Category: Adoptable Animals

Helloooooooo, Mabel!

Hello, World! It’s me, Mabel! The friendliest little ball of muscle you ever could ask for.

I’m a mix of old fashioned Staffordshire Terrier and something else….not sure what. Been used strictly for makin’ babies for most of my 4 years of life but I’m a liberated woman, now. Got spayed so that breeding gig is over for good, thank God! Folks at The Animal Support Project finally came to my rescue when they recognized what a fine gal I really am and how my life was being trashed by the people who used to own me.

I’m still learning my manners and started informal obedience training so I can learn how to be welcome in genteel society. I am VERY affectionate, very athletic and very food motivated so training will be alot of fun for me and my peeps. I can’t wait to demonstrate what I can do with a little bit of encouragement and shaping.

I LOVE car rides and I’m nice on a leash but sometimes I read some dogs dissing me and that makes me want to put them in their place. When I walk I kinda waddle and I grunt a little. It makes folks smile! And instead of a bark, when I get excited, I let out a squeal just like a baby pig! Everyone knows when I’VE got something to say!

It’s time for me to start letting folks know I’m available for adoption, so hence my big splash on PetFinder. I’m hoping to match up with a home that is ready to live an active lifestyle. So far, I’ve missed out on all the hikes and car rides and visits to Tractor Supply so I’ve got alot of living to do. Got the worlds’ biggest tongue and alot of enthusiasm so my kisses will knock a small kiddo over……. probably I should go to a home where there are no little or frail ones for me to accidentally damage. It would break my heart if I disappointed you, y’know.

We’ll be adding more photos and updates soon, so stay tuned, ok? And if you want to learn more about me, just give a call: 518-727-8591. I’m always up for making new friends so let’s do lunch!



Petapalooza

Petapalooza at Curtis Lumber was another great opportunity for our adoptables to get a little lovin’ from animal lovers coming from all over the area. Now we’re processing the great applications we took in to see who will be giving their homes and hearts to Maisie, Playboy, Duncan, Ben and Coco. We should be posting some really joyful happy beginnings photos here soon so stay tuned!

Wayne & Playboy

Thanks, Steve Caporizzo, Pet Connection and Curtis Lumber for opening doors and hearts for so many deserving animals!


Featured Adoptable Animal – Lookin’ for Love?

 

CLICK HERE to meet Nicholas.

 


My name is Suki

SUKIa

My name is Suki . I’m a Chihuahua. I’m just a little 4-pound package and I’ve always been completely blind and deaf. I don’t see with my eyes and I don’t hear with my ears; I feel messages from your soul.
For as long as I can remember, it was always just my Dad and me. Dad took care of me to the best of his ability. We didn’t have a lot of money but we were very happy together. He fed me, he loved me, he gave me a home. We had just each other; no other family and not a lot of close friends. As time went on, I noticed something was changing with Dad. My eyes and ears may not work, but I can sense things that others can’t. Whatever it was that was wrong with Dad, it worried me very much. One day, Dad’s soul whispered to me that he had to go to the hospital. He set me up at our apartment with extra water and food, and some papers to use for a bathroom. He gave me a long hug and asked me with his heart to be a patient, good boy. I always do what Dad asks me to do, so I settled in and waited for his return.
A couple of days later, some nice ladies came by to check in on me. I could feel their worry in the air and it made my nose burn. For a long time afterward, one of the ladies would stop by each day to give me fresh water and food and change my papers. And even though they were very kind to me, I became more and more concerned. Where was my Dad? Why wasn’t he home yet? What happened to him in that hospital? And in the meantime, my itch was getting worse and worse. I cried a lot during that time, but not when the ladies were there. I needed to be brave for my Dad.

About three weeks after Dad went to the hospital, a new lady stopped in to see me. She knew how to speak from the soul, just like Dad. She told me she would take me to The Animal Support Project. I didn’t know what that meant at the time, but the lady smelled good and seemed to really care about me, as much as the other ladies did. So I agreed to go with her and soon, I was living in a home with people again. I learned later it was called a foster home. In this foster home, the man and lady who lived there also spoke with their souls to me. They told me Dad was very ill, and he couldn’t come home for awhile. That’s why I was living with them in the foster home. They also told me I had allergies. They gave me special food and took me to a vet where I had some much-needed dental work done and some of my blood was drawn for testing. Later, some changes were made in my schedule. Now, each month, I would feel the tiny prick of a needle, but I didn’t mind so much. The foster lady said the stick I felt was from medicine to make my allergies easier to live with. And y’know what? It worked! My soft, fluffy hair all grew back and I felt better than I had in a very, very long time.

My foster Mom told me she had seen my Dad at the hospital. She said she had promised him that she would see to my care forever, if anything should happen to him. She said it’s her mission in life to help animals like me get the care they need when their owners can’t do it for themselves. She said there are lots of people just like her with the same mission, all working through The Animal Support Project. My soul spoke back to my foster Mom often and I told her how grateful I was that she helped my Dad and me when we needed it most. I loved the foster home and the other dogs and cats who lived there. They were all so very kind to me! They understood I was special.

One morning, my foster Mom picked me up and gave me a bath. It wasn’t my normal bath day, so I wasn’t sure why she thought I needed one. But I had faith in her and decided to do what she wanted. After the bath, she bundled me up in a blanket and we went for a ride in the car. I could feel the motion of us moving down the road and it made me anxious. Where were we going? The smells in the building we went into were very different from what I had ever smelled before….kinda like the vet’s office, but something was different. Everywhere, I could feel souls speaking. Some were calling out, some were peacefully at rest, and some were very tired. It was the strangest place I had ever been.

Suddenly, I felt a very special soul coming closer. It was my Dad’s soul. And although it was weak and tired, I knew it right away. My energy called out to his and before I knew it, I was nestled up next to him in his bed. It felt and smelled funny, but I could smell Dad’s smell among the blankets. There were tubes and wires in the bed with us, but I didn’t care. I was with my Dad at last and it felt SO GOOD! I could feel his tears falling in my fur. I sniffed the air and realized we were surrounded by all the nice ladies who had been helping me. There was sadness in the air but also great peace and joy.

Dad and I went peacefully to sleep for quite awhile. Later, my foster Mom slowly, gently picked me up from under Dad’s arm and carried me back out to the car. We two rode home together. I was very happy to have had that time with my Dad, because it was our final time together. That night, I only heard his soul call out to me once, for the very last time. He told me he was at peace and he was going to wait for me in the new world. He said someday we would be together again, healthy and whole. We just needed to be strong and patient and follow our hearts. Then he stopped speaking and although I shouted out to him as loud as I could, I never heard his soul again.

My foster family and I lived a happy life together for quite awhile. Then, one day, my foster Mom took me on another ride in the car. This time, we brought Laurie, one of the volunteers form The Animal Support Project, and Lady Gaga, her blind foster dog. This was the day Lady Gaga was to go to her new forever home and Laurie was both sad and happy about it. She was happy because her little friend, Gaga, would have the most wonderful family to spend the rest of her life with. But she was sad because she knew she would miss having Gaga to cuddle and care for. Foster Mom and I went along to help with getting Gaga situated in her new home, and to help Laurie feel better about letting go.
Laurie’s soul had spoken to me many times before when she would come to visit my foster home. I liked her a lot because she was so warm and kind. She would stroke me and tell me how handsome I was and how she wished she could have a sweet little friend like me to take care of. So when Lady Gaga went to her new home and Laurie needed a new foster dog to care for, I agreed to move in with her and John and their animals. She needed a little friend now that she didn’t have Lady Gaga. And since she was used to having a blind dog, she knew just what I needed to keep me safe and happy. Soon, we became so close that Laurie and John made a big decision: they would adopt me! Yes, I would have this wonderful home with these fine people and their sweet animals as my forever family!
Now, each day, I go for walks in the big yard with my family and friends. I get warm baths and brushing and all the most wonderful things to eat. I nap on the big couch in the evenings right between my Mom and Dad, Laurie and John. And when it’s time for bed, I sleep right next to Laurie. Our souls and hearts speak to each other and we support each other through thick and thin. We are truly a family and I know I am treasured.
Since the day my old Dad left my world, I have been through so many changes! But through it all, I trusted in my Dad’s advice and in the good in everyone’s soul. With no eyes to see and no ears to hear, some might think I should be bitter, as if I am missing something. But I know the soul can speak and the heart can tell us what we can’t see or hear. I’m Suki, the luckiest little dog in this world. I have all I need and I always will.


PET CONNECTION ADOPTION DAY and OPEN HOUSE AT THE ANIMAL HOSPITAL

July 21, 2013
10am-3pm
Location: 2 Rocking Horse Lane Slingerlands NY 12159 (grounds of The Animal Hospital)
Phone: 518-456-0852
Web:
www.TheAnimalHospital.com

This is going to be an exciting day for all! We are planning on having up to 30 rescue groups and shelters in attendance. Many have indicated that they will reduce their adoption fees for this special day. Don’t miss your opportunity to find that special pet and give them a second chance at life. All who adopt or fill out applications to adopt (and are approved), will receive a complimentary canvas tote bag filled with pet related items, a souvenir Pet Connection key chain and a certificate for $75 in free health care at The Animal Hospital to offset the adoption fee. Pet Connection will also be donating $50 towards the adoption fee. We have a supply of bags that will be available for purchase on that day and in the future at The Animal Hospital for $15. All proceeds go to Pet Connection. In addition to finding forever homes for these pets, PLEASE consider bringing pet food donations and towels/blankets (new or used) to help the local shelters.

This event will be catered by our good friends at Creo’ http://www.creorestaurant.com
, and Bountiful Bread

Home

Additionally, there will be live music all day courtesy of Vinnie Leddick http://vinnieleddick.com/index.htm
from the Sagamore Hotel. This will also be your opportunity to tour a state of the art veterinary hospital. You’ll be able to see the Laparoscopic surgery suite, meet the doctors and staff and observe a Golden Eagle housed in their flight cage. This is a rare chance to see the amazing care your pet will receive with the compassionate staff. All who take this tour will receive a gift bag including a certificate for a free exam to any new client at the hospital. Local vendors will again be on site offering advice and coupons for services. In addition to the raffles to help raise money for Pet Connection, there will also be a grand prize raffle (free to enter to all who attend our event). Local businesses have already donated over $6,000 in raffle and auction items!
I also want to thank CW Whalen & Sons http://www.whalentent.com/
for supplying large tents to protect us from the sunshine or rain. They were awesome during my Backyard BBQ’s this season! By the way, if the weather is bad (needs to be raining pretty hard), the rain date is July 21st. I hope to see all of you there! It’s going to be a fun day and we will help so many pets in need. Please remember, that you do not need to be looking to adopt to come out and support the cause. There is even a chance that Elisa Streeter will stop by with her dog to share in the fun with us!
For directions to The Animal Hospital, along with updates on our event, please go to:
www.TheAnimalHospital.com

See you July 21,
Steve Caporizzo!


Brooke’s Training Videos

Below are some of Brooke’s Training videos

ASPCA Grant Logo


In the wake of the Great Recession

Pet-palooza offers dogs and cats to adopt at low cost

By Anne Hayden

Altamont Enterprise article image of 2 dogsGUILDERLAND — Over 100 animals will be available for adoption, for little to no cost, at The Animal Hospital in Guilderland on Saturday.
Dr. Edward Becker is partnering with Steve Caporizzo, television weatherman, and 14 animal adoption agencies, to put on what he is calling a “pet-palooza.”
“People are giving up or abandoning a record number of pets because they can’t afford them, and, by the same token, people aren’t stepping up to adopt pets because they can’t afford them,” Becker told The Enterprise this week.
Becker, who founded The Animal Hospital over 30 years ago, has a reputation for working with wildlife, and this will be his first foray into domestic animal adoption. He contacted Caporizzo, whose Pet Connection program The Animal Hospital sponsors, and asked for help organizing an adoption event.
“If I could do anything to facilitate adoptions, which would help the agencies, and ultimately the pets, I wanted to do it,” said Becker. Caporizzo contacted agencies he had worked with through Pet Connection; the goal was to get at least eight agencies to participate, but there was such a positive response that 14 agencies will attend. The Animal Hospital will subsidize the adoption fees.
One agency that will be bringing adoptable pets to The Animal Hospital on Saturday is the charity group The Animal Support Project. According to Melinda Plasse, the founder of TASP, the group, consisting of roughly 25 volunteers, has been actively rescuing “animals and people” for five years.
“We’re a little different than the typical animal rescue group; we do pull animals from shelters and re-home them, but our primary mission is to short-circuit the need for animals to go to the shelter in the first place,” said Plasse, who lives on a farm in Cropseyville. TASP offers help with behavioral issues, landlord problems, legal issues, veterinary care, and disaster aftermath.
Plasse said she founded the organization after she traveled to the Gulf Coast as a volunteer to help deal with the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. She came back with many contacts, and did some training with national groups to assist with national-level rescues.
“What I learned was easily transferable to the local community. If you can take care of 350 scared animals after a hurricane, you can certainly help someone with one dog,” Plasse said. Her philosophy is that neighbors should help neighbors keep their pets.
“Neighbors help neighbors when another family member is sick — why wouldn’t we do that for someone who loves their animal?” asked Plasse. TASP offers its services to everyone on a sliding scale according to need. Plasse said anyone who can prove financial need is eligible for free services.
“We are here to get people through a crisis,” Plasse said. TASP delivers flea, tick, and heartworm medication to low-income families at reduced costs, and helps subsidize operations to spay or neuter pets.
Plasse said TASP will have a large tent with plenty of information and adoptable animals at Saturday’s event.
“There is no shortage of animals that need a home. We get referrals from veterinarians about pets that need new homes, and we take animals from shelters down South,” said Plasse.

Two of the dogs TASP will bring on Saturday are Jack Russell terrier siblings, Lucy and Desi. They were put up for adoption when their previous owner became sick, and could no longer care for them after her husband died. Before his death, he made his ailing wife promise that Lucy and Desi would stay together when they were adopted out. The terriers are both six years old, and Desi is deaf, but with Lucy’s help he gets around just fine. The pair is currently in a foster home.
Plasse said TASP is thrilled to be included in the adoption event.
Other adoption agencies participating include Animal Lovers; the Animal Protective Foundation; Brennan Humane Society; Cat Tales Rescue; the Companion Animal Placement Program; Greyhounds as Companions; the Guilderland Animal Shelter; Heaven Sent Rescue; Kitten Angels; the Mohawk Hudson River Humane Society; Peppertree Rescue; and Rottie Empire Rescue.
Becker said many local businesses have offered to sponsor the adoption day and to provide refreshments and gifts. Bountiful Bread and Creo’ will provide lunch, and there will be drawings for gifts, such as a $100 gift certificate for boarding at Altamont Country Kennels. All proceeds will go to the Pet Connection.

For those who adopt pets on Saturday, The Animal Hospital will provide a tote bag full of pet-related items, and a $75 gift certificate for health-care. Professional portraits of adopted pets will be taken free of charge, and the Grooming Gallery will be on site to provide grooming to the pets in need.
“People can just show up, and hopefully at least look, and, even if they don’t need a pet, they might know someone who does,” said Becker.

The event will run from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday, Aug. 14, at The Animal Hospital on Rocking Horse Lane, in Guilderland.


Dogs rescued from NYC being trained, prepped for adoption locally

Published: Monday, June 03, 2013

By Andrew Beam – The Troy Record
abeam@troyrecord.com
Twitter.com/beam_record

CROPSEYVILLE — The Animal Support Project has a 2-year-old pit bull up for adoption after it was found without a home during the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy.

The Animal Support Project, a 501c3 charitable organization which regularly tries to prevent pets from being placed in animal shelters, has had to play a different role after two pit bulls were found displaced due to the damage done by the hurricane to New York City.

According to Melinda Plasse, president of the Animal Support Project, her organization was called down by the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals to help run an animal shelter in Brooklyn.

“The shelter was closed down and they contact all the known owners for the animals where the owner may either surrender their pets or make arrangements to have them go into foster care, or have them go to a friend’s house,” Plasse said. “It’s not always the case the owners come back.”

Leftover from the shelter, which was called the Emergency Boarding Facility for New York City Pets Displaced by Hurricane Sandy, were then 8-month-old Pluto and 2-year-old Brooke. Through a grant from the ASPCA, the Animal Support Project was able to take over the dogs and look for new owners for them.

The grant included funding for the cost of training the pets, foster care and boarding the animals. The ASPCA also offered to sponsor the first year of insurance costs for the animals on behalf of the new owners. Plasse said this was negotiated by her organization because pit bulls can be more difficult to adopt out.

Pluto has already found a home, though, much to the organization’s surprise. Plasse said the pets were not ready for adoption at the time but were brought to the Mohawk Honda Pet Connection in March where many in attendance fell head over heels for Pluto.

“We took him and Brooke more for fun because they’re not really ready for prime time,” Plasse said. “Everyone fell in love with Pluto.”

It came on the heels of Pluto just graduating from obedience training and his recovery from hip surgery as he came to the shelter with a previous injury. Plasse said Pluto didn’t heal properly and was lame on his left hind leg. He went through surgery and was rehabilitated all under the grant from ASPCA.

Brooke, who recently graduated from obedience training but will be continuing to take more classes, is now being groomed for adoption. Plasse said the dog will continue to be in foster care until she is adopted. When a family does express interest, Plasse said there will be an initial home visit to make sure it is a good fit for Brooke.
“We have an in-depth approach,” Plasse said. “We are going to make sure this animal is going in the right home. We are waiting for the right home for her.”

Those interested in Brooke can contact the Animal Support Project at 518-727-8591.

Andrew Beam may also be reached at 270-1294.

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