Founder Of No-Kill Animal Shelter In The Bronx Honored During Yankees HOPE Week

NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) - A Bronx man who is doing his part to keep abandoned dogs healthy and safe was honored Wednesday as part of Yankees HOPE Week.

Yankees players Ichiro Suzuki, Brett Gardner and Shawn Kelley surprised Pedro Rosario as they hauled large bags of pet food into the shelter.

Rosario founded New Beginning Animal Rescue in 2010 after 16 years with New York City Animal Care and Control.

The no-kill shelter is located in the Castle Hill section of the Bronx.

"And with so many animals being put to sleep, knowing that they could be saved either by medication or rehabilitation, I decided to go on my own. I took all my 401K, my retirement money, and spent it into this business," Rosario told WCBS 880's Marla Diamond.

The shelter houses 80 dogs, 60 cats, a seagull and a dove. Donations keep them fed and cared for.

"It's unbelievable, you know. I know that the time and effort, he's dedicated his life to this and it's really special. I'm glad to come out today and bring awareness to his cause," Yankees outfield Brett Gardner told Diamond.

Rosario's rescue shelter is dedicated to getting the animals into loving homes and is run by volunteers.

"We may not all think about going to the local shelter to get an animal, so hopefully it brings awareness and we get a few of these wonderful dogs adopted," Jennie Steinbrenner told Diamond.

An adoption station will be set up inside Gate 2 at Yankee Stadium Wednesday night so fans at the 7:05 p.m. game against the Kansas City Royals will be able to adopt pets.

LINK: Learn More About Yankees HOPE Week

The visit was part of the fifth annual Yankees HOPE Week. Each day this week, the team will shine a spotlight on a cause it's deemed worthy of attention and support.

Every member of the organization, from the players to general manager Brian Cashman, will take part in Helping Others Persevere & Excel Week.

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