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A Dog Named Fritz
NJSRN began with a little dog from
Texas, the Internet, and an online group of Schnauzer
lovers.
Fritz, as the dog was formerly
known, had been chained to a doghouse in the hot Texas
sun for three years. His owner had died, and his story
was posted on the online group-affectionately known as "The
Hoflin List." Nadine and Lisa (NJSRN's co-founders)
immediately began working with several others to rescue
Fritz (now known as "Fred"), who soon flew cross-country
to New Jersey, where he was placed in his forever home
with NJSRN's third member, Sherri, and her family.
Thanks to one needy dog and the Hoflin list, an alliance
was formed.
Fred was the first success story
for the group now known as NJSRN. Since 1997, NJSRN has
grown from an alliance of three to a group almost ten
times that size, including a Board of Directors,
members, foster homes, and transport volunteers. We have
placed more than 1,100 Schnauzers and Schnauzer mixes in
permanent, loving homes.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Hi! My name is Fred!
(That's me there on the left.) I look like I
have a pretty good life, don’t I? Well, my life wasn’t
always this good.
My first memory is of sitting in
the hot Texas sun. It was just my three-foot long chain,
my box, and me. I got food and water about once a week.
No one talked to me. No one played with me. No one
petted me. I was lonely. I don’t know how long I lived
like that.
I remember feeling something sting
me. Not like a fly, or a bee. Both had stung me before.
This felt much worse. The stinging kept happening. I
looked around, and I saw some kids with a BB gun. That’s
what was stinging me. Why were they shooting me?
Couldn’t they see that I just wanted someone to love? I
don’t know how long I lived like that.
One day, I went to a new house –
not a house like my box in the sum – this was a home. I
met John, his wife, Sherri, and their daughter, Faith.
(That’s my girl, Faith, in the picture with me.) John
and Sherri talked to me a lot. They fed me, gave me
water, toys, and treats. They took care of me, and they
loved me. They told me how lucky they were to adopt me –
THEY were the lucky ones? I couldn’t believe it. I was
the lucky one!
They told me that someone saw me
sitting in the hot sun. That person posted a message to
an Internet group known as the “Hoflin Schnauzer List,”
and many people I never met worked together to rescue
me. They helped me get well; they found Sherri, John,
and Faith to take care of me; and they helped me get to
New Jersey.
Sherri told me that because of me,
the New Jersey Schnauzer Rescue Network (NJSRN) was
formed. Because of me! Can you believe it? Me. Someone
saw that I was lonely. They told someone, Nadine and
Lisa read about me on the Hoflin List, and soon a whole
bunch of people were working to rescue me and to find me
a new home. All the way from Texas to New Jersey!
That was ten years ago now – in
September of 1997. I’m no longer physically with my
family in New Jersey, but I know I live on in their
hearts, and in the hearts of all the people at NJSRN.
I’m so glad that these people heard about me, and proud
to know that in the past ten years they have been able
to help more other dogs like me who just needed a second
chance.
NJSRN is celebrating 10 years of
helping dogs in need. Ten years of helping families who
want a dog to love. Ten years and – despite many nights
of worrying, many extra miles on their cars, many long
distance phone bills, many tears over dogs we have known
and loved through the past 10 years – most of the
original members are still rescuing Schnauzers and
Schnauzer mixes who need help. All for the love of a dog
named Fred and the many others who followed.
Thank you to the many unnamed
people who helped rescue Fred from the hot Texas sun.
Thank you to John, Sherri, and Faith for giving Fred the
best years of his life! And thank you to all of our
adopters, foster homes, and volunteers who give of their
time. From Fred and all the ones who followed him – the
56 dogs transported in 2000 from Texas to New
Jersey in a rented van by two of our members; the
endless puppy mill dogs who never knew what it was like
to live in a home, have someone love them, or even play
with a toy until they found their way to NJSRN; dogs at
shelters who were either saved within hours of being
euthanized or were in danger of going "cage crazy"; dogs
found wandering the streets, abandoned by those who were
supposed to be the ones to protect them; and the dogs
who lose their loving homes due to divorce or illness –
NJSRN has helped more than 1,500 since September 1997!
But, we can’t do without you.
Won’t you help NJSRN continue our
mission? Whatever you can do will help a dog in need,
whether you can donate money, time, or other support.
Thank you.
(To learn more about
SixDegrees.org, an organization started by Kevin
Bacon, click on the charity badge above!)
Revised
10/22/2007 |