Dear Cleveland APL,
I lost my best friend, Schnick, in August 2014. He was a miniature Schnauzer, originally my mom’s dog. He was a bit under-socialized, but quickly came to be my “baby.” He was sweet and smart and stubborn and stole my heart. When he passed away, I was devastated.
I didn’t intend to adopt a new dog any time soon. In honor of Schnick, who was a bit misunderstood, I did think that when the time came, I would look for another dog who needed some special attention. Because I wanted my next dog to have a buddy, I decided to keep an eye out for two dogs who came in together, so I could be sure they’d get along. In October 2014, Coco and Murphy were surrendered to the APL. I saw their intake pictures on the website. While Murphy looked cool and distinguished, Coco looked distressed.
In November, Coco was showing signs of strain being in the shelter environment, so she was put into temporary foster placement with an APL volunteer. Martha, the Animal Transport Coordinator, began to look for a homebased rescue organization that might take Coco, so she could be adopted without returning to the shelter. I offered to foster Coco, if I could take Murphy as well. The day after Thanksgiving, I took them home with me.
It wasn’t exactly the smoothest transition. The first night I got home after work, I thought we’d been robbed. Tupperware, tennis shoes, potting soil, everything chewed and scattered! They’d even opened a twelve pack of pop cans and carefully bit holes into each one! Still, when the Foster Care Coordinator called me around Christmas to ask if I was going to return them, my heart clenched —“my” dogs could be going to live with someone else? I adopted them at the end of December, so they could start the New Year in their new home.
Coco, now Coco Marie, has lost her fearful look, and now plays hide and seek, her tail waving like a flag. Murphy found some of Schick’s old toys, and loves shaking the “life” out of his possum, flinging it into the air, tossing it into the plants, behind the furniture, and on the top of
the mantle. They’ve brought life back to my home. I am grateful for the efforts made by so many people for my little terrors…I mean, terriers: the intake staff, animal care technicians, Dr. Lash and the veterinary staff, Martha, Samm, Coco’s foster “dad” Dave, volunteers who walked them, staff who played with them, Stephanie who did their adoption, Danielle, April and Ayse, who came to see us off. It took the whole APL village to get them to me. Thank you for entrusting me with them. I’ll make sure these two have found their Happily Ever After.
— Coco and Murphy’s mom
Lisa Tarcy
Cleveland Animal Protective League
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