The Inside Press

Magazines serving the communities of Northern Westchester

adoption

Rescue Right Seeking Forever Homes for their Adorable Charges

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Rescue Right is just located north on Old Post Road, yet is home to many adorable animals. It is the largest dog kennel in all of New York State that aims to find dogs their forever home. They average about 60 dogs at all times and have a surprising low return rate of 2-3%. They make sure all their dogs are able to sit, walk on a leash, and provide all the kisses they can. I had the pleasure of meeting their sweet, adorable dogs that need a home. Here are some of the heart-warming dogs that I learned to love within a matter of minutes…

Meet Bobo!

Bobo is 4 years old and a lab mix. He may seem friendly at first, but he is an old soul at heart. He is super calm and sweet. He is the kind of dog you want to come home after a long day of being bossed around by your haggish boss and have a glass of wine with. His previous owners were no longer able to take care of him, so he wound up at Rescue Right. How rude of them! He even knows “shake”, what a good boy! If you are lucky enough, you may even get a kiss. Thankfully for me, I was and had to get a picture. I mean, how could I not, it’s me after all…

Meet Jackson!


Jackson is only 4 months old and a Jack Russel…get it? He was unwanted by a pet store and found his way at Rescue Right. I know, how is that possible? Look at that sweet face! Him and his sister Jayce are the softest, charming pets that would make any family that much more complete. He can be a lap dog or a good boy to play fetch with. Despite his English roots of hunting foxes, he will also hunt for your heart and make you fall in love with him. Some might even call him a player…

Meet Doyle!

Doyle is about 14 weeks, but the charmer skills of your ex trying to take you back! He is a mix of many different breeds. BUT, what I can tell you is his personality makeup: about ¼ heart of gold, ¼ fur as soft as butter, ¼ smart as Einstein, and ¼ the best companion for long walks on the beach or long walks to go adopt another dog ;). He will make you feel protected, loved, and appreciated… way more than half the people you dated could say! Allow Doyle to replace that void in your life all your past relationships left you with!

Meet Logan!

Logan is a Lab mix and 6 months old. You know what people say, “eyes are the windows to the soul”. If those are not the most pure, innocent eyes, I do not know what is. Just imagine how he can make your family feel that level of calmness. Imagine this: it’s Thanksgiving night, all the in-laws left (about time), the day was spent arguing politics and realizing how much you cannot stand your mother-in-law, because yes, you did in fact make the stuffing, it was not store bought. You have a full kitchen to clean with leftovers spilling over the counter, and little Logan comes by and gives you a kiss and lays down next to you while you clean. How calming! Adopt Logan and allow him to bring serenity into your home that clearly you are not getting from the 5 year old candle you bought at Target that said “tranquility & calmness.”

Meet Ronnie!

The star of the show! Ronnie is a bear of a dog, providing the most soul-soothing hugs and softest place to rest your head. He is 4 years old and a Cacausion Shepherd. When I first saw him, I was immediately shocked by the size of this gentle beast, but that only meant the bigger the cuddles. If he was a person, he would be the guy that would come running if you called that you have a flat tire, he would be the guy to bring you soup when you are sick, he is the kind of guy that would be the staple in your life. Everyone needs a Ronnie in their life. Because as we all know how unpredictable life is, Ronnie will be the one factor remaining the same of constantly supplying the same love and affection. Ronnie is the perfect companion all wrapped into one: the perfect therapist to listen to all your problems, the perfect shoulder to cry on after the fifth speeding ticket you got, the perfect best friend to give constant cuddles and kisses. 

Go and adopt one of these furry friends, or any of the lovely dogs at Rescue Right!

Rescue Right, 402 Old Post Road, Bedford, NY 

 Visit www.rescueright.org

 

 

The SPCA: Helping Furry Friends Find Forever Homes

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The SPCA is a “no kill shelter.’ Regardless of how long it may take, they are committed to caring for all adoptable animals until a loving, new home can be found. Last year, 619 animals were rescued by the SPCA from high-kill shelters and transported to the SPCA to find new homes. They also helped 1,338 animals (dogs and cats) find their forever homes. This year the shelter has made an extraordinary effort at rescuing animals from hurricane-ravaged areas.

As of press time, the following dogs were available for adoption at the SPCA, according to Lisa Bonnano-Spence, the Director of Events & Communications:

The two puppies (both female) are named Anya and Aleeza. They’re about ten weeks old and are Weimaraner/Chocolate Labrador Retriever mixes. They are part of a litter of ten! It was an unexpected/unplanned litter and sadly, they were all turned into an overcrowded shelter down south with very limited time to get adopted so we quickly rescued them and got them safely up to the SPCA! They’ll be great additions to an active family and would love nice, big yards to play in.

Nelly is a Yorkshire Terrier. She is about 9-years-old and was abandoned on the streets in Westchester. She is quiet and can be shy with new people. She is very docile and sweet so she’d love a more quiet home.

Marble is a 4-month-old shepherd mix puppy. He was brought to a high-kill shelter down south when no owner could be located. We transported him up to the SPCA to get a second chance! He is a little shy at first but warms up quickly. He loves other dogs and would be happiest in a home with a canine buddy.

Loreli, our cover girl, is a Black Labrador Retriever. She is about ten months old and was turned into a high-kill shelter down south with her two siblings, who we also rescued. She is a happy, goofy dog that is perfect for a family.

Johnny is a 2-year-old American Staffordshire Terrier. He was rescued from a cruelty situation in Westchester and his owner was arrested. He is an approved pet therapy dog now and visits local nursing homes through the SPCA’s Golden Outreach Pet Therapy Program. He’d love a home where someone is home more often to hang out with him. He is real gentleman.

Additional pets can be found at www.spca914.org. All photos courtesy of Geoffrey Tischman at Tischman Pet Photography (www.tischmanpets.com). Shot on location at the SPCA located at 590 North State Road, Briarcliff Manor.

Adopt-A-Best Friend

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adopt a petBy Heather Skolnick

We’ve all heard the adage about how a dog is Man’s Best Friend, but really, in today’s age, shouldn’t it really be amended to be Everyone’s Best Friend? As a dog owner myself, I know I believe it. And this community is certainly a great one to raise a canine child, with its abundance of parks and trails for our four-legged friends to run around and play.

While there are many options for a family to find a dog (or cat!), one terrific, local option to consider is Adopt-A-Dog, a recognized charitable organization based in Armonk. The organization’s stated mission is to “Save, Socialize and Secure Loving Homes for Unwanted or Abandoned Dogs and Cats,” according to their website.

With so many unwanted pets, adopting from Adopt-A-Dog is a wonderful way to bring a pet into your family. Adopt-A-Dog just celebrated its 35th anniversary at the end of April. In their 35 years, over 13,500 animals have been saved and placed in loving homes. That’s an incredible number of animals who found forever homes thanks to Adopt-A-Dog’s wonderful efforts. This amazing statistic can be attributed to three friends who saw a need in their community to address the growing number of dogs in need of a home.

Executive Director Kristen Rice explained the organization in these words: “The dogs here have lost their homes, their families, and their world. These poor animals don’t know where their families are, or why there were put in this situation. That’s why we go above and beyond to accommodate the needs of every animal entering our shelter. We focus on all aspects of our animal’s quality of life to ensure a smooth transition into an adoptive home.” And they sure do.

Local resident Felice Erlich brought a new pet into her home about two-and-a-half years ago from Adopt-A-Dog. Her family’s experience with the organization started when she and her daughter began volunteering.

That is when they saw first-hand how amazing and loving the staff were to the animals. Felice said of the staff, “They were very clearly doing what they loved.” Felice and her family ultimately took home Dali, a two-year-old dog who had recently undergone surgery. Felice remembers, “The staff was so dedicated that they even insisted on her staying on at the shelter for one more week after her surgery so that they could be sure she was ready to ‘go home.’” Felice’s daughter was so moved by her own experience with Adopt-A-Dog that she began her own fundraising campaign called ‘Sarah’s Blanket.’ She makes pet blankets with all the proceeds going directly to Adopt-A-Dog.

There are many ways to be involved with this wonderful organization. First, of course, if you are looking to add a pet to your family, please consider Adopt-A-Dog. Fostering a pet is another option. This shorter term commitment can be for a puppy or kitten to an older dog or cat. Sponsoring a pet financially is a great choice if you want to support the organization but are not ready to add a pet to your family. Or, volunteer! Time can be spent with the animals or in other ways. Adopt-A-Dog also has an Amazon Wishlist–items can be purchased directly through Amazon and will help support Adopt-A-Dog’s needs. Adopt-A-Dog is a wonderful asset to our community. People come from both near and far to find their new best friends right here in Armonk!

Heather and her husband became New Castle residents nine years ago, at which time canine child Freddie joined their family. Since then, a daughter and twin sons followed suit. When Heather isn’t spending time with her family (including Freddie!), she works for a footwear company.

Giving Greyhound Racers a Second Chance

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Rescued by Sophie and her family, Jester found a loving home in Chappaqua. Photo by Ronni Diamondstein
Rescued by Sophie and her family, Jester found a loving home in Chappaqua.
Photo by Ronni Diamondstein

By Maggie Mae…with Ronni Diamondstein

One day I was talking about my job as a journalist to my friend Jester, who is a Greyhound, and he told me that he once had a job too. “When I was young I was a racing dog and now I am retired,” he said. Jester and I are both five years old so I thought it was strange that I was in the prime of my career and he had already retired.  “I was racing in Florida and broke my leg so they didn’t want me to race anymore.” He told me that he spent months in a crate before anyone repaired his leg.  That made me sad.  My owner would never treat me that way, and I know Jester’s Chappaqua family would never do that to him. I wondered how he got here from the south. “I was adopted through Greyhound Rescue & Rehabilitation, and that’s how I came to live with Sophie and her family,” he said.

I was curious about greyhound racing, because the only racing I know is when I run around in my house or chase a squirrel. From the ASPCA I found out that racing dogs are not treated as well as I am. They spend a lot of time in crates and when they can’t race anymore they are put to sleep forever.  That made me even sadder, so I decided to find out about the Greyhound Rescue & Rehabilitation (known also as GRR). I contacted the President and Founder, Christine Johnson, who lives in Cross River. She told me that she started GRR after she got her own dog.  Her sister recommended that she adopt a retired greyhound, because she lived in a condo and racing dogs don’t need to run a lot. I was surprised that racers didn’t need to run, but she explained that to me. “Greyhounds live most of their lives in crates so they make excellent apartment pets,” said Johnson. She adopted her first dog in 1999. It worked so well that within four months she adopted a second.

Johnson started GRR because she loved her dogs so much. She found out that there were lots of retired greyhounds that had been injured or  “were just a split second too slow ” Unless these dogs found homes, their futures were uncertain.

GRR takes greyhounds from all over the country. “Most of the hounds have no medical issues, but we do take in as many with injuries as we can afford.” Like Jester, some of them break their legs while racing.  “The retired racers we get are from 2 to 6 years old, however we will take younger dogs if they’re injured while getting ready to race or older dogs, which we refer to as ‘brood moms’ who have had racing careers and then a second career having puppies,” says Johnson. GRR doesn’t have a kennel so after each dog is examined by a veterinarian and either spayed or neutered, it needs a foster family to care for it until it is adopted.  I was surprised to learn that the foster family has to teach the dog how to be a pet.  Racing dogs have never learned to go up and down stairs or walk on a leash. They don’t even know about those things in your house that you can look through but not get to what is on the other side. My owner calls them windows. And I couldn’t believe it when Johnson told me that these dogs have never even had a ride in a car, which is, next to going for a walk and eating, one of my favorite things to do.

So to help these greyhounds find families to love, GRR runs adoption “Meet and Greet” events in our area.  Dogs like Jester are on hand at the events as “Ambassadogs”.  If you want to adopt a greyhound or find out more about Greyhound Rescue & Rehabilitation and the upcoming events go to their website: www.greyhoundrescuerehab.org

Who knew that my sweet and personable greyhound friend Jester had such an interesting history?  Makes me wonder what my next career could be.  Some kind of “Ambassadog” sounds good to me!

Contact Maggie Mae Pup Reporter at maggiemae10514@gmail.com

Maggie Mae lives in Chappaqua with her adoring owner Ronni Diamondstein, who, when she isn’t walking Maggie is a freelance writer, PR consultant, award-winning photographer and a School Library Media Specialist and teacher who has worked in the US and abroad.