Mr. Bay finds a home

FERNAN — Mr. Bay fits right in at home with Jim and Karen Styner.

The hound mix relaxes on the back deck with his new owners and his canine counterparts, Frankie and Kismet, on a sunny Friday afternoon.

When a noise in the trees near the fence line catches their attention, all three jump up and burst away, barking as they go. A few minutes later, they return, and Mr. Bay sits next to Jim, who scratches the dog’s ear and pats his head.

“He is absolutely the easiest dog I could ever imagine,” Jim said. “I just can’t believe how easy it’s been.”

Styner is surprised because Mr. Bay spent 441 days at Companions Animals Center, their longest resident by far. Many looked at him, but all opted against making him part of their home.

Until he was adopted June 10.

That’s a long time for a dog to be at a shelter by anyone’s standards.

“I thought he was a good-looking dog,” Jim said. “I wondered how he could be there for so long. Why didn’t he get picked?”

Vicki Nelson, CAC development director, said Mr. Bay came from a dog-hoarding situation in Athol. She said he likely wasn’t adopted because he's part hound, and hounds are known as howlers.

He also had what she referred to as a “bad kennel presence.” He tended to bark and growl when people approached his kennel.

“He looked like he was going to take your head off,” Nelson said, laughing.

And as hounds do, he barked with great passion.

“People were a little apprehensive about the noise,” Nelson said.

But to shelter staff, Mr. Bay was the bomb. He was friendly, fun and mellow, a joy to be around.

On average, it takes about three weeks for a CAC dog to be adopted, Nelson said. Shelter life can be stressful. Dogs are in kennels, there is frequent barking and strangers approach throughout the day.

“Some animals do not fare well when they're in a shelter for a long time,” Nelson said. “Others accept it and do well.”

Mr. Bay, who had arrived with another hound-mix, Hoodee, was one who struggled, and his plight was outlined briefly in CAC’s March newsletter. 

“These two beautiful hound-dog mixes have been at the center for 332 days,” the article stated.

Fate intervened.

Karen read that article and showed it to her husband.

“We have to go get them,” she said.

When they arrived, they learned, sadly, that Hoodoo had died of an aggressive form of cancer.

But they met Mr. Bay, who as usual, didn’t make a good first impression and bared his teeth.

“He didn’t like us,” Karen said with a smile.

But the Styners persisted.

They went back day after day to get to know Mr. Bay, and so he could get comfortable with them.

“He was a sweet dog. You could tell," Karen said. "At that point, there was no question we would adopt him."

Still, it took time and patience.

“Every day was like Ground Hog Day. Every day we came back it was like starting over,” Karen said.

Mr. Bay gradually came to favor Jim, "because he’s like Dr. Doolittle,” Karen said, laughing.

On June 10, they brought him to their Fernan home. He was skittish at first but soon relaxed as he became familiar with the property and settled in as one of the family.

“Piece of cake,” Jim Styner said. “He got pretty comfortable pretty quick.”

The Styners already had two other rescues, Kismet and Frankie. The three have become best buds.

“He’s just been a dream since we got him,” Karen said.

While it would seem three rescued pets are enough, the Styners may not be done.

“There’s a rabbit he wants to go back and get,” Karen said of her husband.

    Jim and Karen Styner with their dogs, Mr. Bay, Kismet and Frankie in the backyard of their Fernan home.
  

    Jim Styner and Mr. Bay share a moment at the Styner's Fernan home on Friday.
  

    Mr. Bay rests on the deck of the Styners' home.