Maddie's Fund News - Maddie's Pet Adoption Certificate Promotes Responsible Pet Adoption for the Holidays - Holiday 2006 - Out of the Cage!, the E-Newsletter of the Mayor's Alliance for NYC's Animals

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Maddie's Fund News

Maddie's Pet Adoption Certificate Promotes Responsible Pet Adoption for the Holidays

The attractive Maddie's Pet Adoption Certificate comes wtih an adorable Maddie plush toy to put under the tree or wrap and deliver.

Bringing a new furry family member into the home around the holidays can be tricky, and many argue that postponing a "gift adoption" until after the craziness of the holidays has subsided is better, both for the animal and for his or her new family. But, recognizing that many people want to give a gift of love in the form of a cuddly family pet, Animal Haven teamed up with the Mayor's Alliance and Maddie's Fund to create the perfect solution — the Maddie's Pet Adoption Certificate, a Gift of Love from Animal Haven.

It's a simple concept: A parent or other gift-giver purchases from Animal Haven an adoption certificate for a dog, a cat, or a pair of cats. The buyer pays the full price of the adoption, and takes home the handsome certificate encased in a holiday-red envelope and a huggable Maddie plush toy to place under the tree or wrap and deliver. Then, when the timing is right for the recipient, he or she can visit the new Animal Haven Adoption Center & Boutique in Manhattan or the Animal Haven Shelter in Flushing, Queens to meet the animals, talk with an adoption counselor, and complete an adoption application. When the adoption is approved, the gift recipient can take his or her new family member(s) home.

The Maddie's Pet Adoption Certificate is the perfect solution for those who want to give the gift of an Animal Haven pet adoption. The certificate was designed by graphic designer Grace Lerner-Sharfstein, a volunteer with the Mayor's Alliance and A Cause for Paws, an Alliance Participating Organization (APO).

Parents, especially, who want to give their child a dog or cat for Christmas or another holiday will find giving a Maddie's Pet Adoption Certificate the best of both worlds — their child receives a tangible gift on the holiday, but can wait until a more sensible time (up to 90 days after the certificate purchase) to bring the new pet into their home.

What's more, the Maddie plush toy gives parents the opportunity to explain to children that the real Maddie was a little Miniature Schnauzer that inspired many efforts around the country to find homes for abandoned and abused animals.

A Maddie's Pet Adoption Certificate from Animal Haven truly is a gift of love. To purchase a certificate or learn more about it, visit the Animal Haven Adoption Center & Boutique (251 Centre Street in Manhattan) or the Animal Haven Shelter (35-22 Prince Street in Flushing, Queens), or visit www.animalhavenshelter.org.

Terms and conditions of adopting using a Maddie's Pet Adoption Certificate are available on the certificate and on the Animal Haven web site.

About Maddie's Fund

Maddie's Fund, The Pet Rescue Foundation (www.maddiesfund.org), is a family foundation funded by PeopleSoft Founder Dave Duffield, and his wife, Cheryl, to help create a no-kill nation. The first step is to help develop programs that guarantee loving homes for all healthy shelter dogs and cats throughout the country. The next step will be to save the sick and injured pets in animal shelters nationwide. Maddie's Fund is named after the family's beloved Miniature Schnauzer who passed away in 1997.