Rescued pups get snuggly with Santa at ‘3 paws a prancing’ event
Driving on Wellsian Way in Richland on Wednesday morning, Jennifer Turner spotted a sign and made an impromptu turn into the Habitat for Humanity store parking lot.
Inside, Gwen, a 1-year-old Heeler mix puppy, was waiting to be adopted. She greeted Turner with a wagging tail.
Tri-County Partners Habitat for Humanity and Pronto Puppy Rescue came together for a dog adoption event for the holidays, that also featured a special visitor from the North Pole.
Pronto Puppy Rescue is a Tri-Cities nonprofit that runs a dog and puppy foster program for about 45 adoptable pets in the area. Wednesday they had chihuahua puppies, a poodle mix, a mini Australian Shepherd mix and others to foster or adopt.
It was Gwen’s turn to find her forever home. Turner told the Tri-City Herald that she was on her way home from a doctor’s appointment when she noticed the adoption event.
She wasn’t planning to adopt another pet that day. But she gave her husband a call and got the right amount of reassurance she needed to make a spontaneous decision.
The “Three Paws a Prancing, Home for the Holidays” event was part of the 12 Days of Christmas celebration at the Richland store at 309 Wellsian Way.
Turner has three other dogs, Sam, Winx and Opie. Two are Border Collies and one is a super mix that she also adopted from Pronto Puppy. She had a good experience adopting through the nonprofit and knew it was affordable.
Gwen got her first bath at home Wednesday afternoon, and was already showing a “very curious and warm-hearted” personality.
Pronto Puppy Rescue is searching for people available to foster dogs and puppies. For more information, visit the Facebook page at facebook.com/puppy.rescue.1. All pets from the rescue are spayed or neutered and vaccinated.
Habitat for Humanity is currently working on two homes in South Richland. There is a family in Benton County that will be moving into one of the houses in January.
This story was originally published December 4, 2025 at 5:00 AM.
