Whiskers in Wonderland was a two-day holiday adoption event held at New York City’s Union Square market on December 18 and 19, 2010. Best Friends Animal Society, working with Mayor’s Alliance for NYC’s Animals, reported that 125 cats, seven rabbits and one snake found homes—a total of 133 animals. The event also combined adoptions with demonstrations, entertainment, giveaways and free advice from animal-care professionals.
What was Whiskers in Wonderland?
Whiskers in Wonderland was described by Best Friends Animal Society as its first holiday adoption event in New York City. It took place at the Union Square market over the weekend of December 18–19, 2010, in partnership with Mayor’s Alliance for NYC’s Animals. The format brought shelter animals, prospective adopters and a range of animal-care resources into one public holiday setting.
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The event was more than a line of adoption kennels. Visitors could watch animal demonstrations, meet dog and cat mascots, enjoy entertainment, collect giveaways and receive free advice from trainers, veterinarians and a pet behaviorist. Shelter cats took part in the demonstrations, giving visitors a chance to see individual animals outside a strictly static display.
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Best Friends’ account, published January 4, 2011, is the source for the event description and adoption total. The figures describe that historical weekend, not a current adoption rate or an independently audited count.
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The reported adoption result
Best Friends reported that 133 animals went home during the event. Its account breaks the number into three categories:
| Animal type | Reported adoptions |
|---|---|
| Cats | 125 |
| Rabbits | 7 |
| Snake | 1 |
| Total | 133 |
The arithmetic is straightforward: 125 cats plus seven rabbits plus one snake equals 133 animals. Keeping the categories visible matters because the headline number alone can obscure how strongly cats dominated the placements. Best Friends’ wording attributes these counts to its own 2011 report; the account does not provide a separate verification method or a later follow-up total.
What visitors could do at the market
Meet animals ready for homes
The central purpose was adoption. Cats, rabbits and a snake from participating shelters were presented to people looking to add an animal to their households. The event’s setting in a busy New York market put adoptable animals in front of visitors who might not otherwise have planned a shelter visit.
Watch demonstrations
Shelter cats participated in agility demonstrations. The demonstrations were part of the event’s entertainment, but they also showed visitors that an animal’s behavior in a lively public environment could vary from one individual to another. The story’s most memorable example was Otto, a cat who did not want to take part.
Ask qualified professionals
Free advice was available from trainers, veterinarians and a pet behaviorist. The source does not list appointment times, eligibility rules or the specific questions addressed, but it does establish that professional guidance was offered alongside the adoption activity. That combination gave visitors a way to discuss animal care while considering a new companion.
Enjoy a holiday program
Treats were available for people and animals, and the program included giveaways, entertainment and dog and cat mascots. These elements created a festive atmosphere around what can otherwise be an intimidating decision. They also made the event accessible to people who came to browse the market and encountered the adoption activities during their visit.
Otto’s reluctant agility appearance
Otto became the story’s clearest reminder that an adoption event does not present every animal at its best—or even at its most cooperative. He was reluctant to participate in the agility demonstration. Rather than treating that hesitation as a disqualifying flaw, the account records that a woman adopted him and did not mind his reluctance.
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Marshall Boprey, Domino and Liberty
Professional pet photographer Marshall Boprey donated his time at Whiskers in Wonderland. Adopters received a complimentary print, adding a personal keepsake to the practical paperwork and transition involved in taking an animal home. Boprey explained his motivation simply: “I’ve always been a big supporter of adoptions and shelters,” says Marshall.
His involvement did not end with the photography. The account says he later adopted Domino, a black-and-white domestic shorthair from one of the participating shelters. Domino quickly befriended Boprey’s Great Dane, Liberty. The friendship supplies the article’s personal ending: a person who came to support the event became an adopter himself, and a shelter cat joined a household that already included a very large dog.
The story does not provide Domino’s age, Liberty’s age, the adoption date or details of their introduction. What it does establish is that Domino was a black-and-white domestic shorthair, that Boprey adopted him after participating in the event, and that Domino and Liberty soon became friends.
Why the event’s format mattered
Whiskers in Wonderland brought several parts of the adoption decision together in one place. Animals were available to meet; trainers, veterinarians and a behaviorist could answer questions; and demonstrations offered a public glimpse of shelter animals as individuals. The entertainment and holiday elements drew people into the space, while the professional advice addressed concerns that can arise when someone is considering adoption.
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The reported stories of Otto and Domino show two different paths to a successful match. Otto’s adopter accepted that he was not eager to perform. Domino entered a home with a Great Dane and quickly formed a friendship. Neither anecdote proves that every adoption will follow the same pattern, but both show why a single public moment should not be treated as the whole story of an animal.
A short timeline of the reported event
- December 18, 2010: The first day of the two-day holiday adoption event at Union Square market in New York City.
- December 19, 2010: The second day of the event, with adoptions, demonstrations, entertainment, giveaways and access to free professional advice.
- After the event: Photographer Marshall Boprey adopted Domino, a black-and-white domestic shorthair from a participating shelter. The account says Domino quickly befriended Boprey’s Great Dane, Liberty.
- January 4, 2011: Best Friends Animal Society published David Dickson’s account, reporting 125 cats, seven rabbits and one snake finding homes.
How to understand the 133-animal figure today
The number 133 belongs to a specific event and a specific report. It should be read as Best Friends Animal Society’s account of the December 18–19, 2010 weekend, not as a current measure of shelter performance, New York City adoption activity or the organizations’ present-day programs.
The source also does not establish whether every adoption was finalized on site, whether any placement later changed, or how the total was independently counted. Those questions cannot be answered from the published account. The defensible conclusion is narrower: Best Friends reported that 133 animals—125 cats, seven rabbits and one snake—found homes during Whiskers in Wonderland.
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Public demonstrations can reveal individuality
Otto’s hesitation shows why a shelter animal’s response to a demonstration should be interpreted in context. A busy market, unfamiliar people and an unusual activity can produce a reaction that does not define the animal’s behavior in a home.
Advice can be part of the adoption experience
Having trainers, veterinarians and a pet behaviorist available meant that visitors could raise practical or behavioral questions while they were meeting animals. The account does not list the advice given, so it cannot support specific medical or training recommendations, but it does document the presence of those professional resources.
Community participation can lead to adoption
Boprey arrived as a volunteer photographer and supporter, then adopted Domino. His story demonstrates one possible route from helping an adoption event to becoming an adopter, without suggesting that every volunteer or visitor will make the same choice.
What is—and is not—known from the source
- Known: The event was held December 18–19, 2010, at Union Square market in New York City.
- Known: Best Friends Animal Society organized it with Mayor’s Alliance for NYC’s Animals and called it its first holiday adoption event in New York City.
- Known: Best Friends reported 125 cats, seven rabbits and one snake finding homes.
- Known: The program included treats, giveaways, entertainment, mascots, agility demonstrations and free advice from trainers, veterinarians and a pet behaviorist.
- Known: Otto was reluctant to participate in agility and was adopted by a woman who accepted that reluctance.
- Known: Marshall Boprey donated photography, gave adopters a complimentary print and later adopted Domino, who quickly befriended his Great Dane, Liberty.
- Not established by the account: Current adoption totals, current programs run by either organization, later outcomes for all 133 animals, or independent confirmation of the reported count.
Whiskers in Wonderland remains a snapshot of a particular holiday weekend: a public event that paired shelter adoptions with practical advice and a celebratory setting. Its reported outcome was 133 homes found for animals, while the individual stories of Otto and Domino show how personal the matching process can be.
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