Pet adoption groups use Mt. Airy location to boost awareness

Cats, rats and dogs descended upon Moving Arts of Mt. Airy (MaMa) this past weekend all with one thing in common: the search for a permanent home.

The event, which was held at 6819 Greene St., was a collaboration between local animal rescue and foster organizations to introduce animals to potential families-to-be. Representatives of Animal Rescue Network (ARN) ,Cares4Pets, and Rat Chick Rat Rescue were present to introduce animals to attendees, take applications and disseminate information.

ARN director Elaine Stewart, who coordinated the event, said she was pleased with the partnership. “The multi-species approach is fun,” she said.

ARN’s adoptive efforts deal primarily with the rescue and fostering of abandoned cats, and past adoption events have focused on cats. For this event, Cares4Pets and Rat Chick Rat Rescue brought dogs and rats to the event respectively.

Stewart said she was thankful to host the event at MaMa. “It gives us better visibility,” she said. Stewart said she hoped that visibility would contribute to the successful placement of animals. “Adoption is absolutely the reason we’re here today,” she said.

Natalie Miller, an employee of Cares4Pets, said she felt similarly. “We want to find the best match for these animals,” Miller said. That desire, however, came with a caveat. “[Potential owners] have to do the research and think about whether they can give an animal the best possible life it can live,” she said. “Every animal is an individual with a personality.”

Stewart said she hopes to hold a similar collaborative event within the next few months.

Becky Kerner and Kris Kitts are reporters with Philadelphia Neighborhoods/Temple Multimedia Urban Reporting Lab, a content partner of NewsWorks