Jason and Laura Pinoniemi knew Dorothy would be their new dog after spending just a few minutes with her.
The salt and pepper mini-schnauzer didn’t get too much love and affection with her breeder, who was caring for 55 other dogs.
But this week, alone with the couple in a room at PAWSabilities, the Humane Society of Greater Akron, the 1-year-old purebred relaxed and soaked in the attention of the Pinoniemis.
“She was the one, definitely the one,” Jason Pinoniemi said.
Dorothy was among the first of 56 mini-schnauzers available at the Twinsburg shelter to be adopted. A Summit County breeder recently surrendered the dogs after being unable to care for them all, said Diane Johnson, president and CEO of PAWSabilities.
It’s extraordinary for the shelter to have such a bevy of purebreds, who are ages 1 through 14. But the mini-schnauzers make up only a fraction of the animals that have come in this summer.
Since July, PAWSabilities has taken in more than 600 animals. Most are dogs and cats, Johnson said. But there are also bunnies, ferrets and a couple of domesticated rats.
Some of the animals came from hoarders. A couple of weeks ago, PAWSabilities rescued 13 cats abandoned in a motel room near Norton, Johnson said. But most animals are part of a constant flow of unwanted animals surrendered to the shelter by people who can no longer care for them.
“It is kitten season,” she said, a time when litters born to cats impregnated during the spring come in.
On Saturday, all of the animals who are healthy, microchipped and spayed or neutered will be available for discounted adoption. That includes about 40 of the purebred mini-schnauzers.
“Our priority is matching up right animal with right family,” Johnson said.
About four or five years ago, a behaviorist on staff began putting each dog through a 45-minute test to see how the dog reacts in different situations involving small children, people walking with canes, someone taking food away and other scenarios. Cats, wholly different creatures, are not tested.
Johnson said their adoption success rate is excellent. About 96 percent of adopted animals end up staying in their new homes.
Jason Pinoniemi said it’s difficult picking one animal and leaving the rest behind.
A Jack Russell mix the Pinoniemis adopted fives years ago from a Lake County shelter died in February. Their other dog — Dixie, a mini-schnauzer — is 14.
Finding Dorothy this week seemed like kismet.
“But it isn’t just the schnauzers that need to be adopted,” Jason Pinoniemi said. “They have a whole bunch of other dogs, a lot of them are pit bulls ... so hopefully, this will open the door for other people to adopt them, too.”
Pictures of some, but not all, of the animals up for adoption at PAWSabilities are featured on the group’s website: summithumane.org
Saturday’s discount adoption event happens from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. at the humane society’s headquarters, 7996 Darrow Road.
Most cats and dogs will be available for adoption during the event for $50 or $25, depending on their age.
If you already have dogs, Johnson encourages you to bring your pooches along so you can see how they interact with the shelter animals looking for a home.
Amanda Garrett can be reached at 330-996-3725 or agarrett@thebeaconjournal.com.
Beacon Journal Reporter Betty Lin-Fisher contributed to this report.