Joey was an Amanda Foundation rescue. Terry Austen, the founder of the Amanda Foundation, discovered him in the East Valley Animal Shelter, huddled against the back wall of his cage. Shy in the best of times, he hated the shelter, the cage, the noise and people peering at him. He turned his head away from them.
But his hours were numbered. Marketing and self-presentation is all. Even in NORTH Hollywood. And, especially if you’re a homeless dog.
Thankfully, Terry recognized what a great dog he was and rescued him.
The Amanda Foundation dog rescue organization
Terry is the founder of the Amanda Foundation. Amanda means “one who is loved, precious thing” in Latin. The love Terry has for dogs is expressed in so many ways: she rescues dogs about to be put down in shelters. We can thank her for the discount given on dog licenses for spayed or neutered dogs. She teaches people about the importance of spaying and neutering pets.
A friend, whose dogs also were Amanda Foundation rescues, took me there. She said her Amanda Foundation rescue dogs changed her and her husband’s lives. The timing was perfect. I’d been thinking about getting a dog for a long time.
Decision time
I looked. The mop dogs (Shih Tzus, Lhasa Apsos, Maltese, Yorkie hybrids) didn’t appeal. They barked. A no go where I live. The bigger labs, retrievers and pit mixes also didn’t work. The CC&Rs forbid dogs over 15 pounds. While you can quibble over a few pounds, who wants to fall in love with a dog that you’d have to get rid of if someone complained.
Not my day for getting a dog, I thought. An Amanda volunteer said there was a new dog in their care that she didn’t know much about. She brought out Joey.
Small and quiet, he enjoyed our walk down the block and a roll in the grass. There was no pulling on the leash or trying to get away. The volunteer gave me a dog biscuit that I broke into pieces for him. He had a very gentle mouth.
“If you’re not going to take that dog, would you let me know,” another dog seeker asked as Joey and I walked around the yard.
It was decision time. All choices final. No chance to sleep on it.
I took Joey. It changed my life.
