courtesy of AnimalPlanet.com   What brings 85  puppies, 21 kittens, 5 goats and 5 hamsters together for the most talked-about animal sports event of the year?  It’s Puppy Bowl 2015, silly! Who can resist Animal Planet’s delicious alternative to the big game, that’s become a big game in itself. With 13.5 million viewers tuning in last year, the Puppy Bowl has become the go-to event for comic relief and the cuddly factor on game day (in case Deflate Gate wasn’t enough). 🙂 The pups, all between the ages of 12 and 21 weeks and all shelter dogs (who quickly get… [Continue Reading]

Atticus (Adopted by Jake Gyllenhaal)   Today is an important day! Let’s make a difference for pets.  “Change a Pet’s Life Day” is devoted to encouraging animal adoption and spreading awareness about animal welfare issues. It was started in 2009 to specifically draw attention to the enormity of homeless animals and to encourage adoption. There are several things we can do to honor our fur friends in need, and to change some lives. Here are just a few:  Adopt a pet today. Many pet shelters across the country will celebrate by offering incentives, like free vaccinations and no… [Continue Reading]

Jasper, happily chewing on his bully stick, with sister, Sophie, in the background It’s been awhile since I’ve shared any shelter dog news from Animal Care & Control in NY. We’ve been so immersed in acclimating and training our own shelter rescue, Jasper, but that’s no excuse. Jasper, like your rescue babies, is one of the lucky ones. These sweet beings are still waiting. For any of you who have a dog with behavior issues serious enough to try medication, maybe we can go through our journeys together. We just started Jasper on Prozac. I know medicating… [Continue Reading]

Sophie is the New York City ambassador for Project Blue Collar National Shelter Dog Month is extra special in our house this year because of Jasper. We adopted the little bull-in-a-china-shop almost five months ago, and our lives will never be the same. In a good way. Jasper was rescued from Animal Care & Control in New York City – a small, scared-looking, scruffy little guy in his cage – abandoned by his previous family. Today, we’re struggling together to help Jasper through the fears he acquired from his previous experiences, but he is the most… [Continue Reading]

David Chokachi & Mia on the calendar’s cover Soothing NYC shelter animals, one cage at a time. That’s the mission of Grandpa Dave’s Creature Comforts, a wonderful organization I discovered while covering the Broadway Barks fundraiser last June. It’s kind of funny. I was standing next to a woman named Felicia Greenfield in the press line, all of us vying for interviews with the actors from Broadway’s biggest shows. They were spending their day drawing attention to shelter pets and encouraging adoption. Felicia and I got to talking, we exchanged cards and a couple of months… [Continue Reading]

Darlene and Carol Bryant with their baby boy, Dexter(photo credit: Jeanne Taylor Photography http://www.jtpetpics.com/)   Wigglebutts gathered in droves at Saturday night’s glitzy gathering to raise money for Cocker Spaniel rescue. By wigglebutts, no…I don’t mean jiggly patrons, I’m talkin’ movers and shakers of the furry kind. Wigglebutt Warriors, the fundraising arm of Carol Bryant’s popular dog blog, FidoseofReality.com, got tushes waggin’ and paws-a-clappin’ when they raised close to $30,000 at their Wigglebutts Go Hollywoof event!   The exciting check presentation to help many more dogs in need(photo credit: Jeanne Taylor Photography http://www.jtpetpics.com/)… [Continue Reading]

Jill with some of her rescue family Meredith Viera took a pie to the face for shelter pets, so why can’t we? We love our fur babies and treat them like our kids (which they are). So, what’s a bit of butter cream between best friends?  Award-winning animal advocate, best-selling author and NBC Nightly News correspondent, Jill Rappaport, recently launched a pie challenge to save shelter pets’  lives, called the Pies 4 Paws Challenge. It’s purpose is to encourage people to both donate to the ASPCA (or shelter of your choice) and, most important, to adopt. I… [Continue Reading]

Jill Rappaport, with some of her rescue family There’s a new challenge in town, and it’s done doggystyle! ALS brilliantly created the Ice Bucket Challenge to increase awareness and raise funds for the disease. Now, inspired by what ALS has accomplished for those afflicted, animal activist, TODAY show/NBC Nightly News correspondent and best-selling author, Jill Rappaport, decided to put her own sweet spin on drawing attention to animal adoption. Meet the newest viral, cause-worthy campaign to storm social media, and take note, it does involve a creamy pie in the face. Jill Rappaport’s Pies 4 Paws… [Continue Reading]