For Cindy and Neil, it’s simple. If there is a dog in need, they are going to do everything they can to help.
The couple moved to Central Florida in 2020 with their two dogs, Echo and Alex, and soon added Lulubelle, an emaciated dog attached to a 3-foot chain that they discovered while visiting friends in St. Lucia in the Caribbean. “St. Lucia has a huge stray dog issue. Lots of cruelty and breeding,” Neil says.
Sadly, Echo and Alex died within a year and Lulubelle was lonely. That’s when Chopchop joined the family. Returned to the Orange County shelter five times, the senior pitbull was fostered by the couple through another rescue. When it was time for him to be adopted, “I didn’t know if I could handle him leaving,” Neil says. “From the beginning, he was a best friend to me.”
Soon after, PPR volunteer Susan Gros reached out to Cindy and Neil, asking if they would take in Sadie, an older pitbull mix with lots of medical issues. Of course, they couldn’t say no. “She just became part of the family,” Cindy says.
That’s when fostering for PPR really ramped up. Cindy and Neil fostered Little Buddy and Didi. Then came Gigi, Ben and Nibbles. They found them all wonderful permanent homes. “Some are easier to let go, but it’s still hard to let them go,” Cindy says.
In recent months, they’ve temporarily paused fostering. “With our three dogs this past year getting older, it was really hard to bring in a new one. We wanted to give them their special time,” Neil says.
The couple were devastated when Sadie died in August.
While on a break from fostering, Cindy and Neil are helping in other important ways. The couple sponsor dogs through our Save a Dog program, and transport dogs and supplies.
“I started to really enjoy transporting, going down to the Osceola shelter and springing dogs out of jail,” Neil says. “I always end up falling in love with them.”
We are so thankful for all you do, Cindy and Neil!
