At holiday time, Ingrid finally gets a home
Tiana Mincieli of Huntington adopted her new pit bull named Ingrid today from the Little Shelter Animal Rescue and Adoption Center in Huntington where Ingrid arrived in 2007, near death, and was saved by a vet-recomended daily regimien of Viagra. (Dec. 21, 2011) Credit: Thomas A. Ferrara
Nearly five years ago, a sickly pit bull mix named Ingrid arrived at the Little Shelter Animal Rescue and Adoption Center in Huntington with a rare heart ailment.
Wednesday, the 35-pound dog that drew national attention because of her unusual heart-treatment regimen -- a daily dose of Viagra -- was all wags as she became the newest addition to a Huntington family.
"I feel good that I rescued her," said Tiana Mincieli, 28, who completed the adoption at the shelter. Her daughter, Gia, 4, was at her side, excited about taking Ingrid home.
Mincieli said she had been searching for a dog for months at shelters and pet stores in Suffolk and Nassau, but none stood out.
"I came here and saw her picture on the wall, and asked if I could just take a look at her," Mincieli said as staffers bid Ingrid goodbye with more than the usual fanfare for departing dogs. "I played with her for two minutes and that was it. I fell in love with her."
The match, made possible by adoption counselor Jon DeSanno, was a delicate balancing act, since both Ingrid and her new family had special needs.
While Ingrid is the quintessential people-pooch, she can't stand other dogs. She needs Viagra -- as per doctor's orders -- and she's a pit bull, a breed with a scary reputation.
But some of the strikes against Ingrid were plusses for her new family: Gia likes only small dogs and her mom has a soft spot for pit bulls. "There was a connection right away," DeSanno said.
When Ingrid was brought to the adoption center in May 2007, she had 14 pounds of fluid in her abdomen, said Little Shelter president Maryann Chernovsky. A veterinarian diagnosed the dog with heart failure and heartworms, and recommended Viagra, a drug initially developed to treat human heart disease because it increases blood flow before it became better known for treating erectile dysfunction.
Chernovsky said the adoption center has received hundreds of donations of Viagra since she put out the word that it is a lifesaver for Ingrid. Some donors sent in packets of the pills with "Dear Ingrid" letters, wishing her a long life, she said.
Chernovsky said Little Shelter will continue to supply the drug for Ingrid in her new home because of its cost.
Out East with Doug Geed: Wine harvests, a fish market, baked treats and poinsettias NewsdayTV's Doug Geed visits two wineries and a fish market, and then it's time for holiday cheer, with a visit to a bakery and poinsettia greenhouses.
Out East with Doug Geed: Wine harvests, a fish market, baked treats and poinsettias NewsdayTV's Doug Geed visits two wineries and a fish market, and then it's time for holiday cheer, with a visit to a bakery and poinsettia greenhouses.
