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Back to Current Happy Tails

Pippin

Hello!-I wanted to tell you all about my new life. It started before I met my new family. My family had to put their Australian Shepherd/Border Collie mixed dog "Jenny" to sleep in March this year due to thyroid cancer. The family was very sad. Especially my new mom. She really missed having a dog. It was hard because they have a very busy schedule, so they didn't think it would be a good thing to get another dog and expect it to act like a dog that has lived with them a long time, like Jenny. One day, my mom couldn't stand it anymore. She says the house was just too empty not having a pet (mom likes cats too, but dad isn't crazy about them) so she decided to come in to see if the Humane Society had any dogs she might fall in love with. She saw me, and I did my best to make her notice me. It worked!

I was afraid that she wouldn't like me because I had fleas really bad, and I itched so much that I pulled all my hair out. Guess what! She used to work for an animal hospital, and she had a dog that was allergic too, so she knew when she saw me that I didn't have anything scary and that my hair would grow back. Guess, what? It is! It's almost as long as the rest of my hair now. Mom gives me medicated baths so that my skin doesn't itch so much. It feels so much better!

My new boy, Clark is so much fun to play with. He throws the ball for me. I especially love to play 'monkey in the middle". I'm the monkey, of course. I have a huge yard to play in. I'm a very good boy and I listen really well. I started to have some accidents in the house, and I had to go in a crate, but I figured out how to escape it. I learned my lesson not to potty in the house because I don't like going in the crate even if I know how to get out. My new family has renamed me "Pippin" from Lord of the Rings. I like it. It fits me. They say that I'm just what they needed, and I love them a lot. My new dad was a little bit apprehensive to warm up to me at first, but I just loved him so much he couldn't resist, and he loves me a lot now.

Thank you for taking me in to your shelter so that I could have a very happy new life with my new family.

"Pippin" Sist

Callie (formerly Allie)

I've attached a picture so you can see how "Queen Callie" is adjusting -- she's obviously surveying her kingdom from the back of the couch!

Thanks again for all you do.
Susie Keat

Max (formerly Joe Joe)

Piper

	Just wanted to let you know that Piper is doing great! He settled right in and so far is a really good boy! He appears so much calmer than at the shelter, he just snuggles up next to my son or I. I didn't have to put anything away – he leaves things alone and just plays with his toys. Thanks so much for letting me adopt him! Marianne Fish

Valdella / Missy

I'm just writing to tell you how much of a joy our new addition to our family is... Valdella/ Missy (we changed her name) has been a blessing. I don't think she realizes the hole she filled in our hearts. As you know we lost our cat about a month and half ago and were all devastated beyond belief. We didn't feel whole and weren't sure what to do. So I asked my kids if they'd like a new cat that looked like our Missy and with surprise they said yes. So we went to you with hope of finding what our hearts needed to heal and we did. She is soooo amazing and loved so much she has adapted nicely. She is more than we expected and so loving and faithful and shows her gratefulness every time she curls up with me. I didn't think she would fix all the pain I felt for my 1st cat. She has given me more than I could imagine.

Thank you so much for what you do on a daily basis and for being so kind to the ones who need you most (our homeless, neglected animals). Keep up the great work and enjoy the pictures. Thank you from the bottom of all our hearts.

The Dean Family

Captain Nemo (a.k.a. Chandler)

Just a note to let you all know how much we LOVE Captain Nemo. When he was at your shelter, he went by the name of "Chandler", a big, orange, polydactyl tom cat. Just about one year ago, we brought Nemo into our home. He is EXTREMELY AFFECTIONATE, and his behavior bares more resemblance to a dog than a cat. He is always at the door to greet us when we come home, curls up at our feet when we watch TV, and follows me whenever I get up.

Nemo is VERY CLEVER, and has figured out how to open the door to our coat closet so that he can get in and play with all the shoelaces. He has a hilarious habit of crawling under blankets for his naps, and spends every afternoon as a lump under the bedspread. We have had a difficult past year with many sadnesses, and Nemo has been an ENORMOUS COMFORT.

Thank you SO much for taking care of him!
Anne Grutter

A message from Annie, one of our Hidden Gem pets...

To my friends at the Humane Society of Livingston County,

I’ve settled into my new digs	The meals are good, but sadly, portioned controlled	I’m keeping active and losing a little weight
I sleep a lot too and love my soft blankets	I got a checkup and my vet said I was healthy and very impressed by the care given to me by the HSLC	Well, time for a cat nap.

Yours Truly,
Annie

Learn more about our other Hidden Gem Pets>>

Fanny's Update

My family adopted Fanny on March 22nd of last year. You might remember she came to you with an open wound to the neck. She will always have a couple small difficulties because of the injury, but she is HAPPY and WELL LOVED. She never used to play much, but now is learning that chasing a laser light might be fun.

Fanny is our LITTLE LOVER GIRL who could be cuddled all day. She is SO SWEET and purrs louder than average. She LOVES catnip! She LOVES her cat brother Ziggy the most. She often likes sitting on him and stealing his favorite sun spots when he's in them. What are sisters for right? My family is SO IN LOVE WITH HER that she is known as the Pretty Pretty Princess. Thanks SO MUCH for doing what you do. We get ENORMOUS JOY from it every day!

Jeanne Young
See more on Fanny's rescue story>>

Lacey (and Molly, both adopted from HSLC)

I'm writing this on my lunch break at Franklin High School in Livonia, where I teach. Yesterday we took Lacey home to the pack, and what an absolute sweetie she is! She immediately fit in with the rest of the pack. Yes, there was a lot of butt-sniffing, a little posturing, and a few growls and snaps, but by the time she'd been home for about two hours and the pecking order established, all the dogs were snoozing together at the same sun spot in the living room.

Here are a couple pictures of Lacey and our other HSLC rescue dog, Molly, who we adopted two years ago this month. What was really interesting was last night at bedtime. I was sure it was going to be a LONG night, with a scared new puppy in the house, away from the routine and her pals at the shelter. Well, once the other dogs took their usual positions in the bedroom, Lacey crawled up into the bed and snuggled in right next to my wife, Joy, and for the rest of the night she didn't move! I got the girl doggies all up at midnight to go outside, and Lacey immediately returned to her previous position curled up next to Joy, and again, didn't move until it was morning. What a great girl!

While she follows me around, I think she's definitely imprinted Joy as the "mama" and will probably become her "velcro" puppy. Joy actually is thinking of either changing her name to "Lucky" or "Lucky Lacey" since we think she's a very lucky girl to have fallen into our laps! Unlike before, Lacey has found her "forever" home, and she will have a great life, as will we watching her play with and grow into the pack.

Sincerely,
Dennis L Hopkins

Hope (and Greg, her best feline friend)

It has been a year and a half since we adopted Hope, and I just wanted to give you another update. We can't even begin to tell you how much joy she has brought to our lives. She is absolutely our child for the next few years before we start a (human) family, and the love that she gives everyday still inspires me.

In December we adopted a cat, "Greg" from a rescue group in Lainsburg, MI. Part of why we got him was to keep Hope company during the day while we are gone (my husband works out of town and I am a veterinary student at MSU). In a short two months they have really bonded and play together all the time. Greg's fur is always matted because Hope spends much of the day grooming him as if he's her baby :)

Again, thank you so much for the vital role you played in saving Hope and bringing her into our lives. We are so very grateful!!

Jay and Kendra Creighton

Keira a.k.a. Ginger

I would like to share some good news with you about the dog I adopted from your shelter. Ginger was her former name and is now Keira. She turns out to be Basenji and Sheltie. I had just started to look for another furry friend. I saw her on Petfinder.com. My beloved Windsor (15 yr Basenji) passed away from cancer in May. I missed having a dog and one that fit my lifestyle and could go on long walks with me. Keira has been a great companion and comfort to me. She has the Basenji thinking and the Sheltie sassiness. Quite the combination.

We have had many adventures together. She rides in the car leaning her head on my shoulder or resting and riding well on the car seat. She loves chasing the laser pen, playing fetch, and tug of war. She has been to a few pet events/fairs and had fun and acted very well. She spots and watches the helicopters/planes in the air. Also tracks the geese/birds flying in the air. She loves to go for long walks in the woods, spots and looks up to find squirrels in the trees. She loves to chase squirrels and looks for fish in lakes and streams. She barks and bites at the caps waves and goes wading and swimming in the water. She has caught a minnow and a tiny crayfish and loves to dig for clams. She is on harness and long lead all the time. She is very quiet in the woods. She also reminds me not to 'stay' on the computer too long. As in "lets go for a walk". She gives hugs and kisses.

She has learned many new hand and verbal signals, some field commands, in a short period of time. After I get her leg cleared by the vet, I will try some agility classes and jumps in my backyard. I keep exposing her to new circumstances so she keeps learning and keep her well rounded and socialized. She very good with my elderly Mom.

She has another dog that she lives with Scottie. He is a 13 yr old Shitz Tuz/ poodle mix and is a rescue. They get along very well. Having her around has spiced up his life. He acts much younger than the 13 years. They play, steal each other's toys, and chase each other around the backyard or in the house. Keira is respectful of his limitations (a defective hindleg). She is also learning about how to behave around my many birds (parakeets, cockatiels, and a parrolette all rescues.)

Janet Onderchanin (Keira, Scottie, and the "Flock")

Denzel (a.k.a. Mao) and Hurley (a.k.a. Mr. Toes)

Dear Happy Tails,

We are first time cat owners that hit the jackpot! We adopted Denzel (aka Mao) and Hurley (aka Mr. Toes) last spring and have been so happy. These two had never lived together but they get along swimmingly. Denzel is hilarious trying to drink out of the toilet bowl and snoring, while Hurley found his voice and likes to talk to us. We feel like our family is truly complete and can't imagine not having cats the rest of our lives.

Katie Evey and Adam Galloway

Tucker a.k.a. Kip

I am writing to update you on a dog we adopted from you on 10/19/09. His name was Kip, but we changed it to Tucker. He was a little fur ball when we brought him home and he is now a very healthy 50 pound Old English Sheepdog mix.  He is such a good boy! My husband and I are so lucky to have such an easy going, fun-loving dog!  

We just want to say thank you, for giving us the opportunity to make him a part of our family!

Happy Holidays to you and your Staff!!

Carrie, Mark, and Tucker

Molly a.k.a. Universe  

It has been four months since we adopted Universe, a female 5-year-old Miniature Pinscher that was formerly called Molly, on 7/26/10. Since then, we had wanted to visit the Livingston County Humane Society and show everyone that she was very healthy and happy to be with us, and also, how we were grateful that we could meet such a wonderful little girl. Finally, we visited the shelter with her today! Universe (Molly) was one of the dogs rescued from a puppy mill situation, where the dogs were simply neglected. Because she had been raised in such an environment, she was not house trained and she had not been exposed to a lot of things in this world. She still has a lot to learn, but she is definitely a loving dog.

We still remember how she was amazed when we took her to a dog park and let her socialize with other dogs. Also, we will never forget that she was so afraid of raindrops when she first experienced them. Besides raindrops and playing around in a large park, she has already learned a lot of things with us. To name a few, now she knows how people react when we tell them her name is "Universe." She even understands our Japanese language, which is considered to be difficult for English speakers to learn. She is also aware that she needs to be gentle with our cat, Ashitaka, and not to steal his warm bed while we are not home. She is willing to wear a sweater when she goes outside to prevent her from shaking with cold air, and she waits for us to go to bed first even though she is always the one who wants to be in bed early. Now, I and my husband, Universe and our cat Ashitaka are all tied to each other by such strong bonds of love and respect. We are very happy and so thankful that we could welcome her as our family member and will be able to live together with them, Universe and Ashitaka until their very last days.

We hope that we can share the happiness with those who already experienced pet-adoption and still more people who will do so in the future!!

Again, thank you very much for everything you have done for us to make this all possible!!

Yumiko and Kenji from Ann Arbor

Babs

Good afternoon, I just thought I'd send a quick update about our pup. We adopted her from you a year ago this month. Her name is Babs (she was named at your shelter and we kept it :o), she's a 15 month old brown pointer/lab mix, though a lot of people say they see weimeriener and dobie in her. Anyhow, I wanted to let you know how great she is doing and how much she loves life. She's about 54 lbs and has many doggy friends in the area, she makes friends whereever we go. We live in Washington DC now and there is an incredible dog park here that we go to several times a week when she isn't playing with her friends in the apartment complex. She gets along wonderfully with other dogs. She can be a stubborn hound, but is a really good girl. LOVES to cuddle and snuggle.

Thank you for the opportunity to adopt her.

Sara Barnas and Derek Przybylo

Blue    

I have been a foster mother for the Humane Society of Livingston County for approximately 3 years. I have fostered about 70 animals in that time, mostly kittens and mother cats that are nursing. Blue arrived at my home in mid May 2010 with his brother (Red), his mother (Honor) and another orphaned kitten (Rocket). Blue was extremely small - only weighing approx. 6 ounces when he first came to my house. His little chest was deformed. He has a syndrome called Flat Chested Kitten Syndrome. It was not expected that he would survive. I expected him to have breathing problems and possible cardiac problems.

As Red and Rocket were growing, Blue remained extremely tiny, but despite his small size he was always snuggling, loving and willing to jump in and play. Blue did not reach his two pound mark until well after Red and Rocket had returned  to the Humane Society to find forever homes. While Blue has continued to grow, other foster kittens have come and gone from my home. Blue has shown each of these foster kittens love and introduced them to the world. I often find Blue snuggled up with the new arrivals throughout my home. I also have an adult cat (Chloe - 9 years old) who has always been a bit of a princess and has not really paid attention to any of my fosters. Blue has slowly changed her ways and I now find Blue and Chloe snuggled together.

My fiance and I made the decision to adopt Blue when he finally made it to two pounds. Although there have been many special little kittens throughout the last three years as a foster mother, Blue is one remarkable little guy. Although Blue may continue to have health problems and may not live a very long life, I will be blessed to share as many days as I can with him. I'm sure Blue will continue to help me with all the new little fosters that enter my life. Thank you to the wonderful work that all the staff and volunteers do at the Humane Society. The long hours and the compassion that each and every one of you show is truly heartwarming

Nicole Lalonde

Peanut a.k.a. Spook 

Sarah,

Here are some pictures that I took of the 2 year-old black male cat we adopted from the Livingston County Humane Society on 9/22/10.  I took these pictures the very next morning as he seemed to be showing my husband (at his desk in our in-home office) how thankful he was that we had adopted him.  His name at adoption was Peanut, but we re-named him Spook, Jr.  in memory of a 14 year old black cat named Spook that we had recently lost. I just wanted to share with you and others how we are so greatful that we adopted him. 

He is without a doubt the most affectionate cat we have ever owned, showing us love right from the beginning.  He learned his new name quickly, follows us everywhere (evens sits on our desks as we work), loves to be held for long periods of time and sleeps on the bed every night.  He is very playful, finding his own toys to play with (in our office environment), like our office rubber fingers or plastic cardboard box straps.  It was very interesting how the evening we brought him home, before we all settled down, he took it upon himself to walk very slowly throughout our entire house, in and out of each room, up and down stairs both, just long enough to look up and round at everything.  His tour took him about 10 minutes.  Our other house pets are a collie, sheltie and a 14 year-old siamese cat who have all accepted this sweet little boy as a member of the family.  Thank you again!

Lana Batten

Ace

Hi Sarah, Just sending you some pictures to let you know Ace is doing fine.  He is a sweetheart, loves to play and play.  Here are Sabre, Mercedes and Ace.

Daren Osburn

Cooper 

I just wanted to let you know that Cooper is doing great in his new home.  He can be a real handful, but he is already learning to walk on a leash without pulling as well as learning new commands, like "heal", "leave it" and "come." He is very smart and almost as easy to train as my border collie was.  He is very goofy and loves to make us laugh.  He bonded to the family almost immediately and we are so pleased.

Thanks for taking such good care of him while he was with you.  I am attaching a picture for you of Cooper with my son, Andy.

Laura Baldwin

Carmen

Carmen is doing well, is very affectionate and fitting into my little household very nicely. She has lost a little weight and is now very active with the younger cat, Ertha. They are doing very nicely together and all my friends like Carmen very much, she is simply a nice cat. I am keeping them indoors until at least Spring and hopefully they will not stray far from the house or barn.  My plan is to only allow them out when I am with them, and to put them into "kitty-city" when I am not at home.  Kitty-city is an area I am developing in my basement as a mock hunting ground for them.  At present I am knitting lots of alpaca toys which will be filled with catnip and plan to make some climbing areas using tree branches etc which will hopefully fill their need to go hunting.  They have already caught a few mice in the house and are very funny about it.  I think they are now a team.

It took a few weeks before my young manx girl got over the growling thing, but Carmen was very very patient.  In fact it took me 3 days to coax Carmen out of her cat box...... she just kept looking for a small place to hide.  After the first week she was game enough to come out of the bathroom and hide in a box outside the bathroom door.  She was obviously very dependent on the safety of her small space.  But all is well.  She sleeps on the chairs, or my bedroom floor and now knows where the littler boxes are situated.  She is fitting in very well and showing signs of being very settled. Thank you for this wonderful little (did I say little?) cat.  She has met a lot of my friends, but not yet the alpacas.

Ruth Affleck-Laity Alpaca Heaven

Teddy

My name is Teddy and I wanted to let you know how happy I am to have been rescued by Greg and Cheryl Karch on Labor Day 2010. You see, I am a Miniature Daschund who was rescued by The Humane Society of Livingston County, and my new parents, along with their present Mini-Doxie named Dexter adopted me and I'm having a terrific time with my new family. Although I spent alot of time crated in my first 3 years of life, it's only very rare that I have to stay in my much larger cage at home. I have a special situation in that I don't have the ability to bark, so my Mom and Dad have to keep an eye out for me because I can slip under their feet really easy. Daddy sez he's gonna buy me a bell to hang on my collar so they can tell I'm around. I love the long walks that Daddy takes me on around our neighborhood...I'm getting to know all my new neighbors! When Daddy sez "Run, Run, Run, Teddy"...I take off like a shot!!! I am SO happy that I'm finally in a good home that I enjoy!!!...Thanks, HSLC!!!

From Teddy's parent, Greg Karch

Spike (a.k.a. Max)

We adopted Spike at the beginning of summer. We renamed him Max. He is doing great and gets along with our other dog. They like to play tug-o-war and they help each other out bringing sticks in through the dog door. Together they are giving the squirrels a work out. He loves to go for walks and has learned a couple tricks in training class. He also loves giving everyone kisses. He is a great addition to our family.

Janet Marchie

Frodo

It has only been a short time since I brought this little dachshund home with me, but already the bond between us is tightly knit and growing stronger every day. It is amazing how four little legs can inspire us to reconnect with our inner child, and how a six-pound pooch can bravely face an entirely new (and enormous) world after spending three years in a cage. And so, after getting him home, I knew his name had to be Frodo. Training is going well, he loves to run through the grass and often forgets he is attached to the leash. He has a sweet tooth but only for zucchini bread, he loves to snooze in the sun, and while he doesn't have much to say, he is a fun and faithful friend. Thank you for helping us start our journey together!

Best,
Maria J. Howes

Max

Dear Awesome People at the Humane Society:

I just wanted to drop you a note and let you all know how awesome my new family is working out. I have been living in my new home for about three months now and I LOVE IT here! I have my own new bed, tons of toys, and my new boy, Nate LOVES to play with me. As you can see from this picture, he's trying to teach me how to read, but I prefer to listen to his story telling. I love to play tug-o-war with my new boy, take great naps on the couch, and go for long walks with my new mom and dad. My mom and dad can't believe how well I behave and what a sweet personality I have. I think I was just waiting for my new family to come and get me. My family still can't believe I'm ten years old because I play like I am two.

Anyway, I am so happy with my new family and am so glad that you all took such great care of me while I was at your place. Thanks again for all your care.

Licks and hugs,

MAX

Annabelle

I want to let you all know how well Annabelle is doing. She was quite big when I adopted her, but is down to almost 90lb now. She has turned into the most loving, affectionate gorgeous girl. She is much loved and I'm so happy I have her. Thank you for such a nice dog!

Mary Burke                                    

Molly

I adopted Molly (Gracie) on June 18, 2010.  After not having a cat for over 20 years, Molly is an amazement.  She is the sweetest most docile cat that I have ever encountered.  She is very much a people person and greets my guests and me as we enter the home..then she will roll-over at our feet for a belly scratch.  When I have her brush in hand she will follow me to the chair and jump up for a good brushing. She has her own room with which she became comfortable the first couple days but now she has roam of the house.  Someone loved her very much as she has no signs of anxiety..I am glad that I will have a chance to love her the rest of her life.  She is special.

Pam Andrews

Libby

We adopted Libby last year in July. She was 2 years old and is now 3.  When we got her everyone was unsure if she and Annie would get along. They are best friends. They play with each other all the time and they sleep together on our couch every night. When we first saw her she had very coarse hair on her back, with several white strands in it. We think it was linked with the stress from being a stray but after 2 months of having her she now has a very thick and smooth coat. She loves playing fetch with our tennis balls and always brings them back to us without us even training her. We have a fair amount of property that the dogs can play on, with a pond that Libby swims in almost everyday :) We can't thank you enough for her. 

Thanks again,
Ryan Bridgers

Boscoe

Hello,
My name is Heather Franklin and my family and I adopted a Boston Terrier about a year ago.  He is so adorable.  We have named him Boscoe.  He gets along with both of our other Bostons, and everyone in the family.  He loves to sleep in the window, catching some rays. He loves to be held, pet, and kissed.  He is a wonderful addition to our family.  He makes my day along with my other dogs, running to meet me by the door when I come home from work or out with my friends.  He loves to go on walks and he loves to watch out the window for the wildlife.  He is the best addition to our family!  Here are a couple of pictures of Boscoe!

Heather Franklin

Fanny

We wanted to give you an update on Fanny (on left).  Fanny was real nervous for the first few days she came to live here and spent much time in the closet and under the couch.  She now is loving as much attention as she can get and is not afraid to "meow" and ask for more.  She has an orange and white cat "brother"  who is about the same age and they get along very well.  They love to play tag in the middle of the night running from one end of the house to the other sounding like a herd of elephants.We are so very happy to have Fanny in our family.      

Jeanne and Gayla

Read more about Fanny's rescue story>>

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Last Updated 1/7/12