What’s in a (Puppy) Name? Lots!
Team Ava at the 2017 Sarasota Walkathon at Payne Park. [Pictured: a group of people walk with a “Team Ava” sign and smile as they start a walk.]
What do Ava, Coco, Barley, and Rooster have in common? These puppies all have names chosen for very specific reasons. Naming a Southeastern Guide Dogs puppy creates a rewarding way to make an impact, and our kind and caring sponsors choose names in many meaningful ways.
- Guide dog PJ’s sponsor named this beautiful girl after his beloved wife, Pamela Jean, a dog lover who had passed away. The hospital asked if her husband could donate her eyes, but he did not have her permission. Instead, he named a dog that could become someone else’s eyes.
- Coco’s sponsor was a mom and grandmother who tried to end her texts to her kids and grandkids with “xoxo” – and the autocorrect kept changing it to “coco.” So Coco represents hugs and kisses!
Mastro Subaru and Subaru of America named puppies Suba, Subie, Legacy, and Mastro as their way to “Share the Love”—the tagline of Subaru’s annual giving campaign.- Publix invited their Facebook followers to vote on puppy names, and Cashew and Barley were both winners.
- Juneau was named after the father-in-law of well-known veteran and bestselling author Marcus Luttrell, who spoke at our Havana Nights fundraiser.
- Ava—and there have been many puppies named “Ava” over the years—is named in loving memory of Ava Arbitman Hodous. Even when Ava was ill, she loved to hug puppies and was very passionate about our mission. Her sister fundraises through Walkathon every year with friends and family to turn the sadness of her passing into a positive legacy by naming a future superhero. Team Ava is an amazing Walkathon force each year.
- Rooster and Little Missy were named by a diehard John Wayne movie fan: Rooster after Marshal Rooster Cogburn and Little Missy after John Wayne’s use of the nickname for his female co-stars on movie sets.
- Brooke’s name is inspired by a beautiful college student who was tragically struck by a car while crossing a street near the UCF campus. Her family donated seven of her organs and heard her heart beating in one of the recipients. A philanthropic foundation sponsored Brooke in her memory.
What name will you choose? Sponsors donate $5,000 to name a puppy, and while some may be able to simply write a check, others—such as Team Ava—put the “fun” in “fundraising” and participate in our Walkathons, raising enough to name a puppy. Click here to name a puppy today. Or, sign up, create a team and fundraise through our Walkathons.
