Easel: volunteers fighting homelessness

Mark Phillips, executive director of Easel Animal Rescue League, shelters two feral kittens and two older feral cats in his office.

He hopes the kittens – now in a big multi-level big wire cage -- can be socialized; he doubts that can happen with the older cats, who may not have been caught in time to learn to trust people. They’re “at large” but typically invisible in the two rooms he can close off from the rest of his business.

Regarding cat adoptions – now underway everywhere because this is the height of the “kitten season” – Phillips says, “It’s the cat, it’s not the group [behind the adoption].” His purpose is “to get animals adopted” from the huge adoption pool; he’s not about having to take credit.

Most of Easel’s adoptions result from internet contacts. There’s Petfinder.com and Adoptapet.com, Phillips says. And every couple months, he prints out color posters showing 10 cats and 10 dogs in the Ewing shelter that are displayed at markets and other sites.

If people who respond arrive too late for specific animals, there are many others to choose from.

As all-volunteer Easel continues working toward its own shelter, the focus is on the Ewing site. Only kittens are fostered.

Organization members also take animals for adoption to PetSmart and PETCO (whose foundation Phillips lauds), as well as Rosedale Mills and Cutter’s Mill (whose generous manager he also praises).

Even if animals aren’t adopted at these stores, “It’s a good day for those dogs,” he says: “They get out of the shelter.”

(See February 23 post about Easel – www.EaselNJ.org)
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All adoptions have perils

First there was the woman who sent her adopted son back to Russia from the US because it wasn’t working. That caused rage among Russian authorities. Later came coverage of Russian orphanages and the system, along with the problems inherent in both.

Next, at least one newspaper ran stories about others who had adopted children, any children, but ultimately decided it wasn’t working.

Adoption involves so much time, adaptation and (here comes that word again) work on both sides – often more than the people involved expect or are willing to invest. That also seems to be true with adoption of animals.

Raise a kitten or puppy from babyhood: that’s one thing. Adopt a kitten, pup, cat or dog: that’s another situation altogether. Things have already happened in that animal’s life that can affect how he or she might make out in a new home with a new family, no matter how well-meaning they may be.

I’m sure not the only one who has experienced an animal rescue rep or someone from a shelter pushing for adoption and in the process, possibly forgetting to share crucial information or notice drawbacks to the match. These people sometimes seem to be more interested in placing the animal than giving solid thought to the whole situation.

And if a prospective adoptive family is in a rush to do good or to “replace” a companion animal who recently died, they can contribute to the problem. The result: general unhappiness and a possible return of the adopted animal. When that happens, everyone loses, and the animal in particular is even worse off than before.

How do readers suggest avoiding this situation, which we’ve probably all seen, if not also experienced? Please share your thoughts on this issue in a comment!
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