Long Island puppy yoga pairs exercise, cuddles and rescue support

Mats, mugs and a row of rescue puppies shared the floor at South Shore Craft Brewery in Oceanside on April 12, giving Long Island’s puppy yoga crowd a class that was as much about support as it was about stretches. The session paired gentle exercise with Hope for Cleo Animal Rescue, turning the brewery into a socialization spot for dogs and a fundraiser for the Smithtown-based rescue.

The room filled with participants rolling out mats and then drifting into the kind of chaos puppy yoga promises, with photos showing Rachael Gillian of Oceanside, Mackenzie McCabe of East Rockaway, Emma Williams and John Gallagher of Merrick, and other children and adults taking turns cuddling and playing with the puppies. The event also doubled as an adoption event, putting the dogs in front of people who might later follow up on a placement.

Hope for Cleo says its work centers on animals that often have the least time left in overcrowded shelters: pregnant dogs, nursing mothers and underage orphaned animals pulled from high-kill situations. The rescue describes itself as a foster-based nonprofit 501(c)(3) on Long Island and says it was born in 2022. Amanda Jo Guido is listed as cofounder, executive director and board member, with TJ Schmidt serving as events manager on the group’s team page.

That foster model is the reason community events matter so much. Hope for Cleo does not run a central shelter, so animals live in foster homes, including Guido’s own home, while the organization leans on donations, volunteers and supply drives to keep moving. Guido has said the rescue holds about 200 events a year, from craft fairs to school visits and senior center stops, because getting dogs out into the community is part of the job.

The Oceanside class fit that formula neatly. Participants paid to attend, and the event listing also welcomed in-kind donations such as toys, treats, puppy kibble, wet food, blankets, pee pads, shampoo, puppy wipes, training treats, teething chews, small washable beds, poop bags, bowls, cleaning supplies, baby wipes and pet clothing. Held at South Shore Craft Brewery, 3505 Hampton Road in Oceanside, NY 11572, the fundraiser used a community-oriented taproom setting to make rescue support feel immediate and local.

That kind of event matters for a rescue with real fundraising needs. A 2024 fiscal filing summarized by Cause IQ reported Hope for Cleo total revenues of $94,298, a reminder that small, repeatable community events can do more than fill a room. They help keep foster homes stocked, dogs visible and the pipeline from shelter to safety moving.