Adoption Event Focuses on Animals Waiting More Than One Year to Find a New Home

A NEW YEAR, A NEW HOME ... January 13th and 14th, 2007

(Gilbert, Arizona) Are you waiting for that special someone; that mister or miss "right?" Perhaps you're looking to "grow your family?" Friends for Life Animal Sanctuary may have that special someone you've been looking for.

Join Friends for Life for the "A New Year, a New Home" event which will honor the 14 wonderful cats, and 11 fantastic dogs who have been residing at Friends for Life for nearly a year or more, while waiting for their forever families.

The event will take place on Saturday, January 13th from 10am-5pm at the Friends for Life adoption center, located at 143 W. Vaughn Avenue in Gilbert. Friends for Life volunteers and "New Year" cats and dogs will also be available from 10am-3pm on Saturday, January 13th and Sunday, January 14th from 10am-3pm at the PetsMart Luv-a-Pet adoption center, located at 1733 S. Stapley Dr.

"These are fantastic animals. It's difficult to understand why they are still waiting to find their families," said Friends for Life volunteer, and on-site caregiver Erica Wellman.

Friends for Life volunteer spokesperson Jannelle Cosgriff said, "From what we can gather, it seems the public perception is that because Friends for Life does not limit the amount of time that we will care for an animal before it must find it's family, these animals are safe and people believe that they should adopt elsewhere, but the reality is that a year is a long time to live in a shelter environment, and our volunteers cannot conduct our next rescue until the animals currently in our care find homes."

Friends for Life Animal Sanctuary is a registered nonprofit, no-kill, volunteer based organization that focuses on rescuing stray animals from off of the streets and the rural desert areas of our communities. Established in 1993, Friends for Life has approximately 100 cats and dogs in it's care at any given time, and has placed more than 10,000 cats and dogs into loving homes. The organization promotes spay and neuter as the answer to animal overpopulation and offers a low-cost spay and neuter program to the public. To contact Friendsfor Life Animal Sanctuary call 480-497-8296 or e-mail info@azfriends.org.

Animal Wellness Symposium & Pizza Party

Everyone wants the gift of good health, including our companion animals.

Join Friends for Life Animal Sanctuary on Thursday, January 18th, 2007, at the Gilbert Community Center located at 100 N. Oak (two blocks North of Elliot and two blocks West of Gilbert Rd) from 6:30-8:30 p.m. for a pizza party and animal wellness symposium.

Pizza and soda will be served from 6:30-7:15 p.m. and animal wellness providers will be available to answer questions. At 7:15 p.m., Marla Steele, Reiki master and animal communicator will conduct a presentation and live demonstration of Reiki healing for animals.

Reiki, a Japanese healing method using energy focuses primarily on the electromagnetic field surrounding the body and can be used to increase circulation, reduce or eliminate pain, boost the immune system, bring emotions into balance, improve digestion, detoxify, lower blood pressure, and/or assist in the grieving process.

Seating can be reserved on line for just a $12.00, tax deductible donation to Friends for Life. Seating is limited, so reserve your seats now. To reserve seats on line, visit http://animalwellness.eventbrite.com/

Friends for Life is a registered, non-profit, 501(c)3, volunteer based, no-kill animal organization. For additional information about Friends for Life, visit: http://www.azfriends.org/ or call (480) 497-8296.