Happy Tails
Here’s what love can do for an animal:
Ted:
Set the scene, July 2024 – I have just had to make the worst call in a pet owners life, and put down my boxer, Dixon. While I wasn’t ready to bring home another, I knew I needed to get my name on the list and get the process started to be able to adopt/foster. There’s interviews, calls, vetting- etc and I knew that I needed to be ready so the day that my heart was ready- I could bring another pup home. I started helping at the shelter.
I volunteered day after day, intending to heal my heart one walk of a shelter dog at a time. After a couple of weeks, I fell in love with an old soul named Jazz and brought him home.
My involvement at the shelter didn’t stop after bringing Jazz home- I went back regularly to spend time with these dogs who had been there for me when I was suffering my loss of Dixon.
Specifically one skinny little white dog who had no interest from anyone, Teddy. Teddy had everything going against him. He was aggressive, had some tummy issues that couldn’t be figured out, charged the fence when someone walked up to him, would often potty in his kennel, walk in it, eat it and seemed to intentionally be trying to make himself unadoptable. oh, and Teddy is also some sort of pitbull mix, oddly probably the smallest ‘issue’ with all he had going on.
Teddy was found on someone’s porch, dirty, abandoned, no name, no story just a plethora of issues and no human to claim him. Everything seemed to be working against him. He spent months at the Shelter, warnings being given to staff and visitors-watch out for that one he might bite ya- don’t stick your hands through that fence. But as I came back day after day to spend time and walk the dogs who didn’t have a home, I got to know Teddy .
Teddy wasn’t mean, he was terrified. week after week I went back to the Shelter to help out- I never thought having two big dogs in my household was an option. One dog was more than enough. I lost Dixon. I met Jazz, brought Jazz home. That was it. I was doing work at the Shelter. I didn’t need to bring another dog home. Months passed.
Each time I’d return Teddy would be in his kennel, running through his mess, being passed up by everybody that came in. But I met another side of Teddy. Teddy loved to play fetch, and he was fiercely loyal – once I got him out of his pen and took him outside, his personality shined.
I continued to visit Teddy week after week until finally in March. I decided to give him a little reprieve from the Shelter and take him to get a bath. I brought that little dog to my house, bathed him and told my boyfriend ” I’m just gonna let him dry off and take a good nap before he has to go back.”
Teddy was different around me. I’ve had dogs before I’ve worked with different animals. I know they have feelings and personalities, but I had never seen a dog look at me the way Teddy did. I had never seen an animal’s personality be so different around different people so aggressive to others but so nice to me.
After Teddy‘s bath, I called him up on the bed, having every intention of letting him relax for a little bit before returning him to the Shelter for the night at one point I left the bedroom and came back to find him laying in my spot (see picture) and it was at that time I knew- Teddy was never going back because he was home. In just days after being at my home, Teddy‘s mystery tummy issues completely stopped, the diarrhea stopped, eating his own feces stopped. He was a completely different dog then I had seen in the shelter.
Teddy is a perfect reminder that what you see at the Shelter is not always what you get a lot of these animals just need a home to become the PERFECT pet.
Teddy now lives a spoiled life. He enjoys fetch, swimming, chewing on sticks, destroying fluffy toys, and being a menace to his big brother Jazz. He loves his Mom and Dad more than anything & we love him .
The Long Trip Home
Spooky and Kiki:
Well over two years ago, a brother and sister duo came to our shelter. They were named Kit and Katniss. They had been running at large, fending for themselves. They were frightened of the shelter, humans, and the other cats. They did not want any handling – they hissed and scratched at any attempt.
To avoid contact, they would hide under blankets or beds, especially when people would come to meet and choose a cat. They knew the exact part of the pen to sit in to make themselves hardest to reach. It was almost impossible to make contact with them or let them react to our scents. With each month that passed, they became harder to adopt.
Feeling sorry for her, a family reached out and adopted Katniss; but her fears and timid demeanor made her the target of the family’s older, alpha cat and she was bullied. She came back to the shelter still frightened and confused.
A local family adopted Kit, who is now known as Spooky. Spooky was slowly introduced to his new family, to his humans and his brother and sister. He found a friend in his brother and became a treasured member of the family.
Katniss had a second adoption attempt, with similar results as the first time. Again, returned crushed and fearful. But her life was about to change!
Spooky’s family took Katniss home, and she became Kiki. They assimilated her very slowly, building on the human trust she would need to go forward, before meeting her siblings. Mom would sit with her in her enclosure and bond, and gradually she moved from a large cage to her own room to interacting with her siblings Loki and Lottie and her brother Spooky. The process was slow, gentle, and relaxed, and took many weeks, but with patience and love, Kiki and Spooky were finally reunited. Now they are both in an adoring family and living the life they deserve. Love heals.
Hank (Cosmo)
At the shelter Cosmo was such a barker we thought he’d never get adopted. He came to us starved and lonely.
From Hank’s Mom:
My husband and I had been searching for our first pup for some time! Once my husband saw the picture of Hank, we knew he was the one! We have had him for 3 years now and he’s my best friend and he definitely favors his mom! He loves to chase cars in the backyard, to eat treats, go for rides, take naps, and always be near his humans! He is definitely spoiled! He sleeps in bed with us every night! He loves when he gets fresh fruit and veggies, eggs, chicken, etc in his dinner bowl! He has gotten to travel to 6 different states with us and he is just happy to be there and explore as much as we are! We couldn’t imagine life without him! I hate that he had to experience such a sad upbringing but I am so thankful we get to be a part of story and give him the best life possible!
