Marilyn Barrett, who lives with her husband in Birmingham, Alabama, was having a recurring dream. The Barretts have three full grown and quite large Labrador Retrievers, but she kept dreaming about a little brown puppy that needed her. The couple has a weekend home in Franklin, NC, and one weekend recently they had come over to Waynesville to shop. They happened to visit Mast General Store, where Sarge volunteers were gift wrapping, and Mr. Barrett happened to mention the dream to one of the gift wrappers. She directed them to a Sarge adoption event at the WNC Visitor's Center, not far from downtown, and they decided to visit.
It so happened that this particular day was Penelope's very first adoption day. She was a young puppy, whose mother and sister had been found with her and turned in to the Haywood County Animal Shelter. Penelope had been living in a foster home with several dogs, including some that were quite large, so she knew how to handle herself around dogs like big Labs. She was spotted instantly by Mrs. Barrett, who picked her up and held her, and told the foster mom who was there about the dream. The foster mom, thinking the puppy had a very shiny black coat, kept quiet, because there was obvious attraction between the lady and the puppy. Mrs. Barrett suddenly said, "Let's take her out in the sunlight", and when they did, sure enough, the puppy's shiny coat was quite clearly a very dark chocolate brown, not black.
The Barretts did the paper work and paid the adoption fee then and there, and arranged to pick up Penelope the following Saturday. When they arrived the next week to pick up the puppy, they had a little Christmas outfit for her, had decided to name her Smidgen, and couldn't wait to get her home to meet her new dog family. Some dreams really do come true!
...Nancy Bulluck, Foster Care Committee
Update 03/08: "I can't begin to tell you the joy that my 'little brown dog' has brought into our lives. She is our first rescue dog after 20 years of having only purebred Labradors.
I can say that you were so right, she is a 'pistol'. She came into our home just a little shy, but by the
end of the first week she ruled! She and our youngest Lab play together so hard I have to call a stop to it
before they wreck the house. They are a blast to watch together, I smile whenever I think of her.
I have never seen my youngest Lab, Olive, so happy. We have laughed more in the past two months than in the past two years
just watching her make her way with the three Labs. We decided to call her "Teenie" because she looked so small in comparison
to her big brother and sisters. Her size is the only thing small about her though: she is tremendously
affectionate, very brave, extra smart, barks at the big dogs and loves to travel. She blended into the
family with ease and is now housebroken. I take her everywhere I go that allows dogs and she has the
wardrobe for it of course. Teenie is a precious addition to our lives, I thank you so much for fostering
her and facilitating her survival so she can live a full and wonderful life with a family that couldn't
love her more!"
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