Patrick McDonnell, the masterhooman behind the ubiquitous “Mutts” comic strip, gave shelter animals some love in a recent feature, inspired by his trip to the Animal Care Centers of New York City.
In late 2015, McDonnell visited the shelter in New York and was so moved by what he saw that he wanted to spread the word about these dogs waiting for their furever homes.
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McDonnell’s trip to the ACC was also filmed as part of the PBS series Shelter Me, which features stories about homeless pets and their journeys to find a furever family (with episodes hosted by Jon Hamm, nonetheless). The episode is set to air in May, so for now, we can enjoy the comic strips.
On his website, McDonnell said:
It was an uplifting experience and led me to create a series of MUTTS strips based on my visit there. My hope is that by telling these stories, readers will be inspired to support their local shelters and to adopt a new best buddy.
So far, McDonnell has released strips about Cindy, a dog found by herself in an apartment after her owner passed away, and Wysteria, a kitty who was taught how to high five at the ACC.
Right now, the ACC in New York has an 85 percent placement rate for more than 34,000 animals, and hopefully the publicity given to the shelter by McDonnell’s comic strip will only bring that percentage up even more!
If you’re interested in helping dogs at the ACC of NYC—either by donating, volunteering, or adopting your own shelter dog—check out their website for more information.
