'Dog Days' Offers New Leash on Life

Dogs without homes and people looking for pets to love. That is the essence of an event going on this weekend at the Mystic Valley Hunt Club.

Dog Days is a nonprofit rescue group that takes dogs from shelters and exhibits them to people interested in adopting. On Saturday, the field behind the stables was filled with vehicles, and inside the large barn, puppies in bright orange bandanas barked and yipped as crowds peered into their cages. 

Lorin Liesfelt, of Essex, sat at a table with an Excel spreadsheet on her laptop with a list of the dogs at the event and potential new owners. Dog Days is her project, which she organized one year ago. Before that, she says she has devoted 40 years to rescuing dogs from shelters where they are often put down if they don’t get adopted.

“As a country that loves dogs so much, how come we kill so many?” Liesfelt said. “It doesn’t make sense.”

According to the organization, Dog Days gets its dogs from the shelters with the highest rates of euthanasia, often in the South. Once they get a dog, they commit to caring for it until they find an owner. They also spay or neuter the dogs and give them treatment for worms.

So far this season, Dog Days has held events in Guilford and Essex, where they managed to get 100 percent of the dogs that they exhibited into new homes.

The typical cost for a puppy ranges from $300 to $350. People can also adopt non-fixed animals from the pound for a lower price.

Liesfelt made it clear that only responsible people would be able to own a dog. A new owner requires three references, including one from a veterinarian. She said that it usually takes a few hours for people to do an adoption, though people can start their applications online.

Two weeks after an adoption, a “Scout” from Dog Days will do a home visit to make sure that the dog is in a healthy environment. The organization reserves the right to take back the dog if they think it is not being cared for properly.

Dog Day’s volunteers include a large team of “Scouts” and “Rescue Rangers.” The rangers take on responsibilities like feeding the dogs, caring for them, and helping manage the interactions between the dogs and the people. The volunteers also help with finding new owners and bringing out interested people via Facebook.

Volunteers from other agencies included Dorrie Harris of Stamford, who works with an organization called TAILS. Her group brought several dogs across the state to be at the expo, including Miller, an 11-month-old puppy that a couple had to give up when they prepared to move to Ireland. “He’s at an age where he can still transition,” Harris said.

Tanya Wescovich of Stonington Animal Control was also at the event, and brought four dogs along for the ride. She sat with Roxanne and Puppup in her lap.

“Even if just one finds a home, that was worth the day,” she said.

One happy customer was Neil O’Brien, who brought his three grandchildren out to the event. Though he already owns a dog, he thought that it needed a companion after his golden retriever of 11 years passed away.

Happily, he found Jasmine, who he had on a leash in front of him.

“I hope to make him my best friend,” O’Brien said.

The event will continue from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday. Another event is planned in Killingworth on Aug. 26-27.