HERE'S WHAT WHISKEY'S NEW FAMILY TOLD US:
I just wanted to reach out and say thank you! We adopted Whiskey almost two months ago.. it’s been amazing! He’s very spoiled and loved!
We heard from Ellie's new family: Within the first week of bringing her home, she taught herself to sit and play fetch. We never tried to make her play, or said anything. We said sit and she did and she's been doing it ever since! She's extremely smart and seems to learn quick. She loves going in the car to visit her god parents down the road almost daily. She is a joy to have and one of the happiest puppies I have seen in a while. She's also extremely well-loved by many people.
A TRIBUTE TO DEVON--ADOPTED IN 2005
Devon, Snorty McDoggelsson Sheddy von Stinkelstein Slobberdog Milosevic Boutros Boutros Doggie Famous Dogmous, First Duke of Devonshire:February 1, 2004 (estimated) to August 15, 2019.
Our sweet, furry, loyal, always-hungry, always-smiling baby crossed the rainbow bridge today. We rescued him from the Mendocino County Animal Shelter in March of 2005. Bill and I drove all the way to Ukiah primarily to see a different dog, but Sage the shelter director had us meet Devon as well and the rest, as they say, is history.
We are heartbroken. Devastated that this journey of 14 years and 5 months has come to an end. But knowing that Devon wouldn’t want to see us wrecked, I am choosing to focus on gratitude.
I am grateful that we had almost fourteen and a half years with such a wonderful dog. Grateful for all the adventures we had together – in hiking trails all around the foothills surrounding the valley, trying to chase rabbits in the wetlands by the Bay, meeting wonderful dogs and people at the dog park, playing in the Lake Tahoe snow, and walking around all the neighborhoods we lived in.
I am thankful that Devon was there to keep me company when Bill had to go to Florida for a year, to be my fierce protector when we encountered a bunch of raccoons in a dark street, and to guard our home when we lived downtown and we accidentally left the door unlocked and unlatched and the wind blew it open in the middle of the night. There with me to raise his hackles and start growling when we came within a couple of hundred yards of a mountain lion in an open hillside. There to snuggle with me when I was sick or down, to reward Bill with his very rare doggie kisses when Bill snuggled with him, and to act as my smelly pillow when I was watching TV on the couch.
I am thankful that he taught his younger brothers how to behave with other dogs. He was always so patient with them, but he definitely let them know when they were crossing the line. The younger pups learned in very short order what was acceptable and what was not, and they learned in a manner that didn’t make them afraid of their oldest sibling.
Grateful for all the wonderful people who cared for Devon over the years – Sage at the animal shelter, Doctors Flato, Lem, Wilson, and Sung at the vet clinic; Mark, Kelly, and their staff at Downtown Dogs; and the various assistants, receptionists, nurses, and groomers he encountered throughout his life. All of them always had great things to say about Devon.
Thankful that this entire village – the shelter, me, Bill, my family, and everyone I mentioned previously – were able to keep such a large dog (who tried to eat literally anything) not only alive but also happy and thriving for 15 ½ years, enabling Bill and me to enjoy the crazy, sheddy, perpetually hungry, loving furball through so many moves, life changes, and quiet evenings.
Thankful that we were able to give him a loving, peaceful crossing exactly how it was supposed to be: at home, in the morning light, eating all the food and treats he wanted, with his humans holding and stroking him as he fell asleep and then took his last breath. Grateful to Doctor Chuang who guided him gently into sleep.
Grateful that his brothers got to say goodbye.
We had quite a few intense scares with him over the years. Less than two years after the beginning of our adventure, he almost died after he ate something toxic and he had to be in the ICU for over two weeks. He was diagnosed with heartworm, even though he had been on preventive medication from the time he was in the shelter. He ate a gigantic beef rib that could have perforated his digestive tract (but thankfully didn’t). He ate an entire leather glove. And he had to have his spleen removed because it had a tumor; the tumor turned out to be benign, even though the vast majority of spleen tumors are malignant.
Bill always said that Snorty McDoggelsson was the luckiest dog in the world, because he got through all of that and remained a loving, happy, silly, gentle dog. And because he remained loved, deeply. I like to think that we gave him a good life, and that he was as lucky to have found us as we were to have found him. For that, I will be eternally grateful.
Thank you, Devon, for loving us and for teaching me so much over the years. You taught me how to be completely responsible for another life, to understand unconditional love and unwavering loyalty, to take pleasure in the simplest, most mundane things (paper towel tubes, used socks, barely ripe and ridiculously tiny huckleberries, the sound of cloth being torn up), to trust deeply in another being, to handle sickness and aging with grace, and now, how to say goodbye and put a loved one’s needs first in the face of my own intense sadness.
Farewell, my beautiful Devon. Until the universe reunites us. All my love.
JETSON was one of our long-stay guests. He was a favorite of staff and volunteers, and we could not understand why he was not adopted. And then...... Here's the first letter we got from Jetson's new guardian:
"I wanted to say thank you again for all your help with Jetson’s adoption today! We continue to fall more in love with him by the minute! He was a trooper on the drive home, and spent the time cuddling and giving kisses (in between sticking his head out the window and smelling everything). When we got home, we walked a little around our neighborhood and he rolled on each of our neighbor’s lawns with a huge smile. I am SO excited that he is getting along fabulously with our first dog! They’ve spent the last couple of hours exploring every inch of the backyard (there’s a ton of room to explore!), rolling around on the grass, playing ball, and resting in the quiet afternoon. I’m sure it’s a little too early to say this, but I honestly couldn’t picture a better dog for our family. So thank you!! I will work on taking lots more pictures and to keep you updated on our adventures, but here are a few I’ve already taken."
EVERYONE at the shelter is happy beyond the stars!
Miss Sophie's adopter came all the way from Montana, with a friend of his from Idaho. Here's a letter we received a few days after Sophie was adopted:
Hello to the Ukiah Shelte Adoption Coorindator-- My name is Michael. We met on Saturday morning. I came with Zach to see Sophie. I wanted to thank you for the wonderful experience I had at your shelter. I’ve been to many shelters and they are just what you would expect. Smelly and rude. And the people don’t care. Your shelter, on the other hand, was not that. It was warm and comfortable. Everyone I interacted with was extremely helpful and understanding. They answered every question and went out of their way to help us. I too am looking to adopt a forever friend. I remember telling you this. So I was also looking. After leaving your shelter with a new dog partner, Miss Sophie was very calm. It was a very long ride. You could tell that she knew something was different. I started off driving so Zach could continue his bonding. Sophie became more relaxed as the trip continued. By the time we got to my house in Idaho Falls, Idaho, she knew that her new guardian was Zach. Zach was even comfortable enough to let her off leash a few times on the trip back. She came to Zach when he called her. It was quite the transformation to witness. Zach and Sophie are doing well. The bond between them is strong and Sophie seamed to be very happy. So, once again, thank you so much for a great heart-warming experience. Please give your staff and volunteers my thanks as well. Michael
Ethel is an adorable and dainty Chihuahua in need of a home. Bex adopted a dog from the shelter back in 2007-ish, and her pup had gone to the great food bowl in the sky. Bex was looking for a dog, but there were size and weight constraints. With help from the shelter staff and volunteers, Bex and Ethel met, and the rest, as it's said....is history!
Ethel is now the queen of her new home: "All my life I wanted a dog to sleep with! Last night Ethel slept between us. Thank-you for this amazingly wonderful dog! P.S. Offered a toy, Ethel grabs and throws it, chases, catches, and throws it again. When we walk she is fast! Today she got me running a little. She is our guardian watch dog, and when we arewalking she often stops and studies things, like the machinery that keeps the holiday ice rink going downtown. Cheers!"
We expect more updates about Ethel...one VERY lucky little Chichi! "
HAPPY TAIL!--Here's Boone's new guardian, letting us know how the handsome guy's doing: "Just an update on Boone. Things are great. I took him to a vet a couple days after getting home and his stool came back positive for giardia. Got treated with antibiotics. He is enrolled with obedience training with me, doggy day care once a week for socializing. I did a DNA test and no Ridgeback. But 50% boxer, 25% Rottweiler, 12.5% German Shepherd and 12.5% Chow Chow. He has really excepted us as his pack and we are lucky to have him."
YAY!!!! Boone finds his piece of paradise: guardians who are loving, savvy and responsible! Whooohooo!
Lovely Melanie is now known as Mochi Melanie Allen, and is well loved, and in a great home. Here's what we heard from Mochi's new family:
"I wanted to give you an update on Melanie (now Mochi Melanie Allen). Our friendship is still new and Mochi and I are still figuring each other out, but we are making progress and I love her so much!
She comes to work almost every day with me. She sleeps happily at me feet most of the day, but has to wake up and parade around the room with a tennis ball every once in a while (wagging her tail and wiggling her butt the whole time). She's learning to be friends with her big brother (my horse Tyee). So far they seem to enjoy grazing together (Mochi loves grazing!) and going for walks together with me. She insists on sleeping with her head on my shoulder when we drive anywhere.
She's such a mellow and cuddly dog, but she is always ready to play whenever you want! She's an amazing ball dog and plays fetch like a champion! We start every day with a good tennis ball session, and often end our days the same way. She's also an incredible toy destroyer! she's got some powerful jaws.
Mochi has a silly facial twitch and a calm and gentle demeanor. She has so much personality! I can't believe she was at the shelter for so long!! But I'm so glad she's in my home now and I look forward to getting to know her more and more in the years to come.
Would it be possible to get a few of the pictures that you guys took of her at the shelter? Also, what ever happened to her puppies? did they all get adopted out? Do you have any pictures of them? I'm so curious about her previous life (including the cause of her facial twitch)..."
Below you can see Melanie, at the shelter, and Mochi, in her new FOREVER HOME!
Cedar was only four months when she was found wandering alone in a Ukiah park by a good samaritan. She was brought to the Ukiah Shelter and it was quickly apparent that this young pup had suffered a nasty medical problem. Off to the vet she went, where x-rays showed a very nasty fracture of the distal humerus (the long bone in the foreleg). This sweet little puppy was in pain and in need of a complicated surgery to heal the leg; the alternative was amputation, but no one wanted that if it could be avoided.
Just our luck, one of the shelter volunteers had also worked with an organization dedicated to helping Dobermans--SPECIAL NEEDS DOBERMANS (also known as Doberman911.org). They were contacted, and agreed to financial help for our puppy, along with Decker McKee Doberman Rescue Assistance. In a flash, Cedar's story was online and with the rescues' help our little pup was on her way to getting surgery, and keeping her leg.
One of the perks of working or volunteering at the shelter is...you get to meet all the dogs and cats! And of course, this darling little dog did not go unnoticed--just the opposite in fact, as a staff member fell in love with our red Dobie pup, named her Cedar, fostered her after the surgery, and eventually adopted her!
Cedar's surgery went well. The vet discovered that Cedar's fracture was older than was apparent in her pre-op x-rays. But, dogs are resilient, and Cedar has made it through the recuperation period, and is now being spoiled and loved by her new Mom. She gets to come to the shelter and is currently earning her kibble working as a "tester" dog during meet and greet dog evaluations. And wow, has she grown! This adorable puppy is turning into a long-legged red-coated, needle-nosed Doberman beauty!
Sometimes, it really does take a village, and we want to express our gratitude to everyone who helped this sweet dog: both Doberman Rescue organizations, and especially Wasson Memorial Veterinary Hosptial for their deep caring and financial help. Cedar's excellent caregiver and adopter says Cedar is a great dog. And we agree.
One of the perks of working or volunteering at the shelter, is meeting ALL of the dog and cat guests. So many staff and volunteers have adopted a dog or cat or two or three! That's what happened to a lovely dog named Mark, who is now Danny:
I adopted Danny exactly three months to the day of losing my previous dog, Tristan, and I can honestly say that he is the BEST part of my happiness. On the ride home from the shelter, he laid down in the front seat of my car, facing my direction and I don't think he has willingly taken his eyes off of me since. I tell people that there is no other explanation for us other than a total mind meld--in which he is mine and I am his. Danny anticipates my every emotion, thought, and command often before the words even leave my mouth. He follows my lead but also steps up in moments where my anxiety is high and I'm not as collected as I would like to be. There is no better calming influence in those moments than his paw reaching out to rest against me as if in reminder to take a deep breath and relax.
Danny loves to swim and hike and has made best friends with all of the dogs that frequent my life. He also comes to work with me every day where he spends 8 hrs sleeping and distracting me with all his cute antics. Danny is my absolute favorite thing, today, tomorrow, and every day after. I love him, I love him, I love him! I've become one of 'those' people, gushing every second of the day because there isn't one part of him that I don't want to shout about from the roof tops.
I can't imagine what all would have happened if I had followed my early reservations on adopting an older dog, but it is clear I would have missed out on something amazing. In record time, Danny has become my whole heart. I could not ask for a better companion.
Here's a note from one of the shelter's dedicated foster families, about a little dog named MAE: "Mae started out as our Foster Dog. She was a 4 month old puppy with a badly broken leg. She was scheduled for surgery, to have the leg amputated. After a waiting period and the removal of her cast, her leg was re-xrayed and the vets decided she could keep the leg. Adopters did not seem to be interested in a dog with a limp. As time went by, Mae proved herself to be a ranch dog, so we officially adopted her, and we're happy to say her limp has mostly gone away! Mae kept growing and growing, now at 85lbs and with long legs like a Greyhound she runs like the wind at least a mile a day. She is a Ranch Dog, Traveling companion, House Dog. We love our beautiful Mae." While Mae was being fostered, and before her foster family realized they loved her too much to let go, the shelter tried to find Mae a home, as you can see from our fliers below. Lucky, wonderful and beautiful Mae lives on a ranch right outside of Ukiah, with several other shelter dogs and cats...a dream home for a dog.
Addy was adopted December, 2016. We heard from her family, and here's what they wrote: "I got a voicemail from Pat in your office, asking if I could send some photo updates of the dog I adopted from your shelter. I adopted her in late December (her name was Addy at the shelter) and her name is now Emma. She is truly a great dog – she has a happy temperament, is very well-behaved, loves to run and play, loves to cuddle and be affectionate, and is easy to train. She gets lots of trips up to Tahoe for swimming, hiking and playing in the snow, too. I’m guessing she is around 1.5-2 years old. Here are some photos of her! Please let me know if you’d like any other information. Thanks." Wow! Another shelter guest wins the jackpot!
Ollie was a guest at the shelter and adopted into a great home. We heard from his guardians, and here's what they told us: "I got a couple of phone calls checking in on how Ollie is doing. Here are some photos and just letting you know we couldn't be happier. He's the greatest dog and better than we could have ever wished for. Thanks!"
You can see Ollie at the shelter, and Ollie exploring the world with his new peeps! Ollie hit the jackpot!
Clifford was transfered to one of our great rescue partners, and they sent us this note from his new family.
"Just wanted to give an update on Zeke (formerly known as Clifford!). First of all, our meeting him had to be fate. We are those people you might call "Ridgeback people", having had no other breed of dogs other than Ridgebacks, so when we found this handsome man at SHS, we knew we had to act quickly! We found his profile online on a Saturday, met him the next day, and took him to his forever home that same day. Zeke immediately settled into his new home. His human parents could not be more thrilled to have him in our lives. He has the BEST personality, is sweet, loving, affectionate and SO smart. He was underweight when we got him, so he's enjoying the extra food and is starting to put on weight. He doesn't ever like to be too far from his parents, but we're ok with that, as we can't stand being away from him. We can't remember what life was like before him. We are so grateful to the Sonoma Humane Society for giving us our precious boy and helping Zeke find his FOREVER home."
Many thanks to Sonoma Humane Society for rescuing Clifford, and finding his forever home. Our rescue partners help the Ukiah Shelter immensely, and we are very grateful for their assitance.
Dubie was a wonderful and adorable guest at the shelter. His name is now Karl, and here's what we heard from his new guardians:
Quick update on Karl (formerly Dubie): he has been with our family for a little bit over 2 months now, and he's doing great! He's really goofy and has a lovely personality! His manners have improved a lot; he walks (mostly) well on a leash, and we're currently working on his behavior when meeting with other dogs. He loves going on little adventures, although he has to be on leash as he gets distracted easily ("oh look, a lizard/leaf/bird/hairball..! Let's chase it!"), but he'll learn! Thanks again to you + the shelter team and volunteers for your work and dedication. Here's Dubie at the shelter in February 2017, and Karl on his adventures!
Oscar went by the name Andy when he was a guest at the shelter. Here's a note from his new family: "I received a call from one of your lovely volunteers to check in on the pup we adopted last September, Andy. In short - we love him!!!! He goes by Oscar these days, and comes everywhere with us. He's the cool kid at the dog park, even the other owners cheer when he arrives. He hasn't met a human or dog (or horse/cat/chicken/etc) that he doesn't want to be friends with. He goes on very short runs with me (I am a long distance runner, and when he's matured he will be joining me on trail runs), he loves riding in the truck going 4 wheeling, and of course he thinks living by the beach is the best thing ever. Thank you for such a precious little dude! I have attached some pictures of his adventures with us for you.
Kind regards, Cyd and Jason
Ziggy was ana older shelter guest who was transferred to Golden Gate Lab Rescue. The great folks there found Ziggy a wonderful new home. Here's a note from Ziggy's new guardian: "The handoff went great! Ziggy made himself right at home and the kids couldn't be happier to make him part of our family. A huge thank you to everyone for taking such great care of Ziggy"
Arlo had his own fan club amongst the shelter's volunteers. This guy went to foster care, where he lived with other dogs, horses, cats, you name it. When he was adopted, we did the HAPPY DANCE. Here's a note from his new guardian: "Just wanted to send a little note to you and Arlo’s previous fosters .He immediately settled in. He sleeps in our bed under the covers. He and our other dog have adjusted so well. We cant imagine life without him now and are so happy with this wonderful pup. Thank you for helping us find eachother!"
The photos show Arlo when he first arrived at the shelter, during his outdoor photo shoot, and in his new home with his new BFF, who looks mysteriously just like him!
Patches is an absolutely wonderful dog. He was a volunteer and staff favorite. He wasn't an old dog, but he had some health issues. He went to stay temporarily with one of our volunteer fosters. Here's her story: "Well, where to start? Patches came to us as a foster, to recover from eye surgery. He fit himself like a hand in glove into our family. More health issues were discovered--Patches tested positive for heart worm, and had a torn hind leg ligament. We attended to all of his health needs and that greatly extended the duration of his stay with us. Patches is an easygoing fella. A cuddler and a lover. He loves to eat, play, go for long off leash walks and gets on splendidly with his canine brother and sister. And we fell in love with him. Attempts to find him a forever home didn't work out and just before Christmas we decided to make him ours. The End!"
Handsome was a shelter favorite among staff and volunteer. Sweet as can be, this guy almost did not get adopted by his foster mom cause wouldn't bark! But he did, and we could not be happier. We'll have the story for you soon, so check back! Below are photos of Handsome at the shelter, and snuggled in bed soon after his foster Mom took him home. Look at that face!
