Adoption Stories

I adopted Sophie from the Tri-County Humane Society on April 28th, 2008 when she was just one year old. She looked and acted so much like a Sophie that I couldn’t change her name! Since then, she’s lived in three different states (Minnesota, Nebraska, and Colorado) and moved with us a total of six times - she’s quite the traveler! Sophie has a huge personality for such a small cat and she’s honestly one of the weirdest cats we’ve ever met. But we wouldn’t have it any other way. Thank you so much for taking such good care of her during her time at TCHS and allowing us to find her. She’s a treasured lifetime member of our little family.

I attached a few photos for fun! Sophie is pictured in a couple with her younger “brother,” Patton, an alumni of Heartland Animal Rescue Team in Brainerd, MN. Sophie is the lighter colored of the two. 

Many of TCHS’ friends closely followed the story of a puppy who was discovered outside our dumpster by a volunteer the day before Thanksgiving. The almost-4-month old little guy was a little matted but sweet as can be. Staff named him “Wishbone” since it was so close to Turkey Day. Well, we’re happy to report that not only did Wishbone find a new home quickly, but he is thriving! Here’s a report from his new Mom. His family named him “Loki.”

"Loki is fitting into our family perfectly! He loves playing in the snow, snuggling and playing with his toys. He gets along with our cats and keeps me company during the day while I work!”

Grey came to us in October with her littermates.  They spent almost a month in foster care to grow big enough for adoption.  Just a week after returning to the shelter, Grey found her new home. Here's an update from her new home:

It's Another Feel Good Fur-Day!

 

Grey came to us in October with her littermates.  They spent almost a month in foster care to grow big enough for adoption.  Just a week after returning to the shelter, Grey found her new home. Here's an update from her new home:

Hello! You folks called and wanted to see how Grey was doing. Thought I’d send you an email with some pics. Her name is now Willow and she is growing, playing and mostly getting along with her big sister cat and big sister dog. The night I brought her home and let her roam the house, she then came up to me and snuggled into my neck and purred for a few minutes. I think she was saying “thank you”. Thank you to all for helping complete my little animal family! 

Vanna was brought to us in October of this year as a transfer from Leech Lake Legacy.  She spent just a week here before she found her new family. They recently sent an update: 

"I want to share with you what a bundle of joy our dog adoption has been!!  The first week of adjustments was stressful for all of us…  mostly due to a few days of showing off her Houdini skills…  she has adjusted wonderfully and we cannot imagine life without her!!

The first week was stressful mostly because she will NOT be kenneled, and she slipped her collar repeatedly to “go for a run” – which we then replaced with a full chest harness that only took her 2 days to figure out how to slip out of!! Since then, the run has become a daily activity.  We live in the country, and many times hubby tries to keep up with her on the ATV.

We are now confident of her route which encompasses about a mile loop on our land, and an adjoining property. We SHOULD have named her Rocket instead! Now she GLEEFULLY returns home after her run and is obsessed with keeping the deer out of HER yard. She has learned all the house rules and several commands quite eagerly.  She and Zoie, our senior husky mix, love to go outside together. She is also buddies with a cat, Tig, and has agreements with the other two. 

She is now a secure, happy, cuddly girl who thinks she is a lap dog! She is clearly a happy pup.  We’re so thankful we met ‘just one more’ dog the day we stopped to visit…  to find just the right one for our family."

Radley was brought to us in October of this year as a transfer from a stray holding facility. He had already passed his stray time and was adopted out after just one day at TCHS!  We named him Wiley at the shelter because of his coyote-like appearance. 

Here is an update from his new family:

Sending an update on "Wiley" - name now changed to "Radley" - adopted from the Tri-County Humane Society on 10/24/18.  He is a wonderful addition to our family and is doing great in his new forever home! He is well trained, gets along well with other dogs and loves to meet new people. He is our office dog - enjoys sitting on the filing cabinet and/or desk to watch for deer out the window, and he enjoys 'protecting' us on our long trail walks.

Becky Peterson & Rick Delaney

Hello, we just wanted to drop an email to say that Ozzie formally "Billy" is certainly fitting in well with our family. He came home with us on Sept 27. He is very energetic but also very cuddly and snuggly when he wants to be! His older 'brothers' (1 cat, 1 dog) are very happy to have him around to keep them busy. :)

 As you can see, his "big brother” Mylo has taken to him very well.

Justin, Shelly, Skylar, Taylor, and Alexis 

Sarge is 8 years old and came to us in need of a new home on October 13th. We treated him for kennel cough and an ear infection and then neutered him.  Sarge was adopted on November 2nd.  Here's an update from his new family:
We are very happy with Sarge!!! He is settling into his new fur-ever home well.  Sarge has a new fur-sister and they are taking to each other very well.
Sarge loves taking walks with his new dad.  And he has a lot of energy to burn off!!!
Sarge had his first appointment with his new vet the same day we adopted him.  So he went straight to New Ulm after leaving the Humane Society.  His bloodwork was negative for heartworm.   The fecal was negative.  He was sent home with meds to continue treatment for the ear infection.  He was given a rabies shot.  And of course we will be scheduling Sarge for dental surgery in the near future.  We were told that a couple teeth were infected.  Sarge has a follow up on Friday and we will be discussing his surgery and see how everything else is looking for him.
As for his training I have started with the clicker and he is catching on fast.  The first couple days was a bit harry like the bull got loose in the China Shop.  And I was the China!
I had to start wrapping a long lead around my waist so he wouldn’t pull me off my feet. But we are doing much better. Sarge is learning that ladies go first. And he is becoming more careful when taking treats. 
We are very fond of Sarge and have faith in him.

Zeus was surrendered to us on 10/13.  After being neutered, he was adopted on 10/21/18.  Here is an update from his new family:

"I adopted Zeus last weekend to be a “husbun” to my feisty female Lionhead, Lebron. They are SO in love and enjoy exploring, snuggling, and munching on hay together. So happy I found a forever home for Zeus and a companion for Lebron. Thanks again!"

This is George. He came to us in June of 2016.  He spent some time in foster care to get bigger and once that happened, he was neutered and then adopted on 7/31/16.  The following is an update from his family.   

"Just wanted to give an update on our kitten we adopted back in July of 2016.

Our youngest son has reddish hair and lots of freckles. So for his 8th birthday he really wanted a “ginger” kitten so they could be alike.

We spent a few weeks checking the humane society, waiting for the right one. We finally picked one out and he was gone when we came to buy him.

So we waited a little longer, and then George was there. He was the skinniest and smallest of all the kittens there, but my son was adamant we get him. It was his present, so I let him choose.  

We have had George for over 2 years now, and he is the best cat. Sometimes I think he thinks he’s part human.  He is my kitchen partner ... he loves to sit on the bar-stools (like a person) and watch everything I’m doing in the kitchen. He loves our dogs and they play together every day.

He has made a wonderful addition to our family. We all just adore him. Thank you Tri-County Humane Society for all you do and all the pets that get forever homes because of you."

Josie B.

Lucas came to us in August of 2016 because his previous owners were moving and couldn’t take him along.  He was only here for a little over a week before he was adopted. The following is an update they just sent us:

Hi there,

We adopted our cat from TCHS in August 2016. He was going by the name Lucas, but currently answers to Tiarnaigh (pronounced Tierney) which means "lord of the house" in Irish. It's a pretty apt name for him! He settled in very quickly and stole our hearts with his sweet personality. He loves to chase lights and play with jingly balls, watch birds and squirrels in the backyard out the window, and play games of "tag" with my husband. His "mane" has really grown in and he definitely knows how beautiful he is. He just wants to be around his people all day.

Thank you so much for connecting us with our furry friend! It's hard to imagine what life would be like without him in it.

Betsy and Shawn

Gemini came in because her previous owners just didn’t have enough time for her.  She was quite fearful with us at first and it took a little while for her to warm up to staff.  She was adopted one month later.  This is an update from her new family:

Hello-

My family and I adopted Gemini a month ago. She had been with you guys about a month and it seemed she had won the hearts of a lot of staff and volunteers there because she had a good-bye committee when she left. :) I figured I'd give a little update: 

Gem, as we call her, is the sweetest girl ever! I have no idea how she was with you guys for a month before being adopted. I know she was listed as "mouthy" but we have only ever seen this when she is playing and does a playing "nip" that puppies can do. She is extremely easy to redirect! 

We have a 3 year old and 1 year old twins. Gem tolerates EVERYTHING those girls do! They climb on her, pet her backwards, lay on her, etc etc. We work on teaching them respect too! They've pulled food out of her mouth, fed her their food and even teased and took their food back once they offered it to her (we're working on that...). My husband had also been playing with her and trying like hell to get the ball out of her mouth. One of the twins goes for the ball and Gem drops it immediately! She really seems to know how to deal with kiddos!

Gem has had a little issue too. She's been leaking some urine. We put diapers on her while getting it sorted. She just dealt with them and didn't try to take them off! The meds seem to be working because we're on day 3 of no diapers and haven't found spots or puddles!!

It's sad she was with you guys as long as she was but we're happy she was because we got to take her home! We love this girl and she has been a great addition to our family!!

Sincerely,

Heather, Rick, Harper, Willow and Sienna

Sunny’s Story:

Sunny had been here for over a month on her 3rd stay in the shelter.  Looks like she hit the jackpot with her new home.

Here is an update from her new family:

“Thought I’d send this to all of you – Sunny enjoys the farm.

She likes going for rides with us, loves the kids, and it took a little bit but she finally figured it out to leave the chickens alone. She no longer nips at our older dog. She knows there will always be food in her bowl, so even when the older dog eats out of her bowl, she just bumps her with her nose and then eats with him. When the girls collect chicken eggs, she lays on the grass watching them. I knew she would figure it out and we learned something from her – we put her in the barn when we go to work and when we returned home she is laying by the front door.

She figured out how to open the main door and let herself out. She is by far a smart dog and kind. We have put her in doggie day care when we had to leave for a couple of nights on three different times. They say she is really sweet and just lays by our older dog. They’ve become close … All glad we were able to give this young lady a forever home.”

Denny came to us in August of 2017 as a transfer from Leech Lake Legacy. He only spent three short days at the shelter before he found his new home. 
During his stay with us, Denny was neutered, vaccinated, de-wormed, and micro-chipped. Our veterinarian examined Denny while here because his back feet appeared to be deformed. It was determined that he had a condition called ectrodactyly, a congenital disorder in which the development of the feet is disrupted causing an absence of part or all of the toes. It was determined that no treatment was needed but it was advised that he maintain a healthy weight as not to add more pressure to the feet which would cause discomfort. Here's an update sent to us from Denny, now known as Bear, around the time of his one year adoption anniversary:
"I thought I should let you guys know it’s been almost a year maybe since we got “Denny” who is now Bear and he’s doing so great. He’s so happy and still loves all the attention on him. We wanted to thank you guys again for giving us the opportunity to find our little guy and another update he doesn’t let his little deformed feet stop him - he runs like a cheetah constantly. And he gets non-stop love."

Nine year old Simon came to us in March of this year after 8 years in his previous home because he had become intolerant of the children in the home.  Simon had some medical issues that needed treatment before he could be placed for adoption.  After a dental in which all of his teeth were pulled and treatment for a urinary tract infection, Simon spent some time recovering in a foster home.  He found his new family on 9/28/18.  They shared this update with us:

 It’s been about a year since our senior dog passed and I had been checking your site frequently. Simon seemed to fit with what I was looking for in a dog, despite his age, he is a wonderful dog with so much to give! He is getting along well with Simon the cat (yup same name), who we got from Tri County 2 years ago Simon is polite, affectionate, loves everyone he meets and enjoys going on walks (but not too many -I think I tired him out when he came home). He’s a wonderful little guy and am so happy to have him with us!

Sapphire was one of ten animals that came to us in March of 2017   from Leech Lake Legacy.  She spent some time in foster care with another cat named Pip who is mentioned and pictured below and was also highlighted in a previous feel good Fur-day post.  The top and bottom  pictures on the left is of Sapphire and Pip while they were at the shelter. The 3 pictures on the right are from Sapphire's new home after her adoption on April 4, 2017. Sapphire's owner sent the following note to us after seeing Pip's Feel Good Friday email:

---

I would just like to start by saying that this is the coolest thing ever!! When I adopted Sapphire, I could only take in one kitten and had to leave Pip behind. When I adopted her, I knew there was a deposit on Pip but he had not been picked up yet. I always hoped he was somewhere doing well. It was so cool to see his Feel Good post and how he is doing! 

Sapphire is doing very well. She loves to cuddle with me and her sister, Sage. She loves snuggling under the blankets and then playing in them! They have definitely gotten me through some stuff and I would not trade them for the world!

Thank you so much for everything you guys do! I am truly blessed that Sapphire came into my life.

With all our love,

Kelsey, Sage, and Sapphire

Lulu (formerly Edith) & Applehead (Chihuahua formerly known as Quincy) joined the family (2 cats) around the end of June 2018.  Both dogs are slightly older, not much was known about them, and they seemed equally uncertain about this latest transition in their lives.
Neither would eat anything for the entire first week, which was nervewracking.  In general, they seemed unnaturally "polite:"  No barking, no begging, no attention seeking.  They slept alone in the living room.  Lulu paced and panted constantly.

Fortunately, that changed over the passing weeks.  Their loving, vital natures are now on full display.  Although Lulu has creaky joints, she runs with abandon in the yard when we go out after work, and throws her chew bones around for fun.  Applehead is very smart and affectionate, and runs crazy in the house and yard when the spirit moves him.  Both like to be close to me and to each other, and combining with the cats had been smoother than I could have hoped for.   Apple now burrows under the covers at bedtime, and Lulu has her own bed beside.

Like most animals, the simple things make them happy, and when they're happy, so am I.  They make the house complete.

Over a year ago we received a dog who was coming to us from an outdoor lifestyle with little-to-no human contact experience. She was basically a feral dog. With the help of some experts, we broke through to her enough to keep working with her. In her own little world she liked to play with toys and when she would, she'd pile them up and lay on them when she was done playing. Her favorite toy was her namesake - a floppy monkey.   

Her new family sent this update:  "A year ago, I was searching for the perfect dog for my daughter.  She has dealt with anxiety all her life and has overcome many of her fears, mostly with connections through animals.  As I searched shelter and rescue pages, Monkey's picture and story was the one that always kept coming back in my mind.  Her story was heartbreaking and a little background about myself....I am a special needs para at an elementary school.  I know that sometimes animals, just like people, when given love and a second chance can thrive.  When my daughter met Monkey for the first time, they both had an instant connection.  This dog who previously had such a fear of any human contact, let my daughter enter her kennel, pet her and even started falling asleep as my daughter was gently petting her!  We adopted her shortly after.

Long story short, Monkey took quite awhile to warm up to the family as a whole, but with a lot of patience and love, she is doing amazingly well!

While she and my daughter are inseparable, my husband can only pet her when he gives her a ride in the car, which is her favorite thing to do!  Well, that and walks! 

She is quite the "talker" and gives everyone a morning wake up howl when it's time to go outside.  Despite her severe anxiety, she is slowly learning to trust people.   We have been working with our vet to help Monkey with her anxiety.  When she's relaxed and let's her guard down, she is a funny, sassy, spirited dog with lots of personality!  Much like my daughter. Thank you TCHS for not giving up on her!"

Ranger came to us a little underweight and a bit dehydrated.  After only 9 days of TLC at the shelter, Ranger found his new family. His new adopters sent  this update:

Brent and I adopted "Ranger" a few months back, and I just wanted to send you guys some photos. He fits into our household so well, everyone just loves him, and he is such a cuddly boy. We are very happy and we think he is too! He even has his very own running line in our yard lol. We are so happy we adopted, we will do so every time we want a pet.

Lucy was surrendered with her siblings as an unplanned litter. When they came in they were too small for adoption so they went to a foster home. Once Lucy was big enough to be spayed, she and her litter-mates came back to the shelter. A couple days after that, distemper broke out in the shelter so Lucy and her siblings returned to their foster home until the quarantine was over. They were brought back once more and shortly after, all of them had deposits! On October 18, 2017, after waiting for nearly three months, Lucy was going home!

Lucy’s adopters frequently visit the shelter making donations when they can. Often times, they run into Lucy’s foster mom and  share photos and stories. Most recently they showed  this picture showing that Lucy won a championship ribbon from the Mora county fair this summer!

Her new adopters sent  this update: Lucy enjoys playing with her new friend and hiding in purses and sinks. She loves her new home and fits in perfectly! She gets along great with the grandkids and we couldn’t ask for a better addition to our house.

The top two photos are her while she was in foster care and the bottom two are her in her new home! 

Rocky came in the beginning of this month because his owners  didn’t have the time needed to train him.  He was adopted  and returned a short time later because he wouldn't use the stairs in the new home and there were lots of stairs inside and out.  Rocky only stayed with us for a few hours this last time and found his new home last Friday. His new best friend just sent us this update:

"I adopted Rocky this past weekend and he’s already enjoying his new home in Winona, MN. He’s been hiking, swimming, and playing at the doggy parks meeting friends. He’s been so happy and already trusts us. He was afraid of steps when we got him, but after some coaching and love, he accomplished a hike including 800 steps! Thank you guys for helping me find my forever friend"

Here is our wonderful dog Hunter. We adopted him from Tri-County Humane Society 12 years ago. He will be 14 in January!! I was not given a whole lot of information on him. They only thing I know is that he and his sister were surrendered to Tri-County together from a family in St. Cloud. I do not know the reason. What a joy he has been to our family. I have guessed that maybe they were hoping for a retriever that actually retrieved.... which he does not. He truly retrieved our hearts and that is all we wanted from him. He loves to swim but for recreational purposes only!! When we adopted him, he came home to a Golden Retriever brother waiting for friend. They were inseparable. He lost his buddy Apollo last summer at the age of 13. Hunter continues to be a great joy to me and goes with me everywhere. He is my shadow. Thank you Tri-County for allowing me to adopt this wonderful furry friend!!

Kitty came to the shelter back in January of 2013 - her previous owners were moving and couldn’t take her along.  It was only one short week before she found her new family.  Over 5 years later, they recently sent us this update:

I thought it would be fun to update you on our cat that we adopted quite a while ago. May not seem like a special story to some but it is special to us:) We adopted “Kitty” back in 2013 and she has been nothing short of the best! Her name now is Kitcat and she is such a sweet, unique, social and loving cat. She makes sure she spends equal time with all her humans, is so cute how she has a morning, afternoon and bedtime routine and we believe she’s half dog as she loves to chase a ball and enjoys having her tummy rubbed. We love her so much and life is so much better with her in it!

In July of 2011, Ladybug found her way to our shelter because her previous owners were moving and unfortunately couldn’t take her along. She spent only a short week with us while we had her spayed, vaccinated, de-wormed and tested for heartworm . On August 1st of the same year, Ladybug found a new home and a new name to go with it. Gypsy's people just sent us an update on their seven year anniversary together. No seven year itch happening here!
"7 years ago today, I adopted this amazing dog from you guys. Formerly known as Ladybug, Gypsy has been the most wonderful fur-baby I could ever ask for. I volunteered for her PetSmart Adoption Event. Her "brother" Tucker was adopted & seeing those 2 separated broke all of our hearts. I cried; fell head over heels in love with this one & a day & a half later I drove back to St. Cloud to pick her up! She was so scared, but when she saw me at her kennel, she got so excited. She picked me before I knew what hit me. She should be 11 years old now. Best dog ever!"

A pregnant stray cat came to us back in March and after spending some time in a foster home, she gave birth to 6 kittens on April 5th. One of those kittens was Officer Flossy.
After the litter grew big enough to find new homes, they returned to the shelter near the end of May and Officer Flossy found her purrfect match on May 30th.
Here is an update from her new family:
"Hey there! Officer Flossy update:
we adopted her about 3 weeks ago and she’s doing great. She’s an amazing kitty with the best personality. I’m so glad we could adopt her from a great shelter, so thank you She’s growing so quickly and we just love her so much!"