New Look for a New Home - by Amy Sacks, New York Daily News - Mayor's Alliance for NYC's Animals, Inc. - Working with the City of New York to promote dog and cat adoption and spay and neuter programs to make New York a no-kill city.

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Saturday, April 3, 2004

When he was recently rescued off a Bronx street, Walter's dirty white coat was matted and tangled around his emaciated limbs.

But after spending a morning in the hands of students at the New York School of Dog Grooming, the freshly bathed, shaved and coiffed Maltese was ready to dazzle his prospective owners.

The skittish dog's transformation came courtesy of Mary Iucopilla, who owns the Manhattan beauty school and offers free makeovers to rescued animals, boosting their chances of finding a new home.

Though Walter's look didn't cost a penny, "it's priceless," Iucopilla said.

"Some of them come in such horrible condition that they would never get placed," she said. "If the animals are groomed and smell good and look better than the puppy in the window, they're going to get adopted."

Iucopilla's school is among dozens of businesses in the city that provide free or discounted services to rescue groups, shelters or anyone who adopts an animal in need.

Her goodwill stems from a lifelong love of animals and a desire to save unwanted dogs from being euthanized at the city shelter.

Limited by space and funding, the New York Center for Animal Care and Control puts down an estimated 40,000 unwanted animals every year.

Iucopilla's students recently primped six adorable mutts from the shelter before they scampered down the runway on NBC's "Today" show.

Jane Hoffman, who heads the Mayor's Alliance for New York City Animals, said the growing trend to help find homes for abandoned animals is one of the greatest achievements of the coalition comprising advocates and businesses.

"It's a part of the whole new spirit to make New York a city where no homeless animal is killed because they don't have a home at the moment," Hoffman said.

Dr. John Gagliardi, who runs the Cooper Square Veterinary Hospital in Manhattan, recently treated Bambi, a 2-year-old Chihuahua, who was suffering from seizures. The reduced rate he charges allows the Waggy Tail Rescue group, which rescued Bambi from the city shelter, to save far more dogs.

Other services cater to creature comforts.

Sage Jacobs, 31, started the Critter Knitters Coalition, a non-profit group that has made 495 "love rugs" for shelter animals.

"Whether an animal will spend 48 hours or a lifetime in a shelter, they deserve to have something comfortable to lie on," Sage said.

She is hoping a national knit-a-thon the group is sponsoring will produce 1,000 blankets to be donated to shelters around the country.

At the Animal Haven shelter in Queens, executive director Marcello Forte said the hand-knit, crocheted and quilted blankets make their adoption spaces more inviting.

Forte also relies on more practical services, such as PETex, a pet taxi service that helps the shelter transport animals from its shelter in Flushing to its new adoption center at Biscuits & Bath, a doggie spa with two locations in Manhattan.

PETex owner Gail Pierangelino estimates she spends at least one-third of her time moving animals for rescue groups and shelters that lack the resources.

Thanks to his army of dedicated volunteers, Forte said the shelter's adoptions have skyrocketed, to more than 800 last year from fewer than 80 four years ago.

For more info, visit their websites at: www.critterknitters.org and www.petextransport.com.