Chris Van Dorn had always been a fan of the famous Caped Crusader; so when he started volunteering for various animal rescue organizations around Orlando, Florida, he decided to combine his two passions and use a Batman suit in order to bring attention to the importance of pet adoption.
Not only did he use the suit as a conversation starter for why people should adopt shelter pets, but he has also donned the suit to transport dozens of animals from the shelter to their loving forever homes.
Initially, the 27-year-old used the superhero costume as a means of keeping all of his rescue missions anonymous. His good deeds eventually brought his real identity into the limelight after he was featured as an honorary GoFundMe Hero in May 2019.
Since Van Dorn launched his nonprofit Batman4Paws in 2018, he's embarked on dozens of hours-long cross-country road trips to rescue dogs from euthanasia and has brought them to loving families willing to adopt them.
Thankfully, the GoFundMe article helped to finance Van Dorn’s rescue missions since his crowdfunding page has collectively raised approximately $32,000 over the last ten months.
Van Dorn hopes that he'll manage to find a compassionate citizen to donate a larger van so that he can replace his current Batmobile – a humble Honda Accord – and transport more animals on his rescue missions.
He also plans to use his pilot’s license as a means of using air travel as a more efficient means of transporting his dogs in distress.
Furthermore, since he has recently got his trusty sidekick Mr. Boots licensed as a therapy dog, the two have been making plenty of guest appearances as Batman and Robin at several hospitals around Florida.
Also, the Dynamic Duo has donned their costumes for adoption events and animal shelter fundraisers.
Van Dorn said that the costume helps to draw in more visitors, and he takes every chance to hand out brochures and stickers concerning the importance of adoption.
If you'd like to learn more about Van Dorn’s mission or make a donation to his nonprofit, you can visit the Batman4Paws website.
Batman4Paws
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