By Cara Kelly
Data Picard Cafaro and Pepper Angelina Cafaro are preparing
for their first Christmas celebration, although they have
already survived a cold winter in Boone.
From left, Cindy and Joe
Cafaro adopted dogs involved in a local animal-cruelty
case.
Photo by Cara
Kelly |
The two tiny dachshunds are the newly adopted babies of Joe
and Cindy Cafaro, who have truly filled the void of their
empty nest after their children grew into adults.
The Cafaro’s turned two tragic events into an ultimate
blessing. After the death of their 14-year-old dachshund,
Jean-Luc, Cindy Cafaro searched for solace to help restore
peace in her life.
The couple learned shortly thereafter of the inundation of
small, toy dogs at the Watauga County Animal Care and Control
in March as a result of an animal-cruelty case and immediately
called to see if any red-haired dachshunds were available
for adoption.
“We lost Jean-Luc Picard on the 12th and then a few days
later the dogs came in to Animal Control,” Cindy said.
“They said they had one red-haired dachshund and I called
Officer Steve Norris almost every single day until I took
him home, we got him the day the case was settled.”
Data Picard (named, like Jean-Luc from characters on the television
show “Star Trek: The Next Generation”), who gained
part of his namesake from Jean-Luc, was not given a good prognosis
after he was found by Norris.
“Steve told us he was probably not going to live,”
Cindy Cafaro said. “For three weeks I couldn’t even
go see him, he was so sick he had to be taken straight to
Dr. Roten’s office.”
Data pulled through the ordeal with little lasting reminders
of his distressing early life.
“He still will only eat a little bit of his food and
then will try to cover the rest of it up with whatever is
around to save it for later. It is kind of funny now to watch
him hide it under a sheet or rug but it is sad because he
is rationing himself because he never knew when he was going
to eat again,” she said.
“Neither one of them knew what a toy was or what a treat
was. Steve told us he had never been handled except to be
moved from cage to cage.”
The Cafaro’s have embraced the challenges of adopting
rescue animals with open arms, and have done so for many years.
Although they admit it is burdensome at times, the couple
adamantly encourages future pet owners to take in rescue animals
instead of buying pure breeds.
“If you really have your heart set on a full-blooded
breed, then check out the rescues because there are plenty
of full-breed rescues and you can have it both ways,”
she said.
“So many people want them to have the perfect markings
and want perfection, and you are probably going to have to
work, but it is worth it. It is the most rewarding thing to
watch the gratitude, I can see it on their faces.”
Cindy has done more to help the staff at the Watauga County
Animal Care and Control Department whom she refers to as “angels,”
by recently urging the community to donate hundreds of blankets
and fleeces to the shelter for the animals in the cold winter
months.
“I would really like to thank the radio station I work
for, Aisling Broadcasting, and Jim Wooten, the owner of local
hotels and the community members who helped me gather all
of those blankets, it really helped,” she said.
The Watauga County Humane Society and Animal Care and Control
are always looking for community members who can foster and
adopt homeless animals. To adopt or learn more, visit www.wataugahumanesociety.org
or call (828) 264-7865.
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