COLUMBIA COUNTY, Pa. — At Rescue Pets Serving Vets, the dozens of dogs available for adoption are the superstars. They get all the attention, all the petting, and all the love.
But the superstar who runs the show is Casey Shonis; at least, that is what the other volunteers at the shelter near Benton call her.
Rescue Pets Serving Vets has rescued and adopted out 1,600 dogs since the shelter opened in 2018. It is a number Shonis and her team of volunteers have been working tirelessly to increase with the hopes of getting to 2,000 adoptions.
"She just threw that number out, I think to give us incentive. It surely has worked. We're about 400 away. We've had a lot of adoptions just this past year," said shelter volunteer Carrie Miller.
Just this past week, the shelter in Columbia County had four adoptions on Monday.
Shonis was diagnosed with ALS in January of 2022 after months of doctor appointments and tests. She is no longer walking, and speaking is becoming more difficult each day, but the animal shelter is where she is happiest. She says it keeps her going, so the volunteers keep going, too.
No one knows how much time Shonis has left, but they have no doubt they'll reach that goal of 2,000 adoptions in time.
"We all just work together. It takes a village to get the job done," Miller said.
Anyone can adopt from Rescue Pets Serving Vets, but the adoption fees are waived for veterans.
Shonis comes from a family of vets, and most of the volunteers do, too, so matching these rescues with veterans who need a service or emotional support dog or a special companion has truly become a passion for everyone here. And fulfilling Shonis' dying wish is more motivation.
"We served Casey and her mission. We did a service to our servicemen and women who have come here and have benefited from the work that has been put in here at the rescue," Miller said.
If you are interested in adopting, right now, there are nearly 30 dogs available at Rescue Pets Serving Vets.
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