Marshall the NYC Dal

If dogs could talk, Marshall would have quite a story to tell. The stray Dalmatian was found wandering the streets of Manhattan several days after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. Then without a name, he was taken in by the Manhattan Center for Animal Care Control. Because of his sweet nature, the shelter contacted a Dalmatian rescue group that finds homes for dogs in need. Marshall is making his temporary home in Corning with Jamie Smith, her family and her dogs. Marshall is Smith's 18th foster Dalmatian since November of 1999.
	MILES B. NORMAN/Star-Gazette Jamie Smith of Corning with Marshall, a Dalmatian rescued from New York City several days after the World Trade Center was destroyed. "I had just released a foster (dog) the week before," Smith said. She and her husband, B.J. Smith, have four dogs of their own -- three Dalmatians and a rescued greyhound -- and she tries to foster one more dog. "I've done more, but now we have a new baby," she said. Smith is also a full-time teacher in the Corning-Painted Post School District. This would be just another story about nice people being kind to animals except that shortly after Marshall arrived in Corning, he began to have serious nosebleeds, which is unusual for dogs, Smith said. The Smiths' veterinarian discovered that Marshall's nasal passages had been badly scraped. "We don't know how long he was on the streets or where," Smith said. She added that the best guess is that he was close enough to the World Trade Center towers during the collapse that he inhaled a large amount of dust containing harsh materials. The particles irritated his nose and then caused an infection that even led to some congestion in his lungs, Smith said. But about $600 later, Marshall is on the road to recovery.
Although Smith paid the vet bill, she will eventually be reimbursed by the rescue group that placed (and named) Marshall -- Willing Hearts Dalmatian Rescue of Royersford, Pa. The organization tries to help Dalmatians in need in the mid-Atlantic region and has members scattered throughout those states, said Robbie Lark, a contact person for the group. Members of the organization raise money through various activities to support their rescue efforts, and families that adopt dogs from the organization are asked to donate. The fostering process not only involves making sure the dogs are medically fit to go into new homes, but also evaluates their personalities and needs to make sure the best match possible is made. "The hardest part is letting them go," Smith said. Smith said she first became involved with the group when she heard about it on the Internet. She already had two Dalmatians of her own and the rescued greyhound. She adopted a third Dalmatian from the Horseheads town shelter before she discovered the world of other Dalmatian lovers networking to save dogs in need. "I've met some really great people and great dogs," she said of the experience. "It's the starfish story: You can't save them all, but it has made a difference to 18 dogs." - For more information on Willing Hearts, go to www.dogsaver.org/willinghearts The www.dogsaver.org Web site also has listings for many more dog rescue groups and information on how to foster dogs or adopt ones in need of permanent homes.