The story of Merlin

We recently adopted Merlin after giving him a Kennel Break and becoming a Foster Failure. After helping foster two dogs during their kennel breaks, I had gotten used to having the dogs around for a few days, but knew come Wednesday they have to go back. It was tough to bring them back, but I knew they enjoyed their time away and would be adopted soon. After watching the website everyday and seeing Merlin come available on Wednesday, I decided I was going to keep my eye on him in hopes he would be available on Sunday. Somehow he was still available on Sunday so I rushed to Homeward Pet to pick him up for his break. He was so great having around and we got in a good routine. He loves to play with his toys and especially loves his Frisbee. During his break we went to Magnuson Park every morning and every evening to play fetch and go for a walk. He met some new friends, but was more interested in his toys then playing with others. On Tuesday and Wednesday he got to come into work
with me and loved all the attention everyone provided him. With him being my third foster dog I was planning on bringing him back on Wednesday before the shelter opened, but that's not how things turned out. Waking up Wednesday and going through our routine I realized Merlin may be 11 but is still a puppy at heart and I could not take him back to shelter except to adopt him. Wednesday around noon I left for Woodinville with Merlin as my Co-Pilot from the back seat. It seemed like he knew exactly where he was when we arrived and turned his head to me and gave me the eyes saying, "Can I stay with you please?" I responded right back "Of Course!" When going through the paperwork the vet looked Merlin over and found a lump that needed to be removed and he was going to need surgery. Homeward Pet kept Merlin in their care and covered the surgery which I could not be more thankful for. Surgery went well and looks like everything is going to fine because he has no interest in slowly
down. On Monday I was able to come pick him up from Homewa!
rd and h
e was so happy to be leaving again and this time for good. I want to say Thank You to everyone at Homeward Pet for taking care of Merlin and providing the best adoption process in the area.

-Dustin

Now to hear Merlin's side of the story

I came to Homeward Pet with hopes of making some new friends, having new toys, and finding a new forever home. I was there with my sister Dottie, so I enjoyed a familiar face and everyone that works their loved to play with me because I will play all day long. They quickly learned I know lots of tricks and have great manners (I do consider myself to be a gentleman). Many people came to visit me while I was there but I think they thought I may be slow since some papers say I am 11. I have found age is merely a number because I can play and jump just like the younger dogs. After being at Homeward for a few days, I met a new friend who came up to my kennel and I showed him all my toys. He told me that I get to go home with him for a few days and get a break and this perked my interest. I was so excited to go for a car ride. On the way home we stopped at the park to play and I showed my ability to catch anything thrown my way. After our play time we went to his house and he show
ed me around where I had more toys and my very own bed. The next day he took me to the park again and I got to go running and play fetch, some of my favorite activities. Then on Tuesday and Wednesday I got to come in the office with my new friend where I found more toys again. This really was turning out to be a great break, because I got toys wherever I went. On my last day of my break I went back to Homeward, but I knew my new best friend and I would be friends forever. Sure enough he was going to give me my forever home, but I had a little bump that had to get removed. I recovered great from surgery and was ready to play the next day. After hanging out with my new friends at Homeward for a few days, my new best friend came back and I went crazy when I saw him because I knew he is now my Dad. He told me to pack up my bags and get ready to go to my new forever home. I have already settled into my new home and love all the new places I have been and new faces I have met. I
have always been referred to as Merlin but I sometimes get c!
alled Ve
lcro by my new Dad because I love to follow him around.

Thank you for all your great care!
– Merlin

Sophie and Sammy

We adopted Sophie and Sammy, 6 year old Schnauzer sisters, one year ago today. We already had an older Schnauzer and a rescue Yorkie. We doubted whether adopting them was a good idea, however, Sophie and Sammy quickly became part of our family. It was difficult to tell that they weren't born and raised with us.

Last week, our older schnauzer died. Sophie and Sammy helped us get through it by staying close by as we all felt the loss and sadness.

We have been so happy with these two smart, loving dogs. They have learned a lot and remind us daily about the joy animals bring to our lives.

Thank you for the wonderful work you do.

Pam Harper

Duke

Hello everyone at Homeward Pets.

Last Valentine’s Day 2010 Sunday at 11:15, I was driving and saw the most handsome canine. I said to myself outloud “I want that dog”.

I drove up and pulled over, looked up and saw I was in your parking lot. I waited a couple minutes and saw a gal walking this gorgeous animal. I asked if he was available for adoption and she said “yes, but we’re not open yet”. 45 minutes later I returned with a box of doggie treats, met Duke, took a little walk, he jumped in my car, and the rest is history.

This past year has been amazing! I forgot what it was like to feel so much happiness.

Duke is a golden lab retriever husky with the most beautiful amber eyes that match his coat. He has lots of energy, loves to eat, run on the beach at the ocean, swim with/for ducks, hunt for furry animals, run, play with balls, etc. and is such a joy!

Thank you so much for what you all do in taking such great care of the best things in life!

Linda

Sweet Sam

Sam has been a part of our family for 5 months now. His personality just continues to show through, as he is quite a character. He has one toy, "Booda Bull," that he carries everywhere he goes, including rides in the car and when he goes to bed. Sam has a type of purring sound when we brush him. He is so sweet, mellow and calm. Our 2 kitties just adore him. It is very common to have all 3 of them snoozing on the sofa within inches of each other.

As you can see from Sam's picture, he sports a distinguished gray muzzle. We think that Sam is about 10 years old, but that certainly was not an issue for us when we decided to adopt him. He is so loving and appreciative of his forever home with us. The feeling is certainly mutual, as we are devoted to him. We hope that folks will consider older dogs and cats, as they have so much still to give! Please give them a chance to show just how special they are!

Rocky and Lu

Gus, A Love Story

Gus, formerly known as "Gizmo," came into our family one beautiful October Sunday. We had been at Homeward Pet the Friday before, looking for a dog that might fit into our family that includes two busy boys, two working parents, and a sweet Beagle named "Scout." Homeward had so many dogs with soulful eyes, breaking our hearts and making us want to take every one of them home. However, I suppose one benefit of getting older is developing willpower and the knowledge of one's own limitations.
We were walking out that Friday evening, not sure if we found the right dog for adoption, when we looked into the room with the dogs that are just post-surgery or with other special needs, and saw Gizmo a Shi-tzu mix. He was still groggy post-neutering, but we knew there was something special about him. We wouldn't normally say we're a family that prefers little fluffy dogs but he was CUTE! Apparently, his owner in Eastern Washington got rid of him because he didn't get along with her cats. Someone rescued him from a shelter in his previous hometown where he must have been for some time, and brought him up to Homeward Pet. He was well-taken care of at Homeward, but you could tell he was sad.All weekend, we OBSESSED about this dog, thinking that surely he had gone home with someone else. On Sunday, we called and learned that he was still there – "and did we want to foster him for two days?" Well, we're no dummies – we knew that if we brought this dog home, he'd be there to stay. We raced up to Woodinville, completed the paperwork and brought Gizmo into our lives.Five months later, "Gus" has completed our family. He is friendly, playful, loves to cuddle, and is extremely well-behaved. We honestly could not have asked for a more perfect addition to our family. Before adopting him, I was supportive of shelters, but concerned that a dog I might adopt from one would be problematic due to past abuse, lack of training, or destructive learned behavior. I know that dogs like these can be rehabilitated, but realistically, our family did not have the time needed to work on these challenges. I've learned that by going to Homeward Pet, talking about our family-life, our concerns and our interests (and trusting our own instincts about the animals), the knowledgeable staff and volunteers at Homeward Pet will work with you to find the perfect animal. They want to find the right family for each pet as much as each family wants to find the right pet.Gus is absolutely perfect, and though he's still terrified to ride in a car (because he probably associates it with being taken to a shelter), he has become more than a pet. We love him, and I'll always recommend Homeward Pet to anyone considering getting a pet. Thank you!

Apollo - What a great dog!!!

Dear Homeward Pet,

It has been one month since we adopted our new yellow lab named Apollo. It seems like he has always been part of our family. The adjustment was really easy as he such a mellow, polite, sweet, happy boy. He is exactly what we were looking for in a family dog. He loves everyone, has such great manners, he is so playful yet calm, always ready for a belly rub and loves a good game of fetch. You should see his eyes light up when he sees the chuck-it. What a great dog! He walks with all the kids down to the bus stop each morning and seems to enjoy all the attention. He has learned not to pull on the leash and just loves our twice daily walks around the neighborhood. We have also taken him out on our two favorite family activities, hiking and geocaching. He seems to love exploring new parks and muddy trails and doesn't mind the rain at all. We have started him in the manners class where we have met lots of other dogs newly adopted from Homeward Pet. So far he has
learned to sit and touch on command. People have commented that Apollo kind of looks like our family and blends right in. I think his ear color and my son's hair exactly match. See photo.

We managed to get together on a play date with the family that adopted his brother, Gage, now called Rudy. We hope to have more play dates in the future so the brothers can keep. They are both such beautiful dogs. We are blessed to have them in our families.

Thank you Homeward Pet for all that you do for the animals.

John, Charlene, Ryan

Greetings from Oscar

Hello,

 

I adopted little Oscar last Thursday and thought you'd like to see how he's doing.

In the pciture I attached he is the smaller one laying down while my older cat Tomtee looks straight in the camera.

 

Of course, they aren't always so harmonious, sometimes Oscar just get's a little too much in Tomtee's face, but overall they get on nicely.

 

Thank you for your work and With Best Regards,

Julia

 

Charlie

 

Here's a couple of pictures of him (now named Jaime), with my dog.  

Thanks again so much for your help!

Jennifer

Sonny Boy

Hello

 

He is doing great but his name at the moment is Dennis the menace.

He is great and a lot of fun.

 

Linda

 

Fergie

 

 

Hello, guys!  Do you remember Fergie?  She is doing fine. We love her :))  Thanks,    Olesya and Michail.

 

Brindi and Spikette

 

Hi, Homeward pets,
 
Just wanted to thank you again for the lovely kittens, formerly known as Brindi and Spikette.  They are now Miyu and Zora, and after two weeks, they are doing GREAT!  While they started out pretty shy, they are bonding with us and love to play. They have been slow to explore the house but are starting to gallop all over.  We took them to the vet last week, and he said they are in great health and have very sweet dispositions.  They are curious and funny.  Miyu is the more skittery, but she is also a little piglet and likes to finish her own meal in record time and then sneak over into Zora's food.  Zora is the intrepid explorer and will check out new places, and Miyu soon follows. They're usually too busy to stop for a pet while they're playing, but if you catch them on their cat tree looking out into the back yard, they love to be petted, and reward you with twin diesel-engine purrs.  We just love them. 
 
They are growing already!
 
Thanks again,
Al, Gail, Rhiannon and Fiona

Brownie: AKA Coby

Dear Homeward Pet,

 

We thought we would drop you a line to give you an update on our dog we adopted from you last year. So, it has been a year since we adopted ‘Brownie’ we have renamed him to ‘Coby’.

 

Coby was a shy and skitterish dog who would not eat or drink out of bowls for the longest time  He has had his moments of trials and tribulations…but we persevered with love, treats, compassion and patience. He is the awesomeist (is that even a word?) dog anyone could have. He has blended so well into our family, it hardly even seems like it’s been a year. He runs the house now! And our family just loves him so much.

 

Thank for all you do…I hope all your other animals find their forever home.

 

Best to you!

Joel and Michelle

 

Cosmo the Pomeranian

We adopted a 7 month old Pomeranian about ten days ago and we have been blessed with a wonderful new member to our family. The staff at Homeward Pet was great and they disclosed the history of "Spike" and answered all of our questions.

While the dog was not completely house trained, he is quickly figuring out the fact it should be outdoors. We also renamed him on day one as he really did not respond to "Spike". So we named him Cosmo and he has adjusted well to the name change and his new surroundings. Cosmo is extremely social with our family and everyone he has met. He's already had a play date with a friend's Havanese and he has displayed excellent manners for a puppy. We look forward to taking advantage of the free obedience classes soon. Cosmo seems to be pretty intelligent and we believe he will accel in school and learn the critical commands soon. Finally, we just wanted to say thank you to Homeward Pet and also let you know we really felt better about adopting a pet in need rather than going through a breeder. John and Carol