​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. 
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Thanks Midland Humane Coalition and PetSmart for my Happily Furr-Ever After story.
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