LAUREL COUNTY, Ky. —
Angel, a four-legged survivor of the March 2 tornado that killed six people in East Bernstadt, has finally found a home.
Rescue and adoption organizations, Fur Ever Friends in Corbin and the Kentucky Humane Society in Louisville, have been working to find the 3-year-old Shepherd mix a forever home since Angel lost hers and her former owner, Ethel Pruitt, six months ago.
Pruitt was killed as a result of the tornado that hit her Bentley Road home. Angel, and three other dogs on the property, likely survived the deadly storm because they were chained to trees.
Last Thursday, Angel returned to Laurel County to live with Pat and Bob Seng, retirees who moved to London in 2005. The two, originally from Michigan and Pennsylvania, are big country music fans and discovered this area after many frequent trips to Renfro Valley.
The Sengs didn’t know Pruitt but felt compelled to bring Angel back home to Laurel County.
“We thought she should be back home. I just can’t imagine what that poor thing has gone through,” Pat said.
Angel’s new home with the Sengs is just about 15 miles from her former home. The couple read about Angel in the Sentinel-Echo on Monday, Sept. 10. Two days later, they went to the Kentucky Humane Society in Louisville to meet her. The couple already has two dogs – Lady, an older Shepherd mix who looks a bit like Angel, and Sammy, a 2-year-old Shih Tzu. After meeting both Lady and Sammy, Angel went home with the Sengs on Thursday.
Andrea Blair, director of communications with the Kentucky Humane Society, said the Sengs were a good fit for Angel, and it was clear to see they had a heart for rescue animals.
“They both adore animals and are willing to work with her (Angel),” Blair said. “They just knew that was their dog.”
Lady came to the Sengs quite by accident. One summer about four years ago, Lady wandered into their family reunion. With eight children between them, and numerous grandchildren and great-grandchildren, the Sengs host a big reunion, and many of the children bring their own dogs for the week.
“A lot of our relatives had brought their dogs,” Pat said. “But then someone took a head count (of the dogs), and we realized we had an extra.”
Lady, it seemed, wanted to join the family, and she did. But Lady was not without her issues.
“She was very thin,” Pat said. “Lady took a couple of years before she got over her shyness.”
Sammy, Pat described, is their “gift from God.”
About 9 months ago, the couple lost a Shih Tzu to cancer.
“We hadn’t planned on getting another dog,” Pat said, “but when we were at the vet, we saw a poster, ‘Free to a Good Home,’ and he was ours.”
Sammy was found dumped on the side of the road, albeit with a food dish, and later brought to the vet by a Good Samaritan.
Pat said Sammy and Angel have become fast friends. Because Lady is an older dog (approx. 8-9 years old), Sammy needed a “play buddy,” Pat said.
Angel, too, has been described as extremely timid, especially around men — Bob included. The Sengs know it will take time for Angel to adjust to her new home. But now, she is not alone.
None of the dogs like storms, Pat said, so they’re all in good company together.
“Everyone’s afraid of storms, but that’s OK. We have plenty of beds to hide under here.”
editor@sentinel-echo.com
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Related Photos
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Pat Seng sits with her dogs Sammy, left, and Angel, right. Angel, who survived the March 2 tornado in East Bernstadt, was adopted from the Kentucky Humane Society last week. Photo by Carrie Dillard
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Pat and Bob Seng of London adopted Angel, a Shepherd mix, after seeing her story of survival in the Sentinel-Echo.
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September 24, 2012
Angel comes home to Laurel County
Four-legged tornado survivor joins new family
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