Penny was once a stray in Texas, placed on a euthanasia list before Sadie's Safe Harbor Canine Rescue stepped in. Now the 2-year-old Chihuahua-dachshund mix is a working actor, cast as Bruiser in St. Mary High School's production of Legally Blonde: The Musical — and she still needs someone to adopt her.
From a Texas Shelter to a Western New York Stage
Penny was found as a stray and rescued from Texas, according to WGRZ. Sadie's Safe Harbor, which is located in Orchard Park, rescued her and arranged her flight to Western New York, where she now lives with a foster family. The rescue group, Sadie's Safe Harbor Canine Rescue, says on its website that it is located in the Buffalo, New York area and only adopts locally to that region.
The outlet reports that Penny plays Bruiser, the small dog from the Legally Blonde story, in St. Mary High School's upcoming production. The musical opens on November 6, with an additional performance on November 7. Cast and crew hope Penny's stage appearance will help her find a permanent family, per the station's report.
An Angel Backstage, a Favorite Among the Cast
Jen VanDuzer, director of music and theatre at St. Mary's High School, described Penny as an angel who stays quiet backstage, follows direction onstage, and is loved by the students, WGRZ reported. Per the same account, Penny is a favorite among students and staff involved in the production. VanDuzer encouraged interested families to adopt Penny into a good home and said she plans to personally cover Penny's adoption fee for whoever takes her in.
Sadie's Safe Harbor does not operate a physical shelter. Instead, the organization says it relies entirely on foster homes throughout the Western New York area, a structure that explains why a dog like Penny can live with a local family while still searching for a permanent one. The rescue also says its matching process is deliberate rather than first-come, first-served, noting on its site that it strives to find the best match for each dog rather than handing animals off quickly.
What Adopting Penny Would Involve
Because Sadie's Safe Harbor requires a home visit as part of its adoption process, the group says it rarely places dogs outside a handful of Western New York counties. The rescue also maintains relationships with shelters in North Carolina and Texas, bringing in some dogs from out-of-state, high-kill shelters — which is how Penny ended up on a plane to Western New York in the first place. According to the organization, it typically brings new dogs in every several weeks, depending on the availability of foster homes and the number of dogs in need.
Anyone interested in meeting Penny can arrange a visit through sadiesrescue.org, according to WGRZ. For now, she is splitting her time between her foster home and the St. Mary's stage, where audiences can catch her performance as Bruiser when Legally Blonde: The Musical opens next week.
