Hempstead town launches summer pet adoption program

The stars were out at Seaford Cinemas on Friday to celebrate the release of "Cats & Dogs: The Revenge of Kitty Galore." But these aren't your typical Hollywood actors that walk the red carpet.

Tiger Lilly, the Corgi mix and Elvis, the Cocker Spaniel were among the main attractions at the event hosted by the Town of Hempstead, who took its "Summer of Love" pet adoption program to the movie theaters. Organizers hoped that this promotion of pet adoption on Long Island would coincide with the release of the motion picture.

Joanne Mirenda, 58, the town's community service representative, said events like this one hope to get people to adopt a dog or cat and alleviate the problem of overcrowded animal shelters.

"A lot of people don't realize that animal shelters have a lot of wonderful animals for adoption." said the Seaford resident.

Hempstead Town Supervisor Kate Murray, who attended the ceremony, said tough economic times have people returning their pets to shelters because they cannot afford to take care of them.

"For every pet that is adopted, two of them are coming back to the shelters," Murray said. She said there have been 250 dogs adopted since the summer program began in June and that this event hopes to drive that number even higher. "It's all about raising awareness," she said.

Murray introduced each of the dogs, like they were movie stars, as they walked down the small red carpet on leashes, each with a different handler from the animal shelter. These animals were chosen because they are better suited for families with children.

"We feel that the animals we bring are meant for a family."

Mirenda said.

The shelter's mobile office will be at the theater in Seaford until Sunday from noon to 5 p.m. Adoptions are free. As part of the premiere weekend, all related adoption fees, including shots, neutering and microchip, will be waived.