Luck smiles on shelter pets at town event

For the Mendes family of Ronkonkoma, it was more about love than luck Saturday when they adopted a brown and black pit bull terrier mix named Chelsea.

"We fell in love with her as soon as we saw her," said Jason Mendes, 11, adding that the year-old Chelsea barked to get their attention. "We found a great dog."

Jason found his first pet at the Hempstead Town Animal Shelter during its inaugural "Lucky You, Lucky Me" adoption event, held in honor of St. Patrick's Day. Chelsea was a stray picked up on a Roosevelt street in January.

"I prefer to adopt because there are so many dogs looking for a home," said Jason's mother Karina Mendes, 45, who was accompanied by her son John, 9, and husband Fernando. "They are going to have to pitch in with the work. That's part of the deal."

Dozens of would-be animal owners streamed through the animal shelter, looking to save up to $85 per pet as the shelter waived adoption fees for the holiday. About nine dogs and nine cats were adopted during the seven-hour event, said Dolores Stormo, the shelter's volunteer coordinator.

"We are feeling lucky today, but they [the pets] are actually the lucky ones," said assistant shelter director Stacie DaBolt, who was among shelter employees wearing their Irish in the form of green shirts. "Shelter animals make great pets . . . They are very unconditional [in] loving. They know that you saved them."

The shelter's adoption team contacted the two references on the Mendes' adoption application and two hours later, after determining the family was a "perfect match," let the Mendeses take Chelsea home.

"We got her!" Jason said in celebration, toying with the energetic pup as she jumped around her kennel. "I'm pretty excited. I have wanted a dog for many years."