For Immediate Release

Monday, April 11, 2011

Nighttime Dog Parade Across Brooklyn Bridge for U.S. Shelter and Rescue Animals Reaches Capacity

The Humane Society of the United States, the Mayor's Alliance for NYC's Animals and Petfinder.com Help Brooklyn Bridge "Pup Crawl" Attract More Dogs Than Ever Before

New York, NY – Monday, April 11, 2011 – Due to unprecedented demand, organizers announced that all spots have been filled for the 2011 Brooklyn Bridge Pup Crawl, a nighttime dog parade over the Brooklyn Bridge that raises money for shelter and rescue pets across the country. Nearly 500 dogs are expected to take part in this year's "crawl." The event was launched in 2009 to help animal shelters across the country hard hit by the economic crisis. The Humane Society of the United States, the Mayor's Alliance for NYC's Animals, and Petfinder.com are supporting this year's Pup Crawl, which will take place on Saturday, April 16.

"The overwhelming interest in The Pup Crawl this year is a testament to the generosity of the pet-loving community here in New York — and across the country — and the amazing partners that have helped support the event this time around," said Joseph Hassan, one of the organizers of The Pup Crawl. "The goal of The Pup Crawl is to highlight the tremendous work that animal shelters and rescues do across our country every day and to remind people to support these organizations — and to adopt from them."

Pups registered for The Pup Crawl hail from as far away as Georgia and Maryland and run the canine gamut — from Great Danes to Miniature Schnauzers, Dachshunds, Irish Setters, and Boston Terriers. Chihuahuas lead the pack with more than 30 registrations this year, but Shih Tzus, Pugs, and Miniature Pinschers will also make a strong — and adorable — showing.

"Blanche Deveraux will also be making an appearance," said Mr. Hassan, referring not to the character played by the late actress Rue McClanahan on the hit series The Golden Girls, but a five-year-old Pug adopted from a Long Island animal shelter who shares her name and will be attending The Pup Crawl. "Next time, I hope we can get Betty White to join us!"

During The Pup Crawl, dogs and their owners will use an illuminated dog leash to stay safe and to shed light on the cause. More than 140 shelters and rescues in 31 states have signed on as Pup Crawl affiliate partners and are using The Pup Crawl Lights-Up Leash as a fundraising tool. These organizations receive three dollars each time a leash is purchased through their website. Any non-profit shelter or rescue can sign up to participate at www.thepupcrawl.com.

Shelters and rescues in other parts of the country are even joining The Pup Crawl movement by starting their own smaller pup crawls. In Upland, California, more than 50 dogs will light up the night on the same day as The Brooklyn Bridge Pup Crawl along Euclid Avenue to support local rescue Helping Out Pets Everyday. Local pup crawls are also planned in Pennsylvania and Arizona.

While registration for the 2011 Brooklyn Bridge Pup Crawl is closed, anyone can still support the movement by visiting www.thepupcrawl.com to learn more and spread the word about The Pup Crawl and its purpose — encouraging people to support their local rescues and shelters and adopting from these organizations whenever possible.

Companies have stepped up to provide funds, volunteers and services to support this year's Pup Crawl. The five partner shelter and rescues that will benefit from the event include two Mayor's Alliance Participating Organizations — Bobbi and the Strays (Queens, NY) and Sean Casey Animal Rescue (Brooklyn, NY) — as well as Ace of Hearts (Los Angeles), Get A Life Pet Rescue (Ft. Lauderdale, FL), and Pets for Life NYC, a surrender prevention program of The Humane Society of the United States. Corporate supporters include PetSmart^® and dealnews^®, a Brooklyn-based company that reports the best deals on gadgets, computers, and electronics. All registered Pup Crawl participants will receive a Pup Crawl t-shirt, courtesy of Microdry^®, which produces the Microdry ultimate luxury pet mat, which features memory foam and Microdry fabric for the ultimate comfortable place for pets to lounge, available exclusively at Bed, Bath & Beyond.

Media/Photographer Registration

If you are a member of the media and would like to attend The Pup Crawl, please e-mail press@thepupcrawl.com.

Photographs and Link to Release

A link to the full text of this release, plus high-resolution photographs of the inaugural Pup Crawl event and Pup Crawlers trying out the new leash, are available on The Pup Crawl website. On Twitter, The Pup Crawl is @pupcrawl / #pupcrawl

31 States and Puerto Rico Are Part of The Pup Crawl Movement

More than 140 shelters and rescues from 31 states and Puerto Rico are participating in The Pup Crawl affiliate program and any non-profit rescue or shelter can join the movement at www.thepupcrawl.com. To date, rescues and shelters in the following states are taking part: Alabama, Arizona, California, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Iowa, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Massachusetts, Maryland, Maine, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, North Carolina, New Hampshire, New Jersey, Nevada, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, Wisconsin, West Virginia, and Wyoming.

A full list of participating rescues and shelters is available at: www.thepupcrawl.com/america.