Neiko was owner surrendered to BACS on 6/15. Good fortune was with him and one month later on 7/18 he found himself saying goodbye to these temporary digs. Neiko moved on out with a new family to love. And I was there with camera in hand to capture the happy moment.
His favorite volunteer, Edmund, was instrumental in making this adoption happen:
I arrived at the shelter knowing that all the dogs had made it out of their kennels the day before, so I went straight for Neiko. We started with a leisurely lap around the lake in Aquatic Park. I took him back to his kennel for a quick brushing, then leashed him back up, to his great delight. That delight would be short-lived, however, as we ended up in the laundry room to give him a bath. He wasn't against the idea (no resistance), but clearly not fond of the experience. Once he was dry, he was a shiny, clean-smelling boy and a stuffed KONG helped him forget any displeasure.
As I was leaving his kennel, Pam told me there were some people who had come a long way specifically to see Neiko and another dog, Charlie the Shar-pei mix. When they were done with Charlie, I brought Neiko to them in the concrete play area and left for a while. When I came back, they said he just sat there waiting for me to return. Good boy! I mean, c'mon Neiko, you gotta show your stuff. I took him back and brought another dog, Abby, a cute little Shepherd mix and then took her out for a walk with them. We got back and I suggested that Pam take Neiko out with them, so he wouldn't focus on me.
That approach worked wonders, because when they got back, these folks knew that Neiko was the dog for them. I retrieved him one last time from his kennel and sat in the lobby with him, saying goodbye while the paperwork was finished. A few pictures later I handed over the leash and off he went to his new home, a happy, clean-smelling dog.
Edmund
