Rescued Pet Idol: And the winner is…

1^st Place
After a staggering 14,066 votes, we crown Annie as Atlanta INtown’s first Rescued Pet Idol winner. An Australia Shepherd and Welsh Corgi mix, 7-year-old Annie is owned by Kamden Robb of Atlanta. Here’s her rescue story in Robb’s words.

My wife and I had been searching for a dog to adopt for several months. One day, I happened upon a picture of Annie on the Atlanta Pet Rescue web site. In the picture, she literally was smiling at the camera! As soon as I saw her, I knew that she was the dog for us. I quickly called my wife at her office, and told her to look at the rescue organization’s web site. I didn’t tell her which dog it was, but she knew as soon as she saw her, too. Instead of waiting for the adoption day, which was regularly scheduled for Saturday mornings, we called Atlanta Pet Rescue and set up a time to come pick her up that same day. We agreed to take her on as a “foster dog” for the rest of the week, and then bring her back for adoption on Saturday. When we got there on Saturday, all we had to do was fill out the paperwork and pay the standard fees. Annie has been the center of our lives for the past five years. She is the perfect city dog – high energy, compact size with a fun and engaging disposition. What makes Annie so interesting is the fact that she has two different colored eyes (one blue, one brown), her short little legs and “pom pom” tail (which is nearly non-existent)! Everyone thinks that she is some kind of designer breed. She enjoys sitting on our balcony and watching all the sights of Midtown Atlanta.

2^nd Place
Rufus, 6, is owned by Shannon and Tony Sullivan of Decatur’s Oakhurst neighborhood. Here’s his story from Shannon Sullivan.

Rufus’s breed is the subject of much debate. We call him an “Oakhurst Stray,” but others argue Australian cattle dog, chow or shepherd, even wolf! He definitely has a dash of terrier, as he loves to dig. We saw Rufus in our neighbor’s backyard early one morning in 2003 and assumed they had gotten a new dog. We even commented on his scruffy cuteness. The next morning, he was in our backyard… and obviously very hungry. We fed him cat food (all we had) and he never left. We tried to find a nice home for Rufus. A couple of friends came by to look at him, but were uncertain. We decided that these people clearly did not appreciate his uniqueness and were not worthy. We could not let him go. We had no fence in our backyard a the time, so put up some of that obnoxious, temporary orange construction fencing to keep him in. Each day, when we arrived home, he would be there waiting, wagging his tail. Eventually, we put up a real fence, but weeks later our neighbors told us that Rufus would roam around the neighborhood visiting everyone during the day and then slide back under the fence at about 4:45 each afternoon. Also, we are fairly certain he can fly. Rufus is the subject of a long-time, work-in-progress, children’s book called Rufus the Magical Dog.

3^rd Place
Suedee, 5, is of indeterminate breed, but found a loving home with her owner, Richard Funderburke, in Decatur. Funderburke and his partner had recently lost two beloved pets, and weren’t sure they were ready, but then Hurricane Katrina struck the Gulf Coast creating a diaspora of lost animals. Here’s Suedee’s story from Funderburke.

My partner Jim and I were both very aware of the desperate state of many animals from the endlessly horrific TV coverage after the hurricanes in the Gulf States. As on many other occasions, it was our friend Sue who came to the rescue. Sue and I spent several days wandering the Atlanta Humane Society kennels with far too many choices on view. Almost from first sight, she knew that a dog named “Conga” by the shelter staff was the one. A medium size female with a docked tail and black and tan markings, “Conga” did not bark and was sweetly, if a little strangely, quiet. She didn’t jump at the metal mesh door of her pen when people approached, nor did she act wildly excitable in any fashion. Sue pushed me to take her out for a test walk and, lo and behold, “Conga” was perfect – an amazing combination of doggy grace and manners. I was sold and quickly did all the paperwork necessary to get her home while Sue took care of all the costs as a Christmas present. I also renamed her Suedee in honor of her “finder.” That was two years ago. Suedee now rules her new home with the same calm, regal manner that first attracted both Sue and me.

Many thanks to the voters and our sponsors, including Piedmont Bark Day Care, Briarcliff Animal Clinic, Signature Baskets and Highland Pet Supply. Thanks also to those companies that provided prizes: CityDog Market and Atlanta Vintage Books.