I am so excited to tell you all about a wonderful event hosted by the NYC ASPCA and Mom Central that I attended this past week. It was a breakfast and facility tour and it was amazing to see the animals, hear their stories and learn all about adoption.
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| Olivia Melikhov, Social Media Manager teaching us about how we can help!! |
Ever think of buying a cat or dog from a pet store? Before you do, you should know that a lot of the dogs sold in pet stores come from puppy mills. Also, if you are arranging to buy a puppy online sight unseen without knowing the breeder or where you are buying it from, chances are it was born to a Mama Dog used over and over to breed puppies in a mill. The ASPCA has set up a website where you can take a pledge to join the fight against puppy mills : No Pet Store Puppies Visit and take a pledge not to buy anything there and let's stop those stores from selling puppy mill puppies and supplies that support them.
During the breakfast at the ASPCA, I learned all about the adoption process, and how easy they have made it for adopters. When an animal is brought into the ASPCA, it is given an assessment test for compatibility. This includes a stare test, touch test, squeeze test (lightly on the paws) and a novelty test, using a cane, umbrella, strange getup etc. Also, the animal meets another dog or child, by using a toddler doll. The volunteers take the dogs out for walks and watch their interactions with strangers, noises, children etc. as well. If you are thinking of adopting , and have a child at home, he or she should accompany you to make sure he or she is comfortable with the animal as well. A little bit of the process:
Upon arrival, you will take a brief quiz about the kind of animal you are compatible with and figure out if you want a go getter, like a puppy who has abundant energy, or a more laid back older dog. Also, if you have children, the ASPCA will help you choose a dog that is great with kids, and more tolerant to the energy of active children. Once you are paired with the right dog, which may take several visits, you can take classes to help your pet with barking or any behavior issues. These are included with the adoption fees. Right now , if you are looking to adopt a dog from the ASPCA, tell them the hashtag: #HappyHowlidays and get 10% taken off of your adoption fees.
I have two little spoiled chihuahuas, Chai and Ginger, and I love them so very much. They are members of my family, much more than just dogs...and animals in general hold a very close place to my heart. So it was really hard for me to take the tour and not want to adopt all of the adoptable dogs. I like cats too, but am allergic, so I cannot take any kitties home. Needless to say, the tour was highly emotional for me. I had a hard time holding back the tears both of sadness and joy. Sadness in that animals need to be rescued and are abandoned at all, and joy in that they are rescued by these wonderful women and men, taken good care of, fed well, shown love and then are at peace at this clean and orderly facility. Every single person I met along the tour was warm-hearted , patient and kind and these animals need just that. Love and kindness.
Some photos from the tour:
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| Some kitties up for adoption along the tour! |
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| Meeting the doggies |
These photos were sent to me by Olivia :
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| Not sure if I was tweeting or taking photos during the tour |
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| Petting the doggies! |
More photos from the event can be seen at their facebook page here:
ASPCA Mommy Blogger Event!
Want more info, check out the ASPCA websites and social media sites:
I will be writing about the ASPCA often, and will feature local dogs and cats that are available for adoption too.
“I wrote this review while participating in a campaign for Mom Central Consulting on behalf of the ASPCA. I attended an informational breakfast and received a gift bag and promotional item to thank me for taking the time to participate.”
2 comments:
It looks like you had a lot of fun.. and I think you were tweeting during that picture.. LOL!
Its a great cause, thanks for the post!
I always feel bad when I see the animals at the pet store. I just wanna take them all home with me! This is such a great cause, thanks for sharing!
Dawn from With a Side of Thriftiness
...and, coming soon "Celebrate the Bump!"
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