August 10, 2007

As you know, each week I tell you about a few of my friends looking for homes over at the Colorado Humane Society. Take a look at the slideshow called Parker's Pet Pals -- there are some very special pups waiting for you to come visit. I mean, who could resist Nibbles? Just look at that face!

But since I come from such a different background, I was curious about shelter dogs. One of my "sisters" at home was adopted from the Colorado Humane Society in 2002. Willamina (now called Mina Mouse) is a 23-pound Saluki and Manchester Terrier mix. Marianne says she looks like something Disney dreamed up for "The Lion King" and didn't use.

"How did you pick Mina? Wasn't it hard to choose?" I asked.

"Well," Marianne replied, "we weren't looking for a small dog. We were looking for a Lab-sized dog. But somehow Mina captured our hearts." Marianne laughed. "You know," she said, "sometimes I think the pets adopt us!"

"Well, sure, " I said. "Mina told me that she'd been waiting for just the right family, and as soon as she saw you and John she knew you were IT. So she ran to the fence and gave you her special 'adopt me!' look, and you understood."

Marianne looked thoughtful. "Yes," she said. "That makes sense. Somehow we knew that Mina was the dog we were looking for, even though she wasn't what we expected. It's good to be on the lookout for that special "adopt me!" face."

"I worry about my friends at the shelter," I said. "What if no one comes to get them?"

"They are lucky because the Colorado Humane Society is an open-door shelter, so no animal is turned away," Marianne said. "Also, no clock is ticking, so the shelter will keep them as long as it takes to find their forever homes."

"Well, that's a relief," I said. "But who takes care of them while they are waiting to be adopted?" Marianne reassured me, "They have lots of dedicated employees and many volunteers who help care for the animals. Of course, they are always looking for more volunteers and donations!"

"Just like CCI, " I said. "You're always telling people that CCI needs more puppy raisers and other kinds of help."

"Yup, just like CCI," Marianne agreed. "There are lots of worthwhile organizations that need our time and help. Maybe someone reading your DogBlog this week will want to adopt a new friend, or volunteer at the shelter."

That got me thinking. If you adopt one of my pals at the shelter, will you send me a photo and tell me about your new friend? I'd love to hear about how my friends are doing!

Chow for now!

Parker

Questions or comments for Parker? Send them to call7forhelp@thedenverchannel.com.

For more information on the Colorado Humane Society go to www.coloradohumane.org

Would you like more information about Canine Companions for Independence, or perhaps be a puppy raiser? Call 1-800-572-BARK or go to www.cci.org for details.