FEBRUARY 2019 • LONGISLANDPRESS.COM 13
THE CAT'S MEOW
more about this "foster room." I call
it the “foster room” because we have
rooms in our home designated for
the fosters that come into our house.
We have an apartment in Manhattan
with a foster room. Our house in
Palm Beach has a foster room and our
house in the Hamptons. I think the
cats are pretty lucky when they get
through my door.
What was the largest number of
fosters you had at one time? Last
summer during kitten season we had
25 fosters. We had a pregnant mama,
a nursing mama, a litter of kittens,
and a couple of teenagers.
Your children’s books are so
sweet. Can you tell me the inspiration
behind them? I have been
fostering kittens for the past six
years. We adopted this Persian cat
named Yoda knowing that he had a
heart condition and had only three
months to live. He started hanging
out outside the foster room. I let him
in one day, and he started taking care
of the kittens. That was the moment
his life changed and it was the most
incredible thing I ever witnessed. I
watched Yoda getting healthier. I took
him back to the vet and they could not
even detect anything wrong with his
heart. I thought, “Oh, my god, love
and purpose has truly healed him.”
That may sound ridiculous, but I
witnessed it. It’s been five years now.
He’s doing amazing. I thought, “I have
to share this with children,” so that
was the story of Yoda: The Story of a
Cat and his Kittens.
Sharing Yoda’s story and meeting
all these little people when visiting
schools must be so fun. I’ve been
reading to schools, and I love it. The
kids love the stories. More magic was
happening in the foster room, so I
decided I needed to continue Yoda’s
story. I had a kitten named Buddy,
both his eyes were removed. Yoda
was in the foster room with Buddy.
They became a little tag team taking
care of the fosters together, so that
was my inspiration for Yoda Gets a
Buddy. Kids come up to me asking
about Yoda and Buddy. I love it, and
all the proceeds go to North Shore
Animal League America.
You just came off the promotion
of the Cat Bowl and Kitten Bowl for
the Super Bowl. How was that? I can’t
believe I get to do this every year. It is
such an honor to be the host. The past
six years, we have been showcasing
adoptable adult cats and kittens. We
had our first Cat Bowl, which aired
the night before the Super Bowl. We
were able to showcase adult cats and
special needs cats. That is what I love
to focus on, the ones that are sitting in
shelters for so long people walk right
by them not realizing how incredible
they are. We do the adoption at the end
of the show, and we found the family
of one of my fosters that was featured
in the Cat Bowl. It was very emotional.
We also have these cat and kitten
Super Bowl parties where all of our
partner shelters hold specials. Right
now — not including this year — more
than 25,000 cats and kittens have been
adopted as a result of the Kitten Bowl.
You must be thrilled that Bianca’s
Furry Friends Adoption Shelter,
an adoption and wellness center,
will be opening this summer in
memory of your beloved bulldog,
Bianca. Everything I do is for Bianca.
She is my inspiration. I was so excited
when Joanne Yohannan and I came
up with this idea. It started as a vision
to save more lives of dogs and cats. It
is happening, and it just gives me
chills. The 14,000-square-foot space
is going to be designated a cage-free
cat habitat adoption center and feline
wellness center. We are freeing
up the entire bottom floor for more
adult and puppy mill rescues. I feel
the mission of North Shore Animal
League America is going to expand
because we can save more lives.
What is next for you? I think I am
going to keep doing what I am doing
because life is pretty great. I love saving
lives, so I don’t see any end in sight
with my foster work and my participation
and dedication with North
Shore Animal League America.
How do you like living on Long
Island? It is the best. It’s my favorite
place to be. We have a place in the
city. We end up spending most of our
time out here. I love this time of year
when it is off-season and I have all this
beauty surrounding me. It is quiet
and magical and then the summer
is incredible too. Howard and I are
happiest when we are at our home in
Southampton. We spend most of our
time on Long Island and travel back
and forth to the city when Howard
works. Most of my cats are in my
home here.
NORTH SHORE ANIMAL
LEAGUE AMERICA
EXPANDS, PROVIDING
EVEN BETTER CARE
FOR PETS
This year marks the 75th anniversary of
North Shore Animal League America,
the world’s largest no-kill animal rescue
and adoption organization, and there is
plenty to celebrate.
Since 1944, more than 1 million
animals’ lives have been saved, and
that number is growing, with nearly
18,000 pets placed successfully into
loving homes each year, according to
the nonprofit. Joanne Yohannan, senior
vice president of operations at North
Shore Animal League America, who
has been involved with animal welfare
for decades, remembers a time when
hundreds of thousands of animals in New
York City alone and millions across the
country were being euthanized every
year as a means of population control.
But since 2011, the number of dogs and
cats euthanized in shelters nationwide
annually has declined from approximately
2.6 million to 1.5 million, according to the
American Society for the Prevention of
Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA).
“Today we have advanced,” Yohannan
says. “Last year, fewer than 6,000 animals
were euthanized in New York City and
between two and three million across the
country. We’ve really come a long way
but still have work to do."
One of the ways that the nonprofit will
continue its mission to save pets’ lives
is with Bianca’s Furry Friends Feline
Adoption Center, a state-of-the-art
facility that will include exam rooms, a
feline behavior department, grooming
facilities, kitten adoption facility, 24-hourcare
nursery, respiratory ward, surgical
suite and a recovery room that will enable
North Shore Animal League America to
provide the highest quality of care.
The center, spearheaded by Howard and
Beth Stern and named in honor of their
beloved bulldog Bianca, who passed away
in 2012, is set to open over the summer.
How can a potential adopter get in
touch with you? Bethsternfosters@
gmail.com and see available cats on
my Instagram @bethostern
Read full interview at
longislandpress.com
Howard Stern with his wife, Beth, and their cat, Yoda.
/LONGISLANDPRESS.COM
/gmail.com
/longislandpress.com
