FOR BREAKING NEWS VISIT WWW.QNS.COM AUGUST 5, 2021 • THE QUEENS COURIER 37
College Point pet adoption event brings
together dozens of new ‘furever’ friends
BY GABRIELE HOLTERMANN
editorial@qns.com
@QNS
Five dogs and 14 cats — 12 kittens and two
adult cats — found their “furever” home at
the Animal Care Center’s (ACC) mobile pet
adoption drive in College Point on Saturday,
July 31.
ACC has been back on the road since the
end of May aft er the COVID-19 pandemic
halted all mobile pet adoption drives for
more than 14 months.
Th e events require all participants to wear
masks and follow social distancing guidelines.
Only one family with a maximum of
two people per family are allowed on the
their truck, and the browsing time is limited
to fi ve minutes.
Prospective pet parents lined the sidewalk
outside the College Point Petco, hoping to
bring home a four-legged friend.
Irina and her son Simon waited in line with
the hopes of adopting one of the kittens.
“We adopted our cat two years ago, and we
are looking for a friend,” Irina said.
Stephanie Feliciano, the adoption manager
at ACC, explained that animal shelters are
“fl ooded with felines” since summer is kitten
season.
“During the summer months, it always
picks up with the kittens,” Feliciano said.
“Usually, it dies down around, maybe
September or October, then we don’t see
them come in as much.”
Future pet parents have to bring in a photo
ID with their address and the adoption fee,
which varies depending on the animal and
its age.
Th e fee for kittens under six months is
$125, young adults cats $75 and $25 for cats
older than 5 years old. For puppies under six
months, the rate is $250. For dogs older than
seven months, the rate is $75, and for small
dogs seven months and over, the cost is $150.
All animals are spayed and neutered, are
pre-registered with a microchip, and have
received their initial wellness vaccinations.
Th e adoption fee also includes a certifi cate
for a free exam at a participating veterinarian.
Jessica Gallo from Astoria adopted 1-yearold
Paolo, a stray who came into the ACC
shelter only a week ago.
Gallo explained that her family recently
lost their dog and were looking for a new
furry friend. She immediately fell in love with
the adorable and easygoing pup when she
saw him on the ACC website.
“He had this one ear up, one ear down
thing, and I was like ‘Oh, my heart,’” Gallo
said. When she found out that the organization
was hosting the pet drive, she had to come
and “scoop” him up.
“He came right over and leaned into me,
and honestly, I feel so comfortable with him,”
Jessica shared.
Brothers Tendin and Karma from Jackson
Heights adopted a kitten because their landlord
doesn’t allow dogs, but mostly because
“cats are very cute.”
Tendin said they have yet to decide on a
name.
“I want to get to know him and then pick
out the name, so it matches him,” Tendin
said.
Feliciano said that some of their adoption
events have been “bananas,” noting that 300
people lined up at last week’s event in Astoria
to fi nd a new best buddy.
“People are just eager to have that pet interaction,”
Feliciano said.
Anyone interested in adopting a “boroughbred”
cat, dog, rabbit or guinea pig can visit
nycacc.org for more information about their
mobile pet adoption drives or the adoption
process.
buzz
Photos by Gabriele Holtermann
Brothers Tendin and Karma from Jackson Heights with their yet-to-be-named new four-legged buddy.
Adorable Dakota found a new home thanks to the ACC mobile pet adoption drive.
One of the adult cats waiting to be adopted.
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