Every community has good Samaritans.
They are the people who serve quietly, without fanfare. They get things done outside the spotlight. Their work is as important as that of elected officials and nonprofit leaders.
They are the foot soldiers in the armies of compassion, empathy, grace.
The St. Tammany Farmer sought out six of these people and is featuring them through the remainder of 2024. We think these people, their stories, are reminders of the good things people do for one another.
We're calling them “Unsung Heroes.” But now is time to sing their praises.
Most families have a dog or two, maybe a cat. Not the Giglio family.
Emanuel Giglio and his wife, Marissa Giglio, have housed more than a hundred canines since 2021. They’ve even sacrificed their master bathroom to provide temporary housing for puppy litters in their 8 foot by 8 foot shower.
“I miss that shower,” he said, cracking a smile. “It was very nice.”
The Giglio family temporarily houses, or fosters, homeless dogs at the drop of a hat for the Northshore Humane Society, a nonprofit, no-kill animal rescue and clinic in Covington. One of the largest animal welfare organizations in Louisiana, the nonprofit has relied on volunteers like the Giglios since opening in 1953.
“I can't even begin to count how many puppies they've fostered,” said Northshore Rescue Supervisor Jamesy Jenkins. “They give these pets and puppies the love, training and care needed to help place them into (permanent) homes.”
Jenkins said she sees one of the Giglios at the Humane Society at least one to two times a week, whether it’s to vaccinate a puppy or to host a meet-and-greet with a prospective owner. The couple has even been featured in a Facebook reel on the shelter's Facebook.
“We’re looking for the forever home for these dogs,” Marissa Giglio said.
It’s important to make sure each puppy is a good fit for its prospective family, the Giglios and humane officials agree. If a puppy is high-strung, for example, it may not be a good fit for a family with young kids. And families shouldn’t feel guilty about bringing dogs back if the match isn’t right, they said, because compatibility is critical.
As for the Giglios, it seems as though all dogs fit into their Mandeville home, whether as a temporary foster just passing through for a few weeks or months or as a permanent part of the family.
“Not many people are willing to take in six, eight, 10, 12 dogs at one time,” Marissa Giglio said. “It’s a lot, and he’s home all day. And for the most part, I’m home most of the day unless I’m running around for work, so it gives him something to do.”
Her husband is a disabled combat veteran, and the dogs have brought him a source of joy, she said. The most puppies they’ve fostered at one time was 19.
In the beginning
It all started in January of 2021 when a husky named Cuba wandered into the front yard of the Giglio home. Despite his scary, wolf-like exterior, Cuba was a gentle sweetheart and great with kids.
After learning that the original owner didn’t want him anymore, the Giglios decided to foster Cuba until Northshore Humane could find him a permanent home and forever family of his own.
“He found us, and he really drove us to do this,” Marisa Giglio said of Cuba.
The couple has fostered puppies, rescues and critical-care dogs ever since.
Some of the fosters so completely win the Giglios' hearts, they never the leave. The couple has accumulated seven adult dogs of their own, and the canines under their roof eat their way through a 50-pound bag of dog food every month — and that doesn't include any puppy food need for foster puppies.
“Most days, Emanuel is in the garage in his man cave,” Marissa Giglio said. “And he’s laying on his recliner watching TV, and there’s about five dogs laying on the recliner with him. Or he’s at a foster event pimping out puppies.”
In fact, his impassioned voice on behalf of homeless dogs and his hero-like efforts to help find each canine the right home have earned Emanuel Giglio the tongue-in-cheek moniker “Puppy Pimp” among his close acquaintances.
The Giglios often invite family and friends over to help socialize their foster pups, who need to learn comfort in social situations before being adopted. Their neighbor, 10-year-old Sophia, has become the Giglios' expert puppy assistant. After she finishes her homework, Sophia teaches the puppies how to sit, helps clean up and hosts playtime to wear out the zoomies.
The couple also receives lots of help from their teenage son. He doesn’t volunteer, but he gets “volun-told,” his dad explained. The couple’s 19-year-old daughter helps, as well, when she’s home on the weekend from Loyola University, providing her with a therapeutic, puppy-filled getaway.
As puppies have streamed in, the Giglios renovated their house to curate the perfect puppy paradise. They re-epoxied their garage floor to accommodate for accidents. They installed a separate washer and dryer for doggy towels and blankets, in addition to a dog-washing station like professional groomers have.
The couple has collected tons of stories over the years. There’s Rosie, a critical-care dog that wasn't expected to live long because of her refusal to eat — until she had Parmesan cheese for the first time. After discovering Parmesan, she started eating again and was adopted in June.
“Who knew the dog was Italian?” Emanuel Gigilo said.
There’s also Chi-chi, a critical-care chihuahua with cerebral hypoplasia who has overcome life’s obstacles. He wasn’t in good shape when they adopted him, but after finding a home with the Giglios three years ago, he’s found a good little life.
Chi-chi runs the show now, Marissa Giglio said. He has some trouble walking, so often he runs into the other dogs or leans on them.
“He’ll run into them, lay on them,” her husband. “They’re just like, ‘It’s Chi-chi; what are you going to do?’ ”
And who could forget Huggin’ Helen, a sweet pit bull who would stand on her hind legs every night before bed and wait for a hug to help her cope with postpartum depression. Certainly not the Giglios. After six weeks of hugs and love, she was adopted by a newly retired woman who wanted a canine companion to share her life.
