success stories

Daisy aka Twinkle

Twinkle was brought to the Humane Society as a result of a cruelty seizure regarding unsanitary living conditions and inadequate food, water and shelter. She had a variety of health issues including thinning hair, irritated skin, mange, hookworm, roundworm, fleas, and not to mention she was underweight. When Twinkle was first brought to the shelter, she was absolutely terrified. She refused to walk anywhere; so in order to get her from place to place, she had to be carried.

After being at the Humane Society for some time, Twinkle slowly but surely gained her confidence back and her health conditions improved greatly. Her improvements are obvious by comparing her before and after photos shown above! Almost immediately after she was made available for adoption, a nice couple came in and fell in love with Twinkle right away. She was adopted out and renamed Daisy. With her new name came a new life and loving owners. This young pup finally got the happy ending she deserved!

Mickey the Beagle

It was a cool November day when a middle aged man and his dog came into the shelter. The dog at his side struggled with every step and had trouble breathing. She was clearly very overweight for her size and breed. During intake process, the owner told us that he was not home very often and would constantly leave food out for the dog as a guilt-ridden substitute for not having enough time to spend with her. A 10 year old beagle, weighing 65 pounds, who can barely walk and has rotten teeth: often that sort of dog comes into the shelter with the owner requesting euthanasia. But this beagle had a spark in her eye and a quality that did not go unnoticed by the shelter managers. After a while, everyone on the staff got to know little Mickey and was very anxious to help her lose weight.

It was a challenge, as Mickey could only go for short walks before she started to get weak and tired. A staff member got her a high quality, low calorie food, put her on a daily exercise regimen, and weighed her every day to see her progress. She went to the vet for a dental and had to have 7 teeth pulled. Slowly, Miss Mickey was starting to feel like a regular dog.

Shortly after her dental surgery, Mickey needed to have an additional surgery to have three large (3 inches across) kidney stones removed. These stones had been forming for years and came about as a result of recurring, untreated urinary tract infections, most likely due to her being so severely overweight. Mickey had some recovering to do, but staff was willing to do anything to help her out. With continued exercise and restricted diet, Mickey made incredible strides and ended up losing over 20 pounds. Her eyes were bright, her smile healthy, she had a spring in her step and a spunky attitude in her beagle bay.

On a cold, bright day in April, a sweet young woman came into the shelter looking for a friend for her 11 year old Bassett Hound. She saw the same spark in Mickey's eyes that we all did, and decided to take her home. Keeping her on a special diet, taking her for a monthly urinalysis, and keeping her active came easily to this woman if it meant having that special beagle in her life. Mickey stops into the shelter from time to time to visit and is welcomed like royalty: we're always so happy to see those sparkling eyes and hear that raspy bark! As of their last return visit to the shelter, Mickey's new owner has informed us that Mickey is now at the fantastic new weight of 40 pounds!

Clarice

Clarice came to us as an owner sign-over with another cat named Hannibal. Hannibal was adopted shortly after the two cats were brought into the Humane Society, but not Clarice. Our dear Clarice made herself at home in the Humane Society for quite some time....over TWO years! She had free roam of the lobby area, business office, and cruelty office areas. She found plenty of places to snuggle up....including on top of computers as you can see in the pictures! One day, two years and one month after Clarice came to us, she finally found a home. Her new owner saw the same charming personality that we all saw and wanted to give her a new life. A happy ending indeed!

Nino

Nino was another cruelty investigation animal. He was originally living with another dog in a small, unsanitary fenced-in yard. Once our Cruelty Officers began questioning the owners, they soon packed up everything, took one dog and left. Poor Nino was abandoned in this small area, attached to only a 4 foot long tie-out, with no food or water.

Nino was extremely underweight and had nobody to help him until our Cruelty Officers rescued him and brought him to the Humane Society. He came into the shelter with severe pressure sores, fleas, and weighing only about 39 pounds. With the loving care of our staff members, Nino easily picked up weight and turned into a beautiful boy! He was soon adopted, renamed Toby, and now has his second chance. Nino's new owner has given him a wonderful life and spoils him rotten!

Bonnie & Clyde

Bonnie and Clyde are two beautiful cats that were abandoned together. A fisherman called the police one day when he was down by 4-Mile Creek in Wesleyville when he saw two carriers with cats inside them. The carriers were sitting on a rock by the creek on a hot 83 degree day in May. The hot sun was shining down on these cages and the cats had nowhere to go. The police then contacted our Cruelty Investigation Officers, and we soon brought them into our shelter.

The cats were perfectly healthy, spayed & neutered, and also declawed. Lucky for them the fisherman did the right thing and tried to get help for these poor little kitties. The cats were never claimed, and were soon made available for adoption. Clyde was adopted soon after he was made available, and a couple months later Bonnie was adopted as well. In the photos above, Bonnie is on the left, Clyde to the far right. The photo in the middle shows their carriers that the two cats were abandoned in.

Holli aka Lady Davenport

Lady Davenport was brought into the Humane Society back in October, 2008. She was underweight, covered in matts, infested with fleas and parasites. She was originally involved in a cruelty investigation, and was found tied out to a back porch with a 4 foot long electrical cord with no food, water or shelter. She was at the shelter for just about one month until a couple came in and saw this beautiful little girl. She was soon renamed Holli and has been given plenty of love and affection in her new home!

Holli's new owners have given us many updates and reported that she has grown 4 inches and gained 15 pounds since they have adopted her! She is learning to walk very well on her leash and is quite the lap dog! Holli loves to play as much as she can and is very happy in her new home!

Chalupa

Chalupa is one little dog that went through quite a traumatic experience. Just looking at the photos (which are only THREE weeks apart) you can see the amazing transformation she went through. Our Cruelty Officers received a call about a dog who had a bad burn to her neck, side, head and back. When they went to investigate, they saw this poor dog with bloody third degree burns all over her body. When our officers questioned the owners, they learned that stove grease accidentally fell on Chalupa. Unfortunately, we were not aware of the incident until ten days afterwards when our officers received a tip.

The owners agreed to sign over the dog, and our Cruelty Officers immediately took her to a vet the same day. With the help of our staff and special veterinary care, Chalupa's health improved dramatically in just three weeks, as depicted in the photo to the right! Chalupa got her second chance at a great life and was adopted shortly thereafter. Today her wounds are healed and she has a loving family to give her the attention she deserves.

Pee Wee

Pee Wee is a sweet little Chihuahua who had a rough start to her life. Our Cruelty Investigation Officers were called to this house for sanitation issues, and complaints that some animals were being kept in bad condition. They made various visits to try and work with the original owner, but conditions never improved. Pee Wee was living with one other dog and 5 cats. The other dog was an injured pit bull who had reportedly been hit by a car and never saw veterinary care. The house was covered in feces, urine and garbage. Pee Wee had a terrible infestation of fleas, thinning hair, red and irritated skin. Her toenails were so long that they curled and embedded into the pads of her paws. Imagine trying to walk with toenails so long that they curl into your feet! In January of 2009, our officers returned to the house to find it unheated; they seized the animals, and brought them back to the shelter.

Fortunately Pee Wee was a tough little girl and made it through this terrible ordeal. When she came into the Humane Society, she immediately received the medical attention that she so desperately needed. She was treated for every problem, and even had to have some teeth removed. A concerned adopter took immediate interest in Pee Wee and gave her the best life she deserved. Little Pee Wee just stopped in for a visit to the shelter recently freshly groomed and wearing her cute new outfit. She is spoiled rotten and loving every minute of it!