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Designer clothing, handbags, shoes, jewelry, home décor, and animal rescue organizations. What do these all have in common? The answer is absolutely nothing, until you step foot into Gramercy’s trendy thrift shop, Cauz for Pawz.

The store, located at 212 East 23^rd Street, may appear like other thrift shops surrounding it, presenting its latest merchandise on the mannequins, visible to passerbys from the front windows. However, this store has set itself apart from the rest, vowing its dedication to helping and protecting animals in need. Cauz for Pawz generates revenue by selling gently used items, ranging from clothes, to accessories, to home furnishings, which “provides animal welfare organizations, rescues and no-kill shelters with financial funds and supplies,” according to its website.

Some of the recipients of these funds include organizations such as Woof NYC Dog Rescue, Ferils in Peril, Riddles Elephant Sanctuary, Mighty Mutts, Out of the Pitts, Social Tees Animal Rescue, and Hooves and Paws Rescue. The “Wall of Fame” displays photographs of local animals that belong to owners who support the efforts of Cauz for Pawz or have made a contribution of any kind. In the center of the collage of photos rests a list of organizations that the store has donated to, however, since the shop’s grand opening in 2010, Cauz for Pawz has donated funds to over 40 no-kill shelters throughout the country.

Cathryn Duhigg, a lifelong animal lover and the owner of Cauz for Pawz, opened the shop thinking that it would simply be a store dedicated solely to raising money for shelters. With time, this vision took a bit of a turn, as people began to view the store as a haven for animals in need. Currently, the store acts as a home to Buster, a Chihuahua mix that was abandoned and left to die in the backyard of a Queens home. A regular customer and friend of Duhigg, who wishes to remain anonymous, was horrified to find the condition in which Buster was left, and immediately brought him to the store. Today, Buster spends most of his days prancing around the upper level of the store, or lying behind the counter watching the customers as they pass by. Duhigg is in the process of finding Buster a permanent home, but in the meantime he seems quite comfortable just where he is.

Love animals? Love fashion? Look no further than 23rd Street between Second Avenue and Third Avenue.

Contact Cauz for Pawz:
212 East 23rd Street
New York, NY 10010

Hours of Operation:
Monday-Saturday: 10am-8pm
Sunday: 11am-7pm

Designer clothing, handbags, shoes, jewelry, home décor, and animal rescue organizations. What do these all have in common? The answer is absolutely nothing, until you step foot into Gramercy’s trendy thrift shop, Cauz for Pawz.

At first glance, the store may appear like any other thrift shop until you take a closer look behind the counter. How many stores have you been to lately where a tiny dog sits by the register? Currently, the store acts as a home to Buster, a Chihuahua mix that was abandoned and left to die in the backyard of a Queens home. An anonymous customer and friend of Cathryn Duhigg, owner and founder of Cauz for Pawz, was horrified to find the condition in which Buster was left, and immediately brought him to the store. Today, Buster spends most of his days prancing around the upper level of the store, or lying behind the counter watching the customers as they pass by. Duhigg is in the process of finding Buster a permanent home, but in the meantime he seems quite comfortable just where he is.

Although Buster has been the main attraction lately, the store offers much more than a cute dog to gawk over. What makes Cauz for Paws so unique is its dedication to helping and protecting animals in need. Cauz for Pawz generates revenue by selling gently used items, ranging from clothes, to accessories, to home furnishings, which “provides animal welfare organizations, rescues and no-kill shelters with financial funds and supplies,” according to its website.

Some of the recipients of these funds include organizations such as Woof NYC Dog Rescue, Ferils in Peril, Riddles Elephant Sanctuary, Mighty Mutts, Out of the Pitts, Social Tees Animal Rescue, and Hooves and Paws Rescue. The “Wall of Fame” displays photographs of local animals that belong to owners who support the efforts of Cauz for Pawz or have made a contribution of any kind. In the center of the collage of photos rests a list of organizations that the store has donated to, however, since the shop’s grand opening in 2010, Cauz for Pawz has donated funds to over 40 no-kill shelters throughout the country.

The success generated by this one store can be attributed to the devotion of Duhigg, a lifelong animal lover and owner of several adopted pets, opened the shop thinking that it would simply be a store dedicated solely to raising money for shelters. With time, this vision took a bit of a turn, as people began to view the store as a haven for animals in need, which explains Buster’s temporary stay in the shop.

Love animals? Love fashion? Look no further than 23rd Street between Second Avenue and Third Avenue. Buy something that makes you look good, and feel good while doing it.

Contact Cauz for Pawz:
212 East 23rd Street
New York, NY 10010

Hours of Operation:
Monday-Saturday: 10am-8pm
Sunday: 11am-7pm

An ASPCA van containing cats for adoption on the corner of First Avenue and 18th Street.

“I went out today to go shopping but I didn’t expect to be bringing home a cat instead of a pair of shoes,” said Evelyn James, 28, who lives in Stuyvesant Town in Manhattan.

This was the beginning of an exciting conversation I shared with James one afternoon as we stood beside an ASPCA van at one of their mobile adoption events. As an animal lover myself, and someone who was raised by a family that has adopted several dogs over the years, I was intrigued by James’ decision to adopt that day.

I met James, who currently has no pets and had no intentions of getting one in the near future, while walking to Starbucks one recent afternoon. I noticed a group of people huddled around an orange van on the corner of First Avenue and East 18^th Street. Out of curiosity I decided to take a look at what was going on, and as I drew nearer I could see that branded across the side of the van were the letters “ASPCA.” Better yet, the van was filled with cats and kittens, all of which were up for adoption by the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals.

“I hope my boyfriend isn’t allergic to cats,” she said with a chuckle. James explained that while growing up, her family always had a cat in the home. Since moving out of the house, she always felt her apartment was lacking something without a furry friend to come home to.

An orange Tabby cat that was adopted at the mobile adoption event.

Thanks to an impulse decision, this little guy will finally have a home for the first time. The two-year-old Tabby mix has known nothing but a life of neglect and abandonment.

“He was found on a street in the Bronx, with matted fur and bones sticking out,” explained Dan Rizzo, an ASPCA volunteer working at the pop-up adoption van. “We believe he probably belonged to someone at some point because he seemed pretty comfortable around people and his nails looked like they hadn’t been clipped too long ago.”

Pet adoption is a process that benefits both the animals being rescued, as well as the adopters themselves. Despite the large amount of dogs, cats, and other animals that live in shelters and need to go home to a loving family, many people continue to buy animals from pet stores. It is my hope that by promoting the mobile adoption events that the ASPCA holds, people will become curious about adoption and feel compelled to take further action.

The ASPCA has several of these “mobile adoption events” throughout the city, which have so far been a great success. All of the pets presented are spayed and neutered, up-to-date on vaccinations, and micro chipped.

“It’s one thing to look at pictures of the cats and dogs we have up for adoption on our website, but it’s a completely different story when a person sees an animal in person and can’t help but fall in love,” Rizzo said.

The van was surrounded by men, women, and children of all ages. Most people looking through the glass at the available cats were people simply admiring the tiny kittens, yet there were a few interested people who were interested in either adopting one of the cats within the van, or another cat that the ASPCA has available at the main headquarters at 424 East 92^nd Street. People stood around the van and observed these cats and kittens, which ranged in size, color, age, and breed.

According to national estimates released by the ASPCA, 41 percent of cats, and 31 percent of dogs, entering shelters are eventually euthanized, so the ASPCA strongly advocates the spaying or neutering of pets. Besides just having mobile adoption events, they also offer low cost spaying and neutering services at several of their mobile clinics throughout the five boroughs.

It warmed my heart to watch Evelyn hold her new cat for the first time with a smile from ear to ear. Finding this ASPCA van was an unexpected, but gratifying, detour. Eventually I did make it to Starbucks after a few minutes of obsessing over the kittens and considering how mad my roommates would be if I actually brought one home. Kittens and coffee… not a bad way to begin my day.

My very satisfying hazelnut iced coffee. Apparently my name is not Nicole… It’s Michol.

Contact the ASPCA Adoption Center:
424 East 92nd Street
New York, NY 10128
www.aspca.org
(212) 876-7700 ext. 4120

Hours of Operation:
Monday-Saturday: 11am-7pm
Sunday: 11am-6pm

“I went out today to go shopping but I didn’t expect to be bringing home a cat instead of a pair of shoes,” said Evelyn James, 28, who lives in Stuyvesant Town in Manhattan.

This was the beginning of an exciting conversation I shared with James one afternoon as we stood beside an ASPCA van at one of their mobile adoption events. As an animal lover myself, and someone who was raised by a family that has adopted several dogs over the years, I was intrigued by James’ decision to adopt that day.

I met James, who currently has no pets and had no intentions of getting one in the near future, while walking to Starbucks one recent afternoon. I noticed a group of people huddled around an orange van on the corner of First Avenue and East 18^th Street. Out of curiosity I decided to take a look at what was going on, and as I drew nearer I could see that branded across the side of the van were the letters “ASPCA.” Better yet, the van was filled with cats and kittens, all of which were up for adoption by the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals.

“I hope my boyfriend isn’t allergic to cats,” she said with a chuckle. James explained that while growing up, her family always had a cat in the home. Since moving out of the house, she always felt her apartment was lacking something without a furry friend to come home to.

An orange Tabby cat that was adopted at the mobile adoption event.