Crown Media's Carmine Demeri Unleashes the Joy of Pet Adoption

That question of who chose whom or who rescued whom is often asked among adopters and their pets.  Carmine admits it would be unfair to claim that he and his brother, Dom, chose to rescue Panda, rather than, "with a little help from fate," she chose them.

Panda's rescue story, like too many, starts very sadly -- she was found abandoned and chained to a light post in the Bronx.  "My cousin was training for the NYPD and found her in the pouring rain," Carmine recalls.  "She could either go to an overcrowded shelter or my brother and I could take her in."  The brothers had grown up begging their parents for a dog to no avail.  Luckily for Panda, they were living on their own and bringing her into their shared apartment seemed only natural.

Three weeks later, their dream of owning a dog took a surprising turn when Panda gave birth to seven puppies on the floor of their kitchen.  Eight dogs were more than Carmine and Dom could manage.  They had been slightly hesitant about adjusting to life with just one.  Fortunately, the pups were all placed in loving homes.

While Carmine and Dom are at work, Panda tends to her own line of business -- home security.  Carmine offered a glowing review of Panda's performance securing the house, which has been "incident-free for 1,432 consecutive days."  To be clear, Panda is not actually a hired hound, but a very important member of the family.  As a testament to how far she's come since that rainy day in the Bronx, Carmine shared that one of his favorite activities is to "cook up a nice ribeye steak, eat the meat myself and share the bone with Panda."

Carmine adopted Panda prior to the launch of Hallmark Channel's Adoption Ever After initiative.  The effort has only strengthened his passion for animal rescue.  He is proud to work for an organization that "supports the cause in such a big way."  As an account executive for Crown Media, Carmine has had the good fortune of contributing to pet-related projects, a special type of work perk.

The joyfulness of bringing a pet into the family is integral to Hallmark Channel's Adoption Ever After message.  "I think it's great that we practice what we preach," notes Carmine.  "It's something that all of us are passionate about and it's great to have that common bond in the workplace."

Elise Mischner, Crown Media's Ad Sales Marketing Manager, echoed that refrain when she and her pups, Tyson and Oakley, were profiled on MediaVillage last month.     

As a piece of advice to possible pet owners, Carmine shared the oft-tweeted "adopt, don't shop" message and bluntly expressed that, despite opinions to the contrary, purebreds are in no way superior to shelter dogs.  "With a shelter dog, not only are you bringing joy into your own life, but you're also rescuing the life of an animal at risk," he says.

That is no small gift.     

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