Happy Endings
Enjoy reading some letters and emails from people who have
adopted animals from HALO. This page is a showcase of a just
a few of the thousands of animals we serve each year. Seeing
these animals happy in their new homes is what makes all of our
hard work worth it!
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Petey
This adorable little pup , Petey, was up for adoption at HALO
back in 2010. Here is his adoption bio from back when he was
looking for a new home:
"Hello, I am Petey. I was born to a stray mom, that had my
siblings and I behind some rental properties. When the tenants
moved out, the landlord found us in the back yard running and
playing. My mom got scared and hid, but luckily they were able to
get my siblings and I and brought us straight to HALO. It felt so
nice to experience being inside.. especially the air conditioning!
Now I am looking for a family that will love me forever and give me
the training and exercise I need to be the very best dog!"
And that's just what he found. He went home with the
greatest people who fell in love with him. Here's a photo
they sent us of him in his new home just after he was adopted:
We were so glad when his adopters sent us another photo.
He's grown into such a handsome boy! We couldn't believe
it... Petey, all grown up! Here's what they said:
"Petey has been an absolute joy. Such a lover. And very
entertaining. We've had our challenges because of the views people
have of pit bulls, but every bit has been worth it. I'm so
glad we adopted from HALO. Thank you!"
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Lovely
Lovely, a young black lab mix puppy, came to HALO when she was
only four weeks old. She was in danger of being put to sleep
for congestion, runny nose, and being too young to put up for
adoption. HALO stepped in and, with the help of a great
foster volunteer, cared for Lovely until she was healthy and old
enough to be spayed and put up for adoption. Here's an email
we received from the wonderful family who gave her a forever
home:
"Here is a picture of Lovely (who the kids now call Katie). We
love her to pieces! She chases the kids around the yard (she loves
playing outside) all the time... We are in the process of potty
training.... She is very loved here with us! Thank you!"
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Daphne
Daphne came to HALO one day away from giving birth to 4
beautiful babies. She then also became a surrogate mother to 4
other girl pups that were born the same day as her kids
because their mother was euthanized at Animal Control for
being too aggressive to be handled. She was a great
mother and a great dog all around. She was then adopted into
her new home.
Five years later, we recieved this wonderful update from her
family:
"Hello, HALO. I just wanted to send a big thank you for the work
you do. Back in February of 2007, I adopted a dog named Daphne (now
named Zoe) from you for my mother who, at the time, had somewhat
recently lost her dog to old age. Zoe was a little much for her to
handle at first - grabbing shoes and bringing them in the back
yard, shredding toilet paper throughout the house, and stealing
things off the counter. We just thought she was a short dog. We
forgot about the very long body. Zoe was an angel for my mother. My
mother passed on February 2, 2012. Zoe kept mom on her toes. Those
two loved each other very much.
Now Zoe is a little angel for my nephew. She has grown into a
wonderful, very smart dog. No more shoes in the backyard but the
occasional ripping of paper still happens.
I just wanted to thank you for the blessing you gave my family.
These animals you save also bless the families they join."
Thank you,
Barbie
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Bobby
Bobby was found wandering the streets and was picked up by
Animal Control. His owner never came looking for him.
He caught a bug at the shelter and was in danger of being
euthanized simply for sneezing. HALO took him under our wing
to save him from that sad fate.
His new owner sent us this handsome photo:
"Bobby in his new home with his new family. :) He
has adjusted fabulously!"
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Zack was brought into Animal Care & Control as a stray. He
was very scared in the shelter environment and was in danger of
being euthanized for "TM 101" which in the animal rescue world
means he was scared or fearful. HALO saw his potential and took him
in. Soon enough, he had opened up and started to act
normally, and even started to show us all the tricks he had
apparently known all along.
His adopter, a really nice young guy, sent us this great
email:
"I came to your shelter, not exactly knowing what to expect. I
was greeted very warmly which made me feel more comfortable, I knew
I was at the right place. I took in the most amazing dog of all,
originally named Zack, who I named Wilfred. He actually is doing
very well with everything, and I mean everything. He knows
how to sit, and shake, also is house trained and knows how to use
the doggy door, which works out great so he can go in and out of
the house as he pleases.
The first couple nights he seemed a little shaken up but as the
more time passed his true playful self emerged. I am extremely
lucky to have come across my new furry friend. He may be around 40
lbs but he thinks he is a lap dog. :) He seems to be very loyal,
and very smart.
I am truly so thankful that Wilfred is my new best friend. He is
just what I needed and I'm just what he needed, it's perfect.
You guys are doing a great thing, keep up all the good
work."
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Rosemary
Rosemary, who we've renamed Brynnlee, is doing wonderfully!! She
and my roommate's 5yr old lab mix are becoming the best of friends.
The minute she stepped into our house she ran around once and
then plopped herself on the couch with a look that said, "Yep, this
is my house!"
I've noticed that she is somewhat of a picky eater, she
refuses to eat the round pieces of her kibbles n' bits! Its
actually really funny because she will push all of the round pieces
onto the floor and when we try to put them back in her bowl she
just pushes them all back out again. We've been working extensively
on potty training and basic commands and she's getting very good at
"sit" and making progress with going to the bathroom outside and
not on my bedroom carpet.
All in all everything is going great! Brynnlee is surely the
princess of our house and we absolutely love her. We are so
greatful for HALO bringing her into our lives and you can rest
assured that she will be very well taken care of. I have attached a
couple of pictures that I took on my cell phone of her first few
days in her new home.
Sincerely,
Devon and Brynnlee
Izzy Bits
A letter from Izzy Bits, formerly Penelope:
I was adopted Friday by Frank and Michelle. On the way to
my new home I whined a little bit but New Dad (ND) let me put my
paws on his arm and look out the window so I felt a little
better. When we arrived at my new home ND put my leash on and
introduced me to Ophelia. She is a Brindle Chihuahua and much
shorter than me but weighs about the same. We exchanged tail
wags and she made me feel right at home. The house is really
cool with area rugs and lots of tile so when I run I can really get
going and slide across the floor. You know how I am with my
puppy like bouncing and pouncing so the place is perfect. My
New Parents (NP's) have a great bed with this really cool fluffy
doggie pillow that is perfect for sleeping underneath. My
NP's welcomed me to bed at night, it felt nice and comfy so I
sighed and went to sleep.
Before Bedtime my New Mom (NM) showed me the back yard.
WOW!!! NM and ND have a small pond, grassy area, patio and room to
run. There were all kinds of smells like raccoons, rabbits,
birds, bees and even a dinosaur looking thing called a
Chuckwalla. ND calls him "Chuck". Not sure why, but ND
seems to come up with stuff. He calls me "Izzy Bits" cause,
well I don't know but I read in the Care and Keeping of Humans book
that if the man of the house calls you by a nick name it means he
likes you. Ophelia the resident dog (RD) showed me where to
go to the restroom in the yard and some of the spots where we have
to remark our territory every morning.
When I was acting like a puppy and doing my racing around "crazy
dog" thing I grabbed Ophelia's stuffed animal and shook it in the
predator like behavior that is instinctive. Apparently this
stuff animal is special because she didn't like me doing
that. So we took a road trip on Saturday morning to Pet Smart
and I got some of the coolest stuffed animals, squeaky toys and
tennis balls you have ever seen. My favorite is the monkey
they bought. When I do my crazy dog act I shake it and dad
throws it for me. Then he gets on the floor and we play
sasquatch, you know where I get on my back feet and make the
attack. ND keeps falling over when I do that but he gets back
up and doesn't seem to be hurt real bad.
I think NM likes me a lot cause she laughs a lot when I do my
sasquatch thing, plus she picks me up a lot and talks in a low
voice that makes me feel loved.
I am sitting on the couch with ND right now and looking forward
to another night in ND and NM's bed under my pillow. They let
me under the covers if I want but I really like the pillow with my
face pointing out from under it.
By the way I have my own pigs ear that I chew on, I can bring my
stuffed monkey to bed if I want to, and best of all ND loves me to
sit in his lap. NM has a nice lap too, and she always pets me
to make me feel special.
I love going out on the patio and looking over my new
domain. I can see clear to Camelback Mountain from the front
and get to watch people walking their dogs. Of course I don't
bark cause I know that it makes ND and NM happy.
I wanted to Thank all of you especially my foster mom for
helping me escape from the life I was living. You made me
enthusiastic about life and I love to play with my new
family. Fortunately NM,ND and Ophelia like to play too.
I love that you taught me how to get along with other animals and
how to impress other humans with my jumping and running. I
would like to tell you more but ND is on the floor shaking one of
my squeaky toys. I need to get it from him before he breaks
it. It's time to show him who the boss is.
I hope the adoption even went well this weekend. I sure
hope my shelter friends found a home like I did.
You will always be in my thoughts. New Mom and Dad said I
could visit if I wanted to.
Penelope aka "Izzy Bits"
Lucy, Loki, and Carly
Hi HALO, we thought you'd like to see pics of our new
critters all settled in. Lucy (tabby kitty) and Kevin
have totally bonded - she sleeps between his knees and comes when
we call her - a sweetie. Loki (Poncho) has bonded with
Nathan and spends his time mostly watching Nathan at the computer
doing homework or playing his games from his post behind the
monitor.
Our girl Carly (Marlee-yellow Lab) has completely settled in and
is learning from our chocolate lab, Truffles. She watches
Truffles to see what behavior is right and is learning quickly the
same commands. They play like they were litter mates - it's
amazing to see, and our dachshund, who thought he was the king of
the hill, now finds himself trying to get the girls to let him
play, which they do. So much fun to watch them!
Thanks so much for adding 3 bundles of love to our family!
-Kevin, Lynnel and Nathan
Mickey
My twelve year old daughter Aliah had been waiting many
years to find the perfect canine friend. We chose to adopt/rescue a
little one from HALO and we are VERY HAPPY we did so. We adopted
Princess Leia (now Mickey) in February 2010... Sweet, loving and
sooo cute... all of those characteristics still remain... She is
super smart and eager to learn all sorts of new tricks. Seems like
she was already part of our family, because as soon as we brought
her home she fit right in; no adjustment needed ;)
We love her very much, can't imagine not having her, would do it
all over again...Thank you HALO for making it possible!
-Aliah, Mickey and Family
Capt'n Jack
This is Capt'n Jack,
I got this little stinker from the Bethany Home PetSmart here in
Phoenix. Since the day he walked in the door Jack has made himself
at home. He's found all sorts of places to sleep and be comfy.
He absolutely HAS to be the center of attention. He refuses to play
with any of the toys I've got for him but when the rubber band
comes off the morning paper, he immediately steals it, runs off and
has a blast throwing it in the air. Once he's done, he plops
right in the middle of the newspaper I'm trying to
read! If I'm headed towards the door he's there to see where
I'm going. He looks up to me as if to say, "Buddy, either I'm
going with you or you'd better be back soon!".
His profile said he would be shy but he's proven to be
anything but. Jack is very affectionate and loves to be rubbed
and petted. All of my friends and family that visit are immediately
welcomed by Jack as he demands their full attention. His favorite
pastime so far is to watch the birds in the morning at the bird
feeder. He chatters and makes all sorts of odd noises at them. Some
of which I didn't know a cat could make! He'll sit for hours in the
sun watching them flitter around the patio. He would prefer not to
be disturbed during his birdy time. Jack is very vocal and takes
pleasure in telling me all about his day and what I should be doing
for him. After all, cats don't have masters...they have staff.
Capt'n Jack has made my house a home and he's a riot to be
with. Thank you HALO for my little buddy.
-Joel
Cricket
We adopted Cricket a few months ago and we wanted to share some
photos of his new life! We renamed him Gibson and he has made a
wonderful adjustment to our home and us. We love him so much
and have been enjoying his company every day since we adopted
him. He loves to sit on anyone's lap, even people he doesn't
know are helpless victims to his love and affection! We hope you
don't miss him too much because we are not giving him back, ever!
Thanks for everything!
-Heather and Derrick
Allie
Presenting Miss Allie-1 yer in new home-she is the star!
This is Allie, she is our 2nd HALO baby, she lives with her
brother Slick and sisters Zana and Gigi. She is the most
gentle girl. She plays so well with her sisters and brother.
They are all under 20lbs which is tiny compared to her grand
60lbs. She is very loved and spoiled! We love her so much!
Thanks again HALO Rescue for another great family member!!!
-Suzzy
Kamea
We adopted Kamea (previously Serena) when she was only a puppy.
Now, she turned 3 on May 1, 2010! She was a little shy
when we first got her but has adjusted amazingly! We couldn't
imagine life without her. She loves snuggling and exercising in the
backyard. She's our little blessing that will do anything for food!
As of January 2010, she is about 10 lbs! We love our little
dog!
Thank you HALO for everything that you do.
-The Chavez Family
Kenobi
We adopted Keanu from you, In June of last year. He is now named
Kenobi. As in Obi Won Kenobi. He fits perfectly in our
family! He is wonderful with the kids, and sleeps next to my
bed or my daughter's bed every night! He enjoys his walks and made
it a tradition to take extra long walks to the park with
the kids since he's been around. Thank you so much HALO, I'm
so glad you were able to help our family find the perfect animal
for us! Here's a few pic of Kenobi.
-Christine
Maxx
Just wanted to "Thank you" so much for our new addition to our
family. We have named him Maxx Buddy Rosenau!!!! I have
attached a few pictures of him and will continue to send you a few
here and there. Let us fatten him up a little. Enjoy
them..... We Enjoy him... Thanks!!
Trisha, Rob and Kids
Raven
Here is a picture of Indigo (we have since renamed her
Raven). We adopted her at the end of February, and she has
fit into our family amazingly well. From the time we brought
her home, she has acted as if she belonged here from the day she
was born. Raven is wonderfully affectionate and loves to give
kisses (and get her tummy rubbed). She listens very well and
absolutely adores her big sister, Daisy the beagle. In fact,
she follows Daisy everywhere and the two have become
inseparable, even taking naps together in Daisy's kennel
(something we thought would never happen). She's an amazing
addition to our family, and we can't imagine life without
her. Thank you HALO for all the wonderful work you do!!
Bob, Lisa, Daisy, and Raven
Linus
I adopted my wonderful little dog from you about 3 years ago.
Unfortunately, Linus, had to be euthanized yesterday. I was
the 4th person to adopt Linus out of your facility. He was brought
back by others who wouldn't give him a chance. I hope that my story
will inspire others to give animals, that may at first seem as
though they would make an undesirable pet, a chance. Ours is a love
story with a bitter sweet ending, but I would not have changed it
for the world. We saved each others souls.
Laura
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Katie
Had just a moment and wanted to send you an email to say THANKS!
Her new name is Katie, after my Grandmother. We have had the
newest member of our family for only a day, but have found her to
be an angel! She certainly came out of her shell quickly! She
has already learned to go outside on her own, and has only had one
accident inside, that was our fault. She is certainly a
sweetie! Special thanks to Joe, Angie, and Shelly for helping us
find Katie! But to everyone who put up with us and helped us
to find this special addition to our home. We are all,
including Katie, so happy!
Sincerely,
Ken and Sue
Ranger
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We are finally sending pictures of Ranger whom we
adopted on January 9th. We love him dearly. He loves going
to the Dog Park that is very near our house. Ranger is such a
little gentleman and lovebug. He feels quite at home on the love
seat and most of all he loves to snuggle any where we are. He
crawls right onto our laps and buries his nose. Thank you for
taking care of him. He is such a good boy and we are so happy you
gave him a second chance. We have tried to introduce him to
our two cats and, so far, Ranger only wants to eat them! We have to
research and see if we can succeed with that.
Sincerely,
Kathy , Armida (age 8) and Mekdes (age
6)
I just wanted to send a quick note and touchbase with you on the
adoption of Simba in July 2009. It never snows in North Texas!
Cameron, Dallas, Texas