Rescued dogs brought to Newbury Park feed store for adoption
'I come here because it's nice to see people come in and look for their best friend.' - Renee Merrill Volunteer
By Nancy Needham nancy@theacorn.com

When a scruffy little terrier named Dumpster arrived at Newbury Park Feed he wasn't the most popular dog Joshua Pasewaldt had ever rescued.

Not only did the terrier look like something picked out of a garbage dumpster, he also had a highpitched bark that put people off, the 26-year-old store owner recalled.

Pasewaldt rescues dogs from Kern County shelters and brings them to his pet store. They are usually adopted in a day or two.

But not Dumpster.

"Usually the dogs choose the people. I see it happen every day. When someone comes in, one of the dogs will follow that person around the fence and stick his paw on the fence to let that person know he's been chosen," said Renee Merrill.

Merrill volunteers all day five days a week to keep the four 36square-foot kennels cleaned up. The shop at 67 N. Reino Road is across the street from Newbury Park High School, and teen volunteers like Tyler Perry, 15, come and help out after school.

"I come here because it's nice to see people come in and look for their best friend," Merrill said.

Photos by WENDY PIERRO/Acorn Newspapers LOOKING FOR A HOME- Small dogs wait to be adopted at Newbury Park Feed last Saturday. The animals were rescued from Kern County shelters, where they faced an uncertain future. The rescuer is the owner of Newbury Park Feed, Joshua Pasewaldt.

The store is open from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Saturday and from noon to 4 p.m. on Sunday. People who come in and out looking for dogs are under no pressure to take one because the dogs rescued by Pasewaldt are no longer under threat of euthanization.

The cost of a dog is $60, the same amount Pasewaldt paid the shelter for them. A dog may be returned within five days for a full refund, as long as an explanation is given as to why the dog did not work out so the pet store can make a better placement the next time, Merrill said.

"Last March," Pasewaldt said, "I started driving two to three hours each way to Kern County because I heard of the high kill numbers they have at their shelters."

He makes the trips in his BMW Mini Cooper on Tuesday and Friday each week and comes back with about 10 to 20 dogs. To date, about 650 dogs have been adopted from him. All have been spayed or neutered and have had their shots.

"I'm a used-puppy salesman," Pasewaldt said.

He doesn't make a profit on the dogs unless someone who purchases one also buys a leash, food or other dog supplies from his store.

"I look for a spunky dog that comes up to me and says, 'Hi. I want to go home,'" he said.

He chooses dogs that appear healthy, active and happy. He avoids aggressive breeds because he hopes the dogs he rescues will become family pets, he said.

Among those who've found a pet is Stephanie Lotwis of Newbury Park. She went to the store several times hoping to find just the right dog. Then one day, Molly was there. Molly is a terrier mix whom Lotwish described as perfect.

"What he does is a service to the animals and to the community," Lotwis said.

The Kern County Lake Isabella Shelter gets in about 10 dogs a week and adopts out three or four, accord

ng to supervisor Marilyn Elliott. The shelter's personnel will call Pasewaldt if they get in a litter of puppies because he will make a trip

he next day to rescue them, Elliott said. "We look forward to Josh coming, and we appreciate his help. He does us a great service, and we adore him."

Pasewaldt also gets dogs from the larger, more crowded Bakersfield shelter.

He recently picked up some 7month-old Labrador mix puppies from the Lake Isabella shelter. The dogs acted traumatized when they first arrived, but with love and care from customers, staff and volunteers they were happy puppies a day later, Merrill said. Most were adopted or promised within a day or two.

Poor Dumpster was not so lucky. He had to wait longer to be adopted than the other rescue dogs because of his annoying bark, Pasewaldt said.

"After three weeks we began to wonder if he was going to find a home. Then an elderly lady from Ventura came in who was hard of hearing. They were a perfect match."