Orphans of the Storm® Dogs Who Found Their Forever Homes, Part XXIII

Here is another success story to put a smile on your face today! Dog walker volunteer Christy adopted her two dogs, Westley (tricolor) and Preston (brown-and-white), from Orphans of the Storm®. Here are their stories.

We adopted Westley (formerly Toby) in October 2017, when he was about 2 years old. We had walked a few other dogs when we saw him, and there something about his eyes that we connected with.

He had some separation anxiety when we first brought him home (which usually involved him gathering things we had recently touched, like our shoes, into a pile) but he was basically potty trained and seemed to have had some training in his previous home as he picked up commands really quickly. He also got along well with our two senior cats right away.

He didn’t seem sure about toys when he first got home, but after a few weeks we found a toy he loved (his Kong Wubba). Over time he has amassed a large collection of squeaky toys that for the most part he is gentle with. After a few months, the separation anxiety went away (he figured out that we would always come home) and we couldn’t imagine our life without him.

Last year we started thinking about getting a second dog so that Westley could have a playmate. We tried a couple of dog meets but the look with Westley’s eyes told us we hadn’t found the right dog. Then last September, we came in and saw Preston. Just like with Westley, there was something in Preston’s eyes that said we should take him for a walk. He was a bigger dog than we were looking for but he was such a gentle soul. He walked well on a leash and he knew some basic commands. He also gave amazing hugs. We came back later with Westley and it was clear that Preston was meant to be his brother.

Westley and Preston at their first meeting at the shelter

When Preston came home, he and Westley quickly became inseparable. They walk really well together on the leash and really enjoy their neighborhood walks each day. It took several attempts, but Westley did teach his brother to “play” with him in the backyard. Each morning after breakfast they run in the backyard to chase squirrels up a tree and then play for a few minutes (sometimes it’s zooming around the yard together, other times it’s playing together with squeaky toys–Preston can actually throw the toy and then chase it all over the yard). Preston was also about 2 years old when we got him. They are both totally bonded to us and to each other and we can’t imagine our lives without them.

P.S. We did DNA tests on both of them. Westley is an Australian Cattle Dog mix (50% Cattle Dog) and Preston is more of a mutt (25% Australian Cattle Dog, 25% Boxer, 25% Staffordshire Terrier, 12.5% Chow Chow, and 12.5% other).

Thank you, Christy, for sharing your adoption story and these adorable pictures and videos! And for being a dedicated volunteer!

If you would like to have your own Orphans of the Storm® adoption success story featured on the blog, please email meetthepooches@gmail.com.

Orphans of the Storm® Dogs Who Found Their Forever Homes, Part XXII

With Orphans of the Storm® closed to the public (including volunteers), there won’t be posts about new dogs for the foreseeable future. In the meantime, I’d like to help spread positivity by sharing more success stories! If you’ve adopted a dog or cat from Orphans of the Storm® and would like to be featured on the blog, please email meetthepooches@gmail.com. These happy tales put a smile on everyone’s faces!

If you’ve been following the blog for a while, you might remember Courage. After waiting three years at Orphans of the Storm®, she finally found her forever home with volunteers Ron and Lucy. Here is their success story!

We adopted Courage, our Black and Tan Coonhound, in September of 2017. My wife Lucy and I are volunteer dog walkers at Orphans of the Storm®, so we were familiar with Courage as we both had walked her several times. When we were ready to adopt a dog, we had a couple of other dogs that we were interested in and Courage was not one we had considered. One weekend we came and walked a couple of dogs on the wonderful wooded trail at Orphans but did not feel a “connection” with those dogs. We were looking for a bigger dog that was an affectionate “people dog.”

We were feeling frustrated when Lucy said, “How about Courage?” Lucy had recently participated in an off-site adoption event at Chalet Nursery, and Courage was one of the dogs chosen to be there. After spending several hours with her at the event, Lucy saw just how sweet (and quirky) this pooch was. So we took Courage for a walk and when we stopped to sit down on one of the trail benches, Courage jumped up and licked my face and demanded a belly rub! Lucy and I looked at each other. We both knew Courage was the one!

Courage has made a phenomenal transition from shelter dog to family pet. She is housebroken and only had a couple of accidents when we first brought her home. Now Courage goes to the back door when she needs to relieve herself in the yard, then she barks when she wants to come back into the house. She enjoys a long walk every day as well. We thought that because she was a Hound she would bark a lot, but she does not. She follows us all over the house and tries to be a 65+-pound lapdog. Her morning routine includes laying on the floor waiting for us to rub her tummy. Courage loves to play hide-and-seek with treats hidden all over the house.

She is definitely a member of our family and we can’t imagine life without her. It is hard to believe that Courage had been at the shelter for over 3 years. She is so sweet, and we would recommend to potential adopters that Hounds do make excellent house dogs. She makes us laugh every day. Adopting Courage has enriched our lives beyond what we could ever hope for.

Thank you, Ron and Lucy, for adopting Courage and sharing your story! And for being dedicated volunteers!