City Critters is a New York State charitable organization licensed to operate in the City of New York for the rescue and placement of stray and abandoned animals.
City Critters is a member of the Mayor's Alliance for NYC's Animals.
Donations made to City Critters, or paid on our behalf, are tax exempt under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code; financial statements and current IRS Determination Letter are available for review upon request.
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- City Critters Inc.
- P.O. Box 1345
- Canal Street Station
- New York NY 10013
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Faye Beckerman
On June 1st, 2004 our good friend Faye Beckerman collapsed and died unexpectedly while walking to her vet to pick up one of her cats. Faye was a true friend to City Critters and to the numerous cats and dogs (and people) for whom she cared in her capacity as a pet sitter. She was extraordinarily kind and compassionate and a person of unforgettable charm: funny, salty, flamboyant, and generous.
Everybody in the neighborhood knew Faye at least by sight. She was all over midtown's east side every day, running from one cat-sitting job to another, walking dogs, working in her hair salon, stocking up on cat treats at the pet store, back and forth to the gym, meeting her friends nearby for dinner. When she died suddenly in June it was a profound shock to everyone who knew her. Faye was always a breath of fresh air and she was really, really mad for cats. Always wearing those huge earrings and looking great, she breezed into our adoption center every week for the last ten years and sneaked the cats special treats like baby food, turkey, or catnip. Lovingly mischievous, she'd pretend to steal a kitten or two, and every so often she would take some kitty with special needs to foster "for a week". Usually they'd come back again for adoption, but sometimes we wouldn't see the kitty again until she invited one of us over to see how well he or she was doing.
Thus Faye left behind a much-loved group of mostly middle-aged and older cats, including a number of special-needs kitties. Thanks to Faye's loyal and generous friends, most of these cats have found new, loving homes.
Heartfelt thanks to the wonderful people who took in Bullwinkle (blind), Dizzy and Beanie, who have cerebellar hypoplasia, sweet 12-year-old Toto, who has an inner ear problem, Otti, FooFoo, Dottie, Little Man, and the rest of the Beckerman brood.
Faye's friend and client Joe wrote:
Faye was a remarkable woman in so many ways. I miss her terribly, not only as a wonderful friend to our two cats Andy and Oliver, but to me as a person. She was so very caring and generous…
One story I can share with you is about Faye and Andy. He is our very old (19), hyper-thyroid baby. He loves everyone, BUT Faye had a special way with him. She would call us and say "Oh, Andy is sitting here on my lap as I brush him." and I would reply. "Faye, he NEVER sits on my lap. Close by, but never on my lap." "What can I say, Joe. He loves me and I love him. He's a wonderful cat." She had a special way with him and we always left on holiday with a clear head knowing both he and Oliver were in the best of hands.
I still think I'm going to run into her on Third Avenue.
If you have stories or thoughts about Faye or pictures of Faye or her cats that you'd like to share, please contact us.
Beanie, now called Rooster, was one of Faye's "special" kitties. She and Dizzy had cerebellar hypoplasia. Both were adopted by Allane, a friend and client of Faye's, who writes:
I was a close friend of Faye's as well as one of her dog clients, she walked my two whippets Hudson and Bishop. I'm also the one that adopted Dizzy and Beanie. I renamed Beanie to Rooster as I became aware that she enjoys announcing the morning usually at 5am—sometimes she waits until 6am. So Rooster is now her name—and she has taken quite well to it. The cats are getting very comfortable around the dogs. I have found them all sitting together on the sofa…
I knew Dizzy had a special place in Faye's heart—she enjoyed and admired his "can do" attitude and his loving nature. When she first got him she said to me that she was just fostering him and he may get another home. I asked how long did she plan on keeping him and I said, "Till death do you part?" She laughed and said yes.
Dizzy and Bishop. Dizzy was abandoned at one of our vets. His people brought him in for a "check-up", made an excuse to step out, and never came back. The vet discovered that Dizzy, although otherwise healthy, had substantial motor impairment. He was such a sweet, happy little guy that we felt sure we could find him a home, so we asked Faye if she would foster him.
Of course she took him in. After seeing how wobbly he was, she created a little ramp for him so that he could climb up onto her bed. We had several inquiries from potential adopters, but Faye had fallen for Dizzy by then and declined to give him up.