Paw Prints
A blog by the friendly folks at Midland Humane Coalition
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A blog by the friendly folks at Midland Humane Coalition
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The story below was shared by Margaret Leavitt, Jax's former foster mom and new forever family In January, we had to say goodbye to our beloved Weimaraner, Sam. Our family was crushed, but we were worried about our Pit Bull, Harley. Sam had taught Harley to be a great dog, and we could see that she was lost without him. It was too early for us, but we knew Harley needed a friend. We also needed a new dog to help us heal from Sam's death. We reached out to Cheryl at Midland Humane Coalition for a dog that may fit our needs. She was surprised that we were searching for a dog, because we mainly rescue cats. We weren't particular of breed, or age, but we needed a cat friendly dog. She thoughtfully considered Jax, but asked if we'd like to foster him as he was being vetted. We had only fostered rescue kittens, but we figured we'd give it a try. When we picked him up, he was by himself in the play area at Petsmart. When we saw Jax, he stopped, stared at us, and then started to jump around. It was like he knew we were there for him. Harley made friends with Jax quickly, so after only about 3 weeks, we adopted him. Although our foster period was short, it gave us time to find out if Jax was the right dog for our family. I would recommend fostering to anyone who is considering adoption. Our home is complete once again now that Jax is in it. He adds so much to our lives, but mostly unconditional love. THANK YOU, Margaret, for welcoming Jax to your home - temporarily and then permanently! Want to foster cats & dogs and help us save lives? You provide a temporary home, we provide everything else! Learn about MHC's PET FOSTER CARE PROGRAM.
The story below was shared by Cheryl Ives, MHC Adoption Center Staff member, Tiny Tim's former Foster Mom and new Forever Family Tiny Tim has made a perfect addition to our family and pack of “littles”. As a rescuer, I am drawn to the underdog and that is why I was drawn to Tim with his bad knees and his constant pain. However, the timing wasn’t exactly the best to take on another dog. You see, I wasn’t in my own home and we had just lost our big dog, Trixie, who died of old age during the days of COVID. I initially fought bringing him home because of this. It was actually my husband who kept asking about Tiny Tim and saying "just bring him home". Timmy was very stressed in the kennel environment and he was biting some of the staff members. It really did take him a good three months to feel totally safe in our home. He’s really settled in now and even plays with the other dogs. Tim is a really fun, playful dog and we really enjoy his little antics. He loves to chase a ball and now he uses his legs more and doesn’t have to be carried out for breaks. He really has brought joy to us in these trying times. I would encourage anyone to take home a special needs animal as it can be very fulfilling. It certainly has been for us!
How did you pick Tiny Tim? And what made you decide to adopt him? Sometimes they just pick you!! We did not intend to keep Tiny Tim, but after no one stepped up that really would care for him the way we knew we could, we decided to put a deadline of December 24 on him and my husband and I agreed that he would have a forever family with us if no one adopted him. Why December 24? I planned to adopt Tiny Tim on Christmas Eve this year because that was his drop off date in 2019 and we had not found anyone that was a good fit for him that is really committed to his care. What advice/tips would you give people who are thinking about adopting a special needs dog or cat? Really, I would just say not to shy away from the special needs animals. They can adapt and compensate for any deficits. I used to have a blind cat and she made a wonderful pet. Her sense of smell was so keen and you wouldn’t really know she was blind. All they really need is a routine and a lot of love. Here's a glimpse of Tiny Tim's life in his new home
The story below was written by Jonna Smoot, MHC Board Member, Presto's former Foster Mom and new Forever Family Falling in love with Presto didn't take very long. In fact, it was almost love at first sight, except Presto wouldn't come to me so that I could actually see him. Instead, he ran and hid under his bed at the Adoption Center, curled up in the tightest ball in the furthest corner. At that point, having come from another rescue to MHC, Presto had spent just under 6 years being a "homeless" rescue dog and he was just under 6 years old. I didn't think I had it in me to have a dog who had spent so long not knowing the comforts of a home and not having a "person" to love him. So, I fostered Presto in mid-August 2020, thinking I'd help prep him for his furrever home. From the minute I got him home, Presto was truly the sweetest dog ever. I even kept a journal of all of his comings, goings and doings for the person who would eventually end up with him. Presto had some issues with eating (wouldn't), being in the house (wouldn't) and greeting guests (couldn't). Over the next several months, I worked with MHC on tips to best acclimate Presto and how to let him properly decompress. Each time, they were so helpful and welcoming with information. When it became apparent that Presto had severe trust issues with guests in my home, I turned again to MHC and they assisted me with getting Presto the paws-itive reinforcement training that he so desperately needed to be able to live a calm and happy life. I was still fostering Presto at that time and didn't want to not be able to assist him on his journey of getting to his "person" at his furrever home, wherever that might have been.
Thanks Midland Humane Coalition and PetSmart for my Happily Furr-Ever After story. |
WelcomeHello! Welcome to our blog, pet lovers! We hope to share some helpful information regarding pet care, health and wellness here. Stay tuned for updates! Archives
March 2021
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LocationEnhanced Adoption Center
4206 West Loop 250 N Midland, TX 79707 Mailing Address PO BOX 53213 Midland, TX 79710 HOURS: M - S: 12pm - 6pm SUN: 12pm - 5pm Adoption Center: 432-557-3405 |