This blog is usually about discovering new places and then telling you about them and how to get there. But sometimes I write about hidden gems in and around Sarataga. Well, yesterday while running errands I stopped into the Petsmart in Wilton like I had done many, many times before to see what dogs the SPCA had there for adoption. They run the adoption every Saturday for dogs and Saturday and Sunday for cats. I walked over to the penned area near the back of the store. There I saw a black puppy sitting in the corner of her crate. The name on the cage was Chianti. That’s okay I thought, she’s young, I can change it. She had tufty fur and long legs. “Who does that remind you of?” I asked my husband. We had a dog, our first together as a couple almost 20 years ago. Her name was Cooper. He agreed, this one looked an awful lot like her.
SPCA- A gem of an organization
“I want her,” I said. I got one of the volunteers’ attention and asked if I could get her out. “She’s a real sweetheart,” she said. “She likes to be held and will cuddle with you. She’s a real lover.”
She took out the tarp and put it out on the floor for us. At first the puppy was shy. She just laid there on the tarp. Then slowly she made her way over to me and laid her head in my hand. I was in love. Employees and other volunteers came over and said that’s a good sign. She seemed very comfortable with us. She even cuddled with my husband Mark. I was sold.
One of the volunteers wanted to know what we thought. Mark just smiled and nodded his head toward me. “I think so”, he said.
I wanted to know the procedure. “We just fill out an application and take her home?” She said yes, that’s it. “We usually like to do a home visit but we know that she is going to a good home.” I guess she knows a dog person when she meets one.
Then came the application, lots of paperwork and questions to be answered. The adoption fee is $250 which included a vet visit, all her shots and her spay. I thought it was a pretty good deal. After about 20 minutes of paperwork we got to take her home. We bought her some puppy chow since our other dogs are on adult food, and a new collar and leash. She rode happily home, snuggled in Mark’s arms.
When we got her home she came to life, playing and romping with our doxies. It was so cute. I was sure I made the right choice.
Now if we can only come up with a name.
If you would like to rescue a dog or a cat (ours came from a kill shelter in Tennessee, so I feel like I saved a life, literally) then visit the pet adoption at Petsmart in Wilton.
Cat adoptions are Tuesday through Saturday
Dog adoptions are every Saturday
Or if you would rather visit the shelter their hours are:
Monday, Thursday, Saturday and Sunday — closed
Tuesday– 11 am to 5 pm
Wednesday and Friday — 11 am to 7 pm
Directions to the shelter:
Take interstate 87 to exit 19. Take a right off the ramp onto Aviation Road. Continue on Aviation Road through the intersection of Route 9 where Aviation Road becomes Quaker Road. Continue on Quaker Road until you see the Cumberland Farms on the right. At this intersection take a left onto Ridge Road. Continue to the first right hand turn, this will be Hicks Road, you will see an airport sign and a white building that sells the lawn and garden equipment (Smith’s Equipment), follow to the first stop sign. Take a right onto Queensbury Ave. They are the second building on the left. Look for the SPCA sign.
588 Queensbury Ave
Queensbury NY
518-798-3500
If you are looking for a companion or for a new member of your family, I highly recommend them. They do good work saving animals from kill shelter from all over the country. If you’re new to pet ownership the volunteers know the personalities of all the animals and can match you up with the perfect one.
Not interested in adopting but would still like the to help the shelter out? They would be happy to take a monetary donation or a donation of food or other items to make the animals lives better while they are waiting for their forever home.
