Lola
On the Road Again
After the loss of their beloved Chesapeake Bay Retriever, Lynda and Alan Herring eventually decided to welcome a new dog into their lives. Lucky for the couple, Lynda’s sister, ASPCA member Carolyn Levy, volunteers at the Animal Humane Association of New Mexico (AHNM), an Albuquerque shelter that employs the ASPCA’s Meet Your Match® (MYM) system for pairing pets with people based on lifestyle and other preferences.
The MYM assessment begins with an initial behavior screening to make sure each pooch is a good candidate for adoption. Dogs are then tested on their friendliness, playfulness, energy level, motivation and drive, and placed into one of nine color-coded Canine- or Puppy-alities. Some pooches are laid-back “Couch Potatoes,” others are curious “Busy Bees,” and then there are the action hero “Go-Getter” types.
The Herrings were looking for a large, gentle Retriever who enjoys keeping company with cats. Carolyn kept her eyes peeled for such a dog at Animal Humane, and one fortuitous Saturday in June, a sweet Yellow Labrador named Lola arrived at the shelter. Carolyn was intrigued—even more so when she learned Lola was a “Purple Constant Companion,” according to her MYM evaluation. She immediately emailed her sister Lynda, writing “This may be your dog.”
The following Monday, AHNM staffers tested Lola with the shelter’s resident cat, Harley, and once the mellow pooch passed the cat test, the deal was done—she was on her way home with the Herrings. We’re happy to report that Lola and her new family are extremely happy and the adoption was a great success. “Lola is a perfect match for the Herrings,” says Carolyn. “The beauty of Meet Your Match is that it helps take the guesswork out of finding a great pet for your family.”
For more information about the ASPCA’s Meet Your Match program, please visit our Adoption pages online. Or to read more charming stories of furry fate, check out our Happy Tails Archive.