"Sophie was a six week old puppy when she was found by a NYC animal control officer. She was all alone in a drainage culvert in the Bronx, NY. Three years later, she still has an obsession with drainage pipes. I wonder if she is looking for her mother.

She failed her first temperament evaluation at the ASPCA and appeared on Good Morning America as an example of a puppy you should not adopt. But, my granddaughter Lucy persuaded me to adopt her. She had confidence in Sophie and she was right. Slowely, her behavior improved as a result of being socalized by many loving and patient people at the ASPCA.

Now she is a therapy dog, certified by the Good Dog Foundation. She has worked for two years with a special group of people who have convicted of animal cruelty. Some of these people have killed their own dog and it is very important that these people have a dog they can apologize to... a stand in for their animal victim.

Sophie enjoys agility, swimming and is learning to herd sheep. We think she is a mix of Border Collie and Eskimo.

Sophie made numerous visits to Ground Zero."

-Stephanie Lafarge, Ph.D.
Senior Director of Counseling Services
The ASPCA

Sophie, well she was a HAPPY dog!  It would definitely be the one word that I would use to sum up this girl – Happy!  You could sense her happiness the minute you met her. Then…once I heard her story…I knew why she was so happy.  Like so many rescues, once they find out what their gift is, they just have to share it with all of us the rest of their lives. And hers’ was clearly happiness.

For the above reason I painted her on a large happy sunflower… note the “good luck” lady bug on the leaf as she was also so thankful for being one of the lucky ones to find a furever home. 

-Ron Burns

The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA) was the first humane society to be established in North America and is, today, one of the largest in the world. Our organization was founded by Henry Bergh in 1866 on the belief that animals are entitled to kind and respectful treatment at the hands of humans, and must be protected under the law. Headquartered in New York City, the ASPCA maintains a strong local presence, and with programs that extend our anti-cruelty mission across the country, we are recognized as a national animal welfare organization. We are a privately funded 501(c)(3) not-for-profit corporation, and proud to boast more than 1 million supporters across the country.

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Never forget. Two simple words we’ve all heard many times before. Sometimes though, words can lose meaning with time if we are not reminded of why the sentiment exists. These heroic canine stories may just be one of thousands from that fateful day in September, 2001, but I believe they deserve to be told and re-told. Their stories, in part, will help us continue to remember why we should never forget. Your story will too.

I encourage you to use this time as a moment for reflection – to recall where you were that day and share your story with others. Our world, in many ways, is very different from the way that it was in 2001. In many other ways, it is very much the same. Today we face new challenges, much as we did then, that cannot be solved with just one answer. While I recognize that our world moves at a pace that is hard to keep up with - perhaps if we all pause for just a moment to reflect and ask ourselves how we each can help make the world a better place, we will find the answers we are looking for.

Regards,
Ron Burns

NOTE: While we believe in the right for political discourse, this is not the forum for it. We ask that you please keep comments respectful and on topic. Thank you.