News
Laurie Hollywood receives Red Cross Heroes award!
February 20, 2009, 9:50PM MT
By Kelli Banet
Director of Stamford Animal Care & Control to be honored April 2, 2009
Director of Stamford Animal Care & Control to be honored April 2, 2009
By Kelli Banet, Best Friends Network Volunteer
Laurie Hollywood, director of Stamford’s Animal Care and Control Shelter, will be honored by the American Red Cross as an animal rescue hero. Laurie has managed the shelter since 2005, and has created a municipal shelter to be admired and emulated. Stamford Animal Care and Control has a no-kill philosophy. According to Jenny Colucci, co-founder and board member of OPIN (Outreach to Pets in Need), “Under Laurie’s direction, the Stamford Shelter ended fiscal year 2008 with the highest adoption rate (97.3%) and the lowest euthanasia rate among municipal shelters in the state of Connecticut.”
How is this possible? What makes Stamford Animal Care and Control different than most municipal shelters? It starts with the word care, added to the shelter’s title in 2006. Under Laurie’s supervision, every animal (whether dog, cat, rabbit, hamster, guinea pig, ferret, bird, or reptile) has a chance for adoption, without the threat of a ticking clock. Every animal that enters the shelter is provided with the opportunity for medical care. Blake Polett, shelter volunteer, said, “Laurie has dealt with some of the most difficult cases - both cat and dog - from abuse to physical problems to medical issues, and she truly believes there is a home for every adoptable animal. She has formed great relationships with all sorts of rescue groups, and the volunteers adore her.”
Last July, Laurie received a call from the shelter’s veterinarian, regarding a German Shepherd puppy. The breeder had brought him in, requesting euthanasia. The puppy could barely walk, and had a rare condition affecting his hindquarters (a result of poor breeding). Laurie took the puppy, now called Forest, into her care. She contacted OPIN (the shelter’s non-profit organization) to help raise funds for Forest’s extensive medical needs. According to Jenny Colucci, “Each day for two months, Laurie took Forest back and forth from home to work, administered physical therapy three times a day to his legs, and arranged for transportation to his weekly pool therapy at a professional animal therapy facility in Shelton, CT (while she sought a suitable home for him).” In September, Forest found his forever home, and Laurie and OPIN continue to monitor and assist with his therapy and progress. Forest is now able to walk, and even climbs stairs!
Like most animal control professionals, Laurie Hollywood enjoys helping animals and their people. However, she has steadfastly refused to accept the notion that time and space should dictate which animals live or die. Laurie has formed a partnership with the non-profit OPIN to provide the animals of Stamford with extraordinary medical care. This includes emergency care for animals with traumatic injuries, mange treatments, dental management, physical therapy, and much more. According to their page on Petfinder, Stamford Animal Care and Control also offers:
*Free dog training for the public and shelter dogs
*Low cost spay and neuter referrals
*SNIP, a $10 spay and neuter service for owners of pit bulls and pit bull mixes
*Much, much, much more!
Laurie Hollywood’s dedication and creativity have saved the lives of countless animals (that would almost certainly have been destroyed at other municipal shelters). The dictionary defines a hero as a person who is admired or idealized for courage, outstanding achievements, or noble qualities. I can’t think of a person more deserving of that title than Laurie Hollywood.
How you can help:
Adopt a companion from Stamford Animal Care and Control, and make room for another animal to be rescued. Check out their list of adoptable pets.
Consider making a donation to OPIN, to help fund the extraordinary medical care of animals like Forest. Click here to watch a video and read more about Forest’s journey to recovery.
Can’t have a pet? Become a part of the dedicated group of volunteers who make this shelter one of the best in Connecticut!
Posted By: Kelli Banet
Photo Credit: Laurie Hollywood and Forest, by Lana Voynova, used with permission