BAILEY
After losing one of our precious babies to Lymphoma in March (our golden-mix named Buster), Bailey was just the thing to take our minds off the horrible pain we were feeling. Although he had a pretty bad case of Separation Anxiety when we brought him home (some of his nicknames were Jailbreak, Bruiser and Houdini, due to his 5 successful kennel breakouts), after 3 months of hard work, determination, PATIENCE, some behavioral management therapy from our vet (don't be afraid to ask for help!!) and lots of love, Bailey has become a wonderfully sweet, smart and well-adjusted 11-month old. He keeps our 3-year old Sheltie named Sebastian busy with all of the running, playing and general nuisance that two young dogs can get into. And, he's managed somehow to sneak into my heart more and more every day. While you can't replace any beloved pet that you lose, you can give a home to another furfriend in need. I'm certain that Buster is up on the Rainbow Bridge, smiling and happy because of it. Thank you, Homeward Bound, for all of the wonderful work you do!

UPDATE: It's amazing as I look back over the last year and realize that on April 20th, it will have been one year since we brought Bailey home with us from an adoption at the Eagan Petco. In that year, the hole in my heart that was created when our Buster went to the Rainbow Bridge has healed steadily as I've watched my two babies (Bailey and our Sheltie named Sebastian) grow to be the best of friends. Of course, after we successfully settled him in and were able to wean him off his anxiety medication, we then uprooted the poor guy and our now in the process of relocating to Florida! So, just as a precaution and a means of helping him through it, Bailey is back on his anxiety medication and is doing just wonderful in our "temporary" housing until the move in May. Both he and Sebastian have taken over my parents' backyard, and are having a great time keeping it duck-free, bird-free, squirrel-free and anything-that-moves free.

Bailey has one of those sweet, even tempered personalities that only come around so often. I don't believe he's ever growled or shown his teeth, except when playing happily with his brother Sebastian. Only recently has he started showing his "hunting" abilities by displaying a full point at a duck and having the hair on his back stand up straight (like a Mohawk). My father jokes that we should take him out and let him run with my brother's two hunting dogs (German Shorthaired Pointers), but my thought is that he would probably get lost and come looking for his Mom and Dad. Why is this? Because my Bailey is all about fun! He loves a woolie toy, a good Nylabone or just a walk around the block, followed by a rousing game of chase with Sebastian. When the day is done, he'll climb into his bed (usually ours) to go to sleep. And, no, neither of us ever have the heart to kick him out. Needless to say, we're buying a larger bed when we reach our new home in Florida.

And so, after all of that, I just wanted to thank you for rescuing Bailey from where ever it was he came from. My guess has been that he was abandoned and/or neglected, due to his nightmares (fewer and farther between now) and his need to ALWAYS have fresh drinking water around. In the beginning, I wanted to find those people responsible and make them suffer for their heartless cruelty. But after a year of having him with us, the only thing I find myself doing is thanking God every night that both he and his brother Sebastian are safely in bed (literally!) with us.

Keep up the wonderful work that you do!

MALLORY
My husband and I adopted Mallory (formerly Flo) in May 2003. When I saw Flo on the website I was inexplicably drawn to her. She was considered a "special needs" dog because she was so timid and frightened of new things, new people, basically everything. I watched her on the website for approximately three weeks while my husband and I discussed whether or not we were ready for the challenge of another dog in need of special attention. You see, our 17+ year old Lhasa had passed away in July 2002, and we had needed a good break from all the medications and issues that come along with a geriatric, formerly abused, Lhasa Apso. We finally decided to attend the Homeward Bound adoption at Petco and just check it out. If after meeting Flo it didn't seem right, we would leave her for another good family.

I immediately sought out Flo when we arrived at Petco. I saw her in a cage back in the corner and approached cautiously because I knew she was timid and was sometimes a fear biter. The little black dog in the cage smelled my hand, jumped up on the side of the cage, and "asked" me to pick her up. I kept thinking this couldn't possibly be the right dog; Flo would never be this outgoing. Well, I did pick up the sweet little girl, and then I refused to put her back down for fear some other person would want to see her! I knew from the very first moment that she was MY dog. My husband says Mallory saw this sucker coming from a mile away, but I think it was just meant to be.

When we took Mallory home, she did not know how to wear a collar or walk on a leash. She was afraid of EVERYTHING...walking in and out of doors was traumatic, and exploring each room in our house was extremely frightening. But despite all of her fears, she gave us so much love throughout the process of assimilating to her new life. Mallory now has become fairly confident in her own surroundings, and we are working on building overall confidence through obedience training, lots of walks, and weekly visits to a great doggy day-care center. Her little Lhasa personality is really beginning to shine through and we couldn't be happier about our decision to adopt her.

We want to thank Homeward Bound for all the great work you are doing. You gave Mallory a second chance to realize the kind of life a sweet little dog should have, and in the process you have added tremendously to our lives as well.

Jack & Jill Patterson

MADDIE
Maddie has impacted all of our lives! She was so thin when we got her, and so scared, but now she seems to have settled right in. Her previous owners abused her and she is slowly gained back courage. She loves to chase birds in the yard (probably because she's part springer spaniel). The neighbor dogs are nice and she made new
Right now she is attending doggie school and she is learning quickly! The day we got her, I could tell she was a little worried. Her fears are now behind her. She
'makin' tracks' to a new life! Thank you so much Homeward Bound!

ASPEN
I just wanted to send this photo and to tell you what a joy Aspen is. She is so beautiful and the tail is up waging more and more. We are in puppy school at A1 (she rocks at puppy school) and she now prances in the door versus being pulled in the door like the first two classes. I'm thinking agility classes in the future because she loves to run around the yard and jump off the deck, she is just beautiful when she is running and jumping. She has gain weight, but is somewhat frighten of people as we go for walks, we are working at that. She sings to me to remind me she wants to go for a walk or when she is hungry. Her coat is so soft and there is a reddish colour coming in down her back, can't really see that on the photo. Again she is such a joy and we just love her. Thanks for taking such good care of her...

Cheri & Aspen

KAISER
Homeward Bound —
My husband and I adopted Kaiser (formerly Ziller), a miniature dachshund, from Homeward Bound over three years ago. Kaiser has so much love for us and takes his task of guarding his home very seriously. We feel so lucky to have been led to the Homeward Bound adoption that day. Although Kaiser has always gotten along wonderfully with our strong-willed cats, we felt he would really love the company of another dog. In February we adopted Desmond from a family who needed to find him a new home. Kaiser has easily moved into the role of big (?) brother and loves running around with his new friend. Thanks so much to Homeward Bound for the work that you do every day, our family wouldn't be complete without your help.

Kari Boe Schmidtz & Tyler Schmidtz

PATTY
Hi—We just wanted to let you know how thrilled we are with our decision to adopt Patty. Patty became a member of our family in Jan. 2003. As you can tell from the picture she's adjusted amazingly well to our family. We feel so lucky to have her in our lives. She is a sweet girl, who's favorite thing is to lay in bed between my husband and I(on her back, feet in the air, head on the pillow). We saw her picture on the website and knew immediately that she was the dog for us. We drove and hour and 15 min. in a snowstorm to get her, our biggest fear was that someone else would get her before us. As we waited patiently for all the volunteers to set everything up we saw her being brought in. My husband and I both got tears in our eyes. Since then the adjustment has been so smooth. I expected a few accidents, but we didn't have any problems. She is a grateful, sappy girl. She even tolerates my one year sitting on her like a horse. Thanks for all that you do, keep up the great work. I tell everyone I know about Homeward Bound.

Sincerely, Jennifer Larson

COOPER (Formerly known as Copper)
The girls had been saving their money for over a year for a dog. They really wanted a puppy, but I talked them into getting a grown dog. We went to meet Cooper at Petco. He was fairly quiet and polite at the store. We had been looking for a lab or golden retriever because they are known family dogs. We scored big with Cooper. He is a terrific dog. Beyond all the niceties of a grown dog (i.e. potty trained, no longer chewing etc), Cooper has charmed us with his personality and puppy heart. He is very smart, affectionate, happy and funny. He has learned that he can get the girls to chase him if he steals their stuffed animals. The minute he hears the treat closet open he will then give them up without a fight. Cooper has been a wonderful addition to our family and even the cats have come to realize he is here to stay. The day we adopted him my oldest daughter said, "Mom, my heart is all jittery. I'm so excited. This is the best day of my life!" Thank you to all the dedicated volunteers that comprise Homeward Bound.

TEEGA & KURI
My wife came home one fall afternoon and says "Come see what I got at the Pet store today." I went outside and there was a 9 mos old Akita male named Teega. His former name was Antigua. He has been a HUGE part of our lives and we love him very much. Teega is (or thinks) he is a lap dog and gets along with all dogs and kids very well. We decided to get him a companion. Her name is Kuri she is a little black Akita. The two are now unseparable. My family would like to thank you very much for this great addition to our family.

Regards,
Jerad Rask

BUDDY
Dear Homeward Bound, I wanted to give you an update on our sweet dog Buddy. As a family we decided to go to Petco to look at the dogs up for adoption and get dog food of course, since we have two other German Shepherds at home. We had absolutely NO intentions of getting another dog but I always like to keep my eyes open for "other" people. Well what can I say? My son and I saw two adorable four month old German Shepherd puppies just waiting to be adopted. I grabbed one and my son took Buddy and we played with them for about two hours while my husband kept saying, "we are NOT getting another dog." I asked Cheryl to put Buddy on hold for an hour so I could go home to convince my husband. Twenty minutes later we were back at Petco adopting Buddy. When we brought him home it took about two minutes of checking out the new guy in town from our other dogs before they all started running around together. It was so cute to see Buddy running after Smoke and Charlie like he'd known them all his young life. Buddy is such a great addition to our family. He follows us around where ever we go, the kitchen, family room, bathroom, do I need to go on?!! You should see what a sight we are when we go for walks! I have one leash with a three pronged leather extension that all three dogs can be hooked to. They absolutely love it and are amazingly well behaved while walking. People can't believe we can actually walk three Shepherds on one leash without being dragged into oblivion! Believe it or not, it can be done if the dogs know who's boss. That would be ME!! Thank you Homeward Bound for your loving concern for all the animals you bring in. I tell anyone and everyone who is considering getting a dog to check what is available at Homeward Bound first. There are so many wonderful pets to be had that need a loving home and the love you get in return is fourfold! By the way,if you are wondering what my son is holding in his hand, it's a giant mushroom buddy found in the woods and started playing with, thinking it was a giant tennis ball! Thank you again for all the love you give to these homeless animals.

SAM
We LOVE Sam!! He is so sweet and such a wonderful addition to our family, and such a sweet dog. We prayed for the perfect dog for 1 year and here he is, in our home. We even let him have run of the house because he is so well-mannered and personable. He doesn't bark or lick, doesn't demand attention but always sticks around us, doesn't jump up on us, and is completely potty trained. Just hangs out with us and brings us his ball (which is just like his security blanket) and enjoys just hanging out with us or going for a walk. We couldn't be happier with our newest family member!

Thanks.
Julie Newell

SADIE (on left) & RIO (on right)
Both Rio and Sadie (Lula) were Homeward Bound dogs. We adopted Rio in July 2001 and Sadie in December 2002. We had such a good experience with Rio, we wanted another dog. Rio is our little "princess". He doesn't like to get his paws wet and doesn't like to be ouside if it's too cold or windy. His favorite "job" is to patrol the fence to ensure that the geese in the pond don't get too close. Sadie is our klutz. She thinks she is as little as Rio. She looks up to her big brother Rio, and has picked up on many of his mannerisms and games. Although Rio maintains his spot as dominant dog, Sadie has learned quickly how to push his buttons. This picture was taken after a long day of walking and playing in the backyard. Rio and Sadie are both wonderful dogs, and we'd like to thank Homeward Bound for rescuing them.

INDIANA
This is Indiana, formerly Dervish, who we adopted July of 2002. He is the cutest little boy you've ever seen. He is very intelligent...sometimes too smart. We love teaching him new commands and new tricks.

Like we said, Indiana was formerly named Dervish, which means twirling in circles. At the time, we didn't think much of that name. However, after six months with us, after the chew toys and bones we no longer exciting, Indiana discovered his tail! He began going wild, turning in circles chasing his tail, and not to mention pulling himself around the house by it! The name finally made sense. We love his crazy antics.

Indiana is a very happy dog who loves everyone unconditionally. We can't imagine our lives without him! Thank you Homeward Bound.

Thanks Again,
The Raymonds
Rogers, MN

Jason and Michelle Behun

BUDDY (puppy of Francie)
I was inspired to write a story about our puppy after sharing some pictures with his foster mom and then seeing the miraculous change in Francie posted on the site. Buddy is one of Francie's puppies and my husband and I adopted him in late September 2002. We had only seen the first picture of Francie so it's been very exciting for us to figure out just how big he'll get, and what he'll look like; a lot more of dad (German Shepherd) is coming out in his curly tail and five O'clock shadow on his face.

Some of Buddy's favorite activities are playing chase around the coffee table, throwing rawhides in the air, eating snow, and running in the back yard like a wild man. He loves for you to throw the tennis ball, but sometimes finds it more fun to run away with it if he can get you to chase him. He is an energetic jumper and loves to catch snowballs in the air. He absolutely adores children and loves when our 3 yr old niece comes for her biweekly visit. Buddy has a wonderful and loving personality. He loves to snuggle, whether it is while chewing rawhides or looking for a good place to nap. Buddy has been a delight to us these past 6 months, and we look forward to a lifetime of love with him. (Picture by the stairs...this was his biggest adventure learning to climb the stairs. He loved them so much it was a popular place for naps as a puppy. Now days he barely fits on just one step.)

— Heather, Gary & Buddy Berscheit

CHAMP
I just want to thank you for your work at Homeward Bound. We adopted Champ (our name, not sure if he had a name when he was with you) in December, and we just love him. He was 10 weeks old at the time. He did give us a scare about seven days after we brought him home, when he stopped eating and drinking, but the vet got him back in tip top shape.

Champ is very much a loved member of the family, and we are so happy to have him. He loves to play chase (where the kids chase him) and he already sits politely and waits to be told it's okay to eat his food. He also is completely trust worthy in his house training. He rings a bell we hung on the back door to go outside. He is very gentle with the kids and the cats (well the only one that lets Champ get even remotely close to him). We couldn't be happier.

Thank you for helping wonderful animals like Champ find homes where they can be loved and appreciated. Please give a big thank you to Cheryl Adams for helping me select the perfect puppy for our family. She was right "he was the best one in the lot" :0) And also thank Katie Adams for taking the extra time from her schedule to allow me to pick Champ up Sunday, when we couldn't bring him home on adoption day.

Traci Ortega

BOOMER
This is Boomer on the left, formerly Jaco. We adopted him in August, 2002. He's with his best friend, Maggie. He follows her around every where and she seems to enjoy his company. Sometimes they even play together. She likes bottle caps and will bat them around, and he retrieves them for her if they get too far away.

He's one amazing dog, and we're so happy he's a part of our lives. He had a pretty rough life before Homeward Bound rescued him. He was very shy and scared. Now he's a confident little beagle. He's passed basic obedience and is learning how to bark at squirrels. He loves his toys, loves having his tummy scratched, and really loves running around in the back yard. He has even learned that people aren't so bad, and enjoys meeting and being scratched by people on his walks.

Thank you to Homeward Bound for this very special dog! Every day he is so much fun to have around.

Emily & Erik

ANGEL
Three years ago this month I was scanning the pets for sale in the local paper when the Homeward Bound ad caught my eye. They had an Amstaff for adoption. I had to go look. And Angel entered my life. I have not regretted one minute since I got her! This is the happiest, goofiest, lovingest, wonderful spirit ever! I say spirit because all it takes is one look in her eyes to see she's not just a dog. She's my Chubby Girl! I also have a 12 year old American Pit Bull male who thinks she's kinda special — she loves to wash his face and ears for him. And we have recently added a 5 month old female American Pit Bull to the mix. Angel makes a perfect momma dog for her. I would like to thank the people at Homeward Bound for the good work they do and for saving my Angel from the pound so I could find her. She's a keeper!!

Thanx!
Have A Nice Day!
Jody Storebo

BOB
I first met Bob (pug/Chihuahua mix) at a Homeward Bound pet adoption in 1998. I got there early and could tell right away that he was a special dog, so I had to get him. He was one year old at the time and it took a little while for him to feel comfortable in his new surroundings; I think he had been abandoned and abused. Bob is about the sweetest dog you will ever meet, is extremely intelligent and has been a spectacular dog. He has had some adventures such as a back injury last year that left his back legs paralyzed. Bob was able to recover from his injury without surgery and is now chasing squirrels and rabbits out of the yard just as fast as he was before! He is unable to jump and climb like he could before but that is okay, he is still very happy and he gets in less trouble. Many thanks to Homeward Bound for saving such a wonderful dog as Bob.

Kurt Schlagel
Minneapolis, MN

GLORY & ABBY
We knew we wanted a dog to love and cherish, we didn't think we would find two. We were researching dog adoptions and noticed that you do a lot of showings at a Petco near us.

Hoping that we might find a child to call our own, we visited the Petco right when you were ready to open. Glory was staring right at us. This beautiful, breathtaking Husky needed a home. She was telling us she wanted to go to a loving home, and she did that day. There was a problem when my husband and I were walking around to see the other dogs up for adoption I saw a puppy. She was a Boxer/Pitbull/Lab mix, and the cutest brown eyes ever. She was playing with her brothers and sister. She was a ball of fire. So we took these two cute pups on a walk together and they haven't been separated since. They are true sisters.

When we picked up Glory she was thought to be about 1 year old. The pup was about 10 weeks old. Glory needed to show the kid the ropes. Glory helped teach Abby (or Abbigail) to go out side to the bathroom. How to walk well and how to be a true dog. Even though Abby was the pup she taught Glory a thing or two. Abby has a blast playing Tug of War and playing fetch. Glory wasn't very playful with toys at the beginning but she is Abby's best friend. They do everything together. Sleep in the same kennel on car rides (they hate being apart), lay on the beds (theirs and ours)together, and eat at the same time. They won't even eat without each other.

It has been a year and a half since we adopted these two darlings from your wonderful rescue. We first were living in a house with a large yard, now we are living in a townhouse in Chicago.

Even though it would seem like the dogs don't have a free place to run there is beach one block away. The girls are having the time of their lives down here in Chicago. We play fetch on the beach with Abby, Glory just gets to sniff around and dig in the sand. Glory still has a problem running away. We have learned how to best handle her now after running away 3 times in Minnesota.

These two girls have meant the world to me and my husband. Without them I wouldn't laugh and smile half as much. They bring so much joy and happiness to our lives, and it is all because of you. You made this family what it is, happy, playful and healthy. We can't thank you enough for these to bundles of joy. They are our true children.

Thank you for what you do. It is one of the hardest jobs I could imagine having, and you do it great.

You have made the best thing in our lives a reality, our children, Glory the Husky and Abby the Mix puppy.

Thank you again

The Gibson's

MITZI
Back in November of 2000, my son, husband, and I decided to look for a brother or sister for our basset hound, Forrest. I had seen an ad for Homeward Bound in the Sunday paper, so we decided to pack up our basset and drive to the Eagan Petco. We talked to the volunteers about what we were looking for in a dog and they recommended Chevy a Brittany/Husky mix. We had looked at another dog, but went back to Chevy, now named Mitzi.

When we first brought her home we were a little apprehensive for the first few months, because she was shy and very protective of her treats and food. We believe she was physically abused and was neglected food. But... after working with her for a few months and showing her that she will always have food, she came around. She is the best dog we have ever had. She is VERY loyal and howls for her mom and dad when we leave. Her grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins all love her. She has learned tricks and behaves wonderfully. She gets along great with our cats as well. Our older cat, Rahri, and her team up to get Krispy Kreme donuts anytime they can. Rahri knocks the box off the counter and the two of them have a midnight snack, while the rest of us sleep. We have now learned to keep the donuts under lock and key. Unfortunately, our basset is no longer with us, but Mitzi gives us more love than ten dogs could give.

Thank you for recommending her and we apologize for not having a picture readily available. We would definitely adopt another dog from your organization in the future.

Kelly, Curt and Connor

MAGGIE
We got our Maggie (aka "Sweetie") at a Petco Adoption in August 2002. We had lost a 14-year-old sheltie in January, but still had a 10-year old sheltie named Morgan. We brought Morgan to the Petco Adoption that Saturday so that he could approve of an adoption if we found one. We knew that there would be a sheltie coming in and were told that we should get there early, because the shelties go quickly.

We knew when she flew into the adoption area that she would be the dog for us. She was 8 months old — and we could tell from the start that she was some kind of a sheltie mix. But, what an "attitude". She came with the name "Sweetie", but because of her mahogany color we renamed her "Maggie". She and Morgan get along fine, and she sleeps with one of our cats at the end of the bed at night. We used to have a "squirrel problem" in our back yard, but no more. She is part sheltie, but we think that some of her other parts might be Jack Russell or some other kind of terrier.

Here's a picture with Maggie on the left and Morgan on the right. Yes, she's the cute one! She loves to sit up on her hind legs to get her tummy rubbed so much that I call her my little Prairie Dog. We just love her and are so glad that we found her. Thank you.

Anne & Sue

ROO
Thank you soo much Homeward Bound for picking up our "Roo" and taking care of him until we came along. We could not imagine our lives without him. We adopted him 11/2000 from the Maplewood Petco. I took 1 look at him and could not resist.

So here is "Roo's" new life. He lives w/myself and my husband. Roo (16 lbs) enjoys going over to my parents and playing with his friend Storm (a 105 lb Chesapeake) who he bosses around if you can believe it! I take him with me in the car often—but he is so smart that he thinks he is usually going to Storms house. He also has a lot of friends in our neighborhood—specifically Buddy (adopted boxer) and Lily (a cute little Bishan). Roo loves to play catch and has many toys—his favorite is his horsey that winnies. Roo loves to sleep on our bed and in the winter under the covers with our heating blanket on—yes under the covers.

Roo has had a huge impact on our lives and he will NEVER have to wonder and have the feeling of being lost ever again!

Thanks again Homeward Bound for watching over him until we found him!

Kim and Andy.

CHELSEA
In July of 2002, I stopped in at your adoption and instantly fell in love with a little blond (9 lb.) poodle named Chelsea. Chelsea was a special needs dog because, as I understand it, she had been used for breeding for several years in a puppy mill-type situation; she had a staff infection under her neck, and her thighs and forearms were badly scarred and burned. For starters, she is the most wonderful little dog I could ever imagine having. She has healed up very well from her injuries and was on medication (antibiotics for about 4 more weeks). Her staff infection totally healed up, she has put on several pounds and she's beautiful! After being tested and given a series of shots to ward off mites, and tested for ringworm, it was ascertained she suffers from allergies so is on fatty acid pills for her skin and antihistamines to help the itching which has almost totally disappeared with the onset of cold weather! Her scars will always be there, but she had her first grooming in September and looks wonderful, all the straight mixed with curly hair is settling down and she's a doll. She now gets one medicated bath a week (it was every other day for a month) and is doing well. I just wandered into Petco that fateful day in July, saw her, picked her up and have loved her ever since. I am so appreciative of Homeward Bound. Thank you for all you do.

DAISY
We just love Daisy! She is the prettiest, sweetest dog in the whole world. The family that owned her before us had to give her up because she was trying to eat their pet rodents. Now Daisy has her own big fenced yard where she chases squirrels and rabbits to her heart's content. Daisy wanted a family and home of her own and now she has one! Thank you Homeward Bound and Daisy's rescue family (especially Katie) who were all so very helpful to us.

BLANCA
I am so very thankful to Cheryl Adams and Homeward Bound! I had been pondering the idea of getting another Maltese. We have a male Maltese named Mugsy and wanted him to have a companion while we're at work. When I first saw this little Maltese, she was all dirty and matted as they had just rescued her from a mill-type environment a couple days previous. I held her and cried. My husband said I was too emotional to make a logical decision so we left for a couple of hours. I prayed for an answer as to what to do. I knew she would come with some emotional baggage. I decided I had to go back and get her. By the time we went back, she had been bathed and clipped. I started off just offering to foster her but within a week, told Cheryl she was ours to keep! When we got her to our home, she was very frightened and preferred to stay in her crate. I let her stay in there with the door open. I had read all about mill dogs so I followed the advice given. I can't tell you how much she has blossomed! Blanca will never be what we all consider a "normal" dog but we love her just the way she is. She is truly a gift. She has taught me that no matter how horrible these little creatures have been treated, in time, they can learn to trust and love humans. My Mugsy, who is actually younger than Blanca has really taken to her and watches over her more like a big brother. I can't imagine our lives without our little Blanca now. She still has some shy issues and doesn't come when called, but she has come so far from when we got her. God Bless Homeward Bound for doing what they do for without them, we wouldn't have our little princess!

LUCKY DOG
HI, I went to Petco with my daughter to get her dog groomed. It so happened that Homeward Bound was having a pet adoption that day! We were not looking for a dog but I looked any way. I went and looked at the other dogs but kept coming back to JD. I called my husband at work and asked him if he would meet me at Petco. I went to the front of the store away from the other dogs to wait for him. When he got there JD and I were waiting at the front of the store. JD was so playful away from the other dogs, but my husband wanted to look at the other dogs first and he did. But he also kept coming back to JD. So we did adopt him and took him home as Lucky not JD. He has blessed us with his presence everyday. We named him Lucky Dog because we were lucky to have him and he was lucky to have us. Lucky has blessed our hearts in so many ways. WE thank the lord everyday for Lucky coming into our family. He loves the lake, his tennis balls, his walks but most of all his new family. I want to thank Homeward Bound for our chance to adopt Lucky. He is very loved here and by anyone who meets him.

God bless, Homeward Bound Dog Rescue for giving life to these animals..
Todd, Kathy and Nathaniel xxxxx

FRANCIE
When Homeward Bound rescued Francie, she was just skin and bones and only a few weeks away from giving birth to puppies. After she gave birth to her puppies she was very, very close to dying because the puppies were sucking out what little nourishment she had left in her body. The first picture of her was taken a day or so after she gave birth. Thankfully, her wonderful foster mom Katie took excellent care of her and fed her as much food as she could eat. Slowly but surely she gained weight.

I already had one Homeward Bound dog (my Lucky Dog shown above) but I knew I had to adopt Francie as well! I can't tell you how much love and strength my Francie has given me! Katie, her foster mom, was such a help to me and answered all my questions about Francie. She and Lucky Dog play together all the time and I spoil her rotten. Guess what? My vet said she already needs to go on a diet! Can you believe a dog who was extremely emaciated when she was rescued would ever need to diet?! Thank you Homeward Bound for helping me find the 2 best dogs in the world!

SPIRIT
We adopted our new family member 4½ months ago and this "success story" is long overdue! Spirit is a German Shepherd/Husky mix and is 70 lbs.. of joy!!

I went into Petco just to "take a look." I was drawn to Spirit's kennel because he was so quiet and looked so sad lying there amongst the barking dogs around him. He seemed so oblivious to all of the excitement. I asked a volunteer if something was wrong with him and she laughed and stated "no, he's always like this — very mellow and quiet." She explained that he had been with Homeward Bound for six months and he had been passed up week after week (lucky for us, but I don't understand it). Apparently the "older" (he's only 5, but to some people, that's too old), large, mixed breed dogs don't get adopted as quickly, and he certainly wasn't begging anyone coming by his kennel to take a look at him so he could show them how wonderful he was!

I spent some time with Spirit and it didn't take very long for me to know that he would be a great addition to our family. I was then allowed to take him home to meet my children and our other dog and 2 cats to see what they would think of him before I adopted him! It took about 5 minutes for my kids to tell me they "HAD to have him" and my other dog, a Pomeranian, seemed to act like she could handle the new addition as well. The cats, well, that was a different story (we're still working on that one)!

That was 4½ months ago and he has been such a great dog! He has been all that Homeward Bound stated he was and MORE! I was told that he was a very nice dog, was very mellow, didn't bark much and he was housebroken (a real plus); however, he didn't like to fetch balls or play. They actually had to teach him how to chew on a fleece toy! After the 2nd week he was home with us, he seemed to come out of his shell. I would come home from work and he would run in circles around the living room in excitement! This is now a daily ritual, which now includes him running to me and sliding to the top of the stairs until I reach the last step, then he takes off to continue his circles! He also plays with balls, yes, to Homeward Bound's amazement, he really does! It started out with soft water balls and now it's any kind of ball he can find. He'll even carry two of them in his mouth! Most importantly, he is wonderful with my kids! My 6 year old daughter wants to walk him everyday when we get home (and actually fights with her brother about who gets to do it) and she begs to feed him in the morning. He is like a big teddy bear, and as you can see by the photo, he loves attention and has no problem with the kids using him as a pillow!

We are very lucky to have found him and look forward to many great years with him. We are also very thankful for the wonderful work that Homeward Bound does for the animals they save and help find new forever homes! We now help walk and spend time with the dogs at the Maple Grove adoption each month and it has really helped my children understand the importance of this organization. They look forward to it every month (as do I).

We will definitely refer anyone we know looking for a pet to Homeward Bound.

THANK YOU HOMEWARD BOUND!

Peggi, Ryan, & Alexa

SPEEDY
What a cute dog! Speedy was the first Homeward Bound dog I (Megan) fell in love with. I was delighted when I recently bumped into his new proud owner! She gave me his picture and said how delighted she was with him.

CHEDDAR
Here is Cheddar after a long weekend at the cabin. He was so tired he could hardly move. We were looking for a family pet and decided to try Homeward Bound. There we found Cheddar. We could tell he really needed a good home and he seemed very lovable. He has become an important part of our family in the few weeks we have had him.. He is my second shadow and follows me everywhere. My kids just love him and he is always ready for attention. We look forward to many years of companionship. We take care of him and he takes care of us..

Thanks for giving us 26 pounds of love..

Oh and Cheddar says woof....

MAGGIE
Though this is a success, it is a very short one. I thought perhaps you would like to feature Maggie's story. I lost my best friend of 16 years this last April, and after reading the story of Maggie and seeing her picture, she stole my heart...I adopted Maggie and we made a trip to Petco to pick up a new collar, some treats, dog food, a new dish, etc. Maggie loved to ride in the car. On Friday I took her to be groomed, she really did well with her bath but wasn't at all sure she liked the clippers, they called me and I went over, and once I arrived Maggie was OK with it and she let them clip her...we were getting her all pretty for her first "Family camping trip." She really enjoyed her trip and did really well sleeping in the camper. Maggie was always so happy to see me come home after work, she would make a noise that sounded like "Where have you been all day...I missed you"..in doggie talk. We would play hide and seek ball in the evenings and go for walks, and Maggie loved to snuggle up on my bed to sleep.

Last weekend Maggie started to throw up, it got so that she would lay by her water bowl to drink, but after 10 to 15 minutes she would throw it up. I called my Vet on Tuesday, he said if she continued to bring her in the next morning, which I did. Blood test and an Ex-Ray of her stomach was taken. Dr. Silverman called me with advise to do an exploratory on her stomach and we proceeded with that. He than called me while he was still in surgery with the news that Maggie had cancer of the pancreas and spleen and that if I had chose to treat it I would be fighting and loosing battle, the cancer was to extensive to treat. I feel that God brought her to me for a reason, my poor Maggie had lived all of her life in an abusive environment, but for two very short weeks Maggie was loved so much and was such a happy girl, and she brought to me the love I have missed since I lost my Spencer. As I write this, my heart is heavy and yes I am crying. I would have loved to give her a life time of happiness and the love she so desired, but that was not meant to be. Would I do it all over, you bet I would. These pets only want to be loved, and they give so much love back in return. Maggie walked over the Rainbow Bridge on Wednesday and I know Spencer was there to meet her.

NAKITA BONITA
Thank you so much for letting me adopt Bonita, now known as Nakita Bonita (her full name). She is quite possibly the best behaved dog I have ever met! I was told that she had some separation anxiety and that she should be crated. While I understand the necessity for some dogs, I was hoping that maybe we could work though it. So I started to leave her for short periods of time, first on the three season porch and then in the house, just to see how she was going to react. I have gotten through an entire week of work without any problems! She runs to the door to greet me when I come home and will follow me around for the first hour. Every kid in the neighborhood has been over to hug and pet her and she just loves it! I cant take her for a walk without receiving several compliments on how beautiful and well mannered she is. At bed time she jumps in bed with me to cuddle and than gets down to stretch out on the floor. My son just loves her, he say's she's too good to be true. He has even taught her to sit!

Thank you, thank you, thank you!!!! I couldn't have hoped for a better husky!!!

Sincerely, Amber and Zane.

LIBBY
We were not really looking for a second dog. We already had Cinnamon, our 5 year old Golden Retriever, but when my husband and daughter looked into "Libby's" warm brown eyes, she had at last found her home and her family. We often feel that we are the lucky ones to have found Libby and not the other way around. She is still reveling in her puppyhood even though she is almost 3 and her playful spirit reminds us to find the joy and to live in the moment. We have learned about loyalty and commitment from Libby also. When our retriever became blind and was diagnosed with terminal Lymphoma, Libby would protectively lie curled around her, comforting her, easing her way.

We are so grateful to Homeward Bound and its volunteers. They are our heroes. Because of them we have Libby.

GRIFFIN
We made contact with this organization on-line requesting a very limited specifications dog. They responded almost immediately, with a perfect matched dog. We traveled 8 hours each way to see if this was the dog they said would qualify. They were right! We love our new Cocker named Griffin. We cannot say enough about this organization. The drive time was very much worth it. Thank you very much Homeward Bound. We suggest that anyone looking for a pet definitely look at this program

SWEETIE COW & LITTLE MAN (previously known as MISS MOLLY & B.B.)
We came to the pet adoption just to look & we fell in love with this cute puppy and so we adopted her. Now she is 95lbs and we haven't been happier since. She is the greatest dog. She plays in the tub, shower & we have a pool for her outside. If you have a bad day, all you have to do is look at her & she gives you a "look" & licks your face which makes you feel better.

We adopted our Miss Molly 15 months ago. When we got her she was twelve pounds—she is now 110. She was our ring bearer this past summer. We were at Petco just to see the Homeward Bound people and fill them in on Miss Molly's progress and we saw B.B. He was the sweetest little guy and his markings are identical to our Miss Molly's. So we adopted him and he's now 9 months old and 42 pounds. He is identical to Miss Molly but a quarter of her size. They make each other so happy and they play continuously. When they decide it is time to take a nap, they lay right next to each other. They both make us smile by just watching them play. And to come home to those faces just makes anything bad that had happened during the day just disappear.

UPDATE: We adopted Miss Molly as a puppy she is now known as Sweetie Cow. She is 7' from tip of tail to tip of nose, she is 137 pounds. From what the vets have told us she is Shepard, lab, Dane mix, she is the most wonderful dog. Then there is the LittleMan he got that name because we always said you need to eat so you don't stay a Little Man. Well he's are popeye dog, he just makes you laugh, he runs through the house with a toy, he can do that for 15 - 20 minutes. We never regret adopting either one of them. Miss Molly is now 4 1/2 years old and the LittleMan will be 4 in 2 months. Thank You HomeWard Bound.

-Denise M. Konen

CAPONE
Watch out for Dog; he jumps! — is both an understatement and what we had posted on our kitchen door during our open house on Sunday. Yes, our new pup jumps and is the youngest family member — always allowing more spunk at eleven o'clock than old times, but we love him dearly. He's an awesome little pal, and enjoys going on walks and just being petted while hanging around his newly acquired family.

Our family had been searching for another canine companion soon after our older Labrador retriever was put to sleep in February of 2001. We weren't sure which breed to get a duplicate of, so we then began to just work on research instead.

At a previous book club meeting in November, we'd just read a book about dogs and of course we found out that our leader was a volunteer at the Homeward Bound Pet Rescue. We couldn't wait to head on over to Eden Prairie that Saturday and look around. Our family had no idea that later that afternoon, we'd be bringing back a new family member. We had some errands to run, so Mom took us over to Sears and then to REI for gym clothes shopping. Nobody's mood improved, so we soon found ourselves back home in our driveway and that's when Mom called up Petco and asked for our book club leader. They were packing up, but said they'd be more than happy to have Capone wait for us to show up.

Now Capone, (yes, that was his name before we adopted him and still remains that today) is what we like to call, a little better trained, and well loved by our home and family members!

~Becca, Sarah, and the rest of our family

DAKOTA
Hi everyone! Guess what? I'm the reason this website exists! OK, maybe I'm not the one who has created and maintained the website (my people do that) but I was the inspiration for it! My family adopted me about 3 years ago and because they love me so much, my two-legged person decided to volunteer with Homeward Bound to help other dogs like me find homes. Well, it wasn't too long after she started volunteering at HB that she decided, with the help of her husband, to create this website.

My people absolutely adore me and it feels so good to be loved. When I was younger and before HB rescued me, someone took me away from my mama when I was way too young and then wasn't very nice to me. When I came to HB I really didn't know how to be a dog. I didn't know what a bone was and didn't know how to signal with my body what I was wanting to express (except for signs of submission — I knew how to show that!). What do you think my people did? Taught me doggy body language, that's what! They even encouraged me to bark! I was submissive for awhile and I'd belly up at just about anything. I was so scared of doing something wrong. But, my family was kind and patient with me and now I know that they would never dream of ever hurting me. Some things still scare me (evil vacuum cleaners, brooms, shovels) but for the most part I'm a confident pooch. When I was a pup, I think I was punished big time for ever going potty in my former "owner's" yard so now I absolutely refuse to potty in my new family's yard — I just can't get over the fear. Now my owners take me on at least 3 walks a day. Sometimes they grumble about it but I also know that they always enjoy being outside with me. I have even helped my "dad" drop his blood pressure way down because of the long, healthy walks we take! The only thing I don't like are other dogs. They scare me and I try to act all tough whenever I see one. I know that frustrates my people sometimes because they'd love to have 2 dogs but I just can't help it. The good news is that I LOVE kids of all ages (especially toddlers and babies) and I wag my tail at everyone who greets me.

I am so grateful to Homeward Bound for rescuing me because now I am well loved and finally get to be treated the way I longed to be when my life was sad. My people tell me how beautiful, cute, and scruffy I am but I know not everyone thinks that I am adorable — I know I would have died had HB not rescued me. True, I'm no purebred (heck, I've got about 10 breeds in me!) but I've also been totally healthy and have never had to worry about all of those health problems the purebreds have to deal with. I know my people have sworn to only adopted mixed breeds because we have such great personalties (we take the best from each breed we are mixed with) and don't have as many health problems.

Why am I rambling on about myself, you might ask. Well, I'm trying to show people how great dogs can be even if they have been abused or don't like other dogs. I also want people to know how ridiculous the saying "you can't teach a dog new tricks" is because my people taught me a heck of a lot and I was adopted at the age of 2. Now I'm 5 and I'm proud to say that I am a very quick learner and I usually learn new tricks in about a day. Dogs are great companions and we will go out of our way to please the people who are kind, loving, and respectful towards us. I really hope that people who are reading this strongly consider adopting dogs and cats through Homeward Bound because they did a great job finding my family for me.