Cleveland APL Humane Investigations officers rescued Smokey and Lovey, along with nearly a dozen other dogs, from less-than-ideal conditions. The five-year-old Rottweiler mixes showed clear signs of neglect: Their coats were dirty and smelly, their nails overgrown, and Smokey’s skin was infected. They received medical attention and both dogs were fixed. The surgery itself went well, but during recovery Lovey struggled. She showed signs of stress–even pulling out the metal bars on the kennel door in the recovery area! The team that was caring for her wisely decided to reunite her with Smokey, and that did the trick. Lovey calmed down immediately. Both animals were so much less fearful when they were together. It was decided that if at all possible, the two should be adopted together. They would be considered a “bonded pair.”
Humans Patrick and Patti are familiar with the benefits of being a “bonded pair.” Married for 32 years, the couple raised six boys in a house full of noise and life. In fact, one of their sons introduced Patrick and Patti to the APL, when he brought home a dog six years ago. In summer 2015, that dog passed away. With only one son left at home and two away at college, the house was very quiet.
Patrick decided to surprise Patti with a dog for Christmas. He saw a picture of Lovey, who resembled the dog they had loved and lost. His sons went to the APL to meet her. They discovered that Lovey and Smokey were a bonded pair. Fortunately, this didn’t dissuade them; it just doubled the surprise! Patti describes the Christmas Eve introduction. “I had my back turned when they brought them in, but I could hear the pitter-patter of feet across the floor. I looked at my husband and asked, ‘What did you do?’” My son replied, “They are brother and sister, so we had to take them both.” That's when Patti learned she had two dogs, and the house was quiet no more!
Smokey and Lovey, re-named Lady, ventured into their wonderful new life, side by side. Patti describes them, “They are so happy together… they sleep curled up on the couch during the day, often with one resting its head on the other one for support. They love to wrestle and chase each other around the house and in our big backyard just like the boys used to do. At night, they try to fit into the bed with us—it gets a little crowded. They are always together.”
Patti says, “I am so grateful they came to us.” We are grateful to Patti and Patrick for the gift of this happily-ever-after—for two.
Information about the Cleveland APL
To meet the adoptable animals at the Cleveland APL, visit our adoption center in Tremont at 1729 Willey Avenue in Cleveland or our PetSmart Charities® Everyday Adoption Center in the Parma PetSmart® store at 6870 Ridge Road. To view all of the animals who are waiting for loving homes online or on your mobile device, visit www.ClevelandAPL.org or download our free adoptions app on your iOS or Android device.
Our Facebook page is called
“Cleveland Animal Protective League”. Here is the link to it for your reference:
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Cleveland-Animal-Protective-League/29396512928
Our Twitter handle is
@ClevelandAPL. Here is a link:
https://twitter.com/ClevelandAPL
Carmen
Cleveland Animal Protective League