ on their application.
MEET people before judging them from their paperwork.
TRUST people.
Truly – really – honestly – think about it. Do you really believes that 60% of the people coming to you to adopt an animal are vicious animal killers that you must protect your animals from?
They aren’t. Yet in many rescues up to 60% of applicants are rejected.
Probably 99.9% of time these are great people, struggling to get by and just want a pet to share their lives with.
Trust the public to care for the animal and then YOU can go and save another one.

So with very little, Jim and Peg tried to help. They ran into trouble a few years ago – the usual that we see so often. Too many animals, not enough resources. Another rescue stepped in then, taking 65 dogs from them with their promise to slow down or stop rescuing, as Peg had become sick with a cancer that would be terminal. Somehow the rescuing didn’t stop. Perhaps they tried, but Jim said every time he went to the mailbox there would be a box of puppies and he couldn’t just leave them there.

So here we are a year later, Peg has very little time left and Jim is desperate for help. It is a small community and the Southwind Animal Hospital (Justin and Dr. Corey Key) that have always cared the the animals there, were worried. They reached out to Pets Alive and asked us to help.

Could we take some animals?

We reviewed the situation and we realized how desperate it was. What would happen to the animals there when Peg passed on, and Jim was the only caretaker with no help and very little money.

It was also a very familiar scenario. Our own founder, Sara Whalen had also died of cancer, and also had no contingency plan for the animals. What would have become of them all if Best Friends had not come to help us and to save them? And when Best Friends forgave our debt to them, all the money they had spent here, their CEO at the time, Paul Berry said to us, when we wept in gratitude….”Don’t thank us. We did what we do. Instead take this, and pay it forward. Help someone else in the future. Save more lives”.

So….I immediately called Joy, the Executive Director from Pets Alive Westchester. Did they have room to house 100 dogs and Middletown would take them 10 and 20 at a time as room allowed, here? Joy didn’t even hesitate. Yes they had room and yes they would help.

For those of you that aren’t familiar with our facilities, our Middletown facility can house about 100 dogs, but our Westchester one can house 300. We try not to keep that many onsite for just this reason – the ability to step up and do a mass rescue as needed. It seems the time had come and we were needed. Everyone at both locations is stepping up, including our volunteers – who have already asked what is needed, what can be done, and where can they go to help.

We thank you all for your love, compassion, kindness and unwavering support. Thank you.

So watch this space, I will be posting updates as we make plans and move this rescue mission along.

The current plan is that on the 10th I will fly out to Arkansas along with John Sibley (a volunteer for Pets Alive) and Pat Whitacre, the canine behaviorist and trainer from Best Friends. Both John and Pat are coming as volunteers – Pat is on vacation, and John took some time off from work to help. We will fly there and see what the situation is, how many we can get back at once, and how many still need vaccinations, testing, spaying and neutering. The vets at the Southwind Animal Hospital are donating their services to get much of that done.

We immediately sent out 100 Pets Alive microchips so the dogs can all get chipped – once chipped, that is our commitment to them for the rest of their life.

The ASPCA has agreed to cover the cost of transporting them back to Pets Alive – a huge help because frankly I’m not sure how we could have gotten them back here, our little rescue, with our small annual budget definitely couldn’t have covered that cost.

Even so, before even getting there, Pets Alive has spent $3500, and when we get them back here everyone has to be checked, examined, dentals done if needed, any other veterinary care they may need, any grooming and other needs met. Plus the cost of housing them, caring for them and covering staff hours to work with them. The cost to us, to rescue this many dogs will be high.

We are appealing to you all to help us. Even $5 would help.

Please help us to tell these dogs that we “got their back”. That we won’t let anything else happen to them. That now that they are coming through our doors, and into our arms, and that for THEM, that the world has just become a better place. For now…and forever.

Thank you for your help, your support, your love. We could not do this if it wasn’t for you. Those lives couldn’t be saved if not for all of you that read this and help us.

I will keep you updated each day via this blog, twitter and Facebook.
Stay tuned.

…and to all those 100 little faces – we make a promise to you that we won’t let you down. You were discarded once, now you will find nothing but love.

Hey Paul….you out there somewhere?
We hope you’re proud.

Chrissy Beckles was a volunteer with our organization, and with Manos Por Patas.  For over a year we had a very amicable relationship, at one point even offering her a paid position which she opted to not accept for various reasons.  When we disagreed on some basics philosophies, Chrissy decided to start her own rescue.  We were glad to see her continue rescue and glad to continue to support her doing so. Personally we have great admiration and respect for Chrissy. She is a passionate, loving person with a generous spirit. While Chrissy and Pets Alive no longer share a common dream, we do share a common goal, and that is to save the lives of dogs in Puerto Rico who are abandoned and abused. I know I speak for everyone at Pets Alive when I say that we wish her nothing but success in this mission.

However, the problem was that her new rescue was started under the Manos Por Patas name and was raising donations with that EIN#.  This is not legal, as Pets Alive is legally responsible for all donations to that EIN.  We are responsible for your tax receipts, we are responsible for claiming those donations on our 990’s, and responsible for many other federal regulations.  We asked her to stop raising money under that EIN and things didn’t go well from there.

We HAD discussed turning over the name and EIN to Chrissy and allowing her to continue to run as Manos Por Patas, and all of us resigning, and leaving it to her alone,  but in the end this was not possible as our organization had to at least complete the year and file our 990’s and handle all donations legalities, and then we found out a bunch of other legal issues that made it very complicated to now separate from that EIN and “DBA” (Doing Business As).  Our board voted to continue running Pets Alive Puerto Rico under the current EIN – JUST AS WE RUN PETS ALIVE WESTCHESTER under the EIN# of the Elmsford Animal Sanctuary (Central Westchester Humane Society.)  That TOO is a separate EIN from Pets Alive Middletown.  We have DBA there as well.

We are very sorry that there has been confusion about this and some people do not understand all these issues and believe that somehow we have done something unscrupulous.  I assure you that this is not so.  Pets Alive works closely with many other organizations.  We always do.  As for  “stealing ideas”, we don’t even understand that accusation.  At Pets Alive we give ALL our ideas to ANYONE that can use them.  Recently we came up with the Christmas morning pet delivery idea, and asked YesBiscuit! and other bloggers to blast it out so other shelters could make use of the idea.  We share every single one of our legal forms, applications, adoption contracts, waivers and anything else we can think of with other organizations and tell them “Don’t recreate the wheel – take our logo off and slap yours on and use our stuff!”.  So I’m unsure what ideas we supposedly stole, but I assure you that if we have an idea you want – TAKE IT!! USE IT!  SAVE ANIMAL LIVES!  If we stole yours (like our calendar idea we first saw at Boxer Rescue and we loved it and used it) then we apologize if we have somehow overstepped in some way but we use any great idea we see and we encourage others to use ours.  TOGETHER we can save more lives, and any idea we have taken, or given, we hope has been to that effort – to save lives.

So I hope that clears up misconceptions.
This blog will now be closed for comments because this is the last comment we will make on this issue.  So far in all the years we have operated, have we ever lied to you or steered you wrong?
No.  We are upfront and honest with you.  At this point our reputation and our history should speak for itself.  So we address this, this ONE time and will make no further comment on it.

We couldn’t believe it.
Santa?  Calling US?
HERE?? From the North Pole?????
Oh my goodness.

We immediately started to think about the previous year.  Had we been good?  Are we on the good list this year?  Was he calling because we were on the naughty list for fighting with some big organizations this year?

I admit it.
We were nervous.

We gathered all the staff around and put Santa on the speaker phone.
The first words of of his mouth were:  ”HO-HO-HO Pets Alive!!”

We all laughed with glee at his jolly voice!

Santa said that indeed we had been VERY VERY VERY good this year.  So good that he had selected us for a very special mission.
He was making us all “honorary elves”  and empowering us to help him deliver some Christmas cheer!

We were shocked and delighted.

US???

He went on to say that he had a lot of little boys and girls that were getting dogs and cats for Christmas, but that he didn’t want to leave them in a box under the tree all night! He asked if there was any  way that Pets Alive could help him this year.

Well, when Santa calls you, and asks you to help him, you do NOT say no! EVER.

So this year, Santa will visit Pets Alive on Christmas Eve. He will leave with us, all the dogs and cats, and puppies and kittens and rabbits that are going into new homes this season.

If you are a parent and you have already told Santa it is ok for your children to receive a pet this holiday season all you need to do is fill out our application, get approved, come down and select your pet (within a week of the holiday). Pets Alive will tell Santa and we will drive up to your house on Christmas morning, (with the Pets Alive MAGIC BUS) and knock on your door.

DING DONG!
::door opens, little boy looks up. There we stand in Santa hat, with clipboard, big MAGIC BUS behind us::

Us: “Hello, is this the house of Susie and Timmy So-and-So?”

Little Boy: “Yes. This is. I am Timmy So-and-So”.

Us: “Well, Timmy, get your sister, because we have a very special delivery from Santa for the two of you!!”
::We turn, whistle and out of the bus comes Santa’s Elf with Fido!! ::Us: “Timmy and Susie – Santa asked us to take care of your new dog, Fido. He stopped by Pets Alive so that Fido didn’t sit under the tree in a box all night! He asked us to deliver him to you this morning! Merry Christmas Timmy and Susie from Santa and Pets Alive! ….. and Merry Christmas to YOU , Fido, for you my sweet little furry friend, have finally  found your forever home!”

See you on Christmas morning!

Click below to see available animals – more added every day, check back frequently:

• Available dogs
• Available cats
• Available rabbits

(Some restrictions apply, must be within a reasonable travel distance from Pets Alive Middletown or Pets Alive Westchester)

The dogs that arrived were some of the nicest dogs we have ever taken in. Happy, excited, friendly and grateful to be here. It was interesting to us because these dogs that had never lived in a home, had some of the best home “manners” of any we had seen.  Almost all of them seemed to be house trained when we adopted them to families.  We assume it is because they have always gone outside, so eliminating there was natural to them, having lived outside their whole lives.  They also didn’t “take off” when the door or gate was opened.  Most of them stayed right there at the house or in the yard.  They had found a home, and no longer did they seem to want to wander or run.  They were happy, and fed, and loved.

They were all also good with other dogs!  Having lived their lives on the beach with a pack of dogs, they had adapted well to communal living and sharing space and food.  Wonderfully social dogs.  They were also almost all small to medium size which is highly adoptable.

We were pulling in dogs that had miserable lives, no vetting, no care, no affection or love – and they turned out to be some of the best and most highly adoptable dogs we had ever encountered.  We not only felt we NEEDED to save more – we WANTED to!  We worked more and more closely with this organization but ultimately they closed down and asked us to take over their mission. We met about it, and it was 100% unanimous.  We had to help.  We had to continue saving the dogs that were in such desperate need.

And so we continued to save dogs remotely, but this wasn’t an ideal arrangement.  The expense for vetting and boarding was astronomical.  Marisol and Rob Thomas are members of our board, and Marisol is a proud Puerto Rican. She has a fire in her heart for the dogs of the island.  She and Rob wanted us to do everything possible to help. So Rob and Marisol, through their Sidewalk Angels Foundation, have donated $250,000 to set the wheels in motion, and we embarked on a mission to build a sanctuary in Puerto Rico.

For a year we hit obstacle after obstacle in achieving our dream.  We had promises made to us, and land chosen and every time one thing or another happened to keep us from getting it accomplished. It seemed to be going on forever and the impact we could have was very much stunted. We were pulling dogs in tiny amounts, a little here, a little there.  This just isn’t how we do things at Pets Alive.

Finally, in frustration we stopped dealing with the groups who were helping us, we took every dog we had in boarding back to Pets Alive, and we flew down there to take matters in our own hands. Within a few days we found a gorgeous piece of property in Utuado and we closed on it last month.

Six secluded acres overlooking the mountains and lakes. Centrally located to major airports. Stunningly gorgeous property with paths that cut through the vegetation where we will build our enclosures for the dogs. The house is also beautiful. A warm and welcoming place for our supporters to come and spend a “rescue vacation”, volunteering at the sanctuary, helping to pull dogs from the streets & beaches, and transporting them stateside at the end of their stay.

It is also perfect because it is far enough from the general population and cities that we can not worry about neighbors complaining about barking dogs, or number of dogs.  It is in an agricultural area so our neighbors are cows and goats and other “farms”.  It is on the edge of a mountain so our views are spectacular, but more importantly no one can build on that side, so we know we will always have this seclusion and privacy and also we can easily protect our dogs from anyone who might intend them harm.  This would be a real issue if we built in a more populated area.

The location is perfect also because Dead Dog Beach will NOT be our only focus.  Indeed we feel the issue at Dead Dog Beach is too small for what we want to accomplish.  Harnessing ourselves to fixing things in just one site is not the way Pets Alive does things.  Many other rescues are already focused there, including Chrissy, who used to work with Pets Alive but has now started her own rescue.  She continues to do wonderful work for the dogs at that beach. We feel though that we can conquer Dead Dog Beach and much, MUCH more.  We are centrally located so that we can have an impact EVERYWHERE on the island.  Not JUST at that one beach, but on ALL the beaches.  And the cities.  Why focus only at the beach?  Dogs roam the streets and parking lots everywhere! They are in just as much danger and in just as much need of rescue.  We intend to help them too.

We also like this location because it gives us a peaceful place to bring people, to have meetings, to network and to work with other groups to solve the problem in Puerto Rico.  It is truly an ethereal sanctuary location that brings you such peace and beauty and harmony when you walk it’s trails, that we know we will inspire others to work with us on helping animals in Puerto Rico.  A “retreat” so-to-speak. A holy place. A place to save lives.  A place to fix the wrongs that have been beset upon these innocent animals.

In January, we will officially launch Pets Alive Puerto Rico and begin in  earnest, our mission there.  Rescuing animals, educating the public, providing a SAFE haven for animals and offering help to people who need it.  No more will dogs be abused, discarded and harmed.  We will see to it.

That isn’t all.  Rob & Marisol have committed to getting other celebrities to help us spread the word.  We will pepper the radio stations, billboards, and television commercials with our message “YOU are all they have”.  We will have class groups come to our sanctuary and experience first hand empathy and kindness toward animals and we will start a Humane Education campaign.

We will offer free spaying and neutering and medical assistance to those that want to keep their animals.  Too long the choice for animal loving Puerto Ricans has been to pay money they don’t have to keep their pets, or abandon them somewhere because they can not afford to get them help.  We will end that practice and we will extend our hand to all the people and animals – and offer them help.  If they wish to be kind to their pets, then we will see to it that they have that option.  That they finally, for once HAVE options.

Our biggest challenge right now is funding.  We were able to purchase the land and property thanks to Mari & Rob, but there is NO money right now to actually BEGIN operation.  We desperately need your support.  Please make an ongoing donation to help us with this life saving mission.  Please consider a monthly sponsorship or a major donation to help us for this first critical year.

Our second biggest hurdle is transportation of the animals to our NY sanctuaries. Currently it costs hundreds of dollars per crate for transport. We need to find a cheaper alternative. If you have ideas and suggestions to help us, let us know, leave comments here under this blog, or email us at info@petsalivepr.org – we are looking forward to hearing from you all, and we hope and pray that you will reach deep to help us in our fledging year. We need your support – because we CAN do this.  We WILL do this.  We never accept no, we never believe it isn’t possible.  Look how much we have accomplished in the past three years.  If you commit to helping us, we can go as far as we can all dream.

We are asking you to be a sponsor. A monthly sponsor. A donation of as little as $18 a month will go a long way and if you can afford to help us more for just this first year we would be forever grateful. The first year is the critical one, after that we will have fundraising in place, events and will have created a support network. It is this first year where we need your help.

BECOME A MONTHLY SPONSOR OR TO MAKE A ONE TIME DONATION!

Sponsorship Options

Lifeline Sponsor : $18.00USD – monthly Dog Sponsor : $35.00USD – monthly Bronze Paw Sponsor : $50.00USD – monthly Gold Paw Sponsor : $100.00USD – monthly Executive Gold Sponsor : $250.00USD – monthly

Help us. Support no kill.  Because YOU are all they have.