Letter: A very happy ending for a dog and its owner

This is a great happy ending from the Madera County Animal Shelter that I just had to share.

This story started with a little black and tan dog that was brought into the shelter as a stray with no ID or microchip. The dog was acting strangely, as if it had a neurological disorder. The dog was rushed to Madera Veterinary Clinic for assessment.

The veterinarians concluded that the dog had gotten into some medication or chemical, and had a very negative reaction. The dog was spinning in circles, unsteady, and wobbling instead of walking. Over time the dog seemed to slowly improve. No one came to claim the dog, but rescue groups were hesitant to take a dog with these serious problems.

Amazingly, a young woman came in after an extended vacation and was looking for her lost dog. She had an older picture of the dog as a puppy. Animal Services Supervisor Cindy Avila thought the dog looked familiar, and took her to where the neurological dog was housed.

The tears started flowing when Maria Palocioz saw her lost dog. Maria called her name “Chata” and the dog perked her ears and connected with her owner. Even though the dog was still wobbly, the affection poured out of the dog, equal to the tears of the grateful owner. Chata couldn’t stop wiggling and looked adoringly at her owner. They were connected to each other physically and emotionally.

Smiles were certainly abundant throughout the entire shelter as reuniting and re-homing animals with owners is an incredible experience for all staff and volunteers.

— Kirsten Gross, Executive director, Madera County Animal Services