Clay and Lilia Hollis have six dogs: A German shepherd, a Scottish terrier, a Keeshond, a Shih-Tzu, a basset hound, a boxer/Rhodesian ridgeback mix and a mutt named Tina. Oh wait, make that seven.
“I lose count,” Clay says with a chuckle.
For most people, seven dogs would be akin to a hairy, slobbery nightmare, what with feeding time, walks, brushings, shedding and, of course, nearly constant ball tossing and wrestling sessions. But these seven dogs are only the ones that live with the Hollises full time.
Then there are the dogs that come to visit.
“In the last two years, we’ve probably had 15 [other dogs],” Clay says. “Sometimes one at a time, sometimes two.”
Are they crazy? Well, perhaps a bit, but they’re also obviously generous and loving people. Why? Because the pets coming to stay with them belong to others: Pet owners who have to go to the hospital for a few weeks, who need drug or alcohol rehab, or women who are trying to leave an abusive situation at home.
The Hollises are part of an SPCA program called Pet Haven.
“The SPCA realized these are temporary situations, and that these people are taking great care of their dogs. They’ve just got into a position that’s not