The Ruff Report: Coco was homeless and now he is happy and full of love

CLEVELAND - Every now and then I get an e-mail from a pet owner that is so touching, I dare not try to condense it because it would lose its impact on the reader. Monica Falzone's story of how she adopted this wonderful dog named Coco warmed my heart. I want to share with you what she wrote to me:

"Danita,

Coco has gone from rags to riches!
He was found outside by the County Kennels and turned into the APL in Tremont
this past June. He and his whole litter (of 4) were found outside, snuggled up next to their mom. However, their mom
was not alive. Because the County Kennels were full, these four, orphaned pups got placed at the APL in Tremont.

I am a foster parent at the APL in Tremont. I was at the APL to pick up a different litter when Coco and his litter mates were dropped off.
As fate would have it, I ended up taking Coco and his 3 sisters. They were only 5 weeks old and too young to be at the APL.
I couldn't pass them up. Coco reminded me of every little teddy bear I had ever owned as a kid.
So I began the long but yet rewarding journey of fostering Coco and the rest of the litter, with plans to give them back once they were old enough to be put up for adoption. I had no plans to adopt.
I had always liked my dog-less, kid-free home. However, when it was time to give the pups back to the APL and put them up for adoption...I couldn't part w/ Coco. His laid back style and cute little face had worked it's way into my heart. Thankfully, all of his sisters were adopted quickly also!

Coco is quite the socialite of Bratenahl. He frequents the dog park here and has lots of friends. He plays at Metrobark (doggy daycare) a few times a week and loves meeting new dogs.He can play for hours on end. Coco is in training to be a Therapy dog. He has completed the beginner and intermediate levels of training at Petsmart. I look forward to the day he can be certified as a Therapy dog and make many more people as happy as he has made me. Coco had DNA testing done and he is mainly an Akita mixed with Chow-Chow. He is 8 months old. And will celebrate his 1 year birthday on May 4th of this year.

I hope you enjoyed Coco's story."

Thanks for sharing Monica.