Tails of Courage Dog and Puppy Rescue

The Immigration Law Offices of Cynthia R. Exner, LLC is a proud sponsor of Tails of Courage.Tails of Courage (TOC) is a 501c(3) charitable dog and puppy rescue organization, started in 2009 out of the ashes of the World Trade Center disaster.  The President of TOC was working with a maritime law firm on the 52nd floor of One World Trade Center on 9/11.  She had arrived at work early that fateful morning, so that she would be able to leave early at the end of the day.  When the first plane hit her building, ceiling tiles cascaded down on her head, and her military training took over.  She walked down 52 flights of stairs, with only her apartment keys in her hands.  She didn’t return to her office to collect her purse or her laptop.  She headed directly towards the stairwell.  Climbing down the stairs, she looked into the faces of the young firefighters climbing up, and will never forget the looks she saw in their eyes.  In honor and tribute to the firefighters who lost their lives that day, and to the many rescue dogs that climbed through the debris in an effort to save lives, Tails of Courage started as just a dream.

Taking in a few rescue dogs into her home at first, the organization quickly outgrew the premises and has moved several times.  In July, 2013 TOC was able to move into the oldest kennel facility in the State of Connecticut.  With chapters in Pennsylvania and West Virginia, TOC provides medical services, food and rescue to hundreds of abandoned and discarded dogs and puppies.  Many of the dog owners in West Virginia cannot afford to spay and neuter their dogs.  TOC will accept a pregnant mama dog, deliver her pups, spay the mother and return her to the owner, retaining the puppies.  All animals are vetted, spayed/neutered, micro-chipped and are up to date on age-appropriate vaccinations.  The animals are transported by dedicated transport workers who donate their time and vehicles to make the long drive to Connecticut, which is accomplished in stages, with dogs unloaded and reloaded into the next transport vehicles along the way.

Zena is the dog whose story sparked a revolution in Tails of Courage!  Our President received an email late one evening from a volunteer with the NYCACC.  Would Tails of Courage rescue Zena?  Absolutely.  Zena's story was posted online, a potential service dog turned in to a kill shelter.  Scared and confused, Zena arrived at Tails of Courage.  Her story was shared by 600,000 people and hundreds of applications later, we knew we needed to expand our therapy dog program! 

Every now and again, something touches us, and brings us to our knees.  Zena’s story is one such event. 

Zena was a 3 year old owner turn-in to NYCACC, a high kill shelter.  Zena’s owner was too ill to care for her and had lost his home.  Zena arrived scrawny and starving.  One volunteer at NYCACC saw her, remembered Tails of Courage, and placed a call to us immediately.  You see, Zena was a very special dog, trained to alert her owner of oncoming seizures. 

She arrived at TOC emaciated, and was placed on a free-feed regime.  Zena sat sadly by the door of her kennel run, intent on returning to the job for which she was trained and to which she was dedicated. 

She was posted under the Tails of Courage Heroic Paws program, for adoption to a service member or veteran in need of her particular skill, at no charge. 

Tails of Courage received over 600,000 hits online for Zena, from countries all over the world. 

As Zena gained back her strength, 22 year old Staff Sergeant Todd Lobraico, Jr. was killed while providing security at Bagram Air Base in Afghanistan, his funeral procession passed by the kennel on its way to the funeral ceremony in the next town.  Everyone left their homes and businesses to line the roadway.  Zena sat at attention out in front of the kennel, showing her respect.  The scene brought tears to the eyes of everyone.

Tails of Courage sifted through the hundreds of applications received and finally selected a Retired Army Sergeant of the 101st Airborne who had served in Vietnam and was 100% disabled, using a crutch to move.  The veteran suffers from PTSD, seizures, diabetes and is seen weekly at the VA hospital. 

Zena walked obediently down to the reception area with a TOC volunteer.  Suddenly, as Zena entered the room, her ears picked up and she looked directly at the Sergeant.  Alertly, she walked over to him and sat down.  Zena did not leave his side during the entire interview.  Zena knew she was finally home.  The Sergeant took her outside.  Zena was gentle, walking alongside him to steady his gait.  She did not pull at all.  It was as though she had been waiting for him, and he for her.  He told us that he had been suffering from his medical issues for over 40 years.

Zena’s story sparked a revolution at TOC.  “Zena’s Saintz” is a program just getting started, to pair people in need with rescue dogs trained in service.  TOC was truly humbled.

All the dogs and puppies are available for adoption 7 days a week, from 9:00 to 5:30 at Tails of Courage, One Pembroke Road, Danbury, CT and online at www.tailsofcourage.org.  Adoption Events are held almost every weekend throughout Fairfield and Litchfield County.  The next Adoption Event is on Sunday, November 24, 2013 at Choice Pet Supply, 1947 Black Rock Turnpike, Fairfield, CT from 1:00 to 3:00 PM.