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| Meet Homer |
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Hello, approximately 3 years ago I was introduced to Hannibal...a big-headed, foamy mouthed, 9 year old boxer that
had heartworms. Due to his age, health, and poor appearance, he was not an attractive dog. But...I followed my
heart.
Here I am three years later with the best dog anyone could ask for. He has been re-named Homer, and is
the most gracious, appreciative, loving, spoiled dog anyone could meet. His heartworm treatment was effective, and he
gained weight. He has been in good health and has provided our family with 3 years of unconditional love and endless
kisses. Adopting Homer was the best decision we made.
And now, we're facing the idea of losing our "little man."
He has leukemia and is on a slow decline. We watch as our once active boy now snoozes all day and walks with an enormous
amount of pain. We will see him through to the end, as he is part of our family. He is loved.
Thank you
to the Isabella County Animal Shelter for opening our eyes (and our hearts) to adopting a dog such as Homer. We will
do everything in our power to honor Homer, and all other rescue dogs, by promoting the adoption of rescue dogs. Adoptions,
such as Homer's, will enrich the lives of dog lovers everywhere...and the dogs' lives themselves.
Sincerely, Meredith L.
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We wouldn't give Houston up for anything! We absolutley love him and so does Roxie :) He has adjusted really well
to our home and we could not be happier. I invited my friends over with their two dogs (sheperd mix and a doxin) and all four
of the dogs were playing with each other. Everyday he shows more and more of his gentle and sweet personality. We changed
his name to Griffin and he started responding to it right away. The only issue we've come across is that he is a bit
scared of going down the basement stairs, I'm sure in time he will warm up to them. Donny carried him down once so he could
sniff around and become familiar with the area and he had no issues going up the stairs afterward. He also has no problems
with the two stairs from the kitchen to the backdoor landing. Griffin loves to snuggle with us and cuddles up with Roxie
in her dog bed every night. He went to our vet yesterday for a physical exam and everything came back normal We'll keep you
updated over the next few weeks. Thank you for helping us find him, he completes our family!
Take Care, Brienne
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| Meet Mikey |
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myself jamie and my husband david rowe adopted mikey from u guys back in
november he is a wonderul dog he is so smart and we taught him to count to ten and he plays hide and seek with
our cats and we take him every where we go to get him usta being around other people and animals and he loves other dogs our
friends have 6 kids and he licks them all to death and when we go over there we get close to their house and he starts freaking
cuz he knows where we r at it is so funny they have a full blooded great dane and she is his best friend they even sleep in
the same kennel he plays try and catch me lord knows i can't catch this dog lol it took my husband years to talk me into getting
a dog and i could'nt imagine a day without him now and i recommend u guys to any 1 i hear of wanting to get a dog he is beautiful
i get so many compliments on him he is funny he loves sliced cheese and strawberrys r his favorite sometimes i make him eggs
and sausage for b fast once in a while for a treat lol and he loves ice cream cones and vegetable soup and deep fried cauliflower
he loves the garbage man he loves to go sit and watch him dump the garbage and he hides around ther corner an keeps peeking
his head out and looks for the cats and then the cats do the same and then they chase each other and get going so fast its
so funny and when i have food or a treat i say sit and he does i'll say 2 and he barks twice i do that all the way to10 it
is so funny i can say go get the bunny and he runs around the house like 10 times i just love him and he is a joy thank you
so much for him we love him and thank you so much we love him we may soon adopt another animal
Mr and Mrs Rowe
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| This is Bella with her Ducky |
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I was going to buy a puppy from a breeder, but prices for a purebred dog were too high. I started to look on Petfinder
and discovered how many dogs are in shelters everywhere!! I decided to adopt a shelter dog. I found Pebbles, now Bella (She
is named after Isabella Animal Control), on Petfinder and the HATS website. I came over to see her, then came back with my
two dogs to be sure everyone got along. Bella came to me spayed, microchipped, neutered, free of fleas, and had her initial
vaccinations. My vet was very impressed!
Bella is WONDERFUL! Because she came to Animal Control as a stray, not much was
know of her previous life. Somebody either lost or dropped off a great dog. She walks on leash, is housetrained, is well socialized
with all sizes of dogs (big ones don't scare her at all!), is crate trained, and very affectionate. I'm going to take her
to an obedience class and even try agility. As she learns commands and meets the outside world, I'll judge whether she could
be a therapy dog....that's something I've wanted to do for years but have not had
the time and right dog for the job.
Bella might be the right one for that, but she definitely is the right dog for me!! Thank you HATS and Isabella Animal Control.
You took good care of her until I could find her and bring her home.
The staff deserves a HUGE thank you for all
they do at the shelter. I was there three times and every time there were cheerful desk greeters/workers, eager volunteers
working or being trained, dog walkers out in the yard, and helpful kennel staff in the back room.
I have told many people what a great place your shelter is for the animals. Bella will be a great advertisement for you
here in Midland because everyone who meets her wants to know where she came from and I'm happy to tell them.
Diane
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My husband and I decided to adopt a dog. The first day we walked in, we saw our dog Chip (formally Petie). We
fell in love with him and wanted to adopt him. He was not available yet, but the day he became available we were in at 9am
and adopted him right at 9:01am, August 2009. He became comfortable with us right away! We quickly found out that he is so
loving and so smart! He is such an amazing pet! We couldn't have had better luck! ~Amy
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| This is Monique |
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| MO in our front yard. She's a doll! Nothing but belly rubs from now on. |
Monique was adopted in May by a family who has always helped us (the shelter) out with big dog rescues. Carri has
been fabulous helping us by fostering the really large breeds that do not really do well in our small kennel spaces.
When she saw Monique, on the site, she was on the phone offering to help us move her to a safe and loving home.
As you can see, she looks wonderful and she is going to be a little (well, maybe not little at 110 pounds) princess with
Carri in her forever home.
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| This is Wilma |
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I adopted Wilma (now 'Wilms!') from the shelter almost a year ago, and boy have we come a long way! Just a few days after
her adoption, she began to have some serious health issues from a neglected injury prior to adoption, which required emergency
surgery.. something that as a new pet owner, was quite shocking to have to do! But having had her in my life for just those
few short days, I knew I couldn't lose her. She bounced back from surgery quite rapidly, and has been my partner in crime
ever since. She greets me at the door every day, pokes at my face with paw and whisker every morning, and enjoys sitting on
my lap, with both paws resting on my desk, when I type at my computer (like she is now!) She even enjoys playing fetch, and
has learned to 'sit pretty' like a dog! I'm pretty sure she's part Maine Coon, which would explain her dog-like demeaner,
loyalty, and aptitude for learning tricks! I can't imagine my life without Wilms, and give my unending thanks and gratitude
to HATS for assisting with financing her surgery, and for their wonderful website. Keep up the great work, every pet deserves
a great home, and every home deserves a pet as great as Wilms!
Kim
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| Tiger and Friends |
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Just wanted to drop you a quick note. We lost our dog Bear at age 11.5. We adopted
him as a puppy at the animal shelter. He was a very sweet big German Shepherd/Collie mix.
It didn't take long for us to decide that we needed another puppy. We came back to the animal
shelter to take a look. And there was this little friendly puppy that was begging us to take her home.
We adopted "Chianna" almost two weeks ago. She had been adopted prior to us taking her, but somebody
brought her back to the shelter after two days.
Our five year old renamed her Tiger.
Tiger is doing very well and is enjoying being around us. She follows me around the house
and is very loving. She likes to curl up in my lap and take a nap. She has a wonderful personality and is adjusting well to
living in a house with two energetic children.
Thank you
Tanja Dunn
| Tiger |
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| This is Mia and Shyler |
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My name is Schyler and this is
my dog Mia. We had been visiting the shelter on a regular basis and helping out with walking the dogs. My family
brought Mia home from the dog shelter in June 2009. We were originally just “fostering” her while the kennels
were being cleaned. Mia was such a great dog, she didn’t bark or run away from me. She grew on us all and
we decided to adopt her. She is a good girl and loves to play with me and my brother.
Thanks for bringing us together! Schyler
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| Meet Gracie |
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We adopted our dog Gracie (formally Coco) in July, 2009. We went to the shelter on a whim, with absolutely no intention
of bringing home a dog any time soon. When we arrived, we asked Cindy to introduce us to some older, smaller dogs who
might need some walking. We found our girl, who was neither older nor smaller, and fell in love. Gracie has since doubled
in size (a healthy 65 lbs and growing!) and is a wonderful addition to our family. She's a gorgeous and brilliant pup, and
we adore having her with us. Thank you for helping us find her :) Adrienne West
| Gracie and Santa |
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| "I got what I wanted"!!! |
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| Meet Lucy |
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January of
last year I came to the shelter to look at the dogs. Recently after, my other dog I got from there ran away. I was very upset
about that. Sadie was a very good dog. She was a black and white pit bull. Very friendly! I never thought any other dog could
take her place but on January 30 2009, I came across this light brindle and white pit bull. She was only about four months
old. After, months and months of looking at dogs that came into the shelter hoping to find Sadie or maybe even one to help
fill the emptiness of Sadie not being around, I knew this Brindle and White dog had to be the one for me. I asked a little
information on the dog. The workers at the shelter said “she needs immediate obedience classes”. I still knew
this dog was meant to be my dog. There was not a doubt in my mind that I couldn’t give her a little TLC to get over
the disobedience. Now almost a year has passed and Lucy (formally known as Zelda) has been the best
dog I have ever had. It took a lot of discipline and training by my boyfriend and I but, Lucy came right out of any puppy
stages she was in. She is the friendliest dog I know. When people come over to our house I think she pesters them because
she wants them to pet her. She tries to sleep right next to me every night but, she is too big. So she has a blanket to sleep
on. Lucy enjoys chewing on rawhides, going for car rides, walks, and sucking on blankets…weird
I know. I asked the vet why she does that and he said because she was weaned too early from her mother. Everyone thinks pit
bulls are horrific killers and mine suckles on a blanket like a newborn pup. I have had cocker spaniels, and Springer spaniels,
my pit bulls have been the funniest, most loving of all. I think society needs to realize a dog is what you make of it. All
they need are love and affection. Lucy is truly a blessing and an ambassador of her breed. Please rescue one from the shelter,
there are so many loving pets there that need you more than anything.
Tiffany, Blanchard,MI
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| Meet Zookpo |
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When I walked into the shelter on August 28, 2009 I didn't know someone would be coming
home with me. We dropped of some treats for the dogs and decided to take some for a walk. When I saw him my heart dropped.
His name was Storm and I knew he had to come home with me. When he got to the house he knew he was home. He stretched right
out on the rug and let his new sister know he wasn't going anywhere! Keiko is my chow and wasn't too fond of the idea of someone
else running the house. Hard work paid off and now they are the best of friends. When he leaves she cries at the door. He
had alot of energy so, he has became my new running buddy! We renamed him Zookpo from Storm which means "its snowing".
We thought it was a good name for his breed, and the fact that he is obsessed with snow! We hope we have many years with Zookpo
and couldn't be happier that he is a part of our family! Thank you for letting us have the chance to have this wonderful dog
in our lives!!!
- Emily
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| meet Janie |
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My name is Emily and I volunteered at the Isabella County animal shelter as a service project
for my former sorority. While there, I met Mary Jane the pit bull(now known as Janie), the absolute sweetest dog in the world.
I decided to walk her because she seemed very calm. After her walk, I was working on "sit" and "shake" with her and when I
said "shake" she put her front paws on my forearm and leaned up to give me kisses. After that, I knew I had to adopt her;
she just stole my heart. I did some research on pit bulls and picked her up the next week. Ever since, Janie has been my best
friend and I just can't imagine life without her. Everybody she meets adores her as well! With a little socialization and
obedience training and time to adapt to her new home, she turned into a very well-behaved girl who loves to spend as much
time as she can in my lap or by my side. Adopting Janie has been so incredibly rewarding, and I feel good knowing I gave her
a second chance. Many thanks to the staff and volunteers at the shelter who made all this possible! I just want to let
everyone reading this know what wonderful dogs pit bulls really are, and to never write them off as innately mean or aggressive
just because the degenerates who use some of them for dog fighting have made them to be that way! If given a loving, responsible
home they are no more likely (some of my research has even said less likely) than any other breed to display aggression toward
humans. They are intelligent, affectionate, eager to please, and extremely loyal. Blame the deed, NOT the breed!
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| This is Olliver and Chloe |
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My boyfriend bought me the puurfect Christmas present this year! Meet Chloe (tortie) and Olliver (orange), the
two wonderfully troublesome cats that we adopted from HATS earlier this year.
Chloe was a rescued medical research cat and is missing part of her tail. She likes to play with paper and she
LOVES water.
Olliver is the friendliest kitten in the world and LOVES attention. You can hear him purring from down the hall
and he will snuggle right up by your face if you let him.
Ollie and Chloe have really warmed up to each other. Every morning they thunder through the house chasing one
another. They have really warmed up to us too. It is so nice to have them greet us at the door or lay with us while we are
relaxing at home.
Hopefully in the future we can give more animals a forever home. Thank you so much for getting
our little family started. =) Rachelle
| Chloe and Olliver-the best of friends |
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