News Alert: June 10, 2011

1. Record-Breaking Adoptions in Oklahoma City, OK!

The Oklahoma City Animal Welfare Division, part of the ASPCA Partnership in Oklahoma City, OK, sent us some numbers last week that are too good to keep to ourselves: The city-run animal shelter broke its own record in May 2011 by finding new forever homes for a whopping 902 animals!

Many of those adoptions occurred at Midnight Woofness, a two-day and overnight mega pet adopt-a-thon organized by the other member of the Oklahoma City ASPCA Partnership, the Central Oklahoma Humane Society. May’s Midnight Woofness, which was the third in the city’s history, featured a circus theme and resulted in the adoptions of 565 dogs and cats.

Watch a video from Oklahoma of the 500th adoption at Midnight Woofness!

Congratulations to the Oklahoma City Animal Welfare Division, whose hard work every day of the year is saving more animals’ lives and making Oklahoma City a more humane community.

2. ASPCA and Walmart Introduce New Pet Care Products

The ASPCA and Walmart have expanded our line of ASPCA Collection pet care products now offered at Walmart stores. These items include collars, leashes, harnesses, soft sided carriers and kennel covers as well as spacious kennels and crates.

All Collection packaging includes expert tips from the ASPCA to help you take the best care of your pet. Plus, your purchase assists pets in need: A percent of every purchase price goes directly to the ASPCA and our life-saving programs!

For more information about the ASPCA Collection and to check for product availability, please visit your local Walmart store.

3. Community Service Opportunity at the ASPCA

Got a teen at home who loves animals? The ASPCA is currently accepting applications from high school students for our Service Learning program. The program is offered twice a year and provides an opportunity for students to fulfill their graduation requirements for community service in a fun, furry atmosphere!

What: Student Service Learning program at the ASPCA

When: Volunteers must commit to a regular schedule, with a minimum of two hours of administrative support per week, from July to December 2011.

Who: Volunteers must be 16+ at the time of orientation

Where: ASPCA
424 East 92nd Street
New York, NY 10128

How: Before you apply, please visit our website to learn more about the requirements for participating in the program.

In order to be considered, students must submit a comprehensive written essay to julies@aspca.org by Monday, June 20, at 5:00 P.M. Essays should consider the following questions: Why do you want to be a volunteer at the ASPCA, what are you seeking to gain from the experience, and what do you have to offer to the program? Please also include the name of your school, the counselor to whom you report your hours, and how many hours you need to complete and by when. Students who are accepted will be required to attend a one-time orientation on Wednesday, July 13, at 6:00 P.M.

4. Vote for America’s Favorite Animal Shelter

What could your local shelter accomplish with an extra $15,000? Trick question! Animal shelters across the nation badly need funds, especially in the wake of the economic recession—so there’s no “extra” about it. That’s why the ASPCA is teaming up with Care2.com and Adopt-a-Pet.com for the America’s Favorite Animal Shelter contest!

The contest, now in its fourth year, helps bring shelters the hope and help they need to accomplish amazing feats for homeless animals. There are three prizes your favorite shelter could win: the $500 prize awarded weekly to one random shelter participating in the contest, the $3,000 third prize, the $7,000 second prize or (drum roll, please) the big $15,000 first place prize!

So, how can you help? Easy: Visit Care2.com/animalsheltercontest, find your favorite shelter, and vote! You can only vote once, so make it count! (And make sure you read the full contest rules, too.)

Post flyers, use social networks and email, tell everyone you know to vote, and you could help your shelter rocket to the top of the pile. And if you recruit tons of friends to vote, there’s a little something in it for your pets, too! The top 20 recruiters get a $50 gift card for pet supplies.

What are you waiting for? Vote today!

5. ASPCA Pet of the Week: Ain’t Nothin’ But a Hound Dog

Ludlow is a sweet hound mix who was rescued in February, along with hundreds of other dogs, from a hoarder in Ohio. This handsome guy lived in crowded and unsanitary conditions, but now he’s ready for the chance to be part of a loving family and know what it feels like to be a regular dog.

Since coming to the ASPCA, Ludlow has opened up quite a bit, becoming more of a social animal every day and learning all about the joys of toys. He’s still a bit nervous around strangers, and will thrive best with an experienced adopter who will ensure he gets lots of exercise and will shower him with the love he deserves!

If you’re interested in adopting Ludlow, please call our Animal Placement department in New York City at (212) 876-7700, ext. 4120.Or to view other animals looking for homes, visit our Adoption Center online.

***Want to help Ludlow find his forever home? Donate your Facebook status to this wonderful dog! Just copy and paste the following message onto your profile status to help spread the word that this pooch needs a home!

[Name] is donating my status to Ludlow www.aspca.org/ludlow, a dog at the ASPCA who needs a new home.

6. Live from Joplin: Baby Girl Goes Home

Every day at our emergency shelter in Joplin, pet parents arrive to view the hundreds of dogs and cats in our care, and search for their lost Chihuahua, Black Lab or calico kitty. For almost 400 families—many of whom lost everything in the May 22 tornado—those visits have culminated in tearful reunions. (It’s often hard to tell who’s more excited: the humans or the pets.)

But more strays arrive each day, so many pet parents return regularly in hopes of finding their fur babies. One such family is the Freys. They were in their home when the tornado razed it to the foundation. Eventually, Mr. Frey was rescued from the rubble, and a kind stranger picked up Mrs. Frey and carried her to a nursing home, as their 12-year-old son limped behind her.

Once the Freys were safe—Mr. Frey with broken bones, Mrs. Frey with staples in her knee, an injured ankle and lacerations—they started to worry about Baby Girl, a large, affectionate calico cat they adopted three years ago. Mrs. Frey asked herself, could Baby Girl be alive and well? Hobbling along on crutches and covered in cuts, she began visiting our shelter every other day for weeks, never giving up hope.

Meanwhile, a crew of ASPCA responders and several animal control agencies started trapping homeless animals to bring them to the shelter. Just a few days into the operation, the team trapped a large calico with a sweet little face. The next afternoon, as usual, the Freys visited the shelter.

“We were about ready to give up, and then I came today, and it was instant—I knew it was her. I’m just so happy to have her back," said Mrs. Frey. "Without you guys, we would not have known at all where to even start looking for her. Thank you for taking care of her."

Please help us continue to support the animal victims of Joplin. Text PLEDGE to 25383 to donate $10 today!