Q. Where did the inspiration for the Pet Post Card Project come from? I mean, tons of effort on your part, marketing, social media, organization, logistics and probably some seed money to get things rolling, not to mention a business plan. How did something like this get into your heart and get you so pumped? What’s the end goal? Are you trying to reach a certain charity contribution threshold?
A. I started The Pet Postcard Project in February, 2007, to try to raise funds for a dog shelter in Florida, Sabbath Memorial Dog Rescue. The man who runs it, Robbie Coy, is a long time friend of my parents, and I became friends with him as well. My idea was to get a corporate sponsor to give $1.00 to the dog rescue per homemade pet postcard that I received. I made 10,000 blank postcards and slathered them all over Madison Square Garden at The Westminster Kennel Club Show, not knowing if anyone would respond. They did. A couple of weeks later the cards came rolling in.
Eventually, the dollar per postcard was replaced by food per postcard, or toys per postcard — companies are more likely to donate merchandise than money, and I found that out fairly quickly. But that’s great, because The Pet Postcard Project has fed many thousands of shelter pets — dogs and cats — with the generous donations from sponsors like Halo Purely for Pets, Rachael Ray Nutrish, Lucky Dog Cuisine, and Royal Canin. Planet Dog has also pledged “toys for postcards” to shelter pets, which is wonderful.
The goal of The Pet Postcard Project is to always have a campaign running — that means that donations are consistently going out to shelters and rescues. I have had a campaign running every month since 2007. People send in homemade, hand made postcards, and for each one received a certain amount of pet food (or toys, etc.) goes to rescues. It’s so easy for people to participate. They just need a little creativity and a postage stamp.
Giving back to your community is so important. In this case, the pet community is my community, so I do whatever possible to help in whatever small way that I can. That’s where The Pet Postcard Project comes in. I also have a few great volunteers who post cards for the project, so it helps other people give back as well. I also do “hands on” rescue in Miami, Florida, when I’m there. I pull dogs through Schnauzer Rescue Cincinnati, the Florida Chapter. They are a wonderful organization.
I am passionate about raising awareness for the plight of shelter pets. It is a fact that most people don’t understand what happens in shelters and how important it is to adopt rather than purchase a dog — not only for the dog, but for the community. Part of The Pet Postcard Project’s goal is to show people how awesome shelter pets are and to encourage adoption.
Q. You’re highly educated having studied at the graduate school level completing three degrees — an MA and then two MFA’s. Wowser! And you’re an award-winning author, and an authority on pets and training and birds. So what’s the scoop here? I mean where did this huge interest come from? Did it start at an early age? Have you always had pets?
A. I have always loved animals. I don’t know where it came from, except that my grandfather and father also loved animals, especially birds. When you grow up with birds you gain a special appreciation for animals in general. They are mysterious and strange and wonderful.
Growing up, I had dogs, cats, parrots, finches and canaries, a turkey, rabbits, guinea pigs, hamsters, gerbils, rats, mice, turtles, frogs, salamanders, snakes, salt and fresh water fish tanks with a variety of exotic fish — the list goes on. How can you not develop a compassion for animals with all of those critters running around!
Q. Are you ever going to write a screenplay?
A. I have written three screenplays, but it’s not my “main” thing, so I haven’t pushed them. One of them is a big commercial horror flick that I wrote with a friend. It’s going to need a significant amount of CGI. We spent two years writing it and had two readings with actors. I know it’s a great screenplay, so perhaps it’s just a matter of time on that one.
Q. What’s your favorite sound? | What’s your least favorite sound? | If you could have been anything other than what you do now, what would it have been? | If you could have dinner with any five people in the world (past or present) who would they be? | Who inspires you the most?
A. My favorite sound? That’s a tough one. I like hearing my dogs breathe. I love crunchy, screaming guitars in 80s guitar solos. I love the sound of lovebirds chirping. I have a few least favorite sounds — smacking and cracking gum; a dog whining (I want to help the poor thing!), and a baby crying. I think we’re wired as humans to be alarmed by the sound of a baby crying.
I wanted to be a marine biologist from the time I was seven years old and read a book about a lady scientist who studies sharks. I wanted that for years, and was convinced that it was my future career. In college, it became clear that I wasn’t going to be able to get through the chemistry and math it would have taken to be able to complete an advanced degree in marine biology. To this day I wish I would have tried harder with that. I’m more language-driven. Even simple math stumps me sometimes. So, I ended up majoring in English, with a minor in philosophy. From there, I studied writing, and turned my love of animals into a writing career. That’s just part of what I do now, but it’s an important part. I still love the ocean and am fascinated by its ecology. One day I want to cage dive with great white sharks. It’s on the bucket list.
If I could have dinner with five people in the world, past or present, I’d try to create a lively dinner party, rather than just toss a bunch of random people into it that I’d like to meet. I’d choose my grandfather (he was a fantastic story-teller), Anne Frank, Michael Stipe (from the band, R.E.M.), George Orwell, and Sharon Tate. That would be a truly strange and momentous dinner party. I could obviously choose ten dozen more cool people to invite, but these five would make for an interesting time. They are all from the same century(s), which wasn’t purposeful. I wonder why I didn’t go further back in time?
A lot of people inspire me. I admire people who are truly themselves, who don’t pander, and who aren’t afraid to not sell out. We see these types of people rarely, but they do exist in the arts, and sometimes in religion and politics. Jesus and Buddha come to mind. Mother Teresa comes to mind. Martin Luther King Jr. comes to mind.
In music, I think of R.E.M and Rush. In writing, I think of George Orwell and Hemingway. There are many, many others, but when push comes to proverbial shove, I might use these people as examples of the types of values that most interest me, whether I’m making a personal decision or an artistic one.
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With more than a half a million pet books in print and hundreds of articles on pets and their care and training to her credit, Nikki Moustaki is considered one of the country’s leading pet experts.
Nikki also is an award winning freelance writer, animal trainer, and pet industry expert, and her tireless work feeding shelter pets with her innovative website, The Pet Postcard Project, along with her hands-on rescue efforts and vocal advocacy for homeless animals has led her to be dubbed “Saint Nik.”
Nikki holds an M.A. in creative writing from New York University, an M.F.A. in creative writing from Indiana University, and an M.F.A. in creative writing from NYU.
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