News Alert: July 15, 2011

1. Broadway Stars Step Up for Pets at Broadway Barks 13!

The dogs and cats of New York City took center stage on Saturday, July 9, at Broadway Barks 13!, a star-studded adopt-a-thon hosted by Bernadette Peters and Mary Tyler Moore, legends of stage and screen and the event’s founders. Broadway stars were on hand in the Theater District’s Shubert Alley to present adoptable animals from 27 rescue groups based around the city.

As in years past, Broadway Barks! helped dozens of New York City’s homeless pets find forever families—including five pets who were adopted from the ASPCA’s Mobile Adoption Center. Between matinee and evening performances, Broadway’s glitterati stopped by to help out and socialize with fans and pets alike. Those spotted making the scene included Bobby Cannavale, Bebe Neuwirth, Nina Arianda and actors from Spiderman: Turn Off the Dark, The Book of Mormon and Priscilla Queen of the Desert.

Broadway Barks! is produced by Broadway Cares and sponsored by the ASPCA. Attracting thousands of theater fans and animal lovers every year, the event also serves to educate New Yorkers about the plight of pet homelessness in the metropolitan area. To learn more about this unique collaborative effort to help New York City’s neediest animals, visit broadwaybarks.com.

2. ASPCA Happy Tails: Cats on Cloud Nine

Some tornado kitties weren’t ready for adoption by the time our Joplin adoption event took place last month. So on July 1, as part of the ASPCA’s new National Animal Relocation Initiative, the 57 remaining cats and kittens left Joplin on a plane to Washington, where two groups were waiting to help them find forever homes.

But these kitties weren’t stuck in cargo—they flew in style on a Piper Navajo plane flown by Cloud Nine Rescue Flights, a volunteer-based aviation nonprofit that transports animals for welfare groups nationwide. The intrepid kitties took a 9:00 A.M. flight to Arlington, Washington—about 50 miles northeast of Seattle—and as the felines traveled, Cloud Nine provided real-time online flight tracking for everyone eager to mark their safe arrival.

They were met in Washington that afternoon by the Northwest Organization for Animal Help (N.O.A.H.) of Stanwood and the Progressive Animal Welfare Society (PAWS) of Lynnwood, which quickly stepped up to help oversee intake of the adoptable cats and kittens. The two groups fostered the cats before making them available for adoption.

Thanks to their help and your support, it looks like these kitties will be getting another chance at love—Pacific Northwestern style!

3. Summer Pet Care: Keep Kitty Hydrated

We all know dogs feel the heat—just take one look at your pooch’s tongue hanging down to the ground, and you know he needs water, stat. But did you know that cats are prone to overheating and dehydration, too?

Those cats most at risk for dehydration are the ones who suffer from illnesses such as kidney disorders, cancer, or hyperthyroidism. Elderly and nursing cats are also prone to drops in fluid levels, as well as diabetic cats whose condition is not regularly monitored.

Many cats may not drink fluids until they’ve lost as much as 8 percent of their body’s water stores. That’s why it’s very important to give your cat access to fresh water at all times to maintain proper hydration.

Here are some additional tips to keep kitty hydrated this summer:

• Change your cat’s water bowl frequently to ensure freshness.
• Place multiple bowls of water around the house for easy access.
• Determine your cat’s preference. Does he like tap or bottled water? Some cats prefer certain bowls or water fountains.
• On the road? Your cat should still have regular access to water, especially after flying.
• Monitor your cat’s water intake. If you notice he is drinking more or less than usual, please see your veterinarian.

For more helpful summer cat care tips, visit our Pet Health library.

4. Operation Pit Serves Nearly 600 Pups in First Year

This time last year, News Alert introduced readers to a special Pit Bull spay/neuter initiative called Operation Pit, a program designed to address the fact that Pit Bulls make up a vast majority of dogs in city shelters. We put our best veterinary troops on the mission, looked for a few good pups and, in its first year in action, Operation Pit serviced 583 canine recruits!

"I am very pleased by the success that we’ve had thus far," says Dr. Louise Murray, ASPCA Vice President of Bergh Memorial Animal Hospital in New York City, who created the program.

Operation Pit, not limited by income or address, offers Pit Bulls and Pit mixes (between three months and six years of age) a free physical exam and free spay or neuter, along with free Distemper/Parvovirus vaccinations and a microchip. In keeping with the theme, each dog also leaves with a camouflage bandana and “Honorable Discharge” papers for participating.

Before Operation Pit, Dr. Murray noticed that Pit Bulls—whose litters are larger than most other dogs’—represented a very small percentage of pets brought to the ASPCA for routine spay/neuter. That’s why she decided to create a spay/neuter program just for Pit Bulls and their pet parents.

Dr. Murray knew that one of the most effective ways to address the discrepancy was free spay/neuter services, but she also knew it would take more than free services to get some reluctant Pit parents in the door. She needed a creative idea to make spay/neuter more appealing, and she found inspiration with her husband’s co-workers.

“My husband, a captain in the FDNY, works with a lot of guys who aren’t exactly excited to see their dogs ‘emasculated,’” says Murray. “I wanted to present spaying and neutering in a way that wouldn’t be such a turn-off—and the guys gave me two thumbs up on the military-themed approach.”

The approach seems to be working--Operation Pit is on track to serve even more Pits in the year to come. For more information on spay/neuter in your area, visit our handy low-cost spay/neuter database!