Patrick McDonnell may have the soul of an artist, but he has the heart of every shelter animal seeking a forever home. The creator of MUTTS comic strip, McDonnell is a huge animal advocate. His website features a section called THE WUV that focuses on shelter stories and getting the personal tales of the dogs, cats, and other animals who are looking for families to love and love them. He recently appeared in a segment for the popular web-series, SHELTER ME, to share his experience at the only public, open-admissions animal shelter in New York City, Animal Care Centers of NYC (ACC). His visit spawned a week of MUTTS inspired by the experience that began appearing in the King Features distributed comic strip in February.
In a VIMEO article by Steven Latham, McDonnell shares of his experience, “I wasn’t sure what to expect when I arrived at ACC of NYC, but what I found was dedicated, driven staff and volunteers, actively involved rescue groups, a supportive community, and adoptable, loving animals. ACC is rapidly becoming a role model for large-scale city shelters, and NYC should be proud of all that has been accomplished. It was an uplifting experience and led me to create a series of MUTTS strips based on my visit there. My hope is that by telling these stories, readers will be inspired to support their local shelters and to adopt a new best buddy.”
You can find McDonnell’s books, like Shelter Stories and Guardians of Being, at retailers like Amazon and Barnes & Noble
