Happy Holidays

Michael Arms, Home for the Holidays, Helen Woodward Animal Center

Dog Fancy December 2004 Column

By Kyra Kirkwood

A puppy with a broken back saved the life of Mike Arms. And the lives of countless other animals across the globe.

While working as the district manager for the ASPCA in New York, Arms responded to a call about an injured dog in the Bronx. Upon arrival, Arms tried to help the broken pup, but was severely beaten and stabbed by men betting on how long the dog lying in the street would live.

Teetering on unconsciousness, Arms felt the puppy crawl over to him and lick his face, keeping him lucid until help arrived. Although the dog didn't survive, his legacy did. Decades after the incident, Arms is still going strong on the promise he made that day in the gutter: to dedicate his life to homeless animals everywhere.

"When I see these scars, they're like medals," he says. "I've devoted my life to them."

Currently, Arms is the president and executive director of the Helen Woodward Animal Center in Rancho Santa Fe, Calif. This unique, non-profit organization in San Diego County provides educational and therapeutic programs for people, and humane care and adoption for animals. After leaving the ASPCA, Arms spent 20 years as the director of the North Shore Animal League in New York before coming to California in 1999, where he has continued his life's mission of making the world a better place for homeless animals.

One such way Arms accomplishes this is through his groundbreaking, international, free campaign called Home 4 the Holidays. With the goal of increasing shelter adoptions during the holiday time, Home 4 the Holidays is a massive public-awareness crusade encouraging people to adopt from shelters.

From Thanksgiving to New Years—a time when many people add companion animals to their households—individual shelters work with local news media, politicians and other groups to organize and publicize activities and events, all with the purpose of drawing attention to their shelter and its precious residents.

In 1999, 14 shelters in the San Diego area joined in and adopted out more than 2,500 animals during the program's inaugural year. The next year, 200 shelters in five states participated, resulting in 20,000 adoptions. By 2003, 1,300 shelters worldwide took part in the Home 4 the Holidays campaign, finding families for 263,000 homeless animals.

"Anyone can do it," Arms says. "This is saving lives."

To encourage your local shelter to take part in Home 4 the Holidays, call the director and ask her to contact the Helen Woodward Animal Center at www.animalcenter.org. Individuals can also request a free start-up kit, says Arms.

"Volunteers [can] bring media attention to the orphans in the shelter and make the public aware that they need homes," he says.

Email local reporters and let them know about anything special the shelter or rescue group will be doing to promote adoptions. Arms heard of one shelter in Pennsylvania that had volunteers dressed in Santa suits delivering pets to their new homes. Encourage your mayor and council members to make appearances at shelter events—a sure bet to get media coverage and, thus, the public's attention.

Other than the Home 4 the Holidays campaign, there are numerous ways to make this season nicer for homeless dogs.

• Create a doggie dowry. Donate enough money to completely cover the adoption fee of one dog of your choosing, and then ask shelter employees to place a sign on the kennel that says this pup comes free of charge, thanks to his "dowry." Ask which dog would benefit most from this donation. Arms says dowries have extremely high success rates, especially with slightly older dogs who need an extra "push" to get some attention;
• Volunteer at your local shelter or rescue group, or just stop in to visit the dogs;
• Offer to give these groups an item off their wish lists;
• Instead of exchanging office-party trinkets, suggest everyone contribute $10-$20 toward dog dowries or wish-list items;
• Send a letter to the editor of your local newspaper, singing the praises of the shelter or rescue;

"So others can read that there are great animals [there] to adopt," says Arms.

• Give the shelter pre-paid gift certificates, good for one free training session with a local trainer;
• If you know of someone wanting to buy a dog for her child this season, encourage her to look first at the shelter;
• Donate new, durable toys for the dogs "so they don't feel like neglected orphans," says Arms;
• Volunteer to dress up as Santa and take digital photos with the new family before they leave the shelter (and don't forget to call the media and let them know).

"You have to beat [the puppy mills and pet stores] at their own game," says Arms. "You just have to be creative…The orphans deserve that."

SIDEBAR:

Helen Woodward Animal Center

P.O. Box 64 6461

El Apajo Road

Rancho Santa Fe, CA 92067

www.animalcenter.org

Hours: 11 am to 6 pm 7 days a week (except holidays)

Phone: (858) 756-4117

Fax: (858) 756-1466