A Love Like No Other

3/2/08

Dear Arleen and Staff:

When my handicapped son Nick had to have another surgery, it took all the strength we had to convince him to go through it. When he was six, he was diagnosed with cancer, and it has been a battle for the last 10 years with chemo and surgery. Thankfully, he is in remission now.

When Nick needed another surgery for some dental work, he was beside himself. He did not want to go under anesthesia again. He did want a dog for the longest time, but I felt we just didn't have time to take care of one. Under tremendous pressure, I told him that if he let the doctors put him to sleep, I would get him a dog.

Well, it worked, and we began our search for our dog.

After many attempts at other places, we ended up at Little Shelter and met with a few candidates (LOL). No luck. One day, we received a call from Arleen. A dog from Georgia came in the night before, and Arleen believed the dog would be a perfect match for our family. Arleen seemed so sure, so I asked what the dog looked like.

Arleen said, “Come see for yourself.”

I have to admit that I truly did not want a dog. I love dogs but
just felt it was to much to handle at this time. So, with hesitation, I picked up Nick from school, and we drove to the shelter.

As Arleen went to get her, I peeked into the window of the door to the kennel. That was it; it was love at first sight. I knew she was coming home with us! Her name was Laci from Georgia; she was just over a year old and part Pointer, part Pit Bull.

When Arleen brought her to meet us, Laci immediately jumped up on
my son Nick and started licking him like a long lost friend. Since that day, Laci has become such a very important part of our family. She loves camping and goes on every trip possible. In fact, when we can't take her, it breaks our hearts to go away and leave her. All we think about is getting home to her.

Thank you, Arleen and Little Shelter, for making this very special addition to our family.

Sincerely,

The Mangione Family

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