Adopt — Happy Tails

Every Month BARK checks in with our adopters to see how things are going. Below are just a few of the comments we’ve received. If you’d like to read all the comments, please email kathie@barkva.org and ask to be added to our mailing list for the monthly newsletters.

March–April 2008

Kelsey and Charlee have become the best of friends. They have taught each other different ways to play with their different backgrounds, they like to nap together, and even retrieve together. Kelsey has been working with my husband at catching balls and Frisbees in the air, I don’t know who is having more fun. We just wanted to thank you all again. We were looking for a friend for our Charlee and we got just that!
— The Mareks

Brandy is truly a gift from God and is fitting into our home very nicely. It is difficult to determine what may have happened to leave Brandy homeless as she appears well on her way to being a great pet. Nevertheless, we are very glad that we have her. She is very appreciative, likes her loving and is taking to her basic training very well. She enjoys her numerous walks and stretches out every chance she gets. She was checked out by our vet (Shady Grove) and everyone fell in love with her. Her appetite is good (very good) and we have taught her how to speak which helps her to express her needs. Thanks again for what you do; Brandy is an outstanding addition to our family.
— Steve A.

January–February 2008

We adopted Pogo from BARK in May and she is doing well. We are very happy to have her. She gets along with everybody here at our little horse farm... She even made friends with two young deer who showed up behind our house one morning. When Pogo first saw them, she barked a few times. The deer were curious and came closer and closer, just checking her out. I took probably 30 pictures before Pogo decided to run in the woods behind the house. I couldn’t believe my eyes when the deer followed her. About one minute later Pogo came back to the house, followed by her new friends... Enjoy!
— Karin H.

November–December 2007

Thanks for sending the newsletter. Terri e-mailed me a few months ago about sending an updated picture of “Tessa.” We have named her Patience and she is doing wonderful. She has breakthroughs every week. She has bonded extremely well to our other dog Wrigley and she is really starting to come out of her shell—she even licks my hand when I get home from work. She loves to play with our other dog and her tail wags all of the time—especially when my husband and I get home from work. Her health is great. She is at a healthy weight and her coat looks great. She is learning how to play with Kongs and she LOVES peanut butter. She is a true hunter and she will look for rabbits on her daily walks. We have a nice sized back yard and she will often run around...boy, she is fast! Please let all of her former foster parents know that she is doing so well and we are so grateful that we could give her a safe and loving home.
— Lynn and Mark M., Wrigley & Patience

September–October 2007

Riley is doing absolutely wonderful :) We really couldn’t have asked for a more perfect dog!! He is extremely affectionate and always happy. He is a bit of a couch potato and has his own couch and blanket that he claimed very quickly. He loves to go for long walks everyday (especially if he can catch sight of a squirrel :) We just took a trip back to PA last weekend and brought Riley along—he was really great with the other dogs and kids and such a big hit that we had several offers from guests to keep him as their own! I can’t imagine why anyone would have ever given up this amazing animal but I guess in a way I’m thankful they did—otherwise he would never have made it into our home. Thanks again for all of your help—we will definitely contact you again when we look for a second dog.
— Nicole

Bear is doing really well and has settled in nicely. We’re very glad to have him and he seems happy to be here too. We go on two big walks every day as well as spending a bit of time running after his favorite toy, a stuffed squirrel. At first, he wasn’t very confident and rather shy especially with other dogs but we’ve been socializing him with the neighbor dogs Shadow and Stella and now he’s very playful; we took him to a local dog park yesterday for the first time and he held his own, running and playing with the big dogs. His confidence has visibly improved and he’s very loving and happy. He’s well-behaved too and good with commands (though the urge to chase squirrels will sometimes override his best intentions!). His wonderful personality has made him a favorite with our friends and neighbors. Thanks for making it possible for us to meet Bear. We’re really pleased your organization brought us together.
— Adrienne and Paul

I just wanted to drop you a note to tell you how much we adore Pepsi, (now Maddy). She is the best dog we could have ever dreamed of!!! She is so mellow and gentle with our young girls. She is such a wonderful addition to our home. Please let Bev know how much she is loved. I know Bev had a special place in her heart for Pepsi and I want her to know that she has found her ‘forever home’ with us.
— Bob, Sue, Lauren and Sammie H.

We had to rename Bruce because we thought he looked more like a Jake—so hopefully all of Bruce’s old friends are ok with that. When I call Holly during the day I ask her how our little man is doing? He has settled in fast and even has a few dog friends that come visit. He loves to ride in our truck and our Jeep. We bought him a harness lined with sheep skin for him to wear while he is riding in the jeep. He loves to hang out wherever we are and has adapted great. He even likes riding on the pontoon boat and watching us go for a swim. He has been in the water but he still is not sure whether he likes swimming or just watching. After our little Rosie Dog passed away we had a huge empty place in our hearts and we think Rosie sent us Jake to fill some of the emptiness. Thanks Guys for giving us the chance to take Jake in to our lives and home. God Bless and great job!!
— Dolph & Holly H.

Bart is loving life I do believe!! Considering he is on our bed with a raw hide, he is very loved!! Thanks so much for bringing him into our life! He really has brought a lot of joy! He is working on sitting, laying and is doing great on a leash! Every morning we go on a walk and he has several girlfriends he is crazy about. It is so funny to see his little tail circle around with a huge grin on his face when I go to put his leash on in the mornings! I promise to continue sending updates! Thanks so much for your email. I really appreciate what you do for the rescues and paying close attention to their happiness!!!  -
— Candace H.  

Reading your newsletter has really been an eye opener. It seems so many of these poor little guys go to new homes timid and fearful. How nice it was to read that they come around and start to be happy again. Midge has finally decided that it’s in her best interest to be friends with Jerry, so except for our antisocial cat, we are one big happy family now. He’s so proud that she finally allows him to put the leash on her, that he tells everyone about it. I can see people subtley backing away from him with a frozen smile on their faces, because he forgets that they have no idea what he’s talking about, and what a huge step this was. I’ll look forward to future newsletters.
— Dolores 

Just a little note to let you know Elmer is still great. He is the most loving “little” thing. He and Shiloh have had their moments, but are starting to have fun playing outside while I am walking them. I walk them together and they chase each other and have a great time. We went to the vet today, just for a check. Guess how much Elmer weighs? The vet said he was very healthy, just a little over weight. 66.5 lbs!! Wow! He is a big one. But we are definitely walking several times a day, so we feel that will help him. Thanks!  -
— Terry

July–August 2007

We wanted to give Layla (formerly Shelia) some time to settle in before we responded, since she was such a shy girl when we got her. First, thanks to Pam and Matt for the great job they do in fostering dogs. It’s an awesome sacrifice they make and it helps so much having a sense of the personality and temperament of the dog. Layla is doing great in our home. She has fit in well with our other two BARK dogs, Lexus and Madeline. They immediately established her place in the pack by pinning her on her back and she took it in stride. She has started barking at strangers, thanks to their example, and has really come out of her shell. We have a wildlife feeder as well as two bird feeders in our backyard, so Lexus has taught her how to chase squirrels as well as showed her his favorite places to nap in the shade. Layla and Madeline are best pals and Layla follows her sister around; they love to play in the water when our sprinklers are running! We can’t say enough about the joy and love that our three four-legged kids from BARK have brought us. Each one has their own personality and preferences and we love them all. I hope those who read the website will know what a great organization BARK is and the wonderful work you do to find homes for all of these sweet dogs.
— Julie and Larry A.

Sark (AKA Thomas) is doing really well in every way. He is coming out of his shell and becoming a big-time player. I take him to work with me everyday, he is a clinic favorite. He has started his Search & Rescue training last week and is doing pretty well. Unfortunately for me he is more food motivated than toy right now so we are using chicken as his reward for “finding” people. He LOVES it. I, on the other hand hope one day he will take the toy instead, chicken is messy, but I am glad he is happy to work for something so I won’t get picky. Last Saturday he joined my distractions class on a field trip to a horse farm. He was such a good boy around the other animals, I was very impressed. Plus he wasn’t overly interested in them which is good for Search & Rescue, it wouldn’t do to have him running off into the woods chasing deer or bunnies. Thanks again for letting him join my life.
— Wendy

Tessa (who we have now named Patience Martini Meyer) is doing wonderful. She and our other dog Wrigley have really bonded and they get along very well. Wrigley is about a year and half old. We took Patience to the vet and estimates that she is between 4–5 years old. We are sad that we won’t have her as long, but we will maximize the time we have... She loves her morning and evening walks. Mark and I take them out each morning and after dinner. There is a cute hound dog up the street who keeps flirting with her. We had a major break through with her a few weeks ago—she actually licked my arm... a small, but very good sign. She is starting to get excited when we get home and her tail starts to wag. She has learned the word “cookie” for dog biscuit, so we are figuring out what makes her happy. She and Wrigley sleep in their beds next to ours—too cute... We are just thrilled to have adopted her.
— Lynn, Mark, Wrigley & Patience Meyer

Just finished reading updates on the adoptees. So glad all are doing so well. I adopted Essa last fall and she has been a delight—especially for an “old gal.” She sleeps by my bed and NEVER leaves me when I’m at home. (Would love to go to the bathroom just once alone, but she’s worth the lack of privacy.) The vet said she was about 9 years old, but is in great shape. She loves her walks and likes to be in the middle of everything. Likes to ride in the front or back seat with her new “seat belt.” Thank you, thank you.
— Susan M.

April–June 2007

Thanks for checking in on Sallie. Sallie is doing AWESOME! She has really adapted well to her new home and she is a great addition to our family! Sallie is fully housebroken and loves to be outside with the kids. She loves being on the farm and she has really settled in well. Sallie has put on a few pounds and is very healthy. She got to stay with Carrie and Todd for two days when we went to visit Baltimore and she seemed to love seeing all her old buddies. PLEASE keep doing the work you’re doing for the dogs, it is a huge blessing to all (both the dogs and the families). We are considering making a part of our farm available to take in pets who are waiting to be adopted. Have a very blessed week!
— Tom, Diana, Josh, Ryan, Nikki, Jacob, and Sallie W.

Lizzy seems to be happy here and we enjoy her. She loves when I take her to the Hanover Dog Park to run with other dogs. She doesn’t know about balls and toys. So the dogs chase the ball and she chases them. If the ball is soft, broken and slimy enough she might play with it. She loves to be around people and kids. Wish we had some, she would enjoy their company. Occasionally neighbor kids come and run with her. She looks for the school bus in the afternoon. We were lucky to find her. Thank all the BARK volunteers for us.
— Linda S.

Spot puppy, who I renamed Max, is doing great! He is about 35 pounds and the vet thinks he has reached his size limit. He loves to play with his toys, fetch and go for long walks. He is really healthy and is very well behaved. This week he is going to go to Doggy Day Care for the first time so he can play with some new friends! Everyone who meets him thinks he is so cute and I have to agree! Thank you so much for my Max, I love him so much!
— Sara G.

January–March 2007

Timmie is doing great and she seems very happy. I absolutely love her and she’s really made our lives better. I did change her name to Ani but she doesn’t seem to mind. She’s got a lot of energy and a few minor bad habits (i.e. chewing) but nothing unexpected for her age, plus, she’s so cute you just can’t get mad! We are in training classes and she is so smart that she catches on to new tricks right away. She is settling into a routine and getting along fine now with her new doggie sister, Clarity. Clarity is shorter then Ani, so when they play, Ani rolls on her back or lets Clarity get up on the couch to be fair. Ani’s favorite thing seems to be crawling under the covers in my bed with a toy. I wanted to thank everyone at BARK for all that you do to help dogs, and for rescuing Ani. I love her so much, I can't imagine not having her here.
— Karen

Mia is doing great! She doesn’t like to potty in the snow—but she LOVES to play in the snow.  She jumps in it and it is hysterical. She is my lovebug and pretty much has the run of the house (with some boundaries of course). I cannot thank BARK enough for suggesting and explaining adoption to us. We are all so very happy with her. Thank you for Mia and everything.
— Kathi

Veronica is now exclusively Zuzka... and she is slowly-but-surely feeling more and more ‘at home’ in her new (permanent) home. She has been very easy to scare with any sudden noises, as you know... so I’m trying to counteract that by keeping the tv loud and by cleaning my house as loudly as possible... at first, she curled up scared, but now she’s accustomed to it. I’ve noticed that she no longer gets scared when a car passes during our walks... This is week two that I’ve left her free to roam the house outside her crate while I’m at work... She hasn’t chewed anything other than her toys... and has only had one accident—but that was while I was at home... possibly a reaction to some new treats... other than that, she has been 100% adorable. Our visit to Caring Hands last weekend confirmed that Zuzka is completely healthy... Next week, I will take her back there for grooming and nail clipping... I haven’t taken her in the car for anything since I picked her up... I’m waiting for an opportunity that is short and sweet for her... perhaps her first car ride will be our visit to Dogma in a couple of weeks... She’s a darling darling dog... I look forward to her coming completely out of her ‘shy’ shell eventually... Cheers!
— Miguel
*A special note on Veronica from her foster mom, Laura S.
She’s sort of a ‘Bark Alumni’, she had been a bark dog since she was eight weeks old in June 2005, and was adopted officially on January 20, 2007. She waited over a year and a half for her permanent home. She was surely worth all the efforts and love in foster. She’s a sweetie and it’s very rewarding emotionally to see her come ‘full circle’ (from a shy dog that was scared of most everything to blossoming in her new home)... She looks very settled in and confident. What a gal she is.

I just wanted to let you know that Sheba, who we now call Mara, is doing very well in her new home. She loves to sit by the fire and chew on some rawhide bones with her brother Houston. I was home with Riley yesterday... and Mara stretched out on the futon with us and actually watched Lady and the Tramp! She gets along well with Houston and is wonderful with Riley. Thank you for helping us find the perfect new addition to our family!
— Lindsay Z.
Here’s a note from Mara:
I am doing very well in my new home. Christmas was GREAT! I got lots of Rawhide chews and some pig ears. I also got a really noisy ball! Today I am just taking it easy with my new brother Houston and my cousin Layla. My two legged sister, Riley, got both me and my brother a trip to the Pet Smart salon for Christmas—we are going tomorrow morning at 10:00am; I can’t wait! Things here sure are fun. Mom has been off for the Christmas break, so I get to run outside and play all day, then I head into the kitchen to help Mom with dinner (I clean the floor immediately if anything drops—I helped a lot last night with the Turkey). My new parents got me a really nice bed; however, I don't want them to miss me too much, so I just sleep with them! There goes my noisy ball—gotta run! 
— Mara

November–December 2006

Since day one, Biscuit (whom we have renamed Hooper from the movie Jaws), has adjusted wonderfully to his new home. He and Jericho (our other dog) have become the best of friends. When they are outside, they are both high energy and complement each other nicely. There is never a dull moment in their lives. While inside they enjoy confiscating the couch, playing tug, and eating the occasional doggy biscuit (go figure!). Sometimes we even catch them sneaking kisses. Their relationship has truly blossomed into something special. I can’t even begin to describe how happy we are for the both of them. Jericho recently had a FCE (Fibrocartilagenous Embolism) while they were playing in the backyard, and since we were home at the time, we were able to rush her to the ER right away. When it initially happenned Biscuit/Hooper was by her side the whole time. He’s also been really supportive of her recovery. He has been her motivation to get better. You can tell he really loves her. I should also mention that he gets along great with our cat Punkin’. He sniffs her a lot and tries to get her to play. Sometimes she even engages him. He’s always very gentle with her. He is definitely one of the sweetest dogs I’ve ever known. Thanks for everything!
— Rebecca, Krista, Hooper, Jericho and Punkin

October 2006

I just wanted to let you know that Pearl (now named Stella) is my new hero. On Labor Day (4 September 2006), someone broke into my apartment at 3:00am WHILE I WAS IN THERE. The person came up the three flights on the fire escape to my apartment and kicked in the window fan. I heard all of this and was terrified. Thankfully, my bedroom door was closed and I had Stella in the room with me. She barked and growled possibly preventing the burglar from coming into my room. The burglar left without causing any physical harm to me or the dog. I ultimately decided that Baltimore wasn’t the best place for me. I’ve moved back to New Orleans with Stella. We are both fine and feel safe. Stella has her own yard now and is adjusting to her new surroundings. I just wanted to let you know how brave Stella was when I needed her to be. She is my new hero!
— Lillian

We adopted Zeke, a 5-year old, very polite Beagle mix who’s had some serious training. The kids love him and we all seem to have bonded well together. The only thing we need to do is get him on a proper schedule and everything should be fine. He’s a great addition to our home and I know he likes it here.
— Hugh

September 2006

Thank you for updating us on BARK and all of the great work that you do. I, too, would like to share our successful adoption story. We had the pleasure of finding and adopting Cooper, the black lab that was severely malnourished and desperate to find a family just like the one that left him at Henrico County pound. We’re happy to announce that since Cooper’s (we kept his original name) adoption, he has gained 15 lbs and has become the BEAUTIFUL dog that we knew he could be. My daughter is his best friend and has abandoned all of her toys for rolling around with Cooper. Please be rest assured that Cooper is in great hands and has added a missing link to the Lemon family!
— Jill L.

Tammy Faye has been renamed Taffy (she responded very well!) and is doing great. She settled in very quickly and is a great companion to her ‘brother’ Keefer. They love to ‘rough and tumble’ together and play tug of war with their toys. Needless to say they have destroyed most of the stuffed toys!!! Taffy is doing good with her basic raining (learning to ‘heel and sit’ on our walks and loves to wade in the kiddie pool we have put out for the dogs in the recent hot weather. Need to download some pics to send but here is one taken shortly after we brought her home.
— Amie

August 2006

Just a quick update. Pibbs is doing wonderfully!!! He is super fun! He has such high spirit... we have played lots of ball and fetch with him... and he is very unique at the height of his jumps and cute flips he does. We are working with him on his kisses... he tends to jump up and give them... and we are trying to get him to tone it down some but he is doing great.  Mason has a fit in the morning to get him out of the crate to play. Pibbs and Sarah and I go to get him and Wiley and they are so excited to play with Pibbs. Mr Wiley has been a super sport through it all. He is taking Pibbs in, and loving having his new pack member. The kids are loving the dogs to pieces ...they can’t get enough of playing with them. We are  finding that each child has a dog at their speed. Tori is learning slowly how to get Pibbs to work with her and listen to her...he can be a handful when leading but loves to be walked with Mason. We did a three hour walk this evening and they are so worn out... Mason is snoring!! 
— Carolyn

Blue Belle is now called Lilly and is doing wonderful. We are getting her socialized and in eleven days is doing great. We love her lots and she is right at home here. It seems like Lilly was meant to be with us. She has only had one accident in the house and seems to be housebroken already. Thank you all so much and please give a special thanks to Amy for all she did in helping us find the perfect addition to our household.
— Barbara G.

July 2006

Jingle has her own BLOG!

We actually changed Joanie’s name to Hallie. I’m sending a couple of pics of her (and Hank) enjoying the beach and bay. They are getting along beautifully. Hallie can already swim out as far as Hank! She’s been a little sick, but after several trips to the vet and a change in diet, she seems to be getting better. We are so happy with her and Hank. You guys are awesome to work with. We’ve actually met a lot of people here on the beach who also love dogs and are looking to adopt, and we’ve recommended you guys and petfinder.com!  
— Shandi

June 2006

Rudy has been re-named Snoopy and he responds well to his new name. He has done EXCELLENT with his crate training and loves to play with my 5-year-old son. They have become best friends! He even gets along well with our cat, Chloe. Snoopy is very happy and healthy and learns very fast and is growing larger by the day. He is so well behaved for a puppy. We can’t wait to get him out to the beach this summer to play in the water!!! Thank you very much for the newest addition to our family. We love him!
— Denise A.

I just wanted to let you know that we have been nothing but thrilled with the Basset Hound, Fletcher, that we adopted!!!! We adopted him in January, and he has been such a wonderful friend to our family!  We are leaving for vacation tomorrow, and unfortunately couldn’t take Fletcher with us... We left him with my mother-in-law today, and my twins—who are 4—actually cried when we left, not saying good bye to Grammy, but to Fletcher!!!! It was so sweet!!!! From what we were told, Fletcher was found on the side of the road, and quite frankly I cannot believe how lucky we are to have him as an addition to our family! How anyone could ever lose him, I don't know... Thank you so much, we love him dearly!!!!
— Stacey, Jimmy, Tyler, Zachary, Tori and Cassidy... and Fletcher!

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