Nathan Yager was turning 10, and he eagerly reminded his parents that they'd said the family could get a dog when he reached that age. The family's younger son, Luke, was enthusiastic, too. The whole family logged onto Petfinder to search.
It was a match.
"Nothing compares to the greeting we get each morning, or when we come home from running errands," Mary says of the "perfect" dog. "He has never had an accident, chewed or been aggressive." But there was one thing: The family felt he needed a doggy friend.
"Once again we turned to Petfinder.com," Mary says. They found Lulu, "who was surrendered by an owner who had kept her in a cage for most of her life." She was listed by All Things Pawssible Animal Rescue in Downingtown, PA.
Read Kaleb and Lulu's story in adopter Mary Yager's own words.
"We discovered a wonderful rescue agency called A Tail to Tell," Mary Yager says. "The group specializes in freeing dogs from the horrors of life in a puppy mill." The rescue is located in Mt. Gretna, PA. The Yagers filled out an application and went to meet Kaleb, an American Eskimo Dog. It was a match.
"Nothing compares to the greeting we get each morning, or when we come home from running errands," Mary says of the "perfect" dog. "He has never had an accident, chewed or been aggressive." But there was one thing: The family felt he needed a doggy friend.
"Once again we turned to Petfinder.com," Mary says. They found Lulu, "who was surrendered by an owner who had kept her in a cage for most of her life." She was listed by All Things Pawssible Animal Rescue in Downingtown, PA.
"Lulu was very timid and shook from the tip of her ears to the bottom of
her fluffy white tail," Mary says. The family had some doubts. But "as
scared as she was, she curled up in my lap, leaned into me and gave me a
kiss the first time I met her."
Mary admits the first week was tough. "We quickly learned that Lulu needed consistent training. We knew that if we invested time, attention and consistency, we would have a wonderful dog."
And it's true. Today Lulu is confident and a beloved member of the family, showing that determination can make an adoption for keeps.
Previous Happy Tails:
'Pit Bull wanted, must love cats'
Dumped by a backyard breeder, a Yorkie gets a second chance
A Labradoodle trades shelter life for spa treatments
Deaf puppy Ollie's whole litter was adopted, but he was still waiting
After five years of waiting, Tiger Tom finds a home
Two Maine Coon cats are adopted after a 6-month search
Inmates partner with pets to give both a second chance
A Petfinder staffer can't resist one pet's profile
A nurturing cat helps another who needs a friend
An injured cat is adopted and becomes a celebrity
A kitten's photo convinces a woman to adopt, not buy
A mama cat is rescued from a home with 50 animals
A rescued Pit Bull brightens the breed's tarnished reputation
A big black dog is perfect for a boy with Down Syndrome
An adopted dog provides the perfect cure for a broken spirit
The puppy had been tightly bungee-corded to a bicycle
A cat with cerebellar hypoplasia teaches unconditional love
A dog inspires a chocolate company; plus: WIN treats from Rescue Chocolate!
Two autistic boys find guinea pigs are perfect pets
Mary admits the first week was tough. "We quickly learned that Lulu needed consistent training. We knew that if we invested time, attention and consistency, we would have a wonderful dog."
And it's true. Today Lulu is confident and a beloved member of the family, showing that determination can make an adoption for keeps.
'Pit Bull wanted, must love cats'
Dumped by a backyard breeder, a Yorkie gets a second chance
A Labradoodle trades shelter life for spa treatments
Deaf puppy Ollie's whole litter was adopted, but he was still waiting
After five years of waiting, Tiger Tom finds a home
Two Maine Coon cats are adopted after a 6-month search
Inmates partner with pets to give both a second chance
A Petfinder staffer can't resist one pet's profile
A nurturing cat helps another who needs a friend
An injured cat is adopted and becomes a celebrity
A kitten's photo convinces a woman to adopt, not buy
A mama cat is rescued from a home with 50 animals
A rescued Pit Bull brightens the breed's tarnished reputation
A big black dog is perfect for a boy with Down Syndrome
An adopted dog provides the perfect cure for a broken spirit
The puppy had been tightly bungee-corded to a bicycle
A cat with cerebellar hypoplasia teaches unconditional love
A dog inspires a chocolate company; plus: WIN treats from Rescue Chocolate!
Two autistic boys find guinea pigs are perfect pets
