Happy Tails Letters

Kiah: From Telethon to Tail-a-thon

Kiah was a little shy at the get-go. We brought her home and she immediately learned to use the doggy door at our house and roamed the backyard, making it her own. She ate a full bowl of dog food, drank a big bowl of water and later crashed out underneath our coffee table. I believe that was totally expected seeing the day she had just had at the telethon! 

The second day was a lot more rewarding, as we really got to see Kiah come out of her shell. She started wagging her tail and came to us when called. She loves playing with my other dog, crashing her whole body on the floor and letting him play with her paws and belly. It was really comforting to see her playing so well. My son warms up to Kiah by giving her a big hug in the morning. When she is lying on the ground (which she tends to do a lot), my son lays his head on her chest and kisses her. It is so great to have another dog that I can trust with my family.

Jennifer Alley

Mouse the Cat

When I first got to the Buddy Center, I wasn’t even attempting to adopt a pet. I already had one cat and a dog, and for apartment living, that’s plenty. But my friend convinced me to take a look around, stating Apollo (my other cat) might want a companion, so reluctantly I took her advice. I went to the back room where there are a bunch of cats. Right away I saw these beautiful, bright green eyes staring back at me under a blanket of white fur. I thought I had just seen the most beautiful cat in the world! From there I thought, “Well, it won’t hurt to fill out the personality profile just to see what comes up.” And what do you know? The white cat named Mouse was number one on my list! I asked a volunteer about the cat, and he said that Mouse had been in and out of the shelter for a long time and had been through at least four previous owners. He stated that Mouse was an older cat. I just couldn’t imagine why no one wanted to keep such a beautiful cat. Finally I was able to see Mouse, and it was love at first sight. Mouse now lives with me, my boyfriend, my lab, Cassie, and his brother kitty, Apollo. He likes to hang out in his kitty condo and curl up on the sofa or in a lap. Mouse has a big personality and he is one of the most cuddly kitties I have ever known. I am so glad I adopted Mouse, and he will always have a forever home with me.

Nicole Bishop

Confessions of a former cat hater

I am a good example that an animal can change the way one views life and love for others. I grew up with a dog and have always thought that dogs were loving and caring, but that cats were not since I had very limited exposure to cats. I used to hate cats because I thought they were all mean and impersonal, and I even bought a calendar called the “I Hate Cats Calendar.”

To make a long story short, after meeting my ex-girlfriend’s very loving and personable cats, my hardened heart was totally melted away by them. I am now a proud parent of four loving cats and cannot even think of living life without any cats. I think of them all the time and miss them when I am not with them. They act like I am their everything and give me so much comfort and love. Most of all, I learned how precious lives are from them.

I am forever thankful for my little kitties and tell people my story every chance I get. I adopted three of my kitties when they were about 3 months old from the Dumb Friends League two years ago.

I drive by the Dumb Friends League on the way home and see people dropping their pets off. It really makes my heart sad because of how sad and scared those little animals might be, but I also feel hopeful that those unwanted animals will find loving homes that really welcome them.

Thank you,
Tosh

Hildie, a very special special-needs dog

When our 18-year-old dog, Dante, died three years ago, we knew that the only way we could deal with our grief was by giving love to another animal. We worked with Gail and the staff that deals with special-needs pets at the Dumb Friends League to help us find just the right dog for us, a dog we could help to come out of her shell. 

Hildie was 6 or 7 months old at the time and terrified of the whole world. She was definitely a dog who needed a lot of love and patience. She was losing weight as a growing puppy, so I hand-fed her at first. Within the first few months, Hildie went from 25 pounds to 50 pounds! We got suggestions from the League’s Behavior Helpline about how to find a certified dog trainer. Thanks to Gail’s help, we had a pretty good idea of Hildie’s needs before we adopted her, and our trainer and veterinarian gave us the extra tools we needed to help her.  

Let me tell you who Hildie is today, three years later. Hildie has truly happy moments in her life, and she gives us many, many happy moments. She loves to leap, hop, run and jump over hurdles. Now the dog that needed to be hand-fed comes leaping at the sound of her food being poured into her bowl. She is a real cuddler, loving to get under the covers and snuggle on a cold morning. The shelter staff had to help us get her in the car the day we adopted her, but now she is the ultimate car dog. She loves our cat, Buddha, another Dumb Friends League adoptee, often kissing Buddha with her big tongue and Buddha kissing her back. She is still not too sure about strangers, but she is less scared than she was. Hildie will probably always have fears, but she is a very different dog today.

Most of all, Hildie is the perfect dog for us. Of all the dogs I have ever owned, Hildie is the dog of my heart. She is a dog who keeps growing and changing. Hildie has been a lot of work, but working with her is also one of the most rewarding experiences I have ever had. Hildie is most definitely special in all sorts of ways, most definitely special in our hearts and lives, including in Katie’s, another dog we adopted from the Dumb Friends League last year.

Merri & Glenn

Pippin

On July 7, 2011 we adopted Pippin from the Buddy Center in Castle Rock.  I had been searching for an orange cat for a long time and when I saw her picture I knew she was perfect!  She is quite the lady and insists on getting her water fresh from the tap, and as you can see, is willing to nap in the sink until someone comes along to turn the faucet on for her.  That's why we call her "Lady Pippin" and she is my constant companion!  Thank you and I highly recommend the Dumb Friends League.  The people at the Buddy Center were wonderful and efficient!

Carol and Tom Evered
Centennial, Colorado

Duke

Last summer, we lost our indoor cat to a coyote due to her accidentally getting let out our back door by our 2-year-old son. One day, my oldest son said he’d already decided what he wanted for Christmas, but he didn’t want to say it in front of me. I left the area so my husband and son could talk. My husband came upstairs a few minutes later with tears in his eyes and our son trailing behind him. My husband urged our son to tell me what he wanted. Finally my son whispered, “I want a dog for Christmas … and a new cat for you so you won't be sad anymore.”  

Although we are still looking for the perfect cat, we adopted Duke—a 9-year-old Weimaraner—from the Buddy Center in October. In that short amount of time, Duke has already integrated himself into our family, and we can't imagine what life was like before he came into our house. I have never seen my oldest son’s eyes shine as bright as they do as when he’s with “his dog.” Our family believes everything happens for a reason: Although losing our kitty broke our hearts, it has meant opening our hearts and home to Duke, and for that we are extremely blessed.

Lisa Felts
Aurora, Colo.

Jasper

Hello friends at the Dumb Friends League!
 
One fateful day last April I was driving after work to meet a friend for dinner. I had a little extra time before my dinner date, so as I drove by your shelter on Quebec Street. I thought I would go in and take a look around to kill a little time. As I walked down your kitty alley, I noticed one cat that seemed particularly responsive to me. Knowing I already had a cat at home, an adoption was nowhere in my mind. I was merely killing time.
 
I continued to walk through the shelter. I checked out the bunnies and the dogs (I was very pleased at how clean the dog kennels were kept). But for some strange reason I just kept thinking about that cat that was so responsive to me. I went to your adoptions desk and asked them if I would be able to spend some personal time with the cat that was so responsive to me (his name was Jasper).
 
The volunteers asked me when I planned on making an adoption and I told them that I did not plan on making an adoption and that I merely wanted to spend some time with Jasper. They said normally they don't do that, but after looking at Jasper's log they told me that they would make an exception, being on the fact that Jasper had not been out of his cage all day. Keep in mind; at this point I still had no intention of making an adoption.
 
I went in the visiting room and a volunteer came in with Jasper in a kennel. I thought for sure that once that kennel door opened he would go hide under the chair or the table, but to my surprise he jumped right up into my lap, stuck his face in my elbow and started purring. At this point and adoption seemed very likely. I just couldn't believe that he was so personable with me. I felt that it must've been fate or destiny that I met this cat. This was on a Saturday.
 
I decided to think about it overnight and talk with my boyfriend about adopting Jasper. It didn't take long for me to know in my heart that I was going to adopt this little sweetheart. I barely slept at all that night, and as Sunday morning rolled around, I was at your doors before they opened hoping that nobody had adopted my boy. He seemed happy to see me and I was extremely excited to see him. He has been a very welcome addition to our family.
 
His very loving demeanor always reinforces to me that I made the right choice when I adopted Jasper. I wanted to take a moment to thank you and your volunteers for making an exception that day and letting me spend time with Jasper even when I had no intentions of adoption. That made all the difference in the world, and now Jasper has a family that could not imagine life without him!
 
Thank you!
Pamela (a very happy cat owner)

Riley

After being a lifelong, self-proclaimed "dog person," my heart was changed forever by one very special feline. I came home from work one day and heard some unexpected rustling coming from the bathroom. I opened the door to be greeted by an ear, a tuft of fur and one eye peeking out at me from behind a rumpled towel. And one small meow.
 
A cat. My heart sank. I did not like cats at all. I was a dog person and always would be. In my haste, I didn't notice my roommate's note on the door announcing our newest tenant adopted from the Dumb Friends League.

For the next several weeks, Riley and I ignored each other as best we could. Although cats are curious creatures, so he paid more attention to me than I did to him. Every time he came near me, I acted like I didn't care because, of course, cats were "unfriendly and mean" in my book. Every time he licked my arm with his "sandy" tongue or jumped on my desk to investigate what I was reading or found a bed in my just "out-of-the-dryer" basket of clothes, I stood my ground: I don't like cats and never will. No matter how cute Riley was attempting to be, I kept my steely glare.
 
We continued this dance of "I don't like you"...or, at least, I did for the next few days. Then, I found myself unexpectedly out of a job. I went home depressed and shocked. Still in my work clothes, I lay on the couch contemplating my next move. I was just starting to doze off, when a familiar face appeared above my head on the armrest. With a gentle lick of my nose, a former "foe" gingerly jumped on my stomach, curled up and started purring. His warm, furry belly was just what I needed in that moment. I knew I made a new friend for life.
 
Once my heart opened up, I saw Riley in a whole new light—playful, funny, talkative, sweet and, most of all, loving. In the months ahead, we spent all day with each other and bonded. Eventually, the tables turned and I became more curious about his every move and new discovery.

Needless to say, I officially became a "cat person.” His name comes up often in every conversation I have with friends and strangers alike and I'm always on the search for cat toys. His picture is the wallpaper on my computer and cell phone. I'm a proud card-carrying male of the "I Love Cats" Club and encourage other men to just open their minds to the possibility of a feline friend. The qualities they offer are just as special as dogs. Some might even say more so (myself included).
 
Riley has taught me one of life's most important lessons of all—"never say never." Every time, I see his furry face or hear his soft purr, I'm reminded of just how special he is in my life and to always keep an open mind.

Bryan K. Chavez
Denver, Colo.