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Press Conference 56k or 300k |
FOR
IMMEDIATE RELEASE June 25, 2002 PR-162-02 www.nyc.gov |
MAYOR MICHAEL R. BLOOMBERG ANNOUNCES DOGNY SCULPTURE PROJECT TO BENEFIT
CANINE SEARCH AND RESCUE HEROES
Life-Sized Search
and Rescue Dog Sculptures to Appear
throughout
New York City
Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg today announced the beginning of the American
Kennel Club's DOGNY sculpture project, which will place up to 300
life-size dog statues in public spaces throughout New York City this
summer, primarily in front of police stations and fire houses and
in parks. The dog sculptures will be on display from August through
November, marking the one-year commemoration of September 11th, before
being sold at an auction. The statues will be auctioned at a later
date and all proceeds will support America's search and rescue dog
organizations, including the NYPD
Canine Unit. The Mayor was joined at the announcement by the creator
of DOGNY, American Kennel Club Vice President Dennis B. Sprung, Chairman
of the American Kennel Club Ron Menaker, Lt. Dan Donadio and two members
of the NYPD Emergency Service Canine Unit, Appollo and Kiefer, with
their handlers Police Officers Peter Davis and Christopher Hanley.
"New York City is grateful for the canine teams from across the country who responded to the search and rescue efforts of September 11th," said Mayor Bloomberg. "We are delighted to pay tribute to their contributions and display these sculptures in a public forum."
"The events of September 11th brought to the public's attention the valuable work that Search and Rescue teams perform on a regular basis," said Dennis Sprung. "It is our hope that the DOGNY project will serve as a tribute to the tireless efforts of these canine teams and raise funds needed to help them continue their efforts."
Honorary Chairs
for the program include Mayor Bloomberg, Governor George E. Pataki,
former Mayor Rudolph W. Giuliani, New York Fire Commissioner Nicholas
Scoppetta and New York Police Commissioner Raymond Kelly. All net
proceeds will go to volunteer and professional search and rescue organizations
throughout the United States through the American Kennel Club (AKC)
Companion Animal Recovery Corporation Canine Support and Relief Fund.
Three hundred dog and handler teams from as far away as Washington,
California, Texas, Utah and Puerto Rico participated in the search
and rescue missions associated with the events of September 11th.
A majority of these organizations are volunteer-based and rely on
donations to fund their training, equipment and deployment needs.
The AKC provided assistance to many of these organizations and established
DOGNY to honor volunteer and professional search and rescue dog teams
throughout the United States. "Our work in canine search and
rescue is more important than ever, " said Lt. Dan Donadio of
the NYPD Canine Unit. "That is why we appreciate all the help
and support we receive from great organizations like the American
Kennel Club."
Professional and amateur artists have submitted more than 200 designs, which will be presented to sponsors for possible production. Some sponsors are directly commissioning designs from the artists of their choice. The Iams Company is sponsoring twenty sculptures as part of the tribute to search and rescue dogs.
Through a collaborative effort with the Hartz Mountain Corporation, a specially licensed "Help a Hero" DOGNY dog toy was created. Starting this August, the toy will be sold at pet supplies stores throughout the United States. Hartz will donate a portion of the proceeds to the AKC Companion Canine Support and Relief Fund. As a result of this collaboration, the New York Yankees have designated August 24, 2002, "DOGNY Day" at their home game.
The AKC, founded
in 1884, maintains the largest registry of purebred dogs in the world,
is responsible for overseeing the governance of the sport of purebred
dogs, and keeps records of competitive results. For DOGNY sponsorship
opportunities, contact the American Kennel Club at 1-866-DOGNY-911
or visit www.DOGNY.org.
www.nyc.gov
Contact: | Ed
Skyler / Megan Sheekey (212) 788-2958 |
Carla
Cicalese (DOGNY) (212) 843-8293 |