Dear Lovely Folks at Homeward Pet Adoption Center,
Thanks for following up with me to see how my new canine family member is adjusting to life. I adopted Boomer, a Lhasa Apso mix from your shelter in early December 2008, and it could not have been a better experience with a better outcome. The staff and volunteers were empathetic, knowledgeable, and helpful, and the process from start to finish was exceptional. Particularly with the difficult time I was emerging from, my experience at Homeward was nothing short of perfect.
In early November, I was devastated after the euthanasia of my beloved dog Porkchop. I had adopted Porkchop early in 2008, and while I knew that his age of 13 meant that we would not have an extremely long time together, I wasn't expecting it to be as painfully short as it was. My apartment was so empty without him, and my cat Fatty and I dragged ourselves about like a couple of sad sacks. Our days were hollow, and our nights long and empty without Porkchop. To say that we were heartbroken does not begin to describe us. We were wrecked.
Not wanting to betray Porkchop's memory, and not wanting to rush my grief, I resisted well meaning suggestions from friends to visit with adoptable dogs. But when Fatty began to compulsively groom himself, I knew that I must do something to allieviate his loneliness. Our family of three needed to find our third.
I had a few simple criteria in mind - a dog that was smallish in size, that got along well with cats, and a bit older. My experience with Porkchop taught me that there is nothing in the world better than an old dog. And I knew that many dogs over a couple of years of age are often over looked for "cuter," more rambunctious youngsters.
I turned to Petfinder.com and found myself drawn to a little tan fluffy dog named Boomer. His story of neglect and betrayal, of being abandoned by the very people who were supposed to protect and care for him, broke my heart. I decided that perhaps I could visit with him. But I swore up and down during the ride to the shelter that I was just there to visit.
Obviously, that all went out the window the moment I met Boomer. Cute did not begin to describe him - he was so cute it was ridiculous. Returning from his trip to the groomer, he was prettified and ready for a new start. A staff member brought us to the yard, to interact and see how we got along. I stood back, and gave Boomer his space, and allowed him to initiate contact. He bounced right over, jumped up to put his paws on my legs, wagged his curly tail and smiled. His brown button eyes seemed to say "Hey! Don't be sad! I'm here and I've had troubles and I'm happy to see with you!" I crouched down to tickle his ears, and he licked my nose. My heart melted. I had found my new best friend.
Now going by the moniker of Scooter (he throws himself on the ground after his toys and then scoots along with them in his mouth), he has brought so much happiness back to our home. Every day he makes me laugh, and while I'm not much of a morning, I gladly rouse myself at 6 for a nice long walk with my buddy. We continue to work on basic obedience and good canine citizen skills, and our only real hang up is the occasional over exuberance on Scooter's part. He's been potty trained from day one, and he and the cat Fatty enjoy chasing each other and well meaning sneak attacks. I could not have asked for a better match.
I am sure that with the work that staff of Homeward Pet Adoption Center perform each day, you often face the ugly and gut wrenching reality of what far too many cruel people can inflict on innocent and helpless companion animals. I wanted to share Boomer's story with you, because it is your dedication that brought us together. Thank you for rescuing him, patching him up and having faith in the fact that somewhere, someone was waiting for him. Thank you from the bottom of my heart for bringing me together with my best friend.
Sincerely,
Colin Lovell
Thanks for following up with me to see how my new canine family member is adjusting to life. I adopted Boomer, a Lhasa Apso mix from your shelter in early December 2008, and it could not have been a better experience with a better outcome. The staff and volunteers were empathetic, knowledgeable, and helpful, and the process from start to finish was exceptional. Particularly with the difficult time I was emerging from, my experience at Homeward was nothing short of perfect.
In early November, I was devastated after the euthanasia of my beloved dog Porkchop. I had adopted Porkchop early in 2008, and while I knew that his age of 13 meant that we would not have an extremely long time together, I wasn't expecting it to be as painfully short as it was. My apartment was so empty without him, and my cat Fatty and I dragged ourselves about like a couple of sad sacks. Our days were hollow, and our nights long and empty without Porkchop. To say that we were heartbroken does not begin to describe us. We were wrecked.
Not wanting to betray Porkchop's memory, and not wanting to rush my grief, I resisted well meaning suggestions from friends to visit with adoptable dogs. But when Fatty began to compulsively groom himself, I knew that I must do something to allieviate his loneliness. Our family of three needed to find our third.
I had a few simple criteria in mind - a dog that was smallish in size, that got along well with cats, and a bit older. My experience with Porkchop taught me that there is nothing in the world better than an old dog. And I knew that many dogs over a couple of years of age are often over looked for "cuter," more rambunctious youngsters.
I turned to Petfinder.com and found myself drawn to a little tan fluffy dog named Boomer. His story of neglect and betrayal, of being abandoned by the very people who were supposed to protect and care for him, broke my heart. I decided that perhaps I could visit with him. But I swore up and down during the ride to the shelter that I was just there to visit.
Obviously, that all went out the window the moment I met Boomer. Cute did not begin to describe him - he was so cute it was ridiculous. Returning from his trip to the groomer, he was prettified and ready for a new start. A staff member brought us to the yard, to interact and see how we got along. I stood back, and gave Boomer his space, and allowed him to initiate contact. He bounced right over, jumped up to put his paws on my legs, wagged his curly tail and smiled. His brown button eyes seemed to say "Hey! Don't be sad! I'm here and I've had troubles and I'm happy to see with you!" I crouched down to tickle his ears, and he licked my nose. My heart melted. I had found my new best friend.
Now going by the moniker of Scooter (he throws himself on the ground after his toys and then scoots along with them in his mouth), he has brought so much happiness back to our home. Every day he makes me laugh, and while I'm not much of a morning, I gladly rouse myself at 6 for a nice long walk with my buddy. We continue to work on basic obedience and good canine citizen skills, and our only real hang up is the occasional over exuberance on Scooter's part. He's been potty trained from day one, and he and the cat Fatty enjoy chasing each other and well meaning sneak attacks. I could not have asked for a better match.
I am sure that with the work that staff of Homeward Pet Adoption Center perform each day, you often face the ugly and gut wrenching reality of what far too many cruel people can inflict on innocent and helpless companion animals. I wanted to share Boomer's story with you, because it is your dedication that brought us together. Thank you for rescuing him, patching him up and having faith in the fact that somewhere, someone was waiting for him. Thank you from the bottom of my heart for bringing me together with my best friend.
Sincerely,
Colin Lovell
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