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COMMON GROUND - 4/30/2008
(by Anita Yarossi - OpEd Columnist - April 30, 2008)
A second chance
I was living at home with a family that loved me. I had my own sofa I could stretch out on. My mom and dad would scratch my belly and tell me I was cute and that they loved me. Life was good. Then things changed. I could tell people were sad and it upset me. I tried to find my mom because she always made me feel better, but I never found her. Then dad got sick and was taken away in a truck with flashing lights. I never saw him again. My family was gone.
A few days later I was brought to a place with a concrete floor and bars on the doors to my room. I was there with 10 other dogs. Nice people came in every morning to feed me, clean my room and take me for a walk. The same thing happened every day in the afternoon, but then strange people came in and walked slowly past all of us. I think they were afraid of me. I am a pretty girl, but I am big and strong. I heard them say, “No Pit Bulls” over and over again. I don’t know what a Pit Bull is. My name is Gianna Marie.
Some of the other dogs told me this place was called a ‘shelter” and that it was one of the best. They said I could get a new family here.
I watched every day as some of the other dogs left with the “adopters” and I waited patiently. Every day the nice people took care of me. If I got sick they took me to a doctor and I got medicine. I got stuck with needles called ‘vaccinations’, but it didn’t hurt too much. At night I would dream of a warm house, soft carpet on the floor, a big couch I could stretch out on and people I could call my own. Waking up without those things every day is what hurt.
I was at the shelter for a year before my new mom and dad came to get me. They didn’t care that I was a Pit Bull. They saw me for the cute, lovable girl that I am. I was as happy as I could be when they slipped on my new red collar and they took me home in their van. Then I walked into the house and I saw it- a genuine leather couch that was the perfect size for me. I jumped right up here and stretched out. My dream had come true.
Now, I even have a sister to play with too. She is a German Shepard, but I understand everything she says. I am grateful that the nice people at the shelter took care of me until my new family found me. Some of my friends are still waiting for their happily ever after.
You can help them by going to the Bloomingdale Regional Animal Shelter “Bark in the Park Dog Walk and Fair” on Sunday, May 4th starting at 11 AM at Shepherd Lake in Ringwood State Park.
Besides being great fun, you will be helping the shelter raise money to take care of my friends. There will even be baked treats from the Beacon Barkery, so bring your dog! If you don’t have one, I know just the place where you can find one (and cats too!).
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