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Town of Hempstead pushes pet adoptions

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Pictures of pets in need of a good home are coming to a store near you. The Town of Hempstead has launched a new initiative, “Downtown Dogs (and Cats),” to increase adoptions at its animal shelter in Wantagh.

At a press conference on Sept. 16 in Seaford, town officials announced that they will be partnering with local businesses to place life-size cardboard cutouts of cats and dogs at local businesses. The cutouts are of animals actually up for adoption at the animal shelter.

“I think it’s going to be a great program,” said Town Supervisor Kate Murray. “We’re trying to raise consciousness of our dogs and cats in our shelter. We’re trying to do that through the goodwill of our local businesses.”

Murray said the idea was thought up by a volunteer dog-walker at the shelter, located on Beltagh Avenue. The facility has dozens of cats and dogs available for adoption for a fee. The town waives these fees at various times during the year, including the recent Summer of Love adoption program. That initiative led to more than 300 pets finding homes, including 146 dogs and 188 cats, from mid-June through mid-September.

After a successful summer, Murray said the goal is to keep the momentum going, and that’s why “Downtown Dogs (and Cats)” was launched. “We think that this program is another tool in our arsenal to get our dogs and cats adopted,” she said.

The program was announced at Fun Stuff Toys on Merrick Avenue in Seaford. Owner Mike Timko said he was honored that the town asked him to make the announcement at his family-friendly business.

“I think it’s a pretty cool thing to bring awareness to dogs and cats that need a home,” he said.

After hearing about the program from the town, Timko said he was on board. He has a cutout of Tully the dog and Patches the cat in the front of his store, directly across from the doors. His business is geared toward children and their parents, and Timko noted that the addition of a pet is often what makes a family complete.

Timko has been in business for 28 years, including 12 at his current location. He said it is nice that the town is looking to create partnerships like this with local merchants. “It’s a feel-good effort,” he said.

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