Here are what a few of our adopters & adoptees had to say about their HSOTC experience!
We adopted Bear in March of 2015, and at first, he was pretty nervous about many new things- we got the sense that he had lived the first year of his life in a very sheltered, indoor environment.
He was afraid of the ocean, yet he took to swimming in our creek pretty easily. In a very short while Bear was going for five mile runs within the parks, cruising up and down the seaside lanes of Capitola and Santa Cruz- “Eastcliff” and “Westcliff,” and making friends everywhere he goes!
Bear is pretty much with us all the time! We have never both gone off without him, and probably never will. We are half-retired, and Bear usually comes along when I do gardening and handyman work for friends. He sleeps in our bed, or on the floor nearby, we have beaches where he can run free, along with his new friend “Wolfie,” a Pomeranian mix that Bear gets along with famously and they have tremendous fun chasing each other around and mock fighting, complete with funny play-growling noises. Bear has become my back country Sierra hiking partner, and he enjoys it in all seasons. He is a great hiker, climber, and snow camper. He has been on about 10 backpacking trips now and is trained not to chase deer and coyotes, raccoons, or any animal.
He is just the best natured, mildest mannered dog ever! There is a quote by E.B. White that sums up Bear perfectly:
“A really companionable and indispensable dog is an accident of nature. You can’t get it by breeding for it, and you can’t buy it with money. It just happens along.”
We are very, very grateful to all of you for the great job you do taking care of animals up until they are adopted. Keep up the great work! Thanks again, Ian and Lizzie H.
Well, we have had our Tilly for two weeks now, and she is doing so well. Today, on several occasions, I observed her going out the doggie door all by herself and going potty. We will be officially potty-trained by this time next week, I’d imagine. Rain, snow, wind, and sub-freezing temperatures are not ideal conditions for potty training, but she is really adapting. Tilly has gone into the woods for her first Christmas tree hunt and the snow was deep. She didn’t mind a bit, or the cold. This girl really loves sticks! She even manages to get rather large sticks through the doggie door somehow.
She plays with her siblings and her toys, hangs out with me at the office, and goes along on errands, takes long afternoon naps, and has settled in nicely as the newest family member! Regards, L.T.
Just thought you might like to see how Hildi is getting on…she has made herself right at home and I’m happy to say she is even good with my livestock. I introduced her into the pasture with my mini horses, which she used to bark at, and after an expected few minutes of being a bit wary…no barking…yay! She just went on as if they weren’t even a bother. I’ve taken her in with me to feed for a couple weeks now and she is fine with them. Loving this dog, she’s always trying to be good and she’s very sweet. As you can see in the pics here she and Pyro are besties. She’s the perfect match up for him, they are inseparable. Thanks again for entrusting us with such an awesome dog.
Warm regards, Ptrisha S.
I moved to Sonora in 2013 from the Bay Area to start a new chapter in my life. I had been coming up here to the Motherlode since the 70s and decided to semi retire, buy a home, and quickly secured a part-time job as a representative for a pet food company working out of PetSmart. I have had dogs all my life, mostly rescues, and it had been three years since I had a fur baby. As it goes I was volunteering for Octoberfest, where friends from the Bay Area joined me along with their two dogs! I saw all the attention they were getting and I wanted a dog! So, I looked on the Humane Society of Tuolumne County’s website and saw Chewie and the next day I called to see if he was still available and the answer was YES! So I immediately drove to the shelter and all I can say is that it was love at first sight…for both of us. This little man…instantly gave me his love and vice versa. After completing the documentation, Doryene called me a little after 1:00 that day and said your little man is ready to be picked up!
The first night was like he’d always been with me…he blended in so seamlessly. Chewie has uplifted me when I was down, got me to the dog park daily, and his love for me has been unconditional. When I finally bought my home, we were temporarily in an apartment and I would tell all my pet parents that I love my dog so much I bought him a house. I can’t even imagine my life without him. Something truly wonderful happened that day on October 8, 2013. Thank you – Humane Society of Tuolumne County – as well as Mary and Doryene, I’m ever so grateful to you all!
Love, Chris and Chewie
Hi everyone at the Society!
Diesel is so happy being a family member, he loves his new bed and toys, and is getting along wonderfully with Ace and Frisco.
We are so excited to have him as the newest member of our family, and here’s a current picture of him.
Thank you for the great opportunity and experience while going
through the adoption process! We are registering him at the vet this week for his shots and check up.
Thank you so much!!!!
Rick and Jill and Boys
Hi to everyone at the HSOTC Shelter!
Do you all remember me? You named me “Buzz,” and I was there with you nice people for a couple of months. About five months ago I was adopted by Ian and Lizzie and eveything seemed new and crazy after my nice quiet life at your shelter, and I guess I freaked out a bit that first day. I slipped out of my new collar, and bolted off into the forest. They found me the very next day, and ever since then, life just couldn’t be better!
I have four human friends here- Ian and Lizzie, and their two young sons Ryan and Nathan, and a bunch of dog friends in the neighborhood . The people know how much I love to swim, and every morning we run out the door, and down to the creek for a cool swim. When I hear the words “Swim-swim-swim Bear?!”, or when they whisper real quiet: “do you want to go to the creek?” then I know we’re about to go, and I can’t help leaping up and down like a doggie fool! When we get there, they like to throw sticks and tennis balls along the creek bank, and into the water- I don’t know why?- but I dutifully go and get them, and bring them back, even if it takes a long swim. So they all act kind of foolish too. Other than that, I get to rip around miles of creek, and dig great holes in the sand. I get so happy that I jump up on the humans, and they laugh, and give me great scratchings!
Two or three times a week we run on the forest trails for about an hour; I could easily go longer but the humans tire so easily! At the end of the run, we swim in the big creek there, and I have to fetch sticks again, and pretend to love it. It’s really great that in all of these play places I can go absolutely free of the leash! I don’t mind wearing the leash around town, and when I run with Lizzie on the streets, but to be free to really run is the best, and I wouldn’t dream of running off ever again.
We also get to go to the beach a lot- it’s just three miles from home, and I have lost my fear of all but the worst of the waves, so now I leap out into the ocean! It’s great for swimming, but really foul to drink! We stay on the beach for hours and hours, and I make lots of new dog friends.
I think the best thing of all is that we are always together. They never leave me alone in the big yard; there is always at least one of my human friends with me. The restaurants and cafes we go to all have outside patios for us, and all of our friends have big yards too, and let me into their houses. And then in the evenings and at night, we are all together in the house. I can bring sand into their bed (where I usually sleep), and mud all over the bamboo floor- and nobody cares! When I am soaking wet from the creek, I get toweled off, but that’s not so bad.
I really love my new life here, and I reckon my humans love me too- every time they see me, they seem to just have to come up and pet and scratch me.
I’ve never yet felt the need to growl or snap at a single person, or dog- I know how to keep my cool I guess. I did once have to growl and charge at a coyote that was after Ian’s parent’s little dog; it bolted of course, and I was a bit of a hero after that. I am less of a hero when I chase deer, and squirrels, rabbits, and especially people’s cats. I have learned not to “chase” anymore, These people treat me really well and teach me – by talking to me so I can understand them – and never hit me no matter what trouble I cause… I’m not even sure they know it was me that chewed the tips off all those shoes outside???
So, I’m really writing to you all to thank you for your great care and concern for me. You found me a great place to live! “Buzz-Bear.”
We adopted Bear in March of 2015, and at first, he was pretty nervous about many new things- we got the sense that he had lived the first year of his life in a very sheltered, indoor environment.
Well, we have had our Tilly for two weeks now, and she is doing so well. Today, on several occasions, I observed her going out the doggie door all by herself and going potty. We will be officially potty-trained by this time next week, I’d imagine. Rain, snow, wind, and sub-freezing temperatures are not ideal conditions for potty training, but she is really adapting. Tilly has gone into the woods for her first Christmas tree hunt and the snow was deep. She didn’t mind a bit, or the cold. This girl really loves sticks! She even manages to get rather large sticks through the doggie door somehow.
Just thought you might like to see how Hildi is getting on…she has made herself right at home and I’m happy to say she is even good with my livestock. I introduced her into the pasture with my mini horses, which she used to bark at, and after an expected few minutes of being a bit wary…no barking…yay! She just went on as if they weren’t even a bother. I’ve taken her in with me to feed for a couple weeks now and she is fine with them. Loving this dog, she’s always trying to be good and she’s very sweet. As you can see in the pics here she and Pyro are besties. She’s the perfect match up for him, they are inseparable. Thanks again for entrusting us with such an awesome dog.
Hi everyone at the Society!
Hi to everyone at the HSOTC Shelter!