These are some MVP puppies.
Five rescue pups coming to Long Island this weekend to be placed with foster families were named after the NBA World Champion Knicks starters.
Jalen, KAT, OG, Josh and Bridges were given their Knicks names by the animal rescue Ollie’s Angels in Greenlawn, which got news of their births the day of Game 5 of the NBA Finals.
“Ironically, we were asked to help these puppies the same day the Knicks won the championship. When we realized there were five puppies, naming them in honor of the Knicks seemed like a fun idea,” Melissa Bielawski, director at Ollie’s Angels, told The Post.
“All of the women running the rescue are life-long Knicks fans, so we’re really excited for this litter.”
Naming the pooches — which she guesses are “some type of Lab mix” — after the one-time underdogs seemed very fitting, Bielawski added.
“Our rescue is all about determination and second chances, which the Knicks proved over and over again this season. These puppies survived very rough beginnings with a very real chance of not making it, but now they are thriving,” she said.
“And just like the Knicks, our rescue is built on determination and the fact that we simply refuse to quit. Once we commit to helping a dog, we will not stop until the pup is safe. We will work right up until the very last second to ensure we’ve secured foster homes and provided proper medical care.”
The fur babies were rescued from a rural farming area in Dorchester County, SC, known for its problem of unwanted dogs.
“A local man had been feeding several strays who’d wandered onto his property. Due to the lack of spay and neuter in South Carolina, the females soon started having litters. The number of dogs quickly became overwhelming for him, at which point one of our South Carolinian rescue partners reached out for help,” Bielawski explained.
Ollie’s Angels posted their starting five on its Instagram page this week, with the caption: “Whether they’re zooming around the court (okay, your living room), perfecting their puppy moves, or winning over every fan they meet, they’re proving that five is definitely the magic number.”
“The response from the initial social post has been incredible, which is a huge win for us,” Bielawski said.
“If every social media [post] makes someone stop scrolling long enough to notice a rescue dog, it makes a real difference.”
Bielawski founded OOAR in 2016, and named it in honor of her rescue pup, Ollie. Since its inception, the volunteer-run non-profit has saved over 3,000 abandoned, abused and neglected dogs around the country, and even some internationally.
She hopes their Knicks-named pups attract New York basketball fans who might have never been interested in animal rescue before.
“If naming puppies after Knicks players helps even one more family choose adoption, then we’ve done exactly what we hoped we’d do,” she said.
“Every person who shares one of these puppies’ stories can help us save another life.”
[Notigroup Newsroom in collaboration with other media outlets, with information from the following sources]
