RYAN HENRY – HELPING INNOCENT ANIMALS FIND LOVING HOMES

“Bless the beasts and the children, for in this world they have no voice, they have no choice.”

The Carpenters

Like most children, Ryan Henry grew up with a fondness for animals of all kinds.  Dogs, cats, hamsters, horses, cows…… anything furry and alive!  This love evolved into passion one Sunday morning in March of 2009.

“As my family and I were walking toward our church building, I heard a tiny meow coming from a bush.  I wasn’t even sure of what I heard, but I knew there was something alive in that bush.  After we spent a while trying to coax the animal out of the bush, he dashed under a parked vehicle.  I crawled under the vehicle in my church dress to rescue the most malnourished, scared, helpless kitten I had ever seen.  That kitten is now a healthy, beautiful full-grown cat named BlackJack who sleeps on my bed every night. “

BlackJack inspired Ryan to encourage others to adopt homeless animals.  Through her Homeless Animal Adoption campaign, she hopes to reach people on behalf of needy animals.  Her approach is to educate people about responsible pet ownership, encourage people to spay and neuter their pets, and spread the word about the joy of pet adoption.

Working with PetSmart Charities has allowed Ryan to directly aid in the adoption of homeless animals.  On Saturday mornings, PetSmart allows local animals shelters to showcase their adoptable pets to customers of PetSmart.  Ryan has also volunteered her time to local animal shelters and continues to share her campaign to benefit the 5 million homeless animals that find their way to animal shelters each year.

Recently, legislation supporting tougher animal cruelty laws has been discussed by the Mississippi House of Representatives.  Current Mississippi law counts intentional cruelty to animals as a misdemeanor.  Ryan is working hard in her community to raise awareness and support for this bill.

“I hope my efforts will help reduce the number of animals who are euthanized each year and increase the number of animals who find loving owners!”