66542683
Parting with her beloved Labrador retriever Hannah on Independence Day devastated Debra Mazda for months yet could not dull her belief that animals, however brief their time as pets or therapy companions, offer myriad benefits.
Recovered and routinely lavishing her new Labrador Chanel with love, ShapelyGirl Fitness’ president and chief operating officer will promote her dual obsessions with wellness and furry friends 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday at Guerin Recreation Center, 2201 S. 16th St. Her Dog FUNdraiser Extravaganza will assist Marlton, N.J.’s Puppies and More Rescue Adoption, a five-year-old organization that saves puppies and their dams from certain death as shelter dwellers.
Mazda, of the 2600 block of South 12th Street, obtained Chanel through Carol Hard, the rescue’s president, in October. In addition to providing her owner with a partner for walks and runs, the playful pooch is preparing for the rewarding role of a certified therapy assistant. While the year-old canine has found an affectionate master, she finds herself among few similarly fortunate dogs. Five out of 10 dogs in shelters are put down simply because there is no one to adopt them, according to The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, so Mazda decided to help Hard by forming an event to celebrate the fostering and adoption processes.
“Carol had spoken about holding a fundraiser, and I said ‘Let’s stop talking and just do something,’” Mazda said Sunday before taking Chanel, one of 350 dogs that Hard placed last year, for her cherished trek through Franklin D. Roosevelt Park, Broad Street and Pattison Avenue.
Hard, Mazda and Guerin leader Debbie Darroyo decided in late January to discuss the advantages to shunning breeders and pet stores and selecting rescues as one’s source for securing a destiny of doggie kisses. As her classes have improved physiques at Guerin since September, Mazda saw the Newbold facility as an ideal location to advocate for the health and prosperity of two- and four-legged specimens.
“I had a hard time without Hannah,” she said of the holiday passing of her pal, who provided therapy to numerous patients, including many in Hospice care. “She had a great life, which, sadly, many dogs never will.”
Hard is working hard to see that deaths occur after lengthy, loving lives and not following abbreviated, wretched existences. The New Jersey inhabitant deals with rural shelters in Ohio and Kentucky, locations that receive an immense supply of dogs that its employees can rarely fully accommodate.
“Every dog and puppy we take had been on death row,” Hard said.
A new set of puppies and their mothers for the crusader to aid arrives every other Saturday. Southern New Jersey usually yields the majority of families that decide to foster, yet many Philadelphians mimic Mazda and open their homes to a once-distraught puppy or even multiple young ones.
“I knew Chanel would be another great friend,” Mazda said as her ally let her tongue show her appreciation for their union.
Because of her demeanor and Mazda’s desire to recuperate after saying farewell to Hannah, Chanel found a permanent abode quite quickly. Though the pooch and her savior’s tale is free of frustration, other stories feature bewilderment.
“Fostering is not black and white,” Hard said. “There are no definite rules, but there is a commitment component.”
She revealed many people come to her after having experienced dilemmas in dealings with breeders. She asks fosterers to make a 10- to 14-day obligation that will influence their feelings on adoption. Another one- to two-week period furthers preparation and intensifies the pairing process. She and other volunteers offer medical attention, which includes immunizing, spaying and neutering. Reviews of applications, inspections of references and home visits aid their decisions on which dogs will join which households. Hard plans to explain the intricacies Saturday and will have pictures to show of the dogs that she will welcome next week.
“I’m hoping to educate everyone on the perils and the pleasures involved in pet ownership,” she said. “We have to be excited to help all involved to learn.”
While Hard will be busying herself with enhancing socialization knowledge, Mazda will spend the three-hour festivity increasing heart rates by giving disco dancing lessons. The fitness advocate, who soon will have a book of her workouts and nutritional philosophies released, will join other instructors in reminding participants that top-notch health assists one’s enjoyment of bonding with a pet.
“That’s the ultimate message I want to convey,” Mazda, who transformed herself from a hefty disciple of inactivity and poor eating into a paragon of motion and proper nutrition, said. “Animals play a huge role in our efforts to stay fit and healthy.”
The human-animal bond “is a mutually beneficial and dynamic relationship between people and animals that is influenced by behaviors that are essential to the health and well-being of both,” according to an American Veterinary Medical Association April 2010 study. The bond’s aspects include but are not limited to “emotional, psychological and physical interactions of people, animals and the environment.”
While reflecting on the depth of the species’ connection, the attendees, who are encouraged to offer a $25 donation to assist Puppies and More’s efforts, will be able to groove to disc jockey Howie T. Horner’s diverse selections and enjoy a variety of foods courtesy of Darroyo’s outreach. Prizes, including gift certificates, a massage and Protein Bakery and Pet Hotel baskets, will further the fun.
Mazda and Hard encourage participants to bring blankets and unopened pet supplies. Though no adoptions will transpire during the three-hour mission to better bodies and inspire hearts, the ladies believe the camaraderie among the animal lovers will lead to many walks with, and belly rubs for, forever friends.
“So many dogs lose their lives before they’ve really begun,” Hard, who stressed the frequent need for interested parties to foster more than one dog, said. “We place all our dogs and do so with much joy.”
The owner of one such panting pal, Mazda anticipates the gathering.
“It will be a blast,” she said. “The wholehearted nature of the day will make it so.”
For more information, call 215-685-1894 or e-mail chardtennis@aol.com.
Contact Staff Writer Joseph Myers at jmyers@southphillyreview.com or ext. 124.
66542673
66542693
