by Suzyn Barron, President of Warwick Valley Humane Society, Inc.
Did you know a funny thing happened on my way to the shelter the other day? I received a message with a picture of two dogs on the front roof of a house with the police telling them to go back inside. The dogs were wagging their tails in response and not going back through the screened window they broke through that gave them access to the great outdoors, albeit too high for them to jump to the ground. I responded with a laughing emoji and received “I thought you’d like that”. I laughed and texted back “like it and done it many years ago in Florida”.
About 15 years ago the shelter adopted a rather exuberant black and white young male Pitbull who unbeknownst to us had separation anxiety. He caused quite a ruckus when he broke through an upstairs window and stood on the roof of the Victorian home on Main Street in Florida. When we arrived, he was pacing back and forth with tail wagging. He was enjoying all of the attention of the onlookers. It was too high for him to jump down and too high for Animal Control to reach him. Luckily, we did eventually coax him back inside the home.
So when I received the text I thought it was something the sender saw on TV or FB. Turns out it had happened in nearby Florida just that morning. It wasn’t until I arrived at the shelter that I was apprised of the Animal Control call about the two huskies on the roof of a house on Main Street! Our two Animal Control Officers, Matt and Liam responded and fortunately thought to bring a ladder. Thankfully, the dogs were waiting on the roof over the porch and not the home’s main roof. Since the dogs were uncooperative about going back into the house on their own, ACO Matt climbed up onto the roof and coaxed them back inside. And, of course, he shut the window behind them to prevent a repeat episode. This all happened at the beginning of the shelter day but it foretold a crazy day ahead for ACO Matt. In the afternoon the shelter received a call for a stray domestic rabbit underneath the caller’s car.
Yes, another abandoned rabbit from the same area as the previous 3 rabbits currently at the shelter. ACO Matt responded but the caller was unable to assist in the rescue causing the rabbit to hop into the woods. With ACO Matt in hot pursuit. The rabbit was finally tired enough to be caught. As he was returning to the shelter, a call came in for a fawn on Kings Highway. He was rerouted to the fawn sighting and found it nestled in a bush, waiting for its mom. No fawn-knapping was needed. Then he was rerouted to a call about a sick looking cat on Ball Road.
Ordinary days are not the norm for our ACOs so they are always at the ready to rescue any animal in a predicament or distress. It’s their job, but not just a job to them.
Pet of the Week:
Adoption applications are available at wvhumane.org or call 845-986-2473 for more information.
