Sophie & Jasper; big smiles…there must’ve been treats promised from above, huh, Soph?

Does your heart hurt for the millions of homeless animals in the world? Mine does and I wanted to take a moment to honor and recognize them today for National Homeless Animal Day. If you’re like me, going to adoption events or visiting shelters is tricky. I do it to help out, but I’m inevitably very tempted to take not one, not two, but all of them home! If I had a farm and wonderful people to help care for them, I would adopt a lot. But, with four dogs already, I wouldn’t be able to care for more the way they deserve; I have my hands full! 🙂

Do you have a pet who was homeless until you came along? What’s your favorite thing about them?

Jasper; his guard duty is never done.

Three of our four dogs were unwanted, until we wanted them, and it fills my heart with joy to watch them play, smile, act like normal dogs and live the good life. My favorite thing about Jasper, our terrier terror, is his earnestness. What you see is what you get with Jas, and while his adolescent terrier instincts and his history of abuse make it very hard for him to control himself, you can see he wants to learn so badly and is so pleased when he’s successful. And, he’s getting better and better.

Ani chilling by the pool. What a life!

With Anabelle, it’s the way she snorts and makes funny noises in her throat when she’s being stroked and loved. It’s almost like she can’t contain the joy she feels, so she has to declare it, subtly.

Albie,  a natural model, giving us the eye during his Petco Ambassador campaign shoot. He’s a character!

Albie is so funny. He’s a little explorer; he wants to check everything out and go everywhere, and he’ll make a little squeal of delight, when he sees we’re getting ready to go for a walk. Super cute! And, I have such admiration for Albie, a victim of 7 years of abuse in a puppy mill as a breeder dog. He takes that leap of faith with us every day. An amazing guy!

Sophie, looking unfazed that she’s standing in front of the iconic Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT)

And, even though Sophie wasn’t homeless or unwanted, she is also a source of endless entertainment and has a firm grip on our hearts, with her playfulness and willful calculations to get what she wants. I swear that girl knows exactly what she’s doing!

Because I tend to be an over sharer, here are some more pics of my babies (remember when they had those wallets where your kid’s pictures would tumble out into eternity? LOL)

This is basically how Albie and Jasper feel about each other. Raspberries and tolerance.

Jasper in his modeling days. Pretty handsome boy, right?

Ani, the natural model, posing during a shoot for a Petco Ambassador campaign.

In mid-play, the ever-adorable and extremely scruffy, Sophie.

So, as we honor those less fortunate than our babies, let’s keep spreading the word to adopt, rescue, take in those who need us when we can, and to give our lucky ones, who’ve made us so very lucky, too, extra hugs and kisses today. Bless them all. ♥

Share your favorite things about your rescued pets!

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 Challenge goes like this: you challenge someone to take a pie in the face for shelter pets; approximately 8 million of them living in dire need of homes. If accepted, they agree to share their compromising but, hopefully, fun photo or video on social media, raising awareness about the importance of adopting from a local shelter, and encouraging donations to the ASPCA. In turn, they nominate three more challengers and so on.

Jill, taking one for the team

Jill & Georgina: Yum, that was good!

Launched one week ago at the Hampton Classic ASPCA ADOPTION DAY event, when both Georgina Bloomberg and Rappaport each took a pie from the other, the Pies 4 Paws Challenge is already taking off. Celebrities like TODAY show’s special correspondent, Meredith Viera, who’s launching her much-anticipated, new daytime show on Monday, is also an early challenger. Shown on video with her dog, Jasper, they both took some pie for the cause from Viera’s daughter, Lily. After wiping the excess pie from her eyes, Vieira nominated animal lovers Matt Lauer, Howard and Beth Stern, and Betty White. Explained Jill, “If we can raise millions for ALS, I can only hope and pray to do it for animals in need. It’s a double win – getting the message of donating out there with the important message of adoption. And what a sweet way to do it-by taking a pie in the face.”  Here’s that video:

But, it’s not only dog and cat enthusiast being challenged. “One of my first nominees was Metro, who I call ‘the retired racehorse who turned into Rembrandt,'” Jill explained  “Metro was just featured in People Magazine, and he was a story I did on the Today show. He’s become a national sensation and is the perfect example of why this cause is so important. We all know what happens to retired racehorses, and Ron Krajewski, who rescued Metro, saw that Metro had a lot more life in him.” For those unenlightened of Metro’s special gifts, he paints. That’s right, he is a painting horse and not of the house kind. And, he’s pretty darn good!

The truly amazing, Metro Meteor, the Rembrandt of the racetrack

At every appearance, interview, stop since launching the Pies 4 Paws Challenge, Rappaport has taken every opportunity to get more and more people onboard. Here in New York, longtime news anchor, Ernie Anastos, a big supporter of Jill’s cause, was taken a bit by surprise when, during their interview the other day, she challenged him on-air to take a pie. After an initial protest (the guy was in the middle of his newscast), he was a great sport when Jill did the deed! Next up? Matt Lauer, the Sterns and the lovely Ms. Betty White…you’ve been served!  Learn more about the Challenge on Jill’s FB page. Stay tuned for more on this great cause.

Would you take Jill’s Pies 4 Paws Challenge? Tell me what unusual thing you’ve done to raise awareness about shelter adoptions!