Story has happy ending for some abandoned dogs

Taysha Burch holds Sherman, the Scottish terrier mix adopted by her family from the Humane Society serving Clark County in September. The family reports that Sherman is acclimating well to their lifestyle. Their love has gone a long way in helping Sherman come out of his shell. They admit he might be a little bit spoiled.

Barbara J. Perenic Taysha Burch holds Sherman, the Scottish terrier mix adopted by her family from the Humane Society serving Clark County in September. The family reports that Sherman is acclimating well to their lifestyle. Their love has gone a long way in helping Sherman come out of his shell. They admit he might be a little bit spoiled.

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Barbara J. Perenic

By Matt Sanctis, Staff Writer Updated 8:21 AM Friday, December 17, 2010

When Bonita Burch took her children, Trystan and Taysha, to the local Humane Society, she warned them they were just going to look.

Bonita may not have planned on getting a new dog, but she returned home with Sherman, a small, black Scottish terrier mix who now spends most of his day wrestling with Luke, an English pointer who has the Burch family pet since 2006.

Sherman, wearing a bright red scarf around his neck, spent most of an evening earlier this month playfully nipping at the older dog, and occasionally rolling onto his back to have his belly rubbed by Trystan and Taysha.

The dog is just one of many successful adoptions that occur through the Humane Society Serving Clark County Inc. every year.

Now a little more than a year old, Sherman was initially captured by a child after he continually fled from shelter workers. He spent nearly two weeks at the shelter before Bonita took him home through the agency’s foster program. She officially adopted Sherman a few weeks later.

Bonita said when she first brought the dog home, Sherman had a fear of men, and it took some time before he became more comfortable around her husband, Dave, a Clark County Sheriff’s deputy.

While reluctant at first, Sherman overcame the fear as Dave held him in his lap and fed him treats, she said. It didn’t take long, however, before the dog was a regular member of the family.

“Honestly, I don’t know why anyone would have gotten rid of him. I’m glad they did but...” Bonita said, her voice trailing off.

As the number of abandoned pets increases in the county, shelter workers have to work harder to make sure the dogs that are suited for adoption find a home. Krissi Hawke, shelter coordinator, said how quickly a pet finds a home can depend on a wide variety of factors, ranging from a dog’s size and breed to its health.

After spending more than a month in the shelter, Bonita said she was surprised how quickly Sherman took to her family. Now, Luke, the family’s other dog, whines at night if he’s not sure where Sherman is, she said.

“If I go outside to get the mail, (Sherman) will look out the window and he’ll be so glad when I get back,” she said.

Sherman is also excellent with the family’s children, she said. As she spoke, the children played on the floor with both dogs, trying to get them to play fetch with several small dog toys.

Bonita, who also volunteers occasionally at the shelter to groom some of the dogs, said she had several pets throughout her life, but had never adopted a dog from a Humane agency or shelter.

Now, however, she said she cannot imagine bringing home a new pet in any other way.

“They’re so appreciative and so loving,” Bonita said.

Contact this reporter at (937) 328-0355 or msanctis@coxohio.com.