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Fido Fitness in Woodmere hosts two-day adoption event
Hurricane Sandy left much destruction in her wake, including the toll it took on pets and the organizations that shelter animals.
Heavenly Angels Animal Rescue lost 95 percent of its volunteers and donations due to Sandy. Because of that the Ozone Park, Queens-based animal shelter is unable to operate and hold an adoption event.
Teaming up with Astoria-based Woof and Walk, a group that works for the betterment of care for animals, Heavenly Angels brought a combination of 30 dogs and cats to Fido Fitness in Woodmere for a two-day weekend adoption event “A home for the Holidays” on Dec. 15 and 16.
“It was successful, we had 14 animals adopted,” said Ellen Adler, the co-owner of two-year-old Fido Fitness, an indoor dog track and the adjacent decade-old Barrie Inn, a cage less boarding and grooming facility. Evelyn Franklin is the other co-owner.
Fourteen animals were adopted, including 11 dogs, two cats and one kitten is being taken in as a foster animal, Adler said. The animals adopted ranged in age from eight weeks to 3-years-old.
“There were a number of reasons people adopted from it was time for a child to have a pet to someone replacing a recently lost pet,” Adler said.
Andrea Grane and Stephanie Constantinou, from Woof and Walk, organized the two-day adoption event. They networked with local pet supply stores, individual donors, conducted drop offs and collected items to help animal shelters in need throughout Long Island, Queens and New Jersey.
At the event a potential adopter was escorted by a volunteer into the animal area. Size, temper and breed of dog was discussed. When there was an interest in an animal the volunteer would watch as the would-be adopter and the dog took a walk through the Fido Fitness dog park. If there was a match, the adopter filled out an application.
“If the application was approved then they [were] able to take home their new pet the same day,” said Grane, adding that, if needed, Woof and Walk would, “most definitely organize another adoption event at Fido Fitness again.”
