York County Medicine Summer 2020 - 33

YO R K C O M E D S O C . O R G

Mr. Harrison is constantly happy. He wakes up each morning
with an exuding excitement, as if he has a laundry list of
tasks that need his attention, and he's eager to get to it. His
happiness is infectious. My family jokingly texts, "Is Harrison
happy today?" And like the dude, I'm so very happy today,
too."
Just before Harrison's dad made it official, we had another
exciting adoption. Lady, who had been at the shelter since
November 2019 and was our second-longest-term dog resident,
was adopted by Frank Kennedy on March 17th. Here is what
Frank said:

"Tony has been a great addition to our family! He is motivating
us to walk every day and keeping our old lady Zinny company
while I am working from home. Tony is so lovable and loves to
cuddle with both humans and our other dog. Bringing Tony
into our family during this difficult time has brought us so
much happiness and laughter. He is truly a special pup and we
can't imagine not giving him a loving, forever home."
Of course, the "who rescued who" sentiment applies to the
York County SPCA staff, as well. YCSPCA Development Director,
Tiffany Franck, and her husband, Ethan Pfautz, adopted their cat,
Raven, in early April. Tiffany said:

"When I bought my house, I always wanted to have a dog. I
would watch The DoDo online, and the people who rescued
animals gave me the strength to go adopt a dog. Growing
up in a good family, I was never taught love, patience, and
consistency. Having Lady in my life, she's definitely showing
me what unconditional love is, and is teaching me to be patient
and consistent.

"We had planned on adopting a cat after a busy May schedule
for both of us. With COVID-19 cancelling all of those plans,
it felt like the perfect time to add to the family. We adopted
Raven in early April before most restrictions were in place, so
adopting him was not difficult at the time. We submitted our
application, scheduled a time to meet with Raven at the shelter,
and then we were able to bring him home a few days later.

She's also shown me what it is like to be vulnerable. It's pretty
amazing - in just a month, we've blossomed into better
companions for each other. I am very grateful for Lady coming
into my life because she's teaching me so much about the
little things in life. I recommend anyone to adopt an amazing
animal from the SPCA because you're making animals happy,
and they, in turn, give their love and devotion to you."

Raven warmed up to us very quickly. He is very cuddly, very
playful, and very talkative, especially at dinner time! We've
enjoyed watching his personality blossom as he has adjusted
to life with us. He has a few silly quirks that can always make
us laugh - sticking his head into his kitty water fountain to
get the perfect drinking angle, batting his toys around until
they are all lost under the sofa, getting the zoomies right after
taking his first few bites of breakfast, and so many more fun
personality traits that we discover week after week.

If you've rescued a dog, you know exactly what Frank is talking
about. And the same goes for cats! Read what Crystal Medrano
wrote about adopting their cat, Racoon, from the York County
SPCA in March:
"Raccoon is doing great! We all love him very much. He has
truly become part of the family. The best thing about adopting
Raccoon during this pandemic was the amount of time we got
to spend with him. As a new pet coming into a new home, we
knew that it was going to take some time for him to get used to
everything and everyone. So, having us there basically 24/7, he
was able to get accustomed to us a lot sooner. He's such a sweet
cat! Since the kids are out of school, they get to play with him
all day and take naps with him. My youngest child says that
Raccoon is his baby because he feeds him every day. At this
point, this house is not a home without Raccoon. We love him
very much."
There's also Ryan Reynolds, who was adopted by Emily
Crihfield. Emily said:
"My husband and I adopted Ryan Reynolds at the end of
April. Ryan is such a blessing! He has such a bright and goofy
personality. He loves afternoon naps in the sunshine and kisses!
Boy does he love kisses! It makes my heart happy to see how
relaxed and comfortable he is in his new home. Adopting now
was the right decision! He is the light that we needed during
such a trying time!"
As Emily and her husband welcomed Ryan Reynolds, Lauren
Marpoe and her family welcomed their dog, Tony, into their
home.

Raven absolutely loves watching the wildlife in our backyard.
He will sit enthralled at the window for hours watching birds,
squirrels, chipmunks, and rabbits. When he's not watching
wildlife, you can usually find Raven curled up next to you,
snoring so loud you'd think we owned a bear.
We couldn't be happier about our decision to adopt Raven
during COVID-19. Having something else to take care of has
been a great motivator for things like getting out of bed early
(he's the perfect alarm clock) and keeping the house clean. He
gives us a sense of normalcy and routine in a not-so-normal
time. The affection that Raven gives and his general goofiness
has brightened our days."
The COVID-19 pandemic has thrown drastic change into
many of our lives. It's left us in a state of uncertainty as we attempt
to adjust to a new normal. One thing remains the same - the
unconditional love animals have to offer. In our ever-changing
world, we can rely on the centuries-old bond between humans
and animals, a bond that has only strengthened and expanded
over time. As we move forward, our pets will continue to teach
us resiliency, patience, perspective, and gratitude. What we will
always know to be certain is that our homes are not complete
without the unconditional love of our pets.
If you are considering adopting an animal, please visit ycspca.
org or call 717-764-6109 for more information.

SUMMER 2020 | York County Medicine

33
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York County Medicine Summer 2020

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