Going Home: Rosalinda

Happy Woof Wednesday!

Today we've got an update from Argy IP about Rosalinda, formerly known as Roselavon. 

Since moving in with Argy two years ago, Rosalinda's been welcoming to new family members, and even found herself a new habit...

"Here's an update on Rosalinda (aka Roselavon) adopted July 2013. She's healthy and enjoying a new little sister who was rescued by a friend."

"A few more. She loves her sister Luna and cuddling inside large t-shirts."

Thanks for sharing Rosalinda's updates with Berkeley Humane's Facebook Page, Argy! If you've got your own news to share about your Berkeley Humane adoption, let us know on Facebook.


Looking for a fulfilling way to spend the end of summer? Berkeley Humane needs volunteers for next month's Bark Around the Block on August 15th! This is a huge event dependent on support from Berkeley Humane's human community members. If you've been waiting for an opening in our popular Volunteer Orientations, this may be a great opportunity to get involved early. Contact us for more info: information@berkeleyhumane.org or 510.845.7735 (extension 228).

After BEBHS: Dr. Dre and Vanilla Ice

Dr. Dre and Vanilla Ice, formerly Scooter and Max, have found a home to prowl and a family to love. Hearing from their adopters, it sounds like they're having a great time in their new digs! Their adopters told us they consider themselves “happy and lucky” to have Dr. Dre and Vanilla Ice in their lives. (And we love the name changes!) Alright, stop, collaborate and listen:

Things are going very well!!! The boys are settling in with "Scooter" taking the lead. "Max" seems to be taking cues from him and while still a little shy, is slowly coming out to explore and this morning greeted me in bed for a cuddle. We left the re-naming up to our daughter. She is a big music fan and decided to name them after two of her favorite artists. "Scooter" will from here forward be known as "Dr. Dre" and "Max" will be known as "Vanilla Ice". Our daughter sings to them and when they hear her, they come for cuddles.

These boys’ adopters told us that Vanilla Ice and Dr. Dre spend their days “alternately exploring and snoozing” and “ruling the roost.” We're so glad they have found such a welcoming, devoted family to spend their lives with. A round of applause for Dr. Dre and Vanilla Ice!

Henry the Adventure-Pom!

When we gather around the water cooler here at Berkeley Humane, we’re not gossiping about the latest in celebrity news or who spilled coffee all over their keyboard. No, we’re trading adoption stories and life-after-Berkeley-Humane stories! We love to share them with you, our friends, because we know firsthand just how meaningful these tales of the beautiful human-animal bond are to us all!

Adopter Sean Dryden felt the same way. When Sean met Henry, a dazzling little Pomeranian, he fell head over heels in love. Since bringing Henry home from Berkeley Humane, Sean has seen how much joy this Pom truly brings to everyone he meets. Sean knew that Henry’s radiating happiness would benefit a much wider crowd than just those who are lucky enough to meet Henry here in the Bay Area. Following that conviction, Sean wrote a fantastic book, Adventure-Pom!, about Henry and his many exploits!

Adventure-Pom! is a lively romp where Henry (full name Captain Henry Gingersnaps the Adventure-Pom) explores beaches, parks, and trails while making new dog pals along the way. All this adventuring, though, is only part of the story—by book’s end, Captain Henry Gingersnaps and his buddies come face-to-face with the notorious Cranky Kitties! (We know: we can’t wait to hear how it ends, either!)

For every copy of Adventure-Pom! sold, Sean and co-author Jerry Seguin will donate a dollar to the animals at Berkeley Humane Society. We are overwhelmed with gratitude for this generosity!

The story of how Henry and Sean came together is so heartwarming, and we would love to share it with you. Read on for Sean’s account of their beautiful beginning together, and for the full scoop on how Adventure-Pom! came to be!

I was doing volunteer work at Oakland Animal Services back in 2009 when Henry came into the shelter. My partner and I went back and forth for a week if we should adopt him or not, a big decision at the time since we were both unemployed. I was honestly amazed that he was at the shelter for so long, even then he seemed like a wonderful dog. By the time we decided to go get him, we found he was picked up by the Berkeley Humane Society. 

Henry, mid-exploration!

 

We took Henry into our program here at Berkeley Humane, as we were able to provide him the surgery, medical, and behavioral care he needed before finding his perfect adoption match!

This turned out to be a miracle for us. [When he came to Oakland Animal Services,] Henry was emaciated, had fleas, a matted coat, needed surgery and needed to be fixed. Not to mention still being a bit traumatized (he was found roaming the streets of Oakland with a shock collar on.)

When we picked him up from you all a week later it was amazing, right down to his coat being brushed out, truly saving these two broke guys a small fortune.

I started putting together Adventure-Pom! for our friends, since so many of them have started building their families and are having babies. The book started to come together so well that we decided to sell it. Sorting through the photos for the book reminded me of the fire and van theft you all went through over the last couple of years. I know how much work you do to support other local shelters, and needing that van for picking up animals. If we were going to put the book up for sale, it just seemed right to make a donation to the shelter from the book as well. 

Oh no! It's one of the 'Cranky Kitties' from Adventure-Pom! 

I am very excited that we have been able to get Adventure-Pom! on iBookstore, Kindle and in print! After starting the book, Jerry and I started thinking of so many other projects we could do as well, so we started our very own publishing company. Jerry has his first gallery show opening at the beginning of the year, so we will be doing a book for his art to coincide with the opening (with a donation to a local artist charity.) We will also be working on a sequel to Adventure-Pom!, and have plans on another donation for the ASPCA or a similar organization.

The whole process of writing the book and setting up a publishing company has been a learning experience for us. I am a police and fire dispatcher for San Francisco, which can become stressful at times. Having this playful and creative outlet has become a wonderful distraction for me.

Your shelter has done so much for my family and many others as well.

--Sean Dryden 

We’re a little teary thinking about how this sweet gesture Sean set out to do for his friends turned into a bona fide book, a publishing company, and the start of a bright new chapter in the shared life of Henry and his adopters. Thank you, Sean, Jerry, and Henry for letting us all take a peek into your beautiful, enchanting world, and for making Henry a part of your loving family. 

Adventure-Pom! is available for order on Amazon.com, and downloadable for Kindle and iBookstore. Captain Henry Gingersnaps’ stories continue to unfold on the Adventure-Pom! Facebook page—there are tons of great snapshots of Henry enjoying life that we highly recommend checking out!

After BEBHS: Willie

Say hello to Willie! Willie, formerly Avos, was placed with a foster parent when he first came to Berkeley Humane. Willie’s foster mom loved his kittenish antics and sweet demeanor so much that she ended up adopting him! We’re incredibly happy to hear about what a great life Willie has.

Willie as a kitten...

I adopted Avos (now Willie) in May 2013 and wanted to share a quick update and some photos.

...and Willie all grown up!

Willie is such a handsome boy! His eye, which was very badly infected when he was about 7 weeks old and took a long time to heal, is completely normal now - it still waters more than the other eye, but doesn't seem to have any permanent damage at all. He finally grew into his fur—he used to be a ball of fluff but now he is shaped like a real cat. Except his tail, which is still wild and fluffy and excellent for dusting behind couches.

And he is such a sweetheart. He purrs whenever he is picked up (by anyone, at any time). He is very fond of licking fingers and faces. He does occasionally get excited and play-bite my hand but immediately makes amends with much licking.

It didn't take long to adapt to his new stepsisters (my older cats), and things are going great. (Although they are not quite as enthusiastic about constant wrestling as he is. But they are pretty tolerant.) 

[Since his adoption in May, Willie] is still a sweetheart and his tail is even crazier—looks like the wrong species (raccoon? squirrel?). It turns out he's pretty tolerant of being in a harness and comfortable in crowds, so he often accompanies me to family barbeques.

Willie sounds like a real little lion! Thank you to Willie’s mama for sharing the update!

We’re so glad that we have a wonderful network of foster parents at Berkeley Humane who help shape our animals lives for the better. Their patience and kindness can do so much for animals to help them get adopted and find a great match. If you’re interested in learning about becoming a foster parent, click over to our website to find out what it takes!

After BEBHS: Milo

Milo, formerly known as Faramir, is living the good life as a family pet and ‘love bug’! This frolicsome, fun boy spends his days learning new things and enjoying the love lavished on him by his new family. Read on for more from Milo’s adopters!

He is doing great in our home and he has turned out to be quite the little love bug. He is learning new commands such as sit, up, and down.

He loves playing fetch and going for walks, especially to the school across the street. He runs in the field and eats the flowers and grass.

He is also quite loyal and never strays too far from my side, in fact he’s laying at my feet right now as I write this. We thank you for saving this loving and wonderful dog from the shelter and giving him a chance to be loved.

What a beautiful picture to imagine: Milo snuggling at his mama’s feet while she writes to tell us just how much he means to the family. We’re overjoyed to hear how sweet his new life is!

After BEBHS: Felix

We love when we hear back from adopters to tell us how things are going with their new animals! Felix, one of the cutest little kittens you've ever seen, found his new family this summer. His adopters gushed to us about what a hilarious, dear part of the household he has become:

We are absolutely in love with Felix! After going through a few names we decided to keep the same name because it suited him well. (And we love the movie Wreck it Ralph, so we always say, Fix it Felix.) His personality is just amazing, he's the perfect combination of a cuddly kitten one minute and completely bonkers the next. He walks around the house with his toys in his mouth and actually plays fetch haha! We throw his toy off the couch and he brings it back to us!

Then when he wants to snuggle he has to do it in the spot between your shoulder and neck and rubs his nose into you. He just melts my heart.

 

We already had our first vet visit and the nurses loved him, they could not even hear his heartbeat because he was purring so loud! I want to brag like a proud parent because he is just a joy to come home to. Thank you to the Berkeley East Bay Humane Society, we are so happy to have our new family member and appreciate all your help.

Thank you to Felix’s family for sharing how he is doing! The photos are touching, and we’re so pleased to be able to share with our friends how well this little guy is doing. Hooray, Felix!

Are you looking for a cat to call your own? Cat adoption hours at Berkeley Humane run from 12pm to 4pm Fridays, and 11am to 5pm Saturdays and Sundays.

And check out available cats anytime at this link!

After BEBHS: Libby

Libby and her new family are getting along swimmingly! It sounds like every day is exciting for Libby—she’s got a new Chihuahua ‘sibling’, as well as some new horse friends to boot!

"Smidge" is now "Libby."  She is settling in beautifully.  She follows me everywhere, including when I feed the horses.  She's potty training well and, as I had hoped, becoming a wonderful companion to our other chihuahua, Eme.  We couldn't be happier and we're so grateful to have her in our lives.
 

Libby’s got a bright future ahead of her with her loving family.

Thank you, Libby’s family, for giving her such a happy home!

Want to find your own wonderful companion?? Visit Berkeley Humane during adoption hours Wed, Thurs, and Fri 12pm-4pm; and Saturday/Sunday 11am-5pm!