Chance Is Chosen––

Good Fortune Dogs Pound Puppy

By Dottie Evans

With a little bit of luck and a whole lot of love, the surprise puppy born in mid-September to an abandoned black chow mix rescued by the Newtown Dog Pound has gotten the best possible start on a dog’s life.

She has been adopted by a family that already has adult dogs with which to play.

She is healthy and thriving after a difficult birth that meant she needed to be hand fed for several weeks by foster caretakers.

And finally, as the result of a fundraising contest sponsored by Canine Advocates of Newtown, Inc, the organization that has taken daily responsibility for her progress, she has a new name.

From now on, the puppy will be known as Chance, in reference to all the fortunate circumstances that have, so far, come her way.

Chance was the name submitted by 7-year-old Head O’ Meadow second grader Hannah Schmidt, who is one of several Brownies from Amy Watson’s troop that entered the contest.

“They sat down at a Friday evening meeting and came up with different names,” said Hannah’s mother, Amy Schmidt.

Mrs Schmidt explained that although their family recently moved to Newtown from Doylestown, Penn., and they do not have any pets, they plan to get a dog in the future, “as soon as Hannah is 10.”

Hannah loves animals and likes to ride horses, and she has two younger brothers, Noah, 4, and Caleb, 10 months.

“Hannah thought of the name Chance because the puppy had already been given the wonderful chance to be adopted by a great family,” Ms Schmidt said. “And when Hannah met her and held her, she knew it was perfect. The puppy was very calm,” she added.

The Schmidt family visited the Newtown Dog Pound on Saturday where Hannah was given a Puppy-A-Day calendar and a gift basket as a prize for coming up with the winning name.

“Other names submitted including Treasure, Penny, Gummy Bear, Surprise, Bear, Amy, and Molly. The two most popular names were Buddy and Princess,” said Virginia Jess, a Canine Advocates volunteer.

“[Police Detective] Sgt Cole was very flattered that someone even submitted his name, Cole. After much thought and careful deliberation, he chose Chance,” Ms Jess said.

Sgt John Cole has been the Newtown Police Department officer in charge of legal matters for the Newtown Dog Pound, so he was designated contest judge.

The Canine Advocates of Newtown, Inc, is an organization of volunteers that work on behalf of dogs taken into the Newtown Dog Pound. Its goal is to further the dogs’ quality of life, safety, and health, and to assist in their adoption through advertising, screening, and education, and to promote rescue referrals.

Ms Jess has taken particular pleasure in following the progress of this puppy that was born unexpectedly. She noted that for Hannah, whose family had recently moved to Newtown, the name Chance symbolized her own chance to start wonderful new life here. It also symbolized the puppy’s chance to be the most beloved dog in Newtown.

It was only by chance that Ebony, the puppy’s mother, was taken into the Newtown Dog Pound at the critical moment when she was about to give birth. From that time on, the puppy’s life has been blessed by a string of fortunate events. First, Animal Control Officer Gerri Breyan cared enough to stay up all night at the pound, waiting for the birth. Then it was Ms Breyan who later made the decision to take Ebony to Mount Pleasant Animal Hospital, where Dr Rocky Vali assisted in “a very difficult birth,” Ms Jess said.

“After Chance became the only puppy to survive…people stepped up to bottle feed her every night in their homes,” Ms Jess said.

Chance will be adopted by the family of Carolee Mason, the part-time kennel keeper at the Newtown Dog Pound. Ms Mason is one of the people who cared for the puppy since she could not be left overnight at the pound.

“Carolee, her husband, her son, and her daughter all helped bottle feed the puppy and have become very attached to her. They couldn’t bear to let her go to another home. Chance loves them almost as much as she loves the family’s two other dogs. She enjoys trying to keep up with the older dogs, and likes to sneak food from their bowls,” said Ms Jess.

“Chance continues changing and growing every day. She’s a little miracle that has already spread much joy.”