Pet Sitters International names 2021 Pet Adoption Advocates of the Year

KING, N.C. (June 15, 2021)—Pet Sitters International (PSI) has named Julie Fujita, owner of Cuddles Pet Care Service in Ayden, North Carolina, and Julie Morrella, owner of 4 Seasons Dog Care in Buffalo, New York, as PSI’s 2021 Pet Adoption Advocates of the Year.

Since 1999, PSI, the world’s largest educational association for professional pet sitters, has promoted pet adoptions through its annual Take Your Dog To Work Day® campaign. To further this mission, PSI created the Pet Adoption Advocate of the Year Award in 2012 to honor one PSI member each year who has gone above and beyond to promote local pet adoptions. PSI makes a $500 donation to the animal shelter or pet-rescue group of the recipient’s choice.

In a first since the award’s creation, PSI has selected two pet sitters to receive this year’s honor.

“We are always impressed and inspired by the time and effort PSI members dedicate year-round to promoting adoptions and improving the lives of adoptable pets in their communities, all while operating their professional pet-care businesses,” said PSI President Beth Stultz-Hairston. “Both of these members went above and beyond to help homeless pets this past year—while also dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic—and we knew that both deserved to be recognized for their contributions.”

Morrella serves as the sponsorship coordinator and founded the Train-A-Bull program at the Buffalo Animal Shelter. The program provides training to dogs that were overlooked for adoption due to behaviors such as resource guarding or poor leash skills.

“This has helped us cut down our long-stay dogs, helped those that have started to break down due to a long stay and also allows us to immediately target a behavior—such as biting the leash or reacting to other dogs—so we can get the behaviors quickly under control and give the dog a better shot at adoption,” Morrella said.

Fujita used her down time during the pandemic to increase her involvement in two local organizations, Cause-n-Dog Rescue and Scarlet Oak Farms. “During the pandemic, my pet-care business was slow, and I realized I was not happy not being around as many pets,” she shared.

She is a volunteer driver to transport dogs to and from shelters and rescues to be vetted. She also takes a small group of young people each month to Scarlet Oak Farms to help with monthly tasks and provide socialization for the dogs there.

Fujita has selected Scarlet Oak Farms, a non-profit animal sanctuary in Ayden, North Carolina, to receive the $500 donation in her honor. Morrella selected Friends of the City of Buffalo Animal Shelter in Williamsville, New York, to receive the donation in her honor.

For more information on Pet Sitters International and its Pet Adoption Advocate of the Year Award, visit www.petsit.com.

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