Lexi GrafeAmazing Dog Rescue Stories
Did you know that approximately 6.5 million animals enter animal shelters nationwide every year? According to the ASPCA, approximately 3.3 million are dogs and 3.2 million are cats. Fortunately, due to increased awareness and advocacy, adoption has increased 18% in the past couple years. An increase in adoption provides us with some amazing dog rescue stories!
April 30th is National Adopt a Shelter Pet Day, which means today is a day where all proud owners of rescue animals hug their furry friends close. The purpose of today is to create awareness for the millions of animals that are waiting to be rescued from shelters.
Outward Hound has over 25 office dogs, that have become a part of the family. Most these dogs are rescues, so a few of these happy owners are sharing their amazing dog rescue stories with you today!
Charlie
“Charlie is originally from Oklahoma. Born on November 5th, 2017, his litter was sadly found on the side of the road just one week later. A good Samaritan scooped up the pups and pleaded on social media for someone to take in this litter of puppies. Thankfully a rescue in Colorado agreed to take in all of the puppies which is where we found Charlie, originally named Lincoln. With zero expectations of getting a puppy, I stumbled across photos online of the litter and told my husband we had to go see them. Unfortunately, when we reached out, it was too late. Someone else had already adopted him and the rest of his brothers and sisters.
However, three days later we received a call from the rescue. The previous home didn’t work out and he was back up for adoption. Without even meeting him, we agreed to adopt Charlie. Before we knew it, we were on our way to pick him up! It was the best spontaneous decision we’ve ever made! He has adapted to Colorado just in time for the snow, naps frequently, watches TV with mom and dad and has found his new best friend in our other dog.”
-Britni
Tyler
“I adopted Tyler when he was 6 months old from the local Humane Society where I volunteered. The shelter had very little background on him since he had been transferred there from a different rescue. He was very skinny and scared of EVERYTHING. The poor pup had to be carried out to my car after the adoption papers were complete because he was too scared to leave the building and was afraid of going outside.
Now, he’s 7 years old and his favorite thing in the world is hiking in the Colorado Rocky Mountains with me and my boyfriend. It was a long and slow process to get him to the confident, hiking companion he is today, but worth every moment to see him grow and learn to trust. He also has become quite the snuggle monster and loves to be cuddled up into a heap of blankets. Pretty impressive for a pup that used to be afraid of all people, sounds, the outdoors, etc. He’s a wonderful and special dog. We feel so lucky to have found him!”
-Kaitlyn
Echo
“We adopted Echo when she was 2 yrs old from Denver’s Downtown Shelter, MaxFund. Her name when we adopted her was Sookie. We found this hilarious and she immediately became Echo to us. Echo had been relinquished to the shelter from her original owner because she would be left at their apartment for up to 12hrs on her own. As a result, we have had to work with her separation anxiety on many levels. Echo was actually adopted from Maxfund two weeks before we met her, but sadly they returned her because of how much extra attention she needed. Lucky for us though, in July 2015, my daughter and I became her forever home.
It so happened, that I started at Outward Hound a month after adopting her and we have been attached ever since. She is my daughter’s best friend, my emotional support on the go and a real member of our family at home. Not to mention, she’s been a part of our Outward Hound family for almost 3yrs. Echo is our unofficial Fit Model for Outward Hound and has been an integral player in the development of the Standley Life Jacket, our Crest Stone & Urban Hiking packs, our new Hands-free Hipster AND our three new Coats (The Durango, The Silverton & The Telluride). Currently, Echo and I are working on training to achieve Canine Citizenship. If Echo could talk, I’m sure she wouldn’t ask for anything more than a lifetime supply of liver treats.”
– Sunny
Archer
“It was a normal day in New York City, when my wife was watching the news, and suddenly saw an adorable puppy on the big screen. Apparently, the news was highlighting an animal shelter and featuring adoptable dogs and puppies. After seeing those puppy eyes, my wife was out the door in a flash and adopted him on the spot! We named our little pup, Archer. Thank goodness he had his five minutes of fame, otherwise, we would have never found him! Now, he’s one happy former rescue mix living in Denver with floppy ears, panda eyes and a heart of gold.”
– Graham
BONUS: Keep up to date on his adventures at @allaboutarcher
Hemingway & Finnegan
We can’t forget about our rescued cats either!
“We found Hemingway at the Denver Dumb Friends League in 2012. He was a bit older cat and had been at the shelter for a while. When we visited with him in the visiting room, he instantly climbed up on us and we knew he was ours! He is a sweetheart who loves his treats…perhaps a bit TOO much! His now best-friend, Finnegan was rescued in 2013, after a long stay in a rescue. After some initial anxiety, he has become a very social guy! He loves to play with toys, he will play fetch, and he is most happy where ever the people are!”
– Talitha
Tell us your story
Adopting a pet is a commitment, but shelter workers who know the pets best can help you find the perfect match. Celebrate this special day by adopting a best friend for life. The humans and our furry friends at Outward Hound, wish you all a Happy National Adopt a Shelter Pet Day!
We want to hear your amazing dog rescue stories too! If you want to be featured in an upcoming blog post about rescue stories, e-mail lexi.grafe@outwardhound.com with your story.
