This is my "son" Cody.  I adopted him in January.  He was brought into the shelter when he was about 3 months old.  He had a broken elbow that was so severe the Kennel debated to amputate it or putting him to sleep.  The Dick Goddard Medical Fund saved his life and changed mine.   Cody spent 6 months of his life in the shelter and in two casts.   He limps a little but that just adds to his charm.  Despite all he has gone through in his young life, he is a playful, floppy eared, tail waggin, water lovin' dog!   He sleeps on my feet every night and cuddles during thunder storms.  He wakes me up every morning with BIG WET SLOPPY KISS! He is constantly doing something to make me laugh so hard.  He is just really sweet.  He has an older though smaller "Brother"  named Lucas.  Lucas has some health issues and when he doesn't feel good, Cody will lay with him and kiss him and clean him.  He is so affectionate and caring.   I love him so much and couldn't imagine my life with out him! ~ ALLISON ~

My story is a little different.  My mom actually adopted Maggie about 6 years ago I think.  We had just lost our purebred Doberman to cancer and the house felt empty as we have always had a dog until now.  So after some careful consideration we decided to adopt.  So off to the shelter we went, we looked at 2 dogs, each were roughly about 8 months old, one was a Sheppard mix and the other was a Doberman mix. I was the one who wanted the dog sooo bad that my mom gave me the word that I could choose the dog.  So both dogs came into the room one was very shy and timid and then there was Maggie, she came in guns a blazing ready to play, she was all over me and my mom it was clear she was the one I wanted. So my mom signed all the paperwork and we picked her up a week or so later after she was altered. She was a great addition to the household!  Recently my mom passed away and before she died her concern was Maggie, making sure she had a good home because she didn't want us to be burdened by her along with everything else that was going on and I was not going to have any part of it.  Maggie was our dog, the family's dog and part of our family and she was staying with me.  So I took possession of her and cared for her and took her to the vet and loved her.  While living in Brunswick Maggie would frequently go to the local dog park about 4 to 5 times a week since we lived in a condo.  Once my mom passed I moved to Old Brooklyn in my own home with a fenced in yard and I could tell that Maggie was lonely without the other dogs to play with all the time.  She would play with my sisters dogs ( who were also adopted at your shelter ) but it wasn't enough she missed having another dog to play with almost everyday.  So August of last year I adopted another puppy from a rescue shelter in Canton.  The puppy was 4 months old very malnourished, covered in fleas and about 5 lbs.  His name is Mojo, and Maggie was SOOOO excited to get a friend, after flea treatments, some much needed food and water and love, he is now a 40lb monster who gives Maggie a run for her money.  When I first got mojo Maggie was the best "mom" she could be, he was so hungry and skinny that she would wait to eat her food until he was done and let him have hers if he was still hungry it was the cutest thing I had every seen, she watched out for him, cared for him and was like a big sister to him, yet all the time preparing him to play like the big dogs do!  Now they play tug of war in the backyard with their ropes, run like crazy after squirrels together and sleep side by side together at night.  Maggie couldn't be happier, she has a constant playmate throughout the day and night, a backyard to run around in and a happy home to live her life out in.  Well that’s my story,  I know its long and may not make it onto the website but maybe her picture will make it into the calendar.

As a shelter volunteer, I fell in love with a new dog (or two, or three) every time I was there.  Sami was one of those dogs.  When I first met her, she was so pregnant that her belly almost touched the floor.  Each time I went to the shelter, I would spend time with her.  She was so easy to fall in love with.  The big brown eyes, the gentle paw, the sweet disposition, the sloppy kisses.  We already had two dogs at the time but I asked my husband if we could bring her home to foster her after the puppies were born and weened.  I brought her home knowing that she would never leave.   She is a sweet, devoted, loving dog and I can't imagine life without her!   Lynn, Dana & Logan

As recipient of the best friends fund and "spokesdog" in the segment, Tina has been great!  Nearly everyone we meet on walks has to stop and ask what breed she is and say how cute she is.  I knew right away she was meant for us in the shelter, when we came to the very last kennel and she stood up so straight and said "take me!" and then played with us out in the yard.  Here she is the first week in our home. She licks our baby's feet and "guards" her in her swing. Once she notified me that she was very upset when I could not hear the monitor! I am so glad you are doing this calendar!!   Thanks to Greg and Dick for working with and helping Tina!!   Elaine and Dave

We adopted him from the shelter on December 23, 2007. Our boxer, Diego, had passed away from Thyroid Cancer only a month earlier, when we received a call from Barb (volunteer). Barb is a friend of ours, and told me that she had been debating all day as to whether or not she should call. She told me that a white boxer had just come in... that he was extremely skinny (a walking canine skeleton), but was happy and full of love. She advised us to come early the next morning to meet him, if we might be interested. So, early the next morning, we hopped in our car and made our way to the shelter. What we saw when we got there broke our hearts. A happy, bouncing dog was just aching to play and be petted by us. We went into the "meeting" room with him, to see how we would all interact. We discovered that he was very smart, and knew "paw", "other paw", "sit" and "roll over"... It made us wonder why somebody would go through all of that trouble to teach an animal tricks, and then not take care of him. Charlie had no name when we met him, and was simply called "Bones" by the shelter staff. After our initial meeting, we decided to take a look at all of the other dogs at the shelter. After we approached Charlie's cage, he instantly recognized us and started barking. He didn't bark at anybody else. And, as we walked away, he kept staring at us with those big, brown eyes and barking.. Wondering why we were leaving him. The next morning we came back and adopted him! We immediately took him to the Vet to have him looked over, and found that he weighed a mere 35 pounds, when he should have weighed at least 60. We took him home, plumped him up and made him ours! He is a good brother to both of our felines and loves to play with his canine cousins! My 4 year-old nephew adores him, and Charlie will take commands from him, such as "paw" and "sit"! We took him to an obedience class, where he excelled. At the "Canine Olympis" the class held on the last day, Charlie took home a gold medal for the "focus" command and also the "all- around" gold medal! He loves to spend time with his mom and dad, cuddling, playing with his toys and going for walks. Everybody who comes over to the house is obviously there to see him, not us! He may look like a tough guy, but he is the biggest softie you'd ever meet! We love our Charlie Brown and can't imagine our lives without him. Thank you Barb for making that call! ~Emily

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