Cole
ASPCA Happy Tails: Mountain High
Occasionally, here at Happy Tails HQ, we like to feature adoption success stories from shelters around the country. This week, we're enjoying the story of a Seattle-based couple who found furry love at PAWS, an animal shelter in Lynwood, WA. When Andrea Maikovich-Fong and her husband moved from Philadelphia to Seattle last year, they looked forward to adding a pooch to their feline-centric household. As luck would have it, they were struck by the love bug at PAWS, where they met a sweet Lab mix named Cole. Andrea recently sent us a note about Cole's sometimes bumpy road to domestic bliss.
My husband and I went to PAWS on a "just looking" mission, but completely fell in love with a black Lab mix who peered out at us from his cage with hopeful, expectant eyes. He had been surrendered by his owner and transferred between two shelters, so it had been a rough month for him. It became clear that his timid personality was not meant for shelter life.
Because we weren't expecting to adopt that day, we didn't have any supplies, so our first stop on the way home was the pet store. Cole pranced through the store with a spring in his step, communicating his preferences for bones, food, toys and beds. At home, he quickly made it known that he belonged. He ignored the cats, jumped on our bed and rolled over, wagging his tail as if to say, “Ahh—this is more like it!"
Cole did not come without some challenges, like separation anxiety, running away from a pet-sitter and the resulting five-day pursuit, and urinating in our apartment. But we did not give up on him—with patience and unconditional love, he has learned to trust us completely. He loves to curl up next to us in our tent when we go camping, enjoys long hikes in the mountains, and has become a central part of our family. We have many questions about what he experienced in the past, but he is perfectly bonded to us, and we can't imagine life without him.
Read more touching stories of furry fate in our Happy Tails Archive.