Family-Friendly Event Featured an Evening of Baseball, Pet Adoptions, a Parade of Pooches, and Frisbee-Chasing Canines
Thursday, August 29, 2013 – Brooklyn, NY – The Brooklyn Cyclones’ home stadium, MCU Park, was filled tonight with wagging tails, floppy ears, wide-toothed grins, and the sound of happy barking, as the Mayor’s Alliance for NYC’s Animals teamed up with the Cyclones for the 6th annual Bark in the Park. This annual event brought New Yorkers with their canine companions out to the ball game to cheer on the Brooklyn Cyclones as they battled the Tri-City Valley Cats.
A portion of the game’s ticket sales was donated to the Alliance, a non-profit organization devoted to saving the lives of NYC’s homeless animals.
Prior to the first pitch, dogs and their owners were invited on the field for a “parade of the pooches.” Maddie, the Maddie’s Fund® mascot, was on hand to toss a ceremonial first pitch, and Frisbee-chasing canines from Pawstars with Erich Steffensen provided on-field entertainment between innings.
Earlier in the afternoon, the Alliance presented pet adoptions outside the ballpark with Sean Casey Animal Rescue, one of the 150 rescue organizations that participate in the Alliance. Area residents and visitors, many still recovering from the devastation of Superstorm Sandy, were offered low-cost microchipping for dogs and cats, licensing for dogs by the NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, and emergency preparedness information from the NYC Office of Emergency Management/Ready New York.
“Bark in the Park offers New Yorkers a very special opportunity to enjoy a ball game with the entire family, which for many includes canine family members,” said Alliance President Jane Hoffman. “We’re grateful to the Brooklyn Cyclones and all those who participated in this year’s event for shining a spotlight on the tremendous bond between people and their pets.”
“We are thrilled to continue our partnership with the Mayor’s Alliance for NYC’s Animals and use this night to remind New Yorkers that they can help an animal in need by adopting from a shelter or rescue group,” added Gary Perone of the Brooklyn Cyclones.
To learn more about the Alliance and ways you can help New York City’s homeless animals, visit www.AnimalAllianceNYC.org.
About the Mayor’s Alliance for NYC’s Animals®
The Mayor’s Alliance for NYC’s Animals is a 501(c)(3) non-profit charity that works with more than 150 partner rescue groups and no-kill shelters to offer important programs and services to save the lives of NYC’s homeless animals. Receiving no government funding, we are supported by donations from foundations, corporations, and individuals. As we mark our tenth anniversary in 2013, we are committed to transforming New York City into a no-kill community by 2015: where no dogs or cats of reasonable health and temperament will be killed merely because they do not have homes. www.AnimalAllianceNYC.org
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