Celebrate league's milestone by adopting a pet
Dear Heloise: In 2004, North Shore Animal League America will be marking its 60th anniversary of saving animals' lives. Since 1944, the league has rescued, cared for and placed into excellent adoptive homes more than 850,000 homeless dogs, cats, puppies and kittens throughout the United States.
While we proudly celebrate this milestone, we know we must do more. That is one reason this year's "Tour for Life" was the most far-reaching to date. The league's shelters-on-wheels traveled more than 25,000 miles in a period of 30 days, all in an effort to call attention to the beautiful dogs and cats in our nation's shelters.
Soon it will be the start of Pet Adoptathon, a spectacular international happening bringing together more than 2,000 organizations united to find homes for all their resident companion animals. On May 1 and 2, the world will witness the largest adoption weekend ever as participating groups stay open additional hours, hold special events and do all that they can to spotlight the thousands of orphaned animals in shelters worldwide.
North Shore Animal League America asks animal lovers everywhere to join our 60th-anniversary celebration and adopt a lovable companion animal during the Pet Adoptathon. Please help send the message that shelters are the best places for potential adopters to find a special dog or cat that will give an enormous amount of love in return.
To find a shelter near you, or for more information about this event, please call the League's toll-free hotline, (877) BE-MY-PAL (877-236-9725), or visit our Web site, www.nsalamerica.org. John Stevenson, president, North Shore Animal League America
Three cheers for the 60th anniversary, and more cheers for all the volunteers who donate time and for the animals that pass through the shelters. A big Heloise cheer for those wonderful people who bring a special animal into their lives. Heloise
Dear Readers: Sue Thomas of Winthrop, Maine, owns two beautiful cats, one yellow and the other a gray tabby. The photo she sent shows Lovebug and Dickie, both 9 months old, sleeping together on a blanket. Sue says they are best friends and were adopted from the Humane Society. Visit my Web site, www.Heloise.com, and click on This Week's Pet to see these cute little guys. Heloise
Dear Heloise: I'm an animal lover who has two dogs and four cats. When my husband and I want to go away, we have a wonderful neighbor who comes over each day to feed them, let them out and give them their meds. To make it easy for her, I color-coded the medicine bottles to the collars on each animal using marker pens. I also have prescription canned food for two cats, so I marked the tops of the cans with the matching colors of their collars. It certainly makes it easy to identify and avoid any mistakes. Janice J., via e-mail
King Features Syndicate