Special Adoptions

Timothy the Cocker

For a 13-year-old cocker spaniel, the 2002 holiday season was a miracle of love. After losing his person and being diagnosed with terminal cancer, this little guy landed in a wonderful home in Lake Clear, New York. This was particularly special for him because the people who adopted him also adopted his sister and his son.

Timothy, his 13-year-old deaf sister, Jennifer, and his 10-year-old son, Theodore (a cocker/pit bull mix) had been turned over to Best Friends Animal Sanctuary in November by their person because he was going to jail for long time. At Best Friends, the nation's largest sanctuary for abandoned and abused animals, there is the time and the space for hard-luck cases like Timothy and his clan.

Floyd and Martha Lampart of Lake Clear, were at Best Friends. They have visited the sanctuary several times over the last few years and volunteered their time to help take care of the animals that call this Manhatten-sized desert oasis home. When they looked into the "big, brown questioning and loving eyes" of the cocker trio, Floyd and Martha knew the three dogs were coming home to their five acres where they could be spoiled and pampered along with the Lampart's other two dogs and two cats.

Outside of the usual "sibling" rivalries that are to be expected when additional animals are introduced into a home, things went well for this cocker trio.

Settled into their Lake Clear home, "Timothy continues to be sweet and quiet," Martha said in December. "Sometimes his tongue doesn't seem to fit in his mouth, so you see this pink thing hanging out while he is staring at you. Tim likes to eat too. He gobbles anything he can. His lack of jaw doesn't affect his eating dog treats or ice cream--cookies too, when he helps himself out of the refrigerator. Tim is also taking supplements and doesn't seem to be as stiff. He loves sleeping in the dog bed in the living room, where he can snuggle next to the bolster and not fall off."

The Lamparts felt visiting Best Friends inspired them to be able to give Timmy the best part of his life in the last part of his life.

"We have been to Best Friends several times in the last few years. I fell in love with the idea, the concept and the love that is felt by all the staff and volunteers. Supporting the ideal that Best Friends makes real just seemed to be "us"--and the things we always wished we could do for the animals here and everywhere," Martha said.

Floyd and Martha experienced the joy of opening their home to a dog who was with them for a very short time. Timmy left in January.

In May, Floyd wrote, "We still miss Timmy and wish that he could have had a little longer with us, but we know that he is happy now, and enjoying watching these other two (Jennifer and Theo) create havoc on a daily basis."

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