A child on Christmas day, Sandy jumped into the toy stack with unbridled enthusiasm.
Would he choose a delicate, soft reindeer? Maybe a stuffed version of Rita’s water ice in a cup?
The playful terrier mix quickly latched on to a soft pink pig and began repeatedly biting it to make a squeak. However, there is only one toy per customer, little friend! For another lucky dog to have a turn, the 15-pound dog had to be snatched from the pile at the Pennsylvania SPCA in North Philadelphia.
At the shelter on East Erie Avenue on Saturday, Sandy and other canines began the holiday season early by getting toys from the Northeast Philadelphia families McCourt and Ramos. Over a year, the families gathered more than 700 toys by purchasing them on sale and soliciting donations from people, under the direction of sisters Cindy McCourt and Micki Ramos.
Thirteen family members and friends delivered the items to the SPCA, and they do the same at Main Line Animal Rescue and Brandywine Valley SPCA later in the day. More visits are scheduled for the following weekend, pulling Ramos’ husband Carlos’ landscaping trailer to add a brightly adorned “sleigh.”
The sisters, both seasoned dog owners, gather the toys after learning of an initiative in California. Family and friends responded positively, and an unexpected source also gave the endeavor a boost.
McCourt attempted to purchase 100 toys from the online pet store Chewy, but the transaction was unsuccessful. The initial response was to wonder when she obtain a customer service agent on the phone.
“They were like, ‘How many dogs do you have?’”, she reflected.
According to McCourt, the salesman saw that the sale was completed and Chewy contributed to the good cause.
On Saturday morning, there was lots of bow-wowing but no bow-tied gifts at the Pennsylvania SPCA.
Charlie, a pit bull mix, followed Sandy and briefly considered a Gumby toy and a few other objects with vivid colors. Finally, she turned and walked away, a soft Santa wagging.
Then a 50-pound, hairy mutt named Dunkin entered the room. Perhaps the presence of so many McCourts and Ramoses deterred Dunkin from making a decision.
After that, the event was moved to a bigger room where the dog kennels are arranged in rows by Maddie Bernstein, the shelter’s director of lifesaving. She moved down the aisles while pushing a cart filled with toys and threw the presents over the wall to the dogs waiting behind, eliciting a cacophony of barks.
The shelter is currently home to several cats, dogs, and other animals, including more than 100 dogs. The McCourt-Ramos visit, according to Bernstein, whose job entails overseeing animal adoption, fostering, and rescue was a thrill.
“It’s such a heartwarming thing,” she remarked. “They clearly are animal lovers.”
The Pennsylvania SPCA started a “Letter to Santa” program this month to continue the festive theme. It publishes a new letter “written” by one of its long-term residents each day that is up for adoption. When a person chooses to adopt one of these senior pets, Bernstein said the standard adoption fees ($324 for adult dogs and $92 for adult cats) are waived.
Some people, like Charlie, have tragic stories. The 11-year-old requires hospice care because of an inoperable growth that is growing on her vulva, according to Bernstein.
But on Saturday, when there was a toy sale, she got all puppy-like.
The actual number of shelters the two toy-donating families plan to visit is unknown, according to McCourt, a 56-year-old court reporter.
“It kinda depends on how many toys we have left,” she said.
The McCourts and Ramoses may soon require additional donations if all the canines are as enthusiastic as Charlie and her shelter friends.
Source: The Philadelphia Inquirer