At Anchor House, we�ve helped many a teenager turn his life around, even some who came to us a last resort, after other agencies had given up. On paper, some of these boys looked like lost causes, but given a chance, their stories turned from tragedies to triumphs.
Anchor House�s newest resident also looked like a lost cause on paper. Daisy is a one-year-old black lab/hound mix who came to us in November, from Heath�s Haven special needs rescue shelter. Did you know that according to the National Council on Pet Population, black dogs are the last to be adopted and among the first to be euthanized at shelters? Our Daisy is not only black, she was also completely untrained and has a birth defect that causes her to drag one hind leg.
But Daisy has found a home at Anchor House. The boys and staff love her, and the feeling is mutual. To see Daisy in action, awkward as it is, she doesn�t even seem to realize she has a disability. She struggles sometimes to obey commands but gets super excited to be with people.
�It would be easy to read an adolescent addict�s history and say �no way,�� said Fern Sargent, IYR�s Chief Clinician. �It would be even easier to look at a young, untrained black dog with health issues and say �no way.� Yet, when you meet and work with Daisy and the boys at Anchor House, you quickly learn their amazing stories of hope and survival against the odds.�
�Daisy and the boys at Anchor House are a perfect match,� Fern went on. �They present us with challenges, and sometimes we have to clean up some accidents. But the rewards are incredible.� Daisy�s presence is quickly becoming a source of fun, laughter, and the healing power of unconditional affection.
