When we first started talking about adopting a dog, we started looking on the shelter and rescue websites, and visiting the pounds and shelters, but none of the ones we found were what we were looking for. We had something specific in mind, an older dog and one with some kind of a disability, but nothing matched what we were hoping to find. Kevin, my husband, is disabled with some health issues that prevent him from working outside the home now, but he’s perfectly capable of living a somewhat normal life and doing all the things needed to care for a dog.
One evening, I found your website and ran across the picture of “Toby”… a cute, shaggy little dog who melted my heart the minute I saw his picture. He wasn’t a puppy, he was 8-years-old, and totally blind. We looked at that picture off and on all evening and I couldn’t wait to contact you to set up a time to meet him. We filled out the application and his foster mom, Katie called and it was as if God was saying, “this is your dog”.
Kevin and I both talked to her and we agreed to meet at the end of the week. Those days couldn’t pass fast enough for us. On Friday, our appointment was at 6, but we were so excited we actually arrived at the location at 5 and just waited for them to arrive. Toby was a champagne colored, shaggy little guy and we fell in love with him right then and there. We gave him a new name to go along with his new family. His name is now Jake, a character in a John Wayne movie.
Jake has been with us now since the Spring. Adopting him has been the best thing that’s ever happened to us. He’s so smart, and so well behaved, he’s polite, he’s gentle, he’s sweet, he loves to play with his toys and he’s very, very good at tug-of-war. He also loves to ride in the car. He’s just the best dog in the world and I still can’t believe we found him.
He’s learned his way around our apartment, so he can find his food/water. He knows where his toys are. He lets us know when he needs to go out. He can jump up and down off the couch, but we have to help him on the bed as it’s a little too tall for him. We have had the best experience with him that we could ever have hoped for. To be honest with you, it’s also been such a blessing for Kevin. He’s home alone days and now he has Jake to take care of and talk to. Jake is Kevin’s buddy for sure. When I get home from work, I sit down on the couch and he comes over and sits on my lap for about a minute, then he’s right back to Kevin. It makes me so happy.
I have a picture of Jake on my desk at work with a sign that says, “Saving one dog won’t change the world, but for that one dog, the world will change forever”…. And I believe that with all my heart. It not only changed Jake’s life, but it changed ours as well for the better. I promote “Safe Haven” every chance I get and I tell everyone I can about pet adoption and rescue. We just can’t say enough great things about your organization. If you had t-shirts with Safe Haven on it, I’d wear it all over town to promote more people to give it a chance.
Thank you for everything you did to take care of Jake during the time he was in your care. He’s a perfect little dog and we promise to make the rest of his life as happy as any dog could ever want. WE have no idea what his story was before you found him, but we know what his story is now.
I hope you will keep in touch. I have attached a picture of him after his first haircut. Who knew such a sweet little face was under all that fur!!!!!