Books & Prints at Pear Alley220 Broad Street
Milford, PA
570-296-4777
Christmas Fund Raiser to benefit The Pike County Humane Society, Inc
Gracie's Christmas Tree to benefit Pike County Human Society
November 27, 2009 through December 31, 2009
Books & Prints at Pear Alley has placed an undecorated Christmas tree inside their bookstore. During the Christmas shopping season donations for the Pike County Humane Society will be accepted at the bookstore and placed under “Gracie's Christmas Tree.”
The owners of Books & Prints, Barry L. and Hillary J. Anthony, encourage the community to bring unwrapped donations into the bookstore for transfer to the PCHS. Suggested shelter donations are:
CANNED DOG & CAT FOOD (No dry food please), Laundry detergent, bleach, paper towels, bedding (old blankets/towels), kitty litter, and Timothy Hay. During our long winter months cash donations are especially important to help offset heating costs and the always-high veterinary bills.
Donations will be placed under Gracie's Christmas tree and an ornament will be hung on the tree indicating the generous donor's name and donation. The Anthony's hope is to have a fully decorated tree by the end of the Christmas season and scores of needed donations for the shelter!
“Gracie's Christmas Tree” is named in honor of Barry & Hillary Anthony's adopted shelter dog Grace. The Anthony's adopted Grace, a Black Standard poodle, during an off-site pet adoption held by the Pike County Humane Society. Hillary says, “ Grace is such a wonderful pet, she is the perfect addition to our family. We are so grateful to the shelter and wanted to give something back.” The Christmas season is the perfect time to collect donations for the shelter and at the same time our customers will help decorate Gracie's Christmas Tree!”
“Gracie's story with the Anthony's began on a beautiful Saturday afternoon in June 2009. During the Milford Music Festival, the Pike County Humane Society held a pet adoption at the Golden Fish Gallery that involved volunteers walking dogs available for adopting amongst the festival goers and along the business district. The dogs had little t-shirts on that said “Adopt Me.” Hillary recalled thinking this was a cute idea, and from her bookstore she watched them parade up and down Broad Street.
“Then,” she disclosed, “One dog caught my eye; a black standard poodle. I kept waiting for them to walk by but never got the chance to leave the store to go out to see the dog. At breakfast Sunday morning I told Barry about seeing the dog and wishing I had a closer look. His initial comment was that we don't want another dog, which made me sigh in resignation. Perhaps it had been for the best that the dog didn't come to our shop.”
We arrived at Books & Prints Sunday morning to prepare for the second day of the festival. I was in the back rooms preparing to open when Barry called me to come to the front counter.
“Someone is here to see us,” he exclaimed.
Hillary said, "What a surprise! The shelter volunteers stopped in to thank us for donations we have given in the past and low and behold guess who was with them? The black standard poodle! Diva was her name, and she went right to Barry, nuzzled into his lap, kissed his face and just loved him. We talked to the volunteers for nearly half and hour about her history and story."
Diva had come from a puppy mill, one of the largest in Pennsylvania. Hillary had been aware of the mill for months and had often wondered how to go about rescuing a dog from such a situation. The mill was operated in a residential area and in order to keep things quiet some dogs' vocal cords were cut so they couldn't bark. Diva/Grace was one of those dogs. It was a horrible, horrible place and has since been shut down by the National Humane Society and the owner is in jail. Little did Hillary know that Barry Heim, from the Pike County Humane Society, knew about it too was busy rescuing dogs hoping to offer them for adoption.
“God bless Barry,” Hillary exclaimed. “Diva was a breeding mother, between about two or three years old, and was terribly underweight, 39lbs, due in part to just having puppies. She had such a cute face, with beautiful engaging eyes, and was so gentle and loving.
The volunteers left with her. Hillary said her husband looked at her a long moment.
“So,” he finally said, “what do you think?”
“Of course I want to adopt her, you know I have always wanted a second dog,” was her immediate response, “But this is your decision, whatever you want to do I will be fine with.” Barry and Hillary talked about one hour or more, then decided to go visit the poodle some more.
Hillary said, "About 15 minutes later I look out the store front door, and here comes Barry proudly walking the black standard poodle. I could not have been more excited. Our first order of business was a name change and we agreed on Grace rather quickly, thinking that we are saved by grace. It seemed appropriate and was more fitting to her demeanor and posture.”
Hillary explains, "Now it has been 6 months since Grace came to us. She is now nearly 60 lbs, has a beautiful soft coat, and still the most tender eyes I have ever seen. It has been an adjustment for us all especially for our dog Molly since she was the only pebble on the beach for all of her life! As most of our customers know we have a white standard poodle, Molly, who is 11 years old and is a fixture in both of our bookstores in Milford and Honesdale. But now I believe Molly has happily taken the roll of mother, not necessarily alpha. She looks after Grace, scolds her when she needs it and seems to encourage her when she is timid. The biggest hurdle we have faced with Gracie has been trust. Grace can still be extremely shy around strangers; while she thinks she wants to say hello she still just isn't quite sure. But more and more often she follows Molly lead and most times joins the bookstore staff already under the direction of Molly, President of Dog Affairs. Grace is happiest when she is serving as Molly's administrative assistant!”
Hillary and Barry ask that unwrapped donations for “Gracie's Christmas Tree” be brought to:
Books & Prints at Pear Alley, 220 Broad Street Milford, PA .
Their business hours are Wednesday through Sunday 11 am thru 5 pm.
The effort will run November 27 through December 31.
For more information call the bookstore at 570-296-4777. For more information about The Pike County Human Society, please call the shelter directly at; 570-296-7654.
.JPG)
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