Puppy mill survivor meets Sheriff Taylor again (w/ photo) By Lucy Luginbill, Special to the Herald Photo courtesy of Linda Knutson - Bronte meets up again with Benton County Sheriff Larry Taylor, only this time it was under happy circumstances. KENNEWICK — A big heart met a tiny thankful heart this week in my hometown. It was a reunion that could make a grown man cry. This heartfelt get-together had come full circle when fluffy little Bronté, a miniature American Eskimo Dog, showed up in Kennewick to personally thank — and plant a few wet kisses on — the fella who changed her life. But the first time Benton County Sheriff Larry Taylor met Bronté, no one was leaping for joy. It would have been impossible. This white, furry and now 6-year old canine, along with almost 400 other dogs of the same breed were stuffed into rusty makeshift cages — even deteriorating grocery carts — where their small paws never touched the ground. Between the stench and the misery, there was no reason to wag a tail. It was a heartbreaking scene. That scenario was a little more than a year ago when The Humane Society and Sheriff Taylor’s team led a rescue effort that freed these tortured hearts from a sordid puppy mill. Within a short time, the healthiest canines were sent to shelters for adoption — one where Bronté came to find love. Certainly, a loving turn deserves another. That’s why Bronté's owner, Linda Knutson, contacted me to see if I could connect her to Sheriff Taylor. (By chance, I’d met Bronteé at Duvall Days this year when they’d been out on a walk in town.) Linda thought it’d be nice to have Bronteé personally thank the sheriff for the difference he’d made in her life. And that’s exactly what happened on a very sunny day. Acting as an ambassador, diminutive Bronté “hand-delivered” a thank-you card in honor of the 371 adopted miniature American Eskimo dogs, but especially from Bronté. Beyond that, this adorable ball of white fur also brought the kind-hearted sheriff a small American Eskimo Dog figurine. As the sheriff read the note and held the white sculpture in his hand, Bronté waited, watching, while he kneeled beside her. If there was a tear that needed to be licked away, she’d understand. For five long years, Bronté had shed a few of her own. http://www.tri-cityherald.com/2010/08/30/1148528/puppy-mill-survivor-meets-sheriff.html
