By: Megan Eaton

I don’t remember when I went from being scared of dogs to loving them. As a young child, I preferred my pet parakeet, Perry. He knew his own name, gave me kisses, rode around on my shoulder, and said “Birds can’t talk.” (Really.) A fear of dogs developed seemingly out of nowhere. By age 9, on a family trip to Finland, I cowered when a Newfoundland tied up at a gas station barked from across the street, and clung to the wall in the airport stairwell when I passed a drug-sniffing Labrador. The fear eased over time, and eventually I met the first dog I remember truly loving: my dad’s 2-year-old rescued Sheltie named Keksi (Finnish for “biscuit”).

We first featured one of our foster parents last summer with our interview of Robert Herskovitz, current foster dad to Mighty Mutt Dinah. At the time, he was fostering Mighty Mutt alumnus Zach, who was soon adopted. Next, he fostered Gabe, another Mighty Mutt who was also adopted. Robert is definitely a Mighty Mutts 
all-star, but he's not the only one...we are "Mighty" after all! 

For this edition of "Serial Fosters", we caught up with Anna, foster mom to senior Mighty Mutt, Gia. Anna first fostered with another rescue group, and has fostered two Mighty Mutts since then. We took this opportunity to ask Anna many of the questions we get about fostering, in order to get a real foster mom's take on them. 

How did you get involved with Mighty Mutts?  
I have been with Mighty Mutts for about a year now! I cannot even remember how many years I passed by Mighty Mutts at Union Square and said to myself - "I want to volunteer for them, but I am too busy..."  In October of 2011, we decided to foster through another rescue group. After 7 months with our first foster dog, and after finding him an amazing home, I walked by Mighty Mutts again. That time I said - "I want to volunteer for them...and it does not matter how busy I am...I am doing it!" And I took my first Saturday shift.  

FAVS announces, "Fifth Avenue Veterinary Specialists (FAVS) is very excited about the development of a new partnership with Mighty Mutts to promote the health of adopted pets in New York City. FAVS has been providing 24-hour emergency and specialty care in Manhattan since 2003. Our team of specialists provides services in the areas of emergency and critical care, surgery, ophthalmology, dentistry, internal medicine, and cardiology. We are continuously expanding the array of specialties provided full-time by our team of caring and passionate doctors. 

We provide round-the-clock emergency care to meet the needs of
your pets 365 days a year. We work closely with your primary care veterinarian to ensure that you and your pet have constant access to veterinary care. Our goal in partnering with Mighty Mutts is to provide high-quality medical care for your adopted pet and serve as a neighborhood –friendly 24-hour Emergency Care & Specialty Hospital. Any questions, please contact us at FAVS, 212-924-3311."

Today's fundraiser at Ruff Club, the dog-friendly social club in the East Village, was quite a success. Lots of attendees, both the 2-legged and 4-legged variety, came out to enjoy hot chocolate, coffee, cupcakes, and more. 

Thank you to Ruff Club for generously hosting this event and helping with event coordination and preparation! Check out the pictures from this event below.

Come join Mighty Mutts and friends for an afternoon of sweets, treats, and doggy kisses. Ruff Club, a great new dog-friendly social club in the East Village, is opening its doors for an afternoon of pre-Valentine's Day socializing. Refreshments and give-aways will be provided, and a few of Mighty Mutts' adoptable dogs will be there. Valentine's Day was made for lovers, and Mighty Mutts were made for love, so stop in and snuggle up to one of our pups!

Cost: $10 (free for Ruff Club members)
Date: Sunday, February 10
Time: 1-4 pm

Our designer Valentine's card will be available for purchase at the event (or prior to on our website). Make a $15 donation in a loved one's honor, and receive our special-edition card to give to that special someone. 

**Please note – Non-members may NOT bring their dogs into Ruff Club for liability reasons. Only Ruff Club members' dogs and approved Mighty Mutts will be allowed. Thank you in advance for your cooperation!


                                                                                     RSVP on Facebook –>
                                                                                     View the e-vite –>

Kerry Villa, a long-time supporter of Mighty Mutts, passed away on January 20th, 2013. Kerry's greatest passion in life was her love of animals, and she is survived by her beloved cats: Handsome, Charlie, Fox, Norman and Patty. In lieu of flowers, her family has kindly asked that donations be made in her honor to Mighty Mutts.

Thank you, Kerry, for your years of dedication to animals. We are deeply saddened by this tragic news.

Read her obituary and sign the guest book here. If you knew Kerry, please share a story or memory about her in the comments of this post.

Passion for art. Dedication to a cause. "Portraits of Hope" is a collaborative project bringing together art enthusiasts and crazy cat/dog people. The goal: to create calendars that will help Mighty Mutts / Ollie's Place defray vet expenses and costs of supplies. The result: gorgeous calendars made for animal lovers, by animal lovers. Meet some of our artists here and also at our calendar release party on November 14 at the Soho Digital Art Gallery.

Carli Ovadek is a social worker in Brooklyn, New York, who resides in the Bronx, and is an active volunteer at Ollie’s Place. 
 
“I first became involved with Ollie’s Place after finding out about this wonderful organization online. I was looking to volunteer with an animal rescue organization and after reading the mission and goals of Ollie’s Place, I knew this was the perfect setting for me to connect with,” she says. Carli was especially drawn to the priority commitment Ollie’s Place has for the health and well-being of our feline friends. “I have also enjoyed that the organization is run by volunteers. All of the volunteers are there for the purpose of caring for the cats and ensuring that their needs are met. We work together towards the ultimate goal of finding each cat their forever home,” she adds. “When I first heard that Ollie’s Place was going to be creating a 2013 calendar, I wanted to be involved right away. The 2012 calendar that was developed for Mighty Mutts was beautiful and I wanted to take part in the creation of this new calendar featuring the cats that I work with on a weekly basis. Drawing is a hobby for me and I tried my best to capture the personalities of two of my favorite cats, Annabelle and Taylor, in the images that I submitted.” 

Carli is delighted to have had the opportunity to take part in the calendar project and is hopeful it will help generate much-needed funds for Ollie’s Place.

Cindy Davis found Ollie’s Place four years ago while seeking a no-kill shelter for a young cat she discovered on the streets of South Williamsburg in Brooklyn. Impressed by Ollie’s Place unanimous praise of reputation, she was hopeful that her furry new friend might find a suitable home there. Rosie, as the young feline would come to be known, never made it to the shelter, having quickly already adapted to Cindy’s apartment-come-shelter - this upped the count to four felines in her Brooklyn abode, now at full capacity! With the idea of Ollie’s Place still fresh in her mind, Cindy realized that the center was only two blocks away from her work office, and decided it would be a great way to volunteer, continuing to help cats in need. She has now been an Ollie’s Place volunteer for more than three years, has assisted with Mighty Mutts dogs from time to time, and donates her free time to support animal advocacy groups such as the Farm Sanctuary. When asked to donate a portrait to the 2013 Ollie’s Place Calendar, Cindy put down her camera and decided to capture Benito’s bold and charming self with a paper-cut piece. Cindy currently works at the School of Visual Arts, is an avid photographer, and remains dedicated to the advancement of animal rights.

Denis Kohler has worked as a graphic designer for over 20 years. Currently the Creative Director for a direct marketing firm in NYC, Denis is an animal lover and proud parent of “Jack,” a crazy Pit/lab mix. “Jack was part of a litter that was surrendered to the shelter. He is the friendliest and happiest dog ever and makes us smile every day. It’s hard to imagine a world without his crazy air kisses and full body tail wags. Jack inspired me to volunteer and to try and help other dogs in need,” he says. 

Living in the Union Square area, Denis had seen many Mighty Mutts Saturday adoption drives. He finally decided to contact Mighty Mutts to volunteer. After several months of volunteering, it became obvious that his services as a graphic designer were the best way he could contribute to the cause. He is currently acting as Creative Director for Mighty Mutts.

Among the projects Denis has worked on include regular newsletters, event promotions, flyers, T-shirts, Facebook promotion graphics and the new Mighty Mutts and Ollie’s Place calendars for 2013, “Portraits of Hope.” He gathered a team of highly talented and professional artists to create the calendars, which feature portraits of cats and dogs in need of adoption and some Mighty Mutts and Ollie's Place alumni already placed in loving homes. Calendar sales help defray the cost of veterinary expenses and supplies for the organization. Volunteering at Mighty Mutts has given Denis a way to combine his love of design and desire to help animals in need. There are so many incredible animals sitting in shelters that were surrendered or abandoned for whatever reason. They deserve a second chance in a loving home. I truly believe that they know they’ve been rescued and will love you even more for saving them.

Says Denis, “I would like to thank everyone who participated in the calendar project. I was truly inspired by the willingness of everyone to help and their dedication to getting this project done. Thanks to the efforts of everyone, perhaps we can save and improve the lives of more animals in the year ahead!”

Emi Lotto works at HarperCollins during the week and at Ollie’s Place on Sunday mornings and she wants all the cats to love her the best! When Emi was little, she wanted to be a veterinarian.  Though it made a great Halloween costume, she soon realized she hadn’t the stomach for the job.  She grew up with a dog, but has always been a cat person. “One Fourth of July,” she recalls, “I came home to find a cat carrier sitting by my parents’ mailbox. Inside was the calmest, prettiest gold-and-white cat I’d ever seen!  But I still had two more years of college in another state and no means to keep it. The Humane Society said they couldn’t guarantee her life after six days. I handed her over, but she never left me.”  

When she discovered Ollie’s Place, she thought again of the abandoned cat and decided she wanted to be part of a place where cats are loved and cared for as they wait for their forever homes.  She can now be found at Ollie’s, cleaning cages, trimming nails, breaking up the occasional cat scrap and annoying Rapunzel with snuggles.

Emi’s other dream is to make a living as an artist. She’s been drawing since she was a teenager and even had her own comic strip in her college’s newspaper.  Besides cats, Emi likes carousels, Disney, and tea. She lives on the Lower East Side with her husband Will and her own adopted cat, a sweet tuxedo girl named Kefka.

John Ha is a commercial fashion and advertising photographer based in New York. An avowed animal lover, he and his wife love going to the dog park with their pup Lola.  It was there, last winter, that he met his first Mighty Mutt-a beautiful and happy dog running about with the pack. “I remember meeting the owner and him telling me about Mighty Mutts,” he says.

“I made a mental note of the name and eventually decided to reach out.  I wanted to take a role in getting these dogs adopted by making professional portraits.  So often, rescue dogs are photographed terribly. They are shot from above with cell phone cameras or point-and-shoots with a direct flash, and the photographs are often of poor quality. I wanted to show them off and let people fall in love with how sweet and beautiful they are. I also asked my fashion model friends to pose with the dogs. Beautiful women help sell all sorts of products, so why not some adorable pooches?”

Says John, “Denis and Michelle have been great to work with on this project.  I love their passion for these animals; their enthusiasm is infectious. I look forward to collaborating with them and helping more animals in need.”

Kathy Voerg, a graduate of Pratt Institute in Brooklyn, NY, has been working as a freelance illustrator for the past 18 years. 
 
In more recent years, Kathy has also added plush toy designer to her resume. In fact, in the past year she has been chosen to be the designer for a wonderful company that bases all of its toys on real life pets that have been successfully adopted from shelters. The best part is, a portion of the sales from each toy goes to that particular pets’ shelter! This has made Kathy’s career even more meaningful and fulfilling. Denis Kohler and Kathy Voerg have known each other through a mutual co-worker and friend for several years. When Denis got a glimpse of Kathy’s latest toy designs and the concept behind them, he couldn’t resist. Kathy’s participation in the “Portraits of Hope” Calendar project was obviously a perfect match. 

“I’m truly grateful and honored to be part of this wonderful project, and I feel so happy that my work may help save the lives of some wonderfully lovable animals!”

Maribel Castellanos is an artist and crafter living in Harlem, NY. Born in Mexico City, Maribel has developed her unique photography style by blending digital and traditional techniques. She offers a unique perspective that is influenced by her travels, culture and study of art and its role in society.

Maribel has held leading design positions at firms ranging from the county government in Silicon Valley to Microsoft in Seattle, WA. She has also been the creative director for several music startups with her long-time boyfriend, Toby. In 2007, they moved to London, England, when their company, Musicmobs, was acquired by CBS. There, she founded Maribel Made, a brand focusing on custom, handcrafted toys and fashion. Her products have been featured in magazines and blogs around the world. Today, she continues to sell her work through Etsy.

Currently, Maribel is a Senior Web Designer at Direct Brands, Inc., where she met Denis Kohler and became involved in the Mighty Mutts and Ollies’s Place “Portraits of Hope” calendar project. Maribel recently adopted a cat from the street named Lenox.

Mike DiCerto is a long time volunteer at Ollie’s Place and the man behind the Solomon and Bruno “first  gay cat wedding” event/video. A filmmaker, author and photography buff, Mike was thrilled to be able to lend his talents to this worthy effort. For him, it is all about the kitties. “Nothing makes me happier than when one of our cats connects with a human and gets a forever home. That is what makes it all worthwhile. My wife Suzy and I found our 
wonderful kitty, Cosmo, at Ollie’s and we hope to give a home to another one of Ollie’s residents soon. I had a blast photographing the kitties for the calendar and I hope it sells tons to help this wonderful organization. The level of dedication here is heartwarming.”

We're excited to announce the release party for our 2013 "Portraits of Hope" calendars. Please save the date! 
[Click here to invite your friends on Facebook]

We're excited to be out tomorrow with our neighbors at the 9th Street block party! Should be good fun.