Adoption Stories

We went to the ARL on a cold rainy day in September 2011 to find a dog. My husband and I had recently put down our 16 year old rescued border collie and we were heart broken. We found many dogs available at the ARL that day but none that were anything like our Zoie. My husband wanted to leave but I knew I would not be able to talk him into returning since it was very painful for him. I kept returning to one cage. A small JR/chihuahua mix, tan with a small white spot on the top of his head, was just sitting in the middle of his cage quietly staring at me. “What about this one” I said to my husband. He looked at me like I was completely crazy. How could we get one of those little hyper dogs that many people look at with complete dislike? I finally talked him into taking “Rosco” into the meeting room. After about 5 minutes, there was no way I could leave without him. My husband filled out the paperwork and we left with him. My husband was completely believing that he would be able to blame me when this little yappy excitable dog drove me crazy. At least he did not pick him. We renamed him Pete because it fit him much better. Well let me tell you that this little Pete surely hung the moon. He is not at all yappy or excitable. We took him to meet my in-laws that day and they loved him. Before long I was dropping him off every morning on the way to work and picking him up every evening on the way home. My father-in-law was very ill at the time and was not responding to much of anything anymore. He hardly talked and had lost much of his short term memory. Pete changed all of that. Richard would ask many times a day “When is Pete coming?'” looking forward to each visit with anticipation. He would hide treats for Pete all over the house and got pure joy watching him find them. Pete knew that he always had 2 special treats in his shirt pocket and sat patiently to wait for them. Richard even figured out that Pete liked 2 ice cubes in his water and would make sure that those cubes were carefully placed every morning for Pete. Pete would wake him up every morning by gently laying next to him in his bed. He jumped all over me and my husband but knew that his grandpa was fragile. My mother-in-law also benefitted greatly from Pete’s company spending hours doing whatever Pete wanted to do – play, sleep, eat.  A few month’s ago Richard became gravely ill requiring home hospice care. As sick as he got, he always responded to Pete. When things got too hard for my mother-in-law, Pete sat on her lap looking lovingly into her eyes and licking her tears bringing her comfort when my husband and I could not be there. Richard recently passed away and we were all, including Pete, able to be by his side. It is a difficult time for all of us but Pete helps us all move on. Because of him, we have all spent more time together in that last year than we had in the last 25 years. He made Richard’s last year here happy, positive and the best that it could be. He gave Richard a reason to get up in the morning. I say that surely an angel put that white spot on Pete’s head before he sent him down to us. So if you ask me if Pete hung the moon – I say yes he did! 

My family thanks your organization for all that you do.

 Stefani

Ethan and his mom came to the ARL on Labor Day and didn't know that we were closed. Disappointed that they could not visit with animals, they went home and searched the adoptable pets on our web site. Ethan took one look at Mason and said, "Mom, I have to have him!" Mason went home with Ethan the next day. We love these happy faces! Thank you for choosing to adopt an older pet!

The ARL received the following excerpt from an email from a recent adopter. Thanks for sharing this great story!

On April 9, 2012 we adopted "Chance"; we have renamed him Maurice ( "Mo"). We have had many cats since we were married in 1964 and Maurice is undoubtedly one of the very nicest.  He doesn't have a mean bone in his body, is so laid back and happy to stay in your lap.  He has fallen in love with our dog, Lola, and follows her everywhere.  He is quite a talker and carries on a conversation with you, back and forth.  He eats like a little piggy and I can see that we will have to control his food in the future.  As an added bonus he is also beautiful.  We haven't had him long but are quite attached to him already. 

Thank you for Maurice and for all your good work. 

Claude Poole

It's Lov-a-Bull Adoption Stories!

Below are all great stories of Pit Bulls who have been adopted from the ARL! The ARL always has so many homeless, loving and sweet Pits. Please tell your friends about them, and share these wonderful stories if they are still not convinced that Pit Bulls can make the very best pets!

Gizmo:

My husband and I adopted “Nismo” now called Gizmo from you on November 9^th 2011. We saw him for the first time on the website and decided to check him out. He instantly bonded with my husband and has been literally “man’s best friend” with him, needless to say we took him home that very day.  Gizmo is our first dog together in our new home and he has been an EXCELLENT addition to our household! He loves to cuddle and has been awesome with other guests (including children) who come into our house. He was housetrained when we got him and since we have had him, he has proved to be housetrained.  Thank you so much Berks ARL for helping us find our PERFECT fit!

Lindsay Risbon-Herbein

Earth Care Inc.

Honey Brook

Hazel:

On January 29, 2010 my husband and I decided to go on a random road trip. We found ourselves driving on Rt. 422 when my husband turned to me and said, “Let’s go to ARL." We walked through the doggy area, specifically the runs where with many Pits. I remember all the dogs were barking and going crazy except one. As I stopped to look at a particular pup (who was in heat and couldn't be adopted at that time), my husband Joe called me and said he wanted to walk the only one who wasn't barking. She was just sitting nicely in her run, looking at us. We took her for a walk and that’s when everything changed! She jumped up on us, gave us kisses and ran circles around us. That sealed the deal. We named her Hazel because of her eye color. She is a loving dog who has had extensive training and we are proud of her. She is another child to us! She loves her 7 mth old and 10 yr old human sisters, she loves other dogs but is still a little leery of adults because but once she trusts you, you will be greeted with tons of kisses and tail wagging. Thank you ARL for all you do! You are truly a great facility!

P.S. Hazel LOVES her cat sisters but they don't like her so much. She's regularly put in check with a couple swats when she becomes an annoyance to them.

With Love,

Jenn & Joe Eck

Stella:

My husband and I started fostering dogs for the Grey Muzzle Foster Program in February, 2011.  We’d successfully fostered six dogs and, after losing one of our own dogs in May, were finally starting to feel like maybe it was time for a second full time dog. And then Marcy, the foster coordinator, called and said that a six-year-old female Pit Bull was waiting for us. We named her Stella and she was easily the most emotionally wrecked dog we’d had so far. She was seized from a backyard breeder during a drug raid, along with her nine puppies and several other dogs. She was malnourished, sick with parasites and scared of everything. Her first three days in our home were spent on a bed. She didn't want us to pet her, showed no interest in food, toys or our Dachshund – she was literally paralyzed with fear. Ever so slowly she became tolerant of us. Watching her has been like watching a baby grow. Each day there is a slight, tiny change. When I looked at her, she reminded me so much of the dog we’d lost. A dog with issues, content to be alone, a big fan of chasing leaves, the most curious expression and adorable tilt of the head. I thought I was crazy. And then my husband said the same thing. So, we adopted her. We take her everywhere with us.  She goes to work with my husband, on vacation, to meetings - anywhere she can go, she does.  We've introduced her to loads of dogs, cats and kids.  She's had playdates with the neighbor dogs and trips to the dog park. She is still frightened of new sounds, places and people but she is already so extremely loyal and loving that we know she's worth the effort. The biggest reward so far is hearing from the people that meet her that she has changed their minds about the breed.  We know that as Pit Bull owners we now have a responsibility to raise the best dog that we can and to educate anyone that will listen about the breed. We still have a lot to learn, but we know Stella will teach us everything we need to know.

Beth Ireland

Brooksy:

My husband and I rescued our dog Brooksy from the ARL in June 2008. We love her! She is extremely loyal and was obedient right from the time we got her. I had never wanted a Pit Bull but my Dad couldn’t seem to walk away from her kennel. We took her out and I fell in love with her. Brooksy never leaves me side, she follows me everywhere and every night when I go to put my son to sleep she comes up and lays on a blanket in front of his crib. Now, I am a huge advocate for rescuing Pit Bulls. I rescued another one in May 2009 and the love and loyalty that this breed has, particularly when rescued, never ceases to amaze me.

Pit Bulls are the only dog for me, and it all began with Brooksy :) This picture shows her next to our 7-month-old son Rico (he was 3 months in this picture)

Ashley Chapa
Spanish teacher
Key Club advisor
Hereford High School

SallyAnn:

2011 was a very sad year.  I lost several fur family members (7), mostly due to the fact that they all lived a complete life....  except for my last loss.  It was tragic as far as I was concerned.  My 7 year old Aussie died suddenly of kidney failure and my heart just fell out of me.  I was not at all interested in another dog (I still had two geriatrics) but...  I was looking at ARL's newsletter and there was this pup with a look on her face that just compelled me to meet her.  Apparently the poor girl had a rough start and was saved by the saints at ARL, nursed back to health and place in the care of foster saints.

I had to meet her.  The only problem was my Jack Russell hated everyone with 4 legs.  We set up a meet and greet anyway.  It was a little tricky at first but - HE LOVES HER - an amazing thing.

SallyAnn is a joy.  She's naughty, funny, cuddlly, sweet... etc.  "Whoever" sent her to me, or me to her - Thank you :)

Colleen Toal

Robesonia

Laney Marie:

Meet Laney Marie (formally known as Fiona). We adopted her back in July and she has been such a joy in our lives!  She and her four legged brother are best friends! She is the fawn color. Thank you for spreading positive PB awareness!!

Jill Mosser

Willie:

Sadly, whenever I tell people I have a Pit Bull, they always seem to tell me some bad story they heard.  I am always quick to tell them about our boy Willie.  I’m hoping that everyone who has adopted a Pit Bull will write with their stories and one day all people will hear about is what beautiful, loving dogs they can be and give them a chance themselves. My husband and I adopted our Willie from the ARL last July.  It was love at first site for us.  We came “just to look.”  Haha.  Yeah right.  My husband knew we would be leaving with a dog.  We were told that he was just dropped off the day before by his previous owners.  When we saw him, he was lying down in his kennel looking heartbroken and confused.  I bent down to talk to him and he licked my hand through the cage.  I looked up at my husband and my eyes welled up with tears.  I told him that I couldn’t leave him in there.  (I get teary eyed every time I tell this story because of how much love I have for this dog).  So we took him out to the field and right away he started running with us and acting so playful and happy.  We sat in the gazebo to talk… but we had already made our decision.  He was coming home with us.  From that day on, Willie has brought nothing but joy to our lives. He is a wonderful family dog. He’s very affectionate, loves to give hugs and kisses.  He is very playful, loves to go for walks, run and play with his squeaky football and rope.  He loves to be wherever we are.   He is very smart too and always knows when something isn’t right.  When I got sick and stayed home from work, my husband told Willie “Go take care of mommy.”  He didn’t leave my side for 2 days, most of the time cuddling up in bed with me.  He just knows how to warm your heart. Adopting him is the best decision we ever made.  He's our baby and our best friend. 

Sincerely,

The Nowotarski Family
Katie, Freddie, Willie and Orry

Miley:

We rescued Miley about 2 weeks before Christmas.  We were told she was found tied to a tree near Blue Marsh and as soon as she came to the ARL she gave birth to 9 puppies, all of whom were adopted.  Miley was in a foster home when we inquired about her.  We are so glad we contacted and set up an appointment with the foster mom to meet Miley.  She is absolutely the best dog ever, no aggression AT ALL, but she does like to nibble on you ever so gently when she gets excited!  All she wants to do is be near us, on top of us, or in bed with us. She has never had an accident in the house.  Although we think she might have a little anxiety when we first starting leaving her alone as she chewed and scratched some of the molding in different spots…..nothing that can’t easily be repaired!  Although I think she is getting used to us leaving, knowing that we are going to come back to her as she has not chewed in a while.  The best part of all is, she is great with our 5 yr old son.  They love to play together, and we joke that Miley is part retriever because she will bring back the ball you throw it. She drops it right at your feet and sits down in front of you, waiting for you to throw it again.  I can’t imagine someone abandoning her, but she is in a much better place now and is loved dearly by our entire family. She loves to visit with other neighborhood dogs, and she loves everyone!

Mark and Beth Baisch and our son, Dylan

Maya:

We adopted our sweetheart Maya in January 2012. She is a 10 month old female and she is the biggest sweetheart! I couldn't ask for a sweeter dog. My daughter and I came to the ARL one day to volunteer to walk some dogs. I let my daughter pick out the dog we would walk and she saw Maya quietly sitting in her kennel just staring at us. So we decided to walk her. Well we were instantly in love with her. She was so calm and friendly. We walked her around for about 30 minutes and then sat with her at the gazebo. She cuddled up with us and just seemed so grateful. Later that day I told my husband about her and we decided to come back two days later and walk her again. We knew right then that Maya would be coming home with us. On the ride home Maya, laid her head on my husband’s shoulder and just looked as if she was so happy. Maya has been so amazing. Our kids absolutely love and adore her. Our other dog Koda, a chocolate male Lab, has finally found a best friend. The dogs play together every single day. They lay with each other on our bed and look as if the own the bed! Maya is also amazing with all four of our kids. Our youngest is three and Maya is very good with her. She will calmly come on the sofa and lay with her. Maya loves to give kisses and snuggle.

I will be honest, at first I was a tad bit worried about having a Pit Bull. I never thought the breed was horrible but I was a little scared of how she would be with the kids and my other animals (1 dog & 2 cats). I just prayed that she would prove me wrong. When I walked through the kennels I felt so bad for all of these Pit Bulls that didn't have homes. They can't help how some people brought them up. All they want is a loving family to share their life with. I knew I had to give Maya a chance. We are so happy that we did because Maya is wonderful. We know she is grateful, she shows it every day. You can't judge a book by its cover so don't judge a dog because of a reputation that certain people have caused them to have. Maya is a sweet, gentle, and playful dog. She is part of our family now and we love her very much. Thank you to the ARL for everything you do for these dogs. They deserve to have a wonderful life too. Maya says thank you as well.

Don & Vanessa Sheidy

Ozzy:

In August of 2010, I had finally convinced my husband that our Collie “needed” a friend. We headed to the ARL really not knowing what we were looking for, but as in the past I always believed your animals somehow find you! Right away my husband was drawn to a dog, but there was one problem- he was a Pit Bull. We both never thought of ourselves as a “Pit Bull” people. There was just something that drew my husband to this dog and he convinced me to at least walk the dog. To my surprise, he was wonderful - my husband was sold! I, still hesitant, went home and got our other dog to meet him. They were instant friends and during the time we spent outside, each of us fell madly in love. There was no going back, he was ours!

From the beginning, Ozzy fit right in! It took some time, but he even got along great with our 3 cats. Little did I know this dog would change our lives like it has, he is such a big part of our family! He won over our then 9-year-old daughter in an instant and they became best buds. He anxiously awaits for her bus to arrive home in the afternoon and even alerts me when it is at the stop so he can go out and greet her. Ozzy loves meeting new people and saying hi to all the dogs that pass. He also enjoys his weekly playgroup at Godfrey's in Mohnton where he plays with all different breeds of dogs. We love playing ball & Frisbee outside and are even working on lots of silly tricks! My husband loves taking him on the boat at Blue Marsh where they fish together for hours and play in the water.

Most importantly, Ozzy has taught me to always look beyond a person’s appearance or what I perceive them to be like and never judge anyone until I have meet them. I have learned to accept that some people will judge my dog before meeting him, but it's their loss! I dream that someday all animals will be judged on their temperament and personality, not their breed. I now find myself an advocate for the breed and wanting to help change the persona that goes along with today’s view of the Pit Bull.

We are so blessed that Ozzy “found” us. We have never met a happier dog who generally just seems to be thrilled to be alive and be with us every day. Ozzy is truly the most amazing dog I have ever owned! Please give a Pit Bull chance!

Sandi Hoffman

For many years, Linda Day has been the ARL's contact at the Reading Eagle for advertising. She has been a delight to work with and always comes up with creative solutions for our tight budget. The ARL appreciates the help she has been to us, but now we can say that she is true supporter!  In November, Linda adopted Rocky from the ARL! His name was Noah when he was at the ARL and a staff favorite!

Thank you, Linda!

Amy Dilworth adopted Izzy a few months ago from the ARL. Here's what Amy says about her:

"She is a perfect fit to my home.  She is playful, cuddly, and outgoing. She even gets along with dogs and other cats.  She is happy here and loves looking out the window and cuddling.  Thank you ARL for taking care of Izzy before I adopted her!! She is precious to say the least."

Can't get much cuter than that!  Thanks Amy!

"Hi, my name is Muffin (A.K.A. Little Miss Muffet).  I was adopted after being at the Animal Rescue League for almost a year! I was sure ready to go home! My proud parents are big pet lovers.  I have fun with my four other brothers and sisters and my canine sister, Layla, who says she was also adopted from here!  I follow mommy around every morning and lay on her lap every night.  I love my new family and I fit in great!" 

We are Ryan and Jill, the proud parents of Muffin.  We love our pets and can’t get enough love from them.  Muffin fits in great here and gets along well with the other cats and dog.  She is such a friendly cat and LOVES to be around us.  Muffin was definitely the cat to bring us all together.  We love her! J

Thank you ARL!

This is Lady!  She is enjoying her new sister Mercedes, stealing Mercedes' toys, enjoys walking and meeting the pets in our community. She is still exploring and keeps me on my toes.  Lady is really a sweet girl and is starving for affection. 

I am grateful for the work that you are doing.

David Delp

Rob and Cheryl had to put down their dog, Buddy, and wanted to find a new friend.  Instead of a puppy, they preferred to rescue a shelter dog.  They walked several dogs but there was something about Jody, an Australian Shepherd mix, that won their hearts.  They had already been "parents" to an Aussie, so they were familiar with the herding characteristics.  According to Rob:

"We are so happy with Jody as she has been a great dog and a joy to us from the day we brought her home.  She has made it easier to deal with putting our dog Buddy down. We couldn't be happier with her and with the ARL folks.   They let us walk numerous dogs and it was a very hard decision which one to pick.  We wish we could have taken 5 of them home!"

Rob and Cheryl may be back for someone else one day, once they feel that Jody has settled in.  Come on back, please!  The animals need more people like you!