March 3, 2000-The public’s never-ending passion for purebred dogs has literally left millions of mutts out in the cold. According to the Humane Society of the United States, approximately 75% of the six million dogs entering U.S. animal shelters each year are mixed-breed. In order to bring attention to this sad statistic, Karen Derrico, author of Unforgettable Mutts:Pure of Heart Not of Breed, has created national Mayday For Mutts.
Animal shelters, humane organizations, and pet-related businesses will participate by holding mutt-related activities and distributing literature promoting the adoption of mixed-breed dogs. Events will be held during the entire month of May, however the official Mayday For Mutts “day” is the first Sunday of each May (May 7th this year).
Literature will include information on: mutt myths and facts, adopting a mutt, listings for mutt-specific activities, events, and clubs, spaying and neutering, and adopting special needs dogs. And who says that mutts don’t come with papers? Participating shelters will be presenting “100% Pure Mutt” certificates to people adopting mutts during the month of May. Printable posters and literature will also be available from the official Mayday For Mutts website : http://members.xoom.com/maydaymutts/.
“We think Mayday For Mutts is a wonderful idea. This will be a tremendous help to animal shelters who have difficulty placing mixed-breeds due to the misconceptions about them,” says Courtney Green, Marketing Coordinator for the American Humane Association, who will feature information about the event on their web site. “Mayday” will coincide each year with the first day of Be Kind To Animals Week, an event established in 1915 by the American Humane Association.
Inspired by her book, Unforgettable Mutts, Derrico and publisher, NewSage Press will jointly promote Mayday For Mutts. Plans include appearances by Derrico on radio and television talk shows, and benefits at various humane societies. In addition to spreading the word about mutts, Derrico will also promote the adoption of older and disabled dogs. “It’s my hope that Mayday for Mutts will help put an end to all forms of canine discrimination. Every dog, whether purebred or mutt, young or old, deserves an equal chance for a loving home,” explains Derrico.
Derrico’s writing work on behalf of animals has earned national acclaim and recognition from The L.A. Times to the Seattle Times to Good Housekeeping magazine, who selected her book as the best dog book for 1999. The book was also nominated for an award by the Dog Writer’s Association of America, was profiled in Publisher’s Weekly magazine, and has been featured on radio talk shows nationally.
####