PINE PLAINS — On Sunday, Nov. 10, Poughkeepsie-based Perfect Pets Rescue held an adoption event at the Pine Plains Lion’s Club. Dogs who were available to adopt and their foster parents were there. Volunteers from Stissing Mountain High School’s FCCLA (Family, Career and Community Leaders of America) were on hand to help out with the dogs.
The dogs available at the event were Bessie, a black lab mix, and two young mixed breed puppies named Buff and Amber. Besides these three, Perfect Pets has more dogs available on their website.
One person who stopped by was Dan Hubbard who came all the way from Maryland to adopt a dog. He had seen another dog from Perfect Pets on Petfinder, but that dog had been adopted and he then found Bessie. Why did he come all that way for a dog? “The Baltimore area has a lot of dogs, but mostly pit bulls, about 98%,” he guessed. “I’m more of a lab guy and they are hard to find.” He didn’t want a purebred saying, “I’m not a purebred kind of guy.”
Perfect Pets does not have a shelter. Instead, it uses a network of foster homes to care for the adoption animals.
Leslie Gorden, who fosters dogs for the rescue, said she began fostering when she was looking for a second dog. She decided to foster dogs instead. “Fostering is very satisfying, knowing they are going to a good home and are off the euthanasia list,” Gorden said. One of the things she enjoys when the dogs come to her house is “Watching them decompress and come out of their shell and become their true selves.” Her dog enjoys it too and “another dog helps them adjust quicker.”
Jen Blackburn, who also fosters, echoed Gordon. “I really enjoy it. I like helping the rescue and I am happy to see the dogs go to nice homes and to get new fosters” and start the process again.
“Fostering is very important,” said Debra Hirsch, a volunteer with Perfect Pets who handles application screening and helps wherever needed. “Our rescue (and every other rescue) needs fosters.”
Potential fosters must fill out an application and be approved. Perfect Pets supplies food and takes care of veterinary bills for the dog being fostered.
They get most of the dogs and cats they foster from shelters in Georgia where euthanasia rates are very high.
What else can people do to help if they can’t adopt or foster? Monetary donations or donations of supplies (dog food, collars, leashes, pet beds, crates) are welcomed. Perfect Pets also welcomes “help with paperwork, processing applications, dealing with the media, transportation, or helping at adoption events.”
To find out more information about adoptable dogs and cats, fostering, volunteering, donating, adoption events, and for contact information, go to: www.perfectpetsrescue.org.
Meg Sher, executive director of the David M. Hunt Library in Falls Village.L. Tomaino 
