Michelle and Bella
Back in December of 2009 I lost my faithful, four-legged friend Harley.. She was a 16-year old Aussie-Shep mix, who had traveled with me all over the U.S. She had the pleasure of swimming in the Atlantic Ocean, the Mighty Mississippi, and countless other lakes and rivers from here to the Carolina 's..
When her fun-filled days faded away and I was left with making the painful decision of "letting her go", I knew that another dog would soon be in my future.. It was like, Harley waited until the perfect dog came into my life and needed a "forever home", before she decided to give me the sign, letting me know, that her time here, was complete..
I met Bella while volunteering at the Tuolumne County Humane Society Shelter. During her time there she was know as Berta. She was a shy, timid soul, who always seemed to enjoy our time, after our walk, sitting on the bench just soaking in the sun, just as much as the walk itself.. She would jump on the bench, lean into me and give me that sweet irresistible look of contentment..
Everyday, I would go into walk the dogs, I would first look to see if she was still there, and then I would save our walk for last... I couldn't understand why she remained there, so long, didn't anybody else see what a "perfect-puppy" she was...
In the end, I was ecstatic, that nobody else saw what I saw.. She has become my new best buddy... It was a little rocky introducing her to my cat, Miley, who I lovingly refer to as my psycho-kitty with multiple personalities.. But after a couple weeks of patience, training and separation, they now are the best of friends, who keep each other in shape, thanks to their constant hide and seek games...
Other dogs, are still a challenge, but we are getting better each day, while we tackle all the nearby hiking trails... Bella has even seen another former HSOTC success story out on the Westside Trail.. She has run into " Chester " who was know as Alpha back in the shelter days..... She still isn't too fond of his sweet disposition, and eagerness to say Hi, but each time we meet up with him on the trail, she gets a little bit less timid and defensive...
I now tell everyone I come in contact with, who is on the lookout for a new pet, how great of an experience I had with the HSOTC..
Thank you all, for taking such great care of new best buddy... Bella and I will be eternally grateful!!!
RADAR AND MARIE
In 2006, I lost my dog Radar; my faithful, loving companion of 17 years. He had been in a canine wheelchair for over a year and life finally got too difficult for him to carry on. As any dog owner could appreciate, I was devastated by his absence. To console myself, I used to look at other dogs' pictures on Petfinder.com, especially those who were a similar mix as Radar.
One night, while doing just that, I stumbled across a dog who looked just like Radar, and shockingly, had the same name as well!! Although he was in California at the Humane Society of Tuolumne County and I was in the Boston area, I felt that I had to inquire about him. The staff at HSOTC were immediately responsive, but were also cautious about a cross-country adoption given that I wasn't able to actually meet Radar beforehand to be sure it was a good fit. I spoke to them at length on the phone and they made sure I understood not only Radar's good points, but his challenging points as well. They did not want Radar to wind up at a shelter yet again, and particularly not one so far away. I assured them that I was experienced with dogs of his nature, and after careful deliberation, they agreed to the adoption.
I considered several options for transporting Radar to Boston, but in the end, we decided that it would be best if I actually retrieved Radar myself. So I boarded a plane on a Monday morning in Boston and flew to San Francisco. There, I rented an SUV, drove to Petco, bought an airline-approved kennel, and drove a couple of hours to Jamestown where I met Radar for the first time. It was love at first sight, at least for me! I took Radar for a walk at the kennel and reviewed his history with the staff. Radar and I then left Jamestown, drove back to San Francisco, and boarded the red-eye back to Boston. Within 24 hours, I had traveled from coast to coast twice and had acquired my soon-to-be new best pal.
Radar has been a terrific dog from day one. He's loving, playful, and VERY athletic. At 5:30 every morning, regardless of the weather, we go to a dog park where he meets his other friends and is able to run loose in a large, fenced-in field. He's not allowed off-leash outside the park because he LOVES to run and doesn't always listen when we tell him to come back. But inside the park, he enjoys freedom and the playful company of other dogs. His best friends include 2 sister labs named Katie and Nellie, a Labradoodle named Manny, and a golden retriever named Bailey. At night, he plays in the backyard with a tiny terrier named Rosie who despite being a fraction of his size, gives him quite a workout! He's also friendly with a large German Shepherd named Sable, a boxer named Jake, a large lab named Austin, a small beagle-mix named Gracie, and surprisingly, a pitbull mix named Claire. As the shelter warned from the beginning, Radar gets along well with MOST dogs, but not with ALL dogs. So we're always careful when introducing Radar to new dogs for the first time. Eventually, he befriends them.
I've had Radar now for just over 2 years and I can't imagine life without him. I'm grateful to the responsive and conscientious staff at the Humane Society of Tuolumne County for giving Radar and me a chance, but also for taking his adoption so seriously and making sure he was truly going to a home that could meet his needs. Radar certainly found his forever home, and I found my forever friend.
- Marie
DIXIE AND RUTH
From the first day, Dixie has blended right into the family dynamics. Her first week with us was up at Kennedy Meadows, camping with all 8 grandchildren and many adults. Oh what fun! Each night she got to sleep with a different pair of kids, right in the middle of them. On the first night, I checked the tent before retiring for the night and shined the light into the tent. She had the biggest grin on her face! She was happy. The kids adore her and spent the week walking her and giving lots of treats and attention. She even did some swimming too.
Once the gathering was over, and she came into my home, she had many new adventures, especially discovering my two cats, (who by the way were not all that excited about her arrival). We had some potty training to tend to, but by the end of the week, she knew the drill. Dixie has discovered cat kibble and wet food is really nice to vacuume up quickly, so now we have a routine where the cats eat in the house and she eats out on the porch. Once they are done, she comes in sliding up to the cat dishes and makes sure everything is nice and clean.
Dixie has also found another job that is perfect for her. She likes to pre-wash the dishes as I put them into the dishwasher. (Sharp objects are pointed down so she won't get hurt.) Dixie takes on this task with great gusto and pleasure. She also routinely goes around the dining area and kitchen checking for anything that might be tasty or needing to be cleaned up.
When Dixie came into our lives, my thoughts were she would assist my husband during the day when I am working. He has some health issues, and tends to spend the entire day sitting in his chair watching TV. With Dixie around, he has to get up and let her out; let her in; talk to her; and give her a potato chip at lunch time. Now my husband's days aren't so long, as she entertains him and loves to put her chin on his lap. Dixie also knows this is her house and has turned into a great watch dog. She never barks unless someone is at the door or around the outside of the house. She alerts my husband when the propane man comes to deliver or if a package arrives at the door.
Dixie has met all the neighbors, including their dogs. One neighbor in particular really likes Dixie, so when Dixie has an opportunity, she goes to visit the neighbor, wagging her tail at their sliding door. She gets a treat and promptly heads to our front door, wagging her tail. Once in the house, she darts down the hall to my bedroom where she has "her" blanket. She plops down on the blanket to enjoy her treat. She is one very happy dog!
Dixie has been a member of the household about 4 1/2 months now, and has settled in very well. She has even been on a long road trip and acted as though she enjoyed the scenery. The cats are more tolerant of her, as the hissing and running has come to a stop. The cats haven't figured out why her tail wags so much and seems to hit the doors and walls when she sees them. I figure, within a short time I will find the two cats moving onto "her blanket to snuggle, especially now that it is winter.
Dixie is the best. As my niece said: "You won the Humane Society Lotto and got the perfect dog."
I tend to agree.
- Ruth McIntyre
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