Hot Dog! It's TJ Day III Benefit at Shield's Plumbing & Hardware

Family photos, face painting, food and frolicking Fido’s that’s what TJ Day is all about. For those who haven’t met TJ Shields let me introduce him. TJ is a former shelter dog who found a warm and wonderful home with Patty Shields. Three years ago she, TJ and the Shields family decided to pay it forward for other homeless pets by hosting this event to benefit our Town of North Hempstead Animal Shelter and The Shelter Connection, an all-volunteer nonprofit organization devoted to improving the quality of life and adoption rate of our shelter dogs.

The North Hempstead Animal Shelter is an open admission animal care and control shelter that performs many functions. Along with enforcing licensing, leashing and other dog laws, a main service is to help reunite lost TONH dogs with their owners. Last year alone 110 wandering dogs were thankfully redeemed by their grateful owners.

The Shelter Connection  has for 12 years worked with shelter staff to improve the quality of life for our town’s homeless dogs. Adoption advisors help potential adopters make wise choices when bringing a dog into their home. Professionally trained dog handlers help staff exercise, evaluate behaviors of and teach basic training to the dogs.  Fundraisers – like TJ Day – play an important role in improving the quality of life for North Hempstead’s shelter dogs. Our tax dollars would never provide what TSC funds do,  including a wooded nature trail, an outdoor agility playground, high quality food and medical care that goes above and beyond what most public animal shelters will support. Visit the homepage theshelterconnecton.org to learn more about our progressive town shelter and TSC.

Meanwhile enjoy some photos from TJ DAY III and if you didn’t make it this year, look forward to celebrating it with us next fall.