Best friends reunited
Published: April 24, 2006
With his big blue eyes and striking markings, a Siberian husky named Salazar made the perfect poster dog for Faxon Animal Rescue League’s current fundraising campaign.
Little did Faxon’s supporters know, 3-year-old Salazar was anything but homeless.
“I just came to accept I’d never see him again,” said Paul Vieira, a New Bedford resident who had been separated from his beloved pet for more than a year — but who now has been joyfully reunited with him.
The Standard-Times recently ran a story on the Fall River-based Faxon’s fundraising efforts and it was accompanied by a picture of Salazar. When Mr. Vieira’s parents and neighbors saw the article and picture, they quickly called him.
“As soon as I saw the picture, I knew it was him,” said Mr. Vieira, who last saw Salazar when he and his fiancee separated and she took the dog, which they had owned since it was a puppy.
Last December, Mr. Vieira’s former fiancee realized she’d have to part with Salazar because of an impending move; she surrendered him to Faxon, a no-kill shelter.
When she gave up the dog, the Faxon staff asked her about the possibility of returning Salazar to Mr. Vieira. “She said they had no contact,” said Debbie Rodrigues, a Faxon adoption counselor.
Salazar spent the holidays at Faxon and, with no one stepping up to adopt him, the shelter staff set to work trying to find him a permanent home.
“We were a little worried at first that he might not be a good match for a home with children or other pets because he seemed food-aggressive,” said Debbie Rodrigues, a Faxon adoption counselor. She said Salazar once grabbed a bagel from a staff member. Another shelter official said the dog became agitated when he saw fast-food bags.
But it turns out Salazar was just playing a game he learned from his previous owners. “We taught him to search for food,” Mr. Vieira, 31, said.
Otherwise, the staff had noted that Salazar was quiet for the usually vocal breed.
“There was none of the howling and barking you would expect from a husky,” said Ms. Rodrigues, who has been with Faxon for 12 years.
That all changed when Salazar set eyes on his owner again.
“He went absolutely crazy,” Ms. Rodrigues said.
Despite the initial reunion, Faxon didn’t immediately release the dog to Mr. Vieira. As is shelter protocol, Mr. Vieira went through the regular adoption screening process to make certain he would give Salazar a good home.
Ms. Rodrigues said Faxon officials also contacted his former fiancee to let her know what was going on.
“When people turn in a pet, we give them the option of knowing what happens,” Ms. Rodrigues said. “When I told her, she had no reservations, she started crying tears of joy. She was happy that Salazar was going back. She said that’s where he belongs.”
As for Salazar, he seems to be settling back in to his old routine quite well, enjoying daily walks with his owner.
“We treated him well, but when Paul showed up to take him home he ran out that door and never looked back,” Ms. Rodrigues said
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