The Lily Pond
NONPROFIT ANIMAL SANCTUARY AND GARDENS
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The arrival of Spring was much later than expected, but as beautiful as ever. Tiny buds finally appeared in early May, blossoming into glorious bursts of color. A deer and her baby fawn graze in the meadow and a family of geese are teaching three new goslings to swim in the pond. Mornings are accompanied by birdsong and evenings by the bullfrogs and peepers who chirp and croak the ponds back to life.
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Behold, Zaffa's Contemporary Multi-Media Art Installation "Sofa With Feathers"
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Well, it finally happened. Zaffa ate the couch. Of course, we are obligated to point out that this is only our view of the matter. Zaffa was quite proud of his handiwork, calling it the result of inspired artistic genius. He patiently explained that it expresses "the postmodern existential crisis and psychological enmeshment of life in contemporary society."
"It does not," we replied. You were just upset because we wouldn't let you chase the delivery guy."
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"Precisely!" he barked. "I channelled my thwarted instincts into healthy creative pursuit. The juxtaposition of controlled balance, as evidenced by the careful placement of pillows, amidst the chaos of feathers is nothing short of sublime. I'm waiting for a call from a Manhattan gallery any minute."
"That's it," we said. "Time to go channel your instincts into less destructive activities like playing ball in the yard. Although, come to think of it, we noticed the shredded remains of what used to be your tennis ball scattered all over the grass..."
"Oh! I'm glad you reminded me of that," Zaffa woofed. "I'll add it to the gallery exhibit. Of course, if you wish to retain these valuable works onsite, the bidding starts at $1 million..."
Artist Bio
Zaffa joined The Lily Pond family in October 2015. He had been dumped at Brooklyn Animal Care and Control, and we received an email notification late one Thursday night that he was scheduled to be destroyed by noon the next day. We rushed down the next morning and pulled him just in time. What we saw that morning was heartbreaking. He was thin and emaciated, with ribs showing and bald patches due to lack of nutrition. All four paws were bloody. He had kennel cough and a runny nose. His eyes were sad and wary; his spirit completely broken.
We learned that he had lost his original owner in a fatal bicycle accident. He found himself shuffled to a new owner, who kept him in the basement 24/7 and used abusive methods to "train" him as a guard dog. However, the owner got tired of caring for his guard dog and after months of neglect, dumped him at the shelter.
Zaffa's rehabilitation took time and was not without challenges. We attended to all his medical needs - including having him neutered - and enrolled him in dog obedience classes. Slowly, he began to put on weight and his fur began to grow back. He got stronger. One day, we noticed a bounce to his step and a light in his eye that had not been there before. We will be forever grateful to Teddi and Chris, who fostered Zaffa during our transition to the sanctuary's current location. They taught him basic obedience and showered him with affection. Now our smart, handsome boy is the official guard dog at the sanctuary, protecting us from the menace of squirrels and creating multi-media art in his spare time.
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BEFORE: Zaffa at the shelter
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First Annual Earth Day Celebration!
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On April 22nd, The Lily Pond hosted a small gathering of individuals to celebrate the beauty and bounty of the Earth and to offer blessings to the planet and all sentient beings.
The day included yoga, the collaborative creation of a 4-foot flower mandala on the land, a bouquet of remembrance, kirtan group song, and a vegetarian farm-to-table lunch and dinner.
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The flower mandala was a beautiful sight to behold, radiating the gratitude and blessings exchanged throughout the day. Participants focused on putting the energy of harmony and cooperation into the land as we selected multi-colored petals, blossoms, leaves, pine cones, and crystals for the mandala. The eucalyptus leaves shimmered as they caught the sunlight while waving in the breeze. Everyone had a chance to tour the sanctuary and meet our 23 super-awesome rescue animals before we sat down to a celebratory feast with live jazz music. We concluded the day with each person lighting and floating wish lanterns on the pond at sunset. Magic was happening here as we welcomed spring and individually focused on manifesting our hopes and dreams.
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We're so grateful to all who participated in the Earth Day celebration and made it such a special day. A big round of applause to Lorna McMurray, Gretchen Behr-Svendson, and Ollie Westfall for volunteering to help with pre- and post event organization. How delighted we were with the culinary genius of caterers Lori Stern and Alex Roberts, who designed the tasty menu based on the seasonal produce available from local surrounding organic farms.
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We were even lucky enough to have some of the very people responsible for growing the produce in attendance at dinner! Our gratitude to instructor Zoey Wagner for helping us kick off the event with balancing, heart-centered yoga. And finally, very special thanks to Lorna McMurray for her beautiful singing and co-leadership of the day's activities.
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Colorful and delicious food sourced from local farms and prepared by the amazing Lori Stern and Alex Roberts
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It is with deep sadness and broken hearts that we share with you the unexpected passing of our beloved kitten Cedric.
Cedric was part of the British Invasion, one of three kittens that former stray cat Viz gave birth to under our deck last summer. We began feeding them and finally managed to trap all four so that they could be vetted, vaccinated, and spayed/neutered. But Viz decided she much preferred life at the sanctuary, thank you very much. They adopted us and decided to stay.
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Cedric was happy and playful, chasing toys, hanging from curtains, and charming everyone. Then he started sneezing and developed a stuffy nose in April. We've dealt with kitty colds before and got him on antibiotics. Three days into his treatment, he was showing improvement and could breathe through his nose again. He was still eating, drinking, and using the litter box. Thus, it was a terrible shock to discover the morning of the fourth day that he had passed during the night.
The Lily Pond takes in seniors and provides hospice to terminally ill animals, so loss is an unfortunate part of our lives here at the sanctuary. However, Cedric's passing was particularly devastating given his young age and lack of signs that something was terribly wrong. We spent a lot of time examining events and searching for answers. We spoke with our veterinarian and other experienced cat owners, and have concluded that Cedric's death was due to a heart attack or congenital issue.
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Barnaby (above) and Nigel (below)
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We're glad to share that Cedric's brothers, Barnaby and Nigel, are now a year old and thriving at the sanctuary. Barnaby is a cuddle bug and Nigel pursues feathered cat toys and flying insects with gleeful abandon. They both love to annoy their mom Viz, who swats at them when they try to steal her favorite spot on the sofa. Cedric would be proud.
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Cedric, you were a joy and a delight with your playful ways, affectionate nature, and those adorable crossed eyes. We are so grateful that you were part of our family, even if only for a short time. You have your angel wings now and your spirit will always have a home here. Rest in peace, beautiful boy. Light, love, and blessings to you.
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Ollie Westfall is the contractor who built the parrot aviary, and also volunteered to help with the indoor perches!
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A heartfelt THANK YOU to our donors, sponsors, and volunteers! You're superstars!!
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- Anonymous (4)
- Gretchen Behr-Svendson
- Faith Connolly
- Denise Elmendorf
- Drew, Katie, and McKenna Gibson
- Wayne Green
- Carol Guerin
- Kelly Kilmer
- Lisa Lerner
- Sarah Lipsky
- Lorna McMurray
- Doug Rigg
- Madaline Sparks
- Sheree Surdam
- Stephanie Stanton Norbet
- Lorie & Bart Trotter
- Ollie Westfall
- Adrienne Yeardye
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We are so grateful for your interest in helping The Lily Pond sanctuary to provide a home and quality care to animals in need. Your support makes a BIG difference and is greatly appreciated!!
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Mission Statement:
The Lily Pond is a nonprofit animal sanctuary that brings people, animals, and nature together in healing partnership. The sanctuary provides a home and lifetime quality care to cats, dogs, horses, and parrots in need.
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