Ed and Sue are lifelong friends. They, along with their children, share our passion for those in need. They have poured out love upon us both times after our daughters died and with each new child we added to our family, whether through birth or through adoption. The Dart family has welcomed many foster children into their home and have three amazing bio kids and an adorable, adopted daughter who underwent a heart transplant several years ago.
For as long as we’ve known Ed, we would have never expected he would be able to visit us, let along have one of our puppies. He has extremely severe allergies to food and most environmental allergens. Words cannot express how delighted we were to discover that a new allergy medicine would allow him and his family to experience the wonder of having a dog, and that we would have the privilege of providing that blessing for them.
“Chronic and severe allergies and asthma were a daily reality to me until a new miracle drug came on the scene earlier in 2020. Still, realizing the years-long dream of visiting the Eber family this summer on their turf left me believing I’d be relegated to our camper for the duration of our visit. But after day 1, then day 2, then days 3 and 4 without significant allergic reactions from their adorable pups left me wondering if I could really make a dream come true for my family about some day adding a four-legged kiddo to our number. Then, Jenny suggested we give one a home. Our kids have seen adversity of all sorts through hosting foster siblings for the last decade and heaving dealt with our youngest’s medical trauma. Adding Duffy to the Darts has been a never-expected balm to their hearts and meets a need for normalcy that we didn’t even know we had before Duffy came into our lives.” – Ed (Dad)
“My dog named Duffy means so much to me. I have wanted a dog for my entire life and finally my dream came true. There is something about waking up every morning and having a caramel, fuzzy ball flying toward me, covering me in kisses – awesome. I always look forward to playing with him every time I get home and he is always happy to see me. I love Duffy more than anything.” – David
“All my life I have been told that I can never get a dog because my dad has allergies to dogs. But when we got our first dog we had him for a two-month trial period, things got better with dad’s allergies and dad said we could keep him. Duffy is one of my best friends every morning he waits on the steps for me to wake up and play with him. I am so glad that we could get a dog especially the dog we have now.🙃” – Maggie
“Duffy is so smart and easy to train. It’s been an amazing experience owning and training a puppy, and I can’t imagine life without our Duffball. He makes us laugh every day and there is nothing like coming downstairs to be greeted by a lopsided tail and an excited face. He gives the best snuggles, loves going for walks with me and his other doggy friends, and is overall just a happy boy. I never thought I would be able to have a dog, so Duffy is a dream come true.” – Cora
Kylee:
What do you think about having a dog?
“Happy”
Why does having a dog make you happy?
“Because I can play with him. Duffy goes in my bed in the morning and wakes me up. It makes me happy.”
What else do you like to do with Duffy?
“I like to pet him and play with him.”
“I am not a dog person. I was hesitant to become a dog owner, focusing on all the costs and responsibilities associated with having a dog. But I couldn’t resist my own husband’s puppy dog eyes when he fell in love with this tiny 4 week old pup… the only one out of 33 puppies on the Eber farm that was yet unclaimed when we just “happened” to be visiting. We never, ever thought that having a dog was even a possibility for our family, as my husband has severe allergies to anything with fur or feathers, but a new “miracle” drug changed all that. Staying with the Ebers and their multitude of dogs for 5 days and barely experiencing an itchy eye gave my husband the confidence to think about the possibility of making his dreams a reality. The incredibly generous offer of the Ebers to gift this precious pup to our family sealed the deal. We told the kids a few days later. They all love dogs so much and take every opportunity to be around them, but never even dreamed of having a dog of their own. We caught their reactions to the news on video. My 14 year old son actually sobbed!
Duffy has been home with us for over 2 months now. He has brought such richness, joy, and entertainment to our home. He’s such a smart and good dog. I love watching my kids with him and seeing the joy he brings them. I’ve also enjoyed the excuse to get outside and walk around the neighborhood more. I’m still not a dog person, but I am growing quite fond of OUR dog and am looking forward to many more years of wonderful memories and experiences.” – Susan (Mom)
