Reunion brings back canine friends

A similar event for cats is planned for Halloween.
By ED RUNYAN
VINDICATOR TRUMBULL STAFF
NORTH LIMA -- The Eaton family of Sebring came looking for a new dog at Angels for Animals last July after the death of their former furry companion of 14 years.
They went to look at a dog around the size of the one they had, but when Pat and her daughter, Tricia, looked at the other animals, a little brown dachsund-Jack Russell terrier mix named Jancy caught their eye. It was impossible not to notice her -- she jumped nearly 5 feet in the air as they approached.
And soon they discovered something else notable about Jancy: She loved people and showed it with kisses.
"She's like that with everyone who comes in the house. We've never seen anyone who she didn't want to kiss," said Erin Eaton, the family's older daughter, as she stood holding the dog at the Angels for Animals Doggie Daze Reunion on Sunday.
"I said we needed a dog with personality," Pat said as Jancy gave a reporter a lick.
In fact, during the eight hours of the reunion, well over 100 dogs had come back to the shelter, the place where they had found their adoption family. They toured the facilities, received a few treats and visited with staff.
Diane Less Baird, president of Angels for Animals, said the turnout for the first event was much greater than the organization had anticipated and suggested that it would be repeated next year.
Pat Eaton said Jancy has made a permanent place in their home, even sleeping in the bed with her and her husband, Don.
Erin Eaton, who lives in Bethany, W.Va., said of her younger sister, Tricia, "Next year when she leaves town for college, I won't be surprised to see Jancy with her own place at the supper table."
Jancy's personality keeps the family entertained, the women said, explaining that she points to squirrels the way some hunting dogs do and acts like she wants to catch them, though she never does.
Margaret Haushalter of Poland was pretty sure the adoption of her pet, Daisy, was one of the oldest adoptions among those who came back for the reunion. She adopted her 55-pound "shaggy dog" in 1994.
Haushalter said the 13-year-old companion has been a perfect match for her over the years. "She is a very gentle dog," she said, though the introduction of seven cats into the home has given Daisy something to get used to.
Less Baird said a similar type of event is planned for cats this Halloween, though owners will bring only photographs of those pets.
Man's best friends
Founded in 1990, Angels for Animals has always had more adoptions for cats than dogs, Less Baird said. The Internet has changed that some, however, she said. Last month was the first time when dog adoptions outnumbered cats, she said.
The reason? There are only about four different types of cats, she said -- long-haired, short-haired, male and female. "There are so many different types of dogs," she said. "They're all different" and people scan the Internet to find just the one they want.
Angels volunteer Dawn Damronok noted that a woman drove five hours from New York state a couple weeks ago after seeing a dog she wanted on the Angels Web site, angelsforanimals.org. Some have driven from as far away as Connecticut and Massachusetts to get a dog, she added.
runyan@vindy.com