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Local Shelter Pet Finds New Home In Montana
Roxie
It was love at first sight at the Oakdale Animal Shelter when Dave Terrill drove all the way from Montana to pick up a new addition to his family that he named Roxie. Sharing this heartwarming moment were Oakdale Shelter Pet Alliance Vice President Debi Scoles, left; adopter Dave Terrill with Roxie; and Animal Shelter Manager Danielle Merritt. Photo Contributed

An Oakdale Animal Shelter pet was adopted recently by Dave and Dawn Terrill from Montana in what seemed to be a case of love at first sight.

A four-legged little girl named Darla, with an infectious smile from ear to ear, was listed on Petfinder.com, which is where the Terrill’s saw her for the first time. They fell in love with this gray and white Pit Bull that they saw online so they emailed Oakdale Shelter Pet Alliance (OSPA) Vice President Debi Scoles for more information on Darla and expressed interest in adopting her. The Alliance helps place pets housed at the local shelter, which serves both Oakdale and Riverbank.

The only obstacle the couple from Montana would have to figure out was how to get the new addition to their family from Oakdale to Montana. After three weeks of disappointments with various transport services, Dave decided to pack up for a road trip to California. As a long haul trucker, he was no stranger to traveling far distances.

Arriving at the Oakdale Animal Shelter on a Thursday in March to meet his new family member for the first time, it truly was love at first sight, according to Scoles, as Darla eagerly approached Dave. He named her Roxie and after the adoption was finalized, the two hit the asphalt and headed back to Montana.

Roxie had been with her new family for only about a week when Dave was preparing to go on a work trip. She was not happy that he was going to leave her so he ended up taking her with him on the long haul road trip.

“She was truckin’ to the East Coast, having the time of her life,” stated Scoles. “A very happy ending.”

Having already made a trip from Oakdale to Montana, that was just the start of Roxie’s life on the road.

“We do get inquiries from all over the country but most people don’t follow through on the transport issues,” Scoles said, adding that this time, it worked out for all involved.

Oakdale Shelter Pet Alliance is a volunteer non-profit organization that helps homeless pets from Oakdale and Riverbank at the Oakdale Animal Shelter.

Petfinder is an online database of animals that need homes. With a directory of nearly 14,000 animal shelters and adoption organizations across the United States, Canada, and Mexico, they have operated online for 20 years and have helped millions of pets get adopted. OSPA also helps people get their dogs and cats fixed through a voucher program to help prevent unwanted litters of puppies and kittens. The organization recently marked a milestone in achieving 2,500 successful spay/neuters through that voucher program.