August is ‘Clear the Shelter’ month, which emphasizes the importance of adopting a rescue animal — a choice Barbara Neuman has made multiple times. As a volunteer with Taylor Jones Humane Society, she said giving a dog a second chance warmed her heart.
“It is heartwarming to watch an animal that has been there that needs a home, that somebody comes in. The perfect family finds those dogs. They take them home. And the cats, too. We have cats, the same way. But with dogs, especially for me, it warms my heart when I see a dog go home with someone,” Neuman said.
Neuman’s most recent adoption, a dog named Brody, made a connection with him, who was different from the other dogs and was overlooked because of it. Neuman said he made a great addition to her family despite his differences.
“He came from Taylor Jones Humane Society. He came in as a hoarding case and had no socialization,” Neuman explained. “I told my husband, ‘This most wonderful dog, Brody, he’s there. He’s just not being seen because he has aggression.’ I talked to my husband and went up and took a look at him.”
Brody’s case is just one example of what many animals go through while in the shelter. The longer they spend inside the shelter, the more strain it can have on their mental and physical health, sometimes leading them to behaviors that can make them seem unadoptable.
Melissa O’Neill, president of the Taylor Jones Humane Society, said that, unfortunately, there are too many animals in bad situations or left out on the streets.
“There are way too many animals on the streets being dumped, having puppies, horrible situations. It just breaks your heart when somebody brings in a puppy and says, I found it in a dumpster,” O’Neill said. ” They just warm your heart, give you unconditional love, and they don’t understand [when they are neglected].”
Neuman said the biggest advice she gives to anyone thinking about adopting is to just show up and feel it out.
“Don’t hesitate to come. Look, that doesn’t obligate you to take a dog home with you. But come look, see what we have, and see if you bond. I mean, some people will bond with a dog, and some don’t, and that’s okay,” Neuman said.
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