Kudos to Scalavino for founding Nutmeg Animal Welfare. He's a terrific writer, too.
http://www.valleybreeze.com/2016-03...world-difference-animals#.VulbC9qvhN5.twitterPatriots’ writer Scalavino looks to make world of difference for animals
North Providence resident Erik Scalavino, standing here at Gillette Stadium, is a writer for the New England Patriots and the founder of Nutmeg Animal Welfare, an organization dedicated to helping animals around the world. (Breeze photo by Ethan Shorey)
By ETHAN SHOREY, Breeze Online News Editor
NORTH PROVIDENCE – Erik Scalavino was touring an archaeological site in Egypt back in 2008 when a pack of emaciated dogs came out of nowhere. One dog in particular appeared to be dying of thirst, so Scalavino squatted down next to him, poured water from the bottle in his hands, and gave him a drink.
It was that moment in 2008 when the idea for Nutmeg Animal Welfare, an animal welfare organization with a global vision, was born. The nonprofit, formed in 2014, has played a role in causes ranging from getting justice for local abused dog Moses to finding new homes for rescued dogs in other countries.
Scalavino, who travels often, says he always felt some guilt as he was enjoying himself in other countries while animals around him were suffering. He decided that if he could even just help one animal in one way, he would be making a difference in the world.
In Scalavino’s view, there are already plenty of organizations that help animals in the United States, but there are few that focus on the global problems of animal welfare. Animals in other countries are often treated much worse than they are here, he said.
Scalavino, 43, is a member of the North Providence Animal Shelter Advisory Board, a group responsible for planning the town’s new animal shelter. The longtime North Providence resident has worked for the past 10 years as a writer for the New England Patriots media team. His work can be found at patriots.com .
As a youth, Scalavino dreamed of one day being a doctor for animals or a kicker for the Super Bowl-winning Patriots.
“God granted me that wish, only he granted it to the wrong Italian kid,” he said, joking about future Hall of Fame kicker Adam Vinatieri.
Though injuries ended his college football career as a kicker, Scalavino was able to stay connected to the sport through his work with the Patriots. In the same way, his childhood love of animals carried over with the founding of Nutmeg Animal Welfare.
“I just love animals, and I want to take care of animals,” he says.
He learned in prep school that he didn’t have the stomach for medicine, but that he could still care for animals wherever he went.
Growing up, Scalavino often had the opportunity to travel the world. His job with the Patriots only brought more chances to visit other countries.
“Wherever I would go, I would come across instances of homeless animals being abused and neglected, and it would just bring me down,” he said. Nutmeg Animal Welfare, he said, gives him a way to finally make a difference, hopefully in a big way.
So what would you say to someone who says that you should care more about helping people than animals?
“I would say to them that there are plenty of people in this world who want to help people, and that’s wonderful that they do it,” said Scalavino. “But I don’t think there are enough people who care about animals, especially in other countries.” The way people treat animals is often indicative of how they treat people, said Scalavino. He said an image of a homeless man curled up with his dog on a street in Milan has stayed with him as he’s pursued his goal of helping animals around the world.
Nutmeg’s website, www.nutmeg.global, shares what the organization is about.
“We don’t ignore homeless animals on the street, no matter what they are or where they might be,” it states. “At the very least, we respond right then and there by providing good food, clean water, and whatever else is possible at the time.”
Another example that helped spur him to start Nutmeg was when he learned from a radio caller about the way homeless dogs in Sochi, Russia, were being killed in advance of the Olympics, said Scalavino. It was then that he knew he had to start an organization to help animals around the world, so he asked callers to offer advice on what to do. About six people wrote to the show with advice, one being a corporate attorney who offered to help start Nutmeg for free. The organization was officially approved in November 2014.
Scalavino’s first action with Nutmeg came on a 2014 trip to Budapest when he donated supplies to an animal shelter there. When one of the people on his trip heard what he was doing, they gave him $100 more to buy more supplies for the shelter.
Though Nutmeg has an emphasis on global animal welfare, Scalavino said it wouldn’t be right for him to ignore local animal issues. That’s why he agreed to Mayor Charles Lombardi’s invitation to join the animal shelter board.
Nutmeg is named after Scalavino’s first pet, a Chesapeake Bay retriever named Nutmeg. Nutmeg began exhibiting schizophrenic behavior shortly after the family got him, leading to a diagnosis of a lesion on his brain. The dog was “Jekyl and Hyde,” said Scalavino, eventually attacking his mom. The family made the difficult decision to put him down, knowing that things would only get worse.
Scalavino still takes solace in the thought that Nutmeg came to the right family and not one that would have abused him for his behavior or allowed him to suffer with his condition.
“Even though he only lived a short time, I’d like to think his life was meaningful, that he knew he was loved, and that his life wasn’t in vain,” he said. Just like with Nutmeg, Scalavino said he wants other animals to know that someone cares about them.
Scalavino said he wants Nutmeg Animal Welfare to be known for being a top-notch charity, which is why a minimum of 75 percent of funds raised, and 90 percent in many cases, goes straight to relief and resources for animals. Whether a donor gives $5 or $5 million, they’ll also be told exactly how each of their dollars was spent through receipts, pictures and videos, said Scalavino. Though it’s a lot more work for him to do it that way, he said he wants people to feel good about where their contribution went.
Just like Adam Braun in his book “The Promise of a Pencil: How an Ordinary Person Can Create Extraordinary Change,” Scalavino said he wants Nutmeg to be an example of “a little idea blossoming into this huge thing.”
Donations can be made on the website, www.nutmeg.global , which now has a recurring donation feature. Nutmeg Animal Welfare can also be found on Facebook and Twitter.
Anyone who wants to donate specifically to the North Providence Animal Shelter fundraising campaign can note that desire in the memo line with their donation.
