On April 10, the New York chapter of the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals observed its third annual ASPCA Day. Supporters dressed in orange to tell New York that pets are as important as people are, and every animal deserves a loving home.
Many people went “orange for animals,” dressing themselves, and even their pets, in the color of the ASPCA. At 8 p.m., the lights on the Empire State Building glowed orange, promoting awareness of animal abuse.
New York University student Megan Wang was there to support the event because she thinks the ASPCA truly cares about animal welfare. “Animals have no one to help them, and they can’t tell anyone what’s wrong,” she said. “It’s difficult to get people to care because they don’t think animals matter as much.”
Wang was a volunteer at a cat shelter, Ali’s Place, when a fire broke out at the center. “The firefighters wouldn’t go check on the animals,” Wang said. “They kept saying that they didn’t do that for animals, only for people. But when you show that you care about animals, you show that you care about people too.”
Phil Arkow is chair of the Latham Foundation, which examines the link between animal abuse and domestic violence. “People treat animals like they treat other people,” he said. “But very few [police] jurisdictions screen for animal abuse because officers are trained to deal with human issues, not animals. There aren’t even any statistics about animal cruelty.”
Arkow believes that events like ASPCA Day will encourage people to fight against animal cruelty and recognize the importance of pets. “If there’s more awareness, and more training, and more people thinking about it, then there’s going to be more programs that fight animal abuse.”
New York City law enforcement agencies have already taken important steps towards eliminating animal abuse, said volunteer Noel Dowling. Animal abuse is a felony in New York, she said, adding that New York also has humane law enforcement officers who investigate animal cruelty.
More people need to get involved to change existing animal abuse policies, said ASPCA employee Laura Meece. “People need to know that they can help and can make a difference,” said Meece.
ASPCA Day started three years ago in order to educate more people about animal cruelty. “This event has a lot of impact because it draws in so many people who don’t know what’s going on,” said Meece. “People are walking in the park or coming out of the subways. They see people in orange and the bright colors and come over.”
Dowling hopes that the event will encourage people to learn more about the prevention of animal abuse “It’s an event for people who don’t know anything – they’ve never seen the website, or talked to an officer,” she said. “Any kind of information that we can get out there, through volunteers or adoption, is important, even if we just reach someone who insists on buying a purebred dog.”
Many dogs at the event sported orange bandanas and sweaters, while some of their owners had even dyed their hair. Volunteers handed out free calendars, dog treats, and even orange cotton candy to draw in people. Some of the tents were informational, like the ASPCA enforcement officer, or the veterinarian who was answering questions about pet nutrition. Other tents were just for fun, like the artist drawing caricatures of dogs.
But the tent that drew the biggest crowd was the one that held rescued animals that were available for adoption. Crowds of people packed around cages housing rescued animals wearing “Please adopt me” vests. Cats and dogs peeked through the wire cages, and event organizers scrambled to keep order as people pushed forward for a closer look.
Wang believes that adopting rescued animals is an important way to fight animal abuse. While volunteering at an ASPCA shelter, she often saw the results of animal cruelty first hand. “A lot of animals at the shelter had been abused and were missing ears or limbs or had eye problems,” said Wang. “My favorite cat, Bobby, had a permanent ring around his neck from a choke collar.”
For Wang, ASPCA Day is an opportunity to find families for animals that have never had loving homes. “Bobby was adopted and went to a home where people care about him. Other abused animals can be adopted here, and it’s important to encourage that love between owners and pets.”
Danielle Ramos-Castro wanted to see every animal go to a new home. “I like seeing animals and knowing that that they all have a chance to be adopted,” she said.
Danielle’s mother, Susanna Ramos, thought that having adoptable animals on site was a great way to raise awareness. “Animals have a greater opportunity to be adopted at events like this because everyone wants a cute kitten or puppy,” she said.
The Ramos’s dog, Nina, was rescued, and Ramos considers her a part of the family. “We dressed in orange and came today so everyone can be aware of how important animals are in our lives.”
Jessi Santiago adopted her Pomeranian, Teddy, at the first ASPCA Day three years ago. “We adopted Teddy from ASPCA because they’re the only people who stick up for animals,” she said. “We have two other pets, two cats, and they’re all absolutely spoiled. Every animal needs a chance to be loved.”
Having volunteered for the ASPCA for more than 20 years, Dowling said that loving an animal is one of the greatest joys anyone can know. “The love between pets and people, you can’t explain it to non-animal people, and you don’t have to explain it to people with pets,” she said.
ASPCA Day gave many people the opportunity to start understanding the love between people and animals, as well as other benefits of having a pet. “Pets teach you how to relax, and they keep you happy,” Dowling said. “They do so much, there’s absolutely no question we love our pets.”
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