GIGI

Hi: My name is GiGi and I am about 3 years old. I think I was born on The Island because I was rescued from the streets of Galveston.

My new home was The Galveston Island Humane Society. The building was so clean and the volunteers were nice and worked hard to find Forever Homes for all the dogs and cats.

I wanted a Forever Home so bad. The volunteers were worried because I was so shy and scared . They would give me extra pats and hugs.

One day a nice lady came in. She talked to me and they let us visit and she cuddled me. She said she would think about it. I barked my best and loudest goodbye to her. That was a surprise. No one had heard me bark before. They thought I couldn’t. I just saved that bark for the right time.

The lady came back and took me home with her. I had a Forever Home. She said she couldn’t get that bark out of her head.

She gave me 6 names before I answered her. I liked GiGi. It suited my personality. I love to dance. I am a doggie ballerina when I want something like a snack, a ride, a lap or a tummy rub.

My favorite things are eating, sleeping, tummy rubs, walking in the park, going to the local coffee shop’s patio and riding anywhere or anytime in the car.

I am a good watch dog. Don’t walk on my street or yard. I will bark or growl. Once I know you – other dogs – I meet them and wag my tail. I like meeting dogs in the park; also, people because they pet me and tell me I am a pretty girl – the people, not the dogs.

My new Mom says I am the love of her life – that’s good – because she is mine.

GiGi
Chihuahua/Terrier
Spring, Texas

ANNIE

Annie is doing well. She is a very loving pet and a joy to have around. She is also very protective of her home and of me. She follows me everywhere. She watches my every move and if I even look like I’m getting ready to get up and leave the room, she is out in front of me, ready to go. She was a bit scared for a while and barked at everything. But she is getting much better. I know she will outgrow this over time. We are working with her on that. Thank goodness she was already potty trained. That was a blessing plus she loves to go outside!

We also have a little puppy we brought home about 10 days after we got Annie. Annie grooms her and takes care of her and they play together all the time. They are best buddies. Annie is about twice her size, but is very gentle. When she gets a treat she gives it to the baby puppy and then comes and asks for another. So sweet.

I have attached some pictures of Annie taken about a month ago after her first grooming.

Bonnie Kennedy

My name is Maggie and I want to tell you about the day my life began! On February 14, 2011 , I met my "VALENTINE!" I saw her walking down the isle , looking at each dog very slowly. I was a little nervous because I was all the way at the end. She finally got to me and I knew right then, my life was about to change. You see, where I lived before I wasn't taken care of very well. I was very skinny and had heart worms really bad. I had just had puppies and was feeling very sad and lonely. I am a really good girl , but no one wanted me because of my heart worms. This nice lady asked if I wanted to go outside to play ? I wagged my tail and off we went. It was a good day, she said she loved me already, despite the fact my heart was sick. She vowed to take care of me and give me a better life. Boy has she ever. After 4 months of treatment , I am heart worm free, I have gained 14 lbs and I feel great! I have 3 human brothers that love to run and play with me and a dog brother who came from the same place I did. My Mom lets me ride in the car with her and she takes me for long walks on the beach. I sure do love my life now, and am so happy my Mom gave me a chance!

Sincerely, Maggie Schoenvogel

TRIPTREY

Exactly three years ago today I adopted TripTrey, a sweet little tabby girl who had been delivered to the shelter with only three legs. :(

I remember taking her out of the cage, holding her close, and asking "do you want to go home with me?" to which she answered by laying her front paws and head down on my shoulder. She cried when she was taken away to be microchipped and didn't stop until i stuck my finger through a hole in her carrier so she could smell me. Needless to say, it was love at first sight for us!

We went through Hurricane Ike displacement together, and I'm sure living in so many different places in her young life was confusing, but she developed normally: she was inquisitive and friendly and funny. As long as we were together, we were fine!

I renamed her Tippy, and she is my best friend. She is spoiled but is certainly not a brat. She is the sweetest most loyal kitty in the world. She meets me at the door when I come home from work and follows me from room to room while I'm home. her favorite food is chicken nuggets and her favorite game is fetch, which we play with Livestrong type rubber bracelets. I flick 'em and she gets 'em and lays 'em at my feet. She is quite a character, and I am so glad we found each other 3 years ago.
PENNY

Penny is a medium sized terrier mix who came to the shelter in time for Christmas in December of 2010. The story was that she couldn’t be confined. She had probably been simply a yard dog with no reason to stay home. She soon became a favorite with her sweet disposition, although she was sometime particular who she roomed with. She received all her vaccinations, and was spayed, but she did have heartworms. Time passed, many people looked at her, talked to her, and even played with her, but no one was willing to give her the forever home she needed.

She was featured a couple times as Pet of the Week, and still, she did not find the right family. One of the volunteers took to posting her story far and wide (thanks to social media). She received several wonderful contributions to help with her heartworm treatment when she found a home and even pay a part of her adoption.

Finally, one lucky day, I heard from Judy Smith from Granbury Texas. She had read Penny’s story and felt she had the home that Penny needed. After several emails and phone calls, Judy and her husband Edwin, drove all the way to Galveston on May 14th to meet Penny. They took great care that Penny was as happy and comfortable with them as they were with her. From there, we will let Judy keep you updated.

From the staff at the shelter – Thank you to Judy and all who worked to care for Penny.

Update - Tuesday, May 24, 2011

Dear Caroline,

Just wanted to update you on Miss Penny. She seems to be adjusting nicely. It feels like she is one of the family. It is to her credit. She is just so good.

Yesterday a particularly wonderful thing happened. She got up in the chair with me and sat beside me while I read. She fell asleep there. It was such a sweet tribute of trust I feel. She is so patient and so eager to please. We are working out communications together very well. Happy would not describe how we feel about her. What a great girl she is!

Hope many more dogs give their adopted people the same pleasure she is giving us.

Sincerely,
Judy

Update - Tuesday, May 31, 2011

Dear Caroline,

We want to tel you again that we are so glad that Penny waited for us. She is such an addition to our home. She just finished having a nap in my lap. Such a sweetie. She is still adjusting, but so well.

We are treating her as our vet suggested for the heartworm. It is less severe and easier on her than the traditional treatment would be. She will not have to be confined during this treatment, which is the best part of it. We have complete faith in our vet, Scott Myers. This treatment will involve daily doses of Doxcycl HYC and Prednisone. She is taking these well. We paid the initial vet bill as that was required. I an send you a copy of the charges, in detail. The total was $269.03. The meds, which Scott called in to Walmart to save money, cost $14.00. This was for a month's supply. Penny will be retested at the end of 6 months, to evaluate and continue treatment if needed.

We cannot believe we have gotten such a great little dog. We are so grateful.

Thank you again,
Judith Olsson-Smith

Update - June 28, 2011

Dear Caroline,

Thank you for your note and your action. It is appreciated. You must be swamped with Adopt a Cat month. Our Theo says to thank you for doing that for his fellow felines. He is a shelter kitty. When we got him as a kitten, he immediately began to spike a fever-104! It took some days to get him to the point that we knew he would "make it." The vet never determined what caused the fever. Said it is not uncommon in kittens. He does have a heart murmur, but it is not serious. If we had not adopted him, the shelter we got him from said he would likely have been returned and they would not have been able to pay care for him due to budget constraints. He is healthy as can be, weighs 17 pounds now. He weighed 2 pounds when we got him! So, we have two guys who needed us and we are happy about having them. He and Penny are making friends.

Yes, Penny continues to bring joy to us and to amaze us. She still has some anxiety at times, understandably. It is not a problem as she handles it so well. She surprised us and the plumber when she jumped in his lap and put her paws on either side of his neck the other day. All the while she was growling her low "I am worried, growl!" It is almost a purr. He loved it!

She is sleeping by my feet at this time. She went out for two walks already this morning. She loves it outside. My husband sits outside in the morning with her, after I take her on her walk and when I go on my longer one, and reads the paper with her lunging on the stone patio beside him. He wets it down so it is cool for her. The water fall adds to the peaceful atmosphere. She really has taken to this routine.

Last evening when we were sitting watching television she had trouble deciding whose lap to be in. She gave us equal opportunity lap time. She is so sweet.

The bet declared her very healthy, save for the heart worm, which he feels will be eradicated with the treatment she is having.

Thank you again, Caroline. We feel we were meant to have Miss Penny. She seems to like having us.

Sincerely,
Judith Olsson-Smith

Update - July 1, 2011

Dear Caroline,

The check came yesterday. Thank you. Thank everyone who contributed. Their love for Penny spurred us to drive down there and check her out, and now we have her in our home as a wonderful addition.

One story as I know you are busy. I bought a big plastic wading tub for Penny. It seemed a good idea for baths and also for her fun. Tuesday was bath day. She allowed me to put her in the tub filled with water. The minute I got the sprayer to get her wet all over before applying the dog shampoo, she jumped out. This went on for some minutes. Finally I got in the tub (I was almost completely wet anyway) and she stood outside of it and allowed me to shampoo her and rinse her! Our neighbors really enjoyed this spectacle! I think Penny liked it, too. I swear she was smiling!

Hope the kitty adoptions went well. Your work must get very frustrating at times. It is important work and we pray for your daily successes. You deserve it and those furry angels do, too.

Sincerely and gratefully,
Judy

Update - 1/25/12

Dear Caroline,

Penny is super! She was afraid of the storms last night, but is getting less disturbed by them each time they occur. We are working on this, with some success.

Last weekend, she and I visited my mother in Dallas. Our son has a rescued dog, Reno, whom she has met here in our house. HE is a big sweetie, part Catahoula and part Red Heeler and all peace and love. They recognized one another and seemed happy to be together. We took them to a wonderful dog park near our son's home. Penny stayed beside me, watching all of the activity. There were Frisbees being thrown and caught, balls being fetched, etc. and lots of big dogs running all around enjoying one another. When it was about time to leave, Penny began to run along side of Reno as he romped around. I counted this as a big step for her. She gets so many positive comments from people wherever we go. She really wows with those Big Brown eyes of hers. That wagging tail helps charm them. Several neighbors whom we encounter on our walks (usually three a day now) call her "that happy dog."

Thank you again for all that you do and for giving Penny such good care.

MIA

It was a regular Tuesday afternoon in February; I got to GIHS to volunteer as my usual routine and the first thing I saw was an admission for a beautiful girl Chihuahua. I fell in love with her right away, but found out she had owners and was just lost. 

On Thursday I saw she was still there and wondered why…apparently she didn’t have a home anymore…I felt sad but I knew in my heart she was meant for me.

I wanted to adopt a Chihuahua for a long time now, I currently had one at home and wanted a sister for her. I talked to my husband and after he saw how much I was attached to her (I had taken pictures of her with me with my cell phone) he accepted to go and meet her with our dog. He somehow knew that meeting her meant taking her home with us.

Mia and Isis are inseparable, at first Mia didn’t know how to play with dogs or with toys. She couldn’t run because she had a luxating patella, for which she had surgery, and now she runs very fast, she loves the beach, they play all day, they love chasing each other around the house, she has learned everything watching Isis.

Mia loves everybody she meets; she is a very friendly happy go lucky dog. Every time we come home she is so happy to see us she greets you with an open mouth all the way that her expression is like a smile! This is the only time she makes this expression. It’s really cute. 

It’s beautiful to see Mia and Isis so happy together. She is part of this family and we are so happy she found us! 

-Adriana Martinez

PUFF

A week before Hurricane Ike hit, I adopted a older shih-tzu.  He was the only dog in the small dog area that wasn't going crazy when I walked in.  He just looked so sad and lonely, but was really calm.  I adopted him that day and took him home that week.  I renamed him Puff, since his coat was so fluffy.  We have been best buddies for almost two years now.  He is super friendly, loves to run around, and is super cute. 

CHLOE

I met my dog on my first day of volunteering at the animal shelter. She was one of the staff favorites, and was also so much calmer than all the other puppies. I did not want to make any rash decisions about adopting a dog, but I was quite drawn to her mellow in-crate demeanor, and her wrinkled shar pei face.

I looked her up on Petfinder when I got home to ask my now-fiance if he would like to meet her.

He fell in love with her big feet and stopped at the shelter a few days later to take her for a brief walk. He said we should bring her home, and I was inclined to agree. Fortunately Betsey was still available for adoption even though someone else had expressed interest in her.  I was thrilled to adopt my first dog and looked forward to the joys and challenges of raising a puppy.

We renamed her Chloe, and she turned out to be a big sweetheart. At first she was afraid of going up and down stairs, and she was tricky to housebreak. Luckily patience and consistency paid off and she no longer has accidents, and can be trusted in other people's homes as well. She is very intelligent and learns new tricks easily. Unfortunately she has hound-like tendencies and wants to smell everything on walks. We are still working on her on-leash walking. Off-leash she is fairly good, and she loves swimming at the beach and chasing birds. She loves to roll around in dead things and mud as well.

She is a very friendly dog, and we will probably need to get her a playmate at some point, but in the meantime she is the best tag-along dog that we take almost everywhere we go. Shelter dogs are amazing when given the opportunity to show their true colors.

LADY

I adopted Lady from GIHS in Dec 2007 and she is doing great! Here is a picture of her at the Aeros hockey game at the Toyota Center earlier this month. She had a blast meeting all the other dogs and people. She gets along with everybody.  I got a second dog last August (Colonel) and they are best buds. Lady really loves Milkbones by the way. :)

PEANUT

Your sign that says "your new best friend is waiting inside" couldn't be any more true. I adopted Peanut about a year and a half ago and he is the light of my life. Peanut brings a smile to everyone's face and I couldn't imagine my life without him. He truly is my best friend. Thank you GIHS!

PARKER

A few months ago I was recovering from major surgery and was forced to spend several weeks at home. It was a very lonely time since my husband and I had just recently put our pet cat Lily to sleep. In an effort to cheer me up, my husband said, “lets go out to the Humane Society and look at the kittens and cat. Maybe there will be one there that you'll like.” So, off we went, determined to only “look.” Well, no sooner did we walk in the door than I knew that we would not be going home empty handed that day. Of course, we could have taken them all home with us.

I didn't want this to be “my” decision or one that my husband put up with simply because I was sick. I told John that he should choose, I would love anyone of them. After a short time, he picked out a little 3 month old male Siamese kitten with bright blue eyes that kept trying to squeeze out the bars of his cage. John said, “I like this one.” A boy cat! I had never had a boy cat! Only girl cats! But, if that's what John wanted I was all for it. Plus, he was incredibly cute.

So, home we went. Little boy cat safely in his cat carrier (yes, we had taken ours “just in case”). Within the hour we had named him Parker and started to get to know each other. Never could I have believed how quickly we both came to love this little bundle of energy. I couldn't believe how loving this little male cat was and how much he enjoyed sleeping in my lap. He played for hours, slept heartily and nuzzled and purred to beat the band. No more prejudice against boy cats!

Although Parker has been with us only a short four months, but I can't imagine our lives without him. He loves to play, loves to drink water out of the bathroom faucet, runs full speed to meet you when you come in the door and loves for my husband to carry him around the house upside down. Now, if I could just get him to stay off the kitchen counters! "

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