These are the success stories of the Humane Society of Skagit Valley. Happy homes were found for these pets.
Come in and ADOPT your new companion today!

If you would like to see your adopted pet on Happy Endings, please submit a photograph and story about your pet to either the Humane Society office or you can E-mail the web master at web@skagithumane.com with your submission. If you need a digital photo taken of your pet, please make an appointment via E-mail.

 

What I Taught My Humans-And in Only Two Weeks! 

~by Cally

While I am very well trained-sitting and lying down, shaking hands,fetching
pretty much any object thrown, staying (even when I REALLY don't want to), and coming when called-I still enjoy charming activities that only a dog can do well. I steal treats from my blind dog brother, Rainer, and would keep all the toys in my mouth if I could.

My mothers have also learned that it's good they do so much work from home, because on looong days alone (you know, 4 or 5 hours) I'm known to chew on and shred things that don't belong to me. They don't seem to mind much though; I think they understand that really EVERYTHING belongs to me.

I start my day off walking with my mother in the park, I play ball with her,
and hope she doesn't feel too bad when I ditch the game to play chase and tackle with other young dogs who come along. My brother's okay, but with the blind thing he sometimes has trouble finding me. I like it especially on the weekends when we all take really long hikes, even better when Mom takes me jogging. Best of all though is the regular belly rubs, especially when I'm on the furniture with my humans.

I wanted to take this moment to thank you all for taking such good care of
me, especially Chelsea who made sure my new family didn't leave without me. Without all the love and attention you gave me I wouldn't be able to love my new family quite the way I do. With a little work, they are becoming very well behaved themselves.

Sincerely,
Cally

Sprinkles, now known as Scout, had a very successful leg amputation, and now runs like a deer. Here's some pictures of her great new home, with her new kitty friend! Thank you to our foster home Karla, for keeping her during her rehabilitation.

Rocky Goes Home!

Shelter employees waved good-bye to Rocky with tears of joy in their eyes today! Rocky spent 8 months at the shelter, waiting for the perfect home. And now he's found it, with three boys to play ball with him! Rocky loves to play ball!

Magie came to us 12+ years old, with medical problems. We called Old Dog Haven Rescue League. They picked her up and managed to find this beautiful foster home for her. She looks so happy!

Thought you'd like these pictures of Maggie.  She's being adored in a
very wonderful home:  2 acres ON Lake Stevens, absolute heaven for a
Chessie!  The family loves her, she's very happy. All paws crossed, she's just a lovely dog and has made this Final Refuge family really happy. Thanks for caring about her.

Diva goes to a wonderful new home, after 6 months at the shelter!
Hello Sandy -- I'll bet in your job you hear many terrible stories about animal abuse and neglect, so I thought maybe you'd like to hear about the happy home life of one of your dogs. 
    In late January, my husband Chris and I went up to your Skagit Valley shelter and adopted a scrawny black Lab-Shar-Pei mix female puppy.  She wasn't much to look at, and she had the biggest head I've ever seen on a puppy, but she ran right up to my husband, jumped up and looked him in the face, and he fell for her.  You told us that she had been found wandering on a bridge, brought to the shelter, and initially adopted by a family who brought her back after three days.  You have so many dogs to deal with you probably don't remember her, but that was her story.  We adopted her, named her Selma, and took her home.      The vet told us that Selma had a lot of problems: worms, fleas, mites, and kennel cough.  She also had a staph skin infection somehow resulting from the incision from being spayed.  (In addition, she also had flatulence that could send every person present running out of the room!)  So we took her to the vet a lot.  In the first few weeks we had her, she cost us over $600! But what a little trooper she turned out to be.  She got smarter, happier, and funnier every day, and we absolutely adore her.    As followers of Cesar Millan, we never raise our voice to her, even when she drives us crazy.  With patience and consistent reinforcement, she was potty trained within a week, and learned to sit, stay, shake, and a few other tricks...

...We have a very big yard, and both my husband and I play chase, ball, and tug of war with her for several hours every day.  She gets the very best puppy formula dog food, and every time she drinks from her water dish, we change the water (she's got those big jowls, and as a result a serious moose-drool issue-- it's funny, but gross).  She is a dog who gets lots of love and attention.  At night, when she's all tuckered out, she has a favorite green blanket that she arranges into a big lump, throws herself on top of it, takes a huge bite of it in her mouth, and falls asleep.  I'm sending you a picture because it is so unbelievably cute.    I wish we could adopt more dogs, but we have our hands full with Selma.  We will send friends and family up to your shelter to choose their dogs and cats, and hope you eventually see all of your animals adopted into good and loving homes.  You and your staff are doing amazing work and saving the lives of many, many of God's little creatures.  Thank you, and best wishes,Elizabeth Granillo
Teacher, Lake Stevens High School

 

Dear Sandy and Staff:

Just a note to let you know that Lady Gray is settling in quite well.  At the moment she is relaxing under the dining room table as I write  this. She slept for most of the day in our truck on her journey home 
to Victoria. Last night she slept beside us on her bed in our  bedroom. We didn't hear a peep from her all night. Today she is going  to have a nice walk around the golf course walking trail where she 
will meet many other four legged friends. Thank you so much for your kindness and  for filling that void in our hearts.

Mr. Roy.....he is WONDERFUL!!! He has adjusted well, and has become a true member of the family. Our other dog, Boz, and Roy are getting along famously, and we witness 'wrestling doggie style' at least 4 times per day. They have become best friends. Roy is truly one that is full of love, and enjoys nothing more than lots of snuggles and a few big licks across our faces. He is very well mannered and we have only had one incident with regard to 'food' issues. The dogs even eat out of the same dish now!

Dear Humane Society "Angels,"

We adopted an absolutely wonderful dog, "Grace," from you on December 11. She has made such a difference in our lives already! She is sweet, friendly, nicve to our 13 year old cat, completely housebroken, knows all the commands, and it's just a treat to have her with us. She is one of the most gentle dogs I've ever met.

Thanks for making our adoption process through you so easy, yet thorough. We has a delightful Christmas with the newest member of our family. She wanted us to send some pictures of her with her stuffed raccoon and her new backyard.

Thanks so much again!

Dear Humane Society Of Skagit Valley

Just to say thank-you for your kindness. I adopted a little Chihuahua mix on August 30th and she came back to Orcas Island. As you can see she's doing great with the family and making herself at home with the grandchildren. Once again a thanks for all the staff.

Maxine Wallis

Dear Skagit Valley Humane Society,

Thank-you so much for letting us adopt "Cleo" She has changed our lives. She loves the kids and she takes care of us. She has a wonderful home for the rest of her life. We love her! Thank you.

Hello! We just wanted to give you an update on our boys! Bowzer (adopted 2004) and Chops, aka Astro (adopted 2005), are the best of friends. They have 5 acres to run with grass, woods, and a creek. We have invisible fencing so they have full use of the property. They play together all day, and chase chipmunks and birds, which they never catch. Astro (chops) has turned into quite the watch dog. He is very territorial and intimidating to strangers, which is perfect. Then when he finds out that they are ok, he licks them and wants petting. They are both very patient and devoted to our 4 yr. old son. They watch over him when he is playing in the yard. When we layed our sod, the dogs couldn't wait to lay in the grass. (See picture) They stay inside at night and are in and out during the day. They have become an important part of our family. They are very spoiled. Bowzer has developed seizures. We have had him under vet care and medications since last December. He is a very loving dog, who tried to be a lap dog. He looks into my eyes and I just melt. Astro is a very well mannered dog who tried to be a lap dog as well. He jumps a little, but nothing to be concerned about. He is a very sweet dog. I wanted to give you this update because Astro was there for several months and so many of you seemed to care for him so much. I wanted to let you know that both of our boys have found a permanent home where they are loved and cared for and part of a family.

Thank you for your efforts to find wonderful animals like these homes!

Sicerely, Mike & Shanna Clothier

Thank-You!

Denver is feeling much better now that he is out of the shelter. I wanted to personally thank-you for assisting animals into new homes.

Denver loves his new home, he has been to the groomer and is now scheduled for obedience training.

~Bobbi Jo

JUST A NOTE TO LET YOU KNOW THAT 'BIGS', AKA MAXWELL, IS ADJUSTING VERY WELL TO HIS NEW HOME. HE HAS MADE A GOOD FRIEND ALREADY IN OUR 6 YR OLD LAB ASHLEE, WHOM HE CHASES AND TACKLES AND LICKS AND RUNS CIRCLES AROUND ALL DAY. HE IS WORKING ON THE FOUR CATS BUT HAS WON THE REST OF THE FAMILIES HEARTS OVER ALREADY. WE ARE SO GLAD THAT WE COULD BE A PART OF HELPING ONE OF THE MANY ANIMALS AT YOUR SHELTER AND LOOK FORWARD TO MANY ENTERTAINING AND REWARDING DAYS TOGETHER WITH MAX.
THANK-YOU. 
THE FORD FAMILY
This is Baxter, whom I allowed to take control of my house last year, after he had spent some time with you folks. Regards, Doug Johnson
Just wanted to express my deepest gratitude to all of your who took the risk of trusting in me to take Sume' home despite the policies. She is very happy here. Storm and Sume' have become like 'sisters' and do everything together and I absolutely adore her! So thank you, with all my heart.
Sincerely,
April
May 30, 2004
We adopted our Australian Shepherd from you on May 1st when you were at Noah's in Stanwood. You had her for a week and were calling her Ashley at the time. We named her Shelby, and here is a picture of our happy pup! Her full "Australian" name is Shelby 'throw another shrimp on the barbie' Newton John!! Yes, we ARE too silly, we know, but she loves us and we love her!! She is such a good girl, she is learning very quickly. She is a completely different dog than she was the first week we had her! She is continually showing us more and more for her personality every day. Thanks for doing what you do and helping Shelby find us!
Eve & Jim Clarke and Sheila Scott


This is my cat Bushka (originally Nika), whom I adopted from you a couple of years ago. She has turned out to be the best cat anyone could ever hope for.
Barbara Murtaugh, Bellingham

I just wanted to let you know about the dog I adopted last Tuesday. Annie, formally known as Senta, is the perfect dog. She is so loving and happy. My mom fell in love with her the instant she saw her and Annie has a home on Guemes Island. She is the perfect companion for my mom. I also wanted to thank you for the great service I got with you. The staff was wonderful and very helpful. It was so nice to see someone who loves their job so much and is very good at it. Also thank for the referral to Dr. Campbell. He is an amazing vet. I have decided to change all my animals into his care.
Thank you so much, Kelly Pingree


Here is a picture of the dog my husband and I adopted from Skagit Humane Society back in 2001. Her name is Brittany, we gave her a middle name and it's Lynn and she is part Border Collie and part Lab.  She is approximately 8 or 9 years old now but is as active as a 3 year old. This is just one of our dogs, we also have a new puppy (3 months old now) that my mother in-law got  me.  Her name is Kadee and she's 1/2 Australian Shepard and 1/2 Retriever.  Adorable she is but I don't have a picture of her yet.
 
Brittany's  not spoiled, much anyhow .... hehe

This is Hootie.  We adopted him almost 2 years ago and fell in love with him from the moment we saw him.  Course I fell in love with every dog there and wanted to save them all.  When we brought Hootie home he was as thin as thin could be and he was pretty sick in fact the vet told us that he had Distemper and only had probably a month to live.  We were devastated and did anything and everything we could for Hootie.  Well it's been about a year and a half now and Hootie is happy and healthier than ever!  Hootie loves going to the doggie park, hiking, napping, playing with his toys and our neighbor dog.  But most of all he loves going to our ranch in Omak.  He can run around free and hang out with the horses, cool off in the water trough or river and play with the other dogs.  This is a picture of Hootie at the ranch.  
Love - Hootie, Becky & John 
I can hardly believe it, but I will have lived here for a whole year on April 13! I LOVE my family. They are talking about having an anniversary party for me, so I'm very sure they are pleased with me, too. Here are a couple of photos Mom took during the big snow on January 6. My favorite game was to fling my Kong into the snow, then dig, dig, dig to retrieve it, sending snow flying in all directions. Amy and Lucy chased each other. They are so short, so close to the ground. The snow was as deep as they were tall. That didn't stop them from leaping and bounding as they chased each other. Mom is sending a check. She says to use it for whatever will help all the animals at the shelter. She's going to enclose a self-addressed, stamped envelope for your convenience in sending her a receipt. Sometime when I ride to Mount Vernon with Joanne and Mike, we'll stop and say hello. (They take me almost everywhere in my van.)
Happy barks, tail wags and dog kisses,
Your friend Maggie

This is Jackson (he had another name but was a stray) adopted by Rebecca Brennan and Tim Colvin. I just wanted to thank you for him. He is one of the best dogs we have ever had and we are now searching the border collie rescue, for a friend for him. Jackson was younger then we expected (9months not 1.5yrs) so he was a handful. But he went through doggie bootcamp and is great with my 2&5 yr olds and loves to hang out with me inside. He loves the snow, hates the water (and baths) and his only real fault is jumping my fence to hang with his buddies in the neighborhood. I am still working on a solution to that one. Thanks again
Rebecca Brennan
Snohomish WA

I just wanted to drop all you folks a line and tell you how Alex is doing. As you can see by the pictures, he is quite busy at the store, modeling furniture and merchandise for the public. He also manages to find time to sneak in a pet or two. Everyone in Old Town just loves him and he fits in just great! He was mingling with people the first day I brought him here! Thanks again!

Frances

Hi. My name is "Annie" (was "Becky" in the HSSV). My owner adopted me in July and we have lots of fun together. I need lots of room to run, as I am a Kelpy, cattle dog. We run on the River Dike over looking the beautiful Skagit River. My owner even helped me to make friends with a Dingo (loves to run too!) named "Susie". We run just about everyday and I love it. In fact, I love everything about my new living situation. i get bisquits when I follow commands, eat a healthy diet, and even have my own spot on the couch next to my master. She pets me and rubs my tummy and we play fetch inside with all my toys. I am thankful for my great home, and so is Sylvia, my owner. We're a perfect fit. Thank you for my new place!
Love "Annie" and Sylvia Proffitt, Fir Island, WA.

Hi everyone, Just wanted to let you know that Scruffy is thoroughly enjoying her new life in Bellevue. Here she is sunning herself on the deck. She loves to bake in a sunny spot in the yard and then drag herself inside to cool down on the hardwood floor. She's still quite the couch potato, but demands her morning and evening walks to the neighborhood park and her special weekend trips around town or to the beach. SheÕs lost weight and developed some muscle tone, although you canÕt tell under that scruffy exterior. SheÕs been a real sweetheart, ready to wag her tail any time you look at her. Thanks for looking after this very special senior girl. SheÕs spending the rest of her days with her senior friend, Elsie (who we adopted from you in June Õ02 and who has her own Happy Endings entry), and the rest of her adoring family who encourages everyone to consider adopting an older pet when they are looking for a devoted, loyal, and extremely grateful companion.

 

Hi Girls! I just wanted to send you a copy of Koda's paper work from the vet. She was spayed on August 16th and also micro-chipped! She is doing so wonderful. She just finished basic dog training, and is moving on to off leash classes. She is a wonderful puppy so I'll have to bring her by the shelter one of these days! Continue to do great work out there, you all work so hard and do a wonderful job!!
Thanks for everything.
Jodi Jongsma

Hi, my name is Merry - it used to be Annie when I stayed at the shelter. My new person says she was very lucky to adopt me and I'm the best canine buddy she's ever had. Since going home in February, I've learned how to play fetch, swim, con my way into cuddling wit my mommy on the couch and all my basic commands. I have my own bed, and a pretty bowl too, and I get to pick out a special bandanna to wear everyday. I even get to go to work with my mommy twice a week. Thanks a lot to the Humane Society staff, and especially to my doggy Godmother's: Sandy, Janine, and Jerry and Jean Favini.
June 2003
It's me... Maggie writing to you from my home. (I was called Trix at the Shelter.) I've been here since April 13 and I am so happy. I think everyone else is too. It took a while for Amy and Lucy to like me. I think my size scared them because they are so small. Lucy is still a bit wary but Mom says she has always been spooky, so I try real hard not to run with my toys or be too silly rolling on my back when Lucy is around. The cat Carlotta and I are pals. We have a great game. She darts out of a room, runs down the hall, and I chase. Zoom... back she zips again and hides elsewhere. I pretend I don't know where. She pops out and we run again. My only complaint is I could play all day and she likes her "cat naps" too much. In just two weeks I will graduate from obedience training. The teacher always says, "Maggie, you did a good job this week." I wag my tail to thank her. I hope I get an "A" on July 8th. I'm sending you some photos, too
Love, Maggie
Oak Harbor, WA

April 26, 2003
Dear Skagit Valley Humane Society,
I am writing to thank you for allowing the Boston Terrier Club of Canada Rescue Program to assist Emma, a boston terrier from your shelter. When you contacted Eleni Naslund of Furbaby Rescue in Blaine, Washington she immediately contacted me and we made arrangements to transfer Emma into my care. Emma come into my home on Wednesday, April 23 and has been a delightfu foster dog from the beginning. She has been to the vet and has had a complete check up, including blood work. She is scheduled for dental surgery and corneal surgery next week and we hope to have her feeling healthy very soon. She is enjoying her stay in my home while she recovers enough to become an adoption candidate in the BTCC Rescue Program. She loves lounging on the many dog beds in our home and her favourite spot is curling up on the couch and having a cuddle. She is a very happy and lovely dog. I would like to thank you for contacting us and allowing us to assist you in Emma's future care and placement. She is a perfect example of an animal shelter and a private rescue group working together to best help the dog. Your cooperation and willing to work with us is very much appreciated. Emma is going to be a very happy and healthy dog! Please feel free to contact us in the future with any boston terrier purebreds or mixes that may come into your shelter or any shelters in your area. We have funding to help every boston terrier, regardless of age or medical condition. Even though we are located over the border, your shelter s only a 45 minute drive from us. Our goal is to help boston terriers in need. Emma joins me in thanking you for a happy future :) Please see the attached pictures of Emma

Sincerely,
Ana-Maria Davies, Boston Terrier Club of Canada Rescue Program, BC BT Rescue www.bostonterrierclubofcanada.com

 
May 2003
3 years ago we fostered a litter of 6 kittens, and we weren't going to keep any! YEAH RIGHT! Then our little "Marcel" wrapped her monkey-like tale around my sons little arm. They are inseperable. 2 of the 6 kittens we fostered didn't make it, they were too little when taken away from their mom. Marcel had been the runt and the sickest of the bunch, but with LOTS of TLC from myself and my son, she soon was the fattest and sassiest of the bunch! Thanks to everyone at the shelter, and all those who open up their homes to foster these helpless creatures!
We are proud to be a friend of the Humane Society of Skagit Valley!
Thanks... Heidi & Hayden from Lake McMurray



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