SKYE
HBPR Staff - (I know this letter is a bit long - but I can't say enough good things about our Skye!)

Back in June...Steve and I stopped into the Maple Grove Petco to visit the HB pets that were up for adoption. We had carefully inspected each pet, and were about to leave the store not having made that "connection", when I noticed there were a few more cages in the far back of the store. We apprehensively ventured back into this area. There among them were 6 of quite possibly the most adorable little puppies either of us have ever seen. There in the midst of all the chaos - were these little Aussie/Pit Bull mix pups, frantically falling all over each other trying to get their fair share of the puppy food that was just bestowed upon them. Sitting directly in the center of all this ruckus, was one little blue-eyed boy who had strategically placed himself directly in the middle of the stainless steel food dish - effectively blocking his siblings from getting what they rightfully felt was theirs. This little guy wagged his tail into our hearts (and eventually our home) totally and completely.

Little did I know when we first saw him there that he would eventually be coming home with us. You see, we adored the pups for a few minutes before we eventually left the store. We were on our way home, both of us lost in our own thoughts (or perhaps absorbing that we had both fell completely in love with a puppy!), when Steve said "Do you think you should call when we get home and see if that one puppy is still available? Maybe we should look at him again...". THAT is when I knew he was eventually going to be ours. When we got home, I called back to Petco, and chatted with someone from HB. I told them that we had vacation plans the following week at a campground that didn't allow pets, and asked if they could hold the particular puppy we had seen - distinctive because of his two half-blue/half-brown eyes. I was told that they couldn't 'hold' him for us for a two-week period of time, but the person I spoke with wisely suggested I call back when we return from vacation, and if he was still there - well then, it was probably meant to be. That was really good advice.

During that two week timeframe, I became somewhat concerned about the idea of bringing a puppy with American Pit Bull Terrier bloodlines into our home - where we're a blended family of 5 kids and 2 cats. We spent a LOT of time doing our homework on the breed and the history of Pit Bull Terriers, and I honestly couldn't find a reason NOT to have one. The nature of these animals fit so well with our active, hectic lifestyle, we knew he'd be able to keep up with no problem. I also learned that the bad press that is so rampant about Pit Bulls is almost ALWAYS is the result of mistreated, starved and tortured animals - and irresponsible owners. I even went so far as to email the author of www.pitbulllovers.com, Jason Mann, who laid for me exactly what we should expect from our Pit Bull, and what would be required as owners of a Pit Bull. Feeling we understood very well what we were in for, our family all committed o doing everything we could to properly train and socialize our little guy - and we all felt confident that he was going to be a great dog. Boy, were we right!

When we returned from our vacation - I called HBPR, and asked if our blue/brown eyed weirdly spotted pit/aussie mix puppy (whom we already started referring to as "Skye") was still available. As fate would have it - he and his litter hadn't attended the adoption planned for the week we were gone - so none of them had been adopted out yet. Yayyy! Steve and I arrived at the Petco in Maplewood the following Saturday as soon as they opened. Due to extremely hot weather, and car trouble with Skye's tranportation that morning - things weren't set up right on time, so we had to wait an agonizing 35 minutes. I was trying to be patient - but I was so excited - my nerves had become completely frayed...I almost convinced myself that it wasn't meant to be, and Skye wasn't there. Finally, I couldn't stand the suspense any more...there were literally 50 - 75 people milling about waiting anxiously for access to the pets available for adoption, and I was so afraid Skye was going to be taken before we could get to him. I politely asked one of the Homeward bound volunteers to please find him for us. She must have seen the desperation that had settled in my eyes, because she knowingly looked at me and must have been able to relate to how I was feeling. She calmly smiled at me, and told me she had just seen the puppy I was referring to, and that she would go get him for me. A few moments later, I saw her working her way toward me through the crowd holding our Skye in her arms. Yes - I started crying like little girl. I felt so silly - but at the same time - I was so relieved he was finally with us - all I wanted to do was get him out of there so no one could take him away. Ironically, his foster mom - Ashley (I think?) - came over and told me she had named him Skye because of his blue eyes. So Skye would remain his name.

We paid our adoption fee and a few signatures later...Skye was curled in my lap for his final car-ride to his new, forever home.

Skye is now somewhere around 5 months old (we chose 05/05/05 as his birthdate). He will be graduating from Puppy Kindergarten this week, and he's done so well with his training, that we're going to continue on to "1st Grade" with him. As you can see in the attached photo, he's learned to co-habitate with his feline housemates (who were quite disgusted with him for the first month or two), Moose and Max. We couldn't be happier with the adorable boy that makes every one of us smile every day. He adores the kids, and he has his morning routine of greeting everyone as they wake up with hugs (yes, literally...he puts on paw on each shoulder, and rests his head in the crook of our neck) and of course...tons of kisses. Skye is an amazing boy - and I can't remember what life was like before him. Thank you - from all of us - for bringing Skye to us. Because of his unique looks and markings - he gets a LOT of attention. He's a great spokesdog for the ABPT breed, and always ready with a sniff, a tail wag and a kiss for anyone who asks to pet him. We're very proud of our guy, and so happy to have him in our home.

DAPHNE (formerly known as Spryte)
We ran through an absolute downpour into the Maple Grove Petco on June 4th, 2005 and we strolled out in the sunshine with the newest love of our lives, Daphne. Daphne, who was called Spryte while she was with Homeward Bound, was not on the website because she had been adopted the previous week. The family that adopted Spryte named her Pixie. Pixie was not the right dog for them because they learned that she could jump their backyard fence. We decided that we were willing to be extra watchful and take that risk, and we were happy to make the decision to adopt our Daphne. After a couple of weeks going through an identity crisis, "Daffy" finally knew who she was :o)

IWe were told that she was a Yellow Lab/Terrier mix, which appeared correct to us. A week later when we brought her to the vet (and after witnessing her speed) we were not surprised to learn that she was actually a Lab/Whippet mix. She sure is a whole lotta Whippet (speed) and a little bit of Lab (looks)! Daphne loves to go for walks and rides in the car, and after about two months with us, she finally became playful! We graduated from level I obedience training, and are currently taking level II. We are hoping to someday work on agility and also therapy dog training. Daffy is the most loving, cuddly, kind dog we have ever known and we are sure that there are people in nursing homes and hospitals who would love a visit from her!

We have brought Daphne to two of the Homeward Bound "dog wash" fundraisers. She enjoys visiting with the people who took care of her for a short while before she found her forever home. We are extremely thankful that we were able to find Daphne because of the time, money, and love that was given by the exceptional people at Homeward Bound.

Thank You!
Mary & Rob
Minnetonka, MN

TORI (formerly known as Emily)
Dear Homeward Bound
Hi, remember me? It's me, Tori (aka Emily). I know it's been awhile, considering that I was adopted on May 28, 2004. Things didn't work out with the 1st dog my mom and dad adopted. Barney didn't care for my brother Toby, who was still a puppy at the time, so they got me instead. Boy was I ever the cutest puppy! I have the longest Beagle ears, and the most beautiful brown eyes. My parents couldn't believe they missed me at Petco.

Did I mention my brother Toby? Toby is my best friend (besides my mom and dad of course!). We are together 24/7. We love wrestling together, and chasing each other around the house. We also take very good care of each other. Toby makes sure that my ears and teeth are clean, and when no one is looking I return the favor. At the end of the day, when we wind down you will find us snuggled up together on the couch.

Wow, am I ever a smart dog. I know so many tricks, which include shake, sit, stay, lay down, and wave. But, of course I only perform if there is a treat involved. I love Waggin' Train Chicken Strips, along with any kind of chew toys.

My favorite things to do are taking walks and going to the doggie park. I absolutely love running around unleashed! I also love going back home to Grandma and Grandpa R's house. I get to visit my uncle Ben, and cousins Max and Morgan. Max (aka Chester) was also adopted from Homeward Bound at the same time as me! He is a very smart dog also! But when Toby and I are home alone we love soakin up the sun lying in the window.

Well I guess that about sums it up. I am so happy with my family. My mom always calls us her "kids." I am guessing that is a good thing, because we get a lot of love and attention. Thank you Homeward Bound for giving me a second chance. My parent's wouldn't trade me for the world!

Love,
Tori Wagner
Sauk Rapids, MN

SAGE (formerly known as Birthday Cake)
Hi Megan, I just wanted to share our "success story" with you. A little over a year ago, we rescued a 2 year old Terrier Mix named Treble (who is also on your success story page further down!), and we were so happy to have this sweet guy in our life. We were very impressed with Homeward Bound Rescue, and after encouraging others to adopt from you, I convinced my husband that Treble needed a fur "sibling" to keep him company while we are at work. He finally broke down around Christmas time. We initially took home another older male, but with the 2 males in the house, it just was not working. I remained in constant contact over email with Katie, who was so helpful and full of great advice. In tears, we had to bring the 2nd dog back and look for another one to take home. Katie had suggested we check out this new puppy they had recently found wandering the streets of Monticello in below zero temperatures.

So as my husband and I sat there in the Petco dog food aisle in tears (returning the 2nd dog that wasn't working) , Cheryl went to the back to retrieve "Birthday Cake" and placed her in my husband's arms. "Birthday Cake" was named by Cheryl's granddaughter; she was about 5 pounds and was terrified of us. Within one minute, we knew we would be leaving that day with Birthday Cake, and renaming her Sage.

Sage quickly adjusted to living in our house, and quickly learned how to tell her new older brother Treble who was REALLY the boss of the house! She is smart as a whip and quickly learned potty training (she rings her bell to go outside), how to do simple commands, and how to hide when she knows she's done something wrong (like drag laundry all over the house, tear couch pillows apart so stuffing is everywhere, or tear up "Dog Fancy" magazines into shreds). We've also nicknamed Sage "Sassy" or "Sassy Sager", because when she plays with Treble, she likes to get him revved up and starts "talking" to him. But every night, Sage sneaks from her doggie bed into my arms, and wakes me and my husband with kisses. She loves to cuddle up in blankets at night on the couch, is in love with everybody she meets of every age (babies to adults), and is the instant hit of the dog park whenever we walk in with the dogs. Sage also loves to go for car rides to visit her "human cousins", as well as her two sets of "Papa & Nana's" who like to spoil the "fur grandkids". She now weighs around 14 pounds or so, and we're not sure of her exact mix, so we're not sure if she's done growing or not! :O) We are signing her up for her puppy classes and will soon also enroll her in Puppy Agility as well (watching her outrun Treble is quite the sight).

We wanted to send another great big THANK YOU to you and your volunteers at Homeward Bound for continuing to rescue these precious animals and finding them forever homes. We can't imagine life with out our two "kids" as we call them, and we really can't imagine what we did before we had them! Here's a pic of Sassy Sager relaxing on her favorite perch, with her older brother Treble taking a well deserved break from putting up with her for the day!

Thanks again,
Carrie, Chris, Treble and Sage Campbell
Lakeville, MN

AKINA (formerly known as Secret)
This is a story about a dog named Akina, foremerly known as "Secret", which was a cute name, but this little hellion refuses to remain a secret. Some of you at Homeward might remember Akina as the poor little Akita with a bum leg and an e-collar, those days are long gone. This dog is like atomic powered - greased lightning, i am convinced she is drinking octane booster behind my back.

Anyhow, i could go on and on about how Akina is the greatest thing with fur and teeth but i will spare you the blather and give you the short version: I had been deployed away from home for the last 2 years with the Marine Corps and when i returned home, much to my surprise, i was a bachelor again and minus one cat. So i found myself in a house with no furniture i had barely lived in with my two boys (Mr. Pauly and Brutis the attack cats), i was a bit depressed, a little confused and having trouble readjusting to normal life after having lived in a combat zone. Don't get me wrong, i wasn't hiding under the bed, i was just a little short tempered and jumpy. One fine April day my brother was looking at websites to find annother dog for himself when he happened upon the homewardbound website. As we perused the adoption listings i saw a funny looking dog with a huge head and a bad leg, and badda bing- next thing you know i am at Petco forking over grocerie money for a dog i had no clue how to take care of. As it turns out, all i had to do to take care of her was change a bandage rub her tummy because thats all i did. And now you would never know she was an amputation canidate, or even worse she was almost destroyed. Akina is the friendliest, most happy-go-lucky pooch you could imagine. She loves dogs, adults, children, birds, turtles, deer, bumble bees, squirrels, rabbits and especially loves her two cat buddies, and everyone loves her. She is absolutely the worst watch dog in the world, unless you are alergic to dog saliva or fear getting licked to death you could probably rob my house. She is an action packed goofball that can't get enough attention. i have worn out 3 pairs of shoes in five months walking little Miss Hyper-activity and she is showing no signs of slowing down. I could not be happier. People i meet tell me that my dog was lucky to be rescued, but if they knew the truth they would say i as the lucky one.

SEEODEE (formerly known as ChoCho)
Hi I adopted chocho, in June 05 at the Friedley Petco. And I just wanted to say that I love Seeodee (c-o-d.) or as you know him as (chocho). We are inseperable, he is my friend, companion and everything, I dont' know what I would do without him. He's turning out to be a very big boy and he looks just like a shepard with a smooth coat with the buskskin coloring. And everyone that see's him wants him. He is the smartest pet I have ever had and very obedient. Who ever fostered him did a terrific job and let them know to keep it up because it shows and we are very thankful. I just got a new computer and when I figure out how to send pictures I will show you some wonderful ones of him on vacation, at home one the couch, outside in the northwoods with all the room he can possible imagine.

Thank you, and c-o-d thanks you.

SACHI (formerly known as Capri)
We wanted to tell you what a joy Sachi (formerly Capri) has been for us since we adopted her in March of 2004. Knowing that she had been in foster care for a long time, we wondered why no one had taken her before us. We have since decided that she was meant for us. Because she is part Shiba Inu, we thought that she needed a good Japanese name. We chose Sachi, which means blessing, good fortune and happiness - mostly because we were hoping that she would live up to her new name. She has, and then some!

It took her a while to get used to being in her new home, and although she was polite and well-behaved from the beginning, she held back a little on allowing herself to become part of the family. She accepted our touch and being pet readily, but she didn't return the affection right away. We had an ample supply of dog toys, which she adopted as hers, but whenever we would take one to another part of the house to initiate play, she would grab it and take it back to the appointed spot in our living room. How did we know that she had come to recognize that we were her family? When toys started being left in every room of the house!

Her favorite activity is riding in the car, although we aren't sure why since she usually just curls up into a ball and goes to sleep! She adapted well to her invisible fence, although at first she was shy of being outside since she didn't like the consequence of pushing the boundary. Our wooded lot affords her the opportunity to enjoy her second favorite activity - chasing the squirrels and deer. She takes this responsibility very seriously. She loves the long walks we take in our neighborhood, and has learned to be calm on leash when we meet other dogs. She'll chase and retrieve a ball for hours. Of course, her favorite ball is the one you have and she doesn't.

Thank you for helping us to meet Sachi, who fast became the best dog we've had!

—Jim & Alice Yount

GUNTHER
I have adopted 3 dogs from Homeward Bound- Gunther makes 4. I check the web site every Sunday to see he new dogs. One Sunday in March I was unprepared for what I saw- Homeward Bound had a French Bulldog on the site. Well, I knew I had to se him. It did not matter to me his bio said he was deaf. I showed up at Petco an hour before the adoption started. As I helped set up kennels I looked in vain for the little bat eared dog. When I asked Cheryl about him she said he would be in a little later. I was standing by the back door when Katie walked through with Gunther. It was love at first sight! I took him and haven't let go yet. Being deaf has not slowed this guy down a bit. He loves going where there are people. He sits for everyone so they can pet him. He loves snuggling in bed and getting belly rubs. He is so very happy all the time it has made me realize if this little guy can be this happy without hearing nothing can be that bad for me. I learn from him every day. I am eternally gratefull to Cheryl for letting me adopt him. You see two weeks after I adopted Gunther my Mom died suddenly. Having this wonderfull, loving little guy has helped me cope with this great loss. Thank you again Homeward Bound for all the great work you do to help these wonderfull animals! Surely you are angels watching over them.

—Jody, Scratch, Puddy, Punky, Gunther, and Lily

LILLY (formerly known as Lolly)
Do you know this little girl? Lolly is Lilly today....She is the sweetest thing we have ever seen! She has never had an "accident" in the house, but has taken her time to trust us. Lilly loves to be held, and sleeps on the bed (she loves to sleep!). Our vet does not believe that she has cataracts, but she does need eye drops and gel, which she sits for wonderfully. Our vet is overwhelmed that we have such a sweet, healthy dog! We are getting to the bottom of Lilly's itching, and the vet is confident that we can find the answer to make life easier for her. Lilly is not used to walks, so we are introducing them to her slowly. She is not overweight, as we discovered when she got her first grooming and vet visit. Almost one pound of her coat was removed! Our little girl is not only healthy and sweet...she is gorgeous! Thank you all for saving our Lilly! She will have a life of a princess with us!

GUNTHER (formerly known as Amery)
We adopted Gunther, a lab-vizla-? mix, at the White Bear Lake Petco in January 2003 as an 8 week old puppy. His mom (I think her name was Aviva) had several puppies and he was jumping up on the sides of the pen asking us to pick him up, so of course we picked him. I think his foster home had teenagers because, although he loves everyone, he has an extreme love for young adults. When our grown children come over he is so happy he cries.

Gunther has brought nothing but pleasure into our lives. Although he went through all the usual little puppy stages he has grown into an intelligent and loving dog. He is also such a comedian and makes us laugh several times a day. He does well with people of all ages and is even pleasant to our 3 cats.

His temperament is wonderful, he likes walks and loves running in the dog park but at home he is calm and although he's only 2 1/2 he sleeps a lot. He's usually obedient, too. There are times, though, when his walk is over and he would rather stay out on the lawn than come in the house. He puts his head down and does a forward somersault onto his back and nothing can budge him. We call this the "Flop Down" as in "Where's Gunther?" "Oh, he's Flopped Down".

Attached are a couple photos, one with his favorite stick and one of him basking in the sun on the first warm day this spring. We just wanted to say thank you Homeward Bound, for Gunther.

PHOEBE & PRESTON—Toy Apricot Poodles
Hello Everyone!

We just wanted to give you an update on our new wonderful lives. You see about a year and a half ago (in April of 2004) we were rescued from a horrible puppy mill by Homeward Bound. And through their efforts, we made a journey to a Petco in Maplewood and were adopted together, which changed our lives forever!! This made us very happy to be going to our new home together, as we were so scared and fearful as what lied in store for us, especially due to our past as mistreated, abused, horribly neglected and malnourished little pups. We were later told, mom saw us on the Homeward Bound website and she drove all of the way to Maplewood to pick us up for adoption, as soon as we made our appearance.

You see, I (Phoebe, formally named Vanessa in the pink harness), spent all of my life as a puppy producer. I was never allowed indoors and was crated all day and all night outside and kept around at the puppy mill as solely a "puppy producer". I had several, upon several litters of puppies (my new mom and dad were told by Homeward Bound), that I was severely malnourished and scared. So malnourished that my jaw was broken, while at the puppy mill and I was never given proper medical treatment to fix and heal it. As a result, my jaw is dislocated and at times somewhat painful. In addition, I walk around with my tongue hanging out, as I can't keep it in my mouth. My new mom and dad say they love me anyway though, and that I'm still very beautiful in their eyes. My best friend, Preston, also had been horribly treated in the puppy mill. He was used as a producer of stud mating to produce puppies as well. He must have been abused by men especially, at the mill, as he still sometimes is so scared when he sees a man that he doesn't know what to do but drop and wait for mom to come pick him up and carry him to safety. He also was never given affection and was kept outside in a crate. He too had a broken jaw, but luckily it healed okay. Our new vet, discovered this after mom and dad took us in for a check up and medical treatment. In fact, for the first few weeks we were at our new home, Preston would sometimes regress to thinking his job was to dominate me or any other dog we came into contact with. Although we soon would find out that our lives would change so dramatically for the better, on a sad note, we left our other friends behind at the puppy mill who are still enduring this horrible "life", while others by now have been terminated (as the puppy mill would refer to it). After all, we were only considered property, as I have the stamp in my ear to prove it. I was marked by a mill with a number to indicate my property number. And it's my understanding that we were only allowed to leave the puppy mill because we were of no use anymore as my prime years for producing puppies was over.

Once we traveled the hours to get to our new house, we soon found out our new mom and dad were so much different than what we had been used to in the mill. At seven years of age and Preston at six, we finally were able to begin our lives as respected living creatures. We of course had to undergo numerous vet trips, as we were horribly malnourished, needed our ears professionally cleaned (as they were badly infected) and needed lots of dental work. I had four teeth pulled in addition to what I had done prior with Homeward Bound, and Preston had three teeth pulled in addition to what Homeward Bound had done. We were on antibiotics for a series of several weeks to clear up our ear and mouth infections. Mom had to give us ear drops also. The vet and our groomer said that our coats were really bad as a result from the poor nutrition. Mine was especially, as I produced puppies and that took a lot of nutrition out of me, so much that the vet was worried about my little heart and my ability to eat well with my permanently dislocated jaw. I must admit it's hard to eat, but I'm strong and a fighter, and since I've been with my new family both Preston and I have gained our normal weight back and our groomer just told our mom at our last visit that our hair after 1 ½ years is finally back to where it should almost be. Mom thinks it's important for us to be fully groomed every 6 weeks and we get professionally bathed by our groomer every other Tuesday. We feel soo good after being groomed and cleaned. Mom and dad think it's important to spoil us to make up for the time we weren't. We love our new home! We have couch time with mom and dad every night (this is when we sit on the couch and cuddle, while they cuddle back and watch TV). We love our daily walks and routine of getting to go outside in our big yard. We get special treats, because mom says we are so special. We have special winter jackets to keep us warm when we brave the outdoors to go potty, and have special ID tags, harnesses, and leashes that were bought just for us. We also have new beds in our big-shared indoor house kennel where we feel safe and cozy, when mom and dad have to leave the house for a little while. Overall, the vet says we're doing great! I have some eye problems with the beginnings of cataracts, a slight heart murmur, and my issues with trying to lick myself and eating due to my jaw mainly caused from my past malnourishment, but Preston helps groom me and mom always makes sure to serve my food with warm water to soften it, before I eat. Preston and I keep each other company and mom and dad often refer to us as a team of horses as we walk everywhere together side by side. Over the past few months, Preston has started playing with these things called "toys" which neither of us ever knew of before we came to live with our new mom and dad. Preston likes to carry them around and play with them, but they don't interest me much at all. I'd rather watch. We're very happy with our new lives and feel better with every day that passes. Although we feel we're the lucky ones to have mom and dad, mom says they're the lucky ones, as we have brought them so much enjoyment, companionship, and love. They say through all we've been through, it's amazing how our little spirits still trust humans and still have the ability to love them. With that I'm off to get a treat, as I can hear mom calling for Preston and I to come get our nightly treat. Yum yum. Thanks Homeward Bound you helped us find our true "home sweet home".

With lots of love and puppy kisses:

Patti and Larry's precious poodles,
Preston and Phoebe

ROCCO
I adopted Rocco from the Maple Grove Petco when he was 9 weeks old. He was part of a stray litter found in Duluth. Rocco was the last one left of his litter to be adopted out.

I actually work at the Maple Grove Petco, and was working the day Rocco was there. I always try to stay away from the adoption area because I know that I always fall in love with too many of the pets and it breaks my heart that I can't bring them home. So I happened to glance down an aisle and I saw a tiny little girl walking around with with this little brindle puppy on a leash. I followed them back to the adoption and knew instantly that he was mine!

I had to have him even though I really wasn't looking to get another dog. I knew he would fit in perfectly! I was right. I paid the adoption fee, which was a very small price to pay for all the joy he has brought to our home, and he's been one of the loves of my life ever since! He is in wonderful health and is best friends with my 3 year old son.

—Thank you Homeward Bound!!!!!

SHEP (formerly known as Brian)
We adopted Shep (originally 'Brian') on May 30th as the Eden Prairie Petco. He had only been at the foster home for a couple of days, and been neutered during that time, so in many ways, we weren't sure what we were getting! We have been so happy with him, though he does typical 9 month old, 78lb puppy type things; he is loving and affectionate and has a heart of gold. He just 'graduated' from obedience school yesterday. I can't say enough of how well he fits into our family, we stays close to home and wants to be wherever people are and has had only one accident in the house, quite amazing. Your staff, perhaps the gal that runs the place, was so concerned about making sure we found the "right" dog for us, I was truly impressed. And she did her job! His favorite things are, anything involving kids, and playing in the sprinkler. I have attached a picture of him, as he decided on this day that it was his turn in the paddle boat. Thank you for all that you do and for rescuing our new family member!

—The Carons
Cold Spring, MN

JESS-Z (January 1994 - July 2005)
I remember very well, when you first came into my life. You were so beaten, so skinny and appearing like you were ready to die. The abuse and burn scars on your nose and back, the sadness in your eyes and all the health problems you had, and had overcome

You had no idea or knowledge of what a truly loving home was until they (Minnesota Homeward Bound) came along, and placed you with me. You became very much alive, no longer broken. You loved everyone and were so noble and gentle. You loved everyone big and small, you played and lived freely and became more sure of yourself daily. But you had the pain and memories of your first two years of life so deeply imbedded, that not even I could remove the hurt and fear your first owner placed on you as a puppy

You left me at 11:45 am Sunday July 10th 2005 to move on to even a better home, a home forever in Heaven. We (myself and all your friends) will always carry a part of you in our hearts.

Giving you a second chance at life was hard, but it was so rewarding. Thank you very, very much for loving me. As much as I loved you. Now, go run and play with all your new friends in Heaven.

I loved you so ——

I am not quite sure what happened or why? You were almost 13 years old, and you knew it was time to move on. But I, just wasn't ready, to lose the best friend I ever had. Part of you will always be with me. Jess-z I will miss you deeply

Love Mike

Also; Thank You Very Much Robin D. @ Minnesota Homeward Bound Dog Rescue and Placement

DYNA
I would like to tell you about two success stories in our family. In 1997 we adopted "Dyna" (the black collie mix in the picture) she has been the most loving, gentle girl. She was very shy when we got her at Homeward Bound, she and her sister were inseparable and had been abandoned. She was about 7 mos, she is now 8 or soon to be. She has calmed down a little, but was a very good role model for "Morgan" (the golden retriever our family adopted in 2001) she was like a mommy to Morgan and Morgan was 3 mos old and had been previously adopted but the family couldn't keep her for some reason. These two girls do everything together, Dyna leads, and Morgan follows. My daughter actually adopted Morgan — and they have moved into their own house in the last six months. But Morgan comes over 2 times a week and we have Doggie Daycare. A month ago we took in a German Shepard pup who was one of 10 puppies. Since the guy had 10 puppies he was looking for good homes.

So they all three get along pretty well — and follow Dyna (the oldest).

You have a great organization.

DAISY
On September 4, 2005 we adopted Daisy. When we got to Petco, it was very busy. I was looking at all the dogs and my husband was introduced to Daisy. He instantly fell in love and could not put her down. From that day on she has been wonderful for our family. Daisy has such a funny personality! She loves to be sneaky and will run off with anything she can. She loves to play with toys and eat her bones. Whenever we get home from grocery shopping she goes through all the bags just to see what kind of treats we got for her. The one time we forgot, Daisy was mad at us and we have never made that mistake again! Thank you for bringing Daisy into our lives!

—The Campbell's

BELLA
We adopted Buddy, a cocker spaniel, from Homeward Bound last August and when we needed a companion in May for Moose, our Rottie, we of course looked again to H.B. We saw a listing for a beautiful Rottie named Nana. I emailed Katie a ton of questions about Nana and we knew, even before we saw her, she would be a perfect fit for our family. On adoption day there were 3 families looking to adopt Nana and each family was qualified for her. It came down to a drawing. I never win anything....ever....but we did that day! We won Bella. I was so excited and happy I started crying. Her and Moose were already best of friends before we even left Petco. They have been velcroed to each other ever since we brought her home. It only took her 3 days to transition into our family and now it seems like she has been a part of the family forever. She finished all her medication for Lyme's disease and has since been vaccinated. Her back legs have straightened out and strengthened due to very high quality dog food and a lot of exercise. She is absolutely a beautiful girl...so we changed her name from Nana to Bella the Beautiful. I'm attaching a picture of her and Moose together. Bella is the one in front...smiling. She sends her love. We send our deep gratitude and thanks. Bella will be spoiled for the rest of her life. We are so thankful to Homeward Bound for letting this angel into our lives.

—Sincerely,
Suzie, John, Moose, Bella, and Buddy

NIKKI (formerly known as Trixie)
We adopted Nikki at the Maple Grove Petco on March 5, 2005 and couldn't be happier! She was brand new to HB, and not much was known about her except that she had come from Kentucky. She was pretty matted and VERY stinky, but we fell in love with her anyway! We took her home and cleaned her up and she turned out to be a beautiful dog. She's completely housetrained now, and doesn't chew (much!). She really didn't know how to play when she came to us, but now loves to chase the soccer ball and generally have a good time! She loves to cuddle and really thinks she should be a lap dog! Our cat is learning to tolerate her, though Nikki would love to be her friend. We are so happy that Nikki has joined our family!

—The Nelson family

LUCY
Hello Homeward Bound — Just wanted to thank you and to let you know how well Lucy (formerly called Jamie) is doing. We adopted her from Petco in Maplewood when she was 12 weeks old. She is now 6 months old and is a great dog!! She was fostered by Cheryl who told us that Lucy was very high energy. That is true, but she is also a very mellow and sweet dog! She was easy to housebreak and she's very well behaved in the house. She loves to go in the boat and the car. She is smarter than us! She learns things so quickly it amazes us. She swims like a fish, turns somersaults when chasing balls and is also a skateboarder (see picture)! We love this little dog—she makes us laugh every day!!

P.S. Her paperwork says she was a stray and was spayed in Terre Haute Indiania. Do you know of any more details of her background? We're just curious.

Thanks!

LUCKY
I just wanted to send a note quick to tell you about our dog Lucky.

Lucky (formally Velvet/Alegra) was adopted from Homeward Bound in Oct 03 by my girlfriend Emily. Lucky obviously had a rough start, was heavily neglected, abused and mistreated. When Emily brought Lucky home I could only shake my head at this skinny little thing that was afraid of everything. Lucky was scared of me (actually of all men) for a year and would hide between Emily's legs, even at home! We had some ups and downs, especially when she would get scared and defensive. Sadly, we even had some nipping and biting moments, but we just had to give Lucky a chance, and some space, to finally let her relax and learn to trust.

How times have changed. In Nov 04, Emily, Lucky and I moved in together. There were a few tense moments, but after some training sessions and behavior advice (mostly for us!), everything has turned out wonderfully. Lucky has become one of the sweetest and affectionate dogs I've ever met! All it took was lots of patience, cooked chicken, tennis balls and time! She no longer fears strangers, growls or hides all day. Instead she loves to go for car rides, confidently meet new friends and flirt with the other dogs at rugby games. I now look forward to every morning when Emily hits the showers and Lucky instinctively hops into bed for some morning snuggles. It has been so rewarding to watch her finally get to feel, and act like, a dog.

Thank you Homeward Bound for bringing Lucky into our lives. She has shown us how important it is to be patient and how far a little love goes. We named her Lucky because if she wasn't lucky before, she sure is now. As we all are to have her.

Warmest regards,
Ben Johnson

MAIZY (formerly known as Nellie)
Dear Homeward Bound:

Hi! Remember me? I'm Maizy now, but you knew me as Nellie. I was living in a puppy mill in Indiana, and you rescued me. In January I was adopted to a super-duper family, where I even got a big sister (Ruby) who shares her couch with me. Sometimes she plays Chase with me in the newly-fenced-in backyard. Then she gets tired out and my mom steps in. She can't catch me! I have this great move where I fake to the left and then run to the right. But then I let her catch me because she gives me a good rub down and there is usually a treat involved. On my more mellow days, I like to slow dance with my mom. She holds my paws and I rest my head on her hand. When she sings "Blue Moon," it makes me want to howl along, but I tend to get a little off-key.

Anyway, I love my new home. I was really afraid at first because someone back in Indiana used to beat me. I thought that anything my people had in their hands was for hitting me. When they raised their hands, I would duck and run into my kennel. But now I understand that nothing bad like that is going to happen to me here. In fact — don't tell my people this — I have them wrapped around my little paw! They are so charmed by my big yellow lab smile that they'll do anything for me! They take me for long walks in the woods, to the dog park to meet friends, and even to school! I got my diploma in Basic Obedience with a specialization in "Sit" in March. I'm pretty smart.

Yeah, life is good. I get lots of treats and bones. And did I mention LOTS of treats? (I've put on a few pounds since I got here, so mom put me on a diet. Little does she know, I just sneak into Ruby's bowl for a few extra bites! Ha ha!) I've also learned the joys of the belly rub. Ooh, that feels good. I'm not too pushy about asking for one, but my mom is always happy to oblige.

I don't mean to brag, but my mom says I am the "best dog ever." In fact, she says that I'm so much fun, she's thinking about getting another dog from HB so I can have more friends. (See? Wrapped around my paw!) I think that is a great idea. HB gave me a second chance and I got this great life. I hope all the dogs there find great homes like I did. Thank you so much for rescuing me and finding me a good home. Keep up the great work!!

Love,
Maizy

(Written with the assistance of Debbie Prokopf, Minneapolis, MN)

MATTIE (formerly known as Duckie)
First, thank you everyone who had a hand in giving our little Mattie a chance! She is a one in a million dog who would have been lost if not for all of your hard work and love.

My husband and I were planning on getting a dog sometime after the holidays, but when we saw a decription for a little red heeler mix named 'Duckie' right around Thanksgiving last year we knew we needed to take a closer look. Although when we met this amazing pooch she was stinky, dirty, very under wieght AND sick with kennel cough, nothing could hide her stellar soul. After a name change (encouraged by you all, who also thought Duckie wasn't such a good fit) to Mattie (short for Matilda) Underfoot, a long and very shampoo intense bath, a few weeks of puppy chow and a couple hard nights of steaming the crusted snot off her little nose the transformation was complete. With her outter appearnce matching her inner beauty, she's now fawned over where ever we go.

And Mattie has also turned into quite the dog obedience star, already recieved her CGC title and is headed for agility classes this fall (maybe flyball too). To think, she almost starved to death as a pregant street dog and barely missed being put to sleep at the pound. Mattie has found a forever home and has been a pure delight for us.

Thanks to all of you — keep up the good work!

—Sincerely,
Kate, Andrew and Mattie

ALLIE (formerly known as Nealy/Reenie)
Hi Everyone at Homeward Bound—

We have had Allie for 3 weeks now. Allie is doing great in her new home and the transition with our kitty is going quite well (still going to take some time), but they do not chase each other and no fur has been flying. We have been keeping Allie fairly quiet since she had treatment done for heartworm. I don't know how bad her heartworm was, but she seems to be feeling very healthy, is eating (actually she's kind of a pig!) loves her water dish, and we do take her on several short walks throughout the day. I do make sure she gets plenty of rest though. She's almost done with all of her medication. She is a great dog, loves to snuggle, and loves to be around us. You had mentioned she may not have been treated well in her younger years and we can sense that too as she can be somewhat timid. She does have trust in us already, gets so excited to see us, and is learning every day that all she will receive in her new home is love, snuggles and lots of scratches. She wags her tail A LOT now!

Thanks so much for rescuing her from the pound!! We absolutely love her.

Keep up the great work you do. —Lynne and Paul

FINNY (formerly known as Geppeddo)
I adopted Finny (formerly "Geppeddo"), a 3-year-old male Irish Setter on February 26, 2005, after searching long and hard for a good companion for my shy and fearful hound, Lucky. The experience has been absolutely wonderful: Finny (Finnegan) is a WONDERFUL boy. He is smart and goofy and joyful and mellow and energetic and loving and independent, all at the same time. Best of all? He and Lucky have become the best of buddies-walking together every day, wrestling for toys, chasing each other, taking naps together, and running around making mischief.

Finnegan has also brought Lucky a new sense of confidence: she is now able to bark at and greet visitors, instead of running upstairs to hide! And Lucky now even allows some (female) strangers to pet her! This is GREAT progress after only a couple months—especially if you knew how fearful Lucky was!

The dogs come everywhere with me. We've already taken a trip to Montana and Yellowstone National Park, and we go to dog parks and dog training classes every week. Finny learns very quickly in training: after just 2 classes, he knew how to sit, shake, stay, and lay down! He's a super boy, and an absolute JOY to own.

When I adopted Finny, he'd been heartworm positive and had only recently been treated-so he was lethargic and feeling very sick. The first weeks with him were not fun, to say the very least, but they taught me a valuable lesson: that patience and compassion for animals are paid back tenfold. I couldn't have asked for a better dog. And now that he's feeling better, I have a whole new understanding of exactly what "energy" means! Finny wants to play, and run, and run, and play, and chase, and fetch, and catch, and go for rides, and run, and play some more! He's so full of life and happiness that you can't help but to smile just watching him.

Thank you for all your hard work with these truly deserving dogs. You'll never know how much you are appreciated!

—Rachel Davis and Finnegan and Lucky

BEN
Hello to the wonderful people at Homeward Bound. Most of you probably remember Ben. He is the dobe that was badly beaten when he was a puppy and has been bounced from home to home ever since. Well we adopted Ben over a year ago, and while I can't say that he behaves well, he is still very lovable. He still has some behavior issues like dumping over the water dish and carrying his food bowls all over the house. Also, he likes to whine and scratch at our bedroom door until we let him in, but we can't help but love him anyway. He has a girlfriend named Maya (one of our other dogs) and they love to play. We are currently in the process of buying a new home, so Ben and Maya (and their older sister Oreo) will have a fenced yard to run and play in. While Ben has been a challenge, we love him very much and are glad we could help him have a good life. He sleeps at the foot of our bed and when it thunders, he crawls between us and puts his head under my arm to hide. Thanks again for giving Ben to us, and we just want to tell you that homeward bound is such a wonderful organization and we wish we could help more. Thanks again, and Hi from all of us.

—Sincerely
Tracey, Rickey, Ben, Oreo, Maya

WAKEFIELD (formerly known as Jordan)
Don't you just LOVE the distinguished grey? I think my Wakefield resembles a retired Sherlock Homes, and should be waring a deerstalker and smoking a pipe by the fire....so much has happened since the summer of 1993 when a dear friend drove me out to meet some Homeward Bound Rescue dogs, and I came home with a beautiful, sweet YOUNG adult male Border Collie, whom I named Wakefield. I was in the process of buying my first home, and the new dog was to stay home and guard it whenever I was away with my Seeing Eye dog! Well, it took years for Wakefield to decide to bark, and most of the time I just took him with me! I had been told to avoid Border Collies, as they were said to be hyper, but Cheryl said "Not this one!" He has always enjoyed his walks, but is a mellow fellow at home! He was saved by Cheryl's daughter Kristi, then just ten years old, who cried when her mom said she couldn't take home the super sweet but filthy, matted, emaciated black dog in the same kennel as the purebred German shepherd...so Kristi promised to take care of the dog she called Jordan, and everyone was surprised when after being bathed, he turned out to be such a gorgeous boy! He is now at least thirteen years old, in wonderful health, always gentle with rescue fosters, cats, and now my little Rat Terriers...he has even been very polite to my new Seeing eye dog...old Drea died a few years ago...although he felt he was doing the guide job himself just fine. He is the most loving and loved dog,and while I dread the future without him, I know that finding him to share such a long and eventful life with me is the most amazing blessing anyone could wish for! And he brought me into my involvement with Cheryl adams and her fantastic rescue work; nobody could ask for a better encounter with a dog...Wakefield is my Lassie Come Home, there is not now or ever a better dog than he is...may he continue for many more years!

—Edwina

MONTY (Monty on left and Desi on the right) (formerly known as Lefty/Brut)
We were so sad this past summer to have gone through the loss of our dachshund, Kaiser, whom we had adopted from Homeward Bound four years ago [see Kaiser's story towards the bottom of this page]. Knowing how important it is to give these animals a second chance and wanting to work again with HB, we were thrilled to see the online listing of a black pug for adoption last August. Just two years ago we had adopted our black pug, Desi, from a family and thought it must be fate that HB had one at the perfect time for us! Monty was in pretty rough shape after being a stray but it was our hope that with a lot of care and love he would turn out just fine. We are happy to report that Monty is healthy, a little goofy (you just have to love that funny underbite and tongue he has), and a fully adjusted member of our family! We feel so blessed to have found him and to have been chosen to be his family. Thanks again for the work that you do and for helping these little treasures find their forever families.

—Kari Boe Schmidtz and Tyler Schmidtz

KIRBY
Hello!

Like many others, we went to Petco 2 months ago to "look." To our surprise a volunteer introduced us to "Kirby" a one-eyed beagle. Kirby was apparently overweight. However, I am happy to report that she is a slim 27#! She loves to play, go for walks, run, give kisses, get belly rubs, and of course eat. She is doing exceptionally well with the cats and we couldn't be more pleased. As I (Laura) said when we adopted her, "I love her already."

Thank you to all of the staff and volunteers for all of your assistance in the adoption process.

Best Wishes,
Paul, Laura, and Kirby Corts

TUCKER
I still remember that Saturday in September that I just happened to visit the pet adoption. I was on my way to Target, which was right next door to the Petco in Fridley. I grew up with German Shepherds all of my life, so they will always have a special place in my heart. I just liked to look and play with the dogs, since living away from my family has left me dogless in Minnesota. I saw one female German Shepherd, but it just didn't click. As I was about to leave, one of the volunteers asked if I had seen the male GSD. I thought I would take a look. It turns out that he was an unclaimed stray that you had picked up the night before the adoption. No one knew anything about him, and he didn't even have a name.

I took him for a walk outside, sat on the curb to just hang out, and within a couple of minutes he was trying to curl up in my lap and give me kisses. Oh, yeah, he had me with that. Well, since I wasn't planning on this, I had a few personal and work trips planned over the next couple months. This meant that I had to call in my parents. I put him back in the crate (which I hated to do), and spent the next half hour on the phone with my mom to make sure they would watch him while I was traveling. I thought for sure Motherly reason would be spoken from her lips, but instead she said get him. I just knew that there was some reason I was there that day. I hung up with my Mom, went to get him, but meanwhile someone else had him out of this kennel. I was a little upset, but thought maybe it was not meant to be. During all of this, one of your wonderful volunteers watched and noticed my face as I was walking back to the crate. We talked a little bit, and I told her that I was going to Target to do what I had originally planned to do. If he was in his crate when I got back, then I would take him. About 45 minutes later, I came back. He was still there, but the kicker was the volunteer never put him back in his crate but held him for me. That was the sweetest thing!!! My 30 minute trip to Target turned into a 4 hour trip and returning with a dog in tow.

He never had a name, but now his name is Tucker. He is the best dog I have ever owned. The only thing I have to worry about is my Dad trying to steal him away. I continue to be amazed at how Tucker has this never-ending optimistic look to him. He is just so happy to see everyone, extremely friendly, loves kids other dogs. I can not for the life of me figure out why someone wouldn't claim him, but their loss is my gain!!!

We have visited a couple of adoptions, so I can show off what a wonderful pet rescued dogs make. I have even had a couple of friends adopt dogs from you in the past few months. Tucker is one of the best things that I just happened upon one Saturday in September. Thank you so much for this great service you are all providing. Keep up the wonderful work!!!

Best Regards, Daniella Terry

CHEEKO
I want to say how Happy I was to be allowed to adopot Cheeko, 2yrs ago when I heard that there was a Boston Terrior up for adoption in the Fridley Petco I jumped in my car and was there by 9:00Am to make sure that I was first in line to see my hopefull new pet. When I saw Katie bring him in to the back room I motioned for her to bring him to me and she did, she allowed me to hold him and it was love at first sight! It has been two years now and Cheeko is doing FANTASTIC! He has been such a joy to our household and a great pal to my male sheltie Al they are always together. Thank u so much for the wonderful work u do and for Cheeko. maybe u could let Katie Mothlmann know that he is doing good.

UPDATE: I just wanted to up date u on Cheeko the Boston Terrior that I adopted in Feb. of 03. he is doing just GREAT and is still the LOVE of my house!!!! He and Al (my male sheltie) are still the best of BUDS! They love to play tug of war with their BAH BAH. I love to go to the web site and see Cheeko's sucsess story maybe u could add a new updated one but I just wanted u to know that he is doing just GREAT and I love him to death.