(1/23/02, 10 a.m. ET) -- Matchbox Twenty 's Rob Thomas has taken it upon himself to spread the word about an animal shelter in Middletown, New York. The famed singer and his wife Marisol visited the Pets Alive sanctuary, located about 90 minutes northwest of Manhattan, recently; describing it as a "wonderful place...where unwanted and mistreated animals go to find health, love, and hopefully new homes."
"Pets Alive is a true 'no kill' shelter," Thomas writes in a letter signed by him and his wife on his group's official website (matchboxtwenty.com). "Many other organizations claim to be 'no kill' shelters, but for many that just means that the animal will be sent elsewhere to be 'put down.' This will never happen at Pets Alive."
Thomas cites the efforts of sanctuary operator Sara Whalen. "A typical day for Sara may include a dog rescue in the morning and then straight to the vet to check on a retired carriage horse who just had surgery," he says. "Then she's back home in time to feed her family of about 400 and take care of everyone's special needs."
Thomas's note includes a plea for support for the sanctuary, writing, "Without proper funding Sara may not be able to take on the many animals for which Pets Alive is the last chance at happiness."
More information can be found at petsalive.com.
-- Neal Weiss, Los Angeles
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