Ralph got to see his old home on the news, in a piece about Mission Orange, a campaign aiming to encourage as many New Yorkers as possible to adopt a pet and save city animals from euthanasia, yesterday.

“In New York City, just for Animal Care and Control is what I can speak for, we euthanized 19,000 in the past year, that’s cats and dogs,” said Liz Keller of Animal Care and Control.

The goal of Mission Orange is to create humane communities, where animal control agencies and shelters do not have to kill adoptable animals because they do not have space or funding. The strategy also includes increasing the amount of spayed and neutered animals.

…snip…

“Our goal is to really become a city where no cat or dog is killed simply because he or she does not have a home at this time,” added Jane Hoffman of the Mayor’s Alliance for NYC Animals. “We are on a good way to our goal. We are not there yet but we have reduced euthanasia to below 50 percent.”

The ASPCA says there are still some 20,000 furry friends citywide in need of a loving home.

Check out this info before heading to the 92nd Street ASPCA Adoption Center in Manhattan. And make sure to say hi to the cutest three-legged New Yorker, Asparagus (I’d so be there to adopt him in the morning if I could).