Our friend Petey, a pit-bull mix, was turned in to us one year ago. She had given birth to many litters as evidenced by her hanging nipples. She suffered from allergies that irritated her skin- about 1/3 of her body had no hair, only pink, sore skin. She was the front desk mascot and each morning was let out of her crate, quickly jumping into a chair to supervise everyone's activities (see pic to the left!). Although one of the sweetest dogs in the shelter, Petey was always overlooked because of her skin condition and her breed. Finally her prince charming came along and glass slipper fit easily onto Petey's paw. She was whisked off to live a life of splendor in a castle filled with love. Petey is now chauffered around in a Rolls Royce, sitting in the passenger seat! She has a summer home in Canada, and a winter home in Boca Raton. Petey lives a life of splendor, and is enjoying every minute of it.

Petey has been keeping us up to date with her adventures and we will be updating this page whenever we hear from Petey!

The animals of the Monmouth County SPCA would personally like to thank Petey's Dad (aka Petey's Man Servant) for his generous donations. They also want Petey to know that they love listening to her adventures while waiting for their own Prince Charming to come along.

ON NOVEMBER 18, PETEY WAS VISITING HER SUMMER HOME IN FLORIDA AND BECAME LOST! FOR ALMOST A MONTH, THERE WAS NO SIGN OF OUR BELOVED GIRL. THEN, A MIRACLE HAPPENED AND PETEY WAS FOUND IN A FLORIDA SHELTER, JUST HOURS AWAY FROM EUTHANASIA! BELOW IS A LETTER FROM PETEY AFTER HER ORDEAL. TO READ THE ENTIRE STORY, CLICK HERE.


July 15, 2003

Petey once again came to visit everyone at the shelter, this time to come tell us all about her photo shoot for our first ever MCSPCA Alumni calendar, called "New Beginnings". Petey of course was gorgeous and quite the ham. Her pix came out beautiful. It is so perfect that Petey is in our 1st edition of this calendar, since she truly is one of our greatest success stories. Seeing Petey again was great this time since she has finally gained all the weight back that she lost during her terrible time in December 2002 when she jumped out of her "Man Servant's" car in Florida (scroll down to read all about it). She looks great, back to her pleasingly-plumb self!

UPDATE: You can order your calendar now! Read all about it HERE

May 7, 2003

Everyone at the MCSPCA was thrilled when Petey came to visit recently! PIctured to the left is Petey with her dad (otherwise known as Man Servant), cousin, and MCSPCA staff members taken when she came back from her winter in Florida and stopped by to say hello. It was especially good to see Petey's adorable face after her ordeal while lost this past November. It is so hard to believe that this sweet dog was almost put to sleep just because she is a Pit Bull (read the entire story here). It was good to see Petey has fully recovered and is back to her usual, loving self!

Now that Petey and her family will stay full-time in Florida, we expect to get lots of visits!



March 5, 2003

Dear Everybody,

It's been quite a while since I've written, however, my Man Servant has been very occupied with caring for my mistress who has been very ill in the hospital. She has returned home now and we have people to care for her so my Servant has more time to devote to my needs, one of which is keeping in touch with you! By the way, my Man Servant asked me to thank you VERY MUCH for the nice get well card you sent to Mrs. Sachs. What was especially nice were all the personal messages included on the card, and it was hand-delivered by Ellen, a staff member there who happened to be visiting Florida and dropped by! We had a wonderful visit and I am sure there are not too many pooches visited in Florida from friends in NJ!

At the moment I'm recuperating from minor surgery to remove a fatty tumor. My Man Servant is pretty panicky waiting for the biopsy report, but I don't think there is anything to worry about. My Servant is probably worried about losing his job if anything were to happen to me, and you know how difficult it is to find a good job!

We are preparing to move back to NJ. Due to my mistresses illness, my Man Servant is selling our house in Boca Raton. So, he is building me a HUGE house in Wall, and has even included 'doggie doors'! Best of all, this new house is actually two- one side for us and the other larger house will be for my Servant's daughter, son-in-law and two grandsons. It will be so nice having family around all the time! I can't wait!

My Servant is having special Anti-Allergy medication made up for me which is specially formulated to work for my specific allergies. Keep your fingers crossed that it works, because it would be great to have fur on my back legs again! If it works, I am going to have my Man Servant inquire about taking this medication himself in hopes of growing some hair on his head!

I think I have brought you up to date on the "Adventures of Petey", so I'll close by sending you my love and I can't wait to get back to NJ to see you all.

Love and Licks,
Petey


January 28, 2002

Dear Everybody,

Here are some pix of me in my summer home, safe and sound. I have my own lounge chair, great new toys, and a pair of sunglasses! Gotta cut down on that Florida sun ya know, and gotta look sooooooo cool while doing it! I am almost fully recovered, but still need much rest, so the last picture is of me sleeping away on my lounge chair.

Everyone take care, make sure your fur babies have pet ID tags, and I'll talk to you soon!




Love and Licks,

Petey



January 7, 2002

Dear Everybody:

Happy New Year! Did you know in some countries it's the year of the Pit Bull Terrier? Only joking. First of all and before I forget, I want to thank each and every one of you for the two beautiful cards, the one welcoming me home and the Christmas card. I was deeply touched by your love and concern.

I can't put into words how happy I am to be back home and with my Man Servant once again. The long weeks I wandered around Florida searching for my Man Servant were the worst of my life. I was always hungry and garbage is not exactly what I am used to eating, but, as they say, "any port in a storm". People were so mean to me, throwing stones, yelling and chasing me. Boy, an I glad to be back home with my Man Servant who spoils me and loves me!

I lost a great deal of weight while I was lost but my Man Servant has been feeding me lots of delicious food and when he eats I sit along side of him and bang his leg with my nose and hit him with my paw and whine and squeak until he gives in and gives me some of what he is eating. It's gotten so that he buys himself a bagel and cream cheese every morning and now he has added a second bagel with cream cheese just for me! :)

I was in the animal hospital for over a week getting examined an treated. I had a problem with my skin that was causing fur to fall out and I had many sores on me. I also had worms but, thanks to good medical care all of these problems seem to have been solved. Even my fur is starting to grow back.

My Man Servant's family was down in Boca Raton for the Christmas/New Year's holiday and I got so much attention that I was worn out! His grandchildren love me so much, they prayed for me every night that I was lost. One in particular, Danny, spent a great deal of time sitting with me and just petting me constantly. I'm not really that into petting but I haven't got the heart to hurt the little guy's feelings so I let him pet away.

I hope you are all well in New Jersey and I will come to see you as soon as we return from my winter home. In the meantime, I'll arrange to have my Man Servant take some new photos of me which I'll send as soon as they are ready.

Loads of Love and Licks,
Petey

P.S. the best part of being home is snuggling under the blankets with my Man Servant at night!


December 26, 2002: Petey is home at last

My VERY Dear Friends,

First I must thank each and every one of you for the wonderful written messages on both the "Welcome Back" card and the Christmas card you sent me. You have no idea how much this has meant to me.

I am back with my Man Servant at last and am lying right at his side while I dictate this letter to you. Thank god he remembers how to type since it's been so long. I won't go into my adventures during my long absence from home but, suffice to say, I wouldn't want to relive them. I had no idea how easy it is to get lost and how difficult it is to find one's home after they have gotten lost. Thank god for that nice rescue lady Mrs. Childs who rescued me just hours from the time I was scheduled to be euthanized.

Needless to say my Man Servant is in seventh heaven since my return. I really don't think he had anything to do or anyone to take care of in my absence, so I'm keeping him hopping for a few days until he gets back on MY routine. I must admit that I can't get close enough to him. Where he goes, I go. Where he sits, I sit and where he lies down, I lie down! One thing I discovered in my days of being lost is that MAN SERVANTS are a very good thing to have!

Tomorrow my Man Servant's grandchildren are coming for a Christmas/New Years visit so I will be quite busy entertaining them. I must admit it is so good lying on my lounge chair on the patio in the sun chewing on my huge dog bone!

My Man Servant and I want to say a big thank you , once again, to the nice lady who rescued me- Carol Childs. She is a wonderful lady, she has so many rescued dogs but somehow always seems to find room for one more pooch that needs her help.

I'm getting a bit tired now (still haven't gotten my full strength back) so I am going to cut this letter a bit short. I'll write again after the Holidays. Thanks again for your concern, prayers and wonderful notes.

Love and licks,
Petey

Petey's harrowing story reminds us of how hard it is to find a lost pet, but also that hope should never be given up! Read some tips on how to find a lost pet, click HERE.


November 1, 2002: Petey is in Sunny Florida!

Dear Everyone,

Boy, talk about long car trips, I was just on what I am sure is one of the longest on record. We left New Jersey on Friday Oct. 26 and didn't arrive at our destination until Monday Oct. 29.

Our first stop was Nokesville, Virginia where my oldest sister lives. What a place they have! Twenty-five acres with a nice French Provincial house containing three dogs. They have this huge stable with giant dogs (they call them horses) and I was afraid that one of these stupid beasts would step on me. However, none did and all was well. After leaving Virginia we continued south and stopped just south of Jacksonville, where my Man Servant inquired as to whether or not the Inn accepted dogs. When he received an affirmative reply he said: "Good, because I want a room for my dog and I'll sleep in the car." He was only kidding of course. I had a pleasant night in Jacksonville sleeping on my servant's bed, but he complained I took two thirds of the bed and left him little to sleep on.

I was delighted to reach my "Florida Home" and did not take too long familiarizing myself with everything. I was glad to see that my Man Servant planned ahead and had a lovely, overstuffed lounge chair with a sheepskin on it for me to lounge and gaze out at the lawn and golf course while taking a sun bath. He also had the foresight to provide me with a "doggie door" which I find very convenient, especially in those emergencies. Of course he still takes me for walks three times a day which I am really not that crazy about but I humor the old boy. The food down here is delicious and my Man Servant has this crazy old car called a Packard Convertible in which he drives me around with the top down. Great fun!

I still miss each and every one of you and dream of you often. However, I must say that I'm happy with the Old Geezer and he seems to be a decent servant as help goes these days.

Love and licks,
Petey


September 9, 2002: Further Adventures from Petey

Dear Everybody:

I just returned from my second trip to MY Canadian home. I had such a good time. There were four of my Man Servant's (aka "Daddy's") grandchildren there and of course they all loved me (who wouldn't). They played with me so much that I was exhausted by 1:00 PM and had to climb up into my human's very large recliner with him for an afternoon nap. One of my favorite games was when the children threw a ball for me and then lined up to try to catch me on my return. They didn't stand a chance. After all, I'm not known as "Speedy Petey" for nothing.

My Man Servant's 95-year-old mother-in-law spent two weeks with us and she just LOVED me. I spent a lot of time lying at her feet as I think she enjoyed my company. The best times though were meal times. I would make my way around the table putting my chin on each person's lap and stare dolefully up at them with my beautiful gray eyes until they broke down and gave me a snack. I must confess that my waistline has expanded somewhat and my Man Servant has cut down on my snacks since we're back in New Jersey.

I thought you'd like to know of my big find. I was nosing around the grounds in Canada looking for anything good to smell or eat and came upon this HUGE BONE. I took the bone to my Man Servant's feet and laid down to start chewing when he spotted it and took it away from me. It turns out it was the (rather large) skull of a deer, completely intact with all its teeth. My eight-year-old nephew (the grandson of my Man Servant) was so excited about my find that I didn't have the heart to chew it up and I let him have it for "show and tell" in his school. Aren't I a nice doggy?

Regards to all of my human and doggy (and cat) friends.
Love and Licks,
Petey

August 2002

Dear Everybody,

I'll be running off to Canada next week for an "end of summer" visit. Before you know it, it will be time to be off to Boca Raton and, although I've not seen my home there yet, I hear it's got a doggy door on the Patio and a special lounge chair, also on the Patio which overlooks the golf course. I should be well entertained seeing these humans hitting golf balls and chasing after them. (Something us doggies do much better.)

The vet says that there is a vast improvement in my skin infection and I'm not positive but I swear I'm growing hair on my rear legs again. I hope so as I'd love to enter a beauty contest.

I hope that you are all well and that you are successfully getting dogs like me and even cats adopted.
Love and licks,
Petey
P.S. The Patio lounge chair was the property of my predecessor "Wrinkles" but I'm sure she won't mind my taking it over as she now has a throne in "doggy heaven" from which to look around.

July 29, 2002

Hello Everybody!
I'm back from Canada and let me tell you, I thought I'd died and went to Doggy Heaven. The land is huge and I had full freedom of the place. My "Man Servant" (note: Petey affectionately refers to her companion as her Man Servant.) took me for motorboat rides and it's a good thing he did. I stood on the front of the boat and guided him through the reefs and rough waters. I'm sure he would have hit a reef and sunk the boat if I hadn't been aboard.
As for the trip to and from Canada it's an awful long one (nine hours) but I enjoy the back seat of the Rolls and the nice soft bed my Man Servant made for me. The old boy stopped regularly to let me out to stretch and attend to my personal needs.
I was a bit sad to return to New Jersey but understand we'll be going back to Canada in August and leaving in mid October for MY Florida home. I understand that my Florida home, unlike my New Jersey home, has a fair amount of ground and backs onto a golf course. What fun it will be running out on the golf course and stealing the golfer's balls. Only kidding!

Hope all is well at the Monmouth County SPCA. I still miss all of you and will always love each and every one of you.
Love and licks,
Petey



5/13/02

Dear Everybody,
Just wanted you to know that I'm doing VERY well. I'm still training my "Man Servant" but he catches on rather quickly as to what I like and don't like and tries very hard to please me. I've sort of given up on my "cage" for the nice soft leather couch in the den on which I've had my "Man Servant" place a warm sheepskin blanket for those chilly spring nights. As to food, it took awhile to get my diet straight, but now I have him making things like oatmeal or scrambled eggs and turkey sausage for my breakfast and for dinner, rice with either boiled chopped sirloin or baked chicken. All in all, I can't complain too much about the food or the service. Last Sunday (Mother's Day), a large part of my new family came to see me. All of them were very nice to me and seemed to fall in love with me but then, who couldn't fall in love with me. Unfortunately my "Man Servant" also has lots of grandchildren but, they spent a lot of time petting and hugging me and I guess I can stand this once in awhile. I get to ride in the car a great deal and I really enjoy that. In the milder weather I have my servant open the window so I can stick my head out and let my ears flap in the wind (it's a nice feeling). Also, when we stop at places like the clearners or gas station, all of the people working there give me dog biscuits. This isn't the greatest for my waistline, but then again, one must make sacrifices. After all, I don't want to hurt anyone's feelings by refusing the biscuits. Well, I have to go now. It's time for my morning ride in the car. I'm having my servant make out a check as a donation from ME to the animal shelter that took such good care of me for so long. I love each and every one of you and miss you all.

Love and Licks,
Petey
P.S. The old guy says I follow him around like his shadow, but the truth is, I'm worried he might get lost without me and end up in a "People Shelter". Don't try to contact me next week, I'm going to Canada to check out my new summer home by lake - If I like it, I'll let the family keep it.