This sweet girl, one of the most timid dogs at the shelter, was adopted by one of our volunteers. Here’s an update from her very patient mom, who tells us Nina’s world is expanding.

“Some of us take longer than others to get comfortable with life.

We began fostering Nina in late November of 2016. We adopted her in October 2017. I am happy to report that Nina has willingly gotten in and out of the car the past few days. Ironically, it was a trip to the vet that helped this along.

A day later I tried taking her for a drive out of town for a quiet forest walk. Success! A first and something I was not sure would ever happen. Here is Nina with the red collar and on the left in the lower photo. Rocco is on the right. He is a good role model for her. (He was adopted by my parents in July 2017.) We’d had three days of fun forest walks, Nina more confident each day. Rocco is out of town today and she went alone with us. She looked around the parking lot for him and my dad before we took off, and was just as happy to be a solo dog. She seems so proud of herself. It’s heartwarming to see her tail up and wagging as she sniffs along. It’s opened up a whole new world for her. We may get to the beach yet!”

Mason was adopted a couple of years ago and we got this lovely update last month. His mom wrote, “We adopted Mason from you about a month before finding out we were pregnant with her. Safe to say they are best friends! She calls him “her fella.” He’s such a good boy. Still gets VERY excited about toys and balls but once he settles down from playing he is pretty mellow.”

Mimzee’s mom Kathleen tells us, “l adopted Mimzee who used to be Angie, in 2017. She was the most terrified, saddest cat l have ever met. The guy in charge of the cat room said she really needed to have a home. I wasn’t too sure. I had a big fat unhappy furry cat at home whose feline pal had recently died of old age. I was looking for a fun kitty. So the next day l returned to the shelter and adopted Angie with the incredibly sad eyes. Her first days at my house were spent hiding behind the stove. When l talked quietly to her she turned her head away. She found new hiding places frequently. Gradually, at a snail’s pace she gingerly moved into her new home. Everything frightened her. Aggie (fat cat) sensed something was amiss and let her have space at mealtime. Over the days and weeks, she learned to play with cat toys, sit near Aggie and eventually play chase with her, not hide under the bed, jump into my lap one day (both of us nearly fainted), and accept being petted. It was slow but rewarding. Then one day she totally emerged from her unhappy existence. Now she cuddles with me, visits me in the bathroom in the morning and jumps up to sit on my shoulder (she likes to look at us in the mirror), talks a mile-a-minute, smiles with her eyes, purrs incessantly, races around the house with Aggie in total abandonment. She has gained weight and grown a new set of fur which is soft and luxurious. She is such an amazing cat! And so are all of you who find homes for these dogs and cats.”

Moose Mahoney’s mom Bridget sent us this super update on him. “I adopted Moose Mahoney at the end of September. I was looking for a companion for my 8 year old dog Edgar who was close in age. I first saw Moose’s photo on Facebook and was determined to get him. He is a joy maker, likes to cuddle, loves walks, and always wants to be by my side. It is a privilege to be his mom. Ps. His full name is Moose Mahoney but we call him Moosie.”

He’s a lucky boy.

Penny was adopted early this fall and has definitely hit the jackpot with her new family.

Summer, her mom, tells us, “We adopted Penny from the shelter in September when she was about 7 months old. My 8 year old daughter had been saving her money to buy a Bloodhound and she was so thrilled to find one at the shelter that she could actually afford! She saw Penny jumping crazily in her kennel and it was love at first sight. Penny came home on September 21st and it’s been a whirlwind ever since. She is rambunctious, mischievous, sweet, and amazing with our two kids. We have an 8 year old chocolate lab so it’s been an adjustment going back to the puppy stage with a very large puppy! My house is always clean because well, if it fits, it goes in her mouth….like my car keys…that she dropped down the garbage disposal. She loves to play hide and seek. My daughter will hide in the house and yell “Penny, come find me!” and she runs through the house, knocking things over with her giant body and tail, until she finds my daughter. You always know because giggles erupt from the hiding spot as Penny jumps and licks her. One shake of the head and those slobbery jowls whip slobber from one side of the house to the other! We’ve found slobber on our TV, our couch, the kitchen counter, pretty much anywhere she goes. She always wants to be around my daughter and vice versa. I cannot wait to see their bond grow throughout the years. Penny is quite the dog who will forever lead our family on some interesting but hilarious adventures.”