MacDuff
Lay On, MacDuff!
After the passing of their beloved Westie, Mac, this past September, Kent and Diantha Allenby of Princeton, NJ, thought they would wait awhile before adopting another dog. “Raising a puppy takes a tremendous amount of time and commitment, and with our children out of the house, we weren't sure we were ready for it,” explains Kent. “But the house was just too empty.”
So Diantha started visiting animal shelters near their home and scouring Westie rescue groups on the Internet. On October 11, while surfing the web, she saw a unique soul with an ordinary name—Dale, an eight-year-old Westie, who was available for adoption at the ASPCA’s headquarters in Manhattan. “My wife called our daughter who lives about ten blocks from the ASPCA,” Kent explains. “She met and visited him, even though he was groggy from recent surgery.”
The eight-year-old pooch—now known as MacDuff—had arrived at the ASPCA with a tumor that required complex treatment. “When he first arrived, I did a colonoscopy to examine the mass, see the extent of it and take a biopsy,” reports Dr. Louise Murray, Director of Medicine at the ASPCA’s Bergh Memorial Animal Hospital. “The mass was localized—although extensive—and benign, and our surgeon later removed it successfully.”
When the ASPCA opened the next morning, Kent and Diantha were the first ones at the door. “After meeting MacDuff, we immediately knew he was meant for us,” Kent says. “Initially he was very quiet— almost reserved—but on our first walk, we found he was beautifully trained and anxious to please.”
And like his namesake’s character—one of Shakespeare’s most loyal creations—this tiny pup knows a good thing when he sees it. Kent explains: “Our first stop on the way home to Princeton was a pet store, where MacDuff picked a stuffed elephant off the shelf and carried it around with him until it became his first toy.”
Having recovered from surgery and settled into his new home, the former city slicker is enjoying suburban life, although according to Kent, “He still can’t understand why the deer in the backyard run away from him when he wanders over to say hello.”
“Among his favorite pastimes is chasing a ball, particularly those that have squeakers,” says Kent. “In fact, whatever he's doing at the moment is his favorite thing, particularly if it's dinnertime. MacDuff’s become a full member of our family.”
Kent adds: “He has been particularly important to us recently. My wife's mother passed away in Virginia over the holidays, and I have not been able to be with my wife all the time, but MacDuff has. He has picked up on her feelings and is never more than a step or two away. I am deeply grateful for that—when I can't be with her, MacDuff is there.”