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Say hello
to our ARL Alumni!
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A
Pack, A Pride and a Family
by
Mary Greaves
12/02/01
Hello!
My name is Mary and this is the story of our multi-species household.
Five of our family members are Animal Rescue League alumni: Tina
the Bean (the sweet one), Dexter (the Sickly King), Cinnamon (the
Queen Maniac), Esmerelda (the original "scaredy cat"), and Sophie
(HAVOC-WREAKER).
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The puppy gang
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Sunny
Sam |
Sophie
the Havoc Wreaker |
Esmerelda |
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Iris
the Betta
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There
are a few other members of our family that were either bought,
got, or caught (ok -so I didn't exactly catch the fish or the
birds but I have to catch them to clean their houses...)
These include: Samantha (Sam, the Wise Old Soul,
who kind of came with the house...), True Blue and Pretty Girl
(the Lovebirds), and Iris the Betta Fish. Can you find both lovies
in their garden?
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True
Blue and Pretty Girl |
Ok...so
that makes nine...well, ten...if you include me! Maybe we are a flock
and a pod, too? Maybe...I'm not sure yet; but we're working on it! Making
a multi-species home work is the first step to making a multi-species
WORLD work. A world where all species, races, sexes, religions, etc.,
live peaceably and respectfully, and even share a little FUN now and then.
Ok...I'm done with the philosophizing - haha! Now, onto the ARL alumni!
The ARL Alumni
Esmerelda
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ESMERELDA:
Es came to our home on 10/9/94
as a shy, scared kitten who had probably been taken away from her
mother too early. I found her huddled in the back corner of a cage
at ARL. She slept on my knee for 2 days after coming "home" and was
a great companion for her elderly brother, Merlin, a 16 year old beagle
mix, until he died about a year later. |
She
wailed for him for a few nights after his death. Very few other humans
get the privilege of Esmerelda's company as she IS a scaredy cat with
strangers. But with family, she is a purry, whiny, self-centered witchypoo
who gets a real kick out of stalking and batting her siblings!
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CINNAMON:
I believe
Cinnamon CALLED me to come and get her from ARL on 10/15/95. After
Merlin died, I still had Esmerelda and Samantha, and thought I had
decided NOT to adopt a dog. It was kind of easier with just the
cats but a lot quieter, too. I was at the grocery store and felt
this strong compulsion to "GO TO THE ANIMAL RESCUE LEAGUE". Having
learned to trust "cosmic nudges", I did. The next thing I knew I
was sitting in the car with this 18 month old maniac dog who was
so beautiful and full of life.
Things
were rocky in the beginning. We worked these things out over time.
To give you an example, Cinnamon used to jump up on the furniture,
pull things off the wall and chew them up...I noticed the only thing
that seemed to distract her from her evil destructive ways (haha
only half kidding) was (were?)...other dogs. So....
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Cinnamon
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Dexter
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DEXTER:
Dexter, the cocker spaniel, was approximately 4 years old (adoption
date: 1/28/96) when I first laid eyes on him at ARL. I went there
for the express purpose of finding a companion dog for Cinnamon.
It was Dog Walking Time at ARL. Have you been there when the dogs
are getting their walks? It was cacophony. All "you-know-what" was
breaking loose as the dogs were barking: "Me! Me! Me!" As I strolled
up and down the corridors, I wasn't sure how I would be able to
tell the right dog.
Then...there he was...
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While
all the other dogs were going CRAZY, Dexter was sitting calmly in the
middle of his cage. He looked at me ambivalently. He looked like Howard
Stern with his long unkempt wavy black tresses and that made me laugh.
I thought: If he can handle THIS with such grace, he can handle Cinnamon!
And so it came to be. Dex has had some health
problems. He's had 2 surgeries (so far) for urinary calculi and has to
be on a prescription diet. Though we think of him as "the sick one", his
problems really don't seem to deter him any! I DO have Little Green Clean
Machines all over the house though...the things we do for LOVE...
SOPHIE:
(a.k.a. Havoc-Wreaker)
Sophie
was adopted from ARL on 1/26/97 but that was not the first time I had
met her. I had been visiting the ARL the previous November and had seen
her then. She was a BEAUTIFUL 2_ year old domestic long hair. All white
and pink with green eyes. I wanted her then but already had 2 dogs and
2 cats and I was certain she would be scooped up.
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Two
months later, I went back to ARL to visit the animals and she was
still there. Only shelter life had taken a toll. I didn't think
she was a likely candidate for adoption now and so I brought her
home.
I named her Sophie after the
movie "Sophie's Choice". She's BEAUTIFUL again! She is a lover and
an antagonist, our Sophie. She actually HUGS people and sometimes
taunts and chases her siblings "...wreaking havoc everywhere she
goes". That's her havoc-wreaking face in the photo...
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Sophie's
Havoc Wreaking face |
After
Sophie came, we all settled in for a while. Last year I got True Blue
and Pretty Girl, the Lovebirds, and Iris the Betta Fish. I continued to
visit and support the ARL animals as much as possible.
One
day, not so long ago, I was visiting the dogs and I found myself circling
and circling the corridors. I even thought to myself: "Why are you going
around AGAIN?" Well, there was a reason. All of a sudden, there was...Tina,
who had been on a walk with Barb, the volunteer who loved her.
TINA:
(a.k.a. The Bean)
Tina
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Tina
was adopted on 8/18/01 with a horribly persistent case of kennel cough.
She's somewhere between age 8 and 12 as best as different vets can
determine. She is THE SWEETEST dog I have ever known. How her people
could let her go is truly a mystery to me and to everyone I know who
has met her. |
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spending some time with Tina in the visitation room and learning her
history from Barb (ARL Women's' Auxiliary Treasurer and ARL Volunteer),
I went home to get Cinnamon and Dexter to bring them to ARL to meet
her. All went well and "the Bean" joined our happy family. Her kennel
cough FINALLY got better after trips to the vets and she has taken
her place among the pooches as fellow guardian of the yard and house.
She loves belly scratches and kisses. She also has been becoming more
at ease joining in play with her sibs and cousin, Barney (see pic
on right). At first she felt the need to "put Barney in his place"
with all kinds of nasty posturing. It worked (well, let's say Barney
was very patient with her...) So now they can play without too much
conflict...TOO much...conflict. |
Barney
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Thanks
to the Animal Rescue League for taking such good care of my "kids" before
they found "home"! We will continue to support ARL as well!
See past featured alumni!
Angel's
Story, January 2002
A
Pack, A Pride and a Family, December 2001
Thor, featured August, 2001
Bubbles, featured June 12, 2001
Rusty, featured April 3, 2001
Kodiak, featured January 15, 2001.
Max
(Pati and Wayne), featured November 1, 2000
Max (of the Blair Family), featured September
19, 2000
Ray
Ray, featured June 4, 2000
Buddy;
featured March 5, 2000
Abby, Sunny, and Mojo; featured January, 2000
Do
you have a dog or cat that you adopted from the Animal Rescue League?
If you have a pet that you adopted from the animal shelter, please contact
us with any stories, photos, or updates of your pet and their new
family, and we will try and post them up here! Show your friends, family,
and prospective adopters what happens after shelter life.
Send
your questions for the Women's Auxiliary of the Animal Rescue League
of Western PA via our
Site
by Daisy Church
© 2002 All rights reserved
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