Evans City couple runs foster home for dogs
Evans City — Foster parents Denise and Monte Pursifull have lots of room in their hearts for “children” with cold noses and four feet.
The Pursifulls run Taz & Penny’s Happy Tails Rescue from their home in Evans City. The nonprofit grew from volunteer work the Pursifulls began in the late 1990s, walking shelter dogs with co-workers from PNC Bank in Pittsburgh.
Walking led to volunteering and fostering with groups such as Animal Friends. After retirement and a move in late 2010 from Cranberry Township to Evans City, the Pursifulls looked to start their own rescue organization.
They launched Taz & Penny’s, named after two beloved Jack Russell terriers, in May. They’ve since fostered 32 dogs for adoption, with Denise as vice president, Monte as president and a four-person staff.
A nontraditional foster setting calls for a nontraditional approach. Denise said nine out of 10 dogs from Taz & Penny’s are adopted through Petfinder.com, an online database of adoptable pets in the United States, Canada and Mexico.
The website lists more than 280,000 animals at more than 12,000 organizations, allowing users to search for pets by location, breed, age and other factors.
“When we get a dog in and as soon as we know the vet’s checked them out and they’re up-to-date on their shots, then we put them on Petfinder,” Denise said. “It’s very highly watched.”
Petfinder is strict about who posts animals to its website, which Denise said ensures these animals come from reputable sources. She also does a lot of legwork herself to make sure the dogs she adopts out are going to the best possible homes.
“I always do vet checks and personal references. I have a 10-page application, which seems like overkill, but I have a lot of questions I want to ask” of potential owners, Denise said.
Once the paperwork checks out, Denise and Monte arrange meet-and-greets between applicants and their chosen pet or pets to ensure the best match.
The dogs at Taz & Penny’s are mostly small breeds — less than 30 pounds — although Denise said they sometimes get large-breed puppies. They foster dogs of all ages, the only requirement being that the dogs are nonaggressive. While a dog lives at Taz & Penny’s, it’s part of the family.
“They’re not caged here, except at night when they go in their crates,” Denise said. “They sit on the couch with us when we’re watching TV.”
An average adoption costs $250 per dog and includes vaccinations, a veterinary examination, microchipping, spaying or neutering and some training. The money goes to providing the same care for other dogs.
Sylvia Stasko, 69, of Butler found her Chihuahua mix, Yoda, through Petfinder. She adopted Yoda from Taz & Penny’s Nov. 21.
Stasko said she found Petfinder via a Web search for “small dogs.” She’d tried other rescues, but said Denise was the most caring and professional.
Stasko has health issues that make it challenging to leave her house, so Pursifull offered to bring three dogs to Stasko’s home for a meet-and-greet.
“When (Yoda) walked in, she walked right over to me,” Stasko said. “Not only that, she was blind in one eye. I knew she was going to be the one. We have a three-legged cat and I’m crippled, so my husband has to take care of all of us!”
Angela Koch, 61, of Slippery Rock Township discovered Taz & Penny’s through her hairdresser rather than Petfinder, but her adoption experience was much like Stasko’s.
She adopted a beagle-terrier mix, Lester Leroy Poptart, in September.
“I was looking at another dog, but (Denise) said he might not be the best match,” Koch said. Denise introduced Koch to Lester, who Koch said instantly stole her heart.
“I know it was hard on (Denise) to separate herself from (Lester),” Koch said. “She said, ‘I’ll probably cry after I leave your house, but I know he’ll be in good hands.’ That pretty much spells it out right there how she tries to do right by these pets.”
Denise said she and Monte hope to expand their network, getting helpers to foster more dogs and even cats. Right now, they can care for about 10 dogs at one time.
“It’s not cheap. My biggest concern is that the pets go out of here healthy and as socialized as possible,” Denise said. “It’s up and down, but it’s been amazing.”
To view profiles of available dogs, visit
