Hundreds of best friends up for adoption

Adoptive families can do good deed — rescue a needy pet

Your new best friend could be waiting to meet you in a parking lot this weekend.

Don't think so? Just ask Sue Coulter where her best friend came from, and she'll tell you it was last year's spring pet super adoption.

This year's "Paw it Forward" adoption event is planned for this weekend, starting today. With more than 800 dogs, cats, puppies and kittens available, there should be something for everyone.

Coulter of Salt Lake is confined to a wheelchair with serious health issues, but she found her perfect pet — Gizmo, a Shih Tzu dog, who likes to ride on her lap — at last year's event.

"When I moved to my current situation, the agency helping me suggested I get a companion animal," Coulter said. "That was about the time of last spring's pet super adoption. I actually went down with the idea of a Shih Tzu, and then I saw Gizmo. He was skittish, but we bonded right away. The rescue group said that he did not usually go up to people, so I knew he was my dog."

Besides getting a new best friend, Coulter also was doing a good deed — she rescued a pet in need of a new home.

Coulter received another significant, unexpected bonus from her pet, a dog that the previous owner obviously didn't want. Coulter suffers from seizures, and Gizmo can tell when they are coming and warn her in advance.

"He would just begin to nose me," she said. "Eventually, I realized he was warning me, and now he lets me know every time. It's amazing, really. He just innately senses it."

Gizmo stands guard during her seizures and welcomes her back to consciousness with kisses.

The two have now been taking intermediate training classes and are almost certified as a pet assisted therapy team.

Coulter and Gizmo's story is inspirational and heartwarming, but it captures the essence of a storybook ending to what began as just a regular adoption last year.

Sponsored by No More Homeless Pets in Utah and PetSmart, the super adoption is probably Utah's largest single pet adoption event.

Holly Sizemore, spokeswoman for No More Homeless Pets, said they hope to adopt 350 pets this weekend.

Since 2000, No More Homeless Pets in Utah says it has reduced statewide pet euthanasia by 40 percent. However, the group's goal is to totally eliminate it.

---

E-mail: lynn@desnews.com

Recent comments

• Most Popular
• Most Commented

1. Pac-10 will snub BYU, Utah
2. Are Cougars lucky, good or both?
3. MormonTimes.com: BYU professor defends Mormonism
4. Utah Jazz: D-Will's agent confirms talks to be soon
5. Missing man's body recovered from Utah Lake
6. Utah Jazz keep mum on free agent signings
7. Deseret News changes to address
   revenue decline
8. Drowning victim's body found
9. Provoan awaiting fate of his film
10. Grief, prayers — 4 arrests made in slaying of Glendale 7-year-old

1. Pac-10 will snub BYU, Utah 242
2. Are Cougars lucky, good or both? 144
3. Utah has nation's worst voter turnout rate 128
4. Walker resignation ends Utah legislative probe 97
5. McCain safe, wise candidate 84
6. BYU football: Defense reminiscent of '06 82
7. Chaffetz home a hurdle? 78
8. Cyrus provides spark at the Stadium of Fire 74
9. Utah Jazz keep mum on free agent signings 74
10. Deseret News changes to address
    revenue decline 70
11. (Stories published in the last five days with the most comments)

• A & E
• LDS news
• Sports