Noah’s Ark Welcomes Flood of Adoptions on National Mutt Day
Animal Miracle Foundation holiday founded by Colleen Paige is catalyst for ten animal adoptions, including a rabbit
December 6, 2007 - Houston, TX – “I love our new dog. She’s so cute.”
These precious words came from the mouth of 4-year-old Magdelena Xochipilli Gomez, referring to the lucky new member of her family, a well-behaved female Labrador/Border Collie mix by the name of Jetta. Jetta was one of ten adoptions at Noah’s Ark Animal Sanctuary in Cypress on National Mutt Day 2007 on Sunday, December 2nd.
“Let me tell you her story,” exclaims Kelly. Kelly is a
volunteer at Noah’s Ark and also seems to know the tale of every dog on the
property. “Jetta was found on the side of a busy road next to her sister, who
had been hit and killed by a car. She never left her sister’s side.”
Jetta wagged her tail approvingly. As one good deed deserves another, this beautiful and healthy black puppy will join with her new family, thanks to the wonderful people at Noah’s Ark.
Heather Schmidt, founder and owner of Noah’s Ark, along with her hardworking, animal-loving staff and volunteers, planned festivities that attracted even passers-by with the delicious smell of Texas BBQ favorites, brisket and sausage. With a $10 donation, one could partake of the all-you-can-eat BBQ lunch, which included the traditional sides of potato salad and beans. Vitamin Water, Glamour Pups and other great vendors were on site to support the event.
Other than the adoptions, the Frisbee dog teams were the
most notable sights of the day. These athletic and well-trained dogs, many of
them rescues themselves, exhibited their speed and skills to the tune of classic
80’s dance and rock music.
All of the day’s excitement was generated by the heartfelt desire of Colleen Paige, author, animal advocate and founder of the Animal Miracle Foundation. Paige created National Mutt Dayto acknowledge the desperate need for adoption of mixed breed dogs, also known as ‘mutts,’ in our nation’s shelters and rescues.
With the popularity of pure breeds and “designer dogs,”
such as the Cockapoo (a Cocker Spaniel/Poodle mix), mixed breed dogs don’t
normally receive the much-needed attention they deserve for their good
temperament and unique physical traits. In all honesty, they will steal your
heart, as evidenced by the nine dogs that found homes on Sunday. Here is a
listing of some of the dogs that got their wish of a family for Christmas: 
Cahill – Malamute/Lab mix - adopted by the Szenttornyay family
Couscous and Jake – both adopted by Shawn and Tina Krolczyk
Petula – Schnauzer mix – adopted by Daniel and Chandra Mercer
Jetta – Lab/Border Collie mix – adopted by the Gomez family
Mya – adopted by Matt and Heather Graveline of Glamour Pups Mobile Pet Salon
Adoptive families also received a certificate for a complimentary copy of Colleen Paige’s book, The Good Behavior Book for Dogs, as part of AMF’s Book of Love program. The book will provide valuable help for the new pet parents in handling some of the most common and embarrassing dog behavior issues that they might encounter. “We want the families to enjoy their new pets and reduce the chances of the dogs finding their way back to the shelters.”
In the true spirit of their biblical namesake, Noah’s Ark Animal Sanctuary also has horses, cats, potbelly pigs, squirrels and one rabbit. At least they used to have one rabbit. “Wabbit” was also fortunate enough to attract a family on National Mutt Day, bringing the grand total of adoptions for the day to ten.
Judy McCarthy, assistant to Schmidt, informed me Wednesday
of the good news that Noah’s Ark was also able to raise over $2,000 in donations
because of the celebration. McCarthy said that the organization was able to
cover the expenses of the event because of contributions and donations from
wonderful people like ten-year-old Amanda Foster, a young animal advocate whose
dream is to become a member of “Animal Cops.”
Foster opened a lemonade stand and went door-to-door collecting funds in order to support the local animal rescue. She successfully collected and donated $26.63.
The monies received will also go toward procuring required resources for the daily care of the remaining animals on site. Renee, another volunteer, was thrilled with the day’s activities and successes, but as the day came to a close, she wondered aloud, “Now what are we going to do about the 55 cats that we have?”
Thankfully, there is also National Cat Day (www.nationalcatday.org) coming up in 2008.
The Animal Miracle Foundation is a private charitable foundation committed to saving animal lives through partnering with existing rescues, sanctuaries and shelters to facilitate adoptions and increase public awareness of animal welfare issues. (www.animalmiraclefoundation.org)
Noah's Ark is a volunteer, non-profit 501(c)3 animal welfare organization comprised of dedicated animal lovers committed to the rescue, rehabilitation and care of homeless, sick and abused animals. (www.noahs-ark-sanctuary.org)
Contact:
Candace Runaas
Runaas Resources PR
281-257-4431
sponsored by colleen paige's