More Spotlight on Kindness 2019

Chip was rescued by Bella Run Equine

The Tortorella Family Foundation was proud to give grants in 2019 to the following organizations whose dedication and hard work have changed life for many animals: Bella Run Equine of Athens, Ohio rescues and rehomes horses from inhumane and deadly situations at auctions.  They bring malnourished and abused equines to their sanctuary where they receive veterinary treatment, enrichment and love.

Seniors enrolled in Life Care Alliance of Columbus, Ohio’s programs receive food and veterinary care for their companion pets. This effort helps to keep beloved animals with their owners.  Sheila Clifton, founder of Yellow Rabbit Animal Rescue in Mississippi,  takes in abandoned and abused dogs and cats, gets them veterinary care and finds them permanent homes. The Foundation donated toward a concrete slab for the building of a physical shelter for the dogs that would provide protection from the elements and be easy to sterilize to prevent contagious diseases from spreading.  The Tortorella Family Foundation applauds the efforts of these three humane organizations and is grateful to offer help with their missions. Please visit their websites and facebook pages to learn more about what they do.

Sweet pup has a new lease on life thanks to Yellow Rabbit Animal Rescue

Physical shelter for the animals of Yellow Rabbit Rescue

A “Hole In One” for Ohio rescue Homeless to Home

Golf foursome George Choposky, Jarmo Kekalainen, Anthony Rothman and John Tortorella with stained glass CBJ logo for auction which was signed by  Coach Torts.

Golfers and animal lovers gathered at The Golf Club at Little Turtle on a sunny day this summer to raise money for Homeless to Home Animal Rescue and Cat Sanctuary. The August 19^th event, “Play Fore Paws”  was sponsored by Anthony Rothman of 97.1 The Fan and Jamie McGann of McGann Media Group. Among those who took advantage of the beautiful weather and a chance to help a deserving local charity were Columbus Blue Jacket’s Coach John Tortorella and General Manager

Homeless to Home Executive Director, Jeanine Tarantino, Anthony Rothman and Jeanine’s husband Jay.

Jarmo Kekalainen.

Proceeds from the event and auction were donated to the Marion, Ohio rescue organization which works tirelessly to provide shelter and proper care to homeless animals turned away by shelters or surrendered by owners.  To learn more about their mission, visit Homeless to Home.

Jamie McGann at Golf Outing for Homeless to Home

CBJ Coach Torts speaking to group at Play Fore Paws Golf Outing

Saving Precious Lives in Ohio – SAVE Ohio Pets and Rascal Unit

Spay and neuter surgeries for companion animals provide one of the best ways to prevent overpopulation and unnecessary suffering. On Sunday, April 28^th, SAVE Ohio Pets, an animal welfare organization and its partner Rascal Unit, a mobile veterinary office, conducted a Wellness/Spay Neuter Clinic for the pets of  low-income and homeless individuals and families in the Columbus, Ohio area.

Volunteering their talents, veterinarians Dr. Todd Beckett, Dr. Brian Middlebrooks, Dr. Paola Vasquez, Dr. Adriana Martin and Dr. Natalie Thomas tended to 31 wellness clients. Rascal Unit’s dedicated crew, under the direction of Dr. Decker, performed 51 spay neuter surgeries. ‘Lady Jackets’ of the Columbus Blue Jackets Hockey Team, Diana Davidson, Christine Tortorella, Mary Shaw and Hannah Larson comforted post-surgery patients with cuddle and lots of TLC.

According to Stacey Ann Morris, founder of SAVE Ohio Pets, the “Stars of the Show” were the volunteers who helped – as they do with every monthly clinic – by scheduling appointments, picking up and dropping off clients, collecting and passing out food donations and cleaning.

Thanks, too, go to Columbus-based Mutts & Co. for providing pet food at the event. As always, the clinic team were grateful for the assistance of Anthony Rothman of 97.1 The Fan and “Hockey & Hounds”, and Columbus Humane Officer O’Neill.

The Tortorella Family Foundation was proud to sponsor the April 2019 Wellness/Spay Neuter Clinic and salutes all the community members who came together on that day to make a difference for the animals of Central Ohio.

If you would like to donate to a future clinic or learn more about their services, you can reach SAVE Ohio Pets at www.saveohiopets.org or 855-243-SAVE (7283) and Rascal Unit at or www.rascalunit.com 614-389-3500.-

Meet Bear’s Angels – Columbus!

A  group of volunteers in the Columbus, Ohio area have created a “satellite chapter” of the Tortorella Family Foundation’s Bear’s Angels program, in an effort to educate the public, especially children, about the ways we all can make a difference in our own neighborhoods.

Bear’s Angel’s Columbus is the creation of Jennifer Harp, a local entrepreneur and animal welfare advocate who was inspired by John and Christine Tortorella’s work on behalf of homeless and abused animals , as well as  the Foundation’s dedication to humane education. Along with her mom, Cathy Krumhotz, a retired children’s librarian, Jen designed workshops for young children that revolve around the importance of providing proper care for cats and dogs and raising awareness about the power of kindness to all living things.

At the workshops, children  pretend to be “Detective Bear”  by using magnifying glasses and stethoscopes to discover animal health concerns like heartworm, fleas and ticks. Using a microchip scanner and ID tags, they learn about  the importance of properly identifying family pets in the event they become lost.

Fun activities inspire the next generation of animal advocates.

Age-appropriate books, book marks and coloring pages provide fun activities while teaching about animal care and responsibility,  such as how to approach a dog or cat, and providing for a pet’s basic needs like nutrition, exercise and proper shelter.

The Bear’s Angels – Columbus group offers these workshops to local schools and appears at  festivals in the area. In addition to the workshops, they will undertake several projects to assist Columbus-area shelters and rescues. If you would like to help with a project or workshop, or to learn more about their scheduled programs, please contact them at info@bearsangelscolumbus. To print out copies of some of the materials they use, or to find books online that teach children about kindness to animals, please visit Do Bugs Have Belly Buttons?  a humane education and literacy website of the Tortorella Family Foundation.

A day with Bear’s Angels – Columbus brings together new ideas and new friends.

Books, stickers, book marks, and coloring pages are featured at the workshops.

Hockey & Hounds Broadcast Features Ohio Shelters

“HOCKEY & HOUNDS”  January 16 , 2019 2 PM
Join our good friend Anthony Rothman on 97.1 The Fan as he hosts “Hockey & Hounds” with Coach John Tortorella today at 2 pm. Anthony and Coach will be talking about some shelters in Ohio that could use help to care for homeless animals.
To learn more about the needs of these organizations, please visit their websites and facebook pages.

FRIENDS OF MORROW COUNTY DOG SHELTER

ROSS COUNTY HUMANE SOCIETY

UNION COUNTY HUMANE SOCIETY