Finding My Best Friend

9 years ago today I was newly married and 3,000 miles away from anything remotely familiar. After weeks of searching, I came across Lady, a 3 year old GSD and we were united on December 31, 2004. Since then she has been my shadow, a constant companion, and cohort!

We've walked in town parades, hiked all over the PNW as well as through the Blue Ridge mountains, We've taken ferry and elevator rides, we've spent too many miles in the car - cross country 3 times, moved 4 times. We've been in the PNW, mountains, high desert and now on the beach in Florida. While we long to be back west, where we are doesn't matter as long as we are together.

Lady has been a blessing in so many ways and we are eternally grateful for the care she was given while at S.P.O.T. We couldn't imagine our lives without her and she is truly is a loved family member.

Sincerely,
Jennifer Polus

Older cats are GRRRREAT

We adopted Tiger last December, he was 9 and 1/2 at the time and had been in foster care for almost two years. He came with a fairly detailed history, even a note describing his personality from the gentleman who was his original owner. We had lost our beloved 19 yr old kitty earlier in the year and we (and our poodle, Lily) were still grieving. Somehow i knew we were meant to find him.
He has been a real blessing. He immediately took to Lily and became her best friend. We had adopted a younger cat from S.P.O.T. earlier in the year who is an independent spirit and had rebuffed all Lily's attempts at friendship (and most of ours) but Tiger's calm demeanor and easygoing personality has smoothed the whole household. He snuggles with my husband, myself, and Lily, and plays with Belladonna, and he is working very slowly but steadily at "taming" her and having more success than we did in the previous six months!
He is our portly gentleman (we actually had to enlarge the cat door to the back porch where the litter box is) and has learned our daily routines, makes sure we don't sleep late in the mornings, and greets us at the door when we get home. In spite of his age, he is still playful and quite agile. We just couldn't be happier with him, and he seems to have settled in happily, judging from the amount of purring we hear!

Older cats are GRRRREAT

We adopted Tiger last December, he was 9 and 1/2 at the time and had been in foster care for almost two years. He came with a fairly detailed history, even a note describing his personality from the gentleman who was his original owner. We had lost our beloved 19 yr old kitty earlier in the year and we (and our poodle, Lily) were still grieving. Somehow i knew we were meant to find him.
He has been a real blessing. He immediately took to Lily and became her best friend. We had adopted a younger cat from S.P.O.T. earlier in the year who is an independent spirit and had rebuffed all Lily's attempts at friendship (and most of ours) but Tiger's calm demeanor and easygoing personality has smoothed the whole household. He snuggles with my husband, myself, and Lily, and plays with Belladonna, and he is working very slowly but steadily at "taming" her and having more success than we did in the previous six months!
He is our portly gentleman (we actually had to enlarge the cat door to the back porch where the litter box is) and has learned our daily routines, makes sure we don't sleep late in the mornings, and greets us at the door when we get home. In spite of his age, he is still playful and quite agile. We just couldn't be happier with him, and he seems to have settled in happily, judging from the amount of purring we hear!

We could not love him more

On Saturday September 14th, My husband and I walked into Petco in Bellingham WA, and walked out with our beautiful little Charlie. I don't think there could have been a better fit for us. Charlie has become such an amazing addition.

I have fallen in SO much love with this little guy, and so has my husband who claims he hates cats. I had to leave my little Zira in California with my Dad when I married my husband and moved to Oak Harbor. I was going to bring her once we were settled but my Dad begged me to let her stay with him because he was so attached to her. so with a heavy heart I agreed. This is where my husband decided to surprise me when we were in Bellingham a few weeks later, and we found Charlie.

I think almost right away he adopted us as his Mommy and Daddy. he got my attention in the store immediately by meowing at me and reaching his little paw through the cage, and I just knew he was the one I wanted. Since then he is my little shadow. He goes everywhere I go, and is always sitting on the bed with me in our room. When it is bedtime he insists on lying on my chest right under my chin, as if there is no way for him to get close enough to me. I often joke with my husband and family that he is broken because his little purr-motor is ALWAYS running. I feel like we learn something new about him everyday. He plays with absolutely anything he can find, and has started some cute little habits of chasing our feet, or rearing up at us like he is going to attack when he wants us to chase him.

I am a New Navy wife who is unaccustomed to being alone for periods of time and I think Charlie is going to be the perfect kitty to help ease that hardship for me. We love him so much and I think we have to also include that as well as Thanking S.P.O.T for their service in no-euthanization adoptions, we also should thank his respective foster family for raising such a healthy and happy little boy so that he could become our baby. I have checked the site often in hopes that I would see that Charlie's sisters, Cleo and Chloe had been adopted and I was elated to learn recently that they have. I hated that I had to choose one, but I think I made the right choice. He is amazing, and is right at home with us.

Our SPOT Pet Story

We call him Prince (formally known as the jack-o-lantern head cat.) We were hesitant to adopt him due to his great size, and his huge head. He purred like a kitten though and bonded with my youngest instantly, so we couldn't resist. Everyone said that we had made a mistake...we often heard, "He will eat the children." His first goal in life was to hide under anything he could get under. With food we stove to make our home comfortable for him. Pretty soon, he would lay on the floor and look around calmly. He never made a sound other then purr every once in a while. One evening, when we were all asleep, Prince came running into our bedroom, yowling at the top of his lungs. I was so surprised...I ran to him and thought that something was wrong with him...I began to check him over. He looked distressed and ran to my oldest daughters closed door and wailed. I was confused but opened the door. There my daughter was sitting up in bed, lips blue.. She was holding her throat and was not
breathing. I ran for her emergency inhaler. I administered her inhaler and rushed her to the emergency room. The doctor stated that if it had been any longer it would have been very serious. We got home and I hugged Prince so tight. He had saved my daughters life. Prince is now very comfortable with us, sitting on our laps most of the time. He is sick now, with kidney problems, and he is allergic to almost all food, but you won't hear us complaining. He is a member of our family now, and we hope he is with us for years to come. So Mr jack-o-lantern head is here to stay. I am so glad that we adopted him from SPOT, our experience with him has not only been life changing, but life giving.

~Tina Jonasson

Jeepers Update

Corinne Spring is just around the corner. With the temps getting warming and the days getting longer the dogs made me buy them new spring clothes. Attached is a photo of Jeepers sporting his new fleece sweater.
Also attached is a photo of my two determined beggars. Jeepers is a very determined beggar. When I sit down to eat my dinner I can always count on him to be standing there bright eyed with ears perked. He never moves or makes a sounds. He just stands there bright eyed knowing he WILL get something. I think he is using mental telepathy to will me to give him my food. If I acknowledge his presence he will lay down as Sammy is. Sammy is learning from the master. One night I chose to ignore him while I ate thinking he would give up and go away. Of course I saved a few bites for him. When I was done eating I looked down and there was Jeepers standing there. He didn't move or make a sound the whole time. The funny part is he had drool from one corner of his mouth to the other and there was a string of drool from his mouth stretching all the way to the floor. I wish I had a picture of that one. He had some serious drool going.
Jeepers had seizure this past Sunday evening. It was the first one since last November. I was a little worried because it lasted a half hour. A few minutes after the seizure stopped he was up and running around again as though nothing had happened. That was a relief. Other than the last seizure his health is good. I'm sure I mentioned it, we go for daily walks so the dogs get a couple hours of exercise daily. I'm fortunate to have some area so close where they can go off leash. It is rare for us to miss our daily hike. He isn't much for running and playing outside but really likes to walk and explore and check out all the smells. At home Jeepers likes to run through the house and bark.
There have been a few mornings where I have woken to find Jeepers with his head resting on my pillow right next to my face. He is a real snuggle bug. If I get up he manages to slide into the spot I was keeping warm for him. when I come back I tell him that's my spot. He just looks at me like not anymore.
Here's a good one. I had the flu bug and burned a fever for 3 days. I went to bed laying on my back. A few hours later I woke up to find Jeepers laying between my legs, Griffey all stretched out pushed up against my side, and Sammy curled up in my armpit. I'm sure they were enjoying the fact I was such a good bed warmer. I was their favorite sleeping buddy for the few days I had a fever.
Jeepers is doing well, and I couldn't be happier he found us.
Take Care,
John

Daddy... all I want for my birthday is a Spot dog.

This is what I heard for around ten months before my daughter's 5th birthday.

Every opportunity and every time she thought of it she would be sure to turn those baby blues on and look up at me with more sincerity than anyone could begin to hope to understand and say those words with a smile, hope and expectation of that Spot dog... "Daddy, all I want for my birthday is a spot dog." Sometimes she would add "you don't have to get me anything else... promise." and "I promise I'll take really good care of him." and probably some other cute, adorable pleadings I don't remember that any 4 year old girl would say that was dead set on getting a Spot Dog.

You might think that this affinity for a "spot dog" was the result of some extended 101 dalmatian movie time but in actuality, she had never seen the movie.

I never told her I would. I never promised her she would get a "Spot" dog. I thought about it a lot (she never let me forget). I had already made up my mind early on that she would get her spot dog for her birthday. She was so insistent and so sure that this was what she wanted, I had to get her that dog but I wanted it to be a surprise so I never let on that we were scouring the papers, pet stores and local shelters for that perfect "Spot Dog".

My sister-in-law actually owned a pet store at the time and was also looking for a Spot Dog. We knew we didn't want a Dalmatian (even though they fit the description and are super cute, somehow we knew that wasn't what she wanted.) We knew that we did not want to support the puppy mills either.

Time was running out for our search and we kept coming up empty handed. I started to feel that it just wasn't going to happen. We just would not be able to find her that Spot Dog before her birthday.

10 days before her birthday and we are still empty handed. As fate would have it, I happened to be driving an eighteen wheeler for a short stent that year and I just happened to be in Blaine WA the weekend before her birthday (less than a week away now).

I decided to go walk about and see what the "big" town of Blaine had to offer and thought maybe I might run across something for my daughter (nothing like waiting to the last minute).

Again, as fate would have it, Petco (or some store like Petco, it has been too long for me to remember.) was hosting an adoption day and S.P.O.T. just happened to be the ones there. I am not sure how all of that works but I do remember the name of the shelter was S.P.O.T..

It was Sunday (I think) and I went in to see what they might have. I should have been surprised but I have to say that somehow, when I saw that they were having an adoption day, I knew I would find her Spot Dog there and find him I did.

There he was in all of his spotted glory. So small and cute and perfect. I knew instantly that he was the one. They only had two dogs left (actually only one, his sister was already spoken for). Why no one had snatched him up already can only be attributed to fate. He was so cute and well behaved.

Instantly I sealed the deal. I bought a crate, food, collar, leash, chew toy food and water bowls and arranged to pick him up the next day after I finished unloading (remember, I am in a big truck).

On the way home I knew we had a keeper, he was so good on a leash and would go relieve himself on command (the guy who brought him to me the next day had taught him this.)

I brought him home and snuck him in the house while my daughter was down at her Gran-pa's. Then we came home and there he was, waiting for her when we walked in the door. She was so excited and so happy, she knew she was going to get him. She never doubted it. He was perfect and everything she wanted in every way.

You couldn't ask for a better story in real life. This was the kind of story you read in a book that someone made up. How could you hope to find a more perfect match? You couldn't, trust me.

My daughter started asking for a "Spot Dog" and continued asking for a "Spot Dog" for almost an entire year before her 5th birthday. less than a week before her birthday I happen to be some 2,300 miles from home and S.P.O.T. just happens to have one "Spot Dog" left, just in time for my daughter's 5th birthday. What is the statistical probability of that equation? Anyone?

Now, almost 9 years later. We are taking our precious friend to the Veterinarian because he is sick and may not make it. He has lived a long life and has a very special place in our hearts. One that will never ever be filled or replaced should he not make it through this sickness.

The thought of loosing him is painful and brings our whole family to tears. We don't want to loose him, he is part of the family now.

We trust that he will pull through like he did before back in 2005 when he was paralyzed from mid section down. He couldn't walk and had no control of his bodily functions. The Vet we went to back then recommended that we put him down because there was nothing they could do and that he would only suffer and probably wouldn't live another week.

We refused and brought him home. We started giving him a daily dose of aspirin and ice chips to hydrate him. After a few days we started seeing improvements and he started eating again. Within a few weeks he was walking again and had control of his functions again. Now, some 8 years later (take that Mr. negative Vet), we are faced again with mortality and all of it's ugliness.

It made me want to find the people that made all of this possible and give them a big hug and a sincere Thank You from the bottoms of our hearts.

The prognoses is good that he will make it through this and we expect him to be home by Friday. But even still, we are faced with the possibility and it makes me thankful. Thankful that I have had the distinct honor of being his friend. That I have learned and loved, felt joy and peace, just from his friendship. He means the world to me and my family and when the day does eventually come, I will never forget him and will try my best to always remember the good and not dwell on the grief of his absence (when that day comes).

By the way, that little puppy weighed in at 96 lbs. today (even though he is sick). He sure did grow up. ;-)


S.P.O.T. and everyone that makes S.P.O.T. possible.

Thank you!

Without you, we never would have known the joy of Spot. That's his name. Fitting, don't you think? :-)