“They need to be together, because they won’t leave each other’s side,” Dunn said. “I think they’d do well with someone who has a nice yard. They’re good with kids. They’re very playful, very lovable dogs who love squirrels, people, cars, neighbors and other dogs.” Dunn also thinks Bear would like someone who could run with him. “He’s used to training with me for my marathons.”
Soon-to-depart volunteer Brian Dunn looks for home for dogs
Separation anxiety hits companions
Soon-to-depart volunteer looks for home for dogs
Greenfield
Entering the Peace Corps and getting rid of his possessions has proved to be a much more difficult task than Brian Dunn ever thought it would be.
He sits on a folding chair. He sleeps on an inflatable mattress. His television is set up on some cardboard boxes. Other than a laptop computer and a microwave, that’s about it.
Except for his two dogs, for whom Dunn is seeking a home. That has been difficult, considering they ran away from one home Dunn thought he had found to return home weeks later. Their odyssey sounds as adventurous as the one Dunn is about the embark on.
Dunn, 26, a former school teacher, was accepted into the Peace Corps in October. He will spend two years as a volunteer in Uganda, living in a mud hut in a village. Dunn will spend time developing a water and sewer system.
Deciding to join the Peace Corps was the easy part.
“It was something that just fell into place. I was single, and I was frustrated with life. It took being in a career that didn’t satisfy me to know what I wanted to do,” Dunn said.
But selling his house and finding a home for his two dogs so that he can actually go has been a much different story.
Dunn adopted Bear three years ago from the animal shelter. The husky mix already had a difficult past. When his first owner became ill and couldn’t handle him anymore, he was hit by a car. A doctor agreed to perform a life-saving $1,500 surgery for free to repair his hip. After Bear recovered, Dunn adopted him.
“I needed a dog to go running with,” he said. “The next day, we went out and did a 10-mile run. We’ve gone running together ever since.”
Dunn’s second dog, Leighla, was adopted to keep Bear company. The Austrailian shepherd/black lab mix was a puppy who immediately fell in love with Bear. The two are inseperable, and Leighla often takes Bear for walks, holding the leash in her mouth.
Dunn had to find the dogs a home quickly, so he put an ad on the Internet. Anyone who could pick them up, could take them.
They were taken by an Indianapolis couple.
“I gave them everything, the dogs, their leashes, collars, food bowls, shot information, everything,” Dunn said. “Then, about two weeks ago, I got a call from my vet in New Palestine, telling me a woman had found my dogs. They were together, they never separated.”
Dunn believes the dogs left to come home to him. Leighla showed signs of malnutrition, and she had had puppies.
“I haven’t been able to reach the people I gave them to,” Dunn said. “Leighla came back at least 15 pounds lighter.”
To make matters worse, Dunn had also received bad news about his house.
Dunn bought the 1920s-era home on Walnut Street on a repossession. The house was essentially gutted, and he’s spent the past two years rebuilding it — installing new cabinets, flooring, appliances and painting rooms.
“I didn’t expect to have to sell it quickly, but now it’s absolutely necessary,” he said. “I have to sell it before I can leave in March.”
In November, shortly after sending his dogs to a new home, Dunn almost sold the house.
All of his furniture had been sold or given away, and Dunn was set to move out. Two days before the deal was set to close, his buyer backed out.
“He backed out just before Thanksgiving,” Dunn said. “It was just a real surprise, and I’d already given everything away.”
Now, Dunn is rushing to get everything taken care of. He must find a good home for the dogs.
“They need to be together, because they won’t leave each other’s side,” Dunn said. “I think they’d do well with someone who has a nice yard. They’re good with kids. They’re very playful, very lovable dogs who love squirrels, people, cars, neighbors and other dogs.” Dunn also thinks Bear would like someone who could run with him. “He’s used to training with me for my marathons.”
As for the house, Dunn has a Realtor who is working hard to sell the two-bedroom home.
“It’s got a lot of character and charm; that’s why I bought it in the first place,” Dunn said. “I’m cautiously hopeful that everything will work out with this. I really do think things happen for a reason, and there’s a part of me that knows God’s hand is in all of this. If I can’t leave in March, I’ll go in September, but hopefully I’ll find a home for Bear and Leighla and sell the house and everything will work out just fine.”
If you’re interested in adopting Dunn’s pets, contact Jane Hodson at the Daily Reporter, 477-3223, to find out more information.
