Random Licks: Sweet Pea

On October 9th I'm going to tape a segment on The Rachael Ray Show. I wanted to go on because October is Adopt-A-Dog Month. I decided to actually foster a dog myself and to document it for my appearance on Rachael's show. I got the word out to my friends at Bobbi and the Strays and at the Mayor's Alliance for NYC Animals, which reaches out to all 140 animal rescue groups and grassroots shelters in all five boroughs. After sifting through many possible candidates, we all decided on Sweet Pea because her journey touches on so many different aspects of the system that is in place for homeless animals.

Sweet Pea was found abandoned in an apartment after her owners were evicted. It was a household where domestic violence took place. Sweet Pea was picked up by the marshals and was on her way to Animal Care and Control in Brooklyn. The marshals called the Mayor's Alliance and said that they had a dog that seemed sweet and adoptable, but that she seemed sick. The Alliance waylaid Sweet Pea and took her to Hope Veterinary Clinic in Brooklyn where she was taken in by Juliet Sternberg and Dr. Kristine Young and treated for her illnesses---bad respiratory and eye infections.  The Picasso Fund, which was started by Mary Tyler Moore and Bernadette Peters and is now administered by the Mayor's Alliance, paid for her care.

When she was better, Sweet Pea was ready to be adopted and that's where fostering is so crucial. If Sweet Pea had been taken back to Animal Care and Control and if she hadn't been adopted after a certain amount of time, she would have be euthanized because there just isn't enough room for all the animals that come in every day, let alone the ones waiting for a home. So, thanks to the compassion of the people at the Mayor's Alliance, she was taken from Hope Vet to a dog daycare and boarding facility---The Paw Stop in lower Manhattan - until, hopefully, a home could be found for her. By fostering her, I was buying her time and helping to socialize her as well.  Fostering also creates space in shelters for other animals and having space saves lives. Before I took her on, we introduced Sweet Pea to Bill and Jake, who accepted her with their usual kindness. You will be able to learn of her journey and the outcome of her search for a home when we tell her story on The Rachael Ray Show. We will let you know when our segment airs.

Sweet Pea - Day 1 with me.

You can see why she was given the name Sweet Pea.

My boys, Bill and Jake, meet Sweet Pea in Brooklyn.

Sweet Pea makes herself at home at my apartment.

Sweet Pea in her FetchDog Collar.

Sweet Pea during the Biden/Palin debate.

Sweet Pea at home on her Fetchdog dog bed.

Going down for rehearsal.

On set with some of the Damages team.