Home > Out of the Cage! > January 2005 > Featured Alliance Participating Organization: A Cause for Paws: Saving Dogs and Cats in the Bronx, and All Around Town

Featured Alliance Participating Organization

A Cause for Paws: Saving Dogs and Cats in the Bronx, and All Around Town

Twelve years ago, Antonio (Tony) Raimondo began to notice a large number of strays in and around the buildings he owns and manages in the Bronx. As their numbers increased, he was moved to take them in and provide them with veterinary care until he found them permanent homes.

Then in 1999, Tony and his friend Lydia DesRoche actively increased their outreach to the animals in the area. Gradually they devoted more time and money to help the animals, and, in June 2000, they formerly founded A Cause for Paws (ACFP), and gained 501(c)(3) status.

Recognizing the need for far more hands to manage the increasing numbers of stray animals needing their help, Tony and Lydia began recruiting volunteers, and developed a network of veterinarians, boarding facilities, and foster families to help care for the homeless dogs and cats. They began showing adoptable animals outside the Pet Health Store at 81st Street and Amsterdam Avenue, where today, five years later, the group still maintains a weekly adoption presence every Sunday from 12:00–4:00 p.m.

To publicize their activities and maximize adoptions, ACFP uses every avenue at their disposal. They have their own web site – www.acauseforpaws.com — and also promote their animals on Petfinder.org and BigApplePets.com. They participate in Mayor's Alliance Pet Adoption Festivals, and advertise regularly in NY DOG magazine.

ACFP is an active member of the Mayor's Alliance, and proud to be on board. "It's wonderful to be a part of an organization that's putting every effort into getting animals out of shelters and off the streets, increasing adoptions, and alerting NYC to the importance of spaying and neutering, says ACFP Vice President Grace Lerner Sharfstein. "The homeless animal issue has been ignored in NYC for so many years. Finally, we're taking this challenge on as a team and making a huge impact while we're doing it."

Grace expressed optimism about the progress made by AC&C. "Euthanasia is at an all-time low, and adoptions are up. That's great news for New York!" she says.

Since it doesn't have a brick-and-mortar shelter, ACFP relies upon foster families and, occasionally, boarding facilities to house their animals. According to Grace, the cats are always kept in foster homes, as are the dogs whenever possible. "We prefer to keep dogs in fosters as well, because we feel they get much better training and stability in a foster home."

ACFP is always looking for more good foster homes, says Grace. "We have a few core foster families that have been incredibly generous to us. They take animals with no questions asked because they share the same love and passion for the animals that we do. The more foster homes we have, the more animals we can rescue."

Monthly animal intakes vary, depending upon available space in foster care and the number of successful adoptions, which usually run from three to seven a month. Generally the group takes in three to six animals each month, including transfers from AC&C shelters. "We don't like to bite off more than we can chew, and we want to be able to give each and every one of our adoptable animals the attention they deserve," explains Grace.

ACFP believes in responsible placement of animals. All dogs are temperament tested and placed into homes that are suited for that particular adopter. ACFP co-founder Lydia DesRoche, who is also President of Sit Stay Dog Training & Behavior, tests and chooses dogs for rescue at the AC&C and provides training and behavioral help for dogs awaiting adoption. "This has helped us move along adoptions tremendously, and more successfully," says Grace. "Lydia has taught us that training is about communication. We use only dog-friendly methods to bring out the best in a dog and allow for real companionship. We feel that physical punishment is never justified in training a dog. Aggression only creates more aggression."

Volunteers play a defining role in the group's ability to rescue, rehabilitate, and re-home the animals. They include four team leaders and approximately ten core volunteers. Each team leader coordinates one Sunday adoption a month at the Pet Health Store, and ensures that the designated animals and volunteers are on hand. By rotating weekends, the group ensures that none of its volunteers over-commit or burn out.

"Each volunteer contributes to the organization, whether by fundraising, bringing dogs to the vet or obedience training (in turn the volunteer gets training as well!), working the adoption table, donating money and time — the list goes on," says Grace. The volunteers consider each other part of the family — friends who share a common goal and love for animals.

That sense of a shared common goal has been crucial to the group's success in rescuing and finding the right homes for more than 1,000 animals in the past five years. For example, Petey.

A stray hanging out with a pack of dogs at a construction site in Huntspoint, the Bronx, Petey, a two-year-old Pit Bull, quickly demonstrated that he was smart, responsive, loving, and trusting. There wasn't a human that didn't make his booty and tail wag uncontrollably or a dog that didn't want to be his playmate. Petey should have been an easy adoption. But as luck would have it, application after application fell through. Over time, Petey's disposition began to change. He developed leash aggression, became stubborn, and misbehaved. Despite weekly obedience classes, daily interaction with volunteers, and routine Sunday appearances at the group's adoption table where Petey made many human friends, that perfect match continued to elude Petey for nearly eighteen months.

Then Petey's luck changed dramatically. An adopter named Bob fell in love with him, took him home as a foster, and soon decided that Petey was his perfect companion. Gone were the leash aggression, the stubbornness, the misbehaving. Petey was home at last, thanks in part to the unwavering faith and caring of the volunteers who helped Petey on his journey.

Among the great ACFP dogs still on their journey in search of a new home are Diamond and Sweetie.

Diamond is an eight-year-old spayed female Chow/Collie mix, transferred from the AC&C's Manhattan shelter. She is a sweet, 55-pound teddy bear that you just want to squeeze when you see her! Unfortunately, she has a condition called a narrowing trachea. While her condition doesn't cause her any pain, she does snort a bit like a pig when she gets over-excited and can't get enough air into her windpipe. She's smart, loyal, super friendly, and never turns down a belly rub. She graduated with flying colors from a well-renowned obedience school, but she still requires an experienced handler. She is currently staying at a boarding facility with other dogs but dreams of a home to call her own. (And if that's too much for someone right now, a foster home will work, too!) She listens well and learns VERY quickly. With her barnyard antics and outgoing personality, Diamond makes new friends wherever she goes.

Sweetie is a six-year-old neutered male Keeshond, transferred from the Brooklyn AC&C shelter. He's a smart, gentle soul looking for a best friend. He won't run you ragged or make you take him for long runs. While he doesn't mind staying at a boarding facility with other dogs, he would really love to be hanging out at your home where he can get to know you. (He'll accept a foster home, too!) He just wants to be loved and cared for — with some hugs and kisses thrown in!

If you or someone you know would like to find out more about Diamond or Sweetie, or to learn more about A Cause for Paws and how you can become a part of their success, please contact Grace Lerner Sharfstein at gracelerner@hotmail.com, or visit the A Cause for Paws web site.