Idaho Mountain Express: Adoptions inspire auction item

Wednesday, July 25, 2012

Adoptions inspire auction item

Pit bull owners donate safari

By KATHERINE WUTZ
Express Staff Writer

Thanks to two rescued pit bulls, supporters of the Animal Shelter of the Wood River Valley will have the chance to bid on an eight-night African safari this week.

Paul and Caroline Swart, owners of safari guiding company Natural Migrations, have donated the safari to the shelter's benefit, the Dog Days of Summer, to be held Friday, July 27.

While the safari will not be the only live auction item, shelter spokeswoman Brooke Bonner said it is the headline item—and it all came about because of the Swarts' love for two shy shelter dogs.

Paul said he became familiar with the shelter when he and Caroline were living in Sun Valley.

"We got our first dog from there," he said. "He was a pit bull mix, and no one wanted him."

Tsonga, the dog, was a little rough around the edges at first, Paul said, chasing cats and generally not minding his manners. But it wasn't long before he decided to shape up.

"It took two weeks until he decided, 'OK, I'd better fit in,'" Paul said. "[After that], he never did a thing wrong. It was such a pleasure to have him."

When Tsonga passed away suddenly, Paul and Caroline decided to adopt Chobe—a pit bull mix formerly known as Mo who was so skittish that he had been placed in a foster home.

Paul said the issue of no-kill shelters is very close to his heart, and one of the few causes to which he will always donate.

"I get asked for a lot of donations all the time," he said. "I didn't even hesitate. Both of the dogs we've had would not have stood a chance in another shelter."

The prize is a two-person eight-night safari, two of which will be spent at the Cape Grace Hotel in Cape Town, South Africa. The other six nights will be spent at safari camps in Botswana.

Though tickets to the event were mostly sold out as of press time, tons of amazing auction items like travel, jewelry and pampering sessions are posted online at www.animalshelterwrv.org. The online auction is open until 5 p.m. today.

Kate Wutz: kwutz@mtexpress.com

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