Hey Mark!

Love your show, catch it every time I get the chance.

Oberon T. Astaire.
Well, we had rented a home for several years and as most leases go, we were not allowed to have pets. When we purchased our home last August one of the first tasks we had was to find a four legged addition for or family. As we were moving into the new house, a water bowl was placed in a corner of the kitchen in anticipation of our new addition. It had to be a dog, we’re not cat people. We had already been looking before the move and were not finding what we were looking for. You see, we have a few favorites and they are all in the retriever family. I had made the decision that after owning several females myself, it was time for a male. We spent a lot of time online searching through local listings of shelters and rescues.

After being in the new house for about a week, we found that a full litter of Black Labs had ended up at a shelter 1 ½ hours away. My wife and I hopped in the truck and headed off. When we arrived at the Robeson County Humane Society’s Shelter in Lumberton, NC, we were greeted by the great staff there. As we walked through the shelter one thing really stood out, the place was spotless! This, to me, was a good sign that the animals sheltered there were taken care of.

They had separated the litter into separate kennels. There had originally been six pups, two males and four females, but one of the males had already been adopted. I stopped in front of the chain-link kennel gate that held the lone male. He stood with his front paws up on the gate, as to say “So, what do ya think?” His sisters were yelping and barking and carrying on but, he just stood there looking up at me with his big, beautiful eyes, wagging his tail. I asked that he be allowed out and after the volunteer had grabbed a leash, the gate was opened. I had crouched down so I could get a good look at him and be able to check some important health items. He came right to me, put his front paws on my chest and laid his head on my shoulder snuggling into my neck. After checking him for healthiness, taking him home was a no-brainer.

As we stood at the counter, taking care of the adoption paperwork, one of the volunteers had asked my wife what we would name him. She thought a bit and being a lover of the arts, came up with Oberon, Obbie for short.  We had brought and old comforter with us and my wife rode with Obbie in the back seat all the way home. He was content and comfortable. The minute Obbie arrived in his new home, he was off exploring. Over the next few weeks he was completely at home and comfortable and seemed as though it was him who had adopted us. Obbie had a natural need to get into things, which leads us to his middle initial “T” for Trouble. He also, when excited, has a little dance that he does, hence Astaire. He may not be as graceful as the great Fred Astaire but, he sure can dance.

Obbie has been a wonderful addition to our family and is now the only child we have at home. The three of us spend lots of time together when I’m not at my job as a police officer. He greets me at the door every time I come home from work with the enthusiasm of a child. Obbie is now 10 months old (65lbs) and has been a blessing to our home and family. Obbie is a pure Black Lab, complete with the little white diamond on his neck. And, as you can see from the photo, he is 100% American (note the tag)! Additionally Mark, thought you’d be happy to know that he’s also a conservative. He is a source of amusement, love and dedication. He is smart and by far one of the best dogs I have ever had.

I encourage anyone looking to add a pet to their family, look to your local shelters. They are full of abandoned dogs and cats looking for home. I hope that you can find the joy that we have. I personally wish to thank the staff at Robeson Shelter for the work they do and the time that they give for such a great cause. Thank you, thank you for Obbie and keep up the great work you do.

Mark, thank you for giving us dog owners/adopters a place to let others know just how wonderful it is to adopt.

Eric from NC