VHS Adoption Spotlight

KING & FRIENDS

VHS ADOPTION SPOTLIGHT

It's a good thing that Brook Berg and Trish Jeffries live in a large home. You see, the Newburgh couple has such a deep love for animals - especially those with challenging pasts - that rescuing them is second nature by now. So much so that the number of fur babies currently residing under their roof is just shy of double digits - seven dogs and two cats, all from area shelters (four from the VHS). Of course, along with the joy of saving animals comes the heartbreak of losing them. This past November, Berg and Jeffries sadly said goodbye to Bessie, a beloved white Standard Poodle who unexpectedly passed away, leaving a big hole in their hearts. Now, as Jeffries notes, "there's never a replacement - it's never a decision to replace an animal immediately." The couple needed to time to process the sudden loss of Bessie; yet not long after, they found themselves at the VHS with their nephews in tow - an educational trip to stress the importance of adopting. And that's when something seemingly miraculous happened.

"I was just walking by the kennels [at the VHS], just seeing who was there," Jeffries recalls. "I walked around a corner and there he was - I literally gasped, 'Oh my god!' and everyone was looking at me." So, what made Jeffries squeal with such delight? It was the sight of King, a black Standard Poodle that instantly reminded her of another dog she and Berg lost last year. "I looked at his details and then looked at him and said, 'Buddy, we're busting you out of here today.' But despite Jeffries' excitement, she first needed to convince her wife that bringing another animal home so soon after Bessie's passing made sense. In reality, it didn't take much persuading. Because once Berg laid eyes on King, she was equally smitten. And while the couple was informed that King reportedly didn't do well with kids - the reason given why he had been returned to the VHS after his initial adoption - he seemed to warm up to the couple's nephews just fine. So the decision became clear - King was going home to Newburgh!

By all accounts, King bonded quickly with the couple's other rescues, adjusting to his new environment without too many issues. He even co-plays with some of the dogs, something that Jeffries - who grew up with poodles and watched her father train dogs - definitely encourages. "It's really great for him," she says. "And I work from home so he gets a lot of attention. He's glued to me - you would think that I've owned him my whole life."