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NEUTERING ME MEANS 3,200 LESS
HOMELESS CATS ON THE STREETS OF
ISRAEL IN A FEW YEARS.
Meow Mitzvah Mission of Israel is a 50I(c)3 organization dedicated to solving
the stray and feral cat epidemic that plaques the streets and neighborhoods of Israel,
and in doing so, improve community health, the environment, and the quality of life for
the people (and cats) in Israel.
Hank the dog was a part of Emily Fellows and Brandon Gorge's wedding.
Calling it "lovely and very meaningful"
Marci Coggan of Commerce Township
said her nephew Aaron Wigod, a former
Detroiter, "had his two humongous dogs
— possibly Newfoundlands — walk down
the aisle bedecked in flower garlands"
at his 2012 wedding. The dogs did not
attend the dinner for Wigod, his wife,
Ashley, and guests at Oregon's Timberline
Lodge on Mount Hood.
Rachel Jaffe, 14, of West Bloomfield was
a junior bridesmaid with a big responsibil-
ity at her cousin Emily Fellows' wedding
this year at the pet-friendly Townsend
Hotel in Birmingham.
Accompanying two family pets during
the processional was "my favorite part of
the entire wedding," said Rachel. In addi-
tion to Hank, who belongs to the couple,
she had his brother Charlie, owned by the
bridegroom's parents Michael and Wendy
Gorge.
Before walking out herself, the bride
heard guests "laughing and gasping"
while Rachel escorted the dogs.
"It's not every day that two 70-pound
Labradoodles walk down a lace-lined
aisle," Fellows noted.
A special wedding memory happened
when "Hank was brought to me to say
goodbye' for the night" Fellows said. "He
jumped up on me — one paw on my
dress, one paw in my bouquet"
Fellows remembered thinking to
herself, can't believe ... I am having a
moment where it's just Hank and me ..:
Thankfully, there were no paw prints on
my dress"
Susan Adler Shanteau of Farmington
Hills said the parents, aunts and uncles
were all surprised when her daughter
Michelle and now son-in-law Bruce
Twersky said their two dogs, Marley and
Izzy, would be in their wedding at Desert
Botanical Gardens in Phoenix.
"While they are sweet animals, they
are not perfectly well-behaved" Shanteau
said. The bride and groom, however,
were certain the dogs could walk down
the aisle without incident.
As everyone lined up for the proces-
sional, one of the bridegroom's friends at
the beginning had both dogs on leashes.
"The music began, and the dogs
participated without a hitch," she said.
"There was much laughing from the
guests, and the dogs were led away right
after their star performances:'
Leah (Wiseman) Fink, originally from
West Bloomfield, also had her dog take
part in her nuptials. "Isis, our Golden
WITH OUR P.E.A.C.E. INITIATIVE, WE WILL...
Retriever mix who passed away last
year, was a central part of our November
2010 wedding" said Fink, now living in
Brooklyn. She met the beloved pet from
the man she married, John Kutinsky of
Colorado.
"We knew we wanted her to be our
`flower dog:" Fink said. "When we
were looking at venues [they chose the
Townsend Hotel], my mom was kind
of embarrassed that the first question
I would ask was if dogs were allowed
there. Our rabbi, Harold Loss, was also
skeptical, wondering if it was fair to the
dog"
But Isis came through with flying
colors.
"People at the wedding loved that she
was part of the ceremony and that she
walked us into the reception" Fink said.
The couple is grateful that Isis joined
their wedding.
"She was such a big part of our lives,
it only made sense for her to be a part of
that, too. And now that she's gone, I'm
happy that we have that as a part of our
memory of her"
Kezzie Chudler of Berkley, born in the
United Kingdom, was in her late teens
when she acquired her mixed-breed dog,
Lucy, from the local Humane Society.
Married to Jonathan Chudler, who
grew up in West Bloomfield, she said, "I
always knew I couldn't marry someone
who didn't love my dog. Lucy was a fam-
ily member, so it seemed natural to have
her there on our big day.
"Any dog person would understand:'
As guest of honor at their 2004 wed-
ding in Birmingham, Lucy walked down
the aisle with a collar and leash in the
same color as the bridesmaid dresses.
The Chudlers planned on having a
friend bring Lucy home after the outdoor
ceremony, "but because our dog was so
well-behaved, the [venue] management
invited her to stay for the reception
indoors"
Kezzie Chudler fondly recalled the
"friendship dance" at the end of the
reception. While all the guests danced
in a big circle, Lucy ran around in the
middle of it.
"Long after our wedding day, people
talked about how great it was to have
Lucy there" she said.
Suzanne Levin of Pleasant Ridge said
she once attended a wedding in San
Francisco where 12 midwife bridesmaids
carried babies instead of flowers as bou-
quets. But that's another story ...
❑
PROVIDE solutions to effectively reduce and control the street cat
overpopulation problem.
EDUCATE impacted communities about feral and stray cats, our
strategies for solving the overpopulation crisis, and the positive
outcome of our activities.
ADVOCATE for community-based Trap / Neuter / Vaccinate /
Return + Monitor (TNVR+M) programs which includes on-going
responsible management
COLLABORATE with private and public sector organizations to plan
and execute coordinated activities with measurable goals.
ENHANCE the quality of life for the people of Israel, one
neighborhood at a time!
)NATE ONLINE
Visit our website at
www.meowmission.org
MAIL
Make checks payable to:
Meow Mitzvah Mission
of Israel
7071 Orchard Lake Road
Suite 315
West Bloomfield, MI 48322
HOW YOU CAN HELP!
By making a donation to Meow Mitzvah Mission of Israel, you'll
be creating lasting solutions for the people, communities, and
street cats of Israel.
MEOW MiTZVAII MOON OF iSRAEL
FELINE CARE. COMMUNITY HEALTH.
248-846-8000
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October 17 • 2013
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