Dawn Goehring’s life has gone to the dogs. She and her troupe of 14 pooches, mostly former shelter dogs, perform at the Comedy Barn in Pigeon Forge, Tenn., six nights a week during tourist season. The dogs skateboard, walk tightropes and hop over hurdles, things you don’t expect a dog to be able to do. The stage is a flurry of amazing activity.
For years, Miss Ellie, a Chinese crested hairless, was the spokesdog for the troupe, but at almost 17, she was ready for retirement, so Dawn began looking for a dog with star quality to step in.
When someone emailed her a Petfinder.com listing, she took a look. What she saw was a little Chinese crested hairless who had been rescued from a hoarder. She was brought to a city shelter, but no one stepped up to adopt her, so Naked K9 & Small Dog Rescue, Louisville, pulled her from the shelter and gave her a second chance to find a new life. All of her teeth had to be pulled, and she had skin problems, but the rescue group took care of her.
Dawn thought little Possom was perfect, and she joined the troupe. When not performing, Dawn and her dogs visit schools to teach pet responsibility and bite prevention.
To celebrate Adopt-A-Shelter-Dog Month, Dawn’s employer let her send 700 free, Comedy Barn-ticket vouchers to over 20 animal shelters in eight states to give to new adopters. And dogs were welcome to attend the show!
“Next year, we plan on doing one show, one day and hope to get over 300 adopted dogs and their owners to the show,” Dawn says. “Should be a blast!”
The Comedy Canines have raised approximately $35,000 for animal welfare, and in honor of Miss Ellie, who died in June, Dawn has a new goal: to raise a million dollars to help build a new animal shelter in Sevier County, Tenn. Miss Ellie’s Web site is www.misselliesmission.com.
Dawn and her dogs are leaders of the pack, making a difference for dogs.
Bart
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Such a great story and I agree Possum is such an adorable dog.
I love this piece. It is so precious and Possum is a very lucky dog. A story like this that supports people considering dog adoption warms my heart. Thanks!