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'Salem' drafted to take part in Puppy Bowl VIII
By Christine Keeling
Photo
Lucille Smith, a humane-society volunteer, plays with Salem after he was found wandering around the Humane Society of Columbiana County. Salem took part in the taping of Animal Planet’s Puppy Bowl VIII.
SALEM
A Salem dog was drafted to play on a Super Bowl Sunday show.
The dog, whose name is Salem, is an 11-week-old boxer mix. He made a trip to New York City on Oct. 19 to take part in the filming of Puppy Bowl VIII.
The program, which features rescued puppies playing on a faux gridiron and kittens performing a half-time show will air Feb. 5 at 3 p.m. on the Discovery Channel’s Animal Planet.
To celebrate, the Humane Society of Columbiana County is planning a variety of Puppy Bowl pre-season activities including a “tail”-gate party, where Salem the dog will be available for “paw”tographs. He will also be present Dec. 3 at 1:30 p.m. after the Salem Christmas parade at the old high school on North Lincoln Avenue.
“We couldn’t say no” when they contacted us, said Heather Jurina, director of operations for the humane society. “It’s a great way to showcase the animals and the shelter.”
During the telecast, viewers get information on how to adopt rescued pets and help local shelters.
Jurina said she believes Salem was abandoned near the center. Two volunteers found the puppy at 1:30 a.m. in early October, after they heard him making noise around the kennels. He was named Salem, after the community he was found in and one in Massachusetts because of the Halloween season, she said.
After trying to locate an owner with the dog warden, Jurina, posted Salem’s picture on Facebook to raise money for his care. She also sent his picture, after reading an email from Petfinder, to be considered for the show.
“A few hours later, producers called to say he was in the running,” said Jurina. Salem was one of 50 dogs between 9 and 15 weeks old that were chosen from across the country.
Johnna Parke also saw Salem on the Internet and knew she had to have him.
“I saw his face and fell in love,” said Parke. “I needed him and he needed me.”
Parke lost her dog, Sadie, in January and debated whether to get a new pet. She was crushed when she thought Salem’s going to the Puppy Bowl would mean she wouldn’t get him.
“I’m thankful to the humane society for letting me adopt him,” Parke said.
Salem joined Parke’s family Oct. 24, after he made the journey to New York with Jurina and Jenny Pike, board president of the humane Psociety.
Jurina said she couldn’t reveal how Salem did on the field, because she and Pike were required to sign non-disclosure forms. Although the taping for the show lasted more than 4 hours, Jurina said she believed, Salem “had a very good time.”
“We’ll be just as excited to see it as anyone else” when it airs, she said. “We don’t know what the final product will be after editing.”
The Columbiana humane society usually handles animals involved in abuse and neglect cases, but takes in abandoned pets when room permits.
It is a no-kill, no-suffer center that holds animals until they are adopted.
To view animals available for adoption, residents can visit the shelter Wednesdays and Thursdays from 4 to 7 p.m., Fridays 1 to 7 p.m. and Saturdays 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. or visit columbianahumane.org.