Happy Tales

 

Who doesn't like a Happy Ending??  And we are fortunate to have families send us their stories along with pictures about happy adoptions!  We'd love to hear from you if you have a happy story to share!

We were looking to adopt a ferret, but were immediately greeted in the lobby by an adorable cockatiel named Sunny. He made sure to get our attention with a little dance in his cage and and the minute we held him, we knew we had found our new pet.

From the moment we brought him home, he has become a true member of our family. Sunny has brought us so much joy and love, we can't image our life without him. Thank you far all the work you do and your dedication to help animals. Without you, we would not have Sunny.

Esther was surrendered to the shelter because "there were too many animals" and her owners didn't have time for her. "Essie" wasn't doing well in the shelter and had become sad and withdrawn. It was then that a volunteer thought of her neighbors who had recently lost their dog, but she wasn't sure if the octogenarians were ready for another pet. Nonetheless she convinced the couple to come for a visit. John and Margo met Essie in one of the MVHS acquaintance rooms and were home with her within the hour.

"After the loss of our English Pointer Molly, our neighbor told us about a dog that had been brought to the Minnesota Humane Society.

We brought Essie into our home. She is one of the nicest, gentlest dogs that we have ever known. We cannot find a bad trait in her. Essie is so gentle and loving and seems to show us everyday how much she enjoys being here.

Molly had been so close to us that we wondered how we could accept another dog. We still miss her but Essie has completely captured our hearts.

Thank you, John & Margo"

Cybil 

Cybil, a German Shepherd, first came into our lives when we found her tied up to the flag pole outside MVHS.  She had a bad temperment, wasn’t socialized and was extremely terrified of men.  We soon found out why - Cybil had been micro-chipped, so the police were able to track down the original owners. Come to find out, Cybil had been given to another family who abused her and kept her in a dark closet. No wonder she was terrified of people! Cybil was not doing well in the kennel and would frequently hide in the back, and make it nearly impossible for the volunteers to walk her or clean her cage.

 

Deb, a long-time volunteer at MVHS, would walk by Cybil's cage every day and flip her cheese.  Cybil would growl and didn't want anything to do with her until one day, she came to the front of the kennel and decided to give Deb a chance.  Deb and MVHS realized that it would be hard to find the right family for Cybil, and she would need a lot of training and a special home to deal with her issues.  Deb decided to take Cybil home and begin working with her. Unfortunately, Cybil was fear aggressive, which is the worst kind as they attack out of fear, and it’s the hardest type of aggression to change. With hard work and a foundation of trust, soon Cybil became a loving member of the family.  

 

At this time, Pat, another long-time MVHS volunteer, was looking for dogs to become Ambassadors - dogs that go to hospitals, nursing homes, schools, and public appearances on behalf of MVHS.  Concerned with Cybil’s history, Deb was a little leery, but gave her a shot . . .

 

Deb brought Cybil for a visit to the nursing home and she was absolutely amazing.  When Cybil walked in the door, she immediately went to work visiting and spending time with the residents. One day, a mother approached Deb and asked her to bring Cybil into her daughter’s room.  Her 18-year-old daughter had been in a car accident and was in a vegetative state.  The girl owned several dogs growing up, but had not responded to any of the dogs that had been brought to her room yet.  Deb took the girl’s hand and had her stroke Cybil, and the girl responded!  Cybil made an instant connection with the girl and went on to visit her on a regular basis.

 

Cybil was an ambassador for years, and continued serving the people she once feared up until just a week before she died. For the rest of her life, she never showed any sort of aggression toward anyone ever again. 

 

And along came Lathie . . .

 

Lathie wandered into our lives as a stray.  Lathie’s teeth were in such bad shape that she couldn’t shut her mouth, so she needed intensive medical care.  One of our generous supporters donated the money to pay for surgery to remove all of the rot and tumors in her mouth. After surgery and recover, we saw a dramatic change in Lathie – she wasn’t in pain anymore!  She, too, had issues with men (in baseball hats) and feet, but with training and love, she also got over her fears.  Like Cybil, Lathie went on to serve people as an MVHS ambassador for four years. Sadly, we lost Lathie in December after she suffered a stroke. She will be missed, but Lathie and her tale of hope will always have a special place in our hearts.

 

And then there was Winkie . . .

 

Winkie, a yellow Lab, landed at MVHS with a badly damaged eye that had never been repaired.  Unfortunately, we had to remove it to prevent further health problems. And we soon found there were other issues stemming from abuse and neglect. Winkie had lived most of his life chained to a tree without much interaction. And boy could we tell!  Winkie was “kennel crazed” and desperately needed to learn how to be a dog, as well as socialization with people and other dogs. Winkie was afraid of just about everything. Deb took Winkie under her wing, and within two weeks of experiencing a real “dog’s life” of running, playing, being with people and other dogs, Winkie grew into a true lab!  And more happy news: Winkie was adopted by a loving family who had just lost their black lab, and has turned out to be the perfect fit!