Here are updates from some of our newly-adopted dogs and cats!

 

 

Persi is doing WONDERFULLY.  Since we moved to a bigger space, she has been in 7th Heaven.  She constantly runs up and down the stairs and through the house, carrying her many toys with her.  She definitely keeps us entertained.  She is getting along quite well with our other animals and her and our other cat have started playing with each other too.  She has gained a little weight since we got her, but she hasn't stopped being a purr machine. 

Thank you so much for letting us adopt her.  I think she's enjoying her new home as much as we enjoy having her in it!

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Cookie is a serious treasure hunter and likes to gather trophies.  She especially likes to steal the cat's toys!  We would just like to say THANKS for a wonderful addition to our family!  - The Winns

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Thanks so much for letting me bring Denali home to West Virginia!  He's settled in nicely and is friends with my other kitties! He's as spunky as they come and his purr box never stops!!  He loves his new toys, and he gets along great with my dogs.

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I recently adopted Lambeau (previously Gizmo) and he has already brought so much joy to my life.  I can't thank you enough for saving and fostering him as a young pup.  He is the neighborhood hit as he just may be the cutest puppy ever.  He has discovered a love for water (and mud...), walks, his mama, and anything with a squeaker in it.  I have attached some of my favorite pictures.  Thank you again for all you do, not only does Lambeau appreciate it but I found a truly amazing companion.

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I adopted Jazzie's pup, Tamari (now Lucy), in February, and she has been so much fun!  I wanted to thank you for such a positive experience and give you an update on how she's been doing.  Lucy has been growing like a weed; she weighs 15 lbs. and is tall, long, and lean.  She knows the commands "sit" and "down" already, so I think she will be in the top of her class when she starts puppy school.

 

She's visited family in Madison where she has lots of room to run off leash.  She enjoys exploring around the river and rolling around in the dirt and grass.  Everyone who's met her says she's the cutest and sweetest puppy they've ever seen.  Her foster mom, Nancy, must have really done a great job with her when she was little.  Thank you so much for letting me adopt such a sweet and snuggly little puppy!

--E. Nelson

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My husband and I were looking for the perfect dog to add to our pack.  We adopted our first dog, Cinder, 3 years ago in Charlottesville, and aside from dealing with and conquering some health issues, he has some anxiety problems that aren't always the easiest to deal with.  When I fell in love wth Dixie online, I went to see her that day.  After meeting her and seeing how shy and scared she was, I actually left that day without her.  Everybody told me that we couldn't get a second "under confident" dog because it would effect Cinder negatively.

I thought about Dixie all night and brought my husband back the very next day.  Although she was still extremely shy and would barely walk with us on the leash, we decided we would go against everyone's suggestions and that we were up for the challenge with her.  I would say that it probably took her less than 24 hours to completely come out of her shell - and then it was like we had adopted a completely different dog!

She became so playful, energetic, sweet and loving.  She has really enriched our and Cinder's lives.  The two of them are the best of friends--I think they truly love each other--it is amazing to see just how compatible they are!  I can't imagine having found a better dog.  We're so glad that we gave Dixie a chance to be a part of our family and are so thankful to Fluvanna SPCA for allowing us to foster-to-adopt.  Thank you from the bottom of our hearts!  Dixie says, "Hi!"

--the Whitney family

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Earth Eagle is a happy, sweet puppy.  She loves to roll on the floor with a toy and snuggle on the couch with one of us.  Her only issue is waking in the night and howling in her crate, but I'm sure she'll outgrow it.  She's learned to use the dog door and gets along pretty well with the other dogs, although they don't play with her enough for her taste.  :)

--the Fennell family

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Our family has adopted three cats from the Fluvanna SPCA.  Our last cat came to us as a foster kitten with special needs.  Willow had a neurological disorder which caused her to be a bit weak in her back hip and legs.  She could do all the normal things that a kitten could do, but she would have a clumsy way of doing it.  We found it endearing!  Willow had such a great spirit and we loved her instantly.  We decided that Willow should be with us, so we adopted her.  She loves to chase balls across the floor, sometimes doing forward rolls and tumbles along the way.  She chases the other two cats in the house but never can catch them.  She doesn't seem to mind being the last one in the chase and never backs down from a challenge to scrap with the big cats!  We encourage other families to give a special needs animal a chance.  It's been a great lesson in unconditional love and acceptance.

--the McCormick family

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I wanted to say thanks for helping us to find Oswald.  He is a great dog and was immediately part of the family.  Oswald (more often Ozzie or Oz now) loves his new doggie brother and many cat brothers and sisters.  Here is a picture of him at the dog park.

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Sabra (formerly Barbara) is doing awesome and has staked her claim to the love seat.  She is now a couch potato.  She is a wonderful addition to the family!

--the Fulk family

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We got both of our dogs, Riley and Max, from the FSPCA.  We adopted Riley in August 2010 when she was 8 weeks old.  She is the sweetest puppy ever and she's super smart.  She goes everywhere with us--around town, to work, to dog parks, to puppy school, even to the beach and to Maine.  She is a happy, happy puppy who loves everyone and everything!

 

We adopted Max in January 2011.  He is three and a half months old and is a super calm, sweet boy.  He loves to snuggle and is so affectionate.  His most common look is with his little tongue sticking out and a big smile on his face!  He and Riley are already great friends and they play together constantly.  When we first got him, he was very shy and scared.  Everything made him nervous, including movements and noise.  Now, after constant love and socialization with other dogs and people, he is a happy pup who's not afraid anymore.  He's doing well with his housetraining and loves going to new places with us.

 

Thank you for providing high-quality care to your animals so that they are ready to join their families when the right people come along!

--the Tice family

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We adopted Sam, whom we have renamed Mason, in November 2010.  He is an awesome dog and has fit right in with our family.  He definitely enjoys the life of a spoiled dog lying beside the fire at night.  He loves riding in the car, he has visited PetSmart, the vet, my sister's house to play with her Westie, as well as the Bass Pro Shop in Richmond!  He was so well behaved and acted like a pro.  Our kids adore him and we thought we would share this picture of them with you.  Happy Holidays!

--the Jones family

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My husband and I just recently adopted Esther, although we have changed her name to Ginger.  Ginger has been a huge blessing to us!  She is making progress every day in adjusting to life in our home.  She is an incredibly sweet and loving dog; she is awesome with the neighborhood kids and is very popular at the bus stop in the mornings (we always try to stop by on our morning walks).  We have plans to completely fence in our back yard when the weather gets warmer so we can play with her off-lead outside.  She has already had a couple of play dates and is warming up to other dogs.  We are very thankful to have her!  Here's one of my favorite pictures of her.

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I recently adopted Liza from your shelter.  She is so happy that she asked me to get a great big cake for you and write a note on it from her.   My only complaint about her is that she is a bed hog!  She is the smartest, best dog I've ever had.

 

Sandy (now Cameron) was in the shelter for about 10 months when I brought him home to foster.  I'm not sure which one of us was more nervous -- a cat who wasn't used to living in a house or a person who had never before taken care of a cat!   It took no time at all for me to realize that this little guy occupied a big place in my heart!  Cameron has settled into his forever home and appears to be training for the Olympics.  He likes to sprint from one end of the house to the other and recently discovered somersaulting - a big change from being in a cage.  In my mind he's a perfect 10!

 

This letter is to let you see that Jerry is so happy in his surroundings.  We are so blessed to have adopted such a good dog.  He rides in the pickup with his owner just brousing around the town and comes in with the biggest grin.  Again, thank you for your kindness to the lost and others you care for.  They are always in my prayers.  We are getting ready to register and get Jerry to the vet to get a chip this week.  Thanks again for enlightening our lives.