Students’ last minute library study sessions will be interrupted tomorrow morning with a visit from four energetic puppies. The six week old huskies will be in the library from about 7:30 a.m. to 8:15 a.m. It will cost $5 to hold them.
“We do one surprise a month,” librarian Nancy McGinnis said. “This one just kind of sprang up this week, and the last one everybody was so happy about. We thought, ‘Why not? It’ll be a great little ‘good luck on your finals and Merry Christmas’ kind of a thing.’”
All proceeds will be donated to the Texas Husky Rescue, a nonprofit organization run by volunteers that rescues, rehabilitates and rehomes huskies. English teacher Meghan Regent is the rescue’s Foster Director and is caring for the puppies until they are able to be adopted at eight weeks old. All are named after characters from “The Office.” While she describes fostering the huskies as absolute chaos, Regent loves watching them grow and develop their own personalities.
“They chew on everything and they yell at everything and they poop and pee on everything, but at the same time, it’s a lot of fun,” Regent said.
This will be the second time this school year that puppies visit students in the library. In September, English teacher Meghan Regent brought two of her foster puppies to school, where they spent the day playing with excited students and faculty.
Any money that the Texas Husky Rescue receives goes directly to the dogs, especially their medical bills. According to Regent, the organization spends an average of $750 per dog, but in extreme cases, they’ve had to pay up to $6,000 for surgeries. Once they’re healthy, dogs can be adopted for $300, while puppies cost $350.
“Even though people think that our fees are expensive, it’s really not. They’re getting a pretty good deal,” Regent said. “My last foster, she ended up having a very difficult time after her spay and almost died. We had to spend close to $4,000 for her to be in the ER while she was fighting for her life, and then she got adopted a week later for $300.”
The Texas Husky Rescue is always looking for volunteers and fosters like Regent to care for the dogs until they find their forever home.
“It gives me a larger sense of purpose,” Regent said. “A lot of people say, ‘Oh, I could never foster because it would be too hard to let them go,’ but I always say, ‘It’s a lot easier to let them go to a happy family than watch them die in a shelter alone.’”
