HSMC Happy Homes

2009-06-05T12:54:00.003-07:00

Hi Betty,
Just wanted to drop you a note to share with your staff that Garlena now Olive is doing great. She finished her anirobe and has an appointment with Mt. Healthy vet to get her stitches removed. She has quickly deemed herself "block watch" captain going from window to window in my home growling a passerbyers she deems unworthy.

She is a great cuddle bug and loves having half of a queen size bed to sleep in. She starts out at the bottom of the bed every night and inevitably once I fall asleep she works her way into some corner of my body to stay warm. She has little "zanies" toy that she has really taken to... it looks like a pink and purple ferret... she also likes to sleep with this.

We are still working out what kind of food she likes, and she is showing interest in the bell I have attached to my door to signal for going potty. So things are going along really well.

Last night I took her down to the dog park and she ran around like pepe le pu through the grass happily chasing birds and squirrels. She is very determined and doesn't let any physicall obstacle like tall grass or a long distance detour her little legs from getting what they want.

Soon we will be making a trip to Cleveland to introduce her to my family who can't wait to meet her. We are all huge doxie fans. Olive will bring everyone a bit of extra joy when we are together at the holidays.

We'll stay in touch

Rachel and Olive

2009-06-05T12:53:00.001-07:00

Jan. 22, 2009

Hello,
Just wanted to give you an update on Bindi. She has adapted well to our home, we are keeping up on her skills and she is already protective of our son. Bindi's new best friend is our cat Booger, our other cat Buckeye is still adjusting but they will be fine. I've attached some pictures on the first few days with Bindi in our home. Thank you again for Bindi.

Abby

2009-06-05T12:52:00.001-07:00

Oh goodness!!! I have soo many picture of Laurel!! We LOVE her!! She goes on at least a two mile everyday now and has her flag waving the entire way!! J For Christmas she got a "Bark for the Cure" shirt - our goal is to raise awareness together! She has four younger brothers so she is definitely Mommy's spoiled rotten little girl!

Lindsay

2009-06-05T12:51:00.003-07:00

Baja is adjusting very well at our house. He is a very sweet dog. He is well behaved. I do have a question that we are very curious about. We have kept the name Baja because he knows it so well and we like it. We would really like to know why his trainer at the prison or you guys at the humane society named him that. We would like to know what it means. None of the Spanish meanings seem to make sense. We noticed that there is an X-box game called Baja. Baja's Journal says that he lives up to his name, but nothing else.
Thanks, Sandy

2009-06-05T12:50:00.001-07:00

Merry Christmas and hope you have a wonderful holiday.

Remington is my professional de-decorator. After decorating the tree the kids were wiped out!

Thought you would like this - Share with the gang at the shelter.

They both are doing well. Too funny to watch them play.

Cara

2009-06-05T12:48:00.001-07:00

Hi Betty, we went to Vermont for the holiday and Jack spent the whole time playing in the snow. He loved it!

I want to send over a collection of pix and an update for Jack's former inmate trainer out at the prison. Is this still something to pursue?

I hope you are all doing well and that many pups and kitties are finding homes out there in time for Christmas.

All the best from Jen and Shaggy Jack (aka Ned) in New York City.

xoxo

2009-06-05T12:46:00.001-07:00

Hi Guys

I know it's been quite a while since I emailed last, but (you knew them as Possum and Joie) their new names are London and Maddie. It fits them so well.

These girls are doing so well! I really don't know what I would do without them. We did have some issues with the potty training but fixed that with a space that is just for them with potty pads and they don't go anywhere else but there. They are waiting for me at the door when I come home from work and are so so happy to see me they just jump with joy and I have to put everything down and sit on the floor to let them greet me. I love it! It makes me so happy to come home now!
I look forward to seeing their little faces.

I have taught them to dance for their treats. They stand on their hind legs and put their front paws up and turn around in a circle to get their treat. It's the cutest thing ever. And at night, when it's bedtime, I tell them, come on girls, time to go to bed! They come upstairs with me and jump up on the bed and as soon as I get under the covers, they give me a goodnite kiss and under the covers they go till morning.

They get along with my old cat too, the other day, I caught them all sleeping in the window seat I made into a bed for them (with blankets and pillows) all 3 together.

Thank you so much for them, they are wonderful and I just don't know what I would do without them. They go everywhere with me except work and the grocery store. They love walks too, I got them little pink coats to keep them warm and little pink leashes and as soon as they see those come out, they get so excited cause they know it's time for a walk.!!!!

Deena Rogers

2009-06-05T12:44:00.009-07:00

Hi Everyone, Just touching base with you on Jacklene now called Precious one. She is doing so well gained a little weight vet says she is doing terrific. She has adapted to her home quite well and has become such an important part of our lives.
I did have her eyes checked but my vet recommended to not do anything at this time. She is at best eight years old but believes she is closer to ten. He was quite impressed with her abilities and her manners.

She is housebroke and has quickly adjusted to getting around without bumping into things. She has not let her blindness hinder her in anyway. She has certainly helped me through the recent loss of my dad.

I will send pictures of her soon. I am actually getting ready to buy her christmas presents. She gets along well with everyone including other dogs. We love her and I am so glad she is a part of our life.

Have a safe and Blessed holiday Debra

2009-06-05T12:43:00.001-07:00

Just wanted to drop you an email to let you know how things are going with Cagney. She is doing wonderfully and has adapted well to our family and her new home! She has learned where to go when she needs to go outside, and stays in her crate during the day.

We took her to the Vet on Sunday for her check-up. They drew blood and gave her a couple more shots that they require at my Vet's. She also got her heartworm meds. Our Vet said that Cagney's eye surgery looked good and doesn't think she will need another.

I am so happy that we were able to adopt Cagney. She is such a sweetie and a good fit for our family. She and Chloe are the best of friends and sisters.
Joy

2009-06-05T12:40:00.007-07:00

He is doing very well. The vet stated that he is closer to 7 months old, which is perfect because he will not grow all that much more, just fill out a little.

Yogi is crate trained, so this seems to be the best solution. His absolute favorite is Emily, who is 9!! He loves the snow and will find ice/snow balls and throw and chase them. We really are happy with him and believe that even the man issue will get better.

Thanks for linking us up with him, he is really helping us during this crazy time. You can't help but smile when he wags his tail so hard that his back ends swings back and forth when you walk into the room!!

2009-06-05T12:38:00.001-07:00

HEY !!!!!!!!!

Buckwheatie, Is a rescue dog from London , Oh. Humane society...

Trained by in mates at the penitentiary, which is a wonderful program, and made it all the more fun with Michelle leaking the information from OSU Vet hospital, about the perfect dog for the Heldman Bashaw clan, then Michelle Scott and Dad, Breaking Buckwheatie out of the Pen, crossing state lines, and making the exchange in Beckley: Linda and I wisked Buckwheatie to a safe house.

Buckwheating riding shot gun.... Linda covering the back... Buckwheatie has three safe houses, Grams day care, J' overnight and weekends Aunti Linda and Uncle Rick take up the slack....

Grams now walks three time a day around the house ( great therapy), Dad has unconditional love and has a lap dog while not sitting on grams lap.. Linda gets a dog kiss and greeting whenever in need... I have a shadow that goes in an out with me ....

In other words Buckwheatie is ( as my dad would say ) just about perfect....

2009-06-05T12:37:00.001-07:00

May 12, 2008

Jack and I just got back in from Central Park (we go at least 3 times a day) where Jack can meetup with all his doggie friends and play. I told the story of Madison County HS for about the 500th time!!! Everyone loves Jack's story and thinks you guys are doing such fantastic work!! And you are!

Now to the point; my heart hurts when I think of "Shaggy Jack's" handler/inmate having to say goodbye after all that time together, so I want to send him photos and a followup email right away. My question is this: will email be faster? or hard copy letter and photos? or both? I'm going to put together something starting today. The weather is rainy and blustery here so will wait a few days for more candid shots outdoors.

Still planning on making the trip out to visit you guys in July and was hoping to perhaps take Jack over to visit with his inmate/handler too. Is that a possibility do you think?

thank you so much Betty! All the best to you guys and hope to see you soon.

Jen and "Happy Jack" in NYC

2009-06-05T12:36:00.001-07:00

May 2nd, 2008

Hi Betty, all went so well today. After we met up with George, we took Shaggy Ned up to a friend's house in NY on several acres and played with him, let him get some exercise and fresh air, and get relaxed.

We're now back at my apt and he's curled up at my feet as I write this. Not even mildly interested in my kitties. Just wants to be with me. He's a great boy!!!

I'll get back in touch tomorrow-we're all pooped here and gonna call it a day. Thankyou sooooo much!!! Your George is such a wonderful guy and we love love love the PT Cruiser! I tried to point him a good direction, so hope he found a couple of great antique places in the New Hope, PA, Lambertville, NJ area.

Will ring you tomorrow with a full update and then send an email with more pics and details once we're rested.

xoxo

Jen

2009-06-05T12:35:00.001-07:00

Betty, thought you might like an update on Snow/Sandy, now Maggie!

Just had our first weekend at the lake...she seems ok, don't you think? Will send some more...please share with the inmate who trained her...she's a great dog!

Thank you so much for the work that you do!

2009-06-05T12:33:00.002-07:00

Hi Betty,

I just wanted to let you know that Greg is doing GREAT ! We have fallen completely in love with him. He was a little nervous in the car on our way home from the shelter, and we could tell that he was definitely sad to leave you guys....but with all the love and constant attention he's been getting, he's cheering up quickly!

He definitely didn't hesitate to find his favorite spot while visiting my parents....directly in front of the fireplace.

We took him to get a nice long bath/grooming on Saturday (a little doggie spa time), and they said he was one of their favorite dogs ever ! (which of course didn't surprise us) ....AND, he had a great time with all the other dogs at my parents house (boys and girls). He was a little shy initially, but by the end of the weekend they were like peas in a pod and having a blast.

We are in the process of investigating vets via all the pet owners in our building, and hope to get him in for his follow-up by this weekend, so we will keep you posted, and follow-up as soon as possible.

Anyway, we just wanted to say thank you for taking such great care of him. He's a wonderful dog, and we are THRILLED to be the ones to give him a permanent and loving home.

Thank you again !!

:) Brooke, Jared, and Greg !

2009-06-05T12:32:00.001-07:00

Dear Betty,
I just wanted to give you an update on Toby. We adopted him on 3/3/07, there at HSMC He is such a joy - he is the light of our lives!!!!!

In May, Toby passed his Basic Obedience through K-9 College here in Spfld. Last week he passed his final observation and has been certified (by Therapy Dogs International)as a Pet Therapy Dog through Best Friends Animal Assisted Therapy!

How anyone could have given him up, we don't know. We're just glad we're the ones who found him!!!!!

I've attached a picture of Toby with his "Bunny". Just wanted you to know how much we love him!

Sincerely,

Karen

2009-06-05T12:31:00.005-07:00

This is a follow up on the Beagle dog named Baxter that I adopted two weeks ago. Baxter is doing fine and adjusting quickly to his new home. He is very sociable, completely housebroken, and loves to play 'tug'. He also enjoys romping at the Bark Park in Westerville. Thanks for your good work!

2009-06-05T12:30:00.001-07:00

Here she is ready to Trick or Treat. This is her favorite pasttime - sitting on my lap.

She is a great lap dog. She is also so very well behaved.

We are going to the vets now to check on her ear infection. This won't be her favorite thing.

Judy

2009-06-05T12:29:00.001-07:00

We adopted Jojo a couple months ago, and I just wanted to give you an update on him. We love him so much! He is a wonderful dog and everyone who meets him loves him. He gets healthy organic dog food and loves to sleep nestled right beside us. Just wanted to let you know that he is happy and healthy, and we are blessed to have him in our lives!

Thanks, Dan Workman

2009-06-05T12:28:00.001-07:00

Hello, just wanted to let you know that Kelsie is doing well. The bump on her head is much better and it is all healed up. Kelsie has also learned 5 commands: Sit, Lay, Dance, Down, & up. We use the down and up for the furniture. When we take Kelsie for rides in the car, everyone always asks, " What kind of dog is that?!" People also compliment Kelsie on how cute her face is! Kelsie has also aquired a new "leisure acivity"; she likes to chase butterflies! Hope to hear from you soon!

Here is more pictures of Kelsie.

Just wanted to send you a photo of Kelsie's 1st Halloween photo! She looked at herself, in the mirror, all day! Kelsie is going to be a Movie Star/ Diva for Halloween!
So, of course she's going to look at herself all day!

Kelsie has been doing really well, she's got a few quirks, though. For example,
constantly pushing her bone of the couch/bed, just to her the "thud" it makes, and doing that over and over again! Or looking at herself in the mirror, and barking, because she thinks there is another dog in the house! Little things like that.

Let us know how you've liked the photos we've sent!

Hope to hear from you soon & hope you have a Happy "Howl-o-ween!"

2009-06-05T12:18:00.001-07:00

Hi Betty!!

Just wanted to send you an update on Sara Rylie - formally known as Vegas. She has become the joy of our lives, spoiled rotten to the core!! She has finally settled down from being a little timid at first. She loves to play ball & race around the yard. She goes for walks with the neighbor dogs & they seem to get along good. She has a rag pull toy & loves to play tug a war with the girls, making little growling sounds but it sounds more like she is gargling!

I think she has finally gotten use to the girls going to school now. She will walk out with us to wait for the school bus. Then when the bus comes, she will give a couple little "yips" as if to say good-bye. The first couple of days (Thursday/Friday) when they started back to school, I think she got mad that they left her & she left them a little "present" in their room as punishment for leaving. Up until that time, she has never had a mistake in the house.

On Saturday, she walked around the house with a toy in her mouth, whining. I think she was wondering why the girls weren't downstairs getting ready for school. I sent her upstairs to their room to check on them & she seemed happy to know they were still here - just sleeping in.

She loves to sit on our bed, looking out our front window, watching the cars go by & squirrels running around. She went to the vet & got checked over along with her rabies shot, heartworm pills and K9 advantix. She also got a cookie from the vet, for being such a good girl. She weighed 25 lbs. to which we were very surprised, since she is a tiny babe!! Her appetite has improved. She gained 4.5 lbs. since her last visit to the vet. She recently visited the vet again due to a little ear infection. He put her on some antibiotic pills, to which we have to try & get her to swallow. This usually takes a couple tries because the minute you turn your back, she spits them out. Once she does swallow it, she gets a couple of ice cubes.

Christopher was right, she does love ice cubes!! She has figured out the sound of the ice cube maker on the refrigerator door and no matter where she is in the house, will come running into the kitchen every time she hears it, wanting her ice cubes.

She still listens to her commands, once in a while, being a little lazy about doing them (as if she is testing us) but then gives in. She loves to "sit pretty" when she gets her cookie from being a good girl.

This little girl is just the cutest & sweetest "babe".

As Betty once said, "she will make your heart swell' and she wasn't wrong about that - she has big time!! She should have been called "cuddles" because she loves to cuddle, give hugs & kisses.

TO ALL OF YOU, WHO HAVE TOUCHED THE LIFE OF SARA RYLIE "VEGAS" WE THANK YOU FROM THE BOTTOM OF OUR HEARTS!!

Recent picture attached

Jim, Patrice, Emily, Kelly & Sara

2009-06-05T12:16:00.000-07:00

Hello: I adopted a dog from your shelter on 31 Mar 07. Hopefully, you will remember him. I believe you called him Sonic. I named him Scooby Doo. I wanted to write to tell you how wonderful he is. I just love him so much. He has a great life surrounded by people who love him and he gets to play with my daughter's three dogs quite often. Scooby has come into his own. He weighs 16 lbs. and has a beautiful coat of hair. I take him to the groomers regularly and vet checks. He got a clean bill of health from the vet and had his teeth cleaned. The vet thought he was between 4-5 years old.

He has brought me a lot of love and happiness in my life. I definitely did the right thing by adopting. He plays with his toys, goes for a walk every day, gets treats for being a good boy and is a lot of company for me. He gets tons of kisses and belly rubs. He is so grateful that he was rescued; he never lets me out of his sight. I do not have a picture of him because the digital pictures my daughter sent did not come through but I will send you a picture when I get some good shots. Thanks to all of you who cared for him. His life now is full of love, joy, and hope. I would not trade him for a million dollars.

Nancy

2009-06-04T13:46:00.001-07:00

Hi Betty (and Cathie & Annie too!)

We brought Mojo (aka Navajo) home on Friday, July 13 and he is one lucky dog! Mojo is a perfect fit for our family. He is so sweet and he made himself right at home as you can see from the pictures. We introduced him to our three year old Bulldog, Lucy and it was a little rough going for the first hour (for her not him) but once we got them out on a walk together, all was great! Now the two of them are constantly playing together except when they are napping on their respective couches from exhaustion! It's as if they are old friends after only one week.

Oh and his new name was no problem at all to change up. It sounded close enough to Navajo. He probably thinks we can't pronounce his name correctly! Haha

The cats have yet to accept Mojo and they spend a lot of time upstairs away from him. Mojo doesn't understand that he's not supposed to chase the cats when they approach him. Lucy doesn't chase them anymore because they have HER trained. I'm sure in the next year the cats will have HIM trained too!

Also, I took Mojo to the Gahanna Animal Hospital on 7/18/07 for his required 10 day exam and the doc says he is in perfect health and is one cute little dog. He is eating Iams Large Breed Puppy Food and has adjusted great to the change of diet.

Please thank Mojo's correctional facility handler for taking such good care of him for the past 30 days and for training him to be such a wonderful dog. He listens to his commands most of the time and loves to cuddle on the couch with us. What a wonderful program for all dogs to attend. We wouldn't have had it any other way.

And to top it all off, a friend of mine that is a certified dog trainer has asked to use Mojo in his training DVD. Mojo could be a STAR! HA! If that ever comes to fruition, I'll be sure to send you a DVD.

Thanks for a wonderful addition to our pack!

Sincerely,

Wendy & Darrin

2009-06-04T13:22:00.001-07:00

Hi Betty & Kathy & Anna,

We made it back to Colorado OK. I think my husband & I were the most tired...dogs were fine! Missy had "accidents" in both hotel rooms. The 2nd night I made some mistakes; I had some trouble handling the dogs alone, so we got a call from the front desk regarding dogs barking. I got them under control & didn't get kicked out!

There were a few moments when I thought maybe Missy would be too much of a challenge. The 1st night in the hotel, people outside the room woke us all up. Then Missy ran around the hotel rm playing with her toy for 45 mins. I thought...how much energy does this dog have? She should be tired. The 2nd night after the barking warning, I attached Missy's leash to the bed & she slept all night. Great improvements! When we got home one of the first evenings she had (3) accidents within 2 hrs. I was taking her out very often but, she was only going to the bathroom inside. For the rest of that week she only had (1) accident. This past week she did not have any accidents! Missy has made steady progress adjusting to her new home & family.

After (3) days together Moritz & Missy started playing together. The play sessions are getting longer & more frequent. They are truly bonding. They steal each other's bones & eat from each others bowls (I supervise so only crumbs are stolen) without aggression.

Missy is gaining weight & sleeping often during the day.

Missy is a keeper, we all love her! Here are some pictures below. Just in case you can't tell the 2 dogs apart; 1st pic Missy is in background, 2nd pic Missy is in the forefront. Moritz has given up her 2nd bed to Missy; only in the picture neither one is using it. Missy often sleeps very close to Moritz. They don't sleep together yet... I will soon send you some pictures in a card to fwd to the handler in the prison.

If possible, you may fwd this email to the handler. I will also send you another update with pictures to use for your "board".

Best regards & thanks again for Missy! Keep up the great work you all do.

Marie & Gunter

2009-06-04T13:19:00.003-07:00

Hello,

I adopted Sophie, the Jack Russell Terrier, in May 2007...for my parents who live in Huntsville, Alabama. I just wanted to let you know that she is doing wonderfully, is very happy, and they are extremely happy with her. I am attaching a picture of them together. :-)

Kathy