Thankful Thursday - A Special Gift

Our regular readers may know that I volunteer for the Jackon Galaxy Project's Cat Pawsitive Pro Program by writing updates on the shelters that participate in the program.

Our wonderful program manager, Christie, makes sure all of the volunteers get a thank you gift at the end of the semester. The gifts arrived a little early this time because she didn't want to miss out on a special opportunity. 

I was elated when I opened mine! Christie sent us all a Mutts comic strip personally autographed by Patrick McDonnell.

Click to enlarge

This is special to me for a few reasons. One is that Lola came from NYACC. Another is I'm a huge Mutts fan! I look forward to the daily antics of Mooch and Earl because they really brighten my day. 

Patrick McDonnell started the Shelter Stories series 20 years ago in honor of National Animal Shelter Awareness Week. A few years ago I had the pleasure of hearing Patrick speak at a screening of Shelter Me here in NYC. I loved hearing the stories of the real Earl and Mooch and seeing Patrick's genuine love of animals. It was a heartwarming film and made me love the comic strip even more. 

In an age where many people prefer compensation for their work vs. volunteering, getting involved in CPP has been a wonderful experience for me. I've met great people, I get to hear first-hand stories from shelters about the success of the program, as well as happy tales of cats, previously considered unadoptable, finding their forever homes. In a world that can be stressful at times, this brings me joy. All of the writers are genuinely appreciated by both Christie and Jackson, and I love being part of such a great team! 

Thank you! 

If you'd like to read about more things that people are thankful for, hop on over to Brian's Blog. 

Dawn