It seemed to take forever for Layla to finally find her “fur-ever” home.
Since 2011, the temperamental boxer-bulldog mix has lived off and on at the Porter County Animal Shelter, unable to find a permanent residence for various reasons.
Kelly Carey, who works at the shelter, has rescued many animals, bringing them back to a normal life with loving owners and safe housing. She was determined to find just the right owner for this 9-year-old female pooch.
For three years, the Valparaiso woman tried every which way to find a dog lover to adopt Layla. With her boyfriend’s help, they made hundreds of fliers, handing them out and sticking them on car windshields.
They also posted signs, chatted up Layla to anyone who would listen and took the dog to several community events. Plus, the creative couple even posted a video on Facebook, attracting 32,000 views and 1,200 shares.
“She is housebroken… spayed, microchipped and updated shots,” the video stated. “C’mon Porter County Animal Shelter fans. Surely SOMEONE can find it in their heart to love Layla and give her a new fur-ever home!”
It didn’t work. Nothing worked.
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“She’s never gave up though,” said Carey’s boyfriend, Jay Weinberg.
The animal lover in Carey wanted to adopt the dog herself, but her home is already raining cats and dogs without an umbrella in any closet.
“I didn’t know if Layla would play with them or eat them,” Carey joked.
Adopting a dog is a lifelong commitment, according to the animal shelter.
“Besides love, have you thought about the time, training and financial responsibility involved with owning a dog?” its website asks potential dog owners. “That commitment is 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 52 weeks a year, and can last up to 15 to 20 years.”
Shelter workers take the adoption process very seriously, trying to ensure that each dog finds the proper family and compatible lifestyle.
“Working at a shelter is not just petting puppies and kittens all day,” said Carey, a member of the Porter Country Wildlife Management Advisory Board. “You have to love animals, and I discovered that rescuing animals is my passion in life.”
She needed such a passion to find a home for Layla.
“Layla may not be the most aesthetically pleasing dog,” Carey admitted. “She kind of looks like a mutt, and her age may have been a factor, too.”
Carey began reaching out to rescue organizations through social media, exploring a niche nonprofit marketing idea she has been developing. Its tentative name is A.R.M.S., for Animal Rescue Marketing Solutions, designed to craft heartfelt stories about animals that need to be adopted.
“Without exposure, an animal can remain in a shelter indefinitely,” states a promotional flier for A.R.M.S.
I can attest to the power of social media in regard to dogs and other pets. When I posted about Layla on my Facebook page and other social media sites (a rarity for me because I’m not a pet lover), my readers and followers jumped all over it.
“Lots of pet lovers here, Jerry,” said Victoria Beasley. “Maybe a New Year’s resolution to do a monthly animal featured article! (Hint hint).”
“And maybe a spotlight on the rescues and shelters, and what they’re all about, now that’s newsworthy,” added Kim Farneth.
I’ll consider this idea, and pet lovers should consider volunteering their time at the shelter, which can use the help (hint, hint).
The video that Carey and her boyfriend created found its way to BARK, a New York-based provider of pet-themed products and technology known for its monthly subscription service BarkBox, which has more than 500,000 monthly subscribers.
“We’re dog people. Crazy dog people. Dog people get it,” the company’s website states.
A month ago, the site posted Carey’s video and it caught the attention of John and Lilya Wagner, who live in Silver Spring, Md., just 14 miles from the White House.
“My wife watches all those dog video sites,” said John Wagner, who’s retired.
The couple fell in love with Layla through the video, and contacted Carey for more information.
“She would be the perfect fit for us,” Lilya Wagner told Carey.
Last Friday, the couple drove from their Maryland home to Valparaiso, an 11-hour trek.
“And some people complain about driving to our shelter from Merrillville,” Carey quipped.
The older couple have owned about a dozen dogs during their 55 years of marriage. Their last dog died Nov. 11, 2016.
“We were dogless,” John Wagner said. “Layla needs us, and we obviously need her.”
The next morning, they visited the new animal shelter on Indiana 49 to meet Layla. It was love at first lick. Watch a video and view more photos at www.post-trib.com/opinion.
“It was one of the best days of my life,” Carey told me after the couple left.
Carey, who cried after Layla left, sent her off with a bunch of dog toys and treats for the road, and for her new home. On their drive back to Maryland, John and Lilya took turns sitting in the back seat with Layla to show her love.
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That night, the Wagners sent a text to Carey with a photo of Layla in her bed, as if the dog wrote the text: “Good night Kelly. I am in my bed in the master bedroom. Soon I’ll be on the big bed. Love you, Layla.”
In another text the next day, with a photo of Layla curled up next to his easy chair, the Wagners wrote, “Layla is such a blessing!”
“It was a dream come true,” Carey said. “A dream that finally came true.”
Just a couple days after Layla found her fur-ever home, Carey began eyeing another rescued dog in the shelter that’s been there for more than a year without being adopted (hint, hint).
Twitter@jdavich