We first met Tommy two years ago, when he
was brought to Lane County Animal Regulation Authority (LCARA) as a
stray. Although he was only about a year old at the time, Tommy was
found to be totally blind and have some joint weaknesses.
He soon won over Senior Officer Bill Waugh
and the other shelter staff, with his friendly, affectionate
personality, and they worked very hard to find him a new home. Finally
a family was found that was willing to accommodate his special needs.
Sadly, this home lasted for only about 18 months, when the husband
abruptly sold the family home, abandoned his family, and ordered his
wife to "just leave the dogs in the backyard" when she was forced to
move. The only rental she could find allowed cats, but not dogs. She
frantically began calling everybody she could think of, to find a place
for Tommy.
Although we usually only have the
resources to rescue dogs who are actually in animal control
shelters and in danger of being euthanized, we knew Tommy was not a good
candidate for either of our local shelters, and welcomed Tommy into our
program. The Waggin Inn boarding kennel provided loving care for Tommy
for several months, and then a kind couple, Yolanda & Richard offered to
foster him.
A sweet lady named Karen saw Tommy's photo
and description on our Petfinder.com site. Her heart was touched by his
sad story, and she said she would like to see if he might want to make
her home his "forever" home. Meanwhile, a Veterinarian specializing in
Ophthalmology, Dr. Maxwell, kindly offered him a complimentary exam.
She confirmed that his blindness was not operable.
Karen applied to adopt Tommy, and began the home visit
that is a part of every S.A.R.A. adoption. Within a few days, she
emailed us: "...after spending another day with Tommy, I realized that
there is nothing that would come up that would
cause me to return this happy, wonderful boy. I am extraordinarily
lucky to have him! I can promise you (and Officer Bill Waugh!) that he
will never have to look for a home again!
Thank you, Karen, for giving Tommy his loving, "forever"
home!
