CLEVELAND–Terry Luria accidentally hit a dog with her car in January.
“I got out of the car. I looked for her,” she said. “I couldn’t find her anywhere. I had no idea what happened to her.”
But instead of driving off, Luria’s made it her mission to make sure it’s safe.
Luria returned to that spot on her route to work just about every day. When she finally spotted the pup in April, she wanted to help the injured pooch.
“Initially, her tail was always between her legs. It was a sign something bad had happened to her,” Luria said. “After a while though, her tail started coming out. She’d wag her tail when she came up to me.”
Every morning for the next three months Luria would come to a field near Buckeye and East 92nd. Luria later named the dog Adele, after her grandmother.
“She’s strong, like my grandmother. A survivor,” Luria said. “She really got to know I’d be there every morning at 8 o’clock to feed her. She knew I’d be out here every morning.”
This past week, the Public Animal Welfare Society of Ohio helped Luria rescue Adele.
The 3-year-old dog survived incredible odds. She was taken to the Suburban Veterenarian Clinic in Maple Heights.
“She was in pretty bad condition, typical for a dog who had been running in the streets most of her life,” Dr. Terrence Ochterski, veterinarian of the clinic. “She had a bad case of ticks, was severely underweight, had some bad arthritis, but otherwise was a pretty nice dog.”
Adele now resides at the Surburban Animal Centre, which is a part of the clinic. She’s now healthy and ready for adoption.
“She is a very loving dog,” said Tracey Bellitto, manager of the animal centre. “Normally with strays, they’re very timid and shy. It takes a while for them to warm up, but as you can see she’s doing wonderful with my kids, wonderful with me.”
Now, PAWS is searching for Adele’s forever home, in addition to dozens of others throughout the area.
“All they want is tender loving care,” Bellitto said. “That’s why I love animals so much. They don’t care what you look like, what you do. As long as you’re there for them, that’s enough for them.”
No matter where she goes, Luria said she’ll continue to be a part of Adele’s life.
“I’ll stay in touch,” Luria said. “Since she’s been in the kennel, I talk to them every day. I was going to bring toys to her today. I can’t adopt her myself, but I’m going to stay in her life forever.”
If you would like to adopt Adele or another pet in need, contact PAWS Ohio at (440) 442-PAWS or go to the PAWS Ohio website by clicking here.