NEWSDina Manzo Fosters Puppy
Jul. 26 2010, Published 12:00 p.m. ET
Real Housewives of New Jersey star Dina Manzo is on the lookout for a loving home in which to place Marsha, the four-month-old shepherd mix she’s fostering while she’s summering in the Hamptons.
“I went to a Last Chance Animal Rescue event to help these little puppies find homes,” she tells me during the Celebrity Pet Product Showcase held this week at InterContinental New York Barclay Hotel. “Of course, I took one home to foster while I was on vacation, so I’m not leaving the Hamptons until she finds a home. I’m excited to be able to give a little incentive to give this beautiful little doggy a home. I figure if I give away all these wonderful beds and bowls along with the pup, someone will be more likely to take her.”
Before the Last Chance Animal Rescue team swooped in to rescue the pup, Dina shares that little Marsha was nearly gassed in a gas chamber
“They’re based out of the Hamptons, and they rescue these dogs. People donate their private jets and fly them over to the Hamptons, and we try to find them homes.”
Why should we adopt Marsha?
“She’s a beautiful, obedient dog who is so grateful to be alive, and she shows it. I’ve had her with me only a few days. She’s already potty-trained. She’s the biggest lover. My kids are having the best time with her. Save a life – instead of going and purchasing a dog, there are thousands upon thousands of dogs that are being put to sleep every single day. It’s important to give them a chance, and they are the most grateful animals ever to be alive and they show it.”
Bonus: Marsha is good with her daughter Lexie, 14, and she’s well-behaved.
“You have to see her,” she says. “My daughter and a few of her friends are all sleeping in the bed -- there’s the four of them with Marsha right in the middle. She’s so lovable. She gives unconditional love. I’ve had her for less than a week now, so I haven’t taught her many tricks – we’re teaching her how to walk on a leash. What’s special about her – and the reason she’s so good – is she’s so grateful to be placed in a foster home right now.”
Dina continues, “A lot of puppies, you get them home and they’re chewing everything, they’re destroying everything. But she is an angel. She chews only on her chew toy. She lays only where she’s supposed to lay. I think these dogs know what they’ve been through, and where they could’ve wound up. They’re grateful.”
Although it will be difficult to give Marsha up to permanent owners, Dina is accustomed to fostering pups.
“I’m in the process of adopting a special needs dog right now,” she says. “I’m being realistic – I have two cats, I have my birds, and I have my daughter. And I do it all on my own. I am still married, but my husband works an awful lot. I’m being realistic. If I were to take another puppy on right now on top of the special needs dog … I don’t want to overwhelm myself. I do have Project Ladybug, a charity for children with cancer that I work for all day long, so as much as I love little Marsha, I know it’s not the smartest thing to overwhelm myself with a new pup and the training and all that too.”
Hmm, how does Marsha the dog get along with the cats?
“Cat Grandma Wrinkles thinks she’s human, so she’s like ‘what’s that? A dog?’ The puppy’s playful. We’re keeping them separated right now because the cats are a little stressed out because they’re out of their environment to begin with, so I don’t want to stress them out even more. The cats are upstairs and sleep in my bedroom. The puppy gets run of the house because she is a rescue.”
Want to adopt Marsha? Contact Dina Manzo through Twitter or Facebook.
The Celebrity Pet Product Showcase features gifts for animals and those who love them including the Frolicat automatic laser light, Ducky World’s Yeowww! catnip toys that actually work (oh yes, they do, my girls Mysty and Spense attest), Neater Feeder no-spill pet dish, Perfect World Pets elephant squeeze toy, Swiffer Sweeper starter kit, Febreze Air Effects Pet Odor Eliminator and The Refined Feline cat furniture.
