National Puppy Day is March 23rd and is a wonderful day to celebrate the very special bond between dogs and their owners. However, the main reason that Colleen Paige fought to have the day established was to encourage people to adopt and rescue puppies from shelters, as well as to educate them as to the horrors of the puppy mills. We thought this was a great opportunity to tell you about our shop designer’s own personal story about rescuing her dog, Mason. Here is Carly’s “puppy love” story, in her own words:“I’ve always liked pound puppies. All the best dogs I’ve had in my life were pound puppies. Mason is no exception.
We had moved to Houston just a few months before, and I had started working for Breen’s. The Houston SPCA was just a mile away from our design center. One afternoon after work, while trying to dodge the worst of the rush hour traffic, I visited the shelter. I know a lot of people hate the shelters. They feel they are sad and depressing. They are. But I always see it as a world of second chances.
I’d been thru the whole building, looking at all the dogs. On the last row, and the last kennel was the most pathetic-looking red dog. He was skin and bones, and so flea-bitten he was mostly bald. But he was standing up at the gate with the biggest doggie smile. He never barked, he just stood there smiling and panting. It was instant love. I wanted to take him home right away. But if I came home with a dog, my husband would have a fit! So, I sent him there the next day while I was at work to meet Mason. At 11 am, my husband came walking in the door of the shop with Mason in tow. Apparently, Mason had worked his doggie magic on Jim as well.
3 years later, Mason is still the center of the universe, and not just with us. He has an amazing ability to wrap every human he meets right around his fuzzy little paw. That’s a pound puppy at his greatest – having known trials, abuse, and neglect, a dog given a second chance is so grateful, willing, and kind. They just need the chance.”
The story of Mason is exactly what National Puppy Day is all about. On March 23rd, organizers ask people to consider adopting a rescue dog or donating $5 to a no-kill shelter in their town. You may also wish to send a floral arrangement to a pet parent or Houston shelter worker to let them know how much you appreciate them. At Breen’s Florist, we love our fur babies, and we love the caring people who have dedicated their lives to helping them.
