Hello everyone. It’s me, Matt DeAngelis. A thousand people out there just collectively scratched their heads. “Who?” It’s a long story, but I’m the co-director of our little Shangri-La. I spend a lot of time on the behind-the-scenes stuff. My partner, Kerry Clair, makes my job easy. She’s perfect for this job and is really terrific at it.
So the new Pets Alive is one month old.
A month ago Kerry and I walked along the dog path, Jasper skipping ahead of us, wondering what we should do with Pets Alive. Best Friends was a Godsend, but they were leaving in two weeks, as we agreed. Paul Berry, the President of Best Friends had assured me countless times that whatever we decided they would support us in any way they could.
It was still a daunting decision. But we realized we wouldn’t have to do it alone. We have our volunteers and our supporters, the money and the muscle behind our success. We would simply be out of business without them.
So there we were, a few weeks before Christmas, wondering if we should just place the animals and shut the place down. Two things happened that made the decision easy for both of us.
The first was Buck. Buck is a greyhound mix whose time was up in a kill shelter upstate. He made an escape, and was hit by a car. He received no medical attention for his badly damaged leg, because the attitude was that they were going to kill him anyway so what was the difference?
(Buck is the dog in the back)
Buck was suffering needlessly and was going to die. And how could a shelter treat its animals so cruelly before killing them? Pets Alive was one of the earliest advocates of no-kill in the country, starting at about the same time as Best Friends about 30 years ago. If Pets Alive were to fold, how many more Bucks would die, and how many more kill shelters like the one upstate would allow animals like Buck to suffer and be killed?
Linda Brink went and retrieved Buck and brought him here. His leg had a compound fracture and was damaged so extensively his leg had to be amputated. The Brinks and I took him right to Dr. Furman to be looked at. I remember being horrified at how thin he was. He was sent to a specialist — this is from Linda’s email:
First of all, Buck weighs in at approximately 40 lbs; he should weigh 70-75 lbs. His right leg was amputated very high up. When Dr. McNamara got in there, he found a mess that had been festering for quite a long time–no less than 3 weeks and probably more. So, actually, there is not even a stub left, and not much of a hip either. Buck has a hind quarter with no evidence of a leg at all on the right side. Buck was also neutered while under anesthesia.
By the way… Linda fell in love with Buck and decided to keep him. I just spoke with her a few minutes ago and she said he is doing great.
So there is a need for Pets Alive, not only to take in the Bucks of the world but to help kill shelters not only move toward no-kill but help change these people’s hearts on the treatment of animals in their care.
Here’s the second event…We get a lot of emails from other kill shelters that need to place animals. Kerry had been speaking with one of those shelters, who let her know that at Christmas time they empty the shelter by killing all of the animals and then start filling up again after the first of the year.
We were walking through the mostly-empty kennel one afternoon. “I want to take those dogs.” She said. So did I. So we did.
In the next few days the transport arrived, and the kennel began to fill up. These are the sweetest, friendliest, most wonderful dogs. And their lives were spared. The whole batch got forever homes including Kerry’s new Rottie-Shepherd puppy, Jake.

So we’re back in business.
I’ve been coming to Pets Alive for almost a decade, and I’ve been in that kennel a thousand times. That first night, when I walked through the kennel when no one else was around, my footsteps echoing off the concrete, I heard the familiar rapping of tails against the metal walls, stuck my fingers through the wire to rub the muzzle of those sweet, beautiful animals, knowing that they are safe now and will get to live in homes where they belong, I knew we had made the right decision.
So a thousand words later I get to the actual subject of this blog entry.
The Yahrzeit is important in the Jewish religion, which was Sara’s. It is a commemoration of the anniversary of the death of a loved one. Sara’s Yahrzeit is coming up in a few weeks. I think about her sometimes here at Pets Alive, and I definitely feel her strong spirit here, especially at night, when the lights cast their glow on the paddock that used to be Kuba’s, the one where all of the dogs from the kennel stayed during the summer.
Pets Alive just finished it’s first month without Best Friends, and it’s tenth month without Sara. Kerry and I are the two people she trusted the most, and we promised we would take care of Pets Alive. It’s such a huge responsibility, and we thank God for our dedicated and underpaid employees, wonderful supporters and fantastic volunteers.
I’ve started many businesses, and as you’re getting started people always think they’re doing you a favor by pointing out all your potential failure points. If I had a quarter for every person that did this, I’d be rich. I’ve been doing things people said are impossible for decades. So I heard it all — “Animal care is going to suffer.” “You don’t know how to run an animal shelter.” “You don’t care about the [cats],[dogs], [pigs], [horses]…whatever.” “When Best Friends leaves you’re going to lose your supporters.” Blah blah blah.
So we finished our first month in business. How was it? I’d have to go with difficult, rewarding, and interesting.
Some highlights:
1. We actually took in more money than we spent. February is looking like there’s going to be a HUGE shortfall, but January was fantastic. Thank you so much to every supporter. Once a week or so Mary brings us a file of thank you letters to everyone who donates to Pets Alive. I look at each one, remember the name, pause for just a moment to consider that this person worked hard for the money they sent, and probably could have spent it on a million other things, but chose to help us with it. I always feel a deep gratitude, pride and responsibility, and I always add my own personal thank you. Then I pass it over to Kerry who does the same. We are in awe of the support we have received from all of you. Thank you so very much.
2. We adopted out 50 animals. More than 30 dogs, a dozen or so cats. We have two good prospects for a horse or two too.
3. The place is falling apart, but we’re holding our own. Some people might call it “quaint,” but we would probably use “ramshackle.” We need to make lots of cosmetic changes and some needed repairs come spring. Handy volunteers, get your toolbelts out!
4. We put in software for accounting and shelter management. We purchased accounting software especially for nonprofits, and found a shelter management solution that looks good. We’re just getting started, but we should have everything automated soon. The books for January look great.
5. We’ve already begun to reach out to area organizations, and that will continue. We’re going to be doing some exciting stuff with the Dutchess County SPCA, and we’ve been working with ARF, the Animal Rescue Foundation on Long Island. In the spring we’re going to visit with our local shelters, hoping to work closely with them to see that fewer animals get killed.
When we’re making an important decision we often ask “What would Sara say?” As I walked through the kennel today I asked myself that question. I think Sara would be proud of us all…grateful beyond words to Best Friends, thankful for the support of our many wonderful sponsors and donors, and overflowing with pride for people like Juan and the rest of the Pets Alive employees, who we feel blessed to have every day.
Sara left a legacy of devotion to animals and to the no-kill movement, and we plan to continue those devotions in the years to come.