Doggie Daze at Angels for Animals welcomes canine alumni

CANFIELD — This reunion may have been lacking a disc jockey, an elaborate buffet and attire, but it was nonetheless filled with remembrances — plus a variety of four-legged members for good measure.

Many people, such as Jackie and Darrin Blasiman of New Waterford, brought their pets to Sunday’s second annual Doggie Daze reunion at Angels for Animals Inc. on state Route 165. The Blasimans were accompanied by Teddy Bear, a boxer/Labrador retriever mix they adopted a few months ago from the organization.

“He’s like a big love bug,” Jackie Blasiman said of her pooch, adding that he was in a litter of seven that had been brought to the shelter.

The couple also has a 9-year-old Doberman pinscher they said has been instrumental in training their second dog. As a result, Teddy Bear learned to strike a wooden chime to indicate the need to go outside, Jackie Blasiman said.

It’s been a natural adjustment to add Betty to the family of Mercia Stevens of Poland, who adopted the easygoing boxer/Labrador last January. Stevens said she got the dog for her 12-year-old daughter, Mary Kate, who volunteers at Angels.

A main reason Stevens came to the reunion was to show her dog’s foster-care providers how the animal is doing now, she added.

That seemed to be the prime motivator for others to attend the reunion, which was set up for anyone who adopted a dog from Angels, as well as for other dog owners who wanted to learn more about the organization, started in 1990.

Read the full story Monday in The Vindicator and on Vindy.com