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The Amazing Gus

By Stefanie J.

As a puppy, Gus has seen the best and worst in humanity. Gus (F/K/A Snuggles) was born blind due to a rare condition. He came from a non-reputable breeder where Gus’s mother was neglected. She may have been sick while pregnant, affecting Gus’s development. The breeder discarded him but, luckily, someone found him and he made his way to Pet Haven.

That’s the unhappy beginning. But, at approximately nine months old, Gus is a thriving Lhasa Apso who amazes people. “He was the easiest puppy I ever had. He was house-trained immediately and good on a leash,” his foster mom Robin says. Out of all her fosters, “people gravitated towards him the most. I’ve never seen anything like it,” Robin says. In fact, Robin almost adopted him herself.

But destiny was at work when Ruth (Gus’s new mom) saw Gus on Petfinder.com. Her eight-year-old Golden Retriever, Midas, was lonely ever since Ruth’s roommate moved out and took her dog, Rupert, with her. Ruth thought Gus was just “too perfect”. Midas was training for therapy dog certification and Ruth wanted her next dog to be a therapy dog too. Being blind made Ruth more attracted to Gus because he is overcoming disabilities. “I thought he’d be an inspiring guy for people with disabilities and illnesses – he’s impressive,” says Ruth.

Ruth has had Gus for several weeks now and he has adapted well. His name was changed from Snuggles to Gus because Gus means “regal or exalted” and Ruth wanted him to have a dignified name like Midas (for King Midas).

Gus and MidasIn Gus, Midas got the friend he craved. “They get along well and are great together. It’s better than I ever hoped,” Ruth says. “They play like crazy and wrestle all day long.”

Gus has found ways to manage. He used to bump into things a lot but has learned his way around. Ruth has a big back-yard and he’s learned where the trees and other obstacles are. If he gets confused, he barks for help. He also just learned how to get up on the sofa by himself.

When they go for walks around Lake Harriet, Gus sometimes holds on to Midas’s tail so he can follow – as long as Midas will tolerate it, anyway. He also likes to sit down in the walk way. He holds his head up to observe, turns and sways it, listens with a big grin – sort of a “Stevie Wonder” thing.

Gus in the laundry basketGus’s days include playing with toys, flip-flops and socks. Often, he plays outside. Once a week he has a play-date at Ruth’s old roommate’s house with Rupert. Ruth, Midas and Gus also go on lots of walks and even attended Doggie Palooza and Woofstock.

Gus is happy and doesn’t seem to know he’s blind. Ruth says he is “laid-back, silly, sweet and pretty in tune with people and other dogs…I couldn’t be happier with him. I’m so glad I found him – he’s a perfect match in every way."

A Perfect Match

By Tosha B.

When Karen saw two little faces looking back at her from Pet Haven’s website, she wasn’t sure she and her husband were ready for a new family member – their cat of 21 years had passed away only months before. But she couldn’t resist, and a week later they brought home Bentley and Macintosh (formerly called Ian and Tamari). Their quiet lives quickly changed as they adjusted to their newest additions.

At first, Bentley preferred to observe from the safe shelter of a table while Macintosh explored the ins and outs of the unfamiliar surroundings. But once they grew accustomed their new home, it was as if they’d always run the place.

Macintosh has a fetish for stealing anything he can, especially glasses, and causing any mischief he can dream up. On the other end of the spectrum, Bentley is very calm, gentle, and rarely misbehaves. Bentley is happy to find a lap to sit on, but Macintosh loves a shoulder-top view. Regardless of their very opposite personalities, they are inseparable! Whether wrestling and chasing one another, or snuggling up for nap time, they bring tremendous joy to their new family!

Karen and her husband find themselves greeted at the door daily by the very social feline pair, and are given not-so-subtle hints when the boys want to play. They will often find themselves being followed around the house with toys scattered everywhere if the cats don’t feel they are getting all the attention! Bentley and Macintosh’s favorite activity is sitting side-by-side by the door and watching the squirrels running around in the backyard.

As for the adoption process, Karen said “The adoption experience was great for us. Because the animals are in foster homes, the foster families get to know them and we are able to get a great insight into their personalities and determine if they might be a good fit for us. Of course, Bentley and Macintosh were a great fit for us. And even on the days that they get us up early, thinking it’s time to play, we are very happy to have them in our family."

A Ray of Sunshine for Shadow

Shadow— an apt name for a dog who was kept locked in a bedroom nearly 24/7, suffering for who knows how long from a painfully infected eye (that eventually required surgery to remove). When she came into the Pet Haven system, this 65-pound, one-eyed, aggressively barky black Lab fairly quickly blew through several foster homes. Her final foster mom, Laura, described her as “out of control, wild, barky…She couldn’t be contained.”

The adoptive families weren’t exactly taking numbers to take on this challenge.

Then in June, after four months with no takers, “Donna M. fell from the sky,” Laura said. Reading Donna’s email of interest in adopting Shadow, Laura cried. She called the Wisconsin artist, who lives three hours away from the Twin Cities (normally enough to disqualify an applicant, but these were dire circumstances) to prepare Donna “by saying almost nothing good about [Shadow].”

Feeling “cocky” after having had three troubled rescue dogs before, Donna figured she had it in her to work through any problem and drove down to meet this special-needs dog.

They met at Downtown Dogs in Minneapolis and walked around the block. The whole while, Donna said, Shadow had “a barking tantrum,” somewhat akin to an over-stimulated autistic child in a meltdown.

“There was almost a rhythm to it. She just didn’t know how not to bark. I felt so bad for her, but I still felt it was something she could unlearn.” Shadow just “had a lot to say because she’d never been listened to before,” Donna said. She packed up her new family member and drove back to Wisconsin.

The next morning, though, Donna’s harried voice over the phone to Laura indicated she may have felt she’d made a BIG mistake!

“She was driving us crazy,” Donna said.

Laura gave Donna every opportunity to bring back Shadow, but “I was secretly hoping she wouldn’t take me up on it.” And she didn’t.

Now, thanks to Donna’s patience and consistency—as well as their four-mile-a-day walks on her 45 acres of land, the Great Lake in which the year-and-a-half-old Shadow swims like an Olympian and the afternoons spent sunbathing with her new dad, Matt—positive changes are happening, and Donna celebrates each small victory. “Shadow is a handful,” she admits, but there are ever more moments when her taut body language relaxes and she’s “like a normal dog.”

And Shadow is teaching Donna some important life lessons, too. “I have to use my steely look,” she said, to gain dominant status in her new pack, shared by 10-year-old collie mix Minky. Now, thanks to Shadow’s lessons, she can look other people in the eye and say, in essence, “Don’t you bark at me!”

“It’s all a blessing,” she said. “I know someday I’ll look back and say [of adopting Shadow], this is one of the best things I’ve ever done.”

“All our dogs should be so lucky,” said Laura of the wonderful change of circumstances in Shadow’s life, from a locked bedroom prison to her very own Shangri-la. “This is a major victory for Pet Haven.”

And also for one special dog named Shadow who is finally having her day.

© 2008 Sid Korpi

Dodger

Sometimes after a hard start in life, good things come to you. That is certainly the case for a black lab named Dodger who I had the pleasure of meeting last week. He was found in a dumpster in Iowa and then found his way to Pet Haven. His foster parents had him and his two brothers for a few weeks, and the quickly picked up on some differences between Dodger and his siblings. He was obviously the dominant one, taking toys away from them. In time he learned from his foster siblings that being bully was not acceptable and he became a better playmate.

His two brothers were adopted a few weeks before he was, and that is where his current "mom" and "dad" come in. They saw Dodger and inquired about him only to find that another family was going to come get him but they were second in line. The first family never showed up, so while "dad" was gone for two weeks "mom" went to get him. Boy was she in for a surprise!

Dodger was five months old at the time and all full of puppy and he liked to chew as lab puppies do. And what to chew? Everything! Dodger has flourished in his new home, more than doubling his weight in two short months. His coordination is improving as well, though he still trips over his own huge feet when they are out on walks.

They have also seen some changes to him as he is growing into a young dog. In addition to being a great source of entertainment and their first child, he is a companion and a protector. Dad works nights so Dodger gets to be the "man of the house" in the evenings and he takes his job seriously. He has two distinctive barks; the normal bark that is his voice and the "big boy" bark that he uses only to alert someone to a problem. That big bark will scare off an intruder with any sense, and the house is safe when Dodger is on patrol.

If being a guard dog wasn't enough for Dodger to earn his keep, he delivers the family their slippers, acts as a source of entertainment, and is always ready to be soft furry companion on a cold night.

They are very lucky to get a dog with such a great heart, so fun and full of life and energy and Dodger is very lucky to find two people that will love him through his teenage angst that is just a month or so away. Congratulations on your new family Dodger, and congratulations on learning to swim, as you spend more time in the water you'll understand why you have those giant webbed feet you are always tripping over when you're on land!

Daisy the Singer

By Stephanie J.

Angel has had her share of challenges the last several years but one thing that has been a constant bright spot is Daisy, her 12-and-a-half year old basset hound. Daisy is a 50 pound “lap dog” who likes to display her musical bark by singing along with people, movies and even the family parrot “Kiwi.”

Daisy was three years old when Angel adopted her from Pet Haven. She had been in multiple foster homes before that for quite a while. Her original family went through a divorce and could no longer take care of her. Maybe it was just meant to be. Some potential adopters were not too accepting of Daisy’s drooling (a basset hound trait). It didn’t bother Angel, however, and they have been together for the last nine years.

It’s been a wonderful nine years – well most of them. Angel’s family went through a divorce too but Daisy was very comforting to Angel and helped her through that rough patch. There was also the untimely death of Daisy’s true friend – Peter the Daschund. Peter was another dog adopted from Pet Haven. Daisy and Peter were inseparable friends and took his death extremely hard. Angel was devastated as well and “they were there for each other” says Angel.

At first when Daisy was adopted “she was skittish and would run away when you got close” says Angel. She would cower easily and seemed to be afraid of men. Angel is not sure why Daisy acted that way but after a few weeks she was a “very loving, sweet dog” says Angel. Daisy is playful and has no fear of men anymore. In fact, Angel’s dad is one of Daisy’s favorite people. She is so friendly now that she even likes to walk with students from the University which is close to where they live.

Daisy’s days are routine but in a good way. She has her friend Sasha to play with; Angel’s 13-and-a-half year old beagle. The two like to play games. One is where Sasha pulls on Daisy’s ears and then runs around her because she is faster than Daisy. They also like to play tug of war and steal balls from each other. They are both slowing down now since they are mature dogs so one of their newer games is to simply bark at Angel’s dad and run away.

“Daisy is pretty spoiled” says Angel. Her favorite spot in the house is “anywhere you are sitting.” She loves to sit in Angel’s mother’s lap and also gets to sleep with Angel where she “takes up three-quarters of the bed” says Angel. Daisy also enjoys her daily pig’s ears and eats them on a schedule. If she doesn’t get them by 7 p.m. “she won’t be happy and lets you know” according to Angel.

Of her two Pet Haven adoptees, Daisy and Peter, Angel says “I can’t emphasize how much it means that I was allowed to adopt them. I have never regretted it and I never will.” When asked what the best part of having Daisy in her life is, Angel says “It’s the unconditional love she gives – you can’t ask for anything more.”

It’s a happy ending for both Daisy and Angel. They have both been there for each other through all of life’s ups and downs as true friend are.

Luna: the Bully Breed Advocate

By Joel M.

First of all, we would like to say thank you to everyone at Pet Haven. We officially adopted Luna on Aug 2nd, 2008, but we fell in love with her on Thursday, July 3rd 2008. That was the day we picked her up to foster. They say dogs are a man's best friend. But I think the work Pet Haven does shows that you are a dog's best friend. We are proud of her and want to thank you guys for introducing us to her. If there is one thing I am proud of failing at, it’s fostering Luna.

Luna was shy and nervous when we first got her. She was a naughty little girl; but we saw right away that she was very smart and very loyal. She is so intelligent that she picked up on all the things we thought she needed to know to be a great dog for any family. The more we taught her the more we wanted her to ourselves. I guess we were selfish in that way. My son Justin fell in love with Luna and has gotten the most kisses from Luna than anyone else. He is on pace to set a Guinness world record for
kisses.

Luna is one of those "bully-breeds" people are scared of. I have to admit that I had a negative preconceived notion myself but thought, why not give her a chance? Besides, we thought it was going to be for a weekend only. She taught me that any dog can be sweet and that it’s the person holding the leash that determines how a dog acts. She is the epitome of success and
great training. She is loving and gentle with the kids and all the dogs she meets. Dogs bark around her at the park and she just ignores them and shows her great personality right away.

Taking time with Luna has made me realize that she is going to do
everything 100% and it is me who determines where I want her to focus her energies. She has taught me a lot and has washed away my preconceived ideas. And I LOVE LUNA. I don’t know how else to say it I am glad I met you guys. I am glad I am part of the work we do.

She is a bully breed, yes. But she is a great advocate because of her personality. Her demeanor and temperament speaks volumes of the true loyal and devoted spirit in her.

Gigi

By Tosha B.

After multiple attempts to tell the story of Robin and Gigi, I have come to the conclusion that nothing captures the heart of Gigi more than Robins's own words:

I lost all three of my pets in the last five years, all to old age. I was pretty sure that I was going to "hold off" on getting a new pet for a while - losing those three friends has been hard on me. But eventually, I said to myself "what am I waiting for???" So I started to look in earnest.

I wanted a cat-- specifically one that was independent enough to not be totally intimidated by being alone for a couple of days. Tsu's description seemed to fit that bill, so I submitted an application and Mary Ann responded almost immediately. She told me about Tsu's background, being a kicked-out kitten, befriending a postal worker, and my heart just melted. She told me things that might even dissuade me- about how it might take a while for Tsu to warm up to me, and that her last adoptive parent hadn't been patient enough for that, that she might bite me if I tried to pick her up or rub her belly. She told me that she didn't always get along with other cats, so might be best off being "only cat" aka Princess. Still, I was invited for visit and decided to go. I did not expect much - did not expect that the little girl would even come out. But come out she did, let me pet her and we played.

Coming home, she was pretty nervous. She pretty much holed up in her "room" at first, even though the door was open, so we sat in there together when I was home. Within a day or two, she started venturing out, and eventually, she was in that room less and less.

Tsu - I call her Gigi now, sometimes Suzy-Q because she likes to play with Q-tips - is a very good girl. I've had her for a couple of months now and, while she's not the type of cat that wants to sit in my lap, she shows her affection in other ways. She has 'blankies' on two sofas in two different rooms, and if I'm sitting in one room, she joins me on the blanket and I pet her and brush her and rub her fuzzy tummy. She follows me around the house in the morning and is always inquisitive about the bathtub! Morning is also a major play time...and it is a sincere joy of mine to watch her play! Q-tips are the latest passion, but she has many toys, including the sparkle ball and strawberry that Mary Ann sent home with us. I think she knows that they're from Mary Ann and that's why they're special to her. When she's playing, or when I pet her, she makes the tiniest little mews and meeps, almost as though her kitten voice never left. It is adorable!

Now that summer is in full swing, the windows are always open and that's what Tsu likes best of all- sitting in a window and watching all of the birds and squirrels and bunnies. She naps on an old sofa in the sunny porch when it's warm. She whips around here all the time, of course, making me laugh, which she does a lot. She loves her cat food (a little too much) and is very tidy in grooming as well as in matters of the litterbox.

I think that, as the next 6-12 months pass, I'm going to see her open up more and more. She's got it in her, she's just nervous about trusting people...but she's learning. It's a win-win for me and the little girl. I love her!

Geordie: From Iowa Dumpster to Minnesota Home

By Susana G.

When Heather D. had to give up her “Newfoundland and Malamute children” last year, her heart broke. But a plea from a friend turned her into a foster mom and helped her and her young girls ease the transition. She fostered a couple of dogs and learned to love and let go. Then came an offer to foster puppies from a litter rescued from a dumpster in Iowa.

At the Bloomington Vet Hospital, Heather decided to foster the two “littlest” ones, which she and her daughters named Calcifur and Wyatt.

The name Calcifur came from a character in her daughters’ favorite movie, “Howl’s Moving Castle.” Playful and silly at times, she says Calcifur chilled out like an old dog and was very easy to train. Being a sculptor, Heather had a big sculpture in her yard. “The neck of the dragon is a huge elbow of steel pipe,” she says. “The pups played king of the hill on it and hid in the tunnel!”

While this was going on, in another part of town Merry and her family – husband Aaron, son Ian (five), Angus (a big, mostly black Lab) and three cats- wanted to get another dog. Yes, all of them. They had lost Angus’ most recent buddy, Artos, who had gone to the rainbow bridge. “We gave ourselves time to grieve and then it just felt it was time to adopt another dog,” says Merry.

At exactly that time, a friend of Merry’s, the one who had given them Artos, referred them to the rescued litter. When they found out the puppies were at least part Lab, they immediately applied for one. And when they went to Pet Haven’s blog site, http://pethavendogs.blogspot.com, they fell in love with Calcifur. Instantaneously.

On May 17, Merry went to dog adoption day and met Heather and Calcifur. When she heard from Heather that Calcifur had been found at the bottom of the puppy heap in the Iowa dumpster, Merry knew this was it: Angus had also been found at the bottom of his puppy heap!

And so, Calcifur went home with Merry but his name, despite its heroic and ancient resonance, didn’t last long. Merry was very fond of a Star Trek Next Generation character called Geordie, and the name sounded soft and sweet to her. And Calcifur “has such a sweet, cuddly nature!” says Merry.

Angus, however, ignored Geordie at the beginning, yet the little guy slowly melted Angus’ reserve and now both dogs play together and often lay side by side on the grass while licking away at home-made doggie popsicles or watching the world go by in the front porch. Geordie, happy and relaxed, often sleeps on his back, belly up, his paws “all which way”. Merry’s son Ian and Geordie have been great pals form the start. When Geordie hears Ian’s voice in the morning before they have all waken up, he immediately gets up and starts barking because he wants to see his boy.

A Happy Tail if you ever heard one!

Toby- a true beagle

By Stefanie J.

It had only been six weeks since Snoopy, Sue’s 16-year-old beagle, died. Snoopy was not only a family member who her kids had grown up with but also the neighborhood mascot. Sue wasn’t looking for a new dog yet but she saw Toby on the Pet Haven website and decided to contact the foster. There was just something intriguing about him. Then Sue and her son went to the pet adoption and they liked him immediately.

Toby is a two-year-old purebred beagle and has been with Sue and her family since September 2007. One of the first things Toby did when Sue got him was to crawl into her lap and fall asleep with his head on her shoulder. He was anxious to be loved maybe partially because he spent a year in various foster homes before finding his forever home.

“He is a very playful dog,” Sue says. “His personality is entirely different than Snoopy’s was which makes it easier to love him for who he is.” She also says he is a “good companion” and a “best friend” and has “filled the empty space in her heart” since Snoopy died and also since her kids have grown up and left home.

Playful, loveable, friendly, stubborn, naughty--all descriptors of the beagle breed. Being a true beagle, Toby has created some memorable moments. “He is very smart,” Sue says. “We’ve had three different types of gates in the house and he’s figured out how to open them all.”

Prior to the adoption, Toby’s foster mom had told Sue that Toby “danced on her dining room table the other day.” Sue found out what that felt like. Christmas Day 2008 was her mom’s 90th birthday and a party was planned. Sue had gotten “the prettiest cake you’ve ever seen in your life” for the occasion. On Christmas Eve, Sue and her family decided to go to midnight mass. The cake was in a room secured from Toby by a gate. Sue had thought about shutting the door to that room but didn’t think it was necessary. When they arrived home, they found that Toby had pushed a chair over to the gate and then jumped over it. He ate half of the cake! Luckily, Grandma loves him - she thought it was hilarious.

There’s also the time on Halloween that he ate about thirty-five candy bars and the very next morning, he ate a piece of quiche off Sue’s brunch guest’s plate. But everyone enjoys Toby so much that they can’t get mad at him. Maybe it’s the way he likes to jump up on people’s laps and then give them a kiss on the lips. He’s irresistible.

Toby also has a tender side. Sue’s son Sean was living at home for a while as he waited for his military orders. Sean had spent time with Toby, taken him to the cabin and bonded with him. The day Sean moved out to go to the military, Toby somehow understood what was going on. He kept sitting on Sean’s belongings as he got ready and once Sean left, Toby cried all day.

Life with Toby is good. Sue’s family made a few adjustments such as buying a garbage can that they call “Fort Knox.” Any changes have been worth it though because he gives back in his own way. One way is when he goes for car rides; he likes to stand on the console so he can see and also put his head on Sue’s shoulder.

Toby has a few idiosyncrasies such as a fear of ceiling fans – even when they are not on. He is also afraid of water and won’t even put a paw in the lake at the cabin. But he also loves to play fetch, likes to hide bones and has a favorite spot in the family room where he perches on a leather chair and surveys the backyard.

Like most beagles, Toby is good natured and has no mean streak, Sue says. He’s also a bit stubborn and if he wants to play, they get no rest until they give in to him. And if its dinner time, he doesn’t want to wait - he picks up his dog dish and slams it into the wall to say “feed me” while he wags his tail.

Also like most beagles he is so sweet “I can’t not love him” Sue says.

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