In Vineland, NJ Mike Snyder is dealing with his wife’s illness. Taking care of her and their two dogswas becoming an overwhelming task,the couplemade a very hard decision to give the dogs up.
City residents Mike and Miriam Snyder brought Gabby and Marty — brother-and-sister Shih Tzus her brother gave the family as pups two years ago — to a shelter Aug. 1. It was a decision they hated to make then and regret more now.
Early last week the family’s situation changed when one of their sons quit his job in New York to move home and help care for his mother. Now that Mike Snyder was going to have some help he would be able to take care of the dogs again. The couple immediately went back to the SPCA to retrieve Gabby and Marty.
One dog, Marty, was gone. He had been assigned a new owner a day after being dropped off.
The family says they were told they had seven days before that would happen under SPCA rules. But the organization only holds stray dogs for seven days.
Gabby still was at the shelter, though, and the Snyder’s filled out adoption papers to reclaim her. Mike Snyder said he was told to come back Friday after the dog had been spayed. When he did return, he was told the animal had already been adopted out.
The Snyder’s were devastated that Gabbyhadalready been adopted.The shelter’s Executive Director, Bev Greco, stated “An adoption application was received Aug. 5, a day before the Snyder’s came to ask for their dog. The rule is “first come, first serve” when there are two application.”
Executive Director Bev Greco went on to say that the shelter tried to call the family about the situation, but a phone number they left was not working.
Mike Snyder says he was not told about the competing application. He also says both phones the family uses are working.
Greco said she would not contact the people who adopted Marty and Gabby. “They’ve both got very good homes,” she said.
However, on Wednesday,the family got a lead on the possible placement of Gabby. A phone call was generated from an ad the Snyder’s had placed in a local newspaper.
Mike Snyder stated “A caller identified herself as having driven a woman who adopted Gabby to the SPCA. She promised to contact the woman about giving back the dog.”
So far the Snyder’s have received no word back.
