Kip (formerly "Jip")

Before adopting Kip (formerly "Jip"), our family of 4 included two high energy kids, one of them being our 5 year old daughter who has always been incredibly drawn to all dogs and their companionship. We felt like it was finally time to begin our search for that "perfect" dog, motivated by her love for dogs, but knowing that with the right dog it would be a happy addition for all of us. SPOT asked us about our family and in turn encouraged us to consider Kip, a 7 year old black lab that they thought would be a great match for what we were looking for. Kip has been with us a little over 6 months now and we can't imagine life without him. He has lost about 20 pounds since we got him (which was what the Vet recommended) simply by him running, swimming, and playing with our kids every day. He doesn't care for toys, all he wants is to be with our family every second possible. My daughter spends a part of every day loving on him and his patience with the love she has to give him is
unreal. She loves to snuggle with him any chance she gets. He has not, not even once, gotten up to go to another room to get a momentary break from her company. They are two peas in a pod and the love between them melts our hearts on nearly a daily basis. Our 7 year old son has formed a special bond with him too and they had an especially good time this summer swimming in the river and with our son throwing a stick for Kip to retrieve in the water over and over again. The only time we have heard Kip bark is when we were not throwing the stick back in the water for him fast enough! My husband and I are equally smitten. I work from home and so get to spend lots of quiet work days with Kip at home. He is a great companion that way. We take him hiking in the Columbia Gorge and Forest Park trails (in Portland) many weekends and this is where we definitely see the puppy still in him, bounding through the trees of the forest. He seems to just get more youthful the longer he is with us.
It's honestly hard to imagine our life without him in it. Thanks for helping to make the perfect match for us! We never expected to adopt an "older" dog, but would do it again in a heart beat. All of our friends and family say over and over again how he is the Best Dog Ever. He truly is.
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Love at first sight

We adopted Turbo just a few short weeks ago. Since he was raised in a foster home with dogs, he and Zoe (our 6 month old lab) became fast friends. This is how we've found them after day 1 and sure they will be for many years to come. Thanks to Teresa and SPOT for helping us find the perfect fit for our family.
A&J

Luther

Hey Jen and Mike,

Got a call from the vet the other day reminding me that I needed to update Luther's shots and I realized he's been with us for a year. That went fast. Wanted to send a recent photo - like from 5 minutes ago. Had to take it quickly because once he figures out you are going to be sitting on the couch with nothing better to do than take photos he immediately moves in to take over your lap.

He really is nothing like the same cat who came home with us and wouldn't come out from behind the washer and dryer those first few days. He's brave and sweet and loving. And bossy. Not even phased by the mayhem dished out by the nine-year old RC car driving, Nerf wielding boy.

Anja

Zuri

Adopted Zuri a few weeks ago. A great addition to the family.

Christmas Kitty

I saw Miss Kitty on Petfinder the weekend before Christmas. I went to see her on the 23rd and was nearly inside her cage talking and coaxing her. I found out that her "human" had passed recently and you could see the hurt, confusion and trauma. My hubby and I went back the next day, stopping at a pet store along the way, and adopted her. She hid for two days but is now an integral part of the family. She is on any open lap available and is chatty all the time. She is our diva Christmas Kitty and we adore her.

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!