By AUBRIE GEORGE
Dozens of Marlton Middle School students gathered in the school’s band room last week, eagerly awaiting a chance to pet the soft coat of a calm and gentle pit bull resting peacefully on his doggie bed as his owner tells his amazing story of survival.
In bounds Oogy, a lively, white Argentinean Mastiff — an extremely rare breed in the U.S. The friendly pup steals the show for a moment, immediately charging toward the sea of students who welcome his playful greeting.
These are Sarge and Oogy — rescue dogs whose stories were presented to Marlton Middle School students last week in an attempt to shed light on the dark and dangerous world of dog fighting as well as spread a message about love and acceptance.
The 49-member Animal Welfare Club at MMS is led by social studies teacher Lisa DiGangi, who invited MMS students to the humane education assembly that hosted the two furry guests.
Inspired by the stories of Sarge and Oogy, students at MMS have been raising money for local animal welfare organizations through a “penny wars” fund-raiser called Pennies for Pets. The students compete by collecting coins and dollar bills — pennies count for positive points towards a group’s total, while anything else subtracts points. All proceeds will be donated to Rescue Ink and Lilo’s Promise.
DiGangi said the dogs have also inspired several MMS students to do service learning and research projects involving the topic of animal rescue.
She decided to bring in the dogs that have inspired so many for the assembly last week.
At the assembly, students listened quietly, a few stroking the coats of their new furry friends, as their owners told horror stories about the cruel and inhumane conditions of abuse the dogs once lived in.
Both Sarge and Oogy were, at one time, victims of dog fighting operations in Philadelphia.
Sarge spent the first 14 years of his life with an animal abuser. He was rescued, along with more than 30 other dogs, in 2008.
Today, he works as a certified therapy dog — visiting nursing homes, rehab centers, and libraries.
His story has appeared on Animal Planet and he was recently given the Humane Educator of the Year Award by Philadelphia Mayor Michael Nutter.
Sarge’s owners, Kim Wolf and Thad Stringer, describe him as peaceful and happy and remark at the way he’s been able to forgive.
“It’s really amazing to think a dog can go through their entire life never receiving any love or know what’s it’s like to be treated like a pet and then come out of that and have nothing but love and trust to give,” Wolf said.
Sarge, now 16, has changed a lot of minds and opened a lot of hearts since being rescued. The scars on his face and body teach people that you can’t judge anybody by the way they look, Wolf said.
Oogy’s owner, Larry Levin, tells a similar story of survival. At just four months old, Oogy was used as a bait dog in a dog fighting operation to teach other dogs how to fight.
When rescuers found him, he had been left bleeding in a cage with multiple infections. The left side of his face had been torn off and a piece of his jawbone was crushed.
Levin and his family met Oogy at the vet after having to put down a pet cat and he has been a part of their family ever since.
Levin’s adventures with the dog are chronicled in his book “Oogy: The Dog Only a Family Could Love,” which tells Oogy’s story of survival.
“Oogy is a perfect example of how you can go through the most awful things in life and come out on the other side OK,” Levin said.
