By April 2011, sweet Alice, a chow mix, had been at the shelter for months.
She was a wonderful dog — never barked, didn’t jump at the cage, always happy to see everybody. She maintained her gentle affectionate nature even in the most stressful of situations. But people just walked right by, and no one seemed to get what a great dog she was.
She waited and waited and became more and more depressed. Until Ellen from Wisconsin saw her on Facebook, filled out the adoption form, was approved and drove eight hours one way to save her.
We saw Alice and Ellen last week. They made the long trip to Indiana to save yet another wonderful dog.
Lyla is a lab mix who came into the shelter with some serious medical issues. Dr. Smiley from Devonshire took care of the medical issues, and Ellen is going to give her a great home with Alice and her other dog.
It took the staff, dedicated volunteers and Ellen working together to save Lyla. All this work for one just one dog.
Many might ask “Why?”
The answer is simple — because it matters. Every animal who comes to us matters and deserves compassionate and humane treatment. They deserve our effort.
It takes staff and volunteers who are invested in the same passionate mission — that mission being to make a difference in this community for our animals and for the people who love them. We understand that we cannot save them all, but we will save as many as we can.
We watched as Ellen drove away, starting her long drive home with the happy, healthy Alice watching us out the back window as if to say good-bye. Right by her side was Lyla, thin, shaking, afraid, watching us as well. It was almost as if Alice was telling her in dog language to relax; that everything was going to be great. That she had hit the jackpot with Ellen and her new life.
Wendy adopted Grady the Shepherd mix from the Fido shelter dog prison program in the spring of 2010. She sent pictures letting us know that Grady was safe and loved. Wendy and Grady moved to Florida in 2011. She contacted me the other day to let me know how happy she was with Grady and that he had become a certified therapy dog. And also to tell me she would be in Indiana visiting relatives and that she wanted to adopt another Fido dog. She had two dogs picked out to meet, but Grady didn’t care for either of them. I brought Cuddles up and it was love at first sight for Grady and Wendy.
Cuddles was in a crate for the long ride home, and Grady was stretched out right beside the crate.
My last sight of Cuddles as they drove away was of Cuddles peering out the window looking a little stunned and lost. I worried a bit as I always do when I adopt an animal to someone — hoping things will work and that I made the best choice for that animal.
But I only had to look at Grady to know Cuddles would be fine. They made it home safely. Cuddles and Grady are becoming great friends, and Wendy has two great Fido dogs to enrich her life.
And Cuddles is going to become a certified therapy dog as well. These dogs helped the inmates in their rehabilitation and now they will continue to help the elderly who have no one left in the world — giving unconditional love.
Maleah Stringer is executive director of the Animal Protection League, 613 Dewey St., Anderson. She can be reached at 356-0900 or at maleahstringer@aol.com.
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Maleah Stringer John P. Cleary
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Maleah Stringer: Lyla and Cuddles find happy homes
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