Homecoming Month was filled with special moments as animals and adopters found one another and new families began to take shape. The month started with this year’s Adopt-A-Fest, where animal lovers joined us on our Port Washington campus for fall activities, local vendors, and the chance to meet their new four-legged family member.
For some animals, rescue is only the beginning. They may arrive at Animal League America too young for adoption, recovering from illness or surgery, frightened by everything around them, or simply unable to thrive in a shelter environment. What they need next is time, patience and the comfort of a home.
For generations of cat lovers and veterinary professionals, three letters brought devastating news: FIP. Feline infectious peritonitis develops when a common feline coronavirus mutates inside an individual cat, causing an inflammatory disease that can affect the stomach, chest, nervous system or other organs. It occurs most often in young cats, and until recently, there was little veterinarians could do to stop it. “FIP had a very high fatality rate,” explained Animal League America Chief of Veterinary Staff Dr. Mark Verdino. “Now however, we can treat it.” That remarkable change is giving cats like Crayon and Violet a future.
With his snowy white coat, enormous smile, and personality to match his size, Bentley had plenty going for him. However, this two-and-a-half-year-old Husky mix also had a longer road to home than most.
When Jigsaw arrived at Animal League America, she was nearly a puppy herself – pregnant, frightened and in urgent need of a safe place to have her babies. In overcrowded shelters with limited space and resources, pregnant animals are often the first at risk of euthanasia. Jigsaw needed somewhere she could be protected, cared for, and given the time she needed.
For Rocky, finding a new home began with a promise. The five-year-old Catahoula Leopard Dog mix had already been through heartbreaking change. After losing the person he loved most, Rocky found himself starting over at Animal League America. Despite being affectionate, playful, and a favorite among our volunteers — the right family still hadn’t found him, and years were passing by.
On July 15, the opening of the New York Stock Exchange came with a little extra puppy power.
This summer, North Shore Animal League America's education program, The Mutt-i-grees Curriculum, launched its first Summer Reading Program, welcoming students of all ages to the shelter for a unique experience reading alongside adoptable animals. The program has been a tremendous success, bringing together literacy, compassion, and the human-animal bond as young readers shared stories with animals in need.
As catastrophic flooding devastates Del Rio, Texas, our shelter partner, Border Animal Mission, and the local shelters they support, including City of Del Rio Animal Services and Val Verde County Animal Control, urgently need help. Floodwaters have overwhelmed these facilities, submerged kennels, and forced emergency rescues as displaced animals continue to arrive. While we are currently in direct contact with Border Animal Mission and working on a plan to help move animals out of harm's way, the need for supplies is immediate.
For Margaret who lives in Indiana, cats have long been a source of comfort and companionship. “I have six,” she said, naming them one by one: Mindy, Peanut, Faith, Sunshine, Midnight and Pandora. Asked if she has a favorite, like any parent Margaret was firm: “Nope.”