Get out and VOTE!

My name is Willis and I approve this photo!!

The Office Supply Fairy strikes again!!

Thank you so much to our “office supply fairy” for the box of always-needed office supplies. 

By the way, I love the box these pens and markers came in. It’s the perfect size for me. Looks cozy…I think I’ll just take a little nap in the box right now…I just hope nobody mails me!

If you would like to donate items to The Humane Society of New York, click here for our wish list. It lists essential items that we use every day.

Back to School !!

Hi everyone! I am getting back into the swing of things for school and re-starting my blog! 

Did you have a great summer bonding with your pets? 

I bet there might be a little bit of separation anxiety between the two of you once you start skipping off to school. 

Here are some tips to help ease this transition into the new school year:

• Make sure there are plenty of toys so your pet won’t get bored. 

• Leave an item of your clothing, like a tee shirt, in your dog’s bed. Having your scent close to them might make them feel even cozier.

• Before you head off for the day make sure you leave plenty of food and water. 

• Be sure to give extra kisses and hugs before you leave for the day and when you come home. 

• Be sure to put away all markers, pencils and sharp objects so your pet won’t get into them. You know how much your pet loves new school supplies. 

• If you want to keep a closer eye on your loved one, you should consider installing a nanny cam or webcam.

It might take a while to adjust to your new schedules, but you can do it! 

Have a great year at school! 

Saying Goodbye to my friend

It's very hard to lose a friend. Saying goodbye is so sad, even for us dogs. I just had to say goodbye to my cat friend, Barak. We were best friends, really like brothers, for nine and a half years. 

Gosh, we had so many fun times. 

He played with me all the time, but he was always gentle. Barak was much bigger than me but he never hurt me. I never knew he had claws until he told me. 

What's the phrase I once heard? I think it was a gentle giant. 

That was Barak. 

Cancer took him from us too soon. We will miss him, but we know how lucky we were to have had such a loyal buddy. 

Rest in peace, "Senor von Squishypants."

"Squishy" for short. 

XOXO

ERIN GO WILLIS!!!!

Yes! It's me again!! Kiss Me! I'm Irish today!!
This St. Patrick's Day I thought I would  #TBT one of my favorite
St. Patrick's Day Parades,
March 18, 2009... a few years ago...
Read on...

What an exciting day I had!! I just got back from marching in the big St. Patrick’s Day Parade on Fifth Avenue! As I am from Irish descent (at least I am today when everyone’s Irish!), it was so much fun to meet so many friendly fellow Irishmen. From the bagpipers of County Clare, the marching bands (I always wanted to play the tuba but I never grew tall enough…) to New York’s finest, I want to thank everyone for welcoming me.

Getting ready!!

My very good, close, personal, Friends :-)

New York's Finest with New York's Cutest!!!

I LOVE a good Marching Band, don't you??!!?!!

Happy Saint Patrick's Day!!!

Caution, a head!

When it comes to interior decoration, I’m no expert. As long as I have a comfy bed and a clean water bowl, I’m content. Paint the room any color you like; I’m color blind. But even I have to object when I see an animal’s head mounted on the wall. While relaxing at home, I prefer not to be reminded of decapitation. 

Boy was I confused the first time I saw a mounted head. I thought a moose was sticking his head through a big hole in the wall. I said hello to the moose, but got no answer. Intrigued, I went into the next room. Imagine my surprise when instead of finding the rest of the moose, I found a refrigerator! Once I realized there is no such thing as moose/refrigerator hybrid, I got out of that house as fast as I could. I’ve seen those scary movies, I know what goes on, and I did not want to be next. That’s the last time I have dinner at Norman Bates’s house.

I’ve been talking with my cat neighbors about this peculiar human habit, and we can’t understand it. We’re going to have to call an anthropologist or psychiatrist to explain this custom to us. Although, something tells me there is no good explanation. Would you want to hang my head on the wall? How about my friend Fiero’s head?

Y’know, you can buy a picture of the entire animal, not just the head. I guarantee the picture will look a lot better than a creepy moose head with glued-on glass eyes

Vote For Carmen!

I have some incredibly exciting news!  Our very own Humane Society of New York all-star volunteer, Carmen, was selected to represent the entire state of New York in the Purina Cat Chow Shelter Volunteer of the Year Contest!  

Carmen LOVES our cats and her story is featured on the site where you can vote daily for her until March 15^th.  The runners-up get $5,000 and the grand-prize winner gets a $25,000 shelter makeover!  WOW!  

We can’t win this without YOUR help!  
Don’t forget to tell everyone you know!   
Go vote here: http://www.catchow.com/buildingbetterlives#/shelters/ny

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Now that the holidays are over I, like you, am looking forward to a new year. But before we say farewell to 2014, I would like to thank all of my friends that went out of their way to be kind to me and the animals here at HSNY.
 

I hear a lot of talk about people rushing out to return their gifts. What is an ugly Christmas sweater? If a sweater keeps me warm, I’m happy.

I didn’t get a PlayStation, but I love to play…especially with the homemade dog toys that Hannah and her class made for me and the other dogs here. Her brother Moses helped her deliver them….thanks guys!
 

You should see the cozy beds and blankets that my dear friend Nancy donated. They are so soft and warm. I wish that every dog and cat had a nice clean bed to sleep in like I do.

In our HSNY hospital, we go through a lot of bedding. Thank you to Kim, for the sheets and pillowcases, and Annye and her mom Sharyn, for the many boxes of blankets, towels, bandanas and harnesses that you’ve sent over the years.
 

Even though I’m not allowed to drink eggnog (eggnog??), I certainly enjoyed the delicious dog cookies that Sassafrass Jones sent over. What fun it was to hand out treats to all my buddies!

The cats told me that many of you donated cardboard scratching posts from stretchandscratch.com. The word is that they love them, and could always use more.
 

We are very grateful for all of your love and support. That’s a gift that nobody will ever want to exchange.

Happy New Year one and all. 

Happy Holidays!

Giving Thanks!

A relative of my dear friend, Tillie, painted this lovely portrait of me.

Thank you so much! I do look fetching, if I say so myself. Blush.

It’s that time of the year again . . . I mean, to look back and reflect.

Analyzing the world is not an easy task. The more I read, the harder it becomes to focus on subjects that concern me. The everyday things that we take for granted: water, clean air, all the endangered species in the animal kingdom, like elephants who are being killed for their tusks, etc.

I can’t speak for people, they have their own voices. Through my blog, I have a voice.  I am able to call attention to what is happening in my world, a way to shed light on important issues.

I am one of the “lucky ones”. I live inside a special place that genuinely cares and has been making all the difference it can to protect those like me, who have been left orphaned, mistreated and abandoned.

Above all, at this time I want to thank all of you out there, who have been supporting us and helping to call attention to the issues that relate to the earth’s well-being.

Half The World's Wildlife Gone Over Last 40 Years

"The world has lost 52 percent of its biodiversity since 1970, the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) announced in a study released today on the state of our planet."  

We were very concerned about this report we saw on CBS and highly recommend reading it.  
Please click on the link below.  

http://www.cbsnews.com/news/world-wildlife-fund-wwf-half-the-worlds-biodiversity-gone-over-last-40-years/ 

A Note On 9/11

What a special letter to one of our 9/11 heroes, Kerry McGinnis.
Thank you for thinking of us!  And good job Mr. G!

The Humane Society of New York conducted a major rescue operation in the wake of the attack on the World Trade Center, encompassing care and support for animals harmed or left homeless through the disaster. Directly after the attack, the Society's veterinarians were the first to begin emergency triage at Pier 40, near "Ground Zero". They attended more than 200 animals at the Pier, and served as medical escorts for individuals going into sealed apartments to retrieve pets.

WE ALL SCREAM FOR ICE CREAM!

What could be better than a sunny day at the Humane Society of New York? A visit from Ben & Jerry’s Core Tour Ice Cream Truck! Wow! We are so grateful to Jana and Dan for scooping up cups of delicious flavors for our staff and clients. 

A perfect way to kick off the Fourth of July weekend! Fellow Dogs: no matter how tempted you are (trust me, I posed with the ice cream but knew I couldn’t really eat any…), don’t eat any chocolate, raisins, grapes or onions!

photo by: Willis

Anne-Marie Karash and I hanging with 
Dan and Jana from Ben & Jerry's Core Tour!

A good time was had by all!!! :)

Mother's Day

Sunday is Mother’s Day. I don’t know where my mother is. I was taken away from her and left alone in the street when I was just a puppy. To all those that are lucky enough to have a mother, I wish you a wonderful holiday.

Take Your Child To Work Day with Tuesday's Children

Last week was Take Your Child To Work Day and we participated with Tuesday's Children, a tradition we have been upholding for years now.  Our three new friends were very helpful and eager to learn about what we do here and meet all the animals in our shelter.  We had a very nice time together!  

For more information on Tuesday's Children, please visit: http://www.tuesdayschildren.org/ 

Happy Saint Patrick's Day

Happy Saint Patrick’s Day!  As you know, every year I attend the parade and this year, I am bringing my friend Cat McEric along with me.  Doesn’t he look good? We are going to wear matching green outfits and say hello to everyone. Hope to see you there! 

Update: Exhausted (and one too many green waters)!  

Acts of Happiness

Acts of Happiness is a global campaign culminating on March 20, 2014.  It was created by Live Happy to inspire the world to think, act, and live happy.  Coinciding with the United Nations' International Day of Happiness, you're invited to do good, feel good, and pledge your #happyacts on actsofhappiness.org.  

What is a happy act?  The best part is that it can be anything you want!  It does its part to spread a little joy and make the world a happier place.  It can be a smile to a stranger, a treat for a dog, a hug for a friend.  I've already declared my #happyacts on actsofhappiness.org.  I said I'm happy because I get to help sick animals feel better every day and help homeless animals find loving families.  What will you put?  

The Oscars

Last night at the Oscars, the most important selfie ever taken occurred and I photobombed it! 

I've Been Cloned!

Our friends at shelterpups.com have a pretty cool company.  They design dolls that look like dogs and you can "adopt" them, just like a real shelter dog.  It's really creative and fun and a quality product PLUS they are also helping real animal shelters in the process.  You can also send them a photo of a dog you love, and they will customize a doll for you.  That is exactly what they did for me and check out the results!  

Isn't this crazy?!  It looks just like me!  Pretty handsome if I may so so myself... 

The HSNY is having an auction to own this little clone of me and the proceeds will benefit the Humane Society of New York.  Bidding is from February 14th at noon to February 17th at noon, on our facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10152016576593406.1073741837.84437813405&type=1

Good luck!  

Dancing Nathan

Have you watched Nathan dance?

Post by Bald Is Beautiful Dog Rescue.

With his dancing and my singing, we'd be an unstoppable duo!  Congrats to Nathan on your success and mission to rescue.
Dancing Nathan has his own facebook page here: https://www.facebook.com/dancingnathan