Shubert Alley was overtaken by pooches and kitties yesterday during the 12th annual Broadway Barks. BB is an event started by Mary Tyler Moore and Bernadette Peters to promote animal adoption, and if I didn't already have two woofers of my own, I would almost surely have taken home one of the dogs that were first walked around to meet the public by volunteers from rescue organizations and then introduced onstage by Broadway stars.
My nonanimal companion—hee hee—Tony and I had fun petting on some wonderful dogs. I found myself drawn to the gentle-giant Great Danes from the Mid-Atlantic Great Dane Rescue League. And also to some adorable mutts, including a shy collie mix named Sam who was chided by Memphis's Chad Kimball for lying too far downstage and facing away from the audience.
Tony liked the beagles from Cascade Beagle Rescue, East, best of all. The CBRE volunteer in the photo at right told us she thought the beagle in her arms had been about ready to fall asleep because she had felt her getting heavier and heavier. Aww.I was happy to see the BARC shelter in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, well represented at Broadway Barks. I got my terrific and now completely irreplaceable basset hound, Rudy, there a little over three years ago. I told some of the BARC volunteers that I had adopted Lewis—Rudy's name at the time—the basset, and a couple of them said they remembered him. Adopting Rudy was one of the best things I've ever done.
Even though I'm much more of a dog lover, I can't overlook the kitties. There were a half dozen or so trucks from rescue organizations lined up along 45th Street with cats in need of homes. Lisa, a volunteer with NYC Siamese Rescue, told me about Maximo, a Ragdoll/Snowshoe/Siamese mix who fell out of a window and onto the FDR Drive and had to have one of his front legs amputated. Lisa said she has helped foster Maximo, and he's a very sweet cat.
Before I roll out more pictures of dogs and celebrities after the jump, I'm thrilled to report the encouraging statistic that two out of every three animals brought into city shelters now find homes compared with a horrific 74 percent that were euthanized in 2002. Peters and MTM said that reversal was thanks to the efforts of the wonderful groups taking part in BB.
