From the glossy pages of celebrity magazines to our neighborhood street in Rye, it is clear that rescuing dogs is the height of fashion, and it is easy to see why.

 

From the glossy pages of celebrity magazines to our neighborhood street in Rye, it is clear that rescuing dogs is the height of fashion, and it is easy to see why. For starters, when you save one dog’s life by bringing it into your home, you are actually saving two dogs because you’ve opened up room in the pipeline to pull another dog from a shelter. What better way to have a positive and immediate impact on the world? And what better lesson is there to teach your children? We hope you will consider rescuing your next pet.

Thanks so much to Kate Emanuel who shared her family’s happy story about Java, their rescue dog.

We have always been a dog family, but when Murphy, our Black Lab/Samoyed mix died in 2011, we decided to take a break. Last summer, with our daughter Jamie home from college, we felt ready. Jamie had done some volunteering at Larchmont Pet Rescue, so I went online one night (without mentioning it to my husband, Lloyd), filled out the form, and hit SEND. We decided that what we really wanted was a puppy. So that night, I logged back on and fell instantly in love with Java who had just been posted to the site.  She more than met my son Andrew’s only criteria of “really cute.” Time to tell my husband that we were getting a new dog…

Java’s mom, named Foxy, was a sweet little Pomeranian. She had been rescued in the south, and brought to her foster family in West Harrison. Java has turned out to be about 10 pounds heavier than her mom, which means that the dad was likely a larger breed. When we went to see the 8-week-old puppies, the hardest thing was taking only one!

Animal Planet was filming the litter for their Too Cute! Segment, so we agreed to bring Java to a filming session the following week, and another session at the Petco Adoption Day, where we would pretend to adopt her.  What fun! The segment aired in February (if you want to see a clip, go on the Animal Planet website and search Blanco and his sisters).

The Pet Rescue people and lots of well-meaning friends told us about crate training. Everyone insisted that dogs love having their own special space. Not Java! We brought her home in early July and the plan was to have her trained and socialized before starting a major house renovation in September. She wanted no part of that crate. One time we put her in it and went out. When we came home, she was standing at the door to greet us. It took a few days for her to show me her new skill of pushing her nose through the bars to open the gate – very clever and cute – and that was the end of crate training.

Since our previous dog had not been friendly around other dogs, I was determined that Java be well socialized with other dogs and people. We took a Puppy Manners class at Port Chester Obedience School, and spent a lot of time on play dates and walks with friends and their dogs. She loves nothing more than to be surrounded by lots of action, especially the teenagers who come and go. Say beach to her and she is in the car in a flash! Playland Beach in the off-leash months is fun for both of us, even last winter when the snow and ice seemed to never end.

 My biggest concern was how Java would do during the comings and goings and noise of the construction. She was a champ! She greeted the guys every morning and sat herself down with them during coffee breaks and lunchtime. Since she was a puppy, she would sometimes steal a glove or something to chew on – pencils were her favorite – but they all loved her and one even threatened to take her home with him. I actually felt sad for her (not for me) when the job was finished and all was quiet again. To this day, thunderstorms and Playland fireworks don’t bother her one bit!

Java even has a best friend, a rescue dog named Pepper, who came from North Shore Animal League. Pepper lives two houses away and they hit it off the first time they met. I have never seen two dogs who love to be together more than these two. They chase each other, tumble and wrestle, and just have a great time every time they see each other, which is usually at least once a day.  

Since the crate was a no-go, Lloyd got this comfy bed for her and put it in a cozy spot in our bedroom. Java ignored it. At first, she would only sleep in the bed with us. Of course we have an all-white bed, so it means lots of laundry…. Lately, she starts out at the foot of the bed and some time during the night ends up in her own bed. I was feeling really guilty about her sleeping with us and asked Gary Yarnell, our vet, if it was okay. He laughed and said he had a stiff neck that day because his dog was sharing his pillow the night before! So I gave up and let Java do what makes her happy.

We hope you enjoyed Java’s story, and if you are considering a pet, please consider adoption.  

 

— Kate, Lloyd, Jamie and Andrew Emanuel

 

If you have a rescue story to share, email RyeRescues@gmail. com.