In 100 words or less, tell us why your pet is your hero and why he/she should win the “My Best Friend” wine label contest.
Two years ago I received an email with pictures from a fellow rescuer. A shelter in rural Florida found 4 long haired dachshunds in their night box. The dachshunds in the picture were beautiful and I wondered why they ended up in a shelter. I contacted the shelter to inquire about the dachshunds. The rescue co-ordinator said another rescue already expressed an interest in taking the dachsunds but only wanted to take two. I asked the co-ordinator to put DARE’s name on them should the other rescue not pull them all. DARE was not signed up as an approved adoption partner but I said I could provide the necessary paperwork as I was a DARE Board member.
A few minutes later I received a call from the rescue co-ordinator who had visited DARE’s website, read our mission statement and adoption procedures. She liked everything she read about DARE and said she would like to place the four dachshunds with DARE. I arranged a transport with one of DARE’s wonderful volunteers who loves to help out by pulling dachshunds from shelters to help them start their “freedom ride”.
One of the dachshunds was a blonde female who I fostered. It was love at first sight. I adopted Daisy, whom I named Daisy Duke. She loves to dress up and go to DARE events. Her demeanor is so calm that I decided to try her in therapy dog training. Daisy and I made it through six weeks of training and she is certified as a therapy dog. We visited retirement homes, libraries, and events to promote therapy dogs. My granddaughter, Tori, had a school project about bullying and she asked if Daisy Duke could be part of the video she wanted to make with a fellow student. Daisy did a great job showing that she could provide a calm effect to a troubled teenager. My granddaughter and her fellow student received an “A” and the teacher said that was the best project of all the students.
Daisy Duke is my constant companion and she follows me everywhere. We attend many events and because she is so beautiful and well-mannered people are drawn to her. I’d say she is a wonderful spokesdog for DARE and therapy!