Rehoboth Beach mayor welcomes rescue dog into family

City of Rehoboth Beach Mayor Stan Mills and his wife Marcia Maldeis recently adopted a rescue dog named Minnie from the Brandywine Valley SPCA’s Georgetown campus.

Minnie came to the BVSPCA through its partnership with Tangipahoa Parish Animal Services in Hammond, La. The two organizations are collaborating on a year-long program backed by Best Friends Animal Society to help the Tangi shelter move from a previous 20 percent save rate to 90 percent by the end of the year.

The collaborative work involves implementing best practices Brandywine has already applied in Delaware, which Best Friends Animal Society has named the nation’s first and only no-kill state.

Minnie arrived on a rescue airlift flight from Louisiana Feb. 6. The flight was funded by the ASPCA and flown by Wings of Rescue.

The 30-pound mixed-breed dog estimated to be 6 years old had been picked up as a stray along with another dog that appeared to be her brother. When the two weren’t claimed at the Tangi shelter, they were tagged to join the next rescue flight to Brandywine since their chances of adoption in their local community were limited, considering the high number of shelter animals compared to adopters.

Mills and Maldeis have lived in Rehoboth Beach for over 23 years, and have enjoyed rescue dogs and cats as part of their family for 22 of those years.

“Having been without dogs for over a year and after constructing a new house with a fenced yard, we thought it was time to welcome a new rescue dog into our family. We love rescues and mixed breeds, and Minnie tugged at our hearts,” said Mills. “Minnie is acclimating to her new home and feline companions, and when Minnie is ready for another canine companion, we will start the search again with the BVSPCA.”

“We’re thrilled that the mayor and his wife chose to adopt,” said Adam Lamb, BVSPCA CEO. “It not only speaks to their compassion as individuals, it also helps elevate the visibility of what wonderful family members shelter pets make, and the importance of giving them a second chance at life and love.”

Founded in 1929, the Brandywine Valley SPCA is the first open admission no-kill shelter in Delaware and Pennsylvania. In 2020, the BVSPCA cared for more than 16,000 lost, stray, owner-surrendered, and abused and neglected animals while achieving a 96 percent live release rate. The BVSPCA  holds a five-year contract with the Delaware Office of Animal Welfare to provide statewide animal services.

Animals are placed through four adoption centers in  Georgetown, Dover,  New Castle and West Chester, Pa.  It also provides families with safety-net and low-cost veterinary services at its clinic locations including the Georgetown Animal Health Center. Its Animal Rescue Center facility is dedicated to helping animals with additional needs prior to being ready for adoption, such as cruelty cases, disaster victims and infants. 

For more information, go to bvspca.org.