CRESTVIEW — Before a pooch like Lucy goes home, her potential adopted family must pass Panhandle Animal Lovers owner Hanne Berg's scrutiny.
Not everyone is suitable to be a pet owner — "you have some crazy people who don’t take care of their dog,” Berg said. “It’s kind of an uphill struggle.”
Lucy, a floppy-eared beagle with expressive eyes, had been raised by PALS’ foster mom, Mindy Dwyer. Thursday, the Rodriguez family, with their dog, Puppy, came to Crestview from Pace to meet Lucy.
And to gain Berg’s approval.
When Lucy met Mark and Laura Rodriguez, and their boys, Christian, Ayden and Gavin, and family pooch Puppy, there was immediate chemistry.
“We were counting down the seconds until we could meet Lucy,” Christian said.
“We’re looking for a buddy for Puppy,” Mark Rodriguez, a sailor at NAS Whiting Field, said. “He’s got a big yard to himself. We said, ‘You need a friend now.’”
But Lucy didn’t leave with Puppy and his family that day.
“We always tell people to go home and think about it,” Berg said. “I always want to see the children, and other dogs in the family. I’ve met some terrible kids I wouldn’t want to give any dog to.”
Berg and her late husband, Bob, started volunteering with the now-defunct North Okaloosa Animal Haven, or NOAH, in 2000 as a pet foster family for the former Main Street shelter.
She said she loves that PALS is a no-kill shelter. That means the nonprofit organization — which gets some of its animals from the Panhandle Animal Welfare Society — does not euthanize animals in its care.
“They are really such good people down there (at PAWS)," Berg said. "They call me when they have to get dogs out of there. They also call breed rescues, like the Great Dane or the boxer rescues.”
Being a shelter owner isn’t easy; you do it from the heart, not for profit, Berg said. In fact, if not for donations of money and pet food, PALS couldn’t exist, she said.
“People find out it’s not as easy as it looks,” Berg said.
Because people don’t understand, or don’t accept, the responsibilities that accompany pet ownership, places like PALS and PAWS are needed, Berg said.
As for Lucy, her story has a happy ending. Saturday, Dwyer took her to Pace to inspect the Rodriguez family’s home.
“It turned out to be a beautiful home with beautiful furniture and a beautiful pool,” Berg said. “Lucy went home. She’s in a good place. We’re just so happy when a dog gets into a good home.”
While each successful placement cheers Berg and her team of volunteers, there are always more pets like Lucy.
In fact, 20 dogs are waiting for loving homes at PALS.
Fortunately, they’re in good hands until their real family comes for them.
Dogs, after all, are like people, Berg said.
“They have a soul and they have a heart and they have a brain, and they cry like we do,” she said.
This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Crestview no-kill shelter ensures every dog has its day