Gene Doris in the NY POST

[sobro]

Nice piece on Fairfield AD Gene Doris in the Sunday NY POST. Scroll down about half way down the page. nypost.com/2014/08/31/local-kicker-lands-with-bucs/

[FU73]

Fairfield AD has pet project

Fairfield Athletic Director Gene Doris is a champion of the underdog, literally.

The long-time AD proudly and lovingly owns three rescue dogs — Brody, Sandy and Winston — and has been a pet adoption advocate for two decades, supporting such agencies as the Center for Animal Care and Control in Brooklyn, and Connecticut’s Humane Society and Labs4Rescue, a group that he volunteers for to place Labs with good families. Starting with his first rescue, a beagle named Coach in 1997, to his most recent earlier this year, another beagle named Winston, Doris has been a friend to the canine in need.

“I firmly believe in pet adoption,” he said. “There are so many in need. I had Coach until he was 16 and a half. Sandy is now 14. They are great dogs and all they needed was a second chance.

Somehow, I think they know that and that is why they are so much fun to have. They are always happy to see me and actually push me to get long walks in which is good for all of us.”

The adoption of Winston came with more than a little resistance, but came to fruition through Doris’s “three’s the charm” persistence.

“After I had to put Coach down in 2013, we were back at two dogs, and it seemed it would stay that way until I received an email from a co-worker in May showing the plight of a group of beagles rescued from a laboratory in California. I visited the Connecticut Humane Society website and saw a photo of a beagle named Winston. He was recovering from several medical conditions, and my first visit to the kennel was not a good meeting; he snarled and growled at me the whole time. I came back the next day and brought a treat. He was better, but still not overly friendly. On day three, when he warmed up a bit, I brought Brody and Sandy to meet him to see if would get along. They decided he needed to be part of the family. Winston couldn’t be happier.”


labs4rescue.com/index.shtml

www.cthumane.org/site/c.8qLKK1MELjI2F/b.7656869/k.BFDE/Home.htm