Chapin Hill’s president, Kathy Boyle, is passionate about rescuing animals.
Over 6.5 million domestic pets are euthanized each year in the U.S. Kathy’s rescue network is very extensive and she works tirelessly to help place dogs, cats, horses and other pets in good homes, saving them from either being euthanized or a life of neglect.
Personally, Kathy rescues an array of animals as well and her dogs typically come from very tragic circumstances and are often those that are hard to place such as seniors, pittie mixes and those who have health issues.
These pups now live in wonderful environment with good food, lots of love, full bellies, exercise and they brighten up the office as well. Take a look at some of our “Mascots” below.
Chapin Hill’s president, Kathy Boyle, is passionate about rescuing animals.
Over 6.5 million domestic pets are euthanized each year in the U.S. Kathy’s rescue network is very extensive and she works tirelessly to help place dogs, cats, horses and other pets in good homes, saving them from either being euthanized or a life of neglect.
Personally, Kathy rescues an array of animals as well and her dogs typically come from very tragic circumstances and are often those that are hard to place such as seniors, pittie mixes and those who have health issues.
These pups now live in wonderful environment with good food, lots of love, full bellies, exercise and they brighten up the office as well. Take a look at some of our “Mascots” below.
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JoJo
JoJo was abused in a fight ring in Washington Heights, NY. When he failed to become a fighter, he was abandoned tied up to a fence. At only 33 pounds, he was emaciated and quite sick. He had dermodectic mange, was not neutered and fecal-stained nails. Having spent his life in a dark cage with little human contact, he was starved for love.
He was turned in to the NYC Animal Care & Control (NYC ACC). Once dogs enter the horrific conditions at the NYC ACC, they become ill with a virulent strain of “kennel cough” which is really a horrible strain of influenza and hits fast and hard. The dogs quickly come down with pneumonia within days. Dogs like JoJo with no body fat and poor past nutrition, fall ill, get moved to the “sick room” and rarely come back out. NYC ACC kills thousands of dogs and cats each year.
JoJo was one of the lucky ones as he was pulled by a rescue. Kathy took him in and hand-fed him sweet potato/chicken mix three-times a day for months while also training him. He gained weight, grew his hair back and learned to walk on a leash. He graduated from doggie boot camp thanks to the training by Above & Beyond Dog Training.
Paco
Kathy found Paco in El Yunque, a rainforest in Puerto Rico as she took a vacation day at the end of a conference.
Paco was loose and hanging around a very busy parking lot with lots of tourists driving in and out to see the sites and hike into the rain forest. Kathy assumed that his people /owners were hiking and would claim him. As she was about to hike herself, Paco was still loose in the parking lot and Kathy started to pet him. He immediately laid upside down and let Kathy tickle his belly.
A local family came up and commented on how cute he was. Kathy asked them who would leave their dog loose in parking lot while they hiked. They responded that people regularly drive up and abandon dogs in this area. The mother even noted how a personal friend of hers had three puppies tossed out a window a few months prior and stayed there for 5 weeks to quarantine the pups and bring them back to States.
Shocked, Kathy could not leave the little guy there. So she scooped him up, scratched her hike and traveled back down the mountain. On the way, she called her office and exclaimed “Guess what I found!” No surprise to her staff that she had found a dog as they knew how passionate Kathy is about rescue.
Her trusty employees found out the rules on bringing a dog to New York and located an English-speaking local veterinarian as well as a WalMart. A trip to Walmart was challenging as the temperature hit 97 degrees outside so he was could not remain in the car. As Kathy raced around the store to pick up a collar, leash, food, and a carrier, little Paco stayed quietly hidden in a beach bag, for a full 20 minutes!
The adventure continued as off they went to visit the veterinarian, who was reluctant to give out a health certificate. The governor of Puerto Rico had recently issued a 5-week quarantine for rescued dogs before leaving the island. Kathy made a plea to the veterinarian to make an exception as if abandoned Paco would surely face a tragic life, possibly death.
Poor Paco had so many flea bites all over his body that had morphed into cuts from scratching — that it looked like he might have mange. Kathy suggested the vet think about the situation and promised to bring Paco back the next morning all cleaned up so that the veterinarian would be able to see Paco was a healthy dog. He agreed…albeit reluctantly.
Next on the agenda was smuggling Paco in to the very fancy El Conquistador Hotel where Kathy was staying. A dog carrier with a beach towel draped over it allowed Kathy to bring Paco to her room. She gave him a bath and rid him of what looked like thousands of fleas.
Kathy then took Paco along for her scheduled for a tennis lesson with the hotel’s pro. Paco was introduced him to Juantio, the local pro, Kathy had been playing with all week. After hearing the situation, Juantio’s face lit up with a smile as he excitedly stated that he knew the veterinarian as “I teach his son tennis. I will call him!” Juantio called the vet at his home and asked him to give the senorita a health certificate for the little rainforest dog.
The next morning Paco and Kathy returned to the vet, fluffy and cleaned up, flea-free. The vet was very rough with him and there was a tense moment as Paco turned into something from a Stephen King movie and ruined the veterinarian’s lab coat. The vet slammed the door exiting the exam room in a huff. Kathy was not sure what was going to happen next and there was no “Plan B” for rescuing Paco with Kathy’s plane flight back to NYC scheduled for later that afternoon. Luckily, the vet authorized his assistant to write up a health certificate and proof of vaccines. Paco flew to his new home in Bedford, NY, leaving his hell behind and ascending to ruler of the roost. All 17 macho pounds of him!
Sienna
Sienna as another pull from the horrific NYC ACC. She was a “owner surrender” but clearly had faced years of abuse. Severely underweight, with long, thick scars coursing her entire upper back, she arrived in February 2017 as an emergency foster for Looking Glass Animal Rescue. LGAR pulls dogs which are at-risk of being euthanized and places them in foster homes until the dog can be adopted out.
LGAR founder, Jody Harris-Stern reached out to Kathy as she needed an emergency foster for Sienna until she could locate a more permanent foster in her network. Sienna was scheduled to be euthanized the following morning. The moment Sienna walked into Kathy’s home, it was love at first sight. Sienna attached herself to Kathy’s side and shadowed her everywhere.
Unfortunately, Sienna was very ill and almost died. After a few days of attempting various concoctions of drugs to battle the influenza, she had to be put on IV’s of drugs and kept in a hospital for a full week. After returning to Kathy’s home, she had to be on a course of medication for almost a month.
Sienna is now a very healthy and happy 44 pounds and loves her daily runs with Kathy and rest of the pack. She is smart and well-behaved and has blossomed into a sweet and happy pup.
Walter
Walter was taken in by Kathy to foster as he was listed “free to a good home” on Facebook. Adopting out a dog via Craig’s list or Facebook is very dangerous as fight rings and other evil people troll these listings while presenting themselves as legitimate homes. If an individual does not have the resources to do thorough home visits and reference checks, they may be adopting out their family pet for research labs, a fight ring or other cruel placement. Rescue folks try to intercept dogs which are placed in listings such as there to be sure the dog is placed into a good home.
Walter was purchased from a backyard breeder and had some behavioral issues. With is food aggression, it was challenging to place him. He is now safely ensconced in Kathy’s pack and loves playing with the other dogs, going for daily runs and generally being a happy-go-lucky dog.
R.I.P.
Cassie
Kathy decided to rescue a Golden Retriever and contacted the Long Island Golden Retriever Rescue Group. They had a recent addition who had been traumatized in her previous life. Cassie initially ran away and then bit the rescue gal when she tackled her on the road. Technically, the dog was not to adopted out but they were willing to play her in a special home with an experienced dog owner who would be able to give Cassie the love and attention she deserved.
Cassie joined Kathy’s pack and was very mellow most of the time. She had a sweet personality and was very docile. She walked well on a leash, got along well with the other dogs and happily greeted the doormen on the Upper West Side as they pack was walked to Central Park each day.
It was thought that Cassie had been tied up with a chain in a backyard with very little shelter. She chose to sleep on the stairs rather than a dog bed or couch which led us all to believe that the steps in a backyard had been her only shelter from the mud and snow. Once she felt safe, she got used to sleeping on her doggie bed and occasionally jumping up on the bed.
Cassie had some food issues as she probably went hungry often in her past life. If she managed to get something in her mouth, it was almost impossible to get her to release it. Cassie would also occasionally escape through the invisible fence and come back getting shocked again coming home.
Cassie led a very good life but developed arthritis in the late 90’s. She was on pain medication as well as supplements and continued to enjoy her new lease on life. Unfortunately in 2006, we had a bad experience with a dog sitter who left a day early when Kathy was traveling and Cassie was stuck on the floor and missed her medications. She never regained her total mobility and would fall and get stuck over the dog door and out in the yard. She had a wonderful life in the Boyle household but it was an unfortunate and an untimely end of life.
Kobe
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Kathy found Kobe when visiting her sister, Joanie, and her family in Myrtle Beach, SC, for a long weekend. At 7:30 am, Kathy headed out for her morning run and here came a little beagle mix trotting down the street with a woebegone look and a timid body carriage.
Having a gift with most animals, Kathy attempted to stop this little boy. But he was not stopping and continued up the street with his head and tail down. Kathy went on her run and observed the quiet little suburban community with folks walking their dogs on leashes. No other stray or loose dogs along the way.
Kathy attempted to convince her sister to help search for the little dog. Her pleas fell upon deaf ears. “People don’t always leash dogs down here. And at the end of our cul-de-sac are woods. On the other side of the woods is a trailer park where he probably belongs” stated her sister, Joanie. The rest of the day was spent doing activities with the kids, from heading to the pool to soccer and then kayaking. As Kathy was lounging in the sun room her three nieces and nephew came bounding in the house shouting. “Aunt Kathy, Aunt Kathy, that dog you were talking about is outside! Come on, you have to help him!”
As they all raced out to the street, there was the little beagle trotting down the street, looking over his shoulder as a small parade of 5 children trailed him with a local mom carrying kibbles and cheese on a paper plate. Ends up, the little beagle boy loves chairs, ¦armchairs to be specific. He had snuck in to one of the other houses through an open door and had ensconced himself in an armchair in their living room.
Upon discovery, the parents did not think about the fact that this little guy might be scared and failed to secure him. They attempted to feed him in the garage and off he went, trotting down the street with his fan club of kids trailing him. My youngest niece was just 7 years old at the time so I yelled to her to crouch down low and ask him to come to her. It worked! Kathy quickly caught up, picked up the little guy and returned to her sister’s home with him.
Kathy’s sister refused to allow him in the house so outside they went to use a hose and shampoo and bathe the little guy. They took pictures and started making flyers as Kathy convinced sis to hold him until Monday and bring him to a no-kill shelter. At that point, Kathy was flying back on Sunday, had 5 dogs of her own, one with cancer who was having weekly chemo so adding one more dog seemed out of the question.
They made a doggie house in Joanie’s garage (hubby would not allow him in the house) and fed him hamburger while trying to earn his trust. He hid in the makeshift “dog house”, a large metal cabinet and was absolutely terrified. Very shy with a distended belly probably caused from eating too much junk food scraps he has been living on in the building sites around the development. He refused eye contact and would not take food from by hand or eat in front of anyone.
With Kathy’s extended network and her sister Joan working locally, they attempted to place the little beagle boy. They encountered more than one scam along the way. Truly shocking was the response from one shelter which promptly told Joan to “put that dog back out where you found him. Three or four days, he’ll find his way home. He’s a huntin’ dog and that’s what them dogs do.”
After two weeks of unsuccessful attempts to locate a shelter or adopt him out via the rescue network, Kathy paid for her sister Joan to take him to a local vet, get up-to-date shots and neuter him. Kathy flew back to Myrtle Beach, picked up the little guy and returned to Bedford that same day. Named Kobe, he gradually came out of his shell and grew to trust humans. He was the sweetest little boy you ever met. He loved to run, carry dolls and soft stuffed animals in his mouth, carried his “dollies” around the house and had bit of a rivalry with Paco. He passed away in March 2014, probably making it to age 11 or 12 years old. At least his last 8 years were ones of bliss wit
Lexi
Lexi was abandoned in Trenton, NJ with a beagle in 2009. Someone adopted the beagle but not Lexi who was a Pittie-Boxer Mix. Kathy had recently lost Mishka so she had room in her heart and her home for another. She drove the 2.5 hours to Trenton kill shelter and found Lexi outdoors in a cement run. The poor girl was so very sweet.
Kathy had brought along the rest of her pack to be sure everyone would get along. Lexi was large but sweet and submissive. She did not mind little, macho Paco trying to rule her and little Kobe, the beagle may have reminded her of her former housemate.
She blended in with Kathy’s pack well and was docile, obedient and lovable. In 2011, Kathy noticed that Lexi was bumping into things. She seemed to be losing her sight. Kathy took her to a specialist who determined that Lexi had a brain tumor behind her eye socket which was causing pressure and affecting her sight. Kathy did not want to do anything invasive so Lexi went on a course of steroids and anti-inflammatory drugs. She had only a few months left but she had a peaceful and happy last few years with Kathy’s pack.
Maggie
Through the local Rotary Club in Bedford, NY, Kathy helped orchestrate a two week fundraising and adoption drive dedicated to the SPCA of Westchester in December 2010. The campaign ran under the slogan “I Collect for Critters”. The Rotary placed collection boxes in many of the local retailers, realtor offices, the local deli and veterinarian offices. We built a “wishing well” and placed it in Bedford Center. Denise Macri, proprietor of the Bedford Deli was kind enough to take the wishing well in at night and put it out each morning. We held adoption events on two sequential Saturdays. The event was a huge success as it raised $1900 in cash, $5000 in kind goods, and homes for three lucky dogs.
When Kathy stopped by her local Bedford Village Veterinarian (Dr. Jeff Israel) to pick up their collection box, the vet technician, Christine, told her about a “really good little Chow lab mix”. Maggie had spent a year in a cage at the veterinarian’s office and was not getting any traction for a potential home. Christine asked Kathy to keep her in mind if we could find a home during the adoption event.
Kathy promptly offered to pick Maggie up and bring her along to the adoption event. Maggie was so sweet and docile, friendly to all and wagging her tail non-stop all day long. While several people expressed interest, no one stepped up to adopt her. Kathy could not bare the thought of returning her to a cage so she took her home for the next few nights. Maggie joined Kathy on her Monday morning commute to NYC on Metro North wearing an SPCA “Adopt Me!” vest, hoping a fellow commuter would fall in love and offer to adopt her. Maggie was all love, all the time. After a few days, it was apparent Maggie was joining Kathy’s pack.
Maggie was actually a Shar-Pei-Chow-Lab-mix with the cute little ears and carriage of a Shar-Pei, the thick fur of a chow and backbone of both those breeds but the temperament of a Lab. She had very hard life before her rescue. Most likely she was tied up, probably chewed on rocks or a chain as she has no teeth on her bottom jaw and her top canines are ground down. She has scars on her head and was terrified of cameras. We later found out she had been found with a bullet in her chest! She thought the cameras were guns being aimed at her. How awful that a dog would live in fear and suffered as someone shot her.
She was an angel! She commuted regularly on Metro North railroad to Chapin Hill’s NYC office many days, quietly laying under the seat. Many of the other passengers would not even realize Maggie was under the seat until the train arrived in Grand Central. Her nickname was “love bug” and she had an amazing six years of love and kisses and long walks and runs before passing in August 2016.
Mandy
In December 1992, Kathy was assisting in the rescue of a dog who was on the kill list at the SPCA in Harlem. After rescuing the dog from the shelter, Kathy and a friend were trying to flag a gypsy cab to take the dog back to Kathy’s apartment. At that point, they noticed a little dog walking without a leash, alongside a man on the other side of Second Avenue. Kathy was impressed that the dog was apparently so well trained that she did not need a leash in a busy Manhattan neighborhood.
However, just a few minutes later, the little dog was running across Second Avenue and jumped up into Kathy’s arms and began kissing her face. Apparently, she just happened to be walking by the man and was homeless, wandering the streets.
Kathy and her friend searched the entire neighborhood trying to find someone who might recognize the little lost dog. When their inquiries came up completely blank, Kathy decided to bring her home rather than turn her in to the shelter where she would have faced death in a few days. She was almost the same size as Kathy’s most recent rescue addition (see Seamus’ story) and sadly, she had scars all over her back indicating prior abuse. She had either been burned or beaten badly leaving the ugly scars.
Kathy brought her home and named her Mandy.
At first, Mandy was very docile with the other 3 dogs (in a NYC studio apartment). But once comfortable, she was quite spunky and was especially fierce if she saw a German Shepherd mix walking down the streets of the Upper West Side of Manhattan. It seems that Mandy may have been used as a fight-dog so she developed an aggressive, take no prisoner’s attitude. She was a sweetie with people but could be very aggressive with certain breeds. Somehow she could spot a shepherd mix a mile away! She got along beautifully with her “siblings” and was a great addition to the household.
Mandy lived a very long and great life. She was 17 years old in 2008 and had developed doggie dementia where she would stare in corners and forget where she was and stand there barking. She was frail, almost blind and deaf but still sweet and spunky. She got her daily dose of glucosomine, chrondroitin and MSM as well as a wonder drug called Adequan. Until just a few months before she passed on, she regularly went for two mile walks and loved her chew toys and sitting on the front porch. She readily gave out kisses to anyone who asked for one!
Mishka
One early morning in October 1999, Kathy was returning to her apartment building on New York City’s Upper West Side when she ran into one of her neighbors. Ronnie, a retired school teacher, was never up that early so it was quite unusual to run into her. Ronnie asked if Kathy would be willing to take in another dog.
At this point, Kathy had four dogs in a two bedroom apartment so she initially told Ronnie that she was maxed out. However, being a softie for all dogs, she asked “Why, what is the situation?” Ronnie proceeded to explain how a dog walker had found a Labrador mix walking down Broadway on the Upper West Side, alone, cold and apparently abandoned. The dog walker had taken the dog in but could not keep her and had tried to foster home her several times with no luck. One of Ronnie’s friends had tried to foster the dog but she had a bad hip and could not walk the dog easily.
Kathy offered to take the dog for the weekend and try to find a home for her. The dog sitter brought the dog over to Kathy’s apartment. Kathy drove the dog first to her mother’s house to try to convince her mother she needed a dog. When that failed, she drove further up to one of her sister’s (Sharon) to see if her family would add the pup to their brood. They had been thinking of getting a dog for the kids.
Sharon agreed to adopt the dog, however, in one week she was taking her family away for a week of vacation time. Kathy offered to keep the dog for those two weeks and then transfer her to her Sharon’s care. In the following two weeks, the dog bonded with Kathy and refused to let her out of her sight. When Kathy and Sharon met at their mom’s house to transfer the dog to her new family, the dog cried and whined the entire way home to her Sharon’s house.
The next few days, the dog proceeded to get very attached to Sharon and her children while Sharon’s husband was traveling. When he returned, the dog refused to let him enter the house or his bedroom. Overcoming these hurdles, the husband made peace with the pup. However, the pup now was attached Sharon so when she left, the dog proceeded to scratch every doorway in the house, tore the curtains off the kitchen door, knocked plants off the window and finally bit the husband as he was picking up a doggie toy off the floor. This all took place in three days. Kathy got the call to come back and get the dog.
Kathy drove back up to CT, picked up the dog and she became #5 in the NYC pack. Now named Mishka, she had severe separation anxiety towards Kathy but was very well behaved. She got along well with the other dogs, obeyed hand signals well and stayed so close to Kathy’s side on walks that she did not even need a leash. Mishka lived a wonderful life and passed away in 2009.
Moose
Moose was rescued with fellow Husky, Soda, in 2004. Both former sled dogs in Madison, CT., their owner had sold the house, moved to Vermont and was going to kill his remaining dogs. His wife worked at a pediatric office and the other nurses bonded together to try to find homes for the dogs. They took turns feeding the poor pups, who were abandoned in the empty house. They circulated a plea for help to Best Friend’s Sanctuary in Kanab, Utah.
Back then, most rescue work was done via email chains. That plea made its way thousands of miles across the country from CT to UT and back to Pittsburgh to a rescue group who regularly sent Kathy all the rescue requests for dogs and cats in CT, NJ and NY. Having lost her precious boy, Seamus, the previous day Kathy received that email in the morning and thought that not many people would take two old dogs and especially large Husky’s. So she replied to the email and inquired about the dogs.
The following Saturday, Kathy loaded her four pups into her SUV and drove 90 minutes in the pouring rain to Madison, CT. to meet Barb Yenco, the nurse leading the charge on the rescue attempt. They took her dogs out of the car one at a time to let them meet Soda and Moose and be sure there was no aggressive behavior.
Poor Moose was deaf, had frost-bitten ears and was caged in a small kennel with just an igloo for shelter. He was both curious and terrified of the other dogs. It took a long time to get him to allow Kathy in the kennel without Moose hiding fearfully along the back fence. He was a beautiful large white Husky mix.
Like Soda, he had no teeth, smelled horrendous, his fur was coarse and harsh to touch and he was also a bit underweight. He was not neutered at probably 10 years old.
The former owner had insisted that Moose travel in a crate so he was loaded in to a large crate which took up the entire back section of the SUV. He was terrified and howled the entire trip home. Because he could not hear, Kathy could not even encourage him and he could not hear her calming words. It was a very long ride home with five wet dogs in the second seat and a howling, wet, deaf Husky in the far back!
Soda and Moose did not know what to do upon being brought in to the house. Apparently, they had never been inside a home, were never petted or treated as pets. They were scared and huddled in a back bedroom and attempted to hide behind the toilet. Kathy left them alone for a few hours to sort out the relationships between all the dogs (now six).
After settling in and realizing no harm would come to him, Moose began to relax. He was getting fed and got to go running with the pack so Moose blended in beautifully. Kathy managed to train him on the invisible fence using the white flags as he would not be able to hear the warning beep of the fence. He learned quickly and got the hang of the dog door as well. He loved hanging out with Simon and Mishka. He would be waiting to greet Kathy whenever she drove up the driveway. He slept on the side of the bed and had a very happy life.
In 2006, Moose began walking with his head tilted. The first veterinarian practice misdiagnosed him with a back injury. Luckily for all, their MRI machine was broken and Moose went to a practice in Yonkers NY for an MRI and a consult with a neurosurgeon. He had a brain tumor. Moose started on a course of oral chemo and was doing well. Another tragedy befell him as the dog sitter misunderstood when Kathy would be returning from a business trip and left the home early failing to give Moose all his medications. When Kathy arrived home that evening, Moose went in to severe convulsions, was rushed to the vet but even strong doses of valium failed to stop the seizures. He had to be put down. But he lived the last two years of his life knowing love, good food, proper shelter, lots of exercise and great doggie companions.
Sadie
Before Facebook became popular for sharing animals in need, rescuers would circulate a chain of emails with info about dogs and cats in distress. In February 2006, one of these chains, showcased a three year old rottie mix who needed a new home.
Sadie had been adopted by her family as a puppy from North Shore Animal League in Long Island. But when “Grandma” moved in with her walker and aides, trouble began. Now there were four generations in one little house. Sadie was a robust 80 lbs.so one accidental bump could have knocked Grandma down, causing a broken hip or worse. The aides were from El Salvador and terrified of Sadie.
So poor, gentle, Sadie was spending her days either in a postage stamp sized backyard or tied to the dining room table. The family was afraid to let Sadie play with the little ones and she was living an isolated life. She was so sad and the family felt that she would be better off in a new and loving home where she got lots of attention.
Sadie came to join Kathy’s household in April 2006 and was a total mush. Everyone sorted out their pecking order as both Paco and Sadie were integrated along with a new cat. Sadie commuted to Chapin Hill’s New York City offices but remained a nervous commuter and would drool on the Wall Street Journal. But she loved going to the office and hanging out with the Chapin Hill team. She loved to go for shorter hikes She passed in 2014 at age 11 having a wonderful
Simon
In 1995, Kathy had lost Luna, her 13 year old Lab mix to cancer. She had raised Luna since she was 3 months old, brought her back east from Boulder, Colorado and was one of Kathy’s first dogs. Losing Luna was especially hard.
One evening shortly after Luna passed, Kathy was walking her dogs in Central Park when one of her neighbors approached her. The neighbor had recently started a rescue group and told Kathy that there was a “Lab mix” that she must take now that she had room in her household after the passing of Luna. Kathy agreed sight unseen and went over to the doggie day care who was fostering Simon to pick him up the following day.
Simon was a large Newfie-lab mix with a gorgeous coat and a beautiful friendly face. He promptly came out from the play area to the sitting room, climbed up in one of the chairs to get eye-level with Kathy and reached out his big black paw for a handshake. How could you not fall in love immediately? Kathy took him right home.
The “story” of Simon was another saga. Apparently, a woman was bringing him in to the local ASPCA in Harlem to surrender him. The woman was crying as she climbed the front stairs to the ASPCA. Another woman who regularly rescued dogs saw her and asked what was wrong. The woman explained that her husband had recently died and left her with three dogs but not enough money to care for them. So she was turning the youngest dog in to the ASPCA in the hope that he would find a good home. But she was very broken up about having to give up her dog.
The second woman explained that the dogs at this shelter were regularly killed rather quickly and Simon would not have much of a chance for a new home. She convinced the woman to let her take him and board him until she found him a new home. The owner agreed and Simon was brought to the doggie day care on the Upper West Side. One evening, he was being walked in the neighborhood when Kathy’s neighbor saw him, fell in love and knew he would fit in with Kathy’s brood.
Kathy brought Simon home and he promptly ate every book in the house! Hard covers, soft covers, white pages and yellow pages, including a $165 Dodd and Graham textbook on Securities Analysis! He always showed remorse upon discovery but he kept this habit up for months. He was very friendly with people but wanted to show the neighborhood male dogs that he was indeed the “top dog”. He became the leader of the pack.
While Kathy still lived in NYC, Simon would run alongside Kathy on her roller blades along with Mishka as they traveled to work across Central Park and down Fifth Avenue. Both Simon and Mishka were hand-signal trained and would run in the streets with Kathy obeying the commands to slow down, stop and start again.
Simon played the role of office greeter as he welcomed every client in to the office. He would insist on attention from the team members, often going so far as to climb up in the guest chairs to get a better angle for petting and complaining (loudly!) when the petting stopped. He was quite lovable and maintained his “top dog” position in the pack to the end. Once Kathy moved to Bedford, Simon happily commuted on Metro North and fellow passengers would occasionally mistake him for a coat on the floor under the seat!
Like Kathy’s other dogs, Simon lived a very good long life, especially for a large dog. He was at least 13 years old when he passed on. He had bouts of cancer and was subjected to chemotherapy which bought a few more months of time but at a large cost. Simon passed away peacefully in Kathy’s home in 2006.
Up until the last few months he continued to be very spry and enjoyed his hikes with the rest of the pack. He slowed down and could not run or jump up on the bed in his last year but he was still a lovable lug to the end.
Soda
Rescued in 2006 by Kathy, Soda was an abandoned sled dog. At one time, she had been the Northeast Champion Sled Dog but her owner neglected her so she was fragile and underweight. He moved to Vermont and was going to kill his remaining sled dogs. A group of nurses from the office where his wife worked banded together and put out a plea through Best Friend’s Sanctuary in Kanab, Utah.
The power of the internet is awesome in rescue as that plea worked its way to Pittsburgh, PA to a group which regularly forwarded Kathy the pets who needed rescue in NY, NJ and CT. While the plea for help traveled thousands of miles across the country and back East, the two sled dogs (Moose and Soda) were less than 50 miles from Kathy’s home.
Having lost her precious Seamus the prior day, Kathy received this email about the two old sled dogs the following morning. She thought that most people would not want two large dogs and especially older dogs. So she loaded her SUV with her current 4 dogs and drove up to Madison, CT in a monsoon.
The former owner insisted that a crate was needed to transport Moose so the entire back section of the SUV was filled with a large borrowed crate. Upon arriving at the home of the former owner, Kathy took her current dogs out of the car, one at a time to see if everyone got along.
Poor Soda was pacing around the backyard, shaking and barely standing up. She was soaking wet, had no shelter other than underneath the porch off the back of the house. She was very docile but quite nervous to be touched. She was severely underweight at just 35 pounds when her normal healthy weight would have been closer to 50 pounds.
Kathy was shocked to find she had no teeth from poor nutrition and had never been petted, handled or allowed inside a house! She was terrified to be loaded in to the car with these other dogs. All soaking wet and very smelly!
Everyone arrived home safe and sound and the current dogs allowed the new ones to blend in. The two sled dogs were terrified to be in a home. They had no idea what to do and attempted to both hide in the bathroom. They reeked but could not be bathed for a few weeks as they needed to acclimate first before handled and cleaned.
Soda was not housebroken so that was a bit of a challenge with a 12-year-old dog. She would also go out the dog door but not head back in to the house. A neighbor’s son was paid to come down daily during the cold winter months to be sure Soda was safely back in the house and not risk freezing to death.
Soda eventually was trained on the invisible fence. Her fur got softer, she gained a little weight and enjoyed running in the woods with the other dogs. She never was truly affectionate but did get to know Kathy and would come when called. She got cancer the following year and had to be put down but at least her last year was in doggie-heaven on earth!
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Pound Ridge, NY 10576
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