For anyone who’s going through a tough time, pets can be a much-needed source of stability and affection. That’s what Shayna, a loving white lab, has been for a disabled Vietnam veteran named Jon. After Shayna was abandoned by her previous owners, Jon stepped in and adopted Shayna. “In 30 seconds I had a new best friend,” he said about meeting Shayna. “I knew I was not leaving without her.” A year later, Jon and Shayna are established companions. According to Jon, “I did not rescue her; Shayna rescued me.” The Labrador Retriever Rescue of Florida (LRROF) is behind this fortuitous meeting and many other heartwarming stories like it. For 18 years, this organization has been rescuing, caring for, and placing Labrador retrievers in loving homes with Floridians who are overjoyed to have pups. Finding the perfect home for each lab is a priority of the rescue; they share information about each dog and do home visits to make sure a human and lab partnership is destined for success from the very beginning. The adoption process includes an application, a home visit, and a chance to meet adoptable dogs, all of which takes about two weeks to ensure each dog is matched with its forever family. As the organization says on their website, “LRROF is committed to making a lifelong match for all our adopted Labradors.” The nonprofit gets most of its help from volunteers and veterinarian partners who are dedicated to helping place pets in homes. The rescue says the volunteers are at the heart of their organization, as they can only save as many dogs as they have space for. With the compassion of volunteers and the families who have adopted pets through LRROF, fewer dogs become abandoned and mistreated, and both humans and pets can both find a loyal companion. If you’re looking to donate time or resources to an organization, consider a local animal shelter or rescues like Surface Creek Animal Shelter here in Cedaredge. You can volunteer to foster a pet who needs a home, and in the process, you may even find your new best friend. A NEW BEST FRIEND The Power of Adoption The Best Companion
PRIVATE WOJTEK, HEROIC BROWN BEAR OF WWII Many brave soldiers answered the call to bear arms during WWII, but one Polish artillery supply company took things a step further and armed a bear. That’s right — among the countless animal heroes of WWII was a full-grown brown bear from the mountains of Northern Iran named Wojtek. Wojtek first joined the Polish soldiers as a cub. A young Iranian boy found him after a hunter most likely shot his mother. Then, when a group of Polish prisoners of war, recently released from Soviet gulags to join the Allied forces, passed through the town where the boy and the bear cub lived, they traded some of their rations for the cub and took him with them. The soldiers loved the cub and named him Wojtek, which means “happy warrior” in Polish. They nursed him with condensed milk from a vodka bottle and fed him some of their limited rations. Over time, the bear grew to be 6 feet tall and over 400 pounds, but because he had grown up around humans, he was a gentle giant. He learned several mannerisms from his human friends and even took a liking to beer and cigarettes. For the many soldiers who had lost or were separated from their families, Wojtek was a welcome boost to morale. When the soldiers reached the coast of Egypt, where they were to embark by boat to Italy, British soldiers wouldn’t let Wojtek on board because he wasn’t a soldier. So naturally, the Polish soldiers gave Wojtek a service number, and he officially became a private in their company, complete with a rank and a paybook. Private Wojtek’s moment of fame came when his company fought in the Battle of Monte Cassino. The bear saw his human counterparts carrying crates of artillery shells, and he began mirroring their actions. Throughout the entire battle, he calmly carried crates of ammo, which would have required four men to lift, to his comrades. In honor of Wojtek’s service during the battle, the company changed its emblem to an image of a bear carrying an artillery shell, and Wojtek was promoted to the rank of corporal. After the war, Wojtek was moved to a zoo in Edinburgh, Scotland, where he lived until he was 21 years old. There is now a bronze statue of Wojtek in Edinburgh’s West Princes Street Gardens, ensuring that this brave bear will not be forgotten.
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