One of the headlines I saw this week was – COVID-19 has presented MAJOR Challenges to Animal Welfare. But…this is not our first crisis nor is it the first time we’ve faced serious challenges. Dealing with challenges is what we do best! Yes, it is and this week the Pets Alive staff took that challenge and hit the ground running.
To begin with, we are closed to the public. How do we continue to fulfill our mission and get homeless animals adopted into loving homes? We get creative and move quickly.
In just one week, we started virtual meet and greets for our dogs, social distancing hand-offs, and zero contact drop-offs – and it is working! In the first two days, five – yes five dogs are now sleeping in homes they call their own and enjoying endless belly rubs and kisses from their new families.
We are now working on a similar program for the cats, but we are discovering quickly we have some camera-shy as well as lazy kitties here at Pets Alive! Most of them are sleeping through their big moment or doing what cats do best – ignoring us!
Friendly Visitor Program
Last week Pets Alive teamed up with the town of Wallkill as part of their Friendly Visitor Program. Through our Pet Chow Pantry, we were able to deliver over 750 lbs of dog and cat food and almost 250 lbs of kitty litter to the Jewish Family Service of Orange.
In the next few days, we will also be delivering dog and cat food and litter to the Family Church of Middletown, NY. Both of these organizations have volunteers who will be delivering these pet supplies along with other essential supplies they collected to at-risk seniors and families in need in our local community.
Helping our neighbors to the north through our Sullivan County Pet Chow Pantry program, we are working on getting needed pet food to our friends at Action Towards Independence in Monticello, NY. They reached out to us that they have families with pets in need. During these difficult times, we must do everything we can to keep pets where they belong – with their families.
Want to help keep pets and families together?
1. Make an online donation
2. Want to donate food? Email us at info@petsalive.org for instructions on where / how to drop off in-kind donations. We have a “zero contact” drop area for in-kind donations.
A Ray of Sunshine
Click on the graphic for a view of the conceptual design of the new dog kennel building
In these uncertain and tough times, we have to remember to stand strong and stand together. Our ray of sunshine came this week when we learned we have been awarded a $500,000 matching grant from the New York State Companion Animal Capital Fund to be used only for the construction of the new dog kennel! This is a huge win for the dogs at Pets Alive, moving us that much closer to the start of construction on a new kennel for them. Learn more about our Dog Kennel Transformation on our website HERE.
In it Together
Pets Alive, like many other nonprofits and businesses in our area and around the country, is suffering as a result of COVID-19. We rely and depend on private donations from supporters like you! Donations have slowed down and almost stopped entirely, and we are postponing and canceling in-person fundraisers in the months when our calendars are usually packed solid. We are holding our breath and waiting for our country to return to normal but animals in need wait for no one. We are making changes to conserve our resources, but we need YOU!
Please make a lifesaving difference for an animal in need TODAY! If everyone reading this donated even just $5.00, the price of a cup of coffee, you would help us sustain our life-saving mission.
Becky Tegze
Executive Director
Pets Alive
ps…prefer to send a donation check? Mail us a check to: Pets Alive, 363 Derby Road, Middletown, NY 10940