SECOND CHANCE: ETHEL & DOLLY

12 Sep SECOND CHANCE: ETHEL & DOLLY

Editor’s note: It’s no secret. The Telluride region is dog heaven. Unless you are one of our furry friends who gets caught in the maw of neglect and abuse. Then heaven is on hold until Second Chance Humane Society comes to the rescue. This week, Telluride Inside… and Out announces a partnership with Second Chance, the nonprofit dedicated to saving animals’ lives and promoting responsible pet parenting and human-animal bond. Every week, executive director Kelly Goodin will choose to profile two of the many animals from the no-kill shelter, Angel Ridge, a dog and a cat, hoping to find them loving homes. The column will be sponsored by Ted Hoff of Cottonwood Ranch & Kennel, who from time to time exercises his skills as a dog whisperer and partners with Kelly and her staff to help train a particularly challenging animal. Below is Kelly’s first blog.

Angel Ridge, Animal Resource Center

The Human-Animal Bond:

Those who truly understand the elegance and delight of the human-animal bond consider themselves fortunate because that bond enriches lives in countless (and sometimes unconscious) ways. Second Chance Humane Society believes that if all people could develop this understanding then the need for our animal welfare shelter, services, and programs would no longer exist. So this is part of our mission – to promote the indisputable gift that is the human-animal bond.

This weekly TIO post, that Second Chance is so grateful to have been invited to contribute, will highlight adoptable pets waiting to forever transform the lives of the lucky people who adopt them.  Telluride residents Janie and Steve Goldberg, strong supporters of Second Chance and other animal rescue organizations, recently wrote about this transformation in a beautiful reflection on their recently departed dog Dee Dee.

Being amazing stewards for abused and neglected animals, Janie and Steve adopted their magnificent Dee Dee 12 years ago as a puppy after she had survived the heinous cruelty of a bullet to her head.  She was one eyed and still had shrapnel in her body, but eager to forget and to love again. Janie’s words about her relationship with Dee Dee felt like the appropriate introduction to this first post.

Amazingly, her love and trust for us, her human adoptive and lifelong caregivers, was complete, in spite of her suffering at the hands of man.  We all can learn a lesson from the myriad of appreciative, homeless dogs and cats adopted from animal shelters into loving homes in spite of an abusive, neglectful or cruel start to life.  For those of you who have “rescued” dogs and cats, and made them a vital part of your family, you know that they often rescue and support us, as much as we do them.

Their unabashed love, devotion and loyalty are indeed the qualities that carry us through the most difficult times. A home with a cat or dog in the family can never be a lonely one. And when we lose them, the grief is real and deep. I can think of no other way one can honor the memory of a dear member of their family, be it a cat or a dog, then to insure that other pets in need find a loving family after receiving the care they need in a wonderful shelter.

Available now at Second Chance’s Angel Ridge Ranch where all pets are spay/neutered, vaccinated and micro-chipped:

ETHEL:

My name is Ethel (I had a sister named Lucy, but she has been adopted) and I was born only 11 months ago – but have already endured a lifetime of experiences. I am one of many pets recently rescued from a cruelty and neglect case, but since arriving at Second Chance I have been nurtured and loved and, like Dee Dee, I am quickly putting my bad start behind me. I am now feeling happy and playful, emotions I clearly have missed out on until now, and the staff here say I have a bright disposition and am eager to please, a good combination in a companion animal. I clearly have responded well to that good stuff called love and attention and now feel like the real me, and so I will of course require more of the same in my new forever home. Oh, and I really enjoys playing with other dogs and cats find me amusing.

DOLLY:

“Purring 9 to 5 – what a way to make a living…”  Yes, my name is Dolly and I am a four-month-old female short-haired feline, who is a survivor like Ethel. At 10 weeks of age, a diminutive little kitten, I suddenly found myself alone, outside, and very scared. But I wasn’t going to let any of that stop me: I sniffed out a compassionate person and let her know that I had a life to live and a family to find. It worked and I was delivered safely to Second Chance. As a result of having to fend for myself, I tend to be a bit cautious around strangers at first, but if I find you trustworthy it doesn’t take long for my true loving nature to be exposed. Oh, and I really like country music, but find most musical genres agreeable.

More about Second Chance:

The Second Chance Humane Society Animal Resource Center and Thrift Shop are both located in Ridgway, but service San Miguel, Ouray  and Montrose Counties. Call the SCHS Helpline at 626-2273 to report a lost pet, learn about adopting a homeless pet, or about the SCHS Spay/Neuter, Volunteer, Feral Cat, or other Programs. View our shelter pets and services online: www.adoptmountainpets.org.