Sometimes destiny intervenes when one least expects it. And so it was for Diane Stone and her beloved Pit Bull, Maribel.
Stone and Maribel, who make a solid team today, met at the East Bay SPCA, where four-year-old Maribel had lived in a kennel for 14 months, more than a quarter of her life.
“I had no intention of adopting a dog when I went in that day. I just wanted to see this Yellow Lab,” explains Stone, a retired high school teacher. A few days earlier, Stone had received a newsletter from the East Bay SPCA featuring a Labrador Retriever she was interested in meeting. Stone decided to pay a visit to the shelter; however, the Lab wasn’t available on the day Stone showed up at the facility.
In came Maribel. Ever eager to match good people with shelter dogs, one persistent EB SPCA staffer recommended that Stone get acquainted with this delightful long-term shelter resident.
“She told me ‘You have to meet Maribel. She’s very sweet and you’ll love her,’” Stone remembers. “I was not very impressed but agreed.”
Maribel closed the deal in no time.
“She’s very sweet, very sensitive, and always wants to please me. I just fell in love with her,” Stone says.
Today Maribel lives happily in her home in Oakland with Stone and three other rescue dogs, Gypsy, Treigh, and Bomba.
Maribel’s adoption is a hopeful sign for East Bay SPCA staff members and volunteers.
“Her adoption is enormously gratifying for us,” says Sarah Wharton, Canine Manager of the nonprofit organization. “It can be demoralizing when a dog has been in a shelter for a year. Maribel’s adoption confirms that we really are in the right line of work, that we’re doing well. It also confirms our faith in people in general.”
Maribel was a member of Club Second Chance, a program of the East Bay SPCA that aims to rehabilitate and promote the adoption of animals with special needs, physical or otherwise.
Maribel’s past remains a mystery.
“We don’t know what happened to her,” says Wharton, referring to some permanent scars on Maribel’s legs and back. “We thought they were bite marks and that she was attacked by another dog at one time, but we don’t know for sure.”
What is certain is that Maribel’s journey to her forever home was not an easy one.
After being picked up as an injured stray by Oakland Animal Services, Maribel was transferred over to the East Bay SPCA. She was suffering from a leg injury that required immediate medical attention.
It took months for the shelter’s veterinary staff to diagnose and treat the injury, eventually traced to a piece of foxtail embedded in Maribel’s rear right leg muscle, preventing the wound from healing. This long and painful ordeal did not faze Maribel’s spirits; her enthusiasm and affection made her a favorite among EB SPCA’s many staff members and volunteers.
“She’s a happy dog. She really liked people early on and bonded quickly with staff members. In the beginning we thought she might be aggressive towards other dogs because of the scars on her body, but she never showed any aggression. Over time she got to be friends with many other shelter dogs,” Wharton says.
Looking back, the obstacles only made Maribel’s eventual adoption more worthwhile for everyone involved.
“We’re doing this because we love it and we want to help animals,” says Wharton. “Maribel’s adoption is significantly rewarding for us.”
One amazing dog, one compassionate woman, and countless dedicated dog-loving people determined to give Maribel a happier future – a miracle like her adoption requires a concerted team effort and is truly something to celebrate.
For more information on Club Second Chance or the East Bay SPCA, visit www.eastbayspca.org.
Jennifer Zhang is the owner of Sirius Republic (www.siriusrepublic.com), an online shop offering handmade gifts for dog lovers. She is a longtime animal rescue advocate and volunteer, and writes about dog-related topics for Examiner.com. Contact: jennifer@siriusrepublic.com.
Article Photo: Maribel and her family. Clockwise from top: Diane Stone, Gypsy, Maribel, Treigh, and Bomba. Photo: © 2011 Diane Stone
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