full fathom five: Three Sisters

August 25, 2005

Three Sisters

Now that our new dog has settled in and proved his mettle, I want to recommend Three Sisters Pet Rescue http://www.petfinder.com/shelters/threesisters.html for the fine job they did in matching us with Cody and transporting him to the Northeast. This is a small group of volunteers in the Cincinnati area whom you can locate through Petfinder.com. Their mission is to save homeless animals from overcrowded and high-kill shelters in the tri-state region of Ohio, Kentucky, and Indiana. Our Cody was in an overcrowded shelter in Indiana, where he lived in a single dog-run with three other dogs. The Three Sisters got him out of there and fostered him out to a private home in their network of dedicated volunteers. Cody's foster-mom housebroke and crate-trained him over several weeks, while the Three Sisters assessed his temperament and took him to the vet for all his shots and neutering.

When they were sure he was a good-tempered, healthy dog, they advertised him on the Petfinder website. I fell in love with his picture and inquired about him. After finding out that he was available and of a trainable age (only ten months old), I was haunted by him. Meanwhile, my rational self and all the dog experts I consulted advised me not to adopt a dog sight-unseen. I heard dire tales of hip displaysia and all kinds of neuroses that the best-hearted dog-owners and animal behaviorists can't save abused shelter-dogs from.

After weeks of research, it came down to a leap of faith. The Three Sisters had a good reputation, and I'd contacted people in the Northeast who had adopted dogs sight-unseen from them. All info. that I got on the organization was thumbs-up. Still, it was a risk to trust their assessment of Cody rather than viewing a dog at the local animal shelter with my own eyes and getting it checked out by our own vet. But I wanted to believe in these people, whose motto on their website is Margaret Mead's inspiring quote: "Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has..."

The head of Three Sisters wrote me that Cody (then "Romeo") had never met a person or animal he didn't love. It turns out to be true. Cody is a happy, healthy dog, who seems grateful to everyone he meets that his shelter days are behind him. And my husband and I will always be grateful to Three Sisters, who truly are changing the overcrowded world of homeless animals.

Aug 25, 2005 6:42:30 AM | family

4 Comments

I have no doubt that Cody was meant to come to you. Sounds like a wonderful organization. Hope Cody is settling in well...he's a lucky dog to have found such a loving home to enjoy his days.

Posted by: Terri | August 27, 2005 at 04:53 AM

I am so greatful that I found your post when I was doing a google-search. I have just started the adoption process for a puppy who I have not yet met. I am so nervous about it just because I'm a first time dog owner, and I want to do everything correctly. I just wanted to say thank you.

Posted by: Joanna | June 02, 2006 at 06:54 AM

I am so glad that I just read these comments. I too have seen a dog that is for adoption from 3 sisters rescue. Because I just read this I am going to go ahead and adopt "Huggy". I am a little nervous to adopt this dog sight unseen, but you have definitely put me more at ease. Thanks!

Posted by: Michelle | January 12, 2008 at 06:30 AM