Animal "Tails"

“The greatness of a nation and its moral progress can be judged by the way its animals are treated.” -Mahatma Gandhi

This page is dedicated to GCHS adoption stories & animal friends in need.

Adoption Success!

December 2007 - We have had some wonderful adoptions this year at Gulf Coast Humane Society. Residents that, frankly, we thought would be here forever have found their new families and are now settled in comfort and surrounded by love.  By Andrea Calkins, Volunteer Coordinator

 

Remember Suzie, a lovely elderly lady? She came in with heartworm disease, was kept outside most of her life and information given by her previous owner was less than helpful. Suzanne Pugh, one of our Volunteers, decided to take advantage of our new Foster Program and took Suzie home for a week’s vacation. During that time we learned that Suzie behaved very well inside the home, was totally house-trained and an all-round sweetheart. (Well, we knew that one!). We were able to pass this information on to future adopters and within a couple of weeks she went to her new forever home!

 

…and then there was Holly, as her new mom says: “The poster dog for No Pet is Unadoptable.” Many of you remember 13-year old Holly’s issues with having leashes removed, the sudden decision that you are the enemy and must therefore be nipped at, growled at or scolded in any way possible. Well, Holly is now a lap dog, much loved, spoiled and an all-round wonderfully happy dog.

Fabulous feline adoptions...

Number one cat adoption of the year must be Kitty-Kitty.  She was with us for nearly 3 years, she was scratchy for the first 2 ½ years and we had almost given up hope…. Then one day her new family came in and adopted her along with Amber, another of our very-long-stay cats. We are told that Kitty-Kitty has really bonded with the children of the household and just loves to be in the lanai.

Another marvelous cat that went home was our other resident ‘grouchy lady’, the 10-year-old Siamese mix Angel, who was not really keen on other cats at all, or other animals, children, or humans who talked to her the wrong way. Who’d have believed that one day a lady would come in, see her, and fall in love with her AND take her home WITH another feline friend? And it works! This just proves that life can take the most miraculous turns! May it continue to be like that for all shelter animals!

And then there was Google...

In the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina in 2005, Gulf Coast Humane Society rescued over 100 animals from Dothan, Alabama.  Staff and volunteers completed the round-trip rescue in just a couple of days using two large horse trailers and hundreds of crates and cages.  All of the animals rescued were treated for medical conditions, brought up-to-date on their vaccinations, spayed or neutered, and microchipped before becoming available for adoption.  Gulf Coast Humane Society is pleased to announce, after almost two years, that our final ‘evacuee’, a female cat by the name of Google, has been adopted into a loving, forever home. 

Retired from the Navy and mother of two daughters, Pauline relocated to Florida after Katrina devastated her hometown of Pascagoula, Mississippi.  As a result of the hurricane, Pauline’s home was condemned so the family decided to make a fresh start in Florida.

 When Pauline and her daughter, Sapphire, visited Gulf Coast Humane Society in January of this year, adopting a cat was the last thing on their minds—they were considering adopting a dog.  It was during their walk through the cat room that Sapphire noticed a note attached to one particular cage.  Sapphire realized that the cat in this particular cage, a black medium-haired cat named Google, was in fact a Hurricane Katrina survivor herself!

With such a fate in common, it was a sure thing that Google wouldn't spend another day in the shelter.  Google went home that day with Pauline and Sapphire and became the fourth member of an all-girls household.

Our Volunteer Coordinator, Andrea Calkins, visited with Pauline, her daughters, and Google in early July and is pleased to report that Google is just as she should be—happy, peaceful, and well cared for.  Google settled into her home quickly and it seems all the ladies of Pauline’s home are quite happy with their newest addition! 

If you or someone you know has a GCHS Adoption Success Story, please submit story and photo(s) to aimeelalonde@yahoo.com.  Your story may be featured on this page.