Quarantine Adoption Tails
It's been a little over a year since the World Health Organization declared that there was a pandemic due to the novel coronavirus, now referred to as COVID-19. The year has been filled with sadness, uncertainty and turmoil. If there is one good thing coming out of this crisis, it has been the increase of dog adoptions across the country. We love this type of paws-itive news and wanted to celebrate pet owners who provided a "fur-ever" home for a dog in need during the pandemic. Last month, we asked our fans to submit their quarantine adoption stories for a chance to win a $100 gift card and a prize pack. The winning submission comes from Kim A., who adopted 10-year-old "Stacy" in July 2020. Read their heartwarming story below! And if you're in need of more paws-tivity, be sure to check out some of the heartfelt "happy tail" submissions below!
Are you looking to adopt a "fur-ever" friend? Visit our Virtual Doggie Adoption page for a list of dogs in need of a home today!
*WINNER: Stacy (Owner Kim A. from Worcester, MA)
"I adopted 10-year-old Black Lab Stacy in July 2020. I first saw her posted as the "Dog of the Month" on our local shelter's Facebook page and was instantly struck by how much she looked like my Black Lab, Remy, who passed away in February, 2019. I wasn't ready to adopt, as I was still grieving. Remy was one of those dogs that comes along once in a lifetime if you're really lucky. But Stacy had knee surgery just after arriving at the shelter and needed a foster who was experienced in that type of surgery/rehabilitation. Remy had the same surgery twice, so we were a good fit for each other. I emailed about fostering and picked Stacy up a few days later. She was home for about 10 minutes before we all knew that this would be her forever home. She has been a perfect addition to our family! Her rehab went great, she's really active and loves hiking and swimming. She keeps me company all day now that I work from home, and she showed me that it was OK, and maybe even necessary, to love a dog again."
Wanda the Labraweenie (Owner Christy R.)
"Wanda joined our family March 4th, 2021. We had lost our dachshund on valentine's day. He was our daughter's companion k9 and her partner in crime. Originally we discussed getting an older dog or maybe even a Westie. We had been on all sorts of rescue pages but could not find a dog we could all agree on. It was not till March 3rd we saw a pic of this adorable puppy. We knew she was meant for us, as she was a combo of our 2 favorite k9s. On the 4th I was in the hospital awaiting surgery. We had reached out to the rescue awaiting a meet and greet. 5 min before they took me back the rescue facility said they would hold her to set up time with us same day. So I made a very quick call to my dad and begged him to take our daughter to meet this pup. I knew this little girl was meant to belong in our family. Needless to say it was love at first site and we welcomed Wanda into our home."
Guinness (Owner Casey H.)
"Guinness has been our shining light during quarantine. He was adopted on April 14, 2020 at about 4 months old. He was brought to Pennsylvania from Georgia. Since joining our home, Guinness has brought so much laughter, outdoor adventures, and silliness to our lives. Guinness loves to lay in the sun and play in the snow. He is an excellent WFH assistant and loves being around his family!"
Riley (Owner Kelsey S.)
"Riley is the sweetest pup we could have ever imagined. We bought our house right before the quarantine began and knew we wanted to add a pup to our family. While doing some searching we came across the cutest face but saw she was down in Arkansas, and we live in Massachusetts. I traded out to the shelter and heard Riley’s story. She has been left in a ditch on the side of the road with her 3 siblings. After working with the shelter we were able to coordinate a transport to bring her up to us. All she siblings were able adopted in the New England area as well! Life before her seems imaginable. She is sooo sweet, loving and cuddly and had such a funny personality! She loves her #lifeofftheleash"
Marty Byrde (Owner Jenny F.)
"Marty was our 14th foster puppy! He was not supposed to stay but he laid the love on thick and we just couldn't resist him and his big paws. When he arrived he immediately bonded with our son Jack and my husband Nate. He loves children, other dogs and spending as much time as possible outdoors. He has grown into a large boy with his face grazing the kitchen table and countertops with no effort. His spirit keeps us all going during this pandemic. All he wants to do is play and meet new people. Marty chews everything in site and has no remorse or reaction to our disappointment, which makes us love him even more. He has brought us so much joy and we can't imagine our lives without him!"
Nick (Owner Susan Q.)
"My lab Murphy died unexpectedly Nov 2019. I was devastated. I wasn’t looking for another dog. I came across Nick’s photo on a South Carolina shelter page. I couldn’t stop looking at him. He was picked up in a parking lot where he was tossed . When he was brought into the shelter he was bleeding and shaking. He was dirty. He was guessed to be about ten. He was heartworm positive. The shelter was looking for a foster where he could remain while getting treatment. I mentioned him in a comment. I said he was beautiful and I wished I could take him. They asked me to message them. After more conversations , I filled out the paperwork to adopt. They checked with my vet and I was approved. We were trying to arrange for transport. Then the world shut down. There was no available transport. Certain states were shut down entirely. He had to wait it out. Then I got a call from the shelter. Two volunteer pilots offered to each fly him in. He was literally tossed away like garbage but flown into his new life like a boss. Life with Nick has been an adventure. He is not 10 as first thought, he is about 5. He has many fears ( cars was a big one but who could blame him) He is leash reactive and has some separation issues. He is bonded with my 15 year old Boston Terrier mix. He is getting an extensive dental surgery next month because quite a few if his teeth, including canines were broken in half. But in a time where the world as we knew it came to an abrupt halt, life for my Nick just started. I adore my big goofy boy."
Odin (Owner Amy W.)
"A friend of mine had posted a photo on Facebook of a pair of puppies who were up for adoption, and I had my eyes peeled for a new pup for my parents. One of the pups looked like a Rottweiler (although he is a mixed breed), and the other, a small yellow Lab. My parents had been looking for a pup that looked similar to a Rottweiler, and this pup fit their vision! I inquired to find out that the puppies were brothers, their mom was rescued from a hoarding situation while she was pregnant and she gave birth to the puppies at the Stray Rescue of St. Louis, and they were both available for adoption, but they were all the way in St. Louis, Missouri (and we are in Somerset, MA). I wanted so badly to help my parents adopt a pup, and by looks alone they were in love, and I couldn't stand to split the two brothers so I adopted the yellow lab mix brother, to complete my 3-pack of Labs! (we have a black lab and a chocolate lab as well) ! My husband and I flew to Chicago, and then drove 4.5 hours to St. Louis so we could adopt both the puppies and drove them 18 hours home. It took us 3 days and 2 overnight stays to get them home and it was one of our best adventures yet! We absolutely adore him and we're so excited to have welcomed him to our family!"
Lola (Owner Chelsie J.)
"My fiancé and I had been searching all throughout quarantine for our fur baby and finally found her! We adopted Lola from Tess K9 Rescue, she came to us right from Texas! Her travel here wasn’t easy she was in a van with about 50 other pups and kittens. They had a few delays along the way so we didn’t get her home until 2:30 am on March 8th! She settled right in and picked out her favorite Red Sox blanket right away! We were instantly in love with her and ready to spoil her with all the toys and treats a puppy could only dream of! She is our first puppy so we have a lot to learn but so far Lola is making it very easy! Lola is 3 months old and just about 15 pounds, her vet thinks she’ll grow to be about 60! At the rate she has been earning her treats I don’t think she’ll be tiny for long! Thanks to quarantine we got to watch her learn to use her little bark, go up and down the stairs, sit on command, and go to the door when she needs to go out! She’s a quick learner and we are very proud fur parents! We were able to connect with her brother and sisters new fur parents so we can watch them all grow and maybe even plan a family reunion play date someday! Lola has had us both home 24/7 due to quarantine and although we want her to learn how to separate from us we are all loving every second together! She is comfortable in her new house, her favorite spots are the sunny back deck, snuggling with mom on the couch, or cuddling up right on top of dad’s head! She loves going shopping at Petco and her vet had so much fun playing with her at her first appointment. (I almost cried when they took her in without us due to covid restrictions.) As much as we want her to stay a playful little puppy forever we can’t wait to see her grow!"
Teddi (Owner Caitlin B.)
Jonas (Owner Mary M.)
"My family can’t believe it’s nearly one year since we adopted our perfect rescue Jonas. In March 2020, the absence of babysitting my sisters dog, Scarlett, was hard. While my parents and I couldn’t see her while isolating our lives felt pretty empty without our first rescue’s presence. My sister works for New England Lab Rescue and of course, kept sending us pictures and there was this one particular “lab” who kept catching our attention. Joe Jackson was from South Carolina and he had no pending adopters. I said to my mother, “I mean... we could name him Joe Jonas instead.” And the rest was history. Papers were being signed. The description said he had a rough experience in shelters, a bit of trauma from a potential abuse situation as he was afraid of men, and also struggled to walk in the attention of humans. We would later find out the rescue said “he was the hardest one to watch. He wouldn’t stop crawling around us. He was so afraid.” When his foster brought him over to our backyard (at a safe six feet), it was love at first sight. He was shy, yes, but he was gentle. He was about the same size as Scarlett and they got along well enough. He was so timid when the foster left we had to carry him into the house, but very quickly he was snuggling up to everyone (even my dad!). Fast forward to one year, he’s come a long way from being a timid dog crawling on the floor of a shelter. Jonas is thriving. He is quite larger than we expected and we’re not sure he’s done growing, but that’s better than okay! All the more to love. He is our big smush and gallops like a horse. Jonas saved us just as much as we saved him. We needed him during this time. We say every day, “What would we have done without you, Jonas?”