On the evening of October 30th, North Shore Animal League America hosted a special celebration for the completion of the Bianca’s Furry Friends Feline Adoption Center, our new cage-free facility for kittens and cats. Beth and Howard Stern, Billy Joel, and Rachael Ray were among the many honored guests in attendance to see this new addition to our shelter that was years in the making.
“I believe that I’ve talked about the organization at least once a week—for the past 40 years.” When Virginia Desocio adopted her dog, Pumpkin, there was one building on the campus. She returned for a visit three years ago. “I was so impressed with the whole organization. The Mutt-i-grees Curriculum had just been completed. I wished it had been around when I was still teaching special education in New Jersey.”
This summer, a group of high school students from Nassau BOCES and their instructor, Paul Eidle, came up with a great way to benefit both the dogs and the dog walkers on North Shore Animal League America’s Port Washington, N.Y. campus. As a project for their class, they built three large, sturdy wooden benches that could be put in two of the dog parks.
An urgent call came in about a young kitten found in a backyard in the Adirondacks that couldn’t walk at all. The staff at the Adirondack Cat Rescue and Adoption Center, part of our North Country Initiative in Glens Falls, N.Y. went immediately to pick her up.
On September 25, 2019, North Shore Animal League America was proud to host the Prime Minister of Japan's wife, Akie Abe, at our Port Washington, N.Y. campus. Mrs. Abe is interested in animal rescue and education, and wished to learn more about this and come for a visit while she was in New York City for the United Nations Assembly.
The animals who have spent their lives with Karen Eckhoff are lucky. As Karen talked about her passion for animals, she voiced a sentiment, which many of us relate to, about how “helping animals feels good.”
Cat lovers in New York State are rejoicing today. Governor Andrew M. Cuomo signed legislation (S.5532B/A.1303) that bans the declawing of cats in New York and the bill takes effect immediately. New York, the first state in the nation to ban the procedure of cat declawing, leads the way for others to follow.
Rebecca and Gisela, friends for 15 years, had both lost their beloved cats last year. Their grief had finally softened and a spot had opened up in each of their hearts again. They were ready to adopt and welcome new furry friends into their families. “It’s just too quiet in the house, it’s time for me to come to North Shore Animal League America,” said Rebecca. So Rebecca and Gisela, along with Gisela’s husband Frank, made plans to visit our campus in Port Washington, New York.
The transformed dog park, now renamed the LaRocca Dog Park, is a busy place when canine adoptions are happening on North Shore Animal League America’s Port Washington, N.Y. campus. Families looking to adopt a new dog can become better acquainted with the pet in this beautiful quiet space. The original dog park was donated 15 years ago by Karen and Don LaRocca in memory of their dog, “Rags.” For 16 years, Karen was a valued volunteer who would always be found at Animal League America’s adoption center on Saturday afternoons. She walked and socialized the adult dogs and visited with the adult cats too.
After escaping the horror of the Yulin Dog Meat Festival in China, Angie and Frankie arrived at our Port Washington, N.Y. campus in 2018. Still frightened and unsure, they waited in the Adoption Center for dog-loving people to give them a chance at life as beloved pets.