WOW!! What a story!!

Hola Y'all!!!

HAPPY NEW YEAR!! Hope your Christmas was GREAT!!! Us perros here at Lighthouse got LOTS of toys from Santa!!

This is a photos of Bingo!!! He's still lookin' for a home! He's a sweetie and would make a perfect lap baby for an older person.

A friend sent us this story about a stray dog named Jake. It's a GREAT story!!
TAILWAGS!!!!!!!!!
BudBud
PERMISSION TO CROSSPOST

Please enjoy this true story, a letter to the editor, written by my good friend Debby Lebby, Assistant Director of the Williamson County Animal Control, Franklin, TN.

WCAC is one of those few "good" county shelters in TN that try very very hard to place their adoptable animals instead of PTS. Debby works hard on "Meet Your Match", a program to match the right animal with the potential adopter.

She also started years ago a Meals on Wheels program for our senior and infirm members of the community, sending free dog and cat food (and even bird food!) to those citizens who are on the human Meals on Wheels program and have pets that need food too. She found that the humans were sharing their own meals with their pets. Today, volunteers help pack ziplock bags of donated dog and cat food to be delivered to their owners.

I am proud to call Debby my friend! Thanks Debby for sharing this neat true story with us!


www.tennessean.com

December 27, 2009

Stray dog brings comfort to mom at funeral

To the Editor:

Sadly, in December, many people decide to bring in stray animals that have appeared on their doorstep. Many keep the stray a week or so, thinking it will find their way back home. But then we receive calls to pick up animals that have continued to stay at people's houses.

Several owners surrender animals to the shelter. Maybe they have company coming or are traveling for the holidays. It makes our workers sad to see all these animals come to the shelter, just in time for the holidays.

On a snowy day in December 1998, one of our animal control officers received a call to pick up a big white Great Pyrenees that had been "hanging around" a farmer's house for a couple of weeks.

Great Pyrenees are working dogs that have instinctual qualities to protect sheep, goats and other livestock from predators. Their loyalty and sense of protection for their "flock" is amazing. The farmer claimed the dog came as a stray, was quite a nice fellow but had no interest in being a working dog. The farmer had been calling the dog "Jake" and hoped we could find him a good home.

When John, our officer, arrived at the farmer's property deep in the Williamson County hills, he found a very large, friendly, snow white and furry Great Pyrenees. Just as John started to slip the leash around Jake's neck, Jake took off running up a hillside into a small family cemetery as if he was on an important mission. John trudged up the hill where the tidy little family cemetery was situated. Jake, of course was faster. John suddenly noticed there was a graveside service in progress. Jake plowed through the cemetery gate with the vigor of a young pup. John noticed that Jake ran over to a lady seated by the casket, lay beside her and proudly rested his snout on her foot.
Our officer was embarrassed about the situation and began calling softly, "Jake, come here boy, let's go for a ride!"

The bereaved woman, looking confused, said, "What did you call the dog?" John replied, "His name is Jake, and I am here to take him to the animal shelter. He has been lost for a couple of weeks. Please forgive this intrusion."

With tears rolling down her face, she said, "We are here today to bury our 22-year-old son. His name was Jake."

John's face was as white as the dog's fur, and he was speechless. The lady then said, "I think this boy is going to go home with us today, that is, if it's OK with you."

John just nodded his head and tried to regain his footing — and composure — and returned to his truck. Jake looked back at him as if to say, "See, I knew where I was going!"

That cold winter day, the big, white dog and his quest to find a home led him to a family who needed him as much as he needed them. This Christmas miracle will always remain in our hearts.

Debby Leddy
Assistant shelter director, Williamson County Animal Shelter
Franklin 37064