As Gaslowitz Frankel continues our charitable giving program to celebrate the firm’s 25th anniversary, partner Robert Port has chosen the Atlanta Pet Rescue for his donation.
When I asked Robert to discuss the reasons behind choosing his non-profit, he shared this story.
My chosen charity was Atlanta Pet Rescue & Adoption (APRA), a volunteer-based, no-kill shelter dedicated to rescuing and rehabilitating dogs and cats so they can be adopted into safe and loving homes. APRA works with other groups, shelters, and animal control facilities all over the state to rescue highly-adoptable dogs and cats.
According to the Humane Society, about 2.7 million healthy cats and dogs — about one every 11 seconds — are put down in the U.S. shelters each year. So, my wife and I thought it especially appropriate to go to a shelter and save a dog from such a fate.
A number of years ago, we adopted our dog Toby from APRA. Toby is believed to be a Lhasa Apso and Poodle mix. As pet lovers know, a dog can give you wonderful companionship and years of loyal, non-judgmental, unconditional love. Toby has done just that – and like a little child gotten into a bunch of mischief along the way!
Toby spends lots of time sitting on my wife’s lap when she watches TV, is eager and curious to see what we are doing, and he helps me stay in shape – together Toby and I walk a total of at least a mile a day. And an added benefit of our walks is that I have met neighbors up and down the street whom I, most likely, never would have gotten to know if it wasn’t for Toby.
My wife and I were particularly impressed with the screening process at APRA. We filled out questionnaires that revealed whether we would be appropriate adoptive “parents.” We also spent time with Toby to be sure we were compatible.
The adoption program does everything possible to ensure that adopters understand the responsibility of pet ownership and choose the dog or cat best suited to their lifestyles.
Unlike some other rescue shelters, APRA provides medical care and enrichment/training to make their animals adoptable pets. Its goal is to match the pet with owners who will properly care for them for the remainder of their lives.
In particular, socialization is important for dogs and cats, so APRA pets spend their days in communal pens with access to the outdoors. Dogs also get individual “quiet time” for their maximum well-being. Positive reinforcement training keeps the dogs mentally challenged, making them more adoptable and helping them transition into new homes more easily. If you’d like to see an example, please watch this short video:
APRA Sunny Novice Trick Dog Title
APRA success is shown by the numbers – over 16,500 dogs and cats got adopted since 2000 and over 450 volunteers support the shelter today with their tireless work caring for animals from intake through adoption.
To learn more about Atlanta Pet Rescue, visit:
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About the Charitable Giving Project
To mark the firm’s 25th anniversary, Gaslowitz Frankel has decided to give back to the community that has been instrumental in our growth. Our attorneys and staff will choose 25 charities to be the beneficiaries of $500 contributions throughout 2014 calendar year.
To learn more about our charitable giving project and the firm of Gaslowitz Frankel LLC, follow us on Twitter and like us on Facebook.
