Tuesday, August 5, 2014

Why I Volunteer, Reason 432: (Mostly) Wordless Wednesdays

To see the amazing transformations!
 
Like Maddie, this sweet little Maltese that was rescued from a bad breeding situation.  My husband was in LOVE with Maddie, and when she was adopted, we prayed it was to a wonderful home.  I had the amazing luck to see Maddie again last week, and her new forever home is phenomenal.  It's rare for me to see shelter pets again once they're adopted...it was a pretty amazing feeling to see how well this once shy and timid girl is doing now.

Or Shaak-Ti, who - as you can see by this photo - was absolutely miserable in the shelter.  She would wedge herself into a corner and stay there, tinkling on the floor whenever anyone would approach her.  Due to a staff members hard work and loving care, she turned into a sweet and sociable girl, and her new parents are so in love with her!

And I can't forget about Sonja (now renamed).  She was surrendered to the shelter horribly matted, with a broken tail and a cold.  Eventually, Sonja's tail was removed, and she began to recover.  She is permanently kitten-sized (probably due to poor nutrition early in life) and won everyone over with her sticking-out tongue (due to missing teeth) and her love of snuggles.  Every time I worked, I made it a priority to go and visit Sonja - she was so sweet!  I was beyond excited when I found out that a former coworker had adopted her!  I haven't heard any updates lately, but I can only assume that sweet Sonja is still just as happy as in this photo!

These are the happy stories that are the reason I volunteer.  These are the stories that I live for, that make all the hard work, frustration, and sadness soooo worth it! <3




27 comments:

  1. What a wonderful thing to learn these sweet babies have found loving homes.

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    1. It's always amazing to see how far shelter animals have come! :) Thanks so much for reading!

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  2. I love happily ever afters! Thanks for sharing and volunteering!

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  3. Love these happy tails! Rescues Rock! XS

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  4. Love to see them end up in happy places.

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    1. Right?! I can never hear/read too many "happy tails"!

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  6. Love that you got a glimpse into some of their forevers! That must be such a special kind of happy!

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    1. It really is. When I'm lucky enough to run into one of the former shelter pets, I seriously tear up. I'm kind of a cheeseball when it comes to animals, I'm not gonna lie :)

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    1. Thanks so much, but these success stories are really thanks to the wonderful employees at the shelter! I love to volunteer my time when I can :)

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  8. There's nothing better than seeing a frightened rescue cat or dog turn into a confident and cherished pet. I love reading Happy Ending stories. My greatest compliment came from my dog Cody who had a reunion with the dog coordinator from my rescue group. At first he greeted her happily, but then he must have thought she would be taking him away because he ran and hid under my desk as if saying, "Don't take me away from my family."

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    1. That IS a great compliment! It's like he was acknowledging you as his forever family - how sweet! :)

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  9. Heartwarming. I love getting to see the amazing transformations once an animal realizes they are loved.

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    1. Sometimes the transformations aren't so huge because the dog was already pretty well-adjusted...other times, WOW. It is like night and day. I've seen fear-biters turn into happy and loving pets - it really is amazing.

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  10. So happy they were adopted! Great news!

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    1. Me too! If only ALL shelter stories could be so happy...

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  11. Great stories - Must be so satisfying when you are able to know what a difference you have made!

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    1. It IS satisfying, but the REAL heroes here are the shelter employees who worked so hard to find the perfect homes for these animals. They are such a hard-working staff! Thanks for reading :)

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  12. Awesome. There's nothing better, is there? :)

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    1. There really isn't :) I'm sure you have some AMAZING happy stories to share as well! :)

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  13. That would make you feel so good to see the animals begin to heal physically and emotionally.
    P.S. The chevron rug on my blog was in the seasonal section at Target. It's an outdoor rug that I have in my screened porch. Unfortunately, I imagine they are gone now. I love that rug though! :)

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    1. Darn! I love chevron! I'll have to check back at Target next spring ;)

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  14. Love stories like this! What a rewarding experience.

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