Dayton, Ohio, Wednesday, Feb. 27, 2013
Elayne Boosler Helps Animal Rescue Groups
Her merchandise sales will go to local rescue organizations.
By Don Thrasher
Elayne Boosler emerged in the early 1970s as one of the few women working in the male-dominated field of stand-up. She still makes her living through comedy, but the Brooklyn, N.Y., native, performing at Wiley’s Comedy Niteclub in Dayton this weekend, is also a hardcore animal activist. Today, she divides her time between these two pursuits.
“Every day is a work day, especially in animal rescue,” she said. “Stand-up is still my primary focus, but that feeds the animal rescue and makes it possible. It’s still my job, but the rescue work is like water, it fills in every other minute around you.” After six years with Boxer Rescue, Boosler started the charity Tails of Joy in 2001.
“We basically work all across the country through the Internet,” she said. “We fund the smallest, neediest rescues across the country that do great work but just don’t have the infrastructure to fundraise and keep going. The huge juggernauts are moneymakers. They don’t need us.”
Boosler’s touring gets her out into different communities where she supports small rescue organizations through merchandise sales.
“I never sold after-show merchandise in all my years on the road, but once it came to doing it for the animals and leaving all the money behind, it really made sense,” Boosler said. “People love it because they’re donating to themselves.”
The animal lover is also devoted to her two-legged fans. “At this point in the country’s life, it’s so hard for everyone,” Boosler said. “I like doing this for people. It’s something you do for yourself of course, but also for people. My mission statement is to leave people feeling better than when they came in. I like what I bring,” she added. “It’s not an angry show. It’s the de-mystification of the life we’re all looking at together.”