Bark In The Park Sunday!

By Dan Guarino

This Sunday, September 22, every dog will have their day as the non-profit animal rescue/support groups Zion’s Mission and Sasha’s Mission present Bark In The Park at Broad Channel American Park. From 1 p.m. to 5 p.m., canine pets, their people, friends and supporters will enjoy an afternoon of activities which includes games, pet photography, grooming, a costume contest, doggy yoga, artmaking for kids, snacks, drinks, raffles and more and a chance to meet a wide variety of adoptable possible new best friends.

All proceeds go to support Zion’s Mission, named in memory of one of its founder’s pets, headquartered here in Rockaway. Broad Channel American Park is located opposite Sunset Cove, down West 22nd Road, the last right before the Rockaway/southbound entrance to the Cross Bay Bridge. Ample parking is available.

“Bark in the Park is our first big adoption and fundraising event that we’re doing in Broad Channel,” says Maribel Cosme-Vitagliani, Director of Community Outreach and Events for Zion’s Mission. The idea, she explains, was to “create a dog friendly event that would showcase our adoptable dogs so they could find their forever homes, but also create an event that could be fun for families too while we raise money for our cause.”

Towards that end, Cosme-Vitagliani says, “We will be offering doggy yoga with Rockaway’s own Dana Humphrey from Hot Yoga Rockaway Beach, pet photography by professional photographer Stacie Carte, a dog costume contest, emceed by yours truly, with a panel of volunteer judges.”

“Rockaway’s Connor’s Canine Cookies will be tabling with their delicious dog treats and Sigalit Annabel Bekker will be available for basic dog grooming such as teeth brushing, face trimming, nail cutting and ear cleaning. We’ll also have space for dogs to play with dog toys, a small agility section, and a children’s art making section. Towards the end of the event, we will raffle off amazing prizes too!”

Tickets are available at www.zionsmission.org. Kids under seven are free.

Co-event organizer Sasha’s Mission is “truly our sister rescue.” Sasha’s President and co-founder Kim Fraser and Zion’s Mission President Sloane Quealy-Miner “have been rescuing animals together for over ten years, and they are usually the trapping duo. We swear Kim is a dog whisperer, so we are always grateful to be saving dogs with her.” In 2010, Fraser, the wife of a U.S. Army sergeant and always involved in animal care and rights, was contacted by a soon-to -be deployed sergeant who desperately needed to find a home for his pit bull-boxer mix Sasha or face putting her in a shelter. Once contacted, her friend, Brian Kolb, was able to adopt. She and Kolb soon founded Sasha’s mission, helping both servicemembers and local animals in difficult situations.

About her own group, Zion’s Mission President Sloane Quealy-Miner recalls, “We have been rescuing our whole lives but in the Rockaway area since 2010. Zion’s Mission was newly created after our dog Zion passed away from cancer. She and her daughter, Nya, were the two first outside dogs that we cared for from Far Rockaway.”

“We are a mighty team of three people,” Cosme-Vitagliani adds, counting herself, Quealy-Miner and vice-president Matt Miner, “in terms of leadership and operations,” which often teams up with Sasha’s Mission. “If we focus on our fosters, we have about 10 volunteers.

“We mostly intake dogs through trapping strays or owner surrenders that can range from the owner not being able to care for their dog, due to financial or medical struggles, to rescuing from abusive owners. Before we decide to take in a dog, we make sure we have a place for them to stay in since we are strictly foster based. We then make sure the dog we intake gets all of their medical done with our trusted vets at Howard Beach Animal Clinic,” she explains.

Once medically cleared, the dog will go to a foster home, where they can get to know him/her and work towards adoption to a forever home. If there are behavioral quirks, often due to previous abuse or neglect, they’ll work with trainers to prepare them for their new life.

“On top of foster and adoption, we deliver pet food to local families in need, trap stray dogs or assist in trapping local lost dog cases. We also educate youth groups about responsible pet ownership and animal rights. All of our funds come from donations from the public at this time. We do not receive government or grant funding,” she says. Even a donation of $10 a month can help.

Beyond donations, the group has started to reach out to companies and brands which give back to animal organizations “to create fundraisers … where people can purchase goods or services and a portion of the sales would get donated to Zion’s Mission.”

“We have helped countless dogs find their happily ever after,” Quealy-Miner says. “Dogs from backyards, abusive homes, dogs that were thrown out that no one was looking for, senior dogs, and dogs with terminal illnesses. The look in the rescued animals’ eyes after they know they are safe is what keeps us going.”

“We also advocate for spaying/neutering to decrease the amount of animals that are being bred in the community. This significantly helps the number of stray animals and animal surrendering,” adds Cosme-Vitagliani.

Many rescues, like Zion’s Mission, have helped pet owners with high medical costs. “We definitely have saved the lives of many animals in our community who needed emergency surgery that the owners couldn’t afford,” Cosme-Vitagliani says.

“You don’t have to be a part of an animal rescue … to be a rescuer. If you see an injured or lost animal and can do something, do it! Ask for help, put up flyers, bring the animal to a local vet,” Cosme-Vitagliani explains. “There are so many things a community member can do. Honestly, the best help people can do is to open their hearts and foster for us.”

At Bark In The Park all will be helping further Zion’s Mission and having a fun-filled four-legged romp of a day, too!