Ashley Mutch, the Philadelphia Manager of Pets For Life—a nationally-expanding outreach effort that, relying on an array of strategies, and offering a variety of resources, seeks to help pets and their humans in low-income communities–recounts growing up loving animals, and deciding early on she wanted to make working with them her occupation. 
She recalls her pre-Pets For Life stint as an animal cruelty officer, outlining what the work involved and what constituted the biggest challenges, as well as the most rewarding aspects, of the job. Mutch describes in some detail how Pets For Life functions, what sorts of information, resources and services it offers, emphasizing a nonjudgmental approach when engaging clients and potential clients. As one measure of the effectiveness of this intervention, she cites the percentage of 
pets in these households that are altered prior to visits by Pets For Life (15%), and the percentage afterwards (70%). Mutch notes that Pets For Life has full-fledged locations in Chicago, Atlanta, Los Angeles, and Philadelphia (where Mutch oversees the enterprise) under the auspices of The Humane Society Of The United States, and operates in a somewhat different form in 18 other cities across the country, with five more to be added in the coming months. (www.humanesociety.org/about/departments/pets-for-life/)
ALSO: We spoke briefly with Blanca Hernandez, the founder and president of Furever Yours Pet Rescue, about the mission and work of this relatively new Tampa-based rescue. She goes on describe various facets of their adoption event slated for Aug. 24 at Dogism in Oldsmar. (www.fureveryourspetrescue.com)
COMEDY CORNER: Joe Zimmerman’s “Animal Attacks” (http://www.zimmermancomedy.com)
MUSIC: Rebekah Pulley’s “Talking Animals Theme,” Danielle At The Sandwich’s “Pet Store,” instrumentals
NAME THAT ANIMAL TUNE: Black Sabbath’s “Rat Salad”
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