Happy Endings/New Beginnings

Buck

Hi Leslie!
This is Buck! I just wanted to drop you an email to let you know how I am doing with my new family!

I am doing WONDERFUL! I just love all the attention I am getting. I am having a little trouble though when my Mom and Dad have to go to work and my brother goes to school but I am trying to adjust. I just love to be around them all the time! I have my own bed in the family room and my own bed right along side of my Mom in her bed. I have really attached myself to Mom! But I still Love everyone in the family. They take me for walks up to my Mom-Mom's house. She spoils me too. I get to go on car rides too. I went to see my Aunt and Uncle tonight. My Aunt just loves me. She has 9 cats and they weren't too happy when I came to visit but I am sure they were okay when I left. I have attached some pictures that my Mom took of me right after I came home to them. I thought you might like to see them. Well, I think my Mom wants to write something to you too, so I will let her.

Thank you for taking care of me while I was there. I am really happy now!
Love, Buck

Hi Leslie!
This is Buck's Mom, Barb. We all just LOVE Buck very much! He is a VERY good boy! He listens very well and he is walking much better on the leash. Thank you very much for everything.
Barb

Huckabee

We all had a great time on School Road for the long Easter weekend including myself, Zeuz, Sammy, Dolce, Bruce, Sophie, Dirk, and Jack. It was a big slumber party at Grandma's house in C-town. Huck arrived just about a week later and has wrapped all of my 4-legged children right around that crooked right front paw, even Sophie. He has fit so well into the mix that it seems as though he has been here forever. He enjoys the fenced back yard, and he and Sophie have made up a new game, "chase Jack". Actually, Jack (the smallest of the group and our beagle) races around the yard making quick turns and reversing direction with Sophie and Huck in hot pursuit.

Huck's favorite treat so far is sweet potatoes.

Thanks to CompAnimals who took such great care of him and a special thanks to his foster mom.
Judy

Dill Pickle (now Chico)

Hi Leslie,
"Chico" is doing great.

We just love him - he is so sweet...everybody just adores him. He has only barked on 2 occasions but I guess that's a blessing. He has really grown. Check out the picture where we tried to put on his 1st red longjohns...he's at least 3x bigger now.
Juanita

Ben

Hey,
this Megan I adopted Ben. He is getting big. I'm so glad that I got him; he is a good dog.

Smokey (now Cody)

Hello,
We are the family who adopted Smokey and I wanted to send along an updade.

Smokey's name was changed to Cody by his owners, Katie and Jessica. Cody is an early riser and wakes everyone at 5AM so we can take him downstairs to his food bowl. He will not go alone. Morning is his favorite time as he skids on hardwood floors with his tail fluffed like a raccoon. His favorite toy is a brown stuffed horse that has now lost an eye after intense play! His favorite prey is the guinea pig and he had been banned from their room!

Jessica writes: "Cody is WILD. Cody is CRAZY. But we are getting used to Cody."

Thanks for everything!

Kasey

Kasey came to us when her person of 13 yrs became homeless. She was frightened, confused - scared & alone for the first time in her life. We couldn't even touch her & left a leash dragging from her collar so we could take her outside. Gradually she made friends - some tidbits from a turkey sub and (her favorite) rides in the car helped her overcome some shyness but she still had a long way to go when....we got an email asking about "the little waif". Edie drove down to meet Kasey & decided to take her home. Kasey once again feels loved and is blossoming in her new home.......

Hi Leslie,
The short story is: Kasey's doing great.

She and the one of the cats are having a war, and it's hard to tell who's more afraid of the other. I am trying to convey, "get along" but they are not interested in that yet. Other than that, Kasey actually seems like she wants and tries to be a good girl.

She went with me on a work trip to Pittsburgh and once she overcame her fear of the hotel's elevator, she had a good time. I think I won her heart by buying her a hamburger at A&W.

She has gotten almost round, so I have cut back on her food.

And, she likes going for walks even more than going for car rides. She is a surprisingly fast walker, and I am really enjoying getting out for dog walks again. It's so much less dull than walking alone or with a person who doesn't like walking.

I hope things are going well at the shelter... thanks again for all your hard work taking care of the animals!!
Edie

Some Happy Adoptees...

Sebastian & Bo

Elwood Blues

Ziggy (a.k.a. Peaches)

Bonnie

Dear All,
It has been a week since Bonnie has been with us and we wanted to fill you in on how she’s doing, and we also wanted to express our deep gratitude to all of you for allowing us to bring this wonderful girl into our family!!!

I do not know what my husband Rob may have disclosed to you about why we were searching for Bonnie...in June of this past year, our beloved Pogo, an 8-year-old Boston Terrier, suddenly started having seizures. After medicating him and caring for him for 2 weeks in the desperate hope that he “just” had epilepsy, the truth became clear: he had a brain tumor which caused a stroke and thus the seizures. He died on 30 June and our hearts broke into a million pieces with his loss. Otto, our 11-year-old Boston Terrier, entered into a deep depression immediately. Our son, Aidan, in all of his 4 years of wisdom, told us later that same day that we simply had to find Otto a new friend because he would be so lonely. Dealing with Pogo’s loss, which was preceded (no lie) by the death of our 15-year-old cat just 18 HOURS prior to Pogo’s death, was extremely difficult. On top of that, it also coincided with our move into a new home...and did I mention that I was 7 months pregnant at the time?? We needed time to deal with all of the transitions in our lives as well as allow ourselves to grieve Pogo, but Rob and I knew that although we could never replace that sweet dog who we loved so much (and he was our wedding gift to each other!), we did need to find another. It hurt to think of getting another dog so soon after we lost our darling Pogo, but we knew that when the time was right and when the dog was right we would know. And then we found Bonnie. It feels SO GOOD to have her here with us!!!!!!!!!!

Bonnie is doing GREAT. She is so happy and comfortable. From the moment she walked into our home it felt like she belonged – she truly looked “at home” and for all of us it felt like she’s always been here. The transition has been extraordinarily seamless; we wouldn’t have dared dream it would be this easy. Even Otto transitioned without a blink. He’s always been good with other dogs but you just never know what to expect. However, when he and Bonnie first met, they sniffed each other and that was that. There have been no challenges or fighting or any difficulty at all. As you can see from one of the photos I have attached, they are quite fond of each other. Otto is happier than we’ve seen him in quite a while, in fact!

Bonnie is so easygoing and mellow, affectionate and loving. I am sure you knew all of that already, though!!! She is so very gentle with our children – Aidan, who is 4 and a half years old, and Calum, who is 3 months old. She loves to lick them, and Aidan is forever cuddling up to her – and she LOVES that, frequently rolling over to ask him for a belly rub! She has brought so much joy to all of us – I don’t think we can ever explain what she means to us. She is a wonderful, wonderful dog and we feel incredibly fortunate to have her here with us. She is clearly very, very intelligent. Her disposition is amazing. Everyone we’ve introduced her to has fallen in love with her.

Bonnie is happy and in a loving home filled with people and another dog who absolutely adore her, and we wanted you to know all of that, and, again, how very grateful we are to all of you for helping us come together.

Warmest Regards and Happy New Year!
Nik, Rob, Aidan, Calum, and Otto & Bonnie

Bonnie & Aiden

Bonnie Giving Kisses

Bonnie & Otto

Devan

Devan came to us as a tiny pup along with her Mom, Brooke, and 6 siblings - she was three days old & had been born at the BARCS shelter in Baltimore. Its hard to find good homes for Pit Bull puppies so she grew up in a foster home playing with the other puppies and practicing her manners so when her interview finally came she would shine. It was a little over a year later when Devan met her new family....

Hi!
My boyfriend and I adopted Devan from you in May. I just wanted to give you an update and give you some pictures. She is doing amazingly. When you told me she was mellow, boy, was that the truth! She and Red are inseperable and everyone just seems to really be drawn to her personality. She has turned out to be a beautiful young lady and a great little sister to Red. Thank you so much for giving us the opportunity to give Devan the home she deserved.

Take care and thanks again.
Lori, Derek, Devan and Red

Tacoma

Tacoma came to us with her sister from a rural Georgia shelter that sports a very low adoption rate. Volunteers at the shelter recognized how wonderful these girls were and sent them to us where they would be safe while awaiting their forever homes. Tacoma's new family spotted here when we were at our booth at the Devon Horse Show - it was love at first sight!
Merry Christmas Tacoma! (Tacoma is the doggy on the left)...

Haven't sent you an update lately. A Picture says a Thousand Words. Everything is going well. We love Tacoma and she loves us.

Have a Wonderful Holiday.
Brenda, Jay, Courtney, Buffy and Tacoma

Champ

When I first saw Champ at the SPCA I knew he had no chance of adoption. On top of being half starved, he had an eye that looked like hamburger & a weird tube of skin hanging off his face like a catfish whisker. But underneath it all he had a great personality so he went home with me. Champ was one of the ones I could have kept :) but we knew he would be more comfortable in a house with less dogs coming & going so we set out to find an extra special home for him...

Hello CompAnimals,
The Champ, a one eyed red brindled boxer/pit, was adopted 5 years ago. Champ is still as fun as ever and has not lost his obsession with the tennis ball. He loves long walks and keeps busy with obedience training once a week. We were invited by the trainer to participate in agility training in the Spring, yeah! You would be so proud of him. I was walking him the other day and heeling him across the street. Champ proudly strutted at my side making one eye contact and my neighbor shouted out to us, "now that's impressive!" Champ is still as loving and silly as ever, and don't let Rick know I told you this but, I catch them spooning each other when they are napping! Boys!

Since we moved in with Rick and Velvet, the beagle, a year ago, Champ has become a much more content dog and loves his family unit. Unfortunately, Velvet has recently passed away, she was 9 yrs old and had liver cancer. We all miss her very much. We are looking forward to contacting you in the near future to assists us in finding a new buddy for Champ.

Kind regards,
Michele

Autumn

We were getting a couple of Labs & some other dogs from a shelter in WV & saw Autumn's picture on the urgent list. She seemed so small in her picture & had great big ears - she was simply irresistible - we couldn't pass her by. It usually takes a little longer to place the bully breeds in good homes but ironically, Autumn was the first from that WV group who found a home (someone else thought she was irresistible too. :)

Leslie,
It has been about 8 months now since we adopted Autumn from you. We both wanted to thank you so much for rescuing her. We couldn’t imagine what our home would be like with out her. There was some adjusting to do, she ate my Christmas tree like three days after we brought her home, but we worked through it and love her regardless. Our boy Tito would be lost with out her. Separating them is not an option, they are always stuck to one another. Just like kids, they only want a toy if the other one has it!

Autumn has really made our family complete. She has such a wonderful doganality (as I like to call it). She is adjusting to the good life well. In about two weeks, she and Tito will be going to Myrtle beach with us and they will be staying at Benji’s bed and breakfast a four star doggie retreat! She is also entering a pet calendar contest for a local rescue organization. Thank you again for bringing her into our family. We are so grateful and we wish you all the success in continuing to bring these wonderful animals to wonderful homes.
Please share our story and pictures. We tell everyone we know.

Thanks again!

Autumn Coming Home

Eric & Pups In Bed

Eric's New Tattoo

Kelly

A wonderful, kind, little old Lady got Kelly from the SPCA when he was a wee little kitten. He grew into a magnificent looking cat but was into everything & too much for her to handle so she traded him in for a couch potato model kitty & Kelly came to live with us. Our cat adoptions were very low at the time so Kelly was with us for years - until Pet Valu offered to put a cage up for us so people could view cats at the store. That was all the help Kelly needed! His new family walked into the store one day and the rest is history.

Hi Leslie,
Here are two pictures of Kelly. In one he is on HIS human and with his dog pal Molly. The other is Kelly in his full handsome self. Thanks so much for giving us this loving cat. He's my husband's best pal.

Hope to see you soon,
Ed & Faith

Anubis

We found this small, skinny puppy at a local shelter. Her fur was missing in places which gave her little chance of adoption. I took her home & the kids dubbed her "Anubis" because her fine features resembled those of the Egyptian Pharaoh Dogs. Anubis remains one of our favorite foster pups & we can't believe it was over 2 years ago that she was adopted! Here is an update from her family:

Hi Leslie,
We adopted Anubis (changed to Nubi) March 5, 2005! Sorry I haven't updated sooner! Nubi is a great dog! I am so happy we adopted her!!!! She is fun, listens better than any dog I know, travels great (we take her everywhere with us), great with kids, and other dogs!!!!!

She is beautiful and has been such a great addition to our family! When we got her I remember that at least one person had turned her away because she had a skin condition. I am happy they did; it was their loss at a great family dog! With the right diet and care her skin condition went away and she is gorgeous! She has been an absolute joy! Thank you!

Thanks,
Rachel

Storm

Storm's world was turned upside down when the man of the house was incarcerated. She was sadly turned over to the SPCA when the family could not afford another mouth to feed. Although money was tight, Storm was obviously loved by her family - her lack luster coat with ribs jutting out may have disguised the fact but we saw her personality shine through. We are delighted to see that Storm is living the good life:

Dear Leslie,

Sorry to be so long with an update. Storm just returned from three weeks in Florida and had a grand time. She was a really good traveller and loved sitting out on the deck at the condo. She is very quiet and did not bark at the pelicans which were at the docks every day waiting for the boats to come in with their fish.

I am not sure if I mentioned that we did not win the calendar contest but her picture did appear in the published version for the month of December.

She is a wonderful dog and we love her dearly.

Best regards,
Diane & Joe

BEEBEE (now Phoebe)

We made a slight change. to the name. We left both vowels the same, and changed just one of the consonants. She is now called Phoebe, and if she has had an adverse reaction to the change (or has even noticed it), she has not mentioned it.

Yesterday was a particularly wonderful day for her, as she began her career as a therapy dog. She and I were asked by the folks at the Foundling to try providing therapy for a deaf teenager who tends not to respond to anything in her world except the dogs she meets on the street. When the girl was brought to our house yesterday morning, she took to Phoebe right away, and immediately began hugging and kissing her. Phoebe thought this was a terrific (and highly appropriate) way to begin a relationship, and immediately began returning the kisses. Needless to say, we had a great session. We will now be meeting with this girl twice a week.

And last night was another special time for Phoebe. Halloween in our neighborhood is a major event. The kids have a costume party in the park at the end of our block, and then they all go trick-or-treating. Those of us who live on the block decorate our houses with outrageous Halloween stuff, and then we sit on our porches all evening to give out treats. Last night we had well over a thousand trick-or treaters, most of whom paused for a visit with Phoebe, who was my partner on the porch. She was hugged by vampires, princesses, pirates, wizards, mermaids, and hundreds of other creatures---and she returned every bit of affection that was showered upon her. One little girl asked if she could "spend some more time with the dog instead of getting candy." Now that's a popular dog!

Today I spoke with a really good dog trainer, and signed Phoebe up for classes beginning November 7. I'm really looking forward to it. And after the basic classes we can start her official therapy dog training so that she can visit hospitals.

Once again, a million thanks!

Jean

May 2007 - Phoebe working

Phoebe in her 'doggles' to protect her eyes when playing.