Dog Has Guardian Angel, Needs Home

     An East Hampton woman has taken it upon herself to find a permanent home for a pit bull lab mix that is stuck in a Bronx kennel.

     After seeing a picture of Angie, a now 11/2-year-old dog, on a social media site last summer, Elizabeth Hren decided to help her before she had met her.

     "When I saw she wasn't eating and was losing weight,” Ms. Hren said, “my heart got the best of me."

     "Back in July, she was dumped at Manhattan Animal Care and Control, where they put down a dozen dogs each day just because of lack of space," Ms. Hren said. An animal lover, Ms. Hren happened upon a thread that named Angie on the shelter's euthanasia list. According to the Examiner.com, studies show that up to one million pit bulls are euthanized annually. Only 1 in 600 will be adopted.

     Angie, who is black and weighs 45 pounds, was on the list for the second time, having been pulled once when some interest was shown in her. This time an organization called Pibbles and More Animal Rescue was trying to find someone to foster her. Ms. Hren rearranged her life, and that of her 10-year-old Rottweiler, to give Angie a fighting chance.

     Her former husband took her dog and Angie moved with Ms. Hren at the end of August. "She was terrified and scared -- she used to be crouching down and had to be hand-fed. She was traumatized," Ms. Hren said.

     Under Ms. Hren's care, Angie blossomed. "She's a sweetheart of a dog. She loves people. She loves kids. She's just high energy and doesn't get along with other dogs." While Angie is dominant, she is not aggressive and has never inflicted harm on another dog, Ms. Hren said.

     In September, a local couple decided to adopt Angie. Because they already had a dog, Angie underwent some training in advance, but the adoption in December proved to be short-lived. Angie is "a little jumpy" and would not leave the adopter's dominant female dachshund alone, Ms. Hren said. She went up for adoption again about a month ago.

     Ms. Hren, who by that time had taken her own dog back, said she could not subject her dog to another change in routine. "She's almost 10. I just can't give her up again. I realized she really missed being home."

     Angie is now in a boarding facility in the Bronx, where a rescue group is paying her bills, but Ms. Hren continues to work on her behalf.

     "She's stressed and she's not eating. I'm just trying so hard to find her a foster or an adopter so she's in a home environment," Ms. Hren said. Angie would be best in a house without another dog. She needs a lot of exercise, or someone who is willing to take her on long walks, Ms. Hren said. She is house trained, spayed, and up to date on all her shots. Ms. Hren can be reached at 478-1233.

     "I believe every dog deserves a chance," she said.