Pippy

Pippy is doing fine, still very playful. The boys enjoy him as well as he enjoys them, doing well with other dogs in neighbor hood, some he can play with. Still enjoys the long walks that I take him on, every one who has met him ,loves him , a very well behaved dog, also learning some new tricks. Still likes to ride.

Otis

Otis's new dad sent us this picture of him riding along with his nifty doggles!  Looks like he's having lots of fun. 

Oreo (formerly Reo)

I just wanted to let you know that he is healthy and awesome!

LazyHippo (formerly Lazy)

He is such a cute little boy! Thank you so much for everything you all did in bringing us a new member of our family.

Emmie (formerly Ember)

Hope you all are doing well. I wanted to give you an update on Ember which we call Emmie now. She is growing and we are having a lot of fun with her. She is going for her first vet visit Monday. That will be interesting. Our other dog would shake the whole time from the time we got our the car until we left because she knew where she was. I hope Emmie doesn't do that. She has adapted well. As you can see she is spoiled already and doing things I said she would not do. For example, Lance is putting her in the bed with him and they go to sleep. I usually get her and put her in her carrier later at night. We do not keep her in the carrier all day. I bought a gate and she stays in the laundry. Oh, she has learned to sit to get a treat. Also, she is starting to get somewhat understand that she has to go out to potty when we are home when she has the run of the house. I will periodically check your website to see what kind of puppies you all may get so if we decide we want another one we would definitely come back to you all. Y'all have a nice place and everyone is very nice. We really enjoyed our visit the Saturday we were there.

Darla

I just wanted to give you an update on Darla. I adopted her last April, and over the course of the year, I have grown to absolutely LOVE her! Darla is the light of my life. She has the best personality and is such good company. She has calmed down, learned to walk without pulling and rarely barks any more. Next on the list of things to work on is not eating food off my kitchen counters...but one thing at a time ;) She gets along wonderfully with my other T-W Coon hound, Mia,...I believe that we are all soul mates. Thank you so much for caring for her and allowing me to adopt her.

Chyna (formerly Lyla)

Chyna weighs about 11 pounds now and is a very happy and energetic puppy. She is fully housebroken, crate trained and scratches or barks at the back door to go out. She has a dog door that she likes to come back in better than she does going out.

She loves our senior Yellow/Lab Mix, Sophie, and enjoys a marathon of "cat chasing" whenever she can talk one of our three cats into it.

Chyna has a pink velvet doggie bed with pink ribbons on each side. She alternates sleeping on it or wanting up in our bed. Chyna gets everyone up in the mornings so she can go outside and chase squirrels and then get her favorite treats.

Thank you all so much for allowing us to adopt Chyna and for the wonderful care Chyna's foster Mom gave to her until we could come and get her and bring her home. We were definitely in the right place at the right time. I have been singing Cabarrus Pets' praises ever since we worked with you people to adopt Chyna.

Her health is excellent, she is happy, playful and very much loved. Her fur is so thick but it feels like cashmere! I brush her daily and am trying to decide if we want to leave her hair long or get her cut. She's like a dust mop and brings in lots of yard debris when she goes in and out. I'm always brushing and combing leaves and little sticks out of her fur every day.

Turns out that rather than hyperactive, she is just a typical puppy with lots of energy and always looking for adventure. She has a huge toy box and our family room looks like "puppy central" with her pillow, blanket and many toys all over the floor.

Bogart

Bogart is doing great!! He has adapted well to living indoors (most of the time), and loves taking walks around the neighborhood and playing with his chew toys. He also is almost 100% potty trained, and has not had an accident in the house in almost a week! Also, Sophie (our beagle) has truly warmed up to him and they love to play and run around, and they even sleep on each other! Bogart likes chewing shoes, however, so that is one thing that we are working on...we have provided him with a supply of chew toys, which is helping a lot. Jeff and I both want to thank you for the opportunity to adopt Bogart, as he seems to love being here with us, and we love him as well. I hope all is well with your family and animals!!

Blu

We call him Blu Moon. He weights about 35 lbs now he can sit, stay and give you five. He is about 5 hands tall and sweet as a boy can be. Likes to go to the park, always stays in rooms with us, doing well with training. Still has some of the puppy in him. Still working with him and Cat but they are doing OK. I really think they love each other. Thanks again for your help. I do tell everyone about you.

Skipper (formerly Shadow)

Skipper is doing great. He is still in the puppy chewing stage, so I can’t leave him in the house alone without putting him in his crate. He does very well in the crate and likes being outside in his kennel. He goes right in both of them without a problem. He still wants to attempt to chase my two outdoor cats, but I am trying to work with him on that. He adapted well to his new home. He loves to be petted and loves being a lap dog. A big 62 pound lap dog! He especially loves going for rides.

Emmie (formerly Ember)

I am sending an update on Emmie (Ember) and how she is doing. She is finally calming down and will get up beside us on the couch to lay with us. At first I did not think she was going to be a lap dog. But, she is. She is so sweet and will come in from outside and go to her carrier if we tell her. She enjoys getting in to rest. The only time she does that is if we are going somewhere. Other than that she is out with us. She does not cry at night anymore. This is her territory now. She loves looking out the front door. She waits for us to put the leash on her to go out for a walk. One thing she is not crazy about is a bath. By the time we are done we both have had a bath. I hope she will begin to like them. We are still working on the house training. I hope she will catch on soon. She is doing pretty good at night when she is in her carrier.

Thanks for letting our family adopt her.

Emmy

Attached are a few photos of our sweet puppy for all to enjoy. She had her first visit to the groomer's today, and she did a great job and looks so cute in her pretty pink bows; the groomer loved her little personality We are so thankful that we were able to find a great addition to our family of animals. Everyone at the shelter was so kind and caring during our visit and we thank you all very much.

Gunner

Gunner is doing well. We are back to school and although this trainer has a definite purebred bias, she actually admitted that he was doing very well. And Gunner led the other dogs over the a frame and over the jumps. We had a large class and it was out doors but I was very proud of him for remembering so much. The trainer was talking to another owner about whether her dog could become a Therapy Dog. And she pointed to Gunner and said, "this dog will make a good therapy dog, he's got a good disposition, is calm and minds his handler".

Thought I would give you an update. Coffey continues to amaze us. He's had a couple of health crises and has rallied from them. I am beginning to think that he is actually a cat not a dog. He and Gunner are such good buddies. He cannot understand why he can't go with us to school and stands by the window watching for us to return.

Jasper

It took Jasper a little while to get used to us which shows that his foster mom was real good to him. He is really smart and the sweetest dog. He and my daughter's dog are best friends. My daughter who was there when we adopted Jasper are also best friends, this relationship took a while because when our 1st dog died of 14 years, she had a hard time with it. Jasper is part of our family now and I am so glad we found him. Thank you for all you do at the pets society.

Meko

Hello,
Wanted to provide an update on Meko. He has been in our family since last Saturday. He is doing well, and as you can see from the photo he and his big brother Bucky are getting along well. He is enjoying the back yard and going for walks to the Lake. He took a little swim this morning as he walked right down the boat ramp and just continued on it and he really liked it! He is being spoiled with much love and attention and he just loves to give his little kisses in return. He and Bucky have gotten along very well and love to play together. They wear each other out and everyone is down for the night by 9pm! I have been in touch by e-mail with his foster Mom so she also knows he is being well loved. My favorite thing about him is his cute little tail, he wags it so fast it looks more like it is vibrating!

Buster (formerly Lil Abner)

Buster has settled in nicely into his new home. He started out a little shy the first couple nights but has adapted well. Now he is exploring the house and getting into some mischief. He is eating well. He sleeps all night in his crate with not as much as a peep. He is getting along nicely with his new roommate Scooter as you can see in the attached pics. We even gave him a bath this weekend. That was an experience but he did well and actually turned out to be an even more handsome fellow. Just look at that face!

Thank you guys for what you do and for allowing us to get a great pet and friend.

Hootie

Here's a note from a friend of Hootie's new mom, letting us know that Hootie is fitting in well at his new home. 

Thanks for the wonderful experience this past Saturday. Hootte has fit in just perfect. I don't think Susan could have found a better dog. He has really done her good the past few days. She really did struggle with the passing of Sarge and I think Hootie is a perfect match. He has really taken to her and they have both enjoyed their morning runs and afternoon walks. Thanks for everything you all do to help save a life.

Sadie

Sadie is the best dog ever (most of the time anyway). I have attached a picture of Sadie and Ace. I love Sadie’s eyes in the picture. They have become big buddies. The only problem is Sadie does not realize how much bigger she is than Ace, but Ace always seems to “come back for more of the roughhousing”.

Meatball

Just wanted to let everyone know (especially Sam) that Meatball is doing great!! He seems to have adjusted right away. He loves being the king of the castle and getting lots of affection - and he is sharing the house with our cat - who is still the queen! HaHa!  He is eating well and has found a cozy spot with Megan at night. He has had no accidents in the house and seems to be happy with his new home. Thanks so much for everything. We'll be in touch.

Savannah

Savannah's family sent us this picture, and reports that she is doing quite well.  They are just thrilled with her. 

Skippy

Skippy came home with us today! He was rescued by the good folks at Cabarrus Pets in Kannapolis. I found him on the internet - someone else found him and another dog running down a highway.

I'm not exactly sure what kind of a mix he is. The website said Shih Tzu/ Terrier, but today someone mentioned Schnauzer and someone else said poodle. Well, whatever, it doesn't matter. He's a cool dog and we are having loads of fun. This will probably not come as a shock to anyone but Skippy and I have bonded- he likes to go where I go. Right now he is in his doggy bed right beside me in my office, taking a well deserved snooze.

I tried to get some pictures, but Skippy is not the best model in the world- although very photogenic, I think. The last picture you see is Skippy heading for the hills. I think he got tired of having his picture made. Hopefully I can get some better shots soon.

Bingham

Bingham's family sent us this new picture of him.  He sure is growing up!

Reese (formerly Cinnamon)

Hi Everyone!! It has been almost a year since I was adopted to go home to my mom for a Christmas present. When I first came home, I was really little but now I weigh around 40 pounds. My mom goes to school at Virginia Tech and I am a true Hokie fan... I even have a Hokie collar!! Yes, I was there during the shootings and was very worried while my mom was under lock down. I made sure to give her extra kisses when she came home safe!! Mom says I'm very smart. I can sit, lay down, come, sit up, shake (with both paws), heel, and I'm even learning my left and right! Mom rarely puts a leash on me anymore because I listen so well. There are so many things to keep me busy at VT. I go to the barn and play with all the horses and puppies and kitties. The cats don't like me much because I like to chase them! I also get to go swimming in the river when it gets warm. My first swimming lesson did not go well but I tried again and you can't keep me out of the water. During the summer, I also get to go to the
dog park on campus. I've met many people and doggie friends. I've already seen my first snow in Virginia this year. Playing in the snow is one of my favorite things! Right now, I am home in North Carolina for Christmas break. I'm really excited because I get to play with my big brother, Riley. Even though he won't admit it, he has really grown to like me and will be sad when I leave in January!

Thank you for helping find a good home!! I hope everyone has a very Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

Pepe (formerly Princess)

You were Pepe's foster mom 3 years ago (time has really flown), and I have two reasons to email you now.
The first is to show you what she looks like all grown up * (I'm also including one baby photo to jog your memory). She is a very sweet and smart dog. She probably gets more kisses than many children do ! At first she wasn't much into hugs, but she has gotten over that as well !
She weighs 21 lbs and is quite the hunter in our back yard -- she's like a little stealth machine, and when we go for walks, she still prances (one of her many early names).

Elly

Just thought i would let you know how much we already love our new girl Elly.
She is coming out of her shyness and is running and playing so hard with our dog Jack.  They get along so good its unreal.  They hug each other when they sleep,Its so sweet!
She is playing fetch and having a blast with her new toys.  She loves the plush squeak toys!
Elly is already becoming the guard dog.  She barks to let me know if anything is near our yard,squirrels and birds included!..LOL!
What a sweet girl! We are very happy and so are both dogs.
Here is a pic of her second night home...little spoiled things.
Thanks again and God Bless you all for saving all those poor animals!

Charlie (formerly Banjo)

Happy New Year to each and everyone of you at Cabarrus. I just wanted to send you the latest pictures of Charlie Brown.

He has been such a joy in my life. I have not laughed this hard in many a months. He had a very good Christmas. Santa was good to him even though Charlie wanted to "undecorate" the tree of its snow flakes and icicles. There were a few times when his poop did have a bit of sparkle to it.

Please let Susan and everyone else know that Charlie has brought more to my life in the past 2 months then I could ever have hoped for.

He knows commands such as sit, stay, leave it and of course no... as he really loves to bite... he has lost one puppy tooth so far.  He also has drawn blood on me a few times... seems he does not like it when I am on the phone so he proceeds to bite my feet, etc.

His "house training" is coming along.... only a few "accidents" from time to time. Only by the door when I do not hear him whine to go out.

He has only "barked" 3 times in the 2 months.... the vet tells me I will be happy for these quiet times after Charlie finds his voice.

He does bark in his sleep from time to time.... and yes he is sleeping with me at night. He will sleep a full 12 hours... in fact I must wake him in the morning or he would sleep till 10:30 am. He still takes 3 naps a day.... and sleeps in crate during the naps. He does not mind being in the crate for napping.

He will be starting puppy obedience class on Wed. the 8th even though he is way ahead of the others.

Bubba Jackson

Bubba J. went in today and had has baseline vet visit with Dr. Randall here in Mooresville. She pronounced him beautiful (we knew that!) and very healthy.
He has been swimming about every day. He loves it and he loves being toweled down after. He is just a love. When I work at my computer, he curls up under my desk and sleeps.If I work too long, he just gently nudges me! Time to go out side!

I have sent you some pictures of Bubba J. around our pool. We are not sure, but because we discouraged him from drinking from the pool; we think that is why he has not gotten in the pool itself. But, it also maybe that he likes wading in water the best and our pool is not good for that. It maybe this summer when we are in the pool, he will want to join us. Which will be ok since then we can be sure he knows where the stairs are and can get in and out himself.

My daughter’s black lab mix (also a rescue) and Bubba J. have become great buddies. We went over there so I could help her with Christmas and Bubba J. and Abbey could have a play date. She cantors when she runs but Bubba J. just flat out gallops. Abbey is coming this weekend and we are looking forward to watching them play. They play so hard that they just come in and drop down for exhausted naps.

Maggie (formerly Brownie)

Just wanted to thank you for all your hard work in helping us adopt a puppy this past Sunday. Maggie (the puppy formerly known as Brownie) is really adapting well to this family. She is wonderful! Everyone is in love with her. She is bright - already knows Come and Sit, is doing pretty well at house training and is great with the kids and my big dogs. Plenty of sweetness and fun - the perfect blend. We can't imagine a better fit. Thank you all SO much!

Brody

Well we had a big weekend. Brody is an absolute love.
He is settling in with his big brother Izzy. Wants to play a lot with him and Izzy isn't sure what to make of the little guy. But they are doing great.
We took Brody to the barn yesterday to meet the dogs and cats and horses (I have a horse). He loved it. Wasn't afraid of the horses and explored everywhere.
We are giving him the run of the house - following him everywhere. It's going well - a few little accidents to be expected. We take him out often and he already seems to understand the we potty outside. He looks at us and waits for his big praise.
We are crating him at night. Crate is in our bedroom with us. He cries for a while and then settles down. Very glad to get out in the morning. John was out with him at 530 this moring. OH BOY!! a baby in the house!!!
We go to our vet today to get him checked out and all set for a healthy life. Thank you so much for taking such good care of him. We are already madly in love and so excited to have him in our lives.

Reyna

I just thought I'd give you a little update on Reyna. She is currently 53lbs and has managed to fit in pretty well! She's recently become a fan of digging, which is always fun. She loves to find sticks of any kind and chew on them. She is very gentle with the kids and they are having a lot of fun with her. She and our cat can't seem to come to terms with each other. She just wants to play, and he wants nothing to do with it because she's so much bigger than he is. She is definitely still a puppy. She has learned to shake on command and speak when she's in the mood. :) She talks to us all the time when we walk into a room. She's a character. We're looking forward to Christmas with her to see how much she enjoys opening her own presents.

Rowdy (formerly Piper)

I just thought I'd send along an update and a few pictures... we are really enjoying Rowdy, and he is learning fast! He sits most of the time, and comes when he's called, with some persistence. He's doing really well with house-breaking, and whines to go outside. He enjoyed his visit to the vet, and loves riding in the car. Also, my two nephews, a preschooler and a toddler, visited over Thanksgiving, and he was very gentle and patient, letting them pet and poke him all they wanted.

Thanks so very much!

Casey

Casey was adopted as a puppy and just had her 4th birthday.  Unfortunately Casey doesn't like having her picture taken, so this doesn't show how beautiful she is, but her family sent this lovely description of her. 

Thanks for thinking of Casey. Yes, time does fly by! It seems like just a short time ago when we were driving through the foot of snow to come pick her up. She has a new BIG little brother, a two year old Mountain dog mix that wandered into our neighborhood Thanksgiving last year. He's over 80 lbs. but she's still bosses him around. That brings our total to 4 doggies. We call our house the Smith Doggie Ranch!

I hope Ginger is doing well and spoiled rotten as they all deserve to be!
Take care,

Chloe (formerly Miss Tate)

We are writing to thank you for allowing us to take Chloe into our home and make her a part of our family. We love her to pieces. It took a little while for her and our older cat Marteeni to get adjusted but now Marteeni is Mama Cat and grooms Chloe daily.
We affectionately call Chloe "the terrorist" as she is always attacking Marteeni (she will straddle Marteeni's back with her front paws around her throat, etc.). Marteeni tolerates it all and is a good sport.
Chloe happens to be the most affectionate kitty (you can even hear her purr in the next room). She is a true lap cat. She is soooo silly and funny that she constantly makes us laugh. She plays "soccer" with anything that moves...even her food. Chloe is the most curious animal...how does the dishwasher work, can I help make the bed, where does the water go that's in the tub, etc.?????
"Our Little Girl" has become such an important part of our lives, we can't imagine life without her. Thank you again for doing what you do so well and especially Laurie for taking Chloe into your home and being her first "Mommy". We are eternally grateful for the love you have for Chloe and will always keep you informed of her progress. Happy Holidays to all.

Nilla

I just wanted to email you since it's been a year since we adopted Nilla from you all. We absolutely love her, although she's a bit of a trouble maker. She gets bored easily and so her favorite thing to do is chew anything and everything she shouldn't. We're still working on it with her, and she's finally started learning cats don't like to be chased. Our middle one taught her that lesson when she cornered him and he chased her back.
We're curious to see how her second Christmas will go now that she's so much bigger. Last Christmas she could fit in my arms and was maybe 20 pounds. She's now about 45 pounds, tall, and absolutely beautiful. Last year all the people around kind of frightened her a bit, but she's gotten so good with having people around, and she greets each and everyone when they come in. She's never met a stranger.
She's also good with other dogs. As we thought, she absolutely loves her big brother. She argues with him sometimes, and he sometimes considers her a pest, but they're best friends, and when she's in her kennel and wants out in the morning, he'll cry with her until she gets to come out. They had a doggie play date this past weekend with our neighbors two dogs: a mix and a golden, as well as our neighbors 2 year old son. Nilla never had so much fun. The little boy isn't afraid of big dogs and he and Nilla chased each other for a half hour around the yard.
She loves running. I have to wonder if she might have greyhound in her the way she tucks her tail and takes off. She's a wild and crazy little girl, but she walks like a lady on her leash when she's reminded (constantly). She has moments when she's the sweetest little thing and just wants to cuddle, but most of the time, she acts like a hyper puppy.
She and her brother Shadow got a little special holiday treat of turkey on Thanksgiving, and each night Nilla makes sure she gets her treats when Shadow gets his medication.
Nilla never ceases to surprise me or make me laugh. She has her naughty moments, but what dog doesn't. I'm sure she's happy and she's growing up wonderfully.
I hope everything is going well for you all, and that you're continuing to bring pets and people closer together. Thank you for giving us Nilla. We love her so much,

Duke (formerly Peyton)

Hi Guys!!
It's me Duke!! (I used to be called Peyton, but since Duke is the best school EVER, my parents decided to name me after it). I just wanted to bark thank you for saving me and to let you know that I am doing GREAT!!! They say I am very spoiled, but I think I deserve it. I have learned how to sit, stay, lay, give kisses, and best of all I learned how to swim and jump off the dock. I spent most of this summer swimming in the lake, especially when there were ducks to chase. Every day I go to the doggie park with my friends, and some days I get to go to doggie daycare--they love me there too!! The vet says that I am at a good weight now and that I am healthy. Thanks again for taking such great care of me and being so nice to me; I will never forget it!

Barks and Kisses,
Duke

Madden (formerly Jenny)

Just wanted to say thanks for giving our family such a great addition. She is absolutely perfect for our family. The boys can't get enough of her. Everyone there is doing such a terrific thing for these wonderful animals.

Reyna

Reyna is fantastic! She had a fabulous first night in her new home. She thought she was going to pull one over on us and sneak on to the couch in our room, but we just reiterated that her bed was the comfy dog bed on the floor and she stayed there all night. I purchased an even more fantastic dog bed today and she has already taken it for a test drive earlier this evening. :) The kids and I took her for a walk this afternoon so she could start learning the "heel" concept and she did well, my arm is suffering tonight, but we'll try again tomorrow night during trick or treating. She loves to fall asleep at my feet in the laundry room and while I'm at the kitchen sink. The kids are having a blast with her in the back yard. So far, Reyna has turned out to be exactly what we were looking for in a dog, and we are thrilled that she has joined our family! Thanks again for taking such good care of her for the last three weeks.

Samantha (formerly Sheba)

Samantha is doing wonderful. She is a people person puppy who loves attention (and gets a lot of it). She loves to fetch tennis balls and go on long walks. Samantha has brought so much joy to our lives.

Dusty

Here is a photo of Dusty with my girls. He is doing great. He is getting better with his endurance while we jog. He's a super dog and we are so happy to have found him. Thanks!!!

Bingham

He loves the house AND the kids! We got him a large cage which will go together tonight (I stayed up with him last night). Thanks again for your help and we'll see you soon!

Hazel

We will have had Hazel for a year in December, but we feel like we have had her forever. We love her so much...maybe too much! She is the best dog, so sweet and playful. Even all of our friends have pictures of her in their homes. She just captures people's hearts when they come over and she sits in their lap with her 50 pound body! She has such a personality and she is always making us laugh. My husband and I are not a morning people, but we can't help but smile in the mornings when she wakes us up pawing at us or sitting on us (she just has a thing for sitting on people). And now it so funny to watch her play with her little brother Randy. She is very smart and very patient. She is just a great dog all around. Thank you so much for taking care of her and loving her before she was ours. I could tell she had been loved because she was so loving. And thank you even more for allowing her to become part of our family.

Gingerbread (formerly Cassie)

I just wanted to drop a quick line and a picture to let you know how she's adjusting. She's doing VERY well. We went to Petco and got a bed, food, toys, treats...the works. She had fun riding around in the cart. She did quite a bit of whining in the car right when we left. I think she was surprised to be out of her crate and without her sister, but Justin held her really tight, and I think she was holding just as tight to him. We got her home and she was instantly surrounded by cats. None of them were mean to her, but she's confused because they keep approaching her, but no one will play with her. I think our youngest cat is starting to think about playing with her, though, so hopefully that will work out. We've been taking turns sleeping with her in our downstairs guest bedroom so we can take her outside a few times during the night to try to get her used to it. She's only had one overnight accident, so I think she's doing VERY well! All the neighborhood kids just absolutely love her, and we've had lots of people coming to the door as word is spreading, "Can we see the new puppy?" She loves to play fetch, and has a blast running around our backyard, growling at the tall clumps of grass we haven't mowed. I'll send you more pictures as I take them, but I just wanted to let you know she's already doing really, really well, and we are having so much fun with her.

Lucy (formerly Tenille)

Had a few minutes and thought I would mail you some recent pictures of Miss Lucy. So sorry I haven't sent them much sooner. We are so blessed to have been paired with the most wonderful dog I have ever met. She loves everyone, but can be a tough girl if she wants! She absolutely LOVES water and digging. Our neighbors watched them while we were gone for a long day. She put them in her backyard and came out 30 minutes later to check on them and Lucy was inside her ornamental pond, water plants dripping out of her mouth, on her back....what sight she was!!
Thank you again for our special little girl!!

Sandy

Just a quick note, Sandy is doing really well. I've attached some pics, she had her first day care the other day and passed with flying colors. I think she finally knows she's here for good and her personality is really coming out now….she keeps us entertained to say the least.

Ansel (formerly Hart)
It's been one year since we picked up Ansel (your name was "Hart"), so we thought you would like to know how things are going at our house.

They couldn't be better in every way. Ansel and our golden retriever Barney are the best of friends, always playing in a friendly way. There hasn't been one growl between them since we picked up Ansel.

Ansel is the smartest dog we have ever had, big time. Ansel is in her 5th week of obedience training and in the instructor's words "is the star pupil of the class". She learns very quickly, so quickly the instructor feels she has to come up with more actions for Ansel because she does all her instruction without a hitch. Ansel "stays" for as long as I care to make her "stay". The instructor made me leave the room while Ansel was in a "stay" position. Even without ever having done it before, Ansel stayed without me being in the room, with a bunch of dogs all around her.

Her health has been very good; she does like to pick up and eat almost anything, but we are weaning her away from that habit. Her coat is the most beautiful, shiny black you could imagine. Her tail is something to behold; it has streaks of gray running thru it, making a beautiful mix of gray and black. The size of it is what makes it special. It is huge! It swishes can clean off the floor next to her. The picture doesn't do it justice at all.

She has the run of our 3/4 acre lot (fenced in), and she does love to run. Squirrels are her passion. I don't think she will ever stop her from wanting to chase squirrels. She also loves to play golf. In the house, she almost always has a golf ball in her mouth, throwing it on the floor and then chasing it to where ever it goes. When we go outside in the yard, I have to throw golf balls for her to chase. She won't chase a tennis ball.

You can see by this letter that we are overjoyed to have Ansel as a family member. We hope her sister and brother are doing as well.

Ladybug (formerly Lady Ann)

Hi, I wanted to give you an update on Ladybug (Lady Ann). She is doing well we think. She has learned to walk on a leash without pulling-too much-she loves to go to the park and run,run,run!! She has a 30ft horse lounge rope and she uses every bit of it with us in tow behind!! We really get our workouts with her! This summer we hope to take her with us to Charleston they have an off leash dog park there it is all fenced so she can run and have a great time. And we hope to see what she thinks of the ocean! She is still a little shy but is warming up to people very quickly-she loves everybody! She is slowly learning to play and tug of war is comming soon I think. She has been such a love-thank you for giving us the chance to love such a wonderful dog!
I love her so much we will send pictures soon I just had more taken that we need to download. Maybe she can come visit one Sat just so you can see how beautiful she has become! Thanks again

Gunner

Just a note to say that Gunner and I are more than half way through our Beginner Obedience classes. He is doing quite well and I am trying to do our "homework" consistently between lessons. (Sometimes that is not so easy with having to also care for my two horses!!)

Today, I spoke with one of the instructors who was describing the next step after completion of the Beginner classes.. That is Intermediate Ob/Beginner Agility. However, she also was discussing the Canine Good Citizen test and the Therapy Dog International testing. I asked her if she thought that Gunner might be an appropriate candidate for a Therapy Dog (I have dreamt of having a Therapy dog for years ) She thought he would make an awesome Therapy Dog because of his great attitude and willingness. I am excited about this because I have worked in therapeutic riding programs in KS but that is not an option here. So, having a Therapy Dog and doing some community service would really be great.

Sooo, if all goes well, we will pass this course and start working towards his next level this spring. The training center is in Sanford but it is worth the 45 min drive each way!!!

Just had to share!!!

Opie (formerly Brody)

Opie is doing great. he has run out a few times (at my friends house on Thanksgiving he took off twice) but he has started coming right back to me when he does manage to get out which is a good sign. I am also trying to train him to stay when I open the door and he is being a good boy so far. I have even been opening the door wide while standing there and making him sit and stay with the door open. Otherwise...he is awesome. So cute...everyone loves him. He and Tyler have started playing....roughousing and wrestling, though of course most of the time they insist on doing that in the house....yesterday Opie's toys were all over the house and they broke a glass. Sigh. Anyway...he is such a little doll and follows me everywhere. We took a trip to Petsmart and got some new treasures which he promptly piled up on the couch and then pulled the stuffing out of most of them. He had an oatmeal shampoo bath and was a very good boy. He also has his new collar and tags. He is settiling into the routine here very well and follows Tyler's lead for bedtime, wakeup time, etc.

Phoebe

Just wanted to let you know Phoebe has finished her last dip and has passed her final exam. We do a follow up in a month, but all looks good.
When she goes to the vet’s for the day, she hangs out loose with the vet tech all day helping her rather than stay in a cage. The gal says she’s a big help with other dogs. They hand her a leashed dog and tell her to take them “out back” and Phoebe leads the animal out into the exam room! They say she has a calming effect on other animals. They are amazed what she does at only nine and a half months old. So are we! They said they have begun calling every other Friday “Phoebe Day’ around there. She gets out of the car and runs for their front door all excited. And, they let her in before opening hours.
She is still the sweet soul you knew. Our reprimands are done so carefully as she can be crushed too easily, but she does understand rules and abides by them well. She is, however, still a puppy and finds mischief once in awhile!
The pack Carol and I now belong to has settled into itself. I think the older cat is the alpha male! Not sure where I fit in, but everyone else seems to know. He and Phoebe go in and out together as a unit and stay together when outside.
Thank you for giving her the right start to life. It’s given her the foundation for who she is today.

Pepper

Hi there, I just wanted to drop you a note to tell you about Pepper.
We took her on a road trip up to New Hampshire. She was fantastic. We slept in a hotel and she just hopped up onto the bed and curled up into a ball and not a peep out of her. Then in the am she had to mingle with all the folks in the lobby one by one. It was very cute. They all loved her.
When we finally got to my brothers in New Hampshire she met with his 3 little dogs and spent a week there. She loved that. It gave her a sparkle in her eyes that I haven’t seen up until then. Even now that sparkle comes and goes.
Perhaps she is just used to other dogs being around. We will get another one but just not quite yet.
Her coat is coming in wonderful and she is all shiny and new. She has been groomed 2 times already and will be groomed again next week. Oh and we also on another trip had to board her which I hated to do, but she was even great with that. That was before the road trip.

Nilla

Nilla and I did a photo shoot. Here's some pictures of her playing with her brother in the back yard.

Oh, and we forgot to tell you, while most dogs like to chase their tails, Nilla decided not to be ordinary. Instead she chases her hind legs. Hope everything is well with you.

Gretta

As you can see, Miss G is doing quite well!! But she is a bed hog!! We start each day with the same routine, she cuddles next to me till the alarm goes off...after that she stradles me so I can't get up. NOT a morning dog!! So next we sing "Brickhouse" cause she is!! But my sweet God she is loving! She is so happy to just be alive, she plays and runs and just generally makes everyone around her happy. She and the cats (Boo and Bella) are great buddies, and I couldn't have asked for a better friend. Thank you Jeny, yet again.

Dawson

Hello Cabarrus Pet Society! I wanted to email and let you know how Dawson is doing! We adopted Dawson March 11 and I can honestly say it's one of the best decisions we've ever made! He gets along GREAT with our dog, Daisy, and our two cats, Novie and Kit Kat. He has really exceeded our expectations. He is such a good natured dog, so kind and such a love bug! He loves nosing through the toy box and pulling out every toy in there! And when its time to go night night, he's on the bed with us at our feet. He's learned to sit, lay down, stay, and we're working on a few new ones. Maybe this summer we'll perfect our tricks and come out to see you guys and show you! Dawson and Daisy both discovered butterflies a few days ago and I can't wait til next winter so we can go play in the snow with Dawson! We're hoping to get them swimming in a pool this summer too! Dawson has met our doggie friends as well. We've had a few puppy play dates with our friends who have beagles and another couple who has a terrier and Dawson just fit right in! I also wanted to let everyone know how impressed we've been with how prepared he was to come into our home. He was paper trained and knew how to treat our cats as well. You all do a wonderful job with rescuing these wonderful animals and preparing them for homes. We keep an eye on Dawson's sister, Rosie, and we hope she finds a good home soon. If she's anything like Dawson, she'll make a family out there very happy! And we thank you from the bottom of our hearts for rescuing Dawson. He came to you with parvo and you saved his life. And we love him very much! We've included a few pictures of Dawson with Daisy as well. We've enjoyed working with you and you've made this experience a wonderful one! Thank you again for everything and for helping us find Dawson. Our family is complete now!

Graycie (formerly Ruth)

Here's Graycie at 4 months at her 1st trip to the beach.  She's about 25 pounds now and full of energy.  She's doing better now with walking and was housetrained in a couple of weeks.  We're still working on chewing and biting and other basic commands.  She's brought a lot of joy to me.  Thanks for the work that you do. 

Sadie (formerly Carmen)

Dear Pets Society,

It's been three months since I adopted Carmen (I call her Sadie). She is the most loving cat I have ever owned. She sleeps with me every night and meets me at the door every afternoon. My sister bought her for me for my birthday and she is the best gift I have ever gotten. I would be lost without her. Thank you so much for letting me adopt her. She is a joy to own.

Gracie

This is from Gracie. Do you remember me? I spent a whole month in foster care at your house last fall. You were wonderful to me. You took good care of me and got me well from those nasty heartworms. I am glad to say that I am heartworm negative and I get my medicine right on time every month now.
Say hello from me to all those big dogs who live with you. Quite frankly, I did not much care for them. But say hello anyway since I pride myself on my good manners. As a matter of fact, I still do not care for other dogs very much. I especially do not like big dogs. But I am doing better since going to obedience class. I caught on real quick. But some of my past kept getting in the way. I am more than willing to go "down" for Mom at home and will stay as long as she wants me to. But with all those big dogs around I need to stay alert and ready. That's OK. I graduated anyway.
I have lots and lots of toys. You can see some of them in the pictures we are sending you. I must have some collie in my ancestors because I like to herd the toys into piles. I move them from room to room sometimes, just for a variety. But I always move ALL of them to the same area. I like to sleep in the middle of them too.
I sleep wtih Mom on her bed. And I sleep on her bed when she is gone. I just do not understand humans sometimes. I go to bed when it gets dark every day. And I get up when it gets daylight. It's OK at night. I just go to bed and go to sleep and Mom comes to bed when she wants to. But it can be a problem in the morning. When the sun comes up I want to get up. But I figured it out. I just put my front two feet on Mom's chest and bark in her face until she wakes up. Works every time like a charm. I am sooooooo smart.
I am very happy. Mom says we were meant to be together. We need each other.
So, thank you again for taking me in your home and taking care of me and for finding me a good home. And please thank those good folks at Cabarrus Pets Society for all the good they do for my doggie cousins. Please come visit me sometime as I would love to see you. I hope you enjoy the pictures.

Love,
Gracie

Jessie (formerly Tipsy)

We have fallen in love with Jessie! She is now a part of our family! We were just talking last night about how easy the adjustment's been. She loves running and playing with Jake and with the kids, and she is so, so SWEET and affectionate. She is now fully housetrained, and has clearly made herself at home (joining us in bed and on the couch as she sees fit; admittedly, we spoil our pets, but...they are our children and we love them!). One of the best things is that we think Jake was tilting toward becoming older and bored u