It is Yeah better than a “tallest mom in the world” coffee mug.
When longtime Palm Beach resident Danielle Hickox Moore – now the incoming mayor – wanted to do something to honor her mother, Lesly Smith, she skipped the mugs and t-shirts and instead gave the main gift to a new pet adoption center at Peggy Adams. Animal Rescue League in West Palm Beach.
On Monday, on an unusually warm morning for the season, former Palm Beach mayor Lesly Smith cut the ribbon for the pet adoption center that bears his name.
The ceremony took place before a crowd deliberately small as a COVID-19 precaution and included brief remarks from Smith.
Smith described the new, state-of-the-art 28,000 square foot facility as having separate common areas for the dogs and a private “cat condo” wing for the cats – “because, you know, they’re cats.”
She continued, “The cat condo has a large window that overlooks the butterfly garden, where cats can just watch the butterflies all day and daydream about how they’re going to kill them.”
>> See the video of the ceremony here.
The facility, funded by private donations, is designed for the best environment for animals and humans who want to give them homes forever.
The Cat Adoption Wing features four large group cat apartments with catios, allowing pets free access to an outdoor area. A central cat tower with condos for cats who prefer to be housed individually – which, when you think about it, is, like, all cats in the world – fills the center of the cat adoption wing, with Cat colony rooms for small groups of related mothers and kittens.
The three dog wings feature large dog adoption rooms for compatible groups of animals as well as individual kennels, all with easy access to outdoor patios. Each dog wing has its own covered outdoor play area for protection from the elements, with fans to circulate air.
The Lesly Smith Pet Adoption Center features a veterinarian’s office, general conference room, grooming room, photography room, educational conference rooms for the new Humane Education program, and three separate spaces: a lounge, a work / conference room and an office – for the 1000 volunteers of the League.
Coffee for cats and humans
A Cat Café will offer coffee and tea to visitors while they play with cats and kittens. Visitors are limited to one hour tours, four people at a time.
“Every day, when I see how many lives are saved by Peggy Adams Animal Rescue League, it reminds me of how important this organization is to our community,” said Smith, chairman of the league’s board of directors.
“Today, after nearly a century of making dreams come true, one dog and one cat at a time, we celebrate the opening of the Lesly S. Smith Adoption Center,” said Sam Hunt, vice chairman of the board. ‘administration. “While this new facility’s primary focus will be the adoption of homeless animals, it will also enhance and complement our other important programs. I think everyone involved with Peggy Adams feels a strong sense of appreciation. for our donors, staff and the entire community who made this happy day possible.
Peggy Adams has also created a welcoming environment outside. Memorial bricks will be laid in the entrance to the new center as well as on the outdoor terraces, while trees and benches honoring pets and family members will be displayed on the grounds and in visitor areas.
About the Peggy Adams Animal Rescue League
Founded in 1925 by a group of women from Palm Beach, the mission of the Peggy Adams Animal Rescue League is to provide shelter for lost, homeless and unwanted animals; providing sterilization and sterilization and other medical services to pets; caring for, protecting and finding quality homes for homeless and neglected pets; and strengthen the bond between humans and animals by advocating for animal welfare, community participation and education.
For more information, visit peggyadams.org.
