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Pet Adoption

Save a life and gain an affectionate best friend.

S

andy Sherman has had a dog in her
life since she was a child. When her
beagle, Ruby, died in 2013, she had
a tough time without her longtime com-
panion. When her grief lessened, she began
saving up to recue another dog that would
fill her heart again.
“I felt lonelier without Ruby,” says
Sherman, 60, who is on a fixed income. “I
knew I couldn’t get another dog until the
time was right.”
A recent move to Farmington Hills made
the adoption process more affordable for
her. So, when she heard about Meet Your
Best Friend at the Detroit Zoo, one of the
nation’s largest off-site pet adoption events,
she set out in mid-May to find a new best
friend.
Sherman was looking for a small dog that
she would be able to lift and handle easily
because she has back problems. A small dog
would be easier to share her apartment with
as well. And she wanted a dog that was a bit
older, too.
“I was getting discouraged because I was
only seeing big dogs, but then I saw Roo,”
she says with a smile. Roo is part terrier,
part Chihuahua, weighs 12 pounds and is
2 or 3 years old. “Maybe he was still there
because he’s a little odd-looking. He has no
tail and the fur on his legs is gone, but that
doesn’t bother me. He’s so sweet.”
Before Sherman could take Roo home,
she needed to complete a five-page applica-
tion, which included contact information
for Ruby’s veterinarian, and have a home
study completed by Roo’s foster mom to
make sure her apartment was suitable and
that Sherman and Roo interacted well.
Roo was rescued from a small shelter
in Ohio by Last Chance Rescue in Howell.
Sherman paid $260 for Roo, including neu-
tering, shots, a flea pill and an identity chip
implanted under his skin. She also paid a

Photos by Keri Guten Cohen

Keri Guten Cohen | Story Development Editor

Linda Kahn Gale
with Marlin (on
her lap) and Annie,
animals she
fostered and
decided to keep

one-time, refundable pet fee to her apart-
ment manager.
Sherman and Roo have adjusted well to
each other.
“I was all my myself, and now I have him
to keep me company,” she says, while Roo
sits quietly in her lap. “And with a rescue
dog, you’re not only getting a friend, but
you’re also saving a life. It’s a good feeling.”

SHELTER VOLUNTEER
Linda Kahn Gale has been volunteering
at animal shelters for nearly 30 years. The
multitude of dog sculptures big and small in
her front yard hint at her infinite affection
for canines. Currently, she and her husband,
Allan, share their West Bloomfield home
with two dogs and a cat.

Sandy
Sherman with
her recently
adopted dog,
Roo

“I have loved dogs since I was a child,”
Gale says. “And I’ve been a vegetarian since
I was 15 and I’m now 61 — that’s strictly for
my love of animals.”
She gives her considerable volunteer time
to the Michigan Animal Rescue League
(MARL) in Pontiac, a place where, she
says, “if they can make an animal healthy
again, they will do whatever medical care,
socialization or training that’s needed. They
can stay for as long as needed — weeks,
months, years until they find a family.
That’s the kind of shelter I like the best.”
Gale explains that some shelters are no-
kill, some are low-kill and some are high-
kill with regard to euthanizing animals.
She offers these suggestions for adopting
a dog or cat:

• Visit the shelter to see how clean and
loving it is. Ask for others for recommenda-
tions and why they chose that shelter.
• Learn about breeds and what’s best for
you, your family, your living space. Do you
want an energetic dog or one that’s calm?
Big or small? Puppy or mature?
• Check to see if your city has any
restrictions on breeds. In Waterford, for
example, pit bulls are not allowed.
• Go online to search what animals are
available in your area. Check petfinder.com
or visit individual shelter sites.
• Expect any reputable shelter to have an
approval process to make sure you are right
for the animal.
Gale says many people come to MARL
and end up volunteering or even fostering
animals in their homes.
“When you foster, you take care of an
animal until it gets a home, but you are not
expected to keep it,” she says. “Sometimes
the animal fits so well you do end up keep-
ing it. These are jokingly referred to as
‘foster failures.’ I have fostered four dozen
animals and kept three dogs and a cat.”
She has no trouble describing the benefits
of having a pet.
“Physically, they lower blood pressure,”
she says. “Emotionally, they love you; they
don’t care if you are rich or poor, or what
you look like. It’s a soft creature you can tell
your secrets to, or just hold and love.”
Her final words of wisdom sound like
the wise mantra of an animal lover: “Adopt,
don’t shop. If you can’t adopt, foster. If you
can’t foster, volunteer. If you can afford to
donate, donate.”

*

For more about Michigan Animal Rescue League, go
to marleague.org. The next Meet Your Best Friend at
the Detroit Zoo event, co-sponsored by the Michigan
Humane Society, will be Sept. 16-17.

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38 June 16 • 2016