By Janet McAfee
Adorable Charlie, with an angel face and unique freckled fur coat, was getting overlooked at the Coachella Valley Animal Campus, our Riverside county shelter in Thousand Palms. I spotted the small dog clamoring to be petted in his shelter kennel, and noted it was his third week of adoption availability. I posted his photo on my Facebook page and on the Loving All Animals’ Facebook page. His soulful eyes, in the lovely photograph taken by Janet Litton, touched my heart.
Barbara Goutos was at work on a Friday night in Summit, Illinois. She saw the dog’s photo on Facebook, and something magical about him captivated her, something she cannot describe in words. Barbara wasn’t looking for second dog. Already the owner of 7-yr-old Daphne, a Maltese Yorkie mix, she didn’t know if this alpha girl would happily share her household. Barbara telephoned her husband and recalls him responding, “We can go out and get him, but having two dogs will change our lifestyle.”
Barbara learned about the world of “rescue” animals from her daughter, Bianca Rae, founder and CEO of the Bianca Rae Foundation. She called her daughter, Bianca then contacted me, and I sent a quick email to the shelter staff over the weekend. We were surprised to learn that the small Doxi/Beagle/Chihuahua pup was just adopted or rescued. Barbara reports, “I shed a few tears on Monday when I learned the dog was gone.” It seemed like a match that was meant to be, and now the dog was gone.
Several days later, I was surprised to see the same freckled faced pup on a Facebook posting with a group of dogs Cindy Sorenson rescued. I contacted Cindy and learned a rescue group was involved, but there was no identified adopter. I was pleased when Cindy agreed to transfer the dog, called “Chevy” at that time, to our group, Loving All Animals. The person who was really thrilled was Barbara Goutos, who immediately booked a flight to California from Illinois.
Foster mom Luanne Parks drove out with me to pick up the dog in Banning, Luanne wanting to ensure the dog had someone to comfort him in case he was frightened. The dog happily joined us on the trip back to the Coachella Valley, and turned out to be a marvelous, well trained dog. When Barbara met the dog at Luanne’s house, she recalls, “When I came to see him, he immediately came over to me and greeted me with a kiss, and after that rarely leaves my side. He seemed to know I was here for him.”
Barbara continues, “I have never been to a shelter. I wish I had known a long time ago how wonderful rescue dogs are. Charlie was never a problem, and the only changes he ever made in our lives are for the better. I think shelter dogs give more love. Charlie is always by my side as if to protect me. He encourages Daphne to play, and is fine when she lets him know who is in charge. Charlie and Bianca’s dog, Jack, are the perfect playmates during our California visits.” Charlie travels on airplane trips with Barbara in the passenger section in a 2 sided carrier that contains him and Daphne.
Social media is revolutionizing many aspects of our lives, including how we find a faithful companion animal. With over 800 million Facebook users worldwide, the photos and biographies of homeless animals reach new audiences. Bianca Rae is part of the younger generation who utilizes Facebook and Twitter. She has over 49,000 followers on her KESQ Facebook page and 5,000 followers on her KESQ page. Lucky for our homeless animals, this animal advocate is a CBS Local 2 Anchor and Entertainment Reporter, and KESQ news channel 3 Anchor and reporter.
Bianca Rae adds, “My Mom is a perfect example of someone who believed the stereotype I’m trying to change, that shelter animals are frightened, damaged, or have other problems. Since I became involved, it opened my Mom’s eyes about how wonderful these animals are. Sharing them through social media reaches a whole new market of people.” Though her role in the media, Bianca Rae reaches countless thousands of Coachella Valley residents, convincing adopters to switch to “rescue”.
Charlie’s journey home began with a great photograph taken by a shelter volunteer photographer. More help is needed. If you would like to volunteer, whether to take photographs, walk dogs, help at off-site adoption events, or help socialize animals at the Coachella Valley Animal Campus, contact volunteer coordinator Michael Salazar at mzsalaza@rcdas.org or (760) 413-2179.
After reading Charlie’s story, do you still worry you might “inherit someone else’s problems” with a rescue dog? You could purchase a very sick and unsocialized animal for a lot of money through the “Penny Saver” or online from a puppy mill. Instead, visit the hundreds of wonderful animals waiting for adoption at YOUR county shelter, a modern building with knowledgeable staff, at 72-050 Pet Land Place, Thousand Palms, (760) 343-3644. View their adoptable animals at www.rcdas.org.
Contact Loving All Animals at (760) 834-7000 for more information, and get involved in the wonderful world of rescue animals. Wiser than most, these shelter animals have much love to give. Increased social media exposure and more volunteers at the shelter will give them that second chance.
