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The Dumont couple found Bear through Paramus-based rescue BARK, which saved the pup from a kill shelter in North Carolina. Bear and her two sisters ended up at the shelter after being dumped on the side of a highway in a cardboard box.
BARK took Bear and her sisters, along with 17 other dogs, from North Carolina to New Jersey.
"Knowing we wanted to rescue a dog, Jim and I began looking on the Internet," Jamie said.
"After refining our search to specifically rescues, the first profile that popped up was Bear's. The profile picture of her (attached) was her running around with her ears flopping in the wind and her tongue sticking out."
It was love at first sight.
That weekend, the Morgans met BARK founder Bonnie Dickinson at one of her adoption days in Hillsdale.
"She began educating us on how there is such a thing as discrimination against black dogs," Jamie said. "She continued to tell us how they are typically overlooked because of the color of their coat. Being the teacher that I am, I began researching and found that this type of discrimination in fact does exist."
At that moment, the Morgans knew: They were going to adopt Bear.
"Jim and I always say, 'Bear doesn't have a bad bone in her.'
"Not knowing the environment she was exposed to prior to adopting her, we wouldn't know if she'd be scared of other dogs or even know how to play."
She does both very well.
When the Morgans first brought Bear to the vet after adopting her, she ran right up to a 120-pound Rottweiler and began to initiate play.
"Bear went right up to her new BFF, wagged her tail, wiggled her butt uncontrollably, and was ready to play," Jamie said. "Bear doesn't have a bad bone in her."
This story is part of Daily Voice's First ResPAWnders series, profiling pets of North Jersey's first responders. The series will culminate in a vote.
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