With the time of year being focused on giving back and giving hope, we wanted to share this story from four of our employees.
We know many people long for a furry friend to keep them company and brighten their day … every day. That’s one of the great joys of pet parenting. Four of our employees recently deepened their joy. Here’s how.
Back on October 19, the RedRover pack arrived at Fayette County Animal Rescue to spend a day in volunteer service as part of “Project Underdog,” our quarterly volunteer program.
Some of us cleaned. Some of us did household maintenance like painting and mowing – this is, after all, a house for dozens of pets waiting to be adopted. Some of us created a new logo and collateral pieces for Fayette County Animal Rescue.
And four of us couldn’t walk away from that tug on our heart. From that little voice in our head that said, “I’m ready to do this!”
When the moment is right for pet adoption, you simply know it. Ashley, Juli, Lauren, and Lori all knew it that day.
These four pack members expanded their families with a new puppy each from the animal rescue. We hope the rest of this blog post reaches anyone on the verge of pet adoption and helps you consider whether now is the right time and you’re ready for it.
If the answer is “YES,” we hope you visit any one of the no-kill rescues we’re partnering with in Project Underdog (list at the bottom) and bring those babies into their forever homes!
Conley — named after Mike, of course — started her life at Fayette County Animal Rescue with her two sisters. When I met her, she was the last of her siblings waiting for a home.
At our home, she has one human brother who is two years old, and a canine brother, Paxton, three years old. Sometimes, she gets confused when we’re watching Grizzlies games and hears the announcers say “Conley” on TV.
Typical to the Lab breed, Conley has a sweet temperament and tolerates most of her human brother’s antics — including being his favorite pillow. Her favorite place to be is anywhere touching her people.
As you can see from this photo, Conley hasn’t quite taken to getting coached as well as her basketball hero, Mike. She’s still working on basics like “sit.”
Naya’s favorite trick is getting away from me. She’s loves being outside and running around in the grass. When it’s time to come in, she usually has an escape route planned.
One time I had to chase her several blocks. I think that scared her a little, because she hasn’t tried that one since. Now she just dodges me when I try to leash her at the dog park.
Naya adores her new family. She wouldn’t take no for an answer when her canine big sister, Mika, tried to her ignore her. Mika is a 9.5-year-old Lab and was pretty used to the way things were. But Naya just continued to crawl into the dog bed with her until Mika finally recognized she now has a little sister. The three of us go to a lot of downtown places together, like Loflin Yard.
She’s a little skittish around humans, but not when she’s with other dogs. One of the toughest adjustments was figuring out the right diet for Naya. She’s had some stomach troubles with different food but I think we got it right with fish. That’s her jam!
Greta is Naya’s sister — as if you couldn’t already tell!
Someone found Greta and Naya in a wooded area and took them to Fayette County Animal Rescue (thank you, whoever you were!). They were looking for food and very thin when they were found. They were part of a family, but they weren’t being cared for. They were neglected, which is why they were scrounging for food.
It took a little while for the rescuers to catch them because they weren’t really socialized early on. But now, Greta hasn’t met a stranger she doesn’t love. She has so much personality and loves to be the jokester of the pack. Just look at her in the top photo!
Little Gracie was dropped off at a high-kill shelter, sadly, by owners who were less than thrilled that their purebred Yorkie didn’t have purebred puppies.
Fortunately, a rescue pulled her from the shelter. My husband, Mike, and I brought Gracie home … and have brought her with us nearly everywhere since. She’s a regular at our office, on our vacations, when we shop, you name it.
And it’s not just us who are in love with Gracie. Her canine sister Stella and feline brother and sister, Henry and Piper, have welcomed this tiny — very tiny — bundle of joy into our home, too.
Ready to adopt? Consider these Project Underdog partners:
