Animal Rescue of Fresno: Adventures At the Home Show

By Wendy Hunter

Every month Animal Rescue of Fresno shares some of their animal rescue stories with us! 

What glad, mad fools we are in spring! ~John Robinson Jeffers

On Easter Day the veil between time and eternity thins to gossamer. ~Douglas Horton

What is it about spring that makes normally sane people lose their minds? Is it the gorgeous warm weather? The vision of stunning orchards with blossoming trees? The bees humming around the tulips and daffodils? Oh, who am I kidding; it’s all that darn pollen floating around, getting into allergy sufferers’ eyeballs, up their noses, and down their throats. That would make ANYONE crazy. Bust out the Claritin, the Visine, and all the cherry Ricola you can find. I feel your pain, peeps, I feel your pain. And speaking of peeps, I can’t believe that Easter is already upon us this Sunday. Soon, that bunny with the basket will be hippity hopping his way into the hearts of all the children patiently waiting for him. Bearing treats of chocolate eggs, jellybeans, peanut butter cups, and those aforementioned marshmallow chickees. The faithful will dress up and attend church services where the altar and window ledges are decorated with snow white Easter lilies. I would attend, but I’m pretty sure the doors would slam shut in my face. Oh well, some of us are better off at home coloring eggs and watching Easter Parade for the 97th time…

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This morning's forecast:  100% chance of coffee ~Keith Wynn

The glorious spring season also means it’s time, again, for the Fresno Home and Garden Show. And so it was a brisk Saturday morning when I arrived at ARF, layered clothing and Stanley water jug in hand. Thank goodness when we got to the Fresno Fairgrounds, we found ourselves in the same building as last year, and just a door away from the Cinnamon Roll Shop. They have amazing treats full of nuts, frosting, and caramel, but they also make a pretty decent cup of coffee. The first thing I did after reaching the ARF designated spot was make a beeline to their stand for some much-needed caffeine. Sugar and coffee are the things that keep our exhibit going, because those dogs require a lot of attention and energy. I wasn't there for the Friday set up, but I've done it a couple of times, and it can be exhausting. Tables must be set up, kennels put together, promo items displayed, and a mess of other things must be done. Doggies need to get settled in their kennels with name tags; potty pads and blankets put down; and water/food bowls filled. The pups are all shampooed and beautified before the show, to give them the best chance of being adopted. A lovely-smelling dog is a sweetie pie of deliciousness!

The anniversary of St. Patrick's day: and may the Shamrock be green forever. ~Irish Toasts by Shane Na Gael

The Home Show is always a fantastic people-watching event, especially all the tattoo enthusiasts. As someone who has a few myself, I can't help myself from stopping and asking people, "How long did THAT take?" The St. Patrick's Day weekend brought families, couples, and groups of friends alike out to enjoy the sun, food, and all the exhibits. Even though I had to take a small bank loan out for my lunch and snacks, it was all well worth it. Delish. ARF brought some adorable dogs looking for their forever homes, and boy were we blessed with a bit of Irish luck. In total, we adopted out 17 dogs, all of whom went to some fabulous homes. It's hard not to get teary eyed whenever our dogs find their forever family, but we know they will be happy and well cared for. ARF volunteers love all our dogs, but some steal our hearts like love at first sight. For instance, Opal (now Violet), a gorgeous white shepherd mix with stunning mismatched eyes. Such a doll, I instantly fell for her. She and her many siblings were abandoned one morning in a cramped kennel after losing their home. Though her backstory is unclear, we were thrilled to see her get a loving home with a couple of new playmates. It's not surprising that the word Opal means hope, truth, purity, and creativity.

Opal

Nay, then, thus:

We came into the world like brother and brother;

And now let's go hand in hand, not one before another.

~William Shakespeare

Ozzy & Pagey

I'm a volunteer who, due to family circumstances, isn't out at ARF very often. Which means I'm unfamiliar with most of the dogs. Luckily, we took many puppies to the Home Show, and they made friends with everyone quite easily. Take for instance, Pete and Repeat (now Ozzy & Pagey), twin brothers who were the polar opposites of each other. Spunky Pete was really outgoing and saying hello to all visitors, and Repeat basically slept all day. If I was a dog, that would have been me. Hey, I'm trying to sleep here! They were so much fun to watch during the show, and a great couple came along to see them. At first, I thought they were only taking one, but they ended up adopting both because they couldn't stand to see them split up. Go team! They are both doing well in their new home. One dog I was a little concerned about was Toast, a wiry vanilla spitfire terrier, who seemed to be a little over stimulated. But after a while, she calmed down, and was adopted by a loving couple and is now leading the good life. I mean who doesn't love some toast?

Her heart sang all the way because she was going home to a joyous house… a house where everyone who crossed its threshold knew it was a home… ~L. M. Montgomery

Polka Dot

All our dogs who found homes were so deserving and adorable, it's hard to cover them all. I was happy that Polka Dot (yup, black/white) found a home, because she is just the sweetest thing. She got so much attention, but she seemed destined to return to ARF. Luckily, her new mama saw her on our website, and adopted her at ARF later. She will be spoiled rotten because she's the only pet in the house. Go forth and Polka, Dot! I was also excited to see Josie find a home, a long-legged terrier mix, who seemed very popular, but was just overlooked for a long time. Eventually, her charming personality won over some folks who fell in love with her. We were so happy to see her find a home of her own. Our tiny little Spice, a gremlin lookalike if there was one, was also lucky enough to find his family. I was really rooting for him, since he quietly stayed huddled in the corner of his kennel for most of the show. But it just took the right people to bring him out of his shell. I'm assuming his spice is cinnamon: warm, cozy, and inviting. Yum.

Everything is restless until it comes home. ~John Bate

Sometimes, when we get a passel of puppies at ARF, we have to figure out how to name them. For example, my ARF dog Cocoa came in with a few babies. They were promptly named Latte, Cappuccino, and Espresso. Yes, occasionally, we have to think on the fly. Recently, ARF had to name some pups that came in together, and boy did our volunteers get creative this time around. Usually, they're named after whatever people are into like movie and TV characters, flowers, candy, or in this case––cocktails. Yup, our recent puppy pack were named after smart beverages, like Kahlua (now Cookie), Hennessey, Amaretto, and Jameson. All were adopted into loving homes. Whether they have a wet bar or not, I don't know. And for those of you who like a squishy face, our sweet little pug named Boss found himself a home. All those critters with smashed noses hold a special place in my heart. My cousin had a couple of Frenchies for several years. And yes, all those stories about earth-shattering snoring are true. Boy, are they EVER true.

Amaretto

It's spring, beautiful spring, when you feel so darn lazy you don't give a ding. ~Thomas Benjamin Sims

Toast

And even though my feet were killing me every day, my back was about to split in half, and I was sweating like some sort of farm animal, it was all worth it. I just popped more Advil, enjoyed another cup of coffee, and drank gallons of water. The Home and Garden Show is definitely worth all the effort, especially this time around. Sure, there were lots of kids poking their grubby fingers into the kennels, the bathroom toilets were way too low, the crowds were loud, the cleavage way too plentiful, and the appearance of a clairvoyant surprised us all. But at these events, I learn to check my judgment at the door, answer all questions with a smile, and this time around, I learned not to mention the word "husband" to a married woman's face. Especially a complete stranger. It was only a joke, but for a while there, I was seriously afraid for my life. Lesson learned. And so another Home Show has come and gone, and we are so thankful to all the adopters who gave forever families to our deserving ARF dogs. It was a new record for us, and an exciting event for all.

Learn more about ARF on their website.

So, when you go to adopt a kitty, be aware you’re not choosing the kitty, they are picking you!

Check out more animal rescue stories in our Pet Perspective section on Kings River Life, and the Pets section here on KRL News & Reviews. We also have a special Facebook Group for our pet articles--join and never miss a pet article.

Wendy Hunter has been volunteering with ARF since 2014. She grew up in Fresno and has been an Office Assistant with Fresno County for 7 years. She has been writing all of her life, though never professionally, and currently writes personalized poetry for birthdays, weddings, pet remembrances, etc.