By JENNIFER AMATO
Staff Writer
Staff Writer
NORTH BRUNSWICK – While neighbors are celebrating the capture of a lost dog, rescuers are trying to find ways to care for the pup.
Brooke Farrington, a two-year-old pitbull mix named by Sharon Barton, is a dog who was living in the woods near a brook that runs between Milltown and North Brunswick. On May 4, she was captured through tips from the community.
“I wanted to help this dog because I am an animal lover. Brooke is very young, cute, and has an injured leg. I searched online and on telephone poles for fliers to find her owner but was unsuccessful. I believe she was dumped in the woods and left to fend for herself. The poor dog was outside in the freezing cold during snowstorms and rain for months. My heart broke at night when I was in my warm bed with two kitties and she was out sleeping in the woods in the cold,” Barton said.
One snowy night, Barton said her neighbor texted her around 12:30 a.m. about a stray dog who looked injured wandering about, and asked if she could help find the dog.
“I think they did this because I am a nurse so they thought I could help an injured dog,” Barton said. “My neighbor went out in the snow looking for her but didn’t find her. We all had trouble sleeping that night. Any normal person would feel compassion for this poor little dog.”
Brooke would come for food in Barton’s yard with her tail coiled between her legs. Gradually, Barton said she started putting food closer and closer to her house in an effort to lure her in.
“Brooke surprised me a few times after work by being in the yard sniffing around for food. I noticed she was starting to come regularly around 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. At times, she caught me off guard and was there early so I started hand tossing food out of the door to her. I tried calling to her, telling her she was a good dog, hoping to lure her to me and gain her trust. Instead, she got scared, barked loudly and ran away. This happened a few times. So, finally I decided I was going to let her eat and I called out from a window while she ate.”
Barton began posting pictures on Facebook, hoping her owner would find Brooke. Nancy Pingatore, one of Barton’s co-workers who works for Animal Alliance, saw the Facebook posts, made some calls and brought a dog trap by.
“Unfortunately, the dog never went into that trap and seemed to stop coming for food,” Barton said.
Two weeks later, a former neighbor of Barton’s who also saw her Facebook posts noticed a connection between Brooke and one she saw on a lost dogs Facebook page.
“It turns out that there were a few posts by different neighbors about this dog. We all were wondering if the dog was lost or abandoned. We wanted to get it help,” Barton said. “Finally, someone said we needed to call Nicole [Asher] at Buddha Rescue & Recovery.”
Asher donated her own time, driving 1-and-a-half hours to set up an enclosure in Barton’s yard with two cameras.
“I baited it the way she instructed and three nights later we caught this beautiful dog,” Barton said. “She was afraid at first, barking loudly for about 20 minutes. She wasn’t being aggressive. She was barking because she was scared. … Finally, Nicole was able to reach in and stroke her leg and paw. She started to calm down more and more [and] then I finally got to pet and rub her. She seemed like she was enjoying it but still was frightened. … Once she seemed totally calm, we went inside the enclosure with a kennel to put her in for transport. … Once she was in she laid down and quietly watched us.”
Barton said Brooke is on a seven-day stray hold at the kennel where Second Chance Pet Adoption League rescues pets from. She had veterinary care, since she has an old fracture in her left rear leg. Barton said she found out via Facebook that Brooke was hit by a car on Route 130 in North Brunswick approximately two months ago. She had hundreds of ticks on her and inside her ears, which were removed, but she tested positive for Lyme’s disease and anaplasmosis due to the ticks.
Barton said the dog will be evaluated and when appropriate be placed for adoption by Second Chance Pet Adoption League.
“I fell in love with Brooke weeks ago and would love to adopt her,” Barton said. “She has a sweet gentleness and deserves a lot of love and companionship”
Barton is also trying to coordinate a block party in North Brunswick to celebrate and raise funds for the dog’s capture and adoption, as well as for Buddha Rescue & Recovery, Second Chance Pet Adoption League and Animal Alliance.
Contact Jennifer Amato at jamato@gmnews.com.
