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Health & Fitness

Local Burn Dog Goes Green For St. Pat's Day Parade

Lucy, local burn victim dog makes her debut at the Stamford St. Patrick's Day parade. Wearing her green, she says thank you!

Saturday was a day Outreach to Pets In Need will never forget.  Lucy made her debut for the City of Stamford, for her friends and many supporters as we pushed her in a pet stroller through downtown Stamford.  OPIN was honored to once again be invited to march in the annual St. Patrick's Day parade.

As we walked with Lucy, I was wondering, "what must she be thinking"?  First she arrives on the parade scene having spent the prior night having a sleepover with 4 dogs, 6 cats, a few birds, a turtle & an iguana.  But she's no stranger to this local "zoo" as call it.  She's met Ali's menagerie once before.  It seems it only takes one moment for Lucy to make a new friend.   

Ali brings her to our meeting place to line up for the parade. Lucy is met by a loving group of OPIN volunteers who hug her and kiss her, most are meeting her for the first time.  She's just how she's described in the Face-book postings, laid back, mellow, sweet and beautiful, a go with the flow kind of dog.  Nothing seems to bother Lucy, not the banging of drums, the bagpipes or the volunteers, strangers or other dogs that want to say hello.  Lucy is just there, enjoying the moment.

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She's dressed in a green tee-shirt that reads "kiss me I'm Irish".  She's sporting a green tiara.  Being dressed doesn't bother Lucy one bit.  She's used to being wrapped and dressed in colorful attire; she'd been every day since the tragic fire that killed her two pups on January 26, 2013, the day she came into OPIN's care.

Fifty percent of Lucy's body had been badly burned.  Not knowing then if she would even survive the first night, it's now March 9th.  But now Lucy is deemed a survivor, a courageous dog who can light up a room with her spirit and her story.

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So what is Lucy thinking when we get ready to start the march?  Ali picks her up and we settle her into the stroller.  We've decorated the sides of it with large shamrocks that read "We Love Lucy".  

She's standing on all fours and I'm trying to coax her to sit down but she doesn't seem to want to budge.  OK then Lucy, here we go, as is.  Ali starts to push the stroller slowly and I'm waiting, is she going to freak out, maybe leap out of the stroller? No way - she just pulls her Lucy-tude.  She sits right down and gets ready to go with the flow!  

As we turn the corner onto Atlantic Street, the beating of the drums by the band that is leading us seems to send a message to our four marching dogs; Kioshi, Fred, Rosalita and Paige.  They know exactly what to do!   As we strut our mutts, their heads are high.  They know their job, as do the wonderful volunteers who are proudly handling them.  Their keen canine senses tell them there is positive energy in the air, they feel it from the crowd and they are full of smiles.   When we start to move, Rosalita pushes forward.  She loves to march.  Paige barks when the band stops.  She wants to get them going again and Fred, well he's just ready to party!  And our Kioshi? He's our perfect marching soldier.  He has mastered obedience and sits up perfectly straight each time we pause, just admiring the crowd and listening to his foster dad.

Lucy's leading in front of our banner, just strolling, and I'm thinking, "is this dog just going to ride the entire length of the parade like that?"  Yes she is! Down Atlantic Street we go and onto Bedford Street.  Along the way Lucy is being pointed out by people, "Lucy, Lucy, there's Lucy."  As we pause along the route, people came forward to pet her and one of our supporters hands us a donation check - "this is for Lucy" she says.  The memo of the check reads "We Love Lucy".

There were so many critical days of healing for Lucy, yet so many kind supporters and Facebook friends and wishes for Lucy's health.  We received notes from all over the world for this beautiful dog, who fought for her life and who tried to save her pups, but couldn't.  And we are so grateful.

We think the parade goers needed to see Lucy, the dog they helped to heal and we certainly needed to say THANK YOU to the community that has supported us along this long journey, not only Lucy's journey, but during the last six years that we have financially supported the Stamford Animal Shelter on Magee Avenue.  

Lucy left the hospital five days before the parade.  She is currently in a foster home being cared for by two of the many fabulous vet techs (twins Kelli & Kerri) who nursed and loved her from day one at VCA VREC in Norwalk, CT.  We hope this will become a permanent home for Lucy.   

Maybe Lucy was thinking yesterday, "hey all of you, my friends - thank you, thank you for saving me.  I love you too".   

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