Four-legged ‘Sarge’ spurs memorial fund in Burnet for dogs in need

DANIEL CLIFTON • PICAYUNE EDITOR

BURNET — Sarge Harley didn’t look like a typical sergeant, but it was a former U.S. Marine Corps sergeant who bestowed the rank upon the slightly overweight Boston terrier. So who wants to argue the point?Besides, Sarge Harley deserves some type of recognition.

“He had quite a story,” said Cindy Lou Ruffino, who helped found the Sarge Harley Memorial Fund in Burnet in honor of the Boston terrier and to help dogs across the country. Sarge Harley’s life gave creation to the fund that works to improve the lives of dogs, whether they are in need of special care or are older canines that need a place to live out the rest of their lives.

Sarge Harley started out his life much like any other dog. He found an owner. His owner was Steven Gill of Round Rock.

Gill, who felt a sense of duty, enlisted in the Marine Corps shortly after Sept. 11, 2001. On July 21, 2005, he died in Iraq from an improvised-explosive device.

Gill’s mother, Rose Marie Gill, took in her son’s dog. But tragedy struck again when she died in a car wreck.

No other family member could keep Harley, so the 11-year-old Boston terrier ended up in the Williamson County animal shelter. At his age, adoption was unlikely since most people are looking for puppies or younger, cuter dogs. Harley looked his age and packed on 38 pounds compared to the typical Boston terrier’s weight of 25 pounds.

But a former Marine living in Burnet, John Manuel, who goes by “Sarge,” heard about Harley’s plight. A Boston terrier lover, he decided to give the dog a home. At this time, Manuel knew nothing about the dog’s history or connection to the Marines.

“Sarge surprised us with Harley,” Ruffino said. “But when he started looking into Harley’s story, it was just amazing.”

Manuel bestowed the rank of sergeant on the little dog, and the two lived happily ever after. Except things weren’t as easy as that. Sarge Harley had a physical condition, a perennial hernia. The veterinarian advised Manuel how best to take care of the terrier, but the prognosis wasn’t promising.

“(The vet) told us Harley probably didn’t have long,” Ruffino said. “But he lived for nine more months. And it was a wonderful nine months. Sarge Harley brought so much joy to (Manuel) and everybody who met him.”

Sarge Harley passed away Feb. 12, 2012.

Ruffino and Manuel realized many older dogs aren’t as lucky as Harley in finding a home. So friends of the dog created the Sarge Harley Memorial Fund.

“When it started, it was really about helping older dogs,” Ruffino said. “Often, they have a more difficult time finding homes. But since the fund started, we’ve really expanded to help any dog who needs help.”

This includes helping pay for the cleft palate correction for a French bulldog in Pennsylvania, assisting the owner of a pug in Kingsland with the dog’s needed surgery and even purchasing wheelchairs for other canines. The Sarge Harley Memorial Fund also bought pet oxygen masks last year and donated them to volunteer fire departments.

“We started out wanting to help dogs in Central Texas, but we’ve been helping dogs out across the United States,” Ruffino said.

Fund organizers rely on donations and fundraisers to support the cause. Ruffino said one of the Sarge Harley Memorial Fund’s biggest events is an upcoming contest in which dog owners post photos of their canine companions and judges pick the best in each category before selecting the best in show.

The dog show runs Oct. 1-23, but Ruffino said she typically begins accepting photos in late September.

“I can never wait until the first ‘official’ day,” she said with a laugh. “I love it too much.”

But with so many dogs, locally and nationally, in need of help, the Sarge Harley Memorial Fund is always looking for assistance. People can go to www.sargeharleyfund.com or Facebook for more updates.

“There are a lot of dogs out there who need help,” Ruffino said.

daniel@thepicayune.com