Children were happy when dog owners stopped their pets to say hello during the Memorial Day Parade in Manlius, N.Y.
My dear wife Karen and I brought Ellie B, aka Dogamous Pyle, to two big doggie-themed events this past holiday weekend.
I marched her around the field as part of Bark in the Park at the Syracuse Chiefs’ NBT Bank Stadium, and we marched with the patrons of the Dog Gone Inn Doggie Day Car Center during the Memorial Day Parade in Manlius.
During both events, some of the dogs involved wore vests that carried the words “Adopt Me.”
There are many dog rescue organizations in Central New York, filled with hopeful and busy volunteers trying to give dogs with no homes love, and the chance to be matched with folks that can give them one.
Ellie B found us at such a rescue event three years ago this May. It was called Paws for a Cause. How glad I am there are people who do such things.
Yankee and Ellie B say hello at NBT Bank Stadium.
If you’d like to read my weekly community blog about dogs and dog people and rescue efforts and events on Syracuse public media site waer.org, click the link below.
http://waer.org/post/central-new-york-going-dogs-good-way
Have you ever owned a rescue dog? Do you have any friends or family who own rescue dogs? Have you gone to any events meant for folks to bring their dogs?
Mark Bialczak 
I wish I could have a dog. I always had one growing up and when my kids were young. That was a nice event to help dogs get adopted. BTW check this sentence ‘If you’d like to ready my weekly community blog’
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Thanks for the set of eyes. I wish you could have a dog, too, since you enjoyed it so, Kim!
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This is a good cause and I love the photos with cute kids and puppies! I also believe in buying dogs from or donating to shelters. My brother and sister in law have had two rescued dogs. My good friend at work, just got a golden retriever that is still a puppy but one years old. Cooper drags the hose around, dumps out plants from their pots, so he can carry around the bottom tray. He thinks it is another version of a Frisbee! Smiles, Robin
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That’s not a frisbee, Cooper. Put the plant back in the pot! That would be a good trick to teach a puppy, Robin, wouldn’t it?!
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We’ve always had rescue dogs in our family, some of them coming from some pretty horrific backgrounds. There’s nothing more heart-warming than to feel the true love and affection of an animal that knows real love for the first time.
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I am happy that you got to see that kind of love and appreciation from your family dogs, Heather. Wow!
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One rescue cat, Stachio. One gifted cat, Gary. When O is older we may adopt a rescue dog but for now my hands are full! I love that Ellie B found a great home! She’s a real rags to riches tale! From homeless to vacations in a cottage on Cape Cod. Just lovely!
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Yes, but we don’t let her get spoiled. We still make her poop in the backyard, Sandra. 🙂
I love the name of your rescue cat. Stachio, the big O!
It will be fun when he’s old enough for you to get a rescue dog, too.
And I must not forget, good day to gifted cat Gary, too!
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The first Saturday of the month the Pugs of Houston get together with the pugs who need rescued. We play at a dog park located in downtown Houston. Oscar loves going and enjoys playing with the puppies who have helium balloons tied to their collars. These are the ones hoping to find a new forever home.
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That sounds like fun for your loving and lovely allergy-bugged Oscar, Audrey. Fantastic. I hope lots of Pugs can float away to new homes!
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Ha! Yes, poor Oscar…
Me too, Mark. One usually goes to a new forever home….wish it were more.
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I own four rescue cats. I have been to tons of rescue dog-themed events, however, as I regularly donate photography to our local SPCA and photograph the individual pets for their website, as well as a couple of their annual events to promote adoption awareness. I love when we get to see them be adopted while we’re there. 🙂 Great post and awesome article on the other site! 😀
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Thanks, Rachel. You are an important part of the good work so many people do to help these wonderful pets get together with deserving people. Way to go, friend.
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Thank you! 🙂 If I ever win the lottery, I’d like to open an animal rescue sanctuary. I hear that horses and elephants are particularly mistreated.
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I hope you win, Rachel.
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🙂
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I have never had a rescue dog. But I know people who have, and who are active in rescue organizations. Those are some very dedicated people.
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They are dedicated to the cause, paws.
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🙂
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I still dream of getting a dog – this post makes me more determined!
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I am sure there are dogs that want to rescue a family in London, too, Rachel!
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I love events like this! And how wonderful you acquired Ellie B. in this manner. I have never personally owned a rescue dog, as I’m a cat lady (to rescues!) but I don’t think anything beats the love a homeless animal can give an owner.
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I know you are a rescue cat woman, CBXB. No matter the animal, rescues are truly grateful! I love reading about Ted and New Cat, as you know.
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Almost all of our dogs have been rescue. On Memorial Day, we drove to the no-kill animal shelter in Austin. 99% of them were barking, stocky pit bulls, charging at the cages and baring their teeth. It’s not the same place I’d been to dozens of times before, with all varieties of smiling, tail-wagging dogs we’d adopted in the past. Now it’s acres of unwanted pit bulls, scaring the piss out of customers who just want to prolong something’s life that seems to want to take theirs. We were all jostled and scared and left in a hurry. Surely some of them were good-natured, but we weren’t about to take that chance. And I really did leave there, thinking perhaps no-kill was not such a great idea. I’m sure that will upset others.
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That is a sad tale, Kerbey. It is the people who bred and raised these dogs that are at fault, not these dogs. My take on it, anyway.
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We adopted two rescue Pups while we lived in Taiwan. We ended up relocating back to California and brought them back with us. We if ever get another dog, I would definitely choose a rescue dog
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I’m glad it was a good experience for you A3TG!
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My wife and I have been lucky to share our home with 5 different doggies since we’ve been together (1998.) All were rescue doggies. Sammy was found abandoned in the old Greyhound station (now TWC News) by a friend. Since she had a full house already, we stepped in. Molly was being neglected by a family that had far too many problems and was liberated from them by my wife. Archie was wandering around our neighborhood, dazed and hungry. He was suspicious of our efforts to take him in and give him food–but changed his mind when he met our other two doggies. Years after our friend found Sammy abandoned, she found Andie abandoned in the town of Onondaga. Willie was rescued from death row in Texas by Helping Hounds–and when we came in to make a donation we fell for him! Sammy and Molly are no longer with us, but shared our lives for 15 years. The other 3 doggies are currently running around, ripping up our grass, going for long walks and making our lives special!
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I am so happy for you, your wife and your three doggies, Phil. Perfect story.
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I’ve always had dogs rescuing me. I couldn’t imagine a life without one. I’ve done the same with cats too, as I have a rescue dog Sam and a brother/sister rescue cats. They so enhance our lives as we do theirs.
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That is great, Jackie. Here’s to you, Sam and the kitty siblings!
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Always had waifs and strays in my house as a kid, my mum used to take em all in and nurse em back to health if sick. We had cats and dogs of course, but also birds, hedge hogs, some kind of desert rat thing with long legs like a mini kangaroo, and a donkey.
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… and a donkey.
I love the way you buried the lead on this one, Ali.
You better write a blog post on this. I just allowed you to give yourself the best prompt ever for a Throwback Thursday.
… and a donkey.
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when we were kids we rescued a collie. soon, i’ll be rescuing a kitty, mine passed away more than a year ago and i am ready to make a little kitty part of my family ) i love these rescue events. –
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Sorry for your loss, Beth. I am glad to hear your heart is ready for another kitty to rescue you!
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thanks, mark and i think it’s true. the rescue is for the families as much as the animals.
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An equal two-way street, indeed, Beth.
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We’ve been active in rescuing and fostering Westies for several years now.
I hope you don’t see this as a shameless plug which I don’t intend at all. But if you are interested in the efforts going on to save puppy mill “retirees” you might find this story inspirational: http://silverinthebarn.wordpress.com/2014/04/16/animal-rescue/
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That’s cool. I am all for saving the dogs. Plug away.
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I have been rescued by several dogs over the last 30 years. Like you Mark; they’ve brought an incredible amount of love and joy into my life. I have for many years done work with Rhodesian Ridgeback Rescue. In fact we are working on transporting a “Ridgie” from Texas to Syracuse next week for him to find his Furrever Home and a human deserving of the love he has to give. In a self serving manner here is our national website. I hope you don’t mind. Remember if there is a “Ridgie” elsewhere in the US you can work with your regional to provide him or her with a loving home. Thanks in advance Mark for allowing me this bit of promotion. — http://www.ridgebackrescue.org/home.html
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Of course I welcome your Ridgie site, here, old friend. I love the photos of them you put on your FB page, too. I am glad they rescued you. Thanks for sharing the info. Matching dogs and people is a great thing.
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My pup Maggie is a rescue dog, Mark. Almost 6 years in August.
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I am glad Maggie rescued you and hubby and daughter, Mer. It’s such a sweet thing because these dogs know what you’ve done for them.
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I’ve never owned a rescue dog. My last dog was a shepherd/wolf cross, he was super intelligent and I loved him with all my heart. Living in the city, I don’t think it’s fair to the dog to live in an apartment, do I have no dog now.
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I am surprised at how many people try hard to make a dog in a city environment work, Diana. We have our yard with a fence and it’s really not urban, more village in the city, so it’s easy. But a lot of apartment-livers are out there walking their dogs. I bet you miss your smartie. Thanks for commenting, as always, my friend.
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Oh yes, he was part of the family. I want him to be one of the ‘people’ who greets me at the pearly gates!
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I am sure he will be, Diana. That’s the way it works in my good book!
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What a wonderful deed to do.
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I never even thought about these programs until I met Karen a decade ago, and “adopted” Lissa, her dear rescue dog. And then I was all the way in with the concept, Dora. It’s a great thing.
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We rescued our Lab mixes, Max and Coco, in Texas. They are brothers. We went in for one dog and came home with two and I kid you not when I tell you I considered taking the sister too. I don’t know how volunteers who work with these animals all the time don’t have a zoo at home! 🙂
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A year after we took our Ellie B, we went to the Canine Carnival and sought out the Rome Humane Society table. The woman there saw Ellie and rushed out and gave her a big hug, and told us how she had taken her home with her several nights when she was at that center and fallen in love with her. It brought tears to my eyes, Leah. You and your hubby are good people for taking the pair, and considering their sis, too! Thanks for sharing your story here. Good to hear from you. I hope all is well in Puerto Rico and New Jersey.
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