By Lilly LeClair, Special Writer
HAMILTON — The Pet Rescue of Mercer will present its first Proud of My Dog Walk on Sunday at the Veteran’s Park in Hamilton. The event, From 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., rain or shine, will cost $10 per dog, with 100 percent of proceeds going to benefit animal welfare efforts.
Each dog must be leashed and handled by an adult, and will receive a free bandana for participating in the walk. A variety of toys, cookbooks and homemade treats will be available for sale, and the event will feature some of the cats and dogs that are currently up for adoption.
”This is our first attempt at a dog walk fundraiser and we are really hoping for a great turnout,” said Hamilton Square resident Christine Purcell, one of the 35 nonpaid volunteers that help run Pet Rescue of Mercer.
Pet Rescue of Mercer, founded in 1997 by Jenny Swingle, is a grassroots nonprofit organization that rescues neglected, abused and abandoned animals from local shelters by finding them quality homes. The organization operates solely on adoption fees, service fees, and donations. In addition to monetary donations, they also welcome new or gently used leashes, collars, toys, towels, bedding as well as pet food.
”Seeing the difference we make in the lives of so many animals and our adopters is great, and our team of dedicated volunteers makes it a lot of fun,” said the organization’s president, Emily Epstein. “Although Proud of My Dog Walk is a fundraiser, the main expectation is to have people come out and enjoy themselves,” she said.
Ms. Epstein, an attorney who lives in West Windsor, has been a Pet Rescue volunteer for eight years.
Donations from fundraisers provide much needed medical attention for animals. Through the organization’s Aspen Fund, created in memory of an injured Great Pyrenees mix, Pet Rescue of Mercer offers medical care above and beyond what most municipal shelters are willing to pay.
”One thing we provide is medical care for cats and dogs. All animals are spayed and neutered before adoption,” said Ms. Epstein.
And adoptions are on the rise. The Pet Rescue of Mercer adopted 362 cats and dogs in 2008, a 20 percent increase from 2007. “Adoptions are still good even though the economy isn’t great,” said Ms. Epstein. The four-step adoption process can be started with an application on the organization’s Web site at www.petrescueofmercer.org
”We are looking forward to seeing some of the dogs that we have adopted previously at this event. It is always so nice to see them again after they have spent a few months in their new home because they always show amazingly positive changes,” said Ms. Purcell, when talking about the Proud of My Dog Walk.
Ms. Purcell is an employee at the State of New Jersey, Department of Labor office, who volunteers her public relations services to Pet Rescue of Mercer. Ms. Purcell recently adopted one of her fostered pets.
Although Pet Rescue of Mercer does not have a shelter and cannot take unwanted animals, they do offer extensive program information on their Web site such as Foster Your Own Pet, which is designed to help keep animals out of shelters. Sheltered animals are the most at risk animals for euthanasia due to limited space restraints. Pet Rescue of Mercer will remove animals from shelters and board them at private kennels if they believe animals are in danger. Fostering is an ideal alternative that encourages volunteers to temporarily house a cat or dog until a permanent home, or “forever home” can be found.
Pet Rescue of Mercer does not have a permanent location, but volunteers set up shop at the PetSmart in Hamilton Marketplace each Saturday from 11:30 to 3 p.m.
To register for Proud of My Dog Walk, send a completed registration form, available on the Web site, along with the $10 fee to Pet Rescue of Mercer, P.O. Box 2547, Hamilton, NJ 08690, or bring the registration form and payment to the event on Sunday.
