New York, NY  - The Mayor’s Alliance for NYC’s Animals®’ first annual Adoptapalooza -- a free, fun-filled community event featuring dozens of pets available for adoption -- will take place in Washington Square Park on Saturday, May 22, from 11:00AM – 4:00PM.  

Dogs and cats available for adoption from two Alliance Participating Organizations (APOs) – Animal Care & Control of NYC (AC&C) and Sean Casey Animal Rescue, as well as animals from the  Picasso Veterinary Fund of the Mayor’s Alliance, will be awaiting prospective adopters on three North Shore Animal League America adoption vans. 

Adoptapalooza has confirmed special celebrity appearances by Tinsley Mortimer, Manhattan socialite and star of CW’s High Society, LX New York’s
Maria Sansone, host of the weekly rescue segment, “Maria’s Pet Project,”
Prince Lorenzo Borghese, a pet lover and founder of “Royal Treatment”-- a line of natural pet grooming products, and who also starred as the Bachelor on Season 9 of ABC’s hit show The Bachelor, Shallon Lester and Sarah Klo from MTV’s new series Downtown Girls premiering June 1, Adam Schefter, NFL Insider and ESPN contributor, and indie-rock darlings, Care Bears on Fire.

This free event is open to the public and will feature an exciting program of activities and entertainment for all animal lovers. Event highlights include:

• 11:00AM – Adoptable Dog Trot: This doggie showcase will be hosted by “The Bachelor,” Prince Lorenzo Borghese, an avid animal lover devoted developing grooming products beneficial to pets health – who will offer potential adopters a sneak peek at adorable dogs available for adoption at the event. Furry four-legged New Yorkers eager to find a forever home will strut their snouts on the “dog-walk,” with outfits provided by The New York Dog Shop. (However, fantastic felines for adoption will remain inside
   the adoption vans.)
  
   
• Noon-3:00PM – Doggie Agility Course & Demo: Walk This Way Canine Behavior Therapy will provide dogs and their owners the opportunity to run a canine agility course -- an obstacle course consisting of tunnels, jumps, weave poles, and more.

 

• 1:15PM – Doggie Costume Contest: Featuring fashionable New Yorkers and their pets, the costume contest will be hosted by LX New York’s Maria Sansone, host of the weekly rescue segment, “Maria’s Pet Project,” on NBC4. New Yorkers and their pooches will have the opportunity to win a WOOF sterling silver necklace with semi-precious stones from Bling Bone and other great prizes. Contest categories include: Sexiest, Cutest, Celebrity Look-alike, Most Outrageous, and Identi-tail Twins (pups and their people dressed alike). Pet owners interested in participating can sign-up online at: www.AnimalAllianceNYC.org/adoptapalooza/

Other FREE activities open to the public will include: TTouch for pets by Tavi & Friends; photos of you and your dog by Petographs.com; meet the “Dog Expert,” Sheryl Matthys, author of Leashes and Lovers: What Your Dog Can Teach You About Love, Life, and Happiness; bring your Ask-the-Vet questions to Dr. Cary Nulton; and have your Ask-the-Trainer questions answered by Lisa Long of
The Green Dog.

Raffle drawings will take place every half hour, beginning at noon, and will feature great prizes, including the grand prize Paw Package — a two-night stay at any W Hotel in New York City. Other prizes have been donated by: FUR by J Mikel, S'More Smoochies, Camp Bow Wow, Rescue Chocolate, Pet Central, Desert Essence, Kipling, The New York Dog Shop, Royal Treatment, Eskayel, Fido Friendly Magazine, Greener Pup, Sequoia Paris, and ShoptheLook.net. Plus, each person who adopts a dog or cat at Adoptapalooza will receive a free gift bag, and dog adopters will receive a certificate for a free dog wash at Dog Wash in Greenwich Village.

Event goers will also have the opportunity to meet representatives from the participating shelters and rescue groups, plus the Animal Relief Fund (ARF) and Rational Animal. Donations of unopened pet food, clean linens, and new or gently used toys for NYC dogs and cats in need will be accepted. The Mayor’s Alliance will provide valuable information about pet adoption, free- and low-cost spay/neuter services in NYC, microchipping, dog licensing, and more!

Last year, through the efforts of the Mayor’s Alliance and its 160-plus participating shelters and rescue groups (including AC&C), euthanasia at AC&C shelters was reduced to 33 percent, representing a 57 percent decrease in euthanasia since 2003, the first year of operation for the Mayor's Alliance. On a mission to make New York City no-kill by 2015, Jane Hoffman, President of the Mayor’s Alliance for NYC’s Animals, says, “One of the key factors driving down the euthanasia rate here in New York City is an increase in animal adoptions. Adoptapalooza is the kind of community event that is moving us closer to our no-kill goal.”

For more information about Adoptapalooza, visit: http://www.AnimalAllianceNYC.org/adoptapalooza

Become a fan of Adoptapalooza on Facebook at:
www.facebook.com/adoptapalooza    

Can’t make the event, but want to make a donation,  Visit: www.AnimalAlliance.org   

About the Mayor’s Alliance for NYC’s Animals®

The Mayor’s Alliance for NYC’s Animals, Inc., founded in 2002 and powered by Maddie’s Fund®, The Pet Rescue Foundation, with support from the ASPCA, is a coalition of more than 160 animal rescue groups and shelters that is working with Animal Care & Control of New York City (AC&C) to end the killing of healthy and treatable cats and dogs at AC&C shelters. To achieve that goal, the Alliance, a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit corporation, helps its Alliance Participating Organizations (APOs) work to their highest potential to increase pet adoptions and spay/neuter rates, with the goal of transforming New York City into a no-kill community by 2015. www.AnimalAlliance.org