1. Sadie (aka Sadiekins, aka Old Lady Sizemore):
When my sister first started volunteering with the Pup & Cat Co. in January 2007, my mom and I went to drop her off and then we looked at some of the dogs up for adoption. Sadie had just barely gotten there after having been living with an old couple that could no longer take care of her properly. She was already 8ish when we got her, but my mom was dying to have a cocker spaniel like her sister used to have. So she put in an application and we waited. Sure enough, Ursula (the woman in charge) granted our wish and gave us Ms Sadie. So she came home with us the following weekend and she immediately made herself at home in our sunroom. She loved to eat anything and everything that was put in front of her. We should've named her Hoover because of how quickly she could lap up her dinner. She was a sweet girl who never nipped at anyone. She would bark, but that's just their way. She loved to also sleep in the living room behind my dad's recliner. That was her spot. Also, due to having been fed only wet dog food (as opposed to dry cerealish stuff), she had lost some of her teeth. Therefore, her tongue always stuck out a little, especially when she first woke up from a nap. It was a darling thing to see. She passed away a few weeks ago due to either kidney failure or a tumor that was causing liquid build-up. There was nothing the vet could really do for her, so Sadie was put down. She really was the sweetest dog in the world, and we had almost 3 1/2 wonderful years with her.
2. Craig (aka Dweezle):
As part of Pup and Cat volunteering, we take in dogs that have not been adopted yet so they don't have to stay at the vet's office all week, waiting for Saturday and the adoption drive. Craig was our first one, and he had been rescued from a puppy mill along with his brother (Weezle). We had Craig for a few weeks before a lovely couple decided they wanted to adopt both dogs, which made Ursula happy, as she didn't want them broken up forever. He was an English springer spaniel, and for some reason loved socks. When Mom would do laundry, he would randomly snatch one and walk off with it. Strange...
3. Candy (aka the Prima Donna):
After Craig left, we got Candy, who is a papillon. She was a sweet little girl at times, but at other times she would drive me crazy. She could not go outside without a leash or she'd run off and not come back unless Mom went and got her. She was pretty good besides that, but her constant barking drove us all a little nuts. She went to a nice family that already had another papillon, and they got along great.
After Craig left, we got Candy, who is a papillon. She was a sweet little girl at times, but at other times she would drive me crazy. She could not go outside without a leash or she'd run off and not come back unless Mom went and got her. She was pretty good besides that, but her constant barking drove us all a little nuts. She went to a nice family that already had another papillon, and they got along great.
4. June (aka Junebug, aka My Little Baby):
Next came June. The same day we got rid of Candy, we took June to stay with us. My mom's first reaction was "That's a runt!" She really was this sad little dog. She had been abandoned and picked up by a pound. Not long before she was scheduled to be put down, Ursula came and got her. She was almost immediately adopted by an older couple, but their grandchildren scared her to where she wouldn't come out from under the bed. So the couple returned her and we got her. Well we fell in love with her from the start. She is a Beagle/Jack Russell mixture, and she is the funniest dog ever. Not long after we took her in, we went on vacation to Pennsylvania for my cousin's wedding, and so we left the dogs at home to be cared for by the neighbors. Before leaving, though, my mom decided that we had to keep June. She had been through a lot already, and there was no guarantee that the next person to adopt her would work out, which is traumatizing to the dog after that many turnarounds. So we kept her. And I am really glad we did, because she is my favorite little girl and she always sleeps in my bed when I go home for visits. She's a sweetheart and will roll over onto her back for anyone and everyone to rub her tummy. She just loves it loves it loves it.
Next came June. The same day we got rid of Candy, we took June to stay with us. My mom's first reaction was "That's a runt!" She really was this sad little dog. She had been abandoned and picked up by a pound. Not long before she was scheduled to be put down, Ursula came and got her. She was almost immediately adopted by an older couple, but their grandchildren scared her to where she wouldn't come out from under the bed. So the couple returned her and we got her. Well we fell in love with her from the start. She is a Beagle/Jack Russell mixture, and she is the funniest dog ever. Not long after we took her in, we went on vacation to Pennsylvania for my cousin's wedding, and so we left the dogs at home to be cared for by the neighbors. Before leaving, though, my mom decided that we had to keep June. She had been through a lot already, and there was no guarantee that the next person to adopt her would work out, which is traumatizing to the dog after that many turnarounds. So we kept her. And I am really glad we did, because she is my favorite little girl and she always sleeps in my bed when I go home for visits. She's a sweetheart and will roll over onto her back for anyone and everyone to rub her tummy. She just loves it loves it loves it.
5. Buster (aka Cranky, aka Grumpy, aka Deaf-o):
After I had gone back to BYU in the fall of 2007, my mom got her next foster dog assignment: Buster. This was by far the hardest case we ever had. Buster was a much older dog who had been abused severely by his previous owner, who also abused his own wife. By the time we got Buster, he was mostly deaf and seemed to have tremors like he suffered from brain damage caused by the abuse. Needless to say, he did not like anyone at home except for my mom whom he followed all over the house. Everyone else, though, was an enemy. I kept hoping someone would take him, perhaps an older single lady that he could dutifully follow around the house all day. But it never happened. He stayed in our home for over 2 1/2 years before he also had to be put down due to serious conditions that were causing him chronic pain to where he could barely move. It was actually sad by the time he died because he turned out to be a very nice dog by the end. Not like licking every single person he ever met type of dog, but he stopped growling at people (except Dad, but oh well), he stopped snipping at people, and he got to where he was comfortable around most of us in the family (except Dad, again, and my little brothers). He would even sometimes lay on the floor wherever I was if he couldn't find Mom. It was sorta cute.
6. Harley (aka The Puff Ball):
This was, by far, the quickest turnaround we had for a dog in our care. Harley was a Shih Tsu puppy whose owner had received him as a gift. She loved Harley very much, but was chronically ill and could never play with him like he wanted to. So she decided he deserved a better home and asked Ursula to take him. We picked Harley up ourselves, and the lady was in tears because she really wanted to have him, but because of her awful health just couldn't. It was a sad day. We had Harley about a week before a nice couple from North Carolina came and got him. They already had a Shih Tsu, so Harley had a playmate. This was my dad's favorite dog. He thought Harley was just the cutest dog ever, who didn't bark at Dad when he walked into a room.
7. Molly (aka Hyper Dog):
Immediately after Harley was adopted, we picked up Molly. She was a wild child if I have ever seen one. She had more energy than a football team. She loved to play with anyone and everyone, including the other dogs in the house (Sadie, June, and Buster at the time), though they never wanted to play and Buster and June would growl at her if she got too close. But everyone else just loved her. Not long after I went back to school (summer 2009), she was adopted by a family. She was eventually returned because they never had any time for her, which was really sad for Ms. Molly. So we kept her a bit longer, until she was adopted not long after Christmas 2009. My mom and sister still go to see her from time to time because she really was such a fun dog. Her new home has a nice fenced backyard that she can tear loose in whenever she wants.
Immediately after Harley was adopted, we picked up Molly. She was a wild child if I have ever seen one. She had more energy than a football team. She loved to play with anyone and everyone, including the other dogs in the house (Sadie, June, and Buster at the time), though they never wanted to play and Buster and June would growl at her if she got too close. But everyone else just loved her. Not long after I went back to school (summer 2009), she was adopted by a family. She was eventually returned because they never had any time for her, which was really sad for Ms. Molly. So we kept her a bit longer, until she was adopted not long after Christmas 2009. My mom and sister still go to see her from time to time because she really was such a fun dog. Her new home has a nice fenced backyard that she can tear loose in whenever she wants.
8. MacKenzie (aka Brown Molly)
Not long after Christmas 2009, we got MacKenzie for a bit. She was also a rather energetic dog, though to a lesser degree than Molly. She and Molly would play a lot. She was adopted not long after Molly was, and that was also a quick turnaround.
There have been a few other dogs here and there, but I never met them because I was in school. From what I've heard of them, they were all rather darling little critters. They have since found good homes and now my mom is down to June, Kody (a poodle), Skipper (a miniature pinscher), and Jilly (a Dachshund mix). Jilly is set to be adopted tomorrow, and Skipper and Kody might have homes soon as well. They all deserve good homes, and I hope they find those special someones for them.
