Paw Prints
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A blog by the friendly folks at Midland Humane Coalition
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Thanks to Victoria "Tori" Williams, Lead Kennel Tech at the Midland Humane Coalition Adoption Center, for sharing Sparky's adoption story with us! Thanks for giving this boy a home. "I'm not going to want another dog" I told my significant other whenever I applied for this job over a year ago. I did a good job at it to until this little guy came in..he was not a happy camper and he let everybody know. I just loved his spark from the beginning. We foster already so whenever I noticed he was having a hard time adjusting at our facility I started bringing him home for breaks. He would get so happy anytime we would get close to home. He memorized our road quickly and would stand up and look out the window, wagging his tail and spinning around in circles, begging to get out of the car and go inside already. Once inside he would transform into a different dog. So happy and playful and would eat and drink so much as he was finally stress free after a very long day of giving the staff a hard time with his chiuhuaha attitude :) While at home, me and Sparky had a lot of fun running around the yard and then relaxing in bed. His favorite thing is to get the zoomies in bed and then run around at the speed of light!! He slams on the brakes and puts his butt up in the air and demands me to pat it. It gets him going allllll over again. I didn't know how much I needed Sparky until he was set to be neutered and I couldn't bring him home anymore as he needed to heal at our center. I kept randomly getting sad because I just missed my buddy being at home with me and making me laugh. Soon after, I was going out of town to see family and asked if I could just take him with me to give him another break since he was healed up at that point(mainly because I missed him). That trip was when I knew he was going to stay and the rest is history. He did so great and was so happy just to be there with me and my family. Sparky now hogs the bed and keeps our elder chi "Shoog" good company - as well as keeping our huskies on their toes by initiating pack howls during the day. He loves sitting out on the rocking chair with me while we watch the goats and chickens. He has been such a great addition to our family and I'm forever grateful that he landed at our facility (the MHC Adoption Center) because I had the fantastic opportunity of meeting my next best friend.
Sweet Molly is an 8 year old Chihuahua with perky ears, bright eyes and an exuberant spirit! These days, Molly has been feeling down in the dumps. An old ACL injury* has been giving her a lot of pain in her right hind leg, which has decreased her ability to move around and be her happy little self. *WHAT IS AN ACL INJURY? A torn ACL in dogs is actually a torn CCL, or cranial cruciate ligament. Although this ligament performs a similar function to the ACL in humans, a dog’s anatomy is different. The CCL connects the back of the femur to the front of the tibia and stabilizes the knee joint. Rupture of the cranial cruciate ligament is a serious condition that could permanently hinder a dog’s mobility. If your dog develops a sudden lameness in a hind leg, it could be a torn knee ligament. This is a very common injury in dogs. Some other symptoms include sitting abnormally, swelling of the knee, and stiffness or clicking sounds while walking. See your vet if you notice any of these symptoms.
At MHC, we make it a point to get to know our rescued pets so that we can determine what the best path is for them and set up our adoptions for success! Take Quincy & Polk -- these two kittens seemed to lean on each other for support more so than the rest of their group. It became clear to us that they would do best and thrive in a home together. And so, even as the other kittens in the group got adopted one by one, we held out and waited to find for the purr-fect home that will take this dynamic duo in! This is QUINCY & POLK'S story and how these perfectly bonded best friends got to stay together in a forever home. This account was shared by Quincy & Polk's adopter, Shafiyah Giddins. Thank you, Shafiyah, for sharing and for adopting Quincy & Polk (now known as Opal & Marcy)! Hello, my name is Shafiyah and my partner Mykelti and I decided almost a year ago we wanted a cat. About 6 to 7 months after making that decision, we started actively looking. That is when we stumbled upon Polk and Quincy at the Midland Humane Coalition Adoption Center. We originally only wanted one cat because we already had three dogs at the time and did not want to bite off more than we could chew. While looking at one of the two kittens, Polk and Quincy, we soon learned how bonded they were. With that information provided to us by the Adoption Center, we could not with a sound mind separate the two. So, we decided to adopt both of them! The day we got the both of them it was so nerve-wracking because we didn’t fully know what to do with one cat, let alone two. We were definitely in for a bumpy ride, but one that has brought us so much joy and we would not trade it for anything in this world. Once home, we had to slowly introduce them to our three dogs. It was so emotionally tiring but I knew that everything would work out in our favor if we just stayed patient and consistent. My favorite thing about Quincy and Polk (who are now named Opal and Marcy) is how outgoing they can be. They aren’t really afraid of anything and I love seeing them grow. I also love seeing them play chase with our dogs -- and believe it or not they are the ones who do the chasing! So needless to say, they get along perfectly fine with their puppy brothers. They are always demanding kisses from them and cuddles as well, it really is a sight to see. There you have it, folks. Another happy cat tale! :) WATCH THE VIDEO OF THE LUCKY CHRISTMAS KITTENS! From their time at MHC to their forever home...check out these sweet photos!
It was a seemingly normal day at the park. A couple of concerned citizens, Liz Haigler (who also happens to be one of our pet foster) and Blair Sullivan, were out for a leisurely walk with the dogs when they witnessed a man releasing something from two carriers out into the park. They initially thought he was releasing squirrels. However, when the Schnauzers kept pulling them toward the area, they discovered that the man had actually dumped a momma and her 6 kittens! The dogs had sent a few of the kittens and mom up a tree. Sullivan jumped into action and retrieved them before anyone got hurt. They scooped all the kittens up, put them in a box and called MHC. While we cannot do this for ALL cats and kittens, we told them to bring up the kittens so we can assess the situation and figure out how we can help. Thankfully, we found some space for them. We set up Momma Cat and babies (6-7 weeks old) in sets of three into clean kennels and got everyone settled in and fed. They seemed healthy but a little shell shocked from the “dump”. But all was looking well for the bunch! We’ve named the kittens after poets. The two smaller females are Emily (Dickinson) and Elizabeth (Browning). The boys are Shakespeare, Hemingway, Whitman, and Kipling. Momma Cat is Maya (Angelou). THE SAGA CONTINUES....
Maya would have gone septic and died without a surgery to take the dead kittens out safely. Needless to say, we got her scheduled in for surgery immediately. We picked Maya up from the hospital yesterday and she is currently doing well. We will give her some time to rest and recover and then get her vaccinated. At some point, in the near future, this brave Momma Cat will be ready to go up for adoption! If Maya hadn't been rescued, she would have suffered and died out in that park. And so would her kittens. Thanks, Liz Haigler & Blair Sullivan, for rescuing these cats and giving them a chance to survive! Thanks to all fosters who have stepped up to take some of the kittens. If you want to become a Pet Foster and help some kittens out: www.midlandhumane.org/foster
We immediately took Lewis to see the vet and had him tested and vaccinated with his first set of shots. Afterward, we sent him home went with our wonderful, tried and tested fosters, Maddy Perrault and Brian, a couple that has fostered kittens for MHC the last few seasons. Maddy gave him the name Lewis. They kept Lewis safe in their home and made sure he grew up to be a happy and healthy young cat. Being in their home, Lewis was exposed to other cats, which helped to get him properly socialized and ready for adoption. When his neuter appointment came, his wonderful foster parents took him to the vet and right back home so that he can rest and heal from the surgery. Lewis was a guest in their home for about a month. After the foster period, he was 100% ready for adoption. He was promptly transferred to a kennel in the Adoption Center inside PetSmart in Midland so that he could find his forever home. Lucky for him, Lewis was only up for adoption for ONE HOUR. With his striking looks, and talkative personality - he didn't have to stay in a kennel for very long. A family walked in looking to add another cat to their family. They already had a cat named Bruce, also from MHC, so we knew that Lewis was going home to another household that is filled with love for cats. As for Lewis' former fosters, they have already taken two more foster kittens into their home because they were anxious to help again. Fostering saves lives. Pet Fosters like Maddy & Brian, allow us to save more young pets like Lewis. Thank you so much for your lifesaving work! Sign up to become a Cat Foster -- we especially need more fosters during Kitten Season. Learn more about what it takes to be a foster: www.midlandhumane.org/Foster An understated benefit of fostering is that you get to spend time with the pet in your care and get to know them very well! It's truly a win-win situation! The gorgeous photos of Lewis below were from his foster, Maddy. They also sent in their notes about Lewis during his stay:
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