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After spending 1,173 days in Yonkers Animal Shelter, and approximately 270 days in foster care, Cola “Joseph Schmola” finally found us: his fur-ever family, on December 7th, 2019.

Town & Country K9 ResQ warned me that news of his adoption may actually break the internet and that Cola was known all over the world! The wonderful volunteers at Yonkers and the teams at Town & Country and Allied Dog Training had spread Cola’s story far and wide but despite their best efforts (and Cola’s amazing personality,) he was overlooked time and time again. His fans however, adored him and sent him cards and gifts-he was the Justin Bieber of dog rescue!

PHOTO: JANA MERMAN

Here in Pennsylvania however, we had no idea that this amazing pibble needed a home until one morning I logged onto Facebook after a several month hiatus. You see, I was still recovering from a broken heart and had no interest in social media. We had lost all three of our senior citizen pups within 8 months of each other and I had fallen into a significant depression. My heart literally hurt and as much as I needed to hear the clippity clap of dog toes on my floors, I just couldn’t bring myself to open up my heart for another.

While scrolling on Facebook through that morning’s tears, I saw a disheartening plea from the rescue. They just couldn’t understand why, HOW, such an amazing (and fully-trained) dog like Cola didn’t have one single application in almost FOUR years. I couldn’t understand it, either. He was a gem with his exquisite coloring of gold and brown brindle fur, and what’s this? “He’s a gentleman on a leash,” too?? I had to find out more.

Long story short, I drove three hours to visit him in New York, and fell in love with him from the moment we met. My family and I went back a few weeks later to officially adopt him, and we haven’t looked back since. He makes us laugh out loud pretty much every day with his silliness, (his eyebrows say it all) and he inspires us to get moving outside to play ball on a daily basis.

PHOTO: JANA MERMAN

I’ll never forget that Facebook post that the rescue made that day. It inspired me to get out of this terrible funk I found myself in and to go out and adopt my new best buddy. I’m not sure if I would have responded if Jen wasn’t so sincere on that post and that’s what makes Town & Country K9 ResQ so special. I’ll be forever grateful to them for never giving up on OUR boy. They are a one of a kind rescue!

Story submitted by Jana Merman.