"It's Unreal To Watch Animals Recover And Have A Chance To Be A Dog For The First Time In Their Lives”: All About Social Tees Animal Rescue

1. Name?
Social Tees Animal Rescue.

2. Where are you located?
Our office is in the East Village (443 East 9th Street), but that is just for admin, adoption meetings, etc. We don't keep our animals onsite; all of them are in foster homes.

3. When were you founded?
Social Tees officially became a non-profit in 2001, but it started as a tee shirt company (hence the weird name lol) about a decade or so before that.

4. Please tell us about Social Tees NYC?
(Please note that our official name is Social Tees Animal Rescue; Social Tees NYC is just our insta handle.) Social Tees is a 501c3 non-profit based in NYC. We take animals in from shelters where they are at risk of euthanasia, and we find them stable, long-term, loving forever homes. All of our animals are in foster homes while they wait to be adopted. Years ago, most of our animals were kept onsite at an old location, but we changed our model to be foster based because we believe it's much healthier for the animals to live in a home with one-on-one attention, and it's much easier to make an accurate forever home match because we learn a lot about each animal in a home setting that we can't if they live in cages. We rescue animals in need in the NYC area and work with partners in Tennessee and Los Angeles to bring animals from those areas to New York. The euthanasia rates are much higher in those areas, so we rescue animals from out of state on top of the rescue we do here because the demand here for dogs is so high, and they would otherwise be euthanized in those places. Most northeast rescue groups do the same. We are currently working on building a new relationship with a group in Texas.

5. How did you get this started?
I didn't start Social Tees. The founder was the gentleman who started this as a tee shirt company and then turned it into an animal rescue. (The founder and the organization parted ways a few years ago.) It was pretty much a one man show until about 8 years ago when I joined as a volunteer. Over the years, I and a few other women who now run the rescue transformed it into a group that is a big crazy family of mostly women, who work tirelessly together and have a great time doing it. Social Tees has done a 180 in the last 8 years. We now have a large social media community, a big volunteer staff divided into teams of people who manage different responsibilities such as processing applications and managing foster homes. We are highly organized and thorough, and we have created a healthy atmosphere of support, learning, and growing.

6. What is your process for saving the animals and find them homes?
We take animals out of shelters where they are at risk of euthanasia, either ourselves or via our partners. When the animals come from TN, they are driven up overnight. When they come from Los Angeles, they fly usually overnight. When they arrive, they go into foster homes to decompress and get the veterinary attention, training, etc. they need. Our team is in close contact with their foster parents, and, when we've decided they are ready for adoption, we list them publicly and post about them on social media. Our adoption application is pretty intense because we try as hard as we can to make a solid match that will last the lifetime of the animal. When we have an approved applicant, we set up a call or facetime between the applicant and the foster home, and, if that goes well, we do an in-person meeting and finalize the adoption.

7. How many animals have you saved?
Since we started? I don't know because numbers weren't tracked carefully by the founder, but I would estimate around 15,000 or more since 2001. Currently, we rescue and place around 600 animals a year, and, as we continue to expand our team, we plan to grow that number.

8. Tell me about how difficult it is to examine animals for injuries or malnutrition, and arrange for any necessary medical treatment. Does it bother you?
Most of the animals we rescue have experienced some degree of neglect or abuse, so almost all of them have some kind of condition or injury that needs treatment: it can be as common and simple as intestinal parasites, ear infections, or minor bumps and bruises, or it can be very extreme such as injuries requiring emergency surgery, chronic conditions like diabetes, dental disease requiring all teeth to be removed, eye injuries or infections requiring eye removals, extreme emaciation from starvation, etc. We rescued a dog in the parking lot of a shelter in California once that a man was carrying toward the shelter doors where he planned to drop him off. The dog had a bloody eye hanging out of its socket at the time, and the dog was shaking. The man claimed it was his dog, and that he didn't know how it had happened, but our vet said it was probably from blunt trauma. We took the dog from him and rushed the dog to the emergency room where he had his eye removed. He's mostly blind, but he's now an incredibly happy and healthy animal with his own Instagram account living in NY. It's extremely hard and emotional to see animals in a state indicating they have been uncared for, mistreated, or even abused by people. It's very discouraging, but the humans on the rescue side provide everything and more that the animals lacked before they came to us. Our volunteers and foster parents are unbelievably generous, kind, self-sacrificing, patient, and compassionate, and it's unreal to watch animals recover and have a chance to be a dog for the first time in their lives.

Photography sourced from @socialteesnyc.

9. Why are there so many animals in need of rescue? Do the adoption practices need to be tightened up? If so, what would that be?
The main problem is a lack of education and laws preventing breeding/enforcing spay neuter. Laws are changing slowly in certain parts of the country, and awareness about rescue grows every day, but the problem is still enormous. The adoption process at rescue groups is generally strict, but at municipal or open intake shelters, they generally don't have the luxury of being so strict. As a result, those adoptions are less often responsible matches. There is almost no process if you buy an animal from a pet store or many breeders, and many people "backyard breed" and sell animals to whoever has money via Craigslist, etc.

10. Do you have pets of your own? If so what are there names?
Yep. Three dogs (Ginger, Presley, and Loretta -- all Shih Tzus) and a cat (Frank).

11. Any tips on owning a dog?
Tons! That question is too broad to answer without writing a novel lol. My number one tip for considering adopting one though is do your research on different breeds and try fostering before you commit. Owning an animal is a massive commitment and a life change, and each individual and breed has different needs, so you'll want to make sure you adopt one that works for your lifestyle with regard to personality, exercise requirements, etc. Don't get a dog because you like the way the breed looks; that's a recipe for disaster. Lots of people get Australian Shepherds, for instance, because they're gorgeous. These animals were bred to be constantly learning, moving, and doing jobs, and they need a ton of exercise, training, and mental stimulation. They're often anxious in the city and/or with owners who can't meet their needs. And, they shed a ton, so they're not a good match for neat freaks.

12. Any tips on owning a cat?
Cats are much lower maintenance than dogs and a much less dramatic lifestyle change. Definitely foster before adopting if you don't have cat experience. If you're interested in kittens, never get a single kitten, always get a pair. Cats are not meant to grow up alone without a companion kitty. Without companionship they often exhibit unwanted behavior due to frustrated personalities if they are raised alone. Having a single kitten is selfish, it's like if you were never allowed to play with other kids when you were little. Two isn't really more work than one.

13. How can we get involved and help out?
Spread the word! The more people learn about rescue, the more people adopt, the more lives are saved and eventually we won't have to rescue animals anymore. The system will change so animals won't be in need. Sharing our stuff via social media, talking to friends, and writing articles are important for us. We are on volunteer hold right now, but we often need new volunteers. We ALWAYS need donations because our vet bills are extremely high and we're trying to expand our team so we can have a more sustainable system.

Photography of Samantha Brody sourced from @socialteesnyc.

14. Motto in life?
I took 9. Jk, sort of. We face a lot of struggles, so we often remind each other that this too shall pass. Above all, all of us do whatever it takes to keep our animals safe: the animals' health and well-being always come first.

15. Website?
socialteesnyc.org

16. Intsagram?
@socialteesnyc

Article by Alison Hernon, Editor-In-Chief, PhotoBook Magazine.

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