Liberty Gym

In our 28-year history, we here at ADW have been blessed on occasions by our “Dog Angels.” Out of the blue, a generous donor might walk through our doors and make a contribution that not only boosts our bottom line, but also signifies a meaningful commitment to our agency by spreading the word about our work. We are entirely grateful to our naming sponsor Shelia and her wonderful family for their support. 

Here’s how it unfolded: 

A few months after the passing of Shelia’s Australian Shephard Lucy, The Albuquerque Journal featured Hawkeye on the front page of the paper---he is an Australian Shephard looking exactly like Lucy. The article explained how Hawkeye was trained to help his veteran as a service dog and this inspired Shelia to become a donor to Assistance Dogs of the West. Lucy provided compassionate assistance to Shelia when her husband was ill and then died, so she understood at a deep level the bond. Shelia and her husband loved M*A*S*H, and thus the article about Hawkeye (a main character in the TV series played by Alan Alda) held a special resonance. Shelia, following her initial donation, then decided that she wanted to name an ADW pup in honor of her brother Doug, Dorine her sister-in-law, and Liberty Gym. So we’re welcoming Liberty to our ADW family with happiness and gratitude.