This is the sweet face of just one of 293 dogs and cats who traveled nearly 12,000 miles, from Kabul, Afghanistan, to Washington, D.C., seeking safety and hope on our shores. Twenty-six of those precious felines found their way to North Shore Animal League America late on the evening of June 5. Our mobile team, led by the incredible Karla and Teddy, drove to Dulles Airport to meet them and bring them to Long Island. And we are so proud and grateful to welcome them all.

In a world that often feels divided by politics, religion, economics, race, and almost anything else you can name, it warms my heart to realize that some positive things unite us. One of these is our compassion for homeless dogs, cats — and rabbits!

In your own neighborhood right now, many hardworking people are making a daily difference for animals. Perhaps you’re one of them! Others are on the far side of the world. But wherever they are, their dedication is the same, and the animals who benefit have no passports, no national identities, and no idea what a border is.

One of those organizations is in Kabul, Afghanistan. Called Kabul Small Animal Rescue, it was founded by an American woman, Charlotte Maxwell-Jones. Over the years, she has helped countless animals, including military dogs left behind as the war there ended, often reuniting them with their soldier handlers. For the last several weeks, she and her staff and volunteers have worked around the clock to coordinate all the paperwork, logistics, and hands-on care required to make this effort a success.

Of course, animal rescue in places like Afghanistan is perhaps more dramatic than elsewhere, but it’s really not that different. And that’s the link that connects us: doing what we can, one life at a time.

The 293 animals who made the trip are now in shelters across the country. Imagine the hopeful future these pets are looking at. It is amazing. And since June is Adopt a Shelter Cat Month, I’m certain we’ll find these little ones great homes.

I know firsthand what it means to help kitties like these, because, during the past couple of years, I’ve fostered several international felines. Right now, there’s the adorable Lil’ P, or Lil Peanut, from Puerto Rico (left). There were others from Puerto Rico, too, like two-year-old Bianca and Sallie Mae, a gorgeous Tortie. And there were many from Oman, including handsome Harvey Heartthrob, Dolly and Ellie who were found in a garbage can, and sweet Thumbelina.

And I will never forget Angel Taylor (right), who also came from Oman. When I learned about this horrifically abused kitty who was beaten and had her ears cut off, I reached out to @street_cats_of_oman to ask if I could foster her. By coincidence (or fate?), she arrived at JFK on the very day that Taylor Swift sent a generous donation to Beth’s Furry Friends to help me save more lives. So, in her honor, I named this sweet little kitty Angel Taylor. She is now part of a loving family that includes another Oman kitty adopted through North Shore Animal League America.

And all the way from Budva, Montenegro — nearly 5,000 miles away! — there was adorable, six-month-old Pashi (left). He has CH (Cerebellar Hypoplasia) and weighed only four pounds when he arrived. CH is a painless neurological disorder that some kittens are born with. He wobbles when he walks and has no idea he is at all different. It didn’t take long for a wonderful family to spot him and take him home.

When I think of all the journeys — both literal and figurative — that these kitties made, it seems miraculous.

And the long-distance miracles keep coming. I’m so proud that NSALA now has shelter partners in more than 19 countries, from Turks and Caicos to Egypt. Every year, our Global Pet Adoptathon coordinates adoption events with more than 2,000 shelters across the country and around the world. We’ve even rescued from (and I can hardly bear to even type these words) the dog meat farms and markets in South Korea, China, and Thailand. Horrifically, these repulsive markets continue to torture dogs and cats, and while this might make you feel overwhelmed with grief and rage, there is something you can do to express your disgust. Right now, Animal League America is sponsoring a petition to stop this barbaric practice. I urge you to visit and sign your name.

It might be hard to feel hopeful when we confront such evil, but the best thing we can do in response is to work harder for the future. That’s what we’re doing through our unique Mutt-i-grees^® Curriculum, which involves students in hands-on rescue in their own communities while educating them about the importance of this work worldwide. The program is in more than 5,000 schools and educational centers around the globe and includes many Global Student Ambassadors, who are the leaders in their schools. They’re at work across the contiguous U.S., plus Puerto Rico and Hawaii. Internationally, they are saving lives in Morocco, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Austria, The Netherlands, and — I’m sure I’m missing some. These students make wonderful global connections through this program. For example, Mutt-i-grees students in Arkansas, Maryland, and New York made blankets for their Bosnian counterparts to distribute at shelters and in foster homes. It brings tears to my eyes to imagine these young people (some very young) working with their schools, families, and communities to save lives and set an example for all of us.

Two sweet Mutt-i-grees^® moments: feeding stray kitties in Bosnia and comforting dogs in Morocco. As someone who has loved animals since I was a little girl, I am deeply moved by these photos.

We share so much that’s good across cultures, languages, and distances. It brings us together. But our negative side also links us, and it’s this part of human nature that causes all the suffering animals must endure, things like cruelty, indifference, and ignorance. One thing that makes me want to scream is abandonment. I cannot tell you how many of my fosters— frequently seniors — came to me because people moved and just left them behind.

Our most recent adoption is beautiful Sammie Sunshine Stern (left). Someone dumped this girl in the parking lot in a carrier on a cold spring night. (The monster who did this should rot in hell.) Sammie is riddled with cancer and may not have a lot of time left, but she is ours, we love her so, and we will care for her until the end and make sure she doesn’t suffer. She is our hospice kitty, and while we know she doesn’t have long, we celebrate each day, each good meal she enjoys, each nap in the sunshine, and each purr. She is doing so well, and I don’t think she’s going anywhere soon.

How can anyone care for an animal and then, for some trivial reason, just walk or drive away and leave that animal to fend for him/herself? It boggles my mind. And this is not a problem just here in the States. I recently learned that the last Saturday in June, which this year is June 24, is World Day Against the Abandonment of Domestic Animals. This initiative was started in 2018 by two French groups, Solidarité Refuges and Animaux Online, to raise awareness about pet abandonment, which is an all-too-common practice in summer as vacationers head to the mountains or sea. More than 150,000 dogs and cats are abandoned annually in France alone. Although France might be the worst offender, the problem is huge across Europe. Italy passed a law this year that revokes the driver’s license of anyone caught abandoning a pet along the highway.

I would love to see this effort take off here, with penalties to match! I’m so glad this important issue is finally getting the attention it deserves. It truly gives me hope.

xo
Beth

P.S.: Happy Father’s Day to my love and my partner in everything.

(Howard wishing Angel Taylor a happy life on her wonderful adoption day last year.)

P.P.S.: It’s that time of year when heat can become deadly for our pets, and this year is already hotter than usual. Here is some information about how to protect your pet this summer.

And then there’s the problem of pets left in cars in the summer heat. It’s hard to believe that people are still ignorant about the dangers of hot cars and helpless pets… and kids!!… but it continues to happen far too often. In fact, leaving a pet in a hot car is illegal in 31 states… it should be illegal in all 50! So, do some research about your state and find out what you should do if you see a dog or cat alone in a hot car. And remember, it doesn’t have to be super-hot for it to be deadly to that animal. When it’s 72 degrees Fahrenheit outside, the temperature in a car can reach 116 degrees in just an hour!