Finally, A Voice For Rescued Animals

​Her name was Grace. Perfect for a gentle,sweet and beautiful lady. Grace was born in the south, in Kentucky, to be precise. She was born to procreate. She was not loved or cherished.  No one held her, or helped her through difficult times. Her nature was tender, her general stance was one of fear. Grace had many babies, and she was a good mom. One day Grace had had it, and when  she saw an opportunity, she bolted. Where to go? Grace ran like the wind and wound up at a smelly garbage dump with many places to hide. But the sounds and the sight of the huge trucks terrified her. One day, a kind passerby watched as some kids began throwing rocks at the now hungry and very scared Grace.

He shooed them away, and took the shaking pup in his arms. His warm and cozy car was waiting and they rode to the nearest shelter. Eventually, through the wonderful pet rescue system, Grace found herself in the northeast and into the care of the amazing people at Peace4Paws rescue.

Through a little trial and error, Jennifer Cece, the founder of the rescue, and Judy, Grace's foster mom, sweet Grace found her forever home. That was two years ago, and Grace, although still a little skittish, is loving and confident, and is thriving.  

Jennifer Cece is truly a wonder. There cannot be a busier person. Beyond her work with the very active rescue, Jennifer is an opera singer, a voice teacher, and the mom of her own, now, two pups. Sometimes there have been more. 

The impetus for founding an animal rescue came from Jennifer's care and worry about research animals, after they were retired from the lab. She was particularly worried about the chimps.  Chimps share 98% of their DNA with us. She had been touched by heartbreaking videos filmed by rescues like the ASPCA. Recently, Peace4Paws found a home for many young beagles being used as research animals, until the lab was shut down.

Many of us care about animals and wish we could do something. Jennifer did and does. She founded Peace4Paws in 2007

In the beginning they worked with the Kindness Ranch, which had a sanctuary, Jungle Friends, who work with monkeys, and the Beagle Freedom Project. These were all major beneficiaries of Peace4Paws  

For some reason, Peace4Paws rescue is presented with animals that seem to be the most difficult to adopt. At least that is the way one might feel after reading their backstories. Sometimes a foster mother has a rescued pup for so long it begins to feel like family.  But one day, the right person comes along and the dog finds its place and its person. It wasn't that difficult after all.

This can be a hard transition and sometimes the adopting family has less than realistic expectations, they want the perfect pet,  These are imperfect creatures, many with horrific backstories, like Grace. The rewards of having patience and bringing these animals to a place of trust and love are huge. Having a best friend and a loving companion - there's nothing better!

Social Media is one of the ways the rescue lets the public know which dogs are available. They have a large Facebook following of 11,000, and always have a presence on Petfinder. You can find them on Facebook at Peace4Paws, on the internet at, www.peace4paws.org, and by calling (201} 280-8696. There are lots of photos and mostly uplifting stories. 

Running a charity is a very expensive undertaking. Peace4Paws has events during the year , some with yoga and some with opera. Jenniter's students are often the main attraction. Jennifer has been teaching singing for over twenty five years. Her students range in age from seven to eighty seven. Jennifer has a vibrant musical career. She will be performing locally this March in Mozart's "The Marriage of Figaro" Jennifer is a lyric coloratura soprano and has appeared with The Palisades Opera, The Village Light Opera Group, The James opera  and has been a soloist with The Baroque Orchestra of New Jersey, The Rockland Symphony, The Walnut Street Theater, and many other venues.

If you might be interested in volunteering with the rescue, or have decided you need another fur baby, or perhaps would like to make a donation, all contact information is above. The people involved with this rescue, the foster parents, the volunteers are all remarkable, dedicated and beyond caring.   

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