Carnright, left, and legislator Carl Belfiglio, with his adopted dog “Tenacious-D”
KINGSTON – Wednesday was one of the cuddliest, fuzziest, wet-slobbered
kissy face day of the year for pets and politicians alike, when the two
unlikely groups of bedfellows came together for the first annual Checker’s
Day at Ulster County SPCA. The event was held to help raise awareness
for the local animal shelter’s needs and concerns.
Local politicians got to meet and greet dogs at the SPCA, said its executive director Adam Saunders.
“It’s a reference to [former United States President] Richard Nixon’s old dog Checkers,” Saunders said. “It’s become a bit of a tradition in animal rescue, referred to as Dogs and Politics Day, where we try to bring the politicians into the SPCA, show them what we do, interested them a little bit in animal rights causes in general.”
The officials were given a tour of the facilities and interacted with the cats and dogs. County Legislator Carl Belfiglio did just that, and adopted a dog named “Tenacious-D.”
Nearby, Ulster County District Attorney Holley Carnright cuddled a puppy. However, even on Checkers Day, Carnright had his hands full back at home, with a rescue mutt, “Big, black and hairy, he’s a wonderful dog,” the prosecutor said.
Nearby, the cats were unfazed by all the hubbub, not minding at all that the dogs were getting all the attention, or that neither species has the right to vote in America. After all, Carnright is running unopposed anyway, so he has nothing to gain by the photo-op, except more wet doggie kisses, once again, from that cute little puppy.
