My husband, Mark and I adopted our chowboy, Colonel, previously known as, Simba (cage #23) in March 2007. Prior to coming to your shelter, he was roaming the streets, getting food and water wherever he could find it. Ultimately, he was one of the lucky ones, because a very caring lady named Jan brought him to your shelter. Prior to Colonel’s arrival at the shelter, he lived in fear of people and wouldn’t allow anyone near him. After many unsuccessful attempts to lure Colonel to safety, Jan figured a way to outsmart him. She took her Basset Hound, Olivia for a walk in the area where Colonel was hanging out, and sure enough, a very curious Colonel followed them home! We are thankful to Jan for caring enough to get him to the safety of the shelter.
Being lovers of the Chow breed, Mark and I are so thankful to your shelter for giving Colonel a second chance at life. Colonel has been such a wonderful addition to our family. For those who are unfamiliar with the Chow breed, they are extremely smart and make wonderful family members.
Colonel hosted *Alabama Chowfest ‘07. A yearly event for rescued Chows. They came from all around to celebrate their “chowness”. There were 13 chows on our deck at one time, and all was peaceful throughout the entire event! They all played so well with each other, each happy and so grateful to have loving homes! Colonel will be with us always and never have to experience the sadness, fear or hunger that being homeless causes.
Amazingly, he seems to understand that, we can tell by his grateful attitude, sweet spirit, and purple kisses! Again, thank you so very much!
-Sherill (Colonel’s mom)
Fellow Chow enthusiasts please visit ChowChow.org. The site is filled with helpful advice on Chow rearing and would be a great resource for adoptive Chow parents.
Hello,
I got a dog from the kennel on April 1, 2005. At the time they guessed him at being 5 1/2 months old. I gave him the birth date of November 14, 2004. He is now 4 years old and the best investment I ever made! His name is Pacino and I wouldn’t trade him for the world! He has quite the personality and character. He is an old man reincarnated! He’s very particular and very spoiled, and definitely the boss! There are 2 other dogs in the household as well (but he’s the only boy) and he runs the roost. He is lab/beagle and can howl with the best of them, and warn you when someone’s to close to our house. He’s a great foot warmer, and there’s no amount of money that I’d ever sell him for. I just want to say thank you for my baby and I hope we have a whole lotta time together!! I cannot for the life of me know how anyone could have thrown him away. He’s an awesome friend and a faithful companion…
Thank You.
Kim
I got Mia aka Frosty a little over a year ago. She was a little under weight and no one wanted her because she was an older dog. She has been one of the best dogs I have ever had. She plays for about an hour a day with our other two dogs and then relaxes for the rest of the day. She does not bark, but loves to voice herself. She will just sit there and sing to you if she is upset or wants to do something. She is loved by everyone and whoever comes in contact with her and they want to take her home. She loves to go for car rides and just lie on the couch and relax with you. Thank you so much for adding Mia to the family.
Lenny
(Submitted by Lynne & Mom, Rosemary, Buffy’s proud new family)
I had a place that I called home
And people I thought loved me
But then I was out on my own
Alone, afraid and hungry
Some people came and picked me up
They said I was a stray
No I’m not, I have a home
They’ll come for me some day
The days went by, they didn’t come
There must be something wrong
I didn’t think they’d want to be
Away from me this long
But as I stayed, I realized
This place is not so bad
I’m warm and dry and being fed
And no one’s ever mad
A lady came and took me home
She called it foster care
She helped me with my medicine
I was so happy there
But then one day, she took me back
To the place they called the shelter
What will happen to me now?
I wanted to stay with her
She took me to a little room
And there, waiting for me
Was what I hoped for all along
My brand new family
Now I’m settled, safe & loved
In my forever home
With all the love I have to give
To the family I call my own
I just wanted to give you an update on Norman Hunter. He is a 4 year old beagle that my boyfriend and I adopted on March 3, 2007. He was under weight because he had hookworms and his ears were sliced up for reasons unknown. He had really bad kennel cough and was just pitiful when we came to see him. I found his picture on your website before we decided to come see him because I would leave with every dog if I could. My boyfriend fell in love with him instantly and decided we had to go and at least check him out to see if he would be a good fit for us. When we saw him he couldn’t walk two steps with out coughing, his tail never wagged and he just looked miserable. My boyfriend said yes to him as soon as Norman pooped on the floor and came over and laid down at his feet. My boyfriend and I both did not want kids so this was the best addition to our family. We adopted him that day, no thinking required, we just loved him. He came home a week later because his kennel cough was so bad he could not be neutered until it was taken care of. As soon as he came home we went for a walk and then we settled in for the night. We had a wool blanket set out for him by our reclining chair to make him feel more at home. He decided that was not his style and chose the down comforter instead, and that has been his life ever since. He now chases our cat around the backyard and in return the cat chases him right back. He has his own down comforter on the floor next to our bed that he sleeps in every night. He goes to my parents house and plays with their two dogs and gets spoiled like crazy. We could not picture our life without him in it and we don’t know how we went that long with out our Norman. We both want to thank you so much because without your help we would of never found our little boy.
With Great Appreciation,
Kelly and Dan
We’re sending you a picture of our lovable Molly. It had been a year since we lost our German Shepherd and we discussed getting another puppy. Then my husband was watching the news one evening and saw Molly with two of her brothers. She was a Dick Goddard dog and born in the Valley View Kennel. Her birthday is 1-11-07 and when we rescued her she was 11 weeks old.
She loves everyone and other dogs and cats, loves to play and enjoys going out on the boat. We love her so much and truly hope that all the other dogs there find a great home too!!
John & Marsha
It was a cold, snowy Feburary day, when we brought home our little corgi mix named Otto. After years of wanting a dog we were overjoyed to know that he was coming home with us. Otto has truly become one of the family. He is always there to entertain us with his funny antics. Otto is everyones best friend and is always by our side. He’s always at the door to greet us when we come home and his smile brightens even the wrost of our days. We cannot imagine our lives without our funny little corgi, Otto.
Thank you so much!
The Gauding Family
My family adopted Kip in February of 2006 from the Cuyahoga County Animal Shelter. Kip is a miniature poodle and bichon frise mix. Ever since we adopted him, our lives had been filled with that specialness that only a furry companion can give. He has enriched our lives so much. His fun-loving personality and comical nature make him simply adorable. We love him so much that we call him our brother or son. My mother has composed several catchy tunes in his honor. We have more pictures of him than pictures of me. We have actually put together two whole scrapbooks and picture albums which we call The Books of Kip and show to everyone who comes over. Kip sleeps with us in one of our beds every night. My mother says he’s like our guardian angel when he sleeps on the cushions above our sleeper couch. We fondly call him our angel creampuff. He’s also a very good watchdog and when he’s not doing something else, sits on top of the couch and looks out our front picture window and barks at anyone going by on the sidewalk. We can’t imagine our lives without Kip now and could never want anything more from a dog. After seeing him on TV with Dick Goddard, we knew he was the dog for us. The next day, we arrived early at the shelter and adopted him right away. From that day on, we have only continued to grow to love him more and more. He has set a place in our hearts that could not be taken by any other dog. The Cuyahoga County Animal Shelter couldn’t have given us a more treasured part of our lives and we will always remember the day we adopted Kip into our family and how much joy, laughter, and love he has brought into our lives and into the lives of all who meet him.
Carolyn & Family
We adopted Buddy, a Beagle mix, about six years ago. He was a thin, quiet boy that knew a special trick…he would sit perfectly still and balance a biscuit on his nose! When Buddy got to his new home, him and I developed an immediate bond. He quickly came out of his shell and in true Beagle fashion became an energetic mischievous boy ruled by his nose.
Life with Buddy has been filled with fun, laughter and love. Happiness to Buddy is walks in the park, stealing the toys from our other dog, and just being by my side wherever I go. He greets me with the same excited baying and tail wagging as soon as he sees me and it does not matter if I had been gone for ten minutes or for a few days. Whenever I am having a bad day or I am ill he stays by my side and will not leave until I am feeling better. Even though he is approaching eleven years old he still has the same happy go lucky attitude and desire to play as a puppy.
Buddy continues to give me the gifts of loyalty,companionship and unconditional love. He is more to me than just a dog, he is a true friend.
Sincerely,
Valarie
Meet Bernie (formerly Sparky)! I adopted Bernie three weeks after my beloved Fletcher James passed in 1/08. I wasn’t really looking to get a new dog so soon; however, the house was just so empty and lonely without him that I couldn’t resist taking a peek at what was out there. I have always been an advocate of adopting dogs from shelters or rescues so when I saw him smiling up at me from your website I quickly made an appointment to meet him. He was just so adorable I knew he would be snatched up, and he was, by me! It has been nearly 7 months and I cannot imagine my life without him; he is my shadow. I have never experience such love and devotion from a dog; he is a snuggle bug whose tail never seems to stop wagging and has the most ferocious bark I have ever heard for such a little guy! He is also an accomplished thief! On more than one occasion we have arrived home from the Lakewood Dog Park with a toy or ball that we did not originally go in with, I now have to check his mouth before leaving! Bernie is such a delight and he makes me laugh daily with his antics which makes him the bee’s knees in my book!
Thanks for all you do!
Beth and Bernie
