2 rescued street dogs to get 'married' in Hubbard ceremony

By DENISE DICK

denise_dick@vindy.com

HUBBARD

They’ve already weathered better or worse, sickness and health.

Now Bear and Izzy are tying the knot – er, leash.

The two dogs – Bear, a 9-year-old husky mix, and Izzy, a 5-year-old shepherd mix – will join together in canine matrimony.

The Aug. 22 event is being presented by Legacy Dog Rescue of Ohio, Baron Pet Care Services and The Learning Dog Training and Enrichment Center. It runs from 6 to 8 p.m. at The Learning Dog, 751 N. Main St.

The goal is to get the dogs adopted – together.

“It’s so people can see them as a bonded pair,” said Jeannie Baron-Yenerall, owner of Baron Pet Care Services, who has been fostering Bear and Izzy since August 2013, when they were rescued from the streets.

Bear will wear a bow tie. Lace and flowers will decorate Izzy’s collar on the blessed day.

“Instead of rings, they’ll exchange something else,” Baron-Yenerall said. “It’s a surprise.”

Nancy Nanes, an ordained elder, who adopted a dog through Legacy, will perform the ceremony.

Bear and Izzy found each other on the streets.

“Bear had a home, but they just let him run,” said Jennifer Overmier of Legacy, the rescue organization through which the dogs may be adopted. “We think Izzy was born on the streets.”

Since Baron-Yenerall took the dogs in, the rescue has received inquiries about adopting one or the other dog. Because of the dogs’ bond, though, Baron-Yenerall and Overmier won’t do that.

Izzy looks to Bear for assurance, comfort and support. He was her protector on the streets, too.

“People told us when they were out on the streets, Bear would circle around Izzy as she ate to keep other dogs away,” Baron-Yenerall said.

Youngstown Dogs Surviving the Streets fed the dogs for weeks, trying to earn their trust. Residents on Youngstown’s East Side, where the dogs were found, also fed them.

Neither dog was in good shape either physically or emotionally. Both dogs suffered from heartworm, a condition that’s fatal if not treated. Bear’s case was more severe.

Baron-Yenerall said Bear was deteriorating quickly, so Youngstown Dogs rescued him first.

“I looked at him, and I have never seen a dog with nothing in his eyes,” she said. “He was just shut down. I think he had given up.”

Izzy proved to be a tougher case. She was fearful and fast and fled when anyone approached.

A resident tried keeping Izzy on a back porch so she could be rescued, but Izzy tore up the porch, upset about being separated from Bear.

When they reunited, Izzy ran right to her companion, Baron-Yenerall said.

Both dogs are healthy now, and they’re more socialized. Bear is still the more social of the two. Izzy, who takes medicine to quell her fears, remains skittish with loud noises or sudden movements. Both wear scars from their earlier years – bite marks on Bear’s legs and a gash by Izzy’s ear.

But neither displays aggression.

“They’re very sweet dogs,” Baron-Yenerall said.

Bear moves from person to person in a fenced-in area behind the center, seeking attention.

“Izzy gives these little licks of the tongue and you know you’re in,” she said.

Baron-Yenerall tears up when she talks about the dogs’ changes over the last two years. Her voice cracks as Izzy greets a visitor with her signature tongue flicks.

“They’re awesome,” she said.

Overmier and Baron-Yenerall believe the right home would be one where Bear and Izzy are the only dogs, there are no small children, and the pet parents understand the dogs’ attachment. A fenced-in yard would be ideal.

A reception will follow the wedding ceremony with auctions, food and cake. Bear and Izzy are registered at Pet Supplies Plus in Niles and Hermitage, Pa.; Petco in Boardman and Hermitage; and PetSmart in Boardman and Niles. Suggested gifts including leashes, collapsible crates, pet-store gift cards, rubberized dog toys and dog food. They will be shared among the couple and other Legacy dogs needing homes.

Other dogs may be viewed on Petfinder through http://www.ldrofohio.org.

The event is open to anyone, but guests are limited to those with two legs. The happy couple will be the only dogs.

Izzy had at least two litters on the street, and their marriage won’t produce more puppies. It’s Legacy’s policy that all of its dogs are fixed before becoming available for adoption.

Still, the official ceremony is a long time coming.

“People say, ‘Oh, Bear finally popped the question.’ I tell them, ‘Izzy just put her paw down,’” Baron-Yenerall joked.