Potter League For Animals Wins Grant For Heartwarming Adoption

MIDDLETOWN, RI — The Potter League For Animals helped bring Tara Brown together with her new best friend Nemo. Brown's heartwarming story of how much Nemo means to her and the children she helps care for this week brought the Potter League a $1,000 grant from the Petco Foundation.

Petco was presented the award during a ceremony with Brown and Nemo at the Middletown location on Wednesday. The Potter League can win an additional $25,000 if Brown's story is chosen as the Petco's People Choice Award winner.

Brown's story of "Finding Nemo" starts with her looking for a dog to join her team as a nurse practitioner in pediatric palliative care. She wrote how she spent months researching dogs and programs. She had applications from many local shelters, including the Potter League For Animals.

Brown said she went to visit the shelter and Nemo was the final dog she saw.

"With his gentle brown eyes," she wrote, "I knew this was my guy."

She said she did not know whether Nemo could be a team dog in pediatric care, but she decided to take him home either way. A few weeks later, a patient Brown was close to passed away and she said she was heartbroken. When she shared her emotions with her new friend, "Nemo very gently put his paw on my shoulder and gave me a kiss. How did he just get it?"

Nemo made his first trip to the hospital after a few months of training when he met a young boy who was terminally ill. Brown said the boy was sleepy, but when they walked in the boy opened his eyes and said: "Nemo!" She said Nemo slept in bed with the boy that day, and each day he asked for the dog's company.

Brown said the boy's wish was to go to the Potter League For Animals. Nemo met him on the day of his passing, with his mother telling Brown that Nemo's visits meant more than she could ever know.

Brown concluded: "Nemo makes groups of surgeons stop in the hall to say 'hi,' he brings smiles to strangers on the street with his confident trot and his licks dry the tears of grieving families, staff and my own. Most of all, Nemo brings peace and joy to the hearts of those around him just by being present."