People from all over Long Island attended last weekend’s North Shore Animal League America event in Port Washington to adopt furry additions to their family.
“We had people from all over the tri-state area,” said North Shore Animal League America Off-site Manager Matthew Carroll. “I talked to someone and they were even from a different town.”
More than 500 pets, including dogs, cats, puppies and kittens, were adopted last weekend during the 22nd Annual Global Pet Adoption event.
The event, located at 25 Davis Ave. in Port Washington, kicked off on Saturday at 8:30 a.m. and lasted for 36 hours straight.
Pet Adoptathon is an initiative developed by North Shore Animal League America that, for more than two decades, has brought together the international animal shelter and rescue community to raise awareness of the plight of homeless pets worldwide and to find them loving and permanent homes.
According to the North Shore Animal League America website, in 2015 the Pet Adoptathon included more than 2,000 participating animal shelters and rescue groups in 50 states and Puerto Rico, Washington, D.C., and the U.S. Virgin Islands and internationally in Australia, Bolivia, Canada, China, Hong Kong, India, Peru, and the Philippines. The result was more than 30,000 shelter pets being placed in loving, permanent homes.
“The event here was phenomenal,” Carroll said. “We had a line starting extremely early in the morning.”
Carroll said homes were found for 557 of the rescued animals.
“It is absolutely amazing to see the empty cages here,” he said. “There’s no better feeling.”
To begin Pet Adoptathon 2016, actress, adopter and Animal League America supporter Edie Falco and her rescue dog, Niko, participated in the opening ceremonies and cut the ribbon.
“So I look at all these people that are here and it is beyond thrilling to think that each of you will go home with a new family member,” Falco, who adopted her dog from North Shore Animal League America in the past, said at the event. “I can’t tell you how it warms my heart. You’re saving the lives of these animals but the most important thing is wait till you see what happens to your lives. If you don’t know or if you haven’t been an animal owner before it shifts the air in your house in a way that maybe you can not imagine. I’ve had animals since I was a little kid and they’ve always been family members. They teach you about love in a way that may be a little more difficult, a little more complicated for humans, but it’s very simple and very clear when you have an animal in your life.”
The event also had performances by the Purina Incredible Dog Team and family activities including face painting, arts and crafts, and balloon sculptures. Former Mets player Mookie Wilson made an appearance to help out all the animals. “Compared to previous years it was amazing we had celebrity spokespeople for the event to pump everyone up,” Carroll said. “The main attraction is obviously the animals and to make sure these animals are going to the best home.”
Carroll said North Shore Animal League America accomplished 23 overnight adoptions during the Adoptathon and even the older animals were adopted during the weekend.
“Every one is so excited about the older animals finding a home,” Carroll said. “Everyone here at North Shore Animal League is really excited about that.”
Animal League America has saved more than 1,000,000 lives and is the world’s largest no-kill rescue and adoption organization, according to its website.
