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Editor makes a new friend -- Friday May 1st, 2009
Dash is a 2-year-old Brittany spaniel/pointer mix. A sweet, quiet fellow who is already house-trained and learning to sit on command and shake hands, he ended up in an animal shelter in North Carolina, where he had about 24 hours to live before he would have been put into a gas chamber and killed in a way that is outlawed in Delaware. But, instead, a local group called Paws of Tomorrow arranged to bring Dash – and some of the other dogs on North Carolina’s death row – to Delmarva.
A donor paying about $5 or $10 per month sponsored Dash’s rescue and retrieval from the most high-kill shelter Paws of Tomorrow works with. He was delivered to a foster mother on Maryland’s Eastern Shore, where he’s been living with his foster family, numerous other dogs of all sizes and even some cats.
On Saturday, April 28, Dash made the trip to Millville, where he was one of the guests of honor at Paws of Tomorrow’s adoption day at House Pets. Along with him came Sawyer, a white Lab mix with black spots who couldn’t wait to play with the other dogs. There was Chester, a golden retriever mix who they think is about 10 years old, looks like a lion after being groomed and was found wandering along a bridge. Dora, a Chihuahua mix, wanted to visit with everyone, wagging her curly tail and jumping up to join the visitors outside the puppy pen.
Little Bear, with the unique look of his Pekinese and Pomeranian blend, loved visiting with everyone. He’s hoping to find a new home after staying with his master after he had passed away and then being stuck in the shelter for a while. Rascal, a Chihuahua/Shih Tzu mix, was the life of the party, playing with the puppies who won’t be his size for much longer.
Tinkerbelle, the brown-and-white Dachshund, got a lot of attention last Saturday, held close to loving chests and nuzzled by the people she couldn’t see, due to her blindness, but wanted so much to go home with. Rocko, the Lab-mix pup, settled down in a variety of laps, enjoying the stroking that sent him right to sleep.
Kalani – named the Hawaiian word for “Heaven” by his foster mom, who is from Hawaii and is fostering 11 dogs right now – came all the way from Maryland to visit with potential new owners in Millville. He’s big, but calm and looks like a German shepherd, except for the pale yellow coat he got from his Lab parent. He had been rescued from that same high-kill, gassing shelter where Dash had been.
Popeye, the Dachshund/Lab mix pup who’s already been a therapy dog, almost went home with one family last Saturday, but as of mid-week he’s still looking for a forever family.
Mindy, the boxer mix, was all but guaranteed to go home with her new family. They’d driven all the way from Connecticut to meet her and let her meet her new sister, an American foxhound the young couple had adopted previously from a shelter in that state. The new family got along wonderfully, and Mindy went home to Connecticut last Saturday.
It was also a happy day for Addy, the beagle mix, who impressed everyone with how sweet and friendly she was with both people and dogs. Like Dash, Addy had been less than 24 hours from being euthanized when Paws of Tomorrow had pulled her from the shelter for fostering.
So far this year, Paws of Tomorrow has rescued 120 animals from being euthanized. Donations to the group offset costs of rescuing the pets from shelters, while foster parents pay for their upkeep and basic veterinary care, and work on house- and obedience training if they need it, until they find their adoptive homes. The animals find homes through the group’s Web site at www.pawsoftomorrow.com and through meet-and-greet events like last Saturday’s and this weekend’s Nuts For Mutts Adoption Day on Saturday May 2, from 1 to 5 p.m., also at House Pets, off Route 26 in Creekside Plaza Shopping Center in Millville.
Nuts for Mutts will again feature numerous puppies – 15 of them – and young dogs, as well as some seniors and even some cats and kittens. Anyone interested in adopting a cat or dog can attend and get to meet the animals up for adoption, and even bring their own dogs to meet their potential siblings. There will also be light refreshments, as well as a chance to talk to the Paws of Tomorrow volunteers about adopting, fostering and making a donation.
As for Dash, he was one of the lucky dogs to get a new home after the April 28 event in Millville. He got some head-pats and some belly rubs – and almost nabbed a brownie – from a 3-year-old Ocean View boy who was looking for a dog who wanted to play but who wasn’t too big and wouldn’t be too loud or too rough or chase his cats.
The boy’s mother had seen Dash on the Paws of Tomorrow Web site and was considering adopting him. After they met him on Saturday, sweet Dash just stole their hearts. So, Dash is moving to Ocean View, where he’ll be taking walks, chasing tennis balls and getting all the head-pats and belly rubs he could ever want. It’s hard to believe this wonderful dog was less than a day from being euthanized.
Instead, he’ll be hanging out at my house, being a cherished part of the family.
