After meeting with potential adopters over the weekend, Max and Faith went home with a new owner Monday.
The pooches’ original owner, John Schumacher, 87, said a retired doctor who lives in Vancouver adopted the 10-year-old dogs.
“It’s just a marvelous connection for Max and Faith, first of all, and a great connection for me because I am completely satisfied that she will treat them preciously and love them sincerely,” Schumacher said.
The Orchards man, who rescued the dogs as young pups, had to re-home them following a series of unfortunate circumstances.
Schumacher’s health is failing, and it became too difficult for him to keep up with the dogs. His son and daughter-in-law who live across the street can no longer provide him with in-home care, so he is moving into an assisted living facility in Battle Ground. He made the tough decision to find a new home for his beloved pets.
“It’s of course breaking my heart to give up my best friends, but I know they are going to the best home,” he said. “I’m emotionally worn out. But once the trauma wears off, I will be OK, and I’m sure they will be too.”
Schumacher also met with a Salmon Creek man over the weekend who expressed interest in Max and Faith, but it just didn’t work out, he said.
The duo’s new owner, who wished to be identified only by her first name of Patti, said she had been looking at the Humane Society the week prior for another dog. But then she saw The Columbian’s Friday story and thought, “Hey, I need to call on that,” she said, adding that she figured they already had been scooped up.
She went to Schumacher’s home Sunday and brought her 10-year-old dog — a female Labrador mix — with her.
All three dogs played well together, Patti said.
Schumacher said Patti is an “absolute animal-lover and dog-lover, and Max was all over her” during the meet-and-greets.
“They were getting all of the loving,” he said.
Patti was out in Schumacher’s yard Monday morning playing ball with Max in the snow and petting Faith, he said.
“They seem to be adjusting very well,” Patti said in a phone interview. “I know they are going to miss John.”
She said she plans to bring the dogs to visit Schumacher once he gets settled into his new home later this week.
