The News Herald (Willoughby, OH)
Girl’s essay wins Chester family’s dog top honors
In her heart, 9-year-old Olivia Caschera of Chester Township knows that being different doesn’t need to be an obstacle.
She’s learned that from her dog, S’Mores, who has just three legs but has learned all the tricks, discipline and love of fourlegged canines.
S’Mores leg had to be amputated after he was hit by a car.
When the Geauga County Auditor’s Office put out the call to county fourth and fifth graders to find the No. 1 dog in Geauga County, Olivia wrote about S’Mores, his challenges and his victories. Her essay won S’mores dog tags for life and the special tag marked “Number One.”
She’ll also get a special picture frame. It’s a prize worth $300 because dog tags cost $15 each year.
Here’s what Olivia, a fourth-grader at Notre Dame Elementary School, wrote about why she thought S’mores should be named Geauga’s No. 1 Dog:
S’mores was a stray dog rooming the towns of Ohio living a happy and stressful life. Until one day S’mores came across a road, now S’mores didn’t know that was a road but he still tried to go across it. Boom!!! (S’mores got hit)
The person that hit him called the vet. The vet came to bring him back to the shelter. They took some tests and they found out that his leg had to be amputated!!! So they did, but that wasn’t the only only problem, the vet still needed to find his owner!!! They called everybody in the area but no owner to be found. After a whole week, still no owner to be found. So the head vet had to give S’mores to ‘’Mutts In A Rut Rescue.” Now, our old dog had just died. So we got guinea pigs first, then we heard about this dog, S’mores, that we decided to foster. My family and I went to go meet him and he was the perfect fit. So one week later we did it, we started fostering S’mores!!! Then only one month later a family wanted him!!! So we had to make a decision, ether to keep S’mores, or to keep fostering. My mom and my brother wanted to keep fostering, but me and my dad wanted to keep him. After a day we decided to keep him!!! He is an awesome dog because he can show you even though you
may be a little different, you can still achieve anything!!!
S’mores is 1.5 years old and he still can jump, run, and do SOOO many tricks. He is on his way to becoming a therapy dog as well. It’s like S’mores doesn’t even know he has three legs!!!
Pamela McMahen, administrative assistant at the Auditors Office, was one of the judges for the No. 1 Dog contest, which drew 39 entries. She’ll be there for the ceremony at 8:15 p.m. Dec. 3 at Notre Dame to honor Olivia, who will also bring S’mores and her parents to the event at her school. Also on hand will be Auditor Chuck Walder; Deputy Auditor Mary Beth Armao, who handles dog licensing; Rescue Village Executive Director Hope Brustein; and Geauga Dog Warden Matt Granito.
“Olivia’s essay really stood out,” said McMahen. “You can tell she comes from a family of animal lovers.”
Olivia, who said she’d like to be an author when she grows up, has taught S’mores to sit and stay, to come when called and when not to bark.
“He also puts up his paws, and when I say ‘Bang,’ he falls over,” she said.
Julia Caschera, Olivia’s mom, said S’mores was the first dog the family had fostered but that they’d like to do it again. A foster family cares for an animal only until a permanent home can be found, so foster dog parents must be prepared to give up the animal they’ve grown to love.
The Caschera family has taken in dogs from Mutts in a Rut Rescue, on Cleveland’s West Wide, for several years.
“Our Cooper had really bad seizures and eventually needed to be put down,” Julia said.
They also have guinea pigs.
“When growing up, our pets always found us,” she said.
Julia, who also grew up in Chester Township as the daughter of Loretta and Emil Paganini, is a pediatric nurse practitioner for University Hospitals. Tony Caschera, Olivia’s dad, is a patent examiner. They also have a son, Matteo, 6.
“I’m thankful to have such caring children,” Julia said.