Rohan Naik Photo
Peter Sparks and Julia McFadden arrived at a café downtown Sunday morning for what they imagined would be a leisurely breakfast.
A few hours later, they were adopting a cat.
They ended up at a pet adoption event sponsored by the Friends of the New Haven Animal Shelter at the Broadway Island across from The Shops at Yale. The event featured both dogs and cats of a variety of ages and breeds.
The mission was twofold: to increase awareness of the New Haven Animal Shelter and to increase the likelihood of pet adoption.
“A lot of people don’t actually know where [the shelter] is, so it’s good to get the word out about that,” said Deb Wan, president of Friends of the New Haven Animal Shelter. (The shelter is on Fournier Street near Southern Connecticut State University.) “But also we always hope that someone will get adopted at our events. It doesn’t always happen, but it’s great when it does.”
A Friends volunteer with a shelter dog.
Organizers settled on the Broadway location for the event due to its ability to attract downtown shoppers who otherwise would not make the trip to the shelter.
Jennifer Sun, a graduate student at Yale, said the event and location were attractive for students in particular.
“I tried to adopt a cat before from the New Haven Animal Shelter, but it was difficult to schedule a time to go out there,” she said. “Having this here on a Sunday, when we can actually take a break from work, is great.”
As a not-for-profit run by volunteers, Friends has worked for over 20 years to support the Robin I. Kroogman New Haven Animal Shelter. Located at 81 Fournier, the shelter, the second largest in Connecticut, draws over 3,000 visitors per year. On average it takes in about 1,400 dogs and cats annually; it has an adoption rate of roughly 75 percent.
Window shopping.
On Sunday, the animals were featured in cages in a large, air-conditioned vehicle, which was sponsored by the North Shore Animal League. Visitors could walk through the vehicle to then see which animals they connected with; there were around ten dogs and five cats available for adoption at the event.
After settling on an animal, interested parties would then fill out an application and wait a few days for the animal to be spayed or neutered. While the New Haven Animal Shelter reserves the right to deny an adoption for any reason, the application is fairly straightforward; it requires an $80 fee, proof of home ownership or a landlord’s phone number, and a valid photo ID.
Sunday’s visitors stressed the importance of finding a pet that “fit in” to their lives.
Sparks and McFadden, who already own two cats, said they were looking for a cat that would get along with their current pets.
“We’ve been thinking about adopting for a couple years,” Sparks said. “You have to consider a lot of factors before you decide.”
All interviewed at Sunday’s event said they much prefer adoption to purchasing a dog from a breeder.
Ann Schildroth, a Friends volunteer, said that one of the perks of adoption is that mutts are often healthier than purebreds sold by breeders.
Sparks and McFadden with the cat they plan to adopt.
While filing paperwork for a new adoption, Sparks and McFadden echoed support for shelter animals.
“I just don’t see the point” of buying from breeders, Sparks said. “There are just so many pets out there that already need homes.”
My dog is 11 1/2 years young! We got him from the New Haven Animal shelter. He's the best buddy, cute as a button and I couldn't have asked for a better 4 legged son!! I urge anyone interested in bringing an animal into your family to go to the pound in your area. Love my pooch!!ðŸ¶