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Harley Goes Home

Wednesday, February 27, 2013 - 11:15am
Black dog laying down

When Midnight, a six-year-old Labrador Retriever mix, came to us, he suffered from severe skin disease and ear infections and looked emaciated. He underwent treatment at the ASPCA’s Bergh Memorial Animal Hospital and slowly began to recover. When he was ready, Midnight stayed for months in our Adoption Center, waiting patiently for someone to take him home.

 In February, Victoria D'Asto and Michael Pisula did just that, giving Midnight a new life as part of their family.

“My husband and I waited a year and a half after the passing of our last dog before visiting the ASPCA in Manhattan,” Victoria says. “After looking at all the dogs and meeting several of them, we settled on Midnight, now known as Harley.”

Harley has come a long way, but he still suffers from chronic ear infections. With medication and TLC, Harley’s ear infections are manageable.

“Even with his health issues and difficult past, we felt that he would be a great addition to our family,” Victoria says.

And they were right. Harley is thriving in his new home.

“It turns out that we really lucked out—Harley is so well trained and sweet with everyone he meets,” Victoria says.  “He seems to enjoy his new diet and exercise program as he gains those last five pounds to bring him back up to a healthy weight.”

Victoria tells us that Harley loves to go for walks in Manhattan’s Riverside Park, on shopping trips, and enjoys romping around at Victoria and Michael’s country home on the weekends.

“He loves destroying his toys, fighting for the peanut butter in his new Kong toy and lounging by the fireplace,” she says.  “It's been almost two weeks, and he's already become our best friend!  Thanks, ASPCA!”

Want to help support our efforts to find homes for thousands of homeless pets like Harley? Please consider becoming an ASPCA Guardian today.

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Comments

What a great thing u did for Harley,u guys luv eachother forever

Mike and Vicky - you guys are awesome and I know you will give Harley a loving home. Thank you for sharing your story!

Thank you for adopting Harley and giving him a chance at life!!! God bless you all! :)

Bless you for you new family member.

I think this couple is awesome for rescuing Harley, every dog in this world deserves the best, I had four dogs, one went to rainbow bridge on Feb 4th, my heart still hurts, but she is in a better place and she had the best life ever. Harley deserves it all. Thank you

What a beautiful thing that you did. I have a rescue dog also. Good luck to all of you!!!!!!

You guy's are fantastic, Harley has new loving parents, a roof over his head,love and warmth. All of us Thank You from the bottom of our hearts.

Congratulations on your new beautiful addition to your family! May you all enjoy yours of happiness and love.

What a wonderful thing you did for Harley! Thank you so much. It's a story with a beautiful ending thanks to your kindness.

Thanks for giving Harley a fantastic forever home and family!

Wonderful! I am sure Harley will make you as happy as you make him! God Bless You All.

Rescues have so much love to give. Six years ago, we adopted our then, two-year-old Jack Russell Terrior, Cindy. I suffer from what is called daily migraine, but my neurologist couldn't figure out why, until a few months after Cindy joined our family. I told him that Cindy became clingy and even grabbed my arm with her teeth once when I was trying to leave the house once, Which, though it didn't hurt, Concerned me a bit. Within about a half an hour, I was hit with a really bad migraine! When I told my neurologist, he told me that he had never heard of a dog being able to tell a person when they were going to have a migraine, but he had heard of a dog who could tell a person when they were having, or were going to have a seizure! It seems that I was having small seizures which were causing major migraines, But they were not causing damage that could be seen on a CT scan or MRI, And because they were so sporadic, and putting me on an EEG machine would have cost a lot of time and money just to catch it, he put Me on antiseizure medication, which has helped with the severity of the migraines. It hasn't really helped with the frequency, but it does help with the severity, which is good, because when I have really bad migraines, it affects the right side of my body. It makes me very very weak, and it makes things hard to do for me. Cindy still lets me know before they happen, but without her, there probably would not have been a diagnosis.

Wow-how wonderful that your DR. thought it through and didn't just tell you to get rid of the dog. I too suffer with migraines and I have found that when I have one and am lying down one of our cats will come in a stay with me. He is a lovely tabby who 'rescued himself' and is a source of so much love! We used to live in LA and then got a cat. He warned us on 2 occasions of impending earthquakes. Animals are smarter and more knowing than we want to admit!

I had a stray black lab/basset cross that suffered from chronic ear infections/ear pain for years. We tried everything the vet recommended and nothing worked. I remembered that when one of my kids was little, I was told to use garlic oil for ear ache/ear infection. I tried it on Boomer, and after a week of treatment his ear problems resolved for the first time in years. He was pain/infection free for the last 2 years of his life after suffering with ear problems for 6 years.

Yes, garlic oil and tea tree ear drops. The drops can be found in health food stores and are sold for humans, but work wonderfully for animals. Also, a diluted water and Hydrogen Peroxide mixture, half and half does wonders. You might try all three. I had a dog with ear infections that had to have surgery and he lost most of his hearing, so the sooner cured the better. Bless you and Harley.

Anyone who adopts an older dog (Midnight/Harley was getting close to technically being a senior when he was adopted)has my deepest admiration. There's NOTHING like the love of an old dog.

I agree I adopted a adult/senior dog and she is wonderful more people should adopt a senior especially if they are seniors themselves since they have a lower energy level which is better for both.

I found Buddy at the shelter 3 years ago when he was 3 years old, sick, and depressed. Despite his health issues, as soon as my granddaughters came to visit he set himslef right behind their chairs and I knew he would guard over them at all times. I took him to the vet and we found he had worms and a kidney infection. A bit of medicine and some major cuddling time later, he became the pooch he was meant to be, energetic, playful, and loving. We all really lucked out when he came to join out family!

We adopted our wonderful cat "Buster" when he was ten years old. He weighed 18 lbs! We got to love him for almost three years before he was gone - but it gives me joy to know his last years on Earth were filled with love.

OMG. I had a lab mix named Midnight who passed years ago. Since, we have adopted 3 dogs and 3 cats and what you did was wonderful. To give a dog a life of love and caring is just great!

Senior dogs are the best!! Its great you gave Harley a 2nd chance!!

Harley is a lucky dog!

Way to go you two!!! I have rescued three pups myself, it makes me Happy reading about these stories. We need more people like you out there.!!

What a lovely family you are! Maybe my miniature apricot poodle, Tru, and I will meet you one day walking in Riverside Park. We are from the Upper Westside too!

So glad you rescued that sweet boy. I've been a lab lover most of my life - best dogs ever!! Kudos to you for adopting an older dog - now he's got the life he deserves!

Bless you ! I have 2 rescues and nothing is better. You guys did a wonderful thing. Setting a great example. Thank you

As a dog walker for the Michigan Humane Society my heart breaks for each animal I see that is abandoned by their former owner or picked up as a stray. On the flip side I feel so great when an animal is adopted such as yours was. My slogan is "Saving the planet, one animal at a time". Thank you for doing the right thing.

What a lovely picture of your family! Thank you for your kindness and generosity. Enjoy.

Awesome for Harley!! He not only got a family who loves him, but he got one with room to be a puppy. The running room is great.

So happy for all of you. Just for your info - those ear infections - our golden had them all the time - found out it was the grain in his food. We give him Wellness with no grain and he has no more infections.

Too many people pass by the adult and senior animals at the shelter. We went to adopt a cat to cheer our self-rescued cat after his companion had to be put to sleep from kidney failure. We only wanted one adult kitty to be his companion. The shelter was having a special-adopt a cat over 6 years old for free. We had decided on a cute 18month old black and white little girl, but I worried that she wouldn't bond with our older boy (about 10) so we took a lovely gray tabby over 6 too. He has been such a love and is wonderful about playing with the little girl AND with our older boy. Don't ignore the older pets-they have experienced life and will love you for accepting them!

I love happy endings!!! Enjoy!!!

If you're like me, you feel like it's HARLEY who has done the wonderfule thing for YOU

LOVE reading about the happy endings and the good work of the ASPCA!!

I am very happy for Victoria and Michael -- they selected Harley and are reaping the joys of having him. I read all of the comments and was most interested in the information regarding migrane medical problems and the doctor's diagnosis. I will tell some of the migrane sufferers I know so they can explore the possibilities mentioned.

I loved seeing the beautiful, smiling photo of you, Michael and Victoria, on your adoption day of Harley. I loved reading the Happy Tails story of your new life with your pup. You are wonderful, caring, loving people and Harley is so lucky to be with you. I wish you many blessings together and much joy and sweetness.

Bless you both it sounds like Harley was finally in loving hands and he's loved.

when we learn we own nothing but rather should care for everything protect life, prosecute those that seek to destroy our shared home and our fellow beings life has value beyond measure Peace and Love *********** WALL OF SHAME ************ ┬┴┬┴┬┴┬┴┬┴┬┴┬┴┬┴┬┴┬┴┬┴┬ ┴┬┴┬┴┬┴┬┴┬┴┬┴┬┴┬┴┬┴┬┴┬ ┬┴┬┴┬┴ The Wall ┬┴┬┴┬┴┬┴┬┴ ┴┬┴┬┴┬┴┬┴┬┴┬┴┬┴┬┴┬┴┬┴┬ ┬┴┬┴┬┴┬┴┬┴┬┴┬┴┬┴┬┴┬┴┬┴ DEMOLISH ------>>>>> THIS WALL !!!! DEMAND FREEDOM, FOR ALL THE WORLD!!!!

Harley is beautiful and I'm sure is such a gentle soul! Thank you and bless you both for adopting him and giving him a second chance at life and hopefully eventually be able to forget the life he once knew. With your love, attention, and care he will finally have the life he so deserves. Again, thank you so much for giving part of your lives to Harley and making him a part of your family!

THANK YOU< THANK YOU< THANK YOU, GOD will Bless YOU.

I am so happy that Harley has new parents! Harley is beautiful, and so are you both, for what you have done, to save this precious life. I, too, saved a beautiful life, almost two years this month, and I would not trade it for anything in the world. My Callie is a beautiful beagle who had many issues but with lots of TLC is all that matters to me as long as she is happy. Bless you both!

That Harley found someone to love him and give him a good life. So glad that Victoria and her husband had enough love and resources to adopt an older dog with health problems, instead of a cute, or pretty puppy or younger dog. And I am glad that Harley gets to romp around the country home.

Thank you for saving a rescue dog. My husband and I have 5 rescue dogs of all ages...they are all such a joy!

I am so glad that Midnight/Harley found a home - how wonderful that ASPCA was able to provide him not only medical care but a safe place to wait for adoption; that Victoria & Michael were willing to open their hearts to an older black dog with a medical condition (age, color, and health all being challenges to adoption); and that the shelter was open to letting people who I presume live in an apartment based on the story adopt a Lab. I live in an apartment in a suburb in MA where there is a large common yard, plus park & woods nearby, and I had to fight to adopt my black Lab mix girl - she was about 1 1/2 years old and had been at the shelter for a few months because she was so scared of people. She has come out of her shell -- still shy with people but much better and has formed close bonds with me and a few select other humans. As long as dogs like her and Harley get to run in the park and exercise, they lead happy lives in apartments -- maybe even happier than some dogs in houses with yards, who may not have the same opportunity to socialize with other dogs.

Always so glad to hear that such a beautiful dog ended up with such a loving couple like Victoria and Michael. Harley has his forever home and Victoria and Michael have a four legged angel. God Bless you.

You guys are so wonderful for afopting an older dog. You will get the live back-tenfold!

Sweet adoption

Thank you for giving Harley a forever home...

May you all be happy and god bless you for saving him.

Congratulations Harley!

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