MANCHESTER – Township students are continuing their unique partnership with All Fur One (AFO) rescue program and, thanks to a third grader, an adoption story has a very happy ending.
Boris the cat has been waiting for his forever home at AFO for a couple of years now. Luckily, 3rd grade student Kyle Jacob from Manchester’s Ridgeway School wrote a letter on his behalf as part of a school assignment.
“Lo and behold, the perfect adopter, Patricia Quintin, saw the letter and knew she had to adopt Boris,” Middle School teacher Kristine LaPorte said.
She added that the student, his teacher, the adopter, and Boris all met up for the adoption. “This assignment was part of the All Fur Education initiative and is a perfect example of engaging students and helping them realize the power of empathy and a little creative writing,” LaPorte said.
LaPorte initiated the partnership through a proposal made to the school district which brings together students with the Toms River based pet adoption agency. The partnership provides a means to engage students and to also meet curriculum standards.
In March, members of the Impact Club at the Manchester Middle School and Ridgeway School held a fundraiser that raised $452.29 for AFO. That money was used toward the rescue effort and care of a group of abandoned kittens.
Ridgeway teacher Robyn Palmer said, “my third graders were excited to take on the personalities of these animals in the hopes to get them adopted. When we found out Kyle’s writing helped to get Boris adopted, my students learned that their writing really could make a difference.”
“This project gave meaning to the art of writing for my students and proved to be a meaningful experience. We look forward to sharing more writing in the future about the animals at All Fur One, and hope that more animals can find their ‘furever’ home,” Palmer added. Palmer’s whole class wrote letters about the cats.
Allie Whitehouse is the president of All Fur One which assists with dogs being adopted as well as cats. “The Manchester School partnership and education initiative, All Fur Education, could not have been possible without Kristine LaPorte. She is an amazing teacher and AFO volunteer. It was her brainchild and she was responsible for this whole amazing program that we hope will one day expand to other districts,” Whitehouse said.
“All Fur One was founded in 2018 by a group of professional women with a passion for animal welfare. Our mission is to create a community focused, pet adoption center run by like-minded volunteers with a passion for rescuing dogs and cats,” Whitehouse added. “AFO strives to reduce the homeless pet population by forming collaborative partnerships with shelters in underserved areas to offer transport, safety and long-term assistance to rescued pets and their future adoptive families.”
She told the story of Boris, who came to them in January of 2020. “He was found, along with his mother, by one of our volunteers near Island Beach State Park. At the time he was about six months old and both were terrified. It took a while for them to adjust to living inside with humans but thanks to his wonderful foster mom – who was the same person that found them – they adjusted very well.
“They became loving cats, still a bit shy but not the same terrified cats that had once lived outside alone. Black cats are always harder to adopt and of course, with Boris not being a kitten anymore and needing some time to adjust to a new home it was difficult finding him a forever home,” Whitehouse said.
She added, “we are so thankful that Kyle picked Boris to write his essay about. Without it, Boris would still be waiting for his forever home.
“There is a big problem in our area with stray and abandoned animals, mostly cats. Many of what the public calls feral were once house pets that were either lost or abandoned by their owners. If they were unaltered, they create even more homeless cats and an endless cycle of new generations,” she said.
How To Help
“We get multiple calls and emails daily asking for help with stray cats and kittens or rehoming of their pets. All rescues wish they could help more and not have to turn people away but we are all non-profits with no funding from local or state government, relying solely on donations and volunteers,” Whitehouse said. “Most rescues desperately need volunteers, fosters and community members that are willing to help with the stray issue and not just ignore it or pass it on to someone else to take care of. Boris and his mother, Natasha, were some of the lucky ones.”
“His foster stopped and helped them, she trapped them and offered them a safe place for them to stay until they found a home,” she said.
Whitehouse said, “AFO is thankful for all our volunteers, supporters, and adopters. We could not be on this amazing, and sometimes heartbreaking, animal rescue journey without them. You can learn more about AFO and how we approach animal welfare on our website allfurone.org.”
Whitehouse’s email address is Allie@allfurone.org and the organization gladly accepts donations of money as well as food. Their address for rescues is 1747 Hooper Avenue, Ste 11 Silverton, Toms River and their facility is located in Anchorage Square behind the 7-Eleven off Hooper Avenue, Toms River.
