Destination: Animal Friends

By Kathleen Beaver, President & CEO

Each year, Animal Friends is a destination for thousands of animals who have nowhere else to go. Some come to us from the communities we call home, some from neighboring states while others travel great distances to reach the comfort and safety of the Animal Friends haven and into the arms of our experienced team.

But we know Animal Friends is just a stop along the way on their journey home.

Of course, some of these journeys are more difficult than others. Some can take weeks, months or even years. They require patience, teamwork, strength, grit, creativity and most importantly … compassion.

That’s why the theme of this year’s Black Tie & Tails gala is Destination: Animal Friends. This is our opportunity to share with you the progressive programs and services that not only draw so many animals to our doors as their last resort, but also so many struggling pet owners who have nowhere else to turn for help and critical resources. 

In this edition of Petsburgh Magazine and throughout the fall, we will be sharing with you the personal journeys of the pets and pet owners who come to us for care. From puppies like Lilly who suffer from an inoperable and life-threatening heart deformity to street cats like Justice who just need time to learn to trust and, of course, rabbits like Bunyonce who despite a neurological condition is ready to fill someone’s home with love and laughter.

You will also hear more about the people that we are able to help. Pet owners who have temporarily fallen on hard times, like the owner awaiting cancer surgery who has placed her sweet Rottweiler in our free emergency boarding program. Or, the elderly couple who could no longer afford the medications for their beloved cat because they are on a fixed income. Keeping these families together – especially during the hard times – is not just good for the pet, they are critical for the people, too.

These special cases, and the thousands of others like them, just need a place to turn where they can find a little patience, extra care and love. And that’s what Animal Friends is all about.

Because when we stop caring, when the next person or pet that walks through our doors becomes just another number, when each face no longer matters, that’s when we should just close up shop. Because that is not Animal Friends.

So, join us over the next several months as we journey through the stories of struggling pets and pet owners – near and far – who find their second chance, their rescue, their healing, their destination through Animal Friends.

 

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