Inseparable: The story of Wally and Boo
Wally and Boo — a Chihuahua and a pit bull — were dropped off at an animal shelter in southern California (not the no-kill kind) by their owner, who was moving and could no longer care for them.
It didn’t take long for the Rancho Cucamonga shelter, in San Bernadino County, to see the strong connection between the two.
During their stay at the shelter, Boo, the 4-year-old pit bull, and Wally, the 6-year-old Chihuahua, protected and comforted each other in the same kennel.
When separated, both would become depressed.
The shelter did its best — including making the video above — to try and adopt them out as a pair, but found no takers.
At one adoption fair, the pair was spotted by members of the The Fuzzy Pet Foundation, a Los Angeles area rescue group.
“We were so touched by their bond, but we also knew it would not be easy to place into a forever home a pit bull and a Chihuahua together,” said Sheila Choi, Fuzzy Pet’s CEO and founder.
“We asked the animal shelter to give us a little time to network, and begged them not to put to sleep Boo and Wally,” Choi said.
Joe Pulcinella, Rancho Cucamonga director of animal care and services, said Wally and Boo were never scheduled to be euthanized — and that the shelter spent five months trying to adopt them out together “because they were so bonded.”
Rancho Cucamonga has increased its adoption rate to about 90 percent, but still, as Choi saw it, the pair getting put down was a possibility.
“For many days and weeks, we made more than a thousand phone calls, sent out a slew of e-mails to our network of friends, family members, donors, and general supporters, hoping to find Boo and Wally a loving, permanent home. It was not an easy feat. No one had come forward to adopt this pair of lovers,” Choi told ohmidog!
That’s when Choi remembered a conversation she had with a classmate at Harvard’s Kennedy School, where she’s enrolled in a two-year master’s program.
“This classmate, Jack Jaskaran, also a New York City police captain, and I always talked about our love for pit bulls. Jack had owned pit bulls all his life, and had talked to me about adopting another one or two dogs after he graduated from the program last year.”
Fuzzy Pet shared Boo and Wally’s story with Jaskaran’s family, as well as a video the Rancho Cucamonga shelter had made and posted on YouTube. They agreed to adopt the pair.
“We bailed out both Boo and Wally on August 3, 2011. We have sheltered them at a cage-free boarding facility ever since, and today, they will be flying in cabin (NOT cargo) via a pet aircraft for NYC,” Choi said yesterday.
The Jaskarans were eagerly awaiting their arrival. “My little girl looks at the dogs’ video clip daily … She keeps telling me about Wally’s smile. We are very excited about them,” said Jaskaran.
The pair arrived, together, in New York today.
“The Fuzzy Pet Foundation believes in giving every pet a second chance,” said Choi. “Pit Bulls, especially, have a bad reputation and we want to share with everyone that they are a loyal and loving dog breed. Boo and Wally were considered by the animal shelter difficult to re-home as a pair, but we truly performed a miracle.”
(See the comments on this post for the remarks of Wally and Boo’s original owners.)
Posted by jwoestendiek September 14th, 2011 under Muttsblog, videos.
Tags: adopt, adoption, animals, boo, california, chihuahua, couple, dogs, fuzzy pet foundation, inseparable, jack jaskaran, new york city, pets, pit bull, police department, rescue, sheila choi, shelter, wally
Comments
Comment from anon
Time September 14, 2011 at 9:23 am
GORGEOUS PITBULL!! GORGEOUS PERSONALITY! What an immense tragedy it is to put animals to death because of overpopulation and the difficulty of adoptability.
Comment from Foley N. Pocket (@FoleyMons)
Time September 14, 2011 at 9:51 am
I love this story. So touching.
Comment from Starla
Time September 14, 2011 at 10:03 am
Grrrrreat Story! Congrats to Wally & Boo! Woot Woot!
Comment from Anne’n'Spencer
Time September 14, 2011 at 10:27 am
I hope these two get a little “happily ever after” with their new humans, who sound like terrific people.
Comment from debbi
Time September 14, 2011 at 11:21 am
This story has a very personal meaning in my heart because we too adopted a pit ( mix) named Hunter from a Shelter back in 2006. Hunter didn’t have a viscous bone in his body. He even liked cats! Hunter was the love of our lives ( Hunter was maliciously shot and killed in the woods on our property in Oct of of 09, we suspect a neighbor) We think about and miss him everyday.
Comment from smoketoomuch
Time September 14, 2011 at 11:47 am
Why do I fell as though I’ve seen or heard about these two (in another context) before?
Comment from M Kennedy
Time September 14, 2011 at 10:31 pm
We have a similar story here of an 11 year old pit bull, Chica, and her 15 year old chihuahua buddy, Chiquita – they were dropped off at the shelter to be euthanized but we had gotten to know them some weeks earlier when they stayed at the shelter during their owner’s evacuation due to a large fire near her home. We couldn’t just kill the pair. They are lucky to have a foster for the moment – after that… it’s so difficult to place a pair, much less if one’s a pit bull, and even more difficult when they are elderly. This story gives me hope that a home will be found!! Thanks for sharing it!
Comment from Jessica Simpson-Lucas
Time September 15, 2011 at 11:50 am
oh my god, i have a chihuaha and a pitbull, they are also inseperable!!! The male is the chihuaha Shake and the female is the pitbull Chanel, i have the cutest picture of them sleeping together on the sofa with their heads right against one another, this story really touched me!!! I thank god those two were adopted!!! It’s a very uplifting story!!! Jess
Comment from KAY
Time September 15, 2011 at 12:00 pm
GOD WATCHES OVER ALL THAT HE HAS MADE AND SAVED THESE 2 DOGS. I LOVE DOG STORIES. I HAVE A 12 YR OLD PIT AND HE REMINDS ME OF THE PIT IN THIS STORY. SAME COLOR BUT WITH SOME WHITE GOING DOWN HIS NOSE. HE HAS TURNED SO GRAY THIS YEAR. I KNOW HE ONLY HAS A COUPLE OF YEARS LEFT. I GIVE HIM AS MUCH LOVE AS TIME WILL ALLOW. I THANK GOD FOR GIVING HIM TO ME.
Comment from debbie
Time September 15, 2011 at 12:30 pm
Just wanted to add that this story ( at least for me) has a very magical quality to it as well because of all of the synchronicity elements( the fact that Boo and Wally would not eat their food, the sudden remembrance by Choi of Jack and the fact that Jack had mentioned that he would like to adopt a Pit one day..
I think that when the magical elements come into play ( fueled by love and meant to be) makes for a wonderful ‘happy ever after’..
Comment from brenda Lee
Time September 15, 2011 at 1:21 pm
Awesome story! It is so good to hear we still have people in this world that care enough about other things and want to help. We as well have adopted two puppies now grown they are brothers. Their mother was found on the streets in N.C. taken to a kill pound within 24 hrs if not rescued .. S.P.C.A. found out took her to a foster home where she had her puppies that night….So we read about her story and adopted two puppies brothers.. With the mother being a pit they thought it was going to be hard to find all the puppies a home plus the mom….but they did! Love my dogs!!!!
Comment from LoveYourDNA
Time September 15, 2011 at 2:09 pm
Animal Blessings to Jack and his wonderful family! And on a side note; Thank you for helping to protect NYC too!!
Comment from Margaret
Time September 16, 2011 at 11:01 pm
I am the owner of these two beautiful dogs. I miss them dearly but am glad they are together and well. Thank you for working your miracle. I can be at peace knowing that they have a good home. Thank you.
Comment from Michael
Time September 16, 2011 at 11:23 pm
Hi my name is Michael. I am Margarets son. They are both one of a kind. I love them both and thankyou for adopting them. I brought her home when she was six months old. From day one it was nothing but pure happyness for the four yrs. that we owned them. First thing mom said was NO. But after she got to know boo, she didnt want to give her up. But times changed and we lost our house. We had no other choice but to give them up. So I thankyou again and will allways cherish them as my mother has.
Comment from Sue
Time September 14, 2011 at 7:46 am
What a story! Thanks for some good news.