A Kinder, Gentler Shelter - 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.

Home > The Alliance in the News > 2004 Alliance News Items > A Kinder, Gentler Shelter

Saturday, July 10, 2004

Beyong the bright chartreuse walls lined with pop-art style doggie portraits, gourmet treats and whimsical playthings, something extraordinary is happening upstairs at Ollie's Place.

One flight above the funky Kips Bay pet shop, gaggles of fabulous felines lounge, awaiting adoption.

But the sun-drenched, breezy living room, strewn with carpets, pastel-colored velvet pillows and catnip-filled toys, is hardly a run-of-the-mill animal shelter.

"Most adoption facilities are sterile, intimidating environments where people don't have the ability to interact with the animals," said Michelle Marlowe, an actress and volunteer animal rescuer who dedicates 20 to 30 hours per week to the fledgling facility.

"People like to come here and just hang out with the cats."

The city's first stand-alone retail cat adoption center, which opened its doors in April, is the brainchild of Mighty Mutts, a non-profit animal rescue group based in Brooklyn.

The volunteer-run group emulated Animal Haven, a Queens-based rescue group that opened two adoption centers in partnership with Biscuits & Bath, an upscale Manhattan doggie day care facility.

The cageless environment encourages potential adopters to interact with the cats, Marlowe said, and many often return before making a commitment.

"It allows you to get to know if a cat is playful or shy, how it interacts with others, and if you have that special connection," she added.

Volunteer Jenny Sandbank, an advertising copywriter, said that unlike traditional shelters where animals are caged, "The cats can pick the people as much as the people pick the cats."

The costly endeavor is a last-ditch effort to find loving homes for the hundreds of animals that Mighty Mutts rescues from the streets each year.

For years, it has operated cat and dog adoptions from a mobile van parked each Saturday on the south end of Union Square, but adoptions are slow.

"If we adopt one dog, it's a good day," Marlowe said, noting that successful adoptions require showing the animals seven days a week.

Ollie's Place offers a glimmer of hope. Still, the cat-only lease in the two-story building, built entirely by volunteers, means 35 needy dogs must remain in foster care.

Jane Hoffman, president of the Mayor's Alliance for NYC's Animals, said Ollie's Place is the first of many retail adoption centers. She hopes to open five adoption centers run by alliance members by the end of 2010.

For information on adopting or volunteer opportunities, visit Ollie's Place at 203 E. 26th St. or call (212) 532-0330.

Fund-raiser the cat's meow

Today, the sixth annual BROADWAY BARKS! fund-raiser for shelter animals will light up the Great White Way.

Stage star Bernadette Peters and actress Mary Tyler Moore, co-creators of the event, will be joined by a host of celebrities and hundreds of adoptable animals.

The day begins at 3:30 p.m. with an auction of celebrity-autographed memorabilia, followed by presentations of pets from animal shelters set for 5:30 p.m.

Peters, who adopted both of her pit bulls, Kramer and Stella, from city shelters, said more than 300 animals have been adopted through the annual event.

"We're hoping that through this new partnership with the Mayor's Alliance, we will be able to double that number," she said.