TELL WANTED BACK RANSOM HE SHEL ER CONNEC ION. Bringing Pets & People Together. Holiday 2007 INSIDE: No one messes with with one of our kids

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1 HE SHEL ER CONNEC ION Bringing Pets & People Together TELL TAILS Holiday 2007 INSIDE: Ransom Meet Scott Halleran Virginia Pups Save the Day Meet the Breeds Day Shelter Blessings Goodbye to a Friend Welcome New Volunteers Shelter Pup Wishlist RANSOM Marianne Sikora No one messes with with one of our kids WANTED BACK When the unthinkable happens we are all left dumfounded. Never in the history of Shelter Director Sue Hassett has anyone actually stolen one of her dogs. Apparently it happens elsewhere all the time. Imagine our horror early that morning, amidst the hoopla of a litter of pups going up for adoption, that someone actually had the nerve to sneak in and help themselves to one of our puppies. As we sadly learned, most places just get Ransom safely back in Sue Hassett s arms at the shelter on with their day, but not at the Town of North Hempstead Animal Shelter. If you mess with one of our dogs you mess with all of us. The Pet Detective in all of us rose to the surface and we put on our fighting face. We had some clues to go on and we got to work. Apparently the guy who we believed took the dog had actually visited the shelter the week before. Unfortunately we had discarded his continued on page 2 The Shelter Connection is the volunteer organization at the Town of North Hempstead Animal Shelter. Our Mission, in partnership with the Town, is to improve the quality of life for dogs at the shelter and increase the adoptions through training and socialization. A secondary mission is public education to shift the public perception about shelters and dispel the myth that shelter dogs are damaged goods. The shelter is located at 75 Marino Avenue, Port Washington, NY

2 The Shelter Connection Board of Directors Robert Slifkin, MD President Jeff Rosen Treasurer Marianne Sikora Secretary Newsletter Coordinator Teresa Teravainen Executive Director Rosanne Palumbo Director of Training Regina Lagrasta Volunteer Coordinator Denise Waters Special Events Coordinator Paula Kellner Education and Public Awareness Coordinator Advisory Board Bonnie Brown, DVM Sue Hassett Assistant Director,North Hempstead Animal Shelter Brian Kilcommons Dog Trainer Erik Tallbe, CPA Julian Wise Attorney-at-Law Special Thanks to: Castlerock Printing for their contribution towards printing The Shelter Connection newsletter Contributions to this issue: Bob Slifkin, Denise Waters, Jina Lay, Lisa Lay and Marianne Sikora The Shelter Connection PO Box 226 Greenvale, NY The Shelter Connection is an all volunteer nonprofit charitable organization. All contributions are spent on programs and services to improve the quality of life of dogs at the Town of North Hempstead Animal Shelter. All contributions are fully tax-deductible. 2 continued from page 1 information so we didn t have a place to begin. Scott Halleron saved the day when he pieced together some crucial information. Name and address in hand a visit was planned. Accompanying Sue Hassett was Nassau County Detective Sergeant Lucy Grazziano and two Port Washington Detectives. When the information was verified and the location of the pup secured they arrived on the spot with sirens blowing and car doors flinging open. Sue said as she bounced around the squad car she felt like she was in the middle of a SWAT sting. Right in the middle of the chaos was our pup - now appropriately named RANSOM by the shelter staff. My story has a two part ending. The first part is the most important. Since little Ransom had been through so much we decided we needed to hold out for the right home. He was sleeping soundly in his crate behind the front desk when that home magically appeared before us. A woman and her daughter came in and as they shared the story of the beloved dog they had lost and described the kind of dog they were searching for, Sue Hassett reached down and held up Ransom. She asked- how about this guy?. Let s just say there were tears and smiles and one incredible fairy tail ending. That is what it is truly all about. The second part of my story s ending involves the thief accused of stealing Ransom from an official town office. The gentleman was arrested and a court date is pending. We re not sure what the outcome will be but a lesson was learned here for sure. The politically correct professional side of my story will report that justice was served. All the dogs at the Town of North Hempstead Animal Shelter are beloved members of our family. We take their well-being and happiness very seriously and we will go to any length to make sure they have happy healthy lives. However, the Queens girl who will forever reside inside me has a different way of summing up the lesson learned here. If you ever think that our shelter is the place to acquire a five finger discount pup - keep in mind... DON T SCREW WITH SUE RANSOM at home with his new forever family Welcome! The Shelter Connection would like to welcome its newest volunteer Adoption Advisers Kim and Michael. We would also like to congratulate Sophia, Laura and Gary on becoming our latest graduating class of Dog Handlers. We are proud to announce that we are now a group of 60 loyal, hardworking and dedicated volunteers. Great job everyone. CONGRATULATIONS!

3 Meet the Breeds Rescue Day On October 13, 2007, North Hempstead Animal Shelter, in partnership with The Shelter Connection, hosted their second Meet the Breeds Rescue Day. A diversity of rescue groups attended the event, bringing a wealth of information and knowledge of their particular breed. Most brought their dogs as well! After a Getting to Know You breakfast hosted by The Shelter Connection for their guests, each rescue group manned their own information table, and the doors were opened to the public. It was a very busy day! Much information was disseminated to potential adopters. Rescues networked with each other and the shelter on how to better help each other; after all, our goals are the same-to be able to save dogs, find them homes and thus relieve shelter overcrowding; It was an honor and a pleasure to see rescue friends, old and new, and spend the day with them! A good time was had by all! See what some of our friends had to say Tell Tails Holiday 2007 Denise Waters BREED RESCUES HELPING SHELTER One of the most important aspects of working closely with breed rescue groups is the undeniable advantage of having them screen and place certain breeds that are not meant for the average dog owner. Some breeds require a dedicated and/or experienced owner for the adoption to be a success. Recently, a pregnant Akita graced our presence at the shelter. She gave birth to six purebred Akita pups. As fluffy and adorable as Akita pups are, they, as with most of the Asian breeds, are not the easiest dogs to raise, especially by an adopter who is unknowledgeable or not totally dedicated to the socialization and training needs of the Akita. Here s where a good working relationship between shelter and rescue proves invaluable. Working with Akita rescue, the shelter and volunteers did their part to assure early socialization of the pups, even introducing some very basic training! When they were old enough for adoption, Akita rescue took mom and the pups into their program. There, they could evaluate temperament, using their vast experience with the breed, and place them into appropriate homes. Here s what Akita rescue had to say: thank you so much for letting us help. These Akitas will never ever see the inside of a shelter or fear for their lives. We remain able to take these dogs back for any reason within their lifetime if they lose their home. These are the special things that we can provide to our rescue dogs. Once they are ours, they will always be ours. When asked how momma and the pups were doing, rescue replied: Fantastic! I love momma! She is right here with me she is so sweet! I think we have placement for all the pups It cannot be emphasized enough-the importance of shelter and rescues working together for the good of each dog. MISSION ACCOMPLISHED! Beagle Rescue See what the rescue groups had to say on pages 4-6 3

4 The Shelter Connection Thank you all for such a wonderful day. It was great meeting you all and we were all so impressed with your shelter and how nice everyone is. The accommodations were excellent and the volunteers and staff are just awesome. Thank you again!! Liz Siberian Husky Club of Greater New York, Inc. If dogs could speak our languages: Thanks for the opportunity to see so many humans with the same compassionate mission, and similar rescue stories, at Long Island s model shelter. If it weren t for you and other twoleggeds like you, few if any of us would be around to enjoy your company, the glorious days we have, the great food we share, and the safe homes in which we live. From our wet noses to our wagging tails, we thank you for all your efforts. It makes us feel good to know that although there were once those who didn t or couldn t care about us, there are also those who do now. Keep up the good work. Mike and the Siberians SHCGNY, Inc. Scott and shelter dog TRAPPER have a little fun in the sun Great Scott Jina Lay - A Junior Adoption Advisor at the TONH animal shelter An interview with Shelter Staffer Scott Halleran A veteran of many years at the Town of North Hempstead (TONH) Animal Shelter Scott Halleran is also a family man. His wife Linda, three kids Elizabeth, Scotty Jr. and Emily and their two dogs, Buddy and Spike are the inspiration behind Scott's devotion to the many dogs under his care over the years. JL: How long have you been working at the shelter? SH: Since I started when I was three. MetroMaltese Rescue joins in the thanks. What a wonderful shelter. We were particularly impressed with all the really kind, marvelous volunteers. Well done. We enjoyed meeting everyone. Cookie, Truffles and Stella enjoyed all the fun too. Thanks, Ruth LI MMR Intake Coordinator Metropolitan Maltese Rescue JL: Ha, ha. What's your favorite thing about your job? SH: The diversity. Every day is different. I can be out catching a stray dog one moment, and doing office work or grounds keeping the next. Any way you look at it, I feel my job helps others and lets me be in a position where I can be a good influence. JL: What's the worst part about your job? SH: Participation in the euthanizing of any dog, which, fortunately happens rarely at our shelter. Also, dealing with people who have the mindset of the old-fashioned 'dog pound' as being a terrible place for a dog to end up. JL: Who is your favorite dog of all time? SH: Trixie, my Doberman Pinscher. 4

5 JL: What is one of your most memorable experiences? SH: A dog I caught a long time ago in Westbury was a really nice dog. His name was J.D. I told my old boss that I really liked this dog. The next day he was on the list to be euthanized. When I asked why, this boss (no longer here) said that I liked the dog too much, had become attached and that was not good. That the dog had to be put down right away. The worst part was, I had to assist in the procedure. I learned from this experience. From then on, when I caught a dog, I tried to find the owner right away, if I could, rather than taking the dog in. Often a stray dog will be wandering near his house and, if prompted, will head there. I can then either meet the owner or leave a note for the owner to call us. I can then encourage the owner to license and tag his dog. I also learn more about the dogs living in that particular area this way. The successes I have had made me feel better about the whole J.D. experience. JL: What's the difference between the TONH Shelter and the North Shore Animal League (NSAL)? SH: Here, we don't have a choice - we are responsible for any stray or surrendered dog in the Town of North Hempstead. NSAL can pick and choose their dogs. We are a municipal shelter. They are privately funded. Also, the number of years of experience of the staffers have here generally exceeds that of the staff at NSAL. Our responsibilities include law enforcement as well as the care and sheltering of stray or abandoned dogs. Our volunteer organization, The Shelter Connection, goes a long way toward enhancing the quality of life for our dogs. Adoption Advising, trained dog handlers, community outreach programs, Mend-A- Paw (medical treatment enhancement), food supplementaion and others are all ways our volunteers make a difference in the lives of our dogs. They keep the dogs spirits up and make them more adoptable. NSAL claims to be a 'No Kill' shelter, but how can that be one hundred percent of the time? If the definition of a 'No Kill' shelter is one that does not put down adoptable dogs, then we certainly fit that bill. JL: Why aren't there any cats here? SH: I'm happy we don't have cats here. In all the nearby shelters that take cats, the euthanasia rate is very high - 70 to 80 percent. There are no state, county or local laws pertaining to cats. Cat control would be extremely difficult to enforce. Tell Tails Holiday 2007 As always this was a wonderful day. And as always I am impressed with the rescues and with the shelter. You have no idea how I brag about TONH within Cairn Rescue. This was a successful day for Cairn Rescue. Not only did we find someone who was super interested in adopting but I also found someone who asked to be a foster home. She has had Cairns all her life so was not put off by the "they are little snots and not for everyone" speech I give people. So this was a great day for Cairn Rescue. And for sure it was a great day for the shelter. I heard so many people talking about how they were so impressed with the general attitude of the shelter as well as the facilities we have. I just swell up with pride when I am there remembering how it was all those years ago when dogs still just had numbers, the runs were almost always full and staff was doing all they could to help the dogs in the existing minimal facility. It is only Sue s vision that permitted yesterday to be. Without her fighting no volunteers would have been allowed in the shelter and it would have continued to be a shelter with a minimal physical plant and overworked but dedicated workers. I shudder to think of how many dogs who are today living happy healthy loved lives would not be on this earth. Kathie JL: What advice do you give people looking to adopt a dog? SH: Make sure you are ready for the responsibility of dog ownership. It's a lot of responsibility and every dog needs lots of love and attention. Take your time deciding. It's a long-term commitment, but one that can bring great happiness to everyone involved. My father once said," When you adopt a dog, it is your only chance to choose a family member." 5

6 The Shelter Connection All Creatures, Great & Small Lisa Lay It was very inspiring to meet all of you who have the same feelings for animals as we do. Sue Hassett and her staff and volunteers are angels for what they do to help these unfortunate creatures. If only all the shelters had the same focus we could literary save the world. We met many dedicated rescuers of all breeds and networked with several of them. Although we specialize in chows and chow mixes we get calls from people looking for help with dogs they have found. Often these dogs have no chow whatsoever in them, but we try to direct them to the best resource. It s comforting to know that all of you offer assistance to other rescuers. Please feel free to contact us about chow related rescues. The breakfast was delicious, especially for two hungry and cold people. Kudos to Denise & Roc and all who prepared and served. We had a wonderful time and encourage Sue to open her shelter again in the Spring for a similar event. We need to put the pressure on our elected officials to realize that compassion works and that it makes really good business sense! Unfortunately for many of them money is the bottom line, but who can argue about empty cages. Hope we can all stay in touch and continue to help our animal friends thru networking. CARYL PET ADOPTION LEAGUE OF NEW YORK (chow rescue) 6 Homeless dogs get a special visit as an Akita pup, born at the shelter, gets a special blessing complete with minister and attendents Animals have enriched the lives of all of us, and for pet owners, the lessons of the unconditional love and devotion of our four-legged companions is a most powerful experience. To celebrate the animals in our lives and the bond we have with them, Pastor Eldon Simpson and the Port Washington United Methodist Sunday School made a special trip to the Town of North Hempstead Animal Shelter to visit and bless the dogs there who are waiting for adoption. Shelter Director Sue Hassett, welcomed everyone on what is usually her only day off with a brief talk on shelter life, how the dogs wind up there in the first place, and, especially, what people can do to ensure that these homeless dogs and all the animals in their lives are loved and cared for. Then, trooping from kennel to kennel, the pastor and all the kids gave each dog a special blessing. The dogs, who often bark excitedly when people pass by, were amazingly quiet and attentive. Many kids asked how they could help, or volunteer their time. Residents of the Town of North Hempstead are extremely fortunate to have one of the best run animal facilities in the Northeast, where the adoption rate is so high that the shelter is almost never full and all the dogs are trained, socialized and exercised in the specially-equipped yard and the volunteer-built severalacre nature trail.certainly, anyone lucky enough to have been a part of this special event has come away with a greater appreciation for our sister and brother creatures with whom we share this planet. Freckles, Greta and Gabby all resting comfortably at home. Thank you for opening your hearts and giving such a wonderful home to three beautiful old shelter gals.

7 The Spirit of Giving The holidays usually bring out the best in all of us. We are a bit more aware of those in need. We hold more doors open for the folks coming in behind us. We smile for no apparent reason and nod our head in greeting to strangers on the street. We have found our holiday spirit. The supporters of The Shelter Connection have always been so generous to our dogs in need. We hope this holiday season you will find it in your hearts to find a charity that is special to you and help make a difference. Just a few facts to let you know the difference your donations made to shelter dogs to date in 2007: Mend-a-Paw Fund (Medical Treatment): $11, Dog Food, Supplement and Treats: $ 2, Training Equipment: $ Donations to The Shelter Connection, Inc. are tax deductible. An acknowledgement letter will be mailed to the donor. Please be sure to include your full name and address. Office Depot Please Tell Tails Holiday 2007 Shop for the Shelter at igive.com When you shop the hundreds of stores available through igive.com, a portion of each purchase is donated to charity. Just go to the igive.com website and register (it s free and completely private.). Select The Shelter Connection from the list of charities and then shop at the stores you already prefer and a portion of every purchase will be donated to The Shelter Connection. These are just a few of the hundreds of stores participating. Ann Taylor LLBean Frontgate JCPenney Kohl s Dogtoys.com Eddie Bauer Home Depot J.Crew Lands End Nokia Usa OldNavy.com Petco Sharper Image The Body Shop Toshiba Gateway Office Max Sears.com Staples Timberland Travelocity Sunglass Hut help us help the dogs at our local shelter Yes, I want to help improve the quality of life for the dogs at the Town of North Hempstead Animal Shelter. Enclosed is my gift to support The Shelter Connection: $100 $50 $25 $15 $10 Other $ Please make checks payable to : The Shelter Connection and mail to: If you wish to be notified about events please send your address. Your donation is fully tax-deductible and will be acknowledged with a receipt. 100% of your donation will be applied directly to program services To the the nice folks who will always be referred to as the Unknown Shoebox people. You dropped off your shoebox full of change as a donation. It totalled $ Your change has helped bring about great change in the lives of shelter dogs. You did not leave your names so please accept our heartfelt... THANK YOU (woof woof) Dell Adidas AllPet.com BigDogs.com Disneystore CompUSA Viking Office Barnes & Noble Bath & Body Buy.com Coldwater Creek Niketown The Shelter Connection P.O.BOX 226 Greenvale, NY

8 The Shelter Connection Good-bye to an old friend Butter It was just last years holiday issue that updated us on the wonderful life of butter in our I can t believe it s butter article. So much can change in a year. We thank the Harts from the bottom of our hearts for providing such a wonderful home. We hope that soon the good memories will find a way to send the sad moments away. We wanted to share with everyone part of the letter sent in by Butter s family: I ve checked in periodically over the past seven years, providing updates on our dog Butter (formerly Buddy), whom we adopted from your shelter December 4, With immense sadness, I wanted to let you know he died yesterday. He was likely about 13 years old, and had some minor health issues and maybe some larger ones that he kept well hidden. It was unexpected, and we could not be more sad. He was so special to me, my husband, and our younger dog Deuce. We will never forget meeting Butter on Saturday December 2, 2000 at your shelter, and formally adopting him into our family on December 4th, You helped bring so much joy into our family, and we are forever grateful. He loved car rides, and hotels, and road trips. He loved other dogs and other cats, big or small. He loved to lick my ice-cream bowl, and to chase the white-water at the beach. He wasn t a swimmer, but he could wade in the water on chest-level forever. There was never a house he stayed at that he wouldn t try to take over the bed, and when you walked in the house after being out, he would make sure he kissed you right on the mouth. The cheek, the hand, the arm would not do it had to be the mouth. He loved his toys, and he loved children. He loved to wrestle with your arm, while he lay on his back, making sure to lick it any time it got close to his mouth. He loved Deuce. And his favorite place to be was with me and Derek. There was nothing that made him happier than us being all together. It was sudden. Despite his age, and some minor health issues, we weren t expecting it. I expected to spend the day at the vet, making sure whatever was bothering him was fixed. Sadly, he died in the car just blocks away from our house and blocks away from the vet. I think Come meet these wonderful dogs! he chose his time though he was with us both, and his best friend Deuce was at home chewing on a big bone since he didn t get to come with us. I think he also knew the vet could maybe help him a little bit, for a little while, but we would have been faced with the decision of whether to put him to sleep, and Butter knew better than anyone I could not have done it. We had him for the latter 7 years of his long life, and I like to believe they were by far better than the first 6 years without us. Every single day we had him, he became more trusting, more open, more comfortable, more loving. He never stopped learning how good life really was, and he never stopped enjoying it. My favorite pictures of him aren t on this computer, or any computer. Most are in my mind. The ones that are memorialized are framed, taken with our 35 mm camera. Him at my parents house the summer we got married, looking up at me with a smile on his face, thanking me with his eyes and his tongue for letting him spend the summer with us. With my parents, with their two dogs, one of whom, Sneaker, he now gets to play with again without the constraints of arthritis or tumors or cancer or whatever they silently and continued on page 12 8 Taffy Butler Rufus

9 We re available too! Many Thanks and Big Wet Dog Kisses... Tell Tails Holiday 2007 To all the Merchants who have helped keep the funds coming for the animals at the Town of North Hempstead Animal Shelter. They re eating better, playing better and healing better thanks to the generosity of local businesses. Please help us by patronizing the following Pet friendly merchants. Nyla Merchants who helped The Shelter Connection with a special price for: Printing the newsletter CastleRock Printing & Graphics Merchants who made special donations. Joanne s Gourmet Pizza, Roslyn Pet Pantry, Roslyn Main Street Wine & Spirits, Port Washington Beans Licorice Please shop at and look for The Shelter Connection collection boxes at the following merchants: Brooklyn Pizza, Huntington Station Diane s Place, Port Washington Frank s Pizza, Port Washington Greenvale Bagels, Greenvale Joanne s Gourmet Pizza - Roslyn Main Street Wine & Spirits, Port Washington Manhasset Raindew, Manhasset Munsey Dry Cleaners, Port Washington Nassau Community College Bookstore North Shore Farms, Port Washington Old Brookville Family Restaurant, Old Brookville Petland Discount, Port Washington Pet Pantry, Roslyn Port Washington Diner, Port Washington Rosa s Pizza, Greenvale Shield s Hardware, Port Washington Unleashed Pet Boutique & Spa, Port Washington Yogurt & Such, Greenvale 9

10 The Shelter Connection Virginia Pups Save the Lives of New York Shelter Dogs. Denise Waters. Of course they could never know, but if dogs could speak to each other, a bunch of New York dogs would give a big THANK YOU to the Virginia puppy mill dogs who recently came to our neighborhood! The extensive press coverage caused a hoopla in Port Washington, creating a huge influx of potential adopters in the area. Those who couldn t wait on long lines or were disappointedly turned away, found their way to our shelter instead. Plenty of plain ole New York dogs got adopted! There are hundreds, if not thousands of dogs in shelters all over the New York area-no publicity, no press releases, no nightly news clipssitting quietly, patiently waiting for their turn at a happy home. Do yourself and a local dog a favor for the holidays, familiarize yourself with the many shelters where you live and adopt! Even if your circumstances are such that you cannot bring a dog into your life right now, perhaps you can collect some plush squeaky toys to donate to your local shelter. Find a way to make life just a little brighter this holiday season for a plain old New York dog! 10 Municipal Shelters The best part is many shelters have their dogs featured online. This means you can shop around online before you even visit the shelter! Visit NASSAU COUNTY: Hempstead Animal Shelter Long Island Humane (Freeport) North Hempstead Animal Shelter Oyster Bay Animal Shelter BOROUGHS: Manhattan Animal Care & Control Brooklyn Animal Care & Control SUFFOLK COUNTY: Babylon Animal Shelter Brookhaven Animal Shelter East Hampton Dog Control Huntington Animal Shelter Islip Animal Shelter Riverhead Animal Shelter Smithtown Animal Shelter Southhampton Animal Shelter Southold Animal Shelter A View From the Sidelines: Marianne Sikora I am always proud when mankind steps up and joins hands to help the weak and the sick and the scared. I saw that in action as hundreds of people showed up to adopt the Virginia dogs in need. As I sat in the training area with sweet Sandy on my lap, a small scared to death dog who had been sponsored by The Shelter Connection the day before because her number was up in a neighboring shelter, I couldn t help feeling that in some small way I had failed her. As I redirected the parade of people away from our shelter filled with dogs in need, towards the Virginia dogs, I started thinking of ways to raise the money needed to create such a frenzy for dogs in need right here on Long Island. Everyone has to tell their friends and families that some of the best dogs ever are waiting for you in Long Island shelters and yes their time is running out. It might not make headline news but you will be able to say - Heh - I adopted a Long Island dog, I saved a life and made a difference right here in my own backyard. Every single day numerous wonderful adoptable dogs lose their lives waiting for families right here on Long Island. I don t know the answer but for now I just hugged the small scared shaking dog in my lap a bit tighter and whispered in her ear, Don t worry Sandy - some day we will find a way to have a parade of people for you. For all those folks who were shooting for a Virginia dog but found their way to us instead...thank you from the tip of our nose to the tip of our tails: Ginger, Gizmo, Waldo, Zoey, Ripple, Cadbury, Sparky and Dora. I am happy to report Shy Sandy got adopted by a great family who reports she is the new Mayor of Port!.

11 The Shelter Pups Wish-List Tell Tails Holiday 2007 Marianne Sikora Twas the night before Christmas and all through the house. Not a squeaker was squeaking not even the mouse. The Teddy Bear s head was one gapping hole and Beans had completely gutted the mole The Ginger Bread man now walked with a limp and the cool swinging monkey was a disabled chimp Sue and Mimi in Maine The Fierce roaring Tiger now laid in a pile his stuffing and paws had been gone quite awhile So we spoke to the elves and they soon went to town and notified the folks who help us year round They spread the word fast like good elves will do that the dogs needed toys according to Sue The toys will help us stay sane day by day till our forever families come take us away. So toys that you have that squeak bounce or chew will give us hours of cool things to do Bring them on in what a great big delight Happy Holidays to all and to all a good night Our Girl Mimi There s still no place like home for our long time, now living in paradise, shelter resident Mimi. Shelter Director Sue Hassett recently made sure to pay a visit to her pal on a trip through Maine. As you can see Mimi s yard is much larger than the one she had here at the shelter for three years when she waited for all her dreams to come true. We are forever grateful to her new family for providing a home better than anything we ever imagined. 11

12 The Shelter Connection Butter at home and in the park - what a great smile continued from page 8 bravely and courageously faced while alive, with no complaints. Another photo was taken two years later, of him in a hotel room in San Francisco, with a more content smile than I had ever before seen. Telling us how fun the road trip was, how happy he was to show Deuce the life of a city dog. How much he loved the heavenly Kimpton Group bed and hotel. It is so close up that you can see every detail of his face, all the expression that he carried. And from that same trip, there is a picture of him on the beach in Carmel, at sunset. He is laying facing me, the wave break to his back. Deuce close to him, but slightly behind him. He is happy, he is content. He knows his life is good. He wants to make ours even better. You see it all in that picture. There was not a day we had him that he did not make my life happi- Tell Tails Holiday 2007 er, more complete, more rewarding. He was the highlight of every day - he was my pride and joy. He was the gentle giant that showed everyone around us what a little love can do, and how much it could change a life. He showed Derek and I that we knew how to love, and taught us that there is nothing more important than being together. I will never forget his determination to stay in one spot if we ever tried to split up and walk separate ways. I will not move unless you are both together. Even when his back legs had no muscle, his determination was still no match for us. But as long as we were together, walking next to each other, he would gladly walk miles and travel anywhere. His family gave him all he needed to be happy, to be content. I will carry that with me forever. And I will miss him forever. Nikki Hart The Shelter Connection P.O. BOX 226 Greenvale, NY 11548