By Dr. Mae Sakharov

I did not meet Diane Hutton for many years after speaking to her on the telephone frequently. I conjured up images of the face beyond that soothing voice. Who was that person that spent many hours on her computer going through hundreds of adoption applications, making necessary personal and veterinary checks before scheduling appointments with prospective adopters? Who was that woman that made home visits and often stayed in touch with families long after they had rescued a dog or cat? What I knew was that she was committed to Animal rescue and worked long and hard to place rescued dogs in the right family.

When we finally met Diane she turned out nothing like my expectations. Right before me stood a tall, beautiful woman, with a vibrant smile. “I always loved animals and when my family business was sold had time to volunteer with a rescue organization. For five years most of my time was spent cleaning the cat cages at PetSmart”. Week after week as if in boot camp Diane was number one in the litter box brigade.

As she became more involved with rescue her responsibilities and volunteer commitments increased to fostering, writing pet biographies, and eventually as one of the founders of Animal Alliance. From the outset Diane has been the person who receives the applications from prospective adopters. This is a dauntless task, and quite complex. Many forms are not completely filled out and the veterinary or recommendation phone numbers may not be legible or correct. Diane then scurries through either the phone book or increases her phone bill by calling information for the correct number. After making the call she must wait and often call two or three times before getting a response. During this time the prospective adopter often becomes worried wondering what happened and reconnects with Diane. She answers each response along with any questions prospective adopters may have.

Diane always tries to provide the right answer to questions and is tremendously careful about placing animals. However, at times a miss match can happen. R. Was a little puppy that Diane approved to a carefully screened family? Having a puppy was more then they could handle. After sending a euphoric note and pictures we thought R. was settled in for life. Six months later came the recriminations; the dog was too much, their agony had to end. The situation was difficult since foster parents are not at a premium and people are usually willing to keep the dog until another home is found. But in this case it was not in the best interest of either the family or the dog.

When R. was returned Diane sent him to one of our extraordinary foster homes. Over the next month he learned all the wonderful puppy behaviors that make for an outstanding dog. He relaxed from having been crated for many hours in his former home. In the process this dog that was someone’s agony found the right home where he can romp and play to his hearts content.

Diane becomes truly saddened when a dog somehow does not find the right home over a long period of time. One such dog was S., a little fluffy white dog that was left at the altar many times. Time and time again through no fault of the dog people cancelled the appointment. Either they did not want to make the drive or they decided not to adopt. Diane, who is so careful about matching guardians to dog would be devastated. Month after month passed and she reminded herself that when a dog waits so long a wonderful match is sure to come. And so it was a couple with another rescued dog fell in love with S and brought her home to a new and wonderful life.

Rescue is an ongoing process, as dogs and cats are homed others just as needy and adorable come into our foster care family. Each foundling has a special place in Diane Hutton’s heart. These few words cannot really describe the essence of her commitment. It is with gratitude that we and the literally thousands of people whom she has match with a perfect pet take time to say thank you.