Adoption Success Stories

After putting so much love and care into the animals that grace our habitats, we always are excited to hear about how they are doing in their new homes. So, sit back and enjoy the stories of some of these "happy tails" or submit your own success story about a pet that you adopted from us.

Has an animal changed your life? Email Jenna at jdawsey@sdhumane.org and your story could be featured on our website, Annual Telethon or Animal Fare magazine!

Faith
"...is the most PERFECT...

Thanks for the best pet ever! (& I've had many including ferrets ;-)) Don't tell Pinkie & Ted E though (my 2 Chihuahuas). NO point in UNnecessary 'bone throwing'.

Thanks for taking such good care of her. How could anyone NOT adopt this PERFECT dog? How lucky for me, they DIDN'T!

Sincerely,
Susie R.

Mr Kitty (formerly Kovu)
"Perfect Fit"

Hello.
We adopted Kovu from you back in January, and my husband and I want to thank you so much for bringing us together with him!

We love him and he is a perfect fit into our family.We were at first worried about how he would get along with our 2 dogs but they love each other!

We renamed him Mr. Kitty which we think fits him very nicely. At night we will wake up to find him asleep on our pillows which is just adorable. He loves to discover new things around the house and is our little bug exterminator.

I cannot thank you enough for introducing us to him. We cant imagine our family without him :)
 
Thank you again,
Jake and Kristen Miller
January 2013

Dakota (formerly Tomato)
"Perfect Dog!"

This is the best dog ever!  She sits, lays down, fetches and drops it at your feet, sleeps in her crate and poops and pees outside, even goes to the sliding door and scratches to go out to pee! 

She's great with our 5 year old daughter and gentle with our 2 year old daughter.

It's like she's an angel sent from heaven just for our family!!  Took her to puppy class at Petco and the lady was teaching her third and fourth week stuff, smart dog. 

I am so very thankful we got her!!  PERFECT DOG! :)
 
Her new name is "Dakota" friend, ally, forever smiling.
 
With great appreciation!!
The Snow family
October 2012 

Daisy (formerly known as Dexter)
"...a great source of comfort for a combat veteran trying to find his way in civillian society."

When I was medically retired from the Marine Corps last year I came to the humane society to find a friend who might help me start a new life. As soon as I saw Daisy (then Dexter), an energetic and friendly black lab-mix puppy, I knew that I had found my match.

We adapted well to life aboard my 33 foot sailboat. She became my alarm clock every morning, waking me at six for our morning walks on Shelter Island and our occasional swims at the little beach there. She quickly became known to all the shops and stores in the area, and the clerks always seemed to have treats ready; I became known as "Daisy's Dad."
 
She has grown into a loyal companion, and I see her devotion every night as she settles into bed at my feet facing the door. Her friendly and protective nature is a great source of comfort for a combat veteran trying to find his way in civillian society. She is truly a wonderful friend and I couldn't get by without her.
 
Cameron A.
February 2013

Spoon
"There's just something extra special about rescued cats"

Hi! 



Just wanted to share our adoption success story! 



We're absolutely in love with our newly adopted cat, Spoon. We saw something special this all-black kitty at the shelter that day when he laid on back staring up at us.

We took him home and tried our best to keep him separated from our other cat, Sam. But the separation didn't work for long before Sam finally darted past me into the room, desperate to see what was in there. After that, we sort of just kept an eye on them and let things work themselves out. Spoon was a bit scared at first, and took refuge under the bed from time to time as a safe space. But over the next few days, he began to come out from under the bed more and more, he started to meow for dinner with Sam and cuddle up with us under the covers.

He and Sam have already started to develop a playful friendship as Spoon has already taken to giving Sam cat baths while they hang out on the bed. They dart and tumble around the house and playfully tackle each other from around corners. I'll often wake up in the morning with a cat on either side of me in bed now.

As Sam was also adopted through a local cat rescue organization, my husband and I have now really come to believe that there's just something extra special about rescued cats. Spoon has been such a cuddly, loving little kitty so far, and really seems to enjoy being here. We're so glad that he has found a friend in us and we look forward to many years to come with him in our small family.

Thanks for all the great work you do to give such great animals good homes and a second chance.



Stephanie, Niles, Sam and Spoon
January 2013

Maddie (formerly known as Anenome)
Getting spoiled by her new mom, dad & Grandma!

Maddie has truly been a blessing in our lives. We love her so so much. Often I will hear Jason cuddling on her and asking her if she knows how much she's loved. It's the sweetest thing.

She is so spoiled. She really is like our baby. We bought her a cute little kitty stocking for Christmas too. Grandma even bought her some toys to open!

Jason and I just want to say thank you so much. When we came in, we weren't set on getting a kitty, but always told each other that if the right one was there, then it was meant to be. After looking at a few, Anemone came in at the last minute, a little frightened at first, understandably, but soon got comfortable and fell asleep in my lap.

She has not ever shown an ounce of shyness at home. The first time we had a friend over, we told him ahead of time to be gentle. He came in the door, looked at her, and said "kitty"...she laid on the floor and rolled over for some love!

We just want you to know how much we love her and how thankful we are to have her in our lives.

We hope you have a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

Regards,
Megan, Jason, & Maddie P.
November 2012

Henry (formerly known as Buddy)
Sweet senior finds his new family!

“Buddy” seems to be the kind of name that is a reflection of an owner’s feelings of friendship toward his dog. Unfortunately, when we found Buddy, a senior English Coonhound, he seemed to have been abandoned by any such friends. The only indication that he had ever been cared for was in the form of a baggy attached to a string around his neck, containing 3 bottles of medication for “Buddy the Canine.”

At 11 years old, the big-eared, big-eyed canine was found wandering near the side of the freeway and brought to our campus. From that moment on, we did everything in our power to assure him that he had finally found a friend in us, and that we would not give up on him. Not surprisingly, senior animals can have a much harder time getting adopted. Despite his mellow demeanor, sweet personality and adorable face, Buddy spent several months at our Central campus, overlooked by potential adopters. That is, until Kristen S. and her husband came in. Kristen had seen Buddy on our website and quickly fell in love. Once they met him they decided this was one Buddy that they couldn't live without.

Today, Buddy has been renamed Henry, and is doing wonderfully in his new home. He has a Labrador retriever as a brother, and two pet parents who couldn’t be happier with their new companion. “He brings a smile to our face every day,” Kristen tells us; and it finally appears that Henry has found some lifetime buddies, but more importantly, a forever family.

Kristen S. & Family
November 2012

Zoe (formerly known as Melody)
Staff Favorite/"Sweetest dog ever"

Shane and his daughter came into our North Campus looking for a dog and immediately fell in love with Melody.  Adoption counselor Kristen did the interaction and fell in love with the family....only one problem, mom still needed to meet Melody and she was against having a pit bull.  Shane asked if he could place a hold on Melody until the next day so that he and his daughter could work their magic on mom.  They came back and mom interacted with Melody.  Kristen was off so Adoption counselor Donna met with them and did a great job educating mom about pit bull myths and just how sweet pitties can be. Mom agreed and they adopted Melody!

Melody had been with us at the North Campus since October 2011 and she was a staff favorite, super sweet/mellow girl who we all loved dearly.  Needless to say...there were LOTS of tears as Melody drove away!

Here's a letter from mom:

Hi Donna,
Sorry it took me a couple of days to get you a picture. She is the sweetest dog ever and we keep saying how fortunate we are to have found her. She is so mild mannered and lovable and most importantly potty trained, YIPPEEEE!

Yesterday we took her to the groomers for a bath and to have her teeth brushed. Apparently she loves having her teeth brushed. They gave us a note saying that she did great and how much they liked her, so we hung the note on the refrigerator. She loves her walks and she took right to a couple quilts I had. The attached pictures are of Melody, or Zoe as we call her now, and her new spot on my daughters bed.

I think we are settling into a routine of meals, walks, and potty breaks quite nicely. The vet recommended we take her off all grains and regular meats like chicken. So we got some different food made with duck - never would have thought! I boiled some red potatoes and added some to her food, she liked that. She wasn’t interested in raw carrots. We were thinking about bringing back the dog food and treats we bought so you can use it on other dogs since we are trying something different.  
 
Thank you so much for educating us and helping us with the adoption. I never knew how sweet Pit Bulls are!!! Teach me to judge without all the facts.

Kristen S.
October 2012

Howard
Sweet as sweet can be

Well, HELLO!
Thanks so much for checking in on us!!! Howard is fabulous and settling in rather swimmingly. He has become the apple of all our eyes!! He is a free roaming bun here in the Lilien casa - however he does have his little nook in my office. We've ordered him all kinds of gear that should be arriving any day so that his area is a bit more bunny official. In the meantime he chills with me in my office which will probably be his favorite spot of all.

He is truly sweet as sweet can be. He loves his long, indulgent petting sessions - he's taken to bunny purring!!! He's been so amazing with and for our kids and just loves their company and their pets. We've taken him outside in his play pen and sat in the middle with him and he loves that! All in all I think everyone is pretty darn happy!!

Thank you all again for all of your help and support!!

Kisses,
The Lilien Family
September 2012

Meatball
A heart of gold and a gentle spirit

Hi,
My husband and I want to thank you and everybody at your facility for taking such good care of our new boy and for being so thoughtful in making sure he was a good fit for us and vice versa.  I'm super happy to report that he seems to already feel quite at home in his new house and has been nothing but a joy since we brought him here.  Chico and he seem to be getting along quite nicely and Chico is much more interested in him than he was yesterday.  

Meatball has already gotten accustomed to having a cat around and seems sort of indifferent towards LuLu which we're taking as a good sign.  They've sniffed each other and they pass in the hallway without any signs of excitability....just a little bit of tail wagging.  That harness that we got him must be working too since walking him is super easy and he doesn't pull at all!  He's house trained and loves going into his crate since all his best stuff is in there.  He whines a bit if i leave the room or when we go to bed at night but within about two minutes all is quiet and we hear him working on his kong.  
 
I really can't tell you how much we love him already...i'm getting teary-eyed just writing this.  He seems to have a heart of gold and a gentle spirit and an obvious enthusiasm for life and we can't wait to get to know him more!  

Thanks again for bringing us together!!!!!

The Burke Family
August 2012

Luca
Happy & Intelligent

He has been amazing so far. Luca has been doing great socializing with new dogs and people. He always has a wagging tail when we go for his walks and he is doing great with his resource guarding. We have been giving him raw hides to chew on and he loves them so far. Luca is very intelligent also. I'm sure you knew that already haha.

Thank you again for everything.

- Josh
June 2012 

Milo
A Real Love Bug

Everything is going great with our new family member Milo. He has adjusted really well. No maladjustment behaviors to report. He likes sitting with us on the couch, hanging out on his cat perch and he sleeps beside my husband at night.

He is a talker, especially when we first wake up and come home from work. He is a real love bug. We couldn't have picked a sweeter cat. He has his free vet check on Saturday, but so far has not exhibited any symptoms of upper respiratory illness. I attached some pix of Milo hanging out in his new home.

I'm sure the folks there that took care of him must miss him. Let them know he is being spoiled and enjoyed at his new forever home. 



- Martha and Daniel
June 2012 

Camden
Very Affectionate

Camden has adjusted well to his new home.  His appetite is good and he is meticulous with his litter box.  He has been very affectionate and has been enjoying playing with balls and chasing strings, and using his scratching post.  With each day he becomes happier in his new home.
 
SD Humane Society did an excellent job taking care of him and with the entire adoption process.  I will surely recommend them to anyone I know who is looking to adopt a pet.

- Joanne H.

Blanca
Friendly and outgoing

I adopted Blanca back in December 2011 after the death of my beloved pet, Bambi. My other rat, Chica, was then left without a cage mate, and knowing that rats are social animals and do best with a buddy, I knew that it would benefit me and my rat to adopt a friend. That’s when I went to the Humane Society and met Blanca. Immediately I noticed how friendly and outgoing she was.

Shortly after I brought her home, I noticed that Blanca was sick. The Humane Society provided her with exceptional medical care without question. This was more than I could have hoped for and I am incredibly grateful to everyone who works at this dedicated organization.

I’m pleased to say that Blanca is doing fantastically at her new home. Her buddy, Chica, is constantly grooming and playing with her, and they love to cuddle in their hammocks. She has proven herself to be an ardent explorer of the bedroom and highly energetic for a rat as old as she is. I am so happy to have adopted Blanca, she’s a part of the family.

- Anna B.

Sophie
Playful and friendly

I wanted to give you an update on Sophie.  She has settled in nicely to our home and it feels like she has lived here always.  Of course we are spoiling her with lots of love and affection and she is enjoys every minute of it.  She of course super happy see that we had not one but TWO cats.  She is giving them both all the room they are asking for but she constantly lets them know that when they are ready she will be their friend!  

I have attached a few pictures of Sophie and I will be keeping you posted on her and all her adventures!  (Boy she LOVES to go bye bye in the car!!) Of course we took her to the "salon" and she got a nice shampoo and cut. And of course the toys,..she LOVES toys.  Even though she only showed interest in balls there, she actually prefers the stuffed toys with squeakers once we got her home!

Thank you again for all the help you gave us and for introducing us to her.  She is an amazing dog!

- Michelle & Jeff

Griffin
A True Blessing

Griffin is doing great!!  We got the name cuz we thought he looked like a Scruff McGriff when he first came home.  He is house trained (just a couple small accidents) and he goes to the door to go out. He's very playful and is completely spoiled!  When he's had too much cuddling, he likes to go lay down by himself. He never barks or jumps on people, but he loves to show how tough he is around other dogs. He's completely at home with us.

We really do feel so blessed to have him. It was NO accident that he happened to walk by me just as I was getting in my car to leave on the day he was available for adoption. He's exactly what we've been looking and praying for the past couple of years!

- Shelly, Mark, Drew, Gabby and Noah.

Chloe
A Furry Delight

Last month I adopted Chloe (formerly Beezy) from the North County Campus. I had never owned a kitty before, but was ready to make a pet commitment and decided a cat would be best for my lifestyle, living situation, etc.

I did quite a bit of research before I met Chloe and knew as soon as she came down from her perch to meet me that she was special. She adjusted to her new living situation after just a couple of days and her quirky personality has been coming out more and more ever since. She is partially blind in one eye which had me a little concerned at first, but now I wouldn’t trade her for anything.

Chloe usually spends her days hunting her favorite stuffed mouse, having her belly rubbed, following me around to make sure she’s “in the know” and taking naps by the window. She has been such a delight and I’m so glad she is a part of my life. I think she feels the same way.

Thanks to everyone at the Humane Society for all that you do.

- Krista Cusano

Joey
The Sweetest Cat

When Joey was just a baby, I was fortunate to be able to help foster him. He was a spunky tuxedo kitten (and quite photogenic!). I was planning to adopt him, but for reasons beyond my control, he went to another home. I was devastated.

A year-and-a-half later, Joey was back at the San Diego Humane Society, up for adoption, but now he was blind. Thanks to the wonderful staff at the Humane Society, I was finally able to adopt Joey, who is now at his forever home. Joey has Progressive Retinal Atrophy (PRA), a rare genetic form of blindness, and is now completely blind. But most people don't even notice unless they pay close attention. He has memorized the house and moves around without hesitation (as long as I don't rearrange the furniture!). He is an indoor-only cat for obvious reasons, but he plays with his two sisters, my dogs Wiley and Daisy. Joey and Daisy share my lap and nap together every evening.  (Interestingly, Wiley also has PRA, and is also blind, and loves to play fetch!)

Both Joey and Wiley have really opened my eyes (no pun intended!) to just how adaptable animals with challenges can be. They are the sweetest pets I have ever owned and are no more difficult to care for than sighted animals. They see the eye doctor once a year, and I have to be careful when walking Wiley to make sure she doesn't injure her eyes, but other than that, they are normal, loving pets. Joey has brought so much love into my life.

I am so grateful to the San Diego Humane Society for making my family complete!

- Nancy Baisch, MD

BabyRuth & Butterfinger
Smile Magicians

We adopted Babyruth & Butterfinger back in august 2011 and it’s been a blessing! I cannot tell you how much joy and cuteness they have brought to our home! Not only are they loveable, soft & precious but they keep my depression at bay and keep a huge smile on my face all day, every day! God bless all bunnies! If you don’t have a "house rabbit" you should!

I felt as if I owed you guys something for the love they have brought to me!

- Their new family

Zelda
The lap-loving friend!

Thank you so much for everything that you did in order to bring Zelda into our lives. She has been an absolute joy!  I honestly don't know how we functioned as a family until she got here. The first few days she was here in our house, she was a little bit mysterious, hiding under the bed, in the closet, or under the couch for most of her day. Her first venture out from underneath furniture was to the toilet. She walked up to the toilet, sat on it for a few minutes, then went back under the bed. The next day, she climbed into the bathtub, licked up some water, then came back. The third day, she claimed one spot on our couch and if anyone else dares to sit there, she will meow and meow until they move out of her way or pick her up to pet her. 

Zelda sleeps in bed with us every single night. Unfortunately for her daddy, she has claimed most of his side of the bed, but because he loves her so much, he has grown accustomed to sleeping diagonally.  Every morning, the second she thinks we might be awake, the alarm starts going off- she meows like crazy in hopes that someone will feed her. She is still in love with the peacock feather we bought on the day we brought her home, and has now discovered my basket of yarn in the living room that I've been using to crochet.

Zelda also recently took up playing doctor. I got pretty sick a couple of weeks ago and was in bed a lot. She was unhappy that I wasn't feeling well, so as awkward as it was, she slept on my pillow next to my head for a few nights until I was sleeping alright. 

As I finish writing this, she has climbed into my lap, over my arms, as a sign for me to stop typing and pay attention to her immediately. Who would've thought the hermit cat we had on the first day would become such a lap-loving cuddle bunny? We love her very much and thank the San Diego Humane Society in Oceanside endlessly for bringing her into our lives!

Blessed,
Caity, Michael, Cameron, and Princess Zelda!

Stella
The bronco!

We're so happy with our experience with the Humane Society and this follow up email just confirms how awesome you guys are.

Stella, as we've been calling her for a week (although not sure about that name), is doing great! She is so sweet and smart and well behaved. We were ready for whatever time and energy it took to work with her and train her up to be a good listener and a good fit for our family but from her first night here she has just settled in so naturally it's like she's never lived anywhere else. She is so intelligent and eager to please. She loves everyone in our family, sleeps on her bed in our bedroom and loves to romp - yes, romp like a bucking bronco! - in our big backyard. She follows us around and is just so good-natured and so sweet it's really like it was meant to be. I can't believe our good fortune in finding her.

Thank you, thank you, thank you for all you do for the animals of San Diego. It's only been a week and I already can't imagine our family without her.

- Sarah Newstead

Ripley
Perfect Fit

I know you all see a lot of dogs come through in the course of a year, but I just wanted to provide an update about a pit mix we adopted about a year ago from the North County campus.  My husband and I have always had fantastic dogs growing up, but within the course of this year Ripley has not just stolen our hearts, but established herself as one of the most special dogs we've come across.  She's weirdly human.  She sleeps alongside us in the bed, horizontally with her head on the pillow.  She loves nothing more than to cuddle with us.  She was five years old and lacked any real training when we got her, so we didn't know how she would take to "new tricks," but she definitely disproved the adage - she can now walk alongside us leashlessly, has impeccable manners at outdoor restaurants, and got over her aggression towards other dogs, and is now friendly at dog parks and with my sister's dog.  We (quite sadly, I might add) had to leave San Diego this year and are now relocated in Virginia.  While Ripley might not appreciate the change in climate, she revels in her travels with us. 

I've attached some photos below of her year's travels.  She serves as a shining example of not just what fantastic family dogs pitties can be, but how much an older dog can enrich your life!

- Katie

Bobbin and Binkie
The sweetest dogs

Just wanted to say thank you for all your help. So stoked and blessed to have been able to take these two home. I named them Brixton & Bonnie. They're seriously the sweetest dogs and are such a perfect fit for me and my home. They're getting loads of love and attention between me and the filtering of friends coming by to welcome them into the family.   Again, thank you so much. You guys are awesome!

- Cheyne

Harley
Happy Puppy

Our new addition, Harley is great. She has adjusted well to our home and her big sister Cocoa loves her. She was crate trained in 1 1/2 days and is doing really well with potty training. She took her first camping trip this weekend and was good. Her new trick is to run from you when you want her to come back. Obedience training starts on August 21st but over all she is a fantastic puppy, we love her.

- Susan M.

Harley and her 8 siblings were found when they were just days old, abandoned in an empty Tijuana lot. A good samaritan brought them to the San Diego Humane Society where they were cared for in our foster care program and adopted into loving homes. Want to help volunteer as a foster parent? Read more here.

Rider
Adorable entertainer

Hello!

I just wanted to update you on Rider. He seems to be adjusting very well to Eric and I. He is very curious on walks and sometimes pulls at us when he wants to check something out. We took him to Pacific Beach to walk around and see how he did with the water. He enjoyed running right next to the water, but when the tide came in, he ran away.

The picture I have included was taken last night. After our PB excursion, we picked up some pizza at Woodstock's. I stayed in the car with Rider (He LOVES rides in the Jeep by the way!) and Eric went in to get the pizza. Rider climbed from the back seat into the drivers seat and posed like he was going to drive. I thought it was too cute! We are enjoying getting to know each other very much, and I just wanted to let you know he is doing well. Hope all is well at SDHS. Take care!

- Amanda

Binx and Sammy Longtail
Two senior cats find love

Binx and Sammy Longtail are doing fabulous! They settled in quickly and started exploring their new world with much curiosity.

A little surprised that Sammy was listed as Shy – he has become quite the wonderful Love Hog! He loves napping with the boys, curls up with David constantly and even Shadow my male black lab. His rhinitis seems to be improving and his fur is getting more healthy too. Binx is a little less spry and so we make sure she has nooks she can enjoy without jumping.

David Calls the first one:  Sammy the International Cat of Mystery (certainly comfy in his surroundings!)

Thanks again!
- Jo-Anne and David

Wallie
"My absolute favorite little guy"

Just thought I'd let you know how's Wallie's first day went. He did so well! Daniel and he played tug of war for about 20 minutes in the evening. He is going potty outside, spends small amounts of time in his confinement area and does so without complaining.

He is so loving! He follows me around and last night he crawled up in my lap and just about passed out! I know he had a very stimulating day. He slept in his crate all night and he went right out this morning for a walk and he didnt mess his bed at all!  So far this morning already walked, ate breakfast, and had a tug of war with Daniel, my son. Thanks for your help... We are blessed to have him join our family!

- Christy R. and family

Gilligan
Overcoming obstacles and finding love

"Just the other day, I was telling my girlfriend that adopting Gilligan is the best thing I've done for myself in a long time. He's so affectionate and loving. You wouldn't believe how much he's come out of his shell."
- Alex T, post adoption phone interview

---

Gilligan and I are doing quite well. He is very friendly with new people and dogs at this point, and he loves the Nate's Point dog park in Balboa which is just a few blocks up from us. Gill is still a little nervous and skittish sometimes, especially with loud sounds. However we are working on getting him more used to the sights and sounds of the city.

My girlfriend's cat was not a fan of Gill at first but has warmed up considerably. While I type the cat and dog are sleeping next to each other now on the couch. Her roommate's dog, a yorkshire terrier, loves Gill and he likes to play with her.

Training has been going well ... he now knows "sit", "lay down", and sometimes "fetch", with more commands in the works.

- Alex T.

Gilligan was brought to the San Diego Humane Society by a Humane Officer and noted as "one of the most fearful dogs" our Behavior Department had seen. His turn-around is a testament to the endlessly giving hearts of our staff and volunteers.