A Dog's Home: Meet Nora of Abington House
Welcome to "A Dog's Home," a new series from Related that highlights our four-legged residents who were adopted and go to our doggy day care service, Dog City NYC. This week, we talk to Brian Fuhr and Matthew Zucker, residents of Abington House who adopted their four-and-a-half-year-old lab-shepherd mix Nora more than four years ago from Second Chance Rescue.
Tell me about Nora. How would you describe her personality?
She’s curious - she loves discovering new people and new things. She’s not shy or cautious. She’s affable - she loves animals of all sizes and types: humans, donkeys, sheep, goats — every animal but cats (and maybe coyotes). She’s determined; she does what she needs to to earn your trust and praise and get a reward for it. After each walk, she makes a beeline for the Abington House cookie jar.
How long ago did you get Nora? Was it a process to get Nora accustomed to your home and routine or was it easy?
Nora out in the city
Four and half years ago, a friend found her for us on Facebook. We got her from Second Chance Rescue and picked her up at eight weeks old on a rainy night in West Islip. She was easy about the location, but she’s a pack animal and doesn’t like to be alone.
Why did you choose to adopt rather than go to a breeder when you wanted a dog?
We had such a great experience adopting previously, it was a no-brainer to do it again. Plus, she was rescued from an airport runway ditch and it felt like an amazing thing to do. There are so many pups available who need love, and you don’t always get to choose your family.
What advice would you give someone considering adopting a dog?
Be in a position to welcome another member to your family, and commit time to them especially in the first several months. Socialize them early with other dogs and animals, it really makes a different. The thing that’s the hardest is giving them the structure they crave. A few rules we have are: don’t let them on every piece of furniture, choose and stick to strict times and locations for feeding, and invest in training.