If pretty florals caught the eye at the Lilly Pulitzer store at Westfield Montgomery, it was was the puppies scattered throughout the prints that stole the show.
On the Saturday before Valentine’s day, they became the attraction of the moment. The puppies, who were rescued from South Carolina shelters by Potomac’s PetConnect Rescue, appeared to enjoy the attention, peering up from under volunteer’s legs, then flopping for a nap on a nearby foster person’s foot. Their presence gave those waiting to hold the pups, the opportunity to shop and adopt.
PetConnect
To volunteer, foster a pet or donate, go to www.petconnectrescu….
PetConnect’s next cat adoption event will be held on Saturday, March 4, at Potomac PetValu, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.
A dog adoption event will be at Kentlands BARK!, Saturday, March 4, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.
If interested in volunteering at these events, contact Kelly Grinham at: kgrinham@petconnect….
Lilly Pulitzer contributed 10 percent of all sales during the event to PetConnect and adoption papers were available for those who longed to take a pup home.
PetConnect rescues and adopts out approximately 700 to 800 dogs and cats a year. In addition, their outreach programs help to educate communities on the importance of spaying and neutering. According to the ASPCA, approximately 2.7 million pets are euthanized annually because shelters are too crowded and too underfunded. DoSomething.org states that only one dog born out of every 10 will find a permanent home. So, the puppies in their colorful surroundings at Lilly Pulitzer were some of the lucky ones.
Two wooly shepherd-mix pups named Hugs and Kisses needed just that after they, and a sibling that did not survive, were found abandoned in an empty house in Florence, S.C. As if they had not suffered enough, they were turned away when taken to the nearest shelter because of a lack of space. Eventually, the two pups were dropped at a local vet’s office where they huddled in a steel crate until a foster could be found.
Many abandoned puppies and other pets do not survive such an ordeal, but volunteers, who heard about their plight, offered to drive them to Potomac beginning the long trip north to PetConnect and eventual adoption.
The other litter of pups at the event, Brett, Bruno, Brody and Brianna, called the “B” pups, also arrived in Potomac on the wings of good luck because volunteers spoke up for the entire litter, including the mother, Lexie. Shelters in South Carolina are often so overwhelmed with puppies and pregnant females that workers reach out to northern rescues for relief. “PetConnect is always happy to help,” said Catherine Edwards, executive director of PetConnect Rescue, who offered to foster Hugs and Kisses and place the others.
After the event at Lilly Pulitzer, Edwards’ two foster pups, plus Max, a Dachshund mix, and Briana, one of the B pups, all found a safe and loving home, closing another chapter in the ongoing rags to riches saga that is animal rescue.
Carole Dell is a board member of PetConnect Rescue.
