Good News - April 2021

There is so much love in a home where furry kids reside! We’ve always had one or two pups and recently a kitten as a part of our family. They bring so much joy and calm as well as laughter into our lives! They meet us at the door when we get home, eat and sleep with us. I can’t imagine ever being without one. God’s little creatures are a blessing. Helen Wayner P.A., Century 21 Hansen Realty The first night that my family got our new Labrador puppy, my brother and I made a pillow/sheet fort in the living room and slept with the puppy in there overnight. My brother woke up to the puppy chewing on his hair! What an "alarm clock"! Justus Martin, Justus Martin Photo, Staff Photographer, Calvary Chapel Fort Lauderdale Years ago our family adopted Max. He was a handful in the early days. He could jump really high. We often found him leaping the fence and making his way to the front yard. He was a wonderful dog that truly became part of the family. James Welch, Pastor, First Baptist Fort Lauderdale We adopted a 12-year old Shiba Inu as part of his “active retirement” plan. Buster is so cute; looks like a fox. My son, also 12 at the time, was thrilled. He had wished for a dog his whole life. Karen Granger, Community Relations Director, Palm Beach County, 4KIDS Palm Beach I received a text two years ago from a friend asking if I knew of anyone who could take a one-year-old Golden Retriever named Molly, whose family couldn’t care for her anymore. An hour later my husband came home and asked, “Who’s Golden is that?” I responded, “Yours!” After the shock wore off (it took a few weeks), he found himself with a new best friend. Laura C. Bishop, Executive Vice President of Advancement, Palm Beach Atlantic University Growing up, we always had a dog. I remember when I was young, the first one that I was allowed to pick out (in a family with 5 children) was Queenie. Quee- nie was a black lab and was the sweetest dog we ever had! I remember as a young girl, everyone in the neighborhood knew who she was. In those days our elementary school was close to our home, and we would always go home for lunch. One day Queenie followed us back to school and into the classroom and sat down right next to my desk! Of course, the teacher wanted to know who the dog belonged to, and I pretended that I did not know her, even after she sat at my feet. Of course, I then had to walk Queenie back home. Dr. Mary Drabik, President, South Florida Bible College & Theological Seminary We got our Dalmatian when he was two months old and a small dog. He sub- sequently grew to the size of a small horse. When he needed a walk, we didn’t know whether to put a leash on him or a saddle! We named him Cooper, and he was very popular with the little kids in the neighborhood. I used to tell them he was such an important dog that a city was named after him. Of course, at that time we were living in Cooper City! Michael F McDermott, PA, Seniors Real Estate Specialist, The Keyes Company My wife Karen is 100% dog person. Early on, while we were still dating, she rescued several dogs. One of the many reasons I chose to marry her was because there was one particular dog, a liver spotted Dalmatian, who was being abused by his owners. One day this tiny young lady opened the gate to the backyard and lit- erally took the dog. The owners saw it and didn’t care. He became her partner in crime. Never did think of himself as a dog, he thought he was actually her boyfriend. Dr. Mike Rozenblum, Genesis Physical Medicine and Chiropractic Our last dog, Maui, who recently passed away after 12 great years of love, was rescued at eight weeks old. She was a beautiful golden fluffy little puppy with gorgeous blue eyes. We thought she could be a golden retriever or Labrador, and knew with the blue eyes probably had Australian Shepherd in her. Seemed like a great combination and the Humane Society said that’s probably her mix. Well eight months later when my dog is still only 23 pounds soaking wet, we knew there was no Lab or Retriever in her. But too late then because she was our dog, and we loved her dearly. We never regretted a single day not having our big dog because Maui was the dog we were supposed to have. Dogs are great!!! Milan Stefanovic, Chief Operations Officer, Bass Underwriters We are now empty nesters, and missing the kids and the pets. That said, the kids all have pets and I get daily pictures of their anecdotes and adventures, all my four legged grandkids! What a blessing the unconditional love of these beau- tiful creatures are especially in these times where life can be so isolating. Nancy Robin, CEO and Executive Director, Habitat For Humanity of Broward The pet I loved the most growing up was our first dog, a German Shepherd named Queenie. She came to us from an owner who had her for several years and was moving out of the country. Even though she was older when we got her, it wasn’t long before she had attached herself to everyone in the family. She be- came very protective of all of us. I remember when my parents would be off work- ing, Queenie would watch me and my younger brother. If anyone came near us, she would growl and scare them off. Her fierce loyalty to us was unmatched. When she passed, we felt as if a family member had died. She was much loved and greatly missed. Oksana Horton, Creative Director, Torch and Trumpet Theatre Company Wants to Know… Justus Martin James Welch Karen Granger Laura C. Bishop Dr. Mary Drabik Michael F. McDermott Fidel Gomez Dr. Fred Scarbrough Dr. Gene L. Green Germaine Smith Baugh Gregg Wallick Helen Wayner