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Hi Andrea!

Hope you are managing to stay cool among all this terrible heat! We finally got Hogan used to a leash after a couple of weeks and now, and even he can't stand to be outside for very long! When he comes in he goes straight to the kitchen and plops down on the floor and lifts his head just high enough to suck down some water from his bowl!

Here are some pictures of our little, growing guy! I can't believe how fast he is growing! He just mastered jumping up on the couch, so we're in trouble now! hahah! We just took him to the vet last week for his 2nd round of shots and he is up to 12 lbs and doing great!

He has been such a wonderful addition! I'm sure everyone thinks their dog is the best, but he has really been terrific! Easy to potty train--thank you for teaching him to go to the door! He goes all the time and just sits by our back door and waits for us to let him out. We've taken him to Wichita a couple of times to see friends and family and he seems to find the door at their houses and does the same thing there, so no accidents! He doesn't whine in the car--thank goodness! I took him to PetSmart with me to get food one day and he was scared when the automatic door opened up, so I put him in the cart for a little bit, and then when I put him down, so many people complimented him for not barking and staying with me through the aisles. (And ofcourse, many compliments on how cute he is!) Brian has a 5 yr old niece and a 2 yr old nephew and we were proud parents when we introduced Hogan to them. He ran around outside with them, but kept a distance from them to not scare them as they ran around, and never nipped at them or anything! We were worried at first because when we play with him in the backyard, he runs in our path and trips us up or at times bites at our hands during play, and jumps up on us, but he was terrific with the kids! What a relief!

It will be hard to leave him here in the next week as I prepare to go back to school, but Brian will be coming home throuhout the day to check on him, so he will ease into being left alone for longer than he has been.

Anyhow, just wanted to drop in and send some updated pictures!
Enjoy!!
-- Amanda and Brian

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Snowy is an adorable little Rat Terrier fostered by HAHS volunteer Ravi last year. Snowy was lucky enough to find his forever home in September, and this is an update from his new person:

"I just wanted to let you know how Snowy (now Cooper) is doing. He is the best little dog. I love him so much. He gives me so much happiness. I think I give him a lot of happiness, too. I think he really loves living with us. We have a big fenced back yard and he loves being out there, when I'm out there with him. He has a neat little personality. He loves chasing squirrels and rabbits in the yard and going for walks, and he loves going to the park. I still leave him in his crate during the day. He doesn't seem to mind being in there. When we go on short trips, to the store or out for a bike ride, we'll leave him loose in the house to roam, but when we go to work I put him in his crate.

"Well, I just wanted to let you know how he was doing and that I thank you very much for letting me adopt him. Like I say he is the sweetest little dog. I sure love him. Thanks again and take care."
-- Dan

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Gus is one of a litter of four kittens being fostered by cat volunteer Carolyn. He was the first of the litter to be adopted, and here's what his new family has to say about him.

"I was thinking you might like to know that Gus has been amazing since we picked him up yesterday. He is so sweet and so much fun. He meowed a couple of times in the car but otherwise he's been "all purrs." He snuggled with me all night and is happily going through our toys. The other cats are watching him and tolerating him, and he is interested but doesn't push any boundaries. He's a great fit!"
-- Sherrilyn

In a later update, Sherrilyn report, "Gus has adjusted so well. I am very impressed. I am sure we will have some kitty adventures, but hopefully not too big or destructive. Merlin is spending a lot of time sulking, but he is being surprisingly good to Gus after only a couple of days, so it will all work out. Oreo keeps her distance but also watches him with a protective air. There have been moments where Oreo and Merlin have sat together and just watched Gus. Wish I'd had a camera to see those to sitting in agreement ... it will likely never happen again!"

Gus's foster mom, Carolyn, says, "It doesn't surprise me in the least that they love him. He was the favorite kitten around here. He was the most affectionate by far and was always in my lap the second I sat down. It was hard to let him go, but he clearly chose Sherrilyn and Dan. I had a lot of people look at him and he would have nothing to do with them. He snuggled right up to these two and began purring immediately, which made it easier to let him go."

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Jack and Ercell were still mourning the loss of their beloved Yellow Lab, Bear, when they first contacted Heart of America Humane Society (HAHS) at the end of December. Bear had a long and happy life with them, but, sadly had to travel to the Rainbow Bridge in November. He'd left a big empty space in their lives, and their other dog, a rescued Norwegian Elk Hound named Bo, was also missing having a dog friend to play with on the three-times-a-day trips he had took to the dog park with Jack.

A quick online search of available Yellow Labs turned up a young, 3-month-old almost white pup that had just gone into foster care. Jack and Ercell called the little guy's foster mom, told her all about Bear, Bo, the dog park, and just how much the puppy reminded them of Bear when he was that age. Liz, the pup's foster mom, was immediately impressed with Jack and Ercell. After another phone call or two, they arranged to meet at the dog park to see if they liked the puppy just as much in person as they did online, and to see how Bo reacted to the little guy.

It was love at first sight for the humans, and after the dog formalities of sniffing each other were complete, Bo and the puppy were quickly off playing. Bo responded to the puppy every time the little guy gave a play bow, and could also sense when the time was right to step back and have a little rest. We did the adoption paperwork on the spot, and the pup - now named Jingles - went home with Jack, Ercell, and his big brother Bo. From that first day, Bo and Jingles shared everything, from water to toys to bones, without any disagreement.

Ercell sent the following update a week after adopting Jingles: "Thought I would update you on Mr. Jingles. He is fitting in like 'it was meant to be'!! He and Bo play so well together. They are in and out of the doggie door, up and down on Jack's lap, stringing the toys out on the floor, etc., etc., etc. They get along amazingly well, even when they are fed. Bo will let him eat everything out of not only his (Jingles') dish but also his own. I think that Bo is the main one training Jingles. It is so much fun to watch them play and sleep together. If it gets quiet we check to see if Jingles is into something he shouldn't be. Nine times out of ten he is tired and has jumped up on our bed and gone to sleep. Jingles has brought joy into our home after losing Bear. We truly have been blessed. Thank you so much for all you and HAHS do for the wonderful animals we so love."

With Jack and Ercell's guidance (and Bo's too, of course), Jingles is growing into a handsome, well-adjusted young Lab who keeps the entire family entertained with his antics. HAHS thanks them for giving a young homeless puppy such a happy life, and we're especially grateful to hear about his progress in their updates. Jingles truly did help them ring in the new year, and start 2011 with nothing but smiles!

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Paxtyn and Paisley are sisters from a litter of six kittens from the Lee's Summit Animal Shelter. They were separated from their mom when they were only four weeks old and were bottle-fed by their foster mom. Paisley stopped eating and had to be force-fed. It was scary, but she pulled through like a champ. To see her pictures now, you'd never guess there was a time she was so weak she barely had the strength to move. Here's an update from the kittens' furever mom:

I just thought I would say "Hi" and let you know that the girls are doing fantastic. They are having a blast with their BIG sister (a dog). It is totally amazing how they all get along. Now granted there are times when they all nip at each other, but they are just playing around. I am loving every minute with them and they are growing like weeds. We are all having such a great time! They are getting their shots today so I'll be anxious to see how much they weigh right now. They eat like little pigs! They love their home and their mommy. Paisley has the most adorable tiny little meow you have ever heard, and Paxtyn is such a sweetheart, too! All three of my girls sleep with me and I have tons of comfy warm blankets on my bed. Paxtyn sleeps down close to my feet or by my side and Paisley crawls right up and snuggles under my neck ... sometimes she crawls right up on my pillow where my head is and sleeps there!
--Melissa

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Wally, now Neeco, is a 3 yr old Pekinese that was rescued from a MO puppy mill. He spent his whole life in a chicken wire cage that was not big enough for him to stand up in. It seems the only time he was out of the cage was for breeding purposes. Due to his horrific living conditions his legs are deformed causing him to not be able to walk correctly or use steps. In addition it seems he was probably debarked. Given all of those obstacles he is just the happiest little dog I have ever had the pleasure to foster. Here is a note from his adopter.

-- Jacque

Hi.
I adopted a wonderful Pekinese we named Neeco. He was a special needs adoptee. He has been an absolute joy!!!! He is a happy and playful guy. He has amazed me and my daughter in so many ways. He loves all animals and wants to play with everyone. He brings us so many smiles every day!!! He is overcoming his physical problems .He has given us so much joy and love!! He is absolutely AWESOME!! My Daughter who is 17 yrs old now has a roommate and new BFF. She and Neeco go to visit her other friends and everyone falls in Love with Neeco. Adopting a pet was one of the best things we have ever done!

-- Joyce S

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Hi Jenna,
I don’t know if you remember us. We adopted Ava in December (09). We renamed her Roxy because we have a niece that is Ava. I thought you might like to see a few somewhat recent pictures.

We really love her so much. She is so sweet – I don’t think there’s a mean bone in her body. She still likes her belly rubbed and she tries to talk. She does love her food though. Last time she was at the vet (in December), she weighed 13 lbs. We have her on dry food that is “weight control” and she gets a little wet food each day. We say she’s a full-figured girl but a lot of it is fur. Madison (our Calico) only weighs 9 lbs. but she is the boss since she is older. Madison holds her down and cleans her ears sometimes.

We are really happy you chose us. She is so entertaining and a great addition to our family.

Anyway, hope all is going well with you and your family. Have you fostered anymore dogs since Abner?

Best regards,
-- Donna

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My name is Boomer but sometimes my family call me Booms. I've been in my safe home with my family for exactly one year today 12/19/10. We are all getting ready for Chistmas and I think I must have been too nervous last year to have any fun. Now I am ready for Santa and I check every plastic bag that comes into our house to see what is inside.

You would not believe how many toys I have. Grandpa (he's really my dad, but since I have an older person brother, Chris, who lives here, and it is his grandparents, I call them Grandpa and Grandma) brings home toys everytime he shops and he always brings two of them even though my brother Mike is very old so will sniff the toys but then ignores them. (I try to look out for Mike when he is outside and if he stays out by himself too long, I want to go see if he is okay).

Back to the toys, the ones I like the best are the soft rubber squeaky ones shaped like barbells or microphones. I love to sing when I squeak them and I can tell family really enjoys my talented singing voice because they smile a lot when I sing. I now have my own blankets to cover up with at night. Of course, I still sleep in the big bed with Grandpa and Grandma but they check to see if I am cold at night and cover me up if they think I am. I now get to go walking with Grandpa on my leash and have learned to watch for cars and stop so that Grandpa and I are safe.

I have other friends in our neighborhood. The boys (I think they are twin poodle mix) at the back fence are always wanting to visit with me and if they see anyone at our kitchen window will bark for us to come out. I wanted to let everyone at Heart of America and especially Mark and Candy (my foster parents) know how very happy I am. Thank you all for the wonderful job you are doing and for finding my safe forever home.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!
--Boomer

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Hi Julia,
Just wanted to give you an update on Abner. He is doing really well, and is fitting in quite nicely. He now weighs 53 lbs, which the vet said is is ideal weight. When he's not able to go for a walk, his favorite activity is sleeping. His "grandpa" built him a stand for his bed, which is the same height as the window, so he can sleep and look out the window. He loves his pink blanket (we think it's a good thing he's color blind), though it's barely a blanket with all the holes in it. At first he didn't know how to play with toys much, but he seems to be getting the hang of it. He also is starting to "cuddle" more with us.

We are also finding that he has a fascination with all things cardboard - we've come home to find wax paper boxes, cards, cereal boxes, and other items torn to shreds from our recycle box, or from places we thought he couldn't reach.

A while back he got to meet his "aunt" Libby, an 11 year old beagle. You'll see her in some of the pics. I think he wanted to play with her a lot more than she wanted to play with him, but she tolerated him nicely, even if he did take over her bed.

Anyway, hope all is going well with you and your family. Have you fostered anymore dogs since Abner?

Take care,
-- Jeni

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Hi Raschelle,

I just ran across this picture the other day and thought I would send it to you and give you a little update on how she is doing. I think this was taken in July or August, the pink harness doesn't fit her very well anymore since we found out last month that she is now up to 83 pounds. (she is a tad bit chubby, but the weather has gotten much more bearable around here so we are walking her more, it was either sweltering hot or pouring down rain most of August so we didn't get many walks in and she packed on the pounds).

She is fitting in well and was the talk of the campground all summer where she made lots of new friends and we have found that she likes to make her rounds socializing with the neighbors. I think it is her ears, that is what sold me on her, I just love her ears! We have gotten her used to the 'neighborhood' at the campground and she doesn't need to be on a lead strap or cable anymore as long as we are outside with her. She sticks pretty close to where the kids are. She also likes to go outside to tell the kids goodbye in the mornings before I take them to the sitter. We decided a few weeks ago that she is my son AJ's dog. She really keeps an eye on him and if he disappears from her sight she gets a little frantic looking for him. It was actually kind of funny the first time we noticed, she didn't see him go inside the camper and when she noticed he was gone she ran around barking until she found him. I finally gave a few months ago and let her sleep at the end of his bed and just last week had to buy him a new pillow so she could have his old one. Such a spoiled rotten hound!

Thank you so much for taking such good care of her until we could find her!
--Jenny

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My fiancé Mike and I adopted Sugar in October 2008. We had been talking about getting a dog for a couple of months and searched Petfinder regularly to try and find our perfect match. I saw Sugar and immediately emailed Candy to see if we could meet her. We met Sugar and instantly fell in love. Thinking back, it’s hard to believe that we’ve had her over a year now. Sugar fits into our family perfectly, is stubborn just like Mom and Dad, and a wonderful girl. Our friends and family love her as well and are jealous we ended up with such a great dog. It’s difficult to imagine our lives without her. We bring Sugar to PetSmart to visit with Candy and Mark and earlier this year, I decided to start volunteering at adoptions and have taken in a couple of foster dogs. Sugar has fun with them but enjoys having Mom and Dad to herself once they leave. I am thankful for HAHS bringing us Sugar and for what the organization does for other dogs.

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Andrea,
I wanted to send you some photos of Charlie and an update. It's fun to compare these pictures to the ones when he was younger. His eyes are still the same: loving. As you can see from the photos, he's getting really big! He weighs about 30 pounds now. The vet thinks he'll only be around 50-60 pounds, though. He's definitely smaller than my sister-inlaw's lab and the other dogs in his puppy class. He's doing really well in puppy training classes. He knows how to sit, stay, come, down, settle, shake, leave it, and we're working on roll over and loose leash walking. He's still very calm and still wants to sit in our laps. He loves to play outside, he loves to chew on his toys, and he loves his treats! He listens really well too! I'm not sure what Luke and I did to get such a great dog, but we are definitely spoiled. So, thank you! Everyone he meets tells us how lucky we are to have such a great dog and we have you to thank for that.

I hope you enjoy the holiday season!

--Jessica

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Malissa,

We adopted "Winkin" in 2005 and you were his foster mom. We named him Hunter and he is a purrfect cat, even though he is mischievous and constantly trying to get attention!

We have also adopted a second dog and they all play and nap together. If you remember you had posted that Winkin "likes cats and loves dogs." That was what caught my eye and I knew he would be a great addition to our family.

Thank you for taking the time to foster animals!
--Tina

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Mark,

Sorry it's been such a long time but I have some recent photos of Nina (now Lola). Please share with everyone that may have worked with her.

She is simply amazing and I couldn't be happier with her. We have had some fun outings together and she has put on some pounds since her skinny days. Take a look!

Thanks again, Mark, for all your help in the adoption process. I couldn't imagine my life without her.
--Peter

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Corissa is a sweet Lab girl, and a favorite of the shelter staff, but the poor thing had three strikes against her. First, she's a black dog, and black dogs have a much harder time getting adopted for various reasons, whether it's superstition, prejudice, or simply that they don't photograph as well as the lighter-colored dogs. The second strike is that she is an older dog - seven years old, as far as we could tell. The fact that she plays like a puppy doesn't make up for the bit of grey around her muzzle. The third strike against her is that she was in the shelter for nearly six months, being overlooked while younger, lighter dogs got adopted. Right or wrong, when a dog is in the shelter that long, people often make assumptions about why that might still be there, and decide it must be because of some kind of problem with the dog. That wasn't the case with Corissa, but it happens.

Corissa had been making the trip from the shelter to the offsite adoptions for several weeks, which was long enough for the Heart of America Humane Society volunteers to discover her wonderful attributes. She has a beautiful smile, like most Labs. She is very well behaved, and already knew several commands. She is a nice, compact size, at about 35 pounds. But, the most memorable quality about this girl is how much she loves to play fetch. She'd do it non-stop at the adoption events, and never missed catching the tennis ball her handler bounced to her. The joy she felt from playing was unmistakable. It was hard to look at her playing and not share in that joy.

Corissa got her lucky break one Saturday, when she went home with a foster volunteer. For the first time in months, she would sleep in a home with a family. Her foster mom took her out several times a day to play fetch in their big backyard, but always had to quit before Corissa had her fill. In fact, we aren't sure if Corissa EVER got tired of playing ball. She was the perfect houseguest while in foster care. She never went potty in the house, and she played nicely with her canine foster sister and the multitude of kids in the neighborhood.

Even with all of Corissa's wonderful qualities, her foster mom was convinced this was going to be a long-term fostering arrangement. After all, older black dogs are tough to get adopted. But, at her very first adoption event after going into foster care, she was spotted by a family. A large family. A family with seven children. The first thing they noticed about her was how much she loves to play ball. All the kids old enough to do so started playing ball with her. The mother, understandably, was thrilled to hear that Corissa was already so well trained. It was a match made in dog park heaven. She went home with them on what happened to be the first weekend of the kids' spring break, so they all had plenty of time to get to know each other and let Corissa get settled in.

And now, in addition to a warm bed and lots of love, Corissa will ALWAYS have someone who will play ball with her.

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Hi, my name is Boomer and I have been in my new home for two months as of yesterday. It's great. I live with Grandma and Grandpa, my new furry four legged brother Mike and my other two leg brother Chris. Mike is a lot older than I am and usually lets me have my way but we watch out for each other and even share the same dishes sometimes. Mike doesn't have to use a leash in the front yard because he has been here so long, but when Grandpa takes us for our morning walks, we both have to use them. Chris works a lot but always takes the time to play with me when he comes home.

Grandma and Grandpa let me sleep in their bed at night and I am even able to take whatever toy I am playing with along to bed. Talk about toys, I have never seen so many toys and I picked out my favorite right from the first time I saw them and now sometimes use it as a pillow if I am really tired. We have a whole basket full of toys, so sometimes it's hard to decide which one to get out, so I get them all out. Grandma keeps telling me that I have to learn to pick them back up, but she doesn't do anything about it.

I have a backyard to run around in and now can chase the birds in the sky from one side of the yard to the other. I really like playing outside even when there is snow on the ground and sometimes I ignore them when they call me to come in. That's when Grandma calls me Boomer J. (like in jumper because I jump all over the yard). Grandpa just waits until I am ready to come in.

I just wanted to let my friends Mark and Candy know how much I like it here and everyone loves me a lot, just as much as I love them. Thank you for taking such good care of me and thank you HAHS for finding my new home. Just be sure not to tell my Grandma and Grandpa they are spoiling me.
--Boomer

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Hi Judy :)

We've called her Twiglet, and she's doing just fine! She's a total snuggle-bug and, after a few days, she and our existing cat, Rolo, seem to have taken to each other really well.

She's been to our vet. for a health check, and is due to go back in February for her next set of injections.

She particularly loves those crunchy mylar balls and scolds them as she plays with them. Some days she is very clingy and follows me around meowing to be picked up, and cries so pathetically that Rolo comes to find us and gives me an accusing glare for upsetting his little sister.

They are both in a pattern of sleeping in the afternoon and Rolo will often tolerate Twiglet snuggling up to him, mostly because she licks his ears. There has been a little bit of jealousy and some fighting, but nothing to worry us, and mostly they get on really well and play together.

I have attached a couple of photos so you can see for yourself.
Cheers!
--Hannah

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Dear HAHS,
Thank you so much for finding us such a fun home! Our new names are Jake & Elwood and we just love living with the Lyons family. There's a 5 1/2 year old girl who is just so nice to us. She feeds us every day when she gets home from school and is so great with the cuddles. AND they have a Jack Russell Terrier and a big black cat for us to play with. Dottie, the dog, thinks she's a cat and helps us run up and down the stairs and then gives us baths. Shady, the cat, didn't really like us at first and he used to hide anytime we came near him. But now that we've been here for awhile, he at least tolerates us. He won't like that I tell you this, but he lets us curl up next to him when he's sleeping!

The house that we're living in is awesome! There are two sets of stairs and we've definitely been getting a work out running up and down them ... especially really early in the morning. There's also a three story cat condo in the living room. Sometimes we both sleep up there, but soon I bet we'll be too big to both fit. We also got a ton of new cat toys, though sometimes we play with the dog's toys just for fun.

We are so spoiled by these people, it's just great. They let us sleep on their bed even though the pets now out-number the people two to one! We try to behave, but we're kittens and have found just about every place to get into. Jake's favorite was trying to get into the pantry and Elwood likes to get into the dollhouse.

So, thank you to everyone at HAHS. We had a great foster mom who found us the best forever family we could have hoped for.

Happy & Healthy,
--Jake & Elwood Lyons

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Hello Foster mom Jenna.
I just wanted to send a message to tell you about my new home; Courtney said it was OK to use her computer as long as I stop walking on the keys. It is really NEAT here! I have a whole room all to myself with all kinds of neat things, and places to hide and explore! Courtney took lots! of pictures, and I'm sure she will share them with you. I was even being such a good kitty, that they blocked off the whole upstairs, and let me sleep with them! They said you did a good job litter box training me, because I went and used it right away. And I am proud to say, I have not had any misses or made too much of a mess with my litter.... yet.

The Bryan guy is pretty cool too. He stayed up all night playing computer games. He said it was his day off, I don't know what that means, but I like it. I got to sit in his lap while he played, and then he let me sit on his shoulder. I purred and purred and purred. He even threw a ball of paper for me, and I ran after it. It was a really fun game!

Well, Courtney wants to use her computer now, so I should wrap this up. Thanks for giving me a home when I needed one. My new people say that it must have been a great home to make me such a great kitty. Give Courtney a call if you want to come visit me and my new home. Thanks again for taking such good care of me!

Purrrrrrr,
Vega

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At the beginning of this semester, I learned that my beloved horse, which I have had since I was 13 years old, had to be put down. I was far away from home and he passed without me being there or being able to say goodbye. As my sadness over this began to lessen, I more seriously considered my long harbored desire to adopt a dog as a way to give another deserving animal the love, affection, and devoted home that I was once able to give my Kori. As soon as I began searching for animals up for adoption in the area, I stumbled upon a trio of sisters who seemed to fit my desires and steal my heart with their loving and expressive eyes. One of those sisters was Kennedy, who I took home in late September but who has settled in so splendidly that I could swear it has been longer! I was amazed at how involved and invested her foster family was and as I communicated with them about my possible adoption I began falling in love because of the care and affection that had already been put into all the puppies early in life. Kennedy is sweeter, smarter, and more loving than I hoped in my wildest dreams. From falling asleep with her at night, waking up to her loving face in the morning, even the simple act of taking her for walks or watching her at the dog park is practically cathartic and more than I could have asked for. I can't believe how fortunate I am to have her and couldn't be more thankful to Candy and Mark for uniting me with this little angel. I look forward to Kennedy being there as I continue my life as a young adult, start a family, and am so grateful that she will always be there as a loving and unconditionally faithful friend for me.
--Virginia

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Our wonderful foster mom, Candy, requested I write our “success” story. I’m not sure I agree “success” is the correct word – it’s not strong enough for adding the perfect member to your family, but I’ll use it for now as no other words occur to me that adequately describe what my family and I have experienced the past few weeks.

Up until the first part of October, my family included a different four-legged member, an 80 lb golden retriever named Sage. He was extremely aggressive and destructive from the moment we brought him home and seemed to want nothing to do with us. He started developing even more odd behavior traits and was eventually diagnosed with neurological damage as all litter mates also exhibit his same behavior. he had what the vet called a “psychotic episode” and attacked me in our home for no known reason. I amazingly managed to escape with only my shirt torn and a few marks on my arm, but we decided that we had to surrender him to the vet at that time as the risk was finally too great.

We found Georgia after a few days of searching. We had immediately decided we were going to be very, very selective this time in what dog we invited to be a part of our family. I cannot tell you how much my whole family appreciates the idea of fostering. It allowed us to already know her temperament, how she got along with other animals, and especially how she got along with other humans. I emailed Candy our application along with our story (as you can tell by now, I’m kind of wordy, so it was a long email!) since I had to explain about our surrendering our Sage. She immediately emailed and called back saying she believed Georgia was the perfect addition to our family. She went above and beyond to make sure we were the family lucky enough to adopt Georgia, and for that, she will be in our thoughts and prayers for the rest of our lives.

Now, since I’m a proud new mama, I have to brag! Our whole family, extended members included, agrees that Georgia is the absolute perfect addition to our family. She already had Cassie and I wrapped around her little paw before we even met her due to all the wonderful information Candy was able to provide about her, and she won over Daddy immediately, too. Dave, who I have always known as a “I want a big dog” kind of guy but who agreed we needed a smaller dog due to our previous experience, fell totally in love with her immediately.

Our favorite is when Georgia goes “nuts” and starts running around the house and jumping on our bed and tackling whomever is there. Dave is greeted with a smile and laughter by his whole family every night, which is such a change from the anxiety that was there before. The other night, Georgia was running around the house, and Cassie ran to the bed to be tackled. She started laughing so hard, and Dave looked at me and said “I haven’t heard her laugh that hard in the house in years.” We take her any place we can because she is family and should be with us everywhere we go. She agrees. I cannot describe the feeling of peace I now have in my house and also the feeling of joy. It is overwhelming at times to think of the anxiety we had - I didn’t realize it at the time, but Georgia has taken all that away and replaced it with all the love and joy her little heart can hold.

I could go on and on with many more Georgia stories, but I just realized how long this is already! I’m not a good writer, and I apologize for that, but I don’t believe anyone could adequately describe the love, joy, and peace our family and home now have because of Georgia. Please know that I thank everyone that was in any way remotely responsible for bringing Georgia in to our lives. My daughter will now know what it is like to love and enjoy a four-legged family member every day. She is already talking about wanting to be an “animal rescuer” when she grows up. We are eternally grateful and owe everyone so much. We are also making it our mission in life to make sure Georgia is just as grateful every day of her life. I hope we succeed.
--Barb, Dave, Cassie, and Georgia
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Tina,
It was one year ago today that my world changed. As I look out the window with several inches of snow on the ground, I can't help but think that a year ago today it was 70°. I was at home and had been thinking of adopting a cat. I decided it was such a nice day that I would take a drive all the way out to Ward Parkway. As I looked at all the wonderful cats you had that day, there wasn't any that caught my eye. I was about to leave and you asked, "is there someone you want to look at?" Charlie had her back to me the whole time and I had not seen her face. You took Charlie out and that was the end of it for me. Funny, I told myself before I set out, "I am just going to look." Whatever. I was going through a divorce and started crying as I held her. I knew she was the one for me.

One year later, my place is constantly covered in cat hair. I have to put my black pants on last and still lint roll before I get out the door. I now vacuum my place once a week and de-hair my couch every month or before company comes over. But, I come home about 5:15 pm and Charlie is at the door greeting me with a meow. I live on the second floor and she loves to go out on the balcony and watch the world.. When my alarm goes off at 6:00 am, I know that Charlie is at the end of my bed waiting for me to give her morning love. She sleeps at my feet and knows when I am half asleep or ready to get up and then she comes and sits on my chest then rolls over with her feet in the air as I rub her belly watching the morning news. I think she has doubled in size since I got her. I know when I took her to my vet a couple weeks after I got her she weighed 8 lbs and even then I think she gained a couple in those 3 weeks. Now she weighs just over 11 lbs. And she knows how to put all 11 lbs on one leg when she is standing on me.

Her new favorite toy is Smacky, her teddy bear (along with my hair bungees). She now has her own set of bungees which end up under the fridge or stove. Funny, all her toys do. She will throw her toys in the air, across the place, jump all over. It cracks me up. She has another flat mouse named Slappy. It has become a routine now that Slappy ends up under the fridge or stove and I have to fish him out with the hanger. I get on my hands and knees with my face to the floor and my rear in the air and try to fish him out. She then stands in front of me with her head looking under as well like, “oooo, he is there, I can see him, right there.”

In the morning, for some reason when I put my mascara on she starts to just MAWR up a storm. So I turn around and she takes off with me chasing behind. It has become a game and morning routine. Sometimes I get in such a rush that she will lie in the middle of the floor and reach out with her paw at my leg and then the chase is on again. She is such a wonderful and tame cat that I have not had to do much training with her. Whomever had her must have really hated to give her up. I often look at her and think that someone else must miss her dearly. But she has a wonderful home here as well. Thank you so much. I think what you do is a wonderful thing. I often go to the new PetSmart by my place and look at the kitties and hope they all end up in wonderful homes as well and think of you, and everyone else like you, who has the heart to care for them so much until they find their special home.
--Jennifer

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Within Heart of America we celebrate every adoption. There is nothing quite like the feeling you get when your foster dog or cat finds a wonderful forever home. However, it seems that everyone comes together in a special way when your foster is pregnant. The foster experience includes caring for the pregnant mom, whelping the puppies, ensuring that they grow into strong, healthy puppies then placing them in other foster homes prior to adoption. One such foster dog was Hazel, a beautiful lax/mix, who gave birth to 10 beautiful puppies at Patty O’Guin’s house. The following story is a celebration of Hazel and her babies and letters from the adopters of three of her puppies.

Hi Laura.
I just wanted to wish you a Happy Mother’s Day and to let you know how well I am doing in my new home. Boy am I having fun! My new sister, Gracie, took a few days to get use to me but now we play and run and chase and have a great time. She taught me how to play tug of war – boy is that fun!
I am learning to only potty outside. They like when I do that. I get all sorts of hugs and kisses for pottying! I did have one accident but really – it was not my fault. My new mom brought out this big thing that picks up stuff off the floor and it makes a real loud noise and I thought it was going to suck me up! I really do not like loud noises…
I have a new brother and sister who like to take me on walks and play with me. I am so lucky! They do wear me out so sometimes I like to escape to sleep under the sofa. Mom says that will only last a few more weeks cuz I will not fit under there after that. I hope she is wrong cuz I really like it under there. I like to put my belly on the hard wood floor – it feels so good.
I am a good sleeper. Mom puts me in a kennel right by her bed so I can see her and I sleep there until she gets up in the morning. The first few nights I had to wake her up so I could go potty but I can make it all night now. I am so proud of myself. Oh – the really cool thing is – I don’t have to share my food! At first, I gobbled it down as fast as I could but now I know no one else is going to eat it so I like to “dine” and take my time.
I got to go visit the doctor so he could check me out. That was fun! He did have to give me some medicine because I had an infection where I had my surgery but it is all better now. Mom says I get to go again around the 15th to get more shots (OH NO!) and get my stitches out. When I went – my new sister, Gracie, got some shots and she did not cry so hopefully I can be as brave.
Well – since it is Mother’s Day, I wanted to thank you for being a good Mom to me and for finding me my new home. I just love it here! Much love,
--Bentlie (aka – Blondie)

Connie,
Max (we kept his name) is doing GREAT! He hasn't used his crate for a bathroom at all and he has gone outside to potty/poop EVERY time except for a little excitement tinkle. He cries in his kennel when he has to go. When we go out, he goes to the front door and sits while I put the leash on. We are working on sit and he does a good job of not storming the door to get out.
He's really a good little guy. He's found a few places that seem like nice places to chew, but I keep a close eye on him and make sure he has plenty of chew toys. We also discovered the ’Bitter Yuck’ spray—he hates it and never goes back to the places we spay.
Not long before he had his stitches removed he almost took one out himself. His little tooth got stuck in it, so I very carefully got it out of there without tearing it! Whew! Other than that, we haven't had any problems.
At first he was getting up once in the night to potty, cried for a little while and then went right back to sleep. Now he is sleeping through the night!
Overall, I must say we could not have asked for a better puppy, he's going to be such a good dog!
Thanks again so much, we love Max and he’s completely a part of our family!
--Stephanie

Connie,
We renamed Dax to Max. He's doing great. He's getting so big already! He now knows to pee and poop outside and not in his crate anymore. No poops inside yet either!!! He hasn't quite figured out NOT to pee inside, though, but we're still working on it. He's doing better and better every day. His only main issue right now is nipping. He only does it to play, but we're trying a couple techniques consistently now, so it's getting better.
He LOVES being outside, so we take him on walks 3-4 times per day. The first day with the leash was pretty humorous... Max did not like it very much. But since the second day, he walks really well on it; it doesn't seem to bother him at all. He's VERY curious and wants to smell/touch/play with everything he sees outside. We have a couple dogs in the neighborhood, and he does well meeting them. He also loves sticks now. He'll carry them around outside and chew on them quite often.
His green eyes are still green... I hope they stay that way! One of our friends has 2 kids (5 & 7 years), and they say Max has "people eyes." He rides in the car really well, and has figured out the stairs. He still is a little slower coming down, but he does well! We have been so happy with Max in our lives and can't believe how we ever survived without him!! Class and finals have been okay... Having Max actually keeps me from taking naps when I should be studying anyway. And I'm pretty sure I've lost about 3 pounds from all the walks we've been taking!!!!
We're hoping to get him down to the lake as much as possible this summer... I can't wait to see him in the water!!! The move will be next weekend, but luckily, Max is already used to the layout and the area we're in. Hopefully it goes smooth!!!
Thanks so much again. We love Max, and he's completely a part of our family!!!
--Julie

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Dear Billie:
Well, Lucy and I have been together for a month now and I must tell you what a sweet companion she is. I have been feeling so much happiness and contentment and thanks to you. She has brought so much joy back into my life.

I got her one of the passenger seats so she can ride along and look out the window and tell me where to turn or slow down. I am less of the couch potato and we walk a lot during the day. She is becoming quiet at home and even barks less at the golfers as they go by.

She is so smart and sits when I ask her and is now learning to give me her paw. Of course she sleeps with me and has her side of the bed, but most mornings I awake to a sleeping poodle under the covers on her back. What a sight; so completely relaxed. She patiently waits til I dress and out we go. She takes care of business quickly and back home we go for our breakfast and the morning news.

Thank you again and give my thanks to Bobbi at the Overland Park location. You have brought two lonely ladies together (I hope for a long time) Hope to see you and Tim when you make your visit to Branson.

Gratefully,
-- Gloria