Happy Endings

We're always overjoyed to hear that one of our animals has found a happy home. We especially love being able to share these stories with you. Below you will find just a few of the success stories that animals from our shelter have enjoyed.

If you have adopted an animal from our shelter, and would like to submit your own 'happy ending', please click here.

View stories submitted in: This Year | 2008 | 2007 | 2006 | 2005 | 2004 | 2003

RUBY
After hearing our kids pestering us for weeks about getting a dog, we finally decided that maybe it was time to get an addition to our family.

We had searched high and low in the classifieds looking for that perfect dog and just didn't see anything that really caught our eye. In early November of this year I decided to take my kids to the Peterborough Humane Society to look at the dogs that were available for adoption. My daughter spotted this dog right away and no other dog would do. I was a little skeptical about her because she just didn't look to friendly.

Well as the saying goes "Never judge a book by it's cover". We took her out for a walk and she was the most gentle thing I had ever seen. Yes, we decided to take her home. She was brought into the Shelter as a stray, so unfortuneatly no one knew her name. We decided to call her "Ruby", and after 3 weeks, she is starting to realize what her name is. She has brought so much joy to our children and I am sure she is enjoying her new warm home and loving family. She greets us with a wagging tail and I am sure with a smile on her face every night when we get home from work and is happy to see anyone who comes for a visit. The more attention she gets the more enjoyable she is. She loves going for her nightly walks and is very well behaved on her leash. Needless to say she fit right in with every member of our family and we now have, in my eyes, the perfect dog.

Thank You,
The Kemp Family

LIBBY
In 1995 I had moved to Toronto and was alone in the big city for the first time in my life so it only made sense that in 1996 I add a puppy my household. So, I came home from the city to Peterborough and I found Marlee (aka Molly at the time) She was a 6 month old black lab/sheppard cross with the most wonderful personality on the planet! (I can say that now that the shoe chewing days are over) Marlee is now 11 years old and is a healthy happy girl.

In 1998 I moved back home to Peterborough and immediately found a beautiful ginger tabby at the Paulmac's Pet Store on Lansdowne Street named Bobbi-Jo. Every day I visited the store in the hopes that someone would adopt her but to no avail. I already had a family of two dogs and a cat....but in the winter of 1998 I added Bobbi-Jo, now Bailey, to the family and after a short period of adjustment, she fit in just fine. Her card at the pet store said that she was to go to a family with no other pets and no kids. She loved both and still does to this day.

The latest addition to my family is Libby...a stray yellow lab cross that was at the Peterborough shelter for about a month before I came along. She's a beautiful, crazy and energetic little girl that at 65lbs still doesn't comprehend that she's not a lap dog. Shortly after adopting Libby I moved back to the Toronto area and the family is thriving and has adjusted to the smaller yard and the added walks with a dog-walker. If ever again I find room in my heart, and a extra money in my wallet - I'll head back to the Peterborough Humane Society to find the next fur-baby that needs me as much as I need them.

- The Phillips Family

ABBY
After making many trips to the shelter looking for a dog, my husband and I finally found the perfect addition to our home. In october 2005 a litter of walker hound pups arrived. We were very fortunate as only one was not taken for when we arrived. We immediately adopted Abby. Abby is a very affectionate and has a goofy personality. She is well behaved but can be a little stubborn when she wants to be. This summer we took her camping at Silent Lake and she had a great time. Abby loves going on hikes, swimming and visiting her dog friends. I remember another shelter employee adopted one of Abby's siblings. I would love to hear how he is doing. Thank you for all of your hard work and dedication. Having Abby has changed our lives.

- Joe and Angie

PITCH
After being attacked by a pitbull right before Christmas 2002, I was asked to come to the Peterborough Humane Society to give a statement regarding the incident. While waiting, I decided to visit the stray cats room. After petting a few, I heard the loudest, most obnoxious MEOW I had ever heard. I walked over to the skinny looking black and white cat in the corner and reached out my hand for a pet. With my hand two inches from the cage, the cat inside reached out with both paws, grabbed my hand (with quite a bit of strength might I add) pulled my hand in and instantly started rubbing and purring and meowing so loudly it was hard to hear any of the other cats above him. When my mom walked in to tell me they were ready for me, I stood there with huge crocodile tear streaming down my face and I said "Mommy, I want this cat!!" We had never been allowed to have a cat before because we weren't sure how our dog would react, but instead of saying no, she gave the typical parental answer. Ask your father. Well I did, and with much hesitation he finally said yes! The cat's card said he was 1 1/2 yrs, male, and would be ready for adoption in 5 days. I had 5 days to scrap together the adoption fee. So with help from family and friends I managed to get the money. January 10th 2003 I went to pick up my cat and it was love at first sight. We brought him home, him and the dog instantly became friends, and I was blessed with the most energetic, animated, and affectionate cat I had ever met. I named him "Pitch" to represent all the people who pitched in to help me get him. I don't know what I would do if I didn't have my Muffin :)

Many Thanks to the Peterborough SPCA,
Marie

BOOMER
We were looking for a dog. A breeder and it never crossed our mind we wanted a dog that was unique, that no one else had. And we found him!!

We fell in love with Boomer (a boxer mix) shortly after Valentines Day. There were two other couples who wanted him too and which meant that we were third on the list. We were a very nervous that we were going to miss out on our perfect family member. I took the day of work to insure that I wouldn’t miss this call.

Well as it’s clear that Fate was on our hands, we now have a 120 lbs lap dog, who is the biggest suck and moocher that we have ever seen.

He wasn’t shy at all he made himself at home right away, we were the perfect fit!!

- Nicole

MATTI
I finally moved in with my fiance, and he knew how badly I wanted a puppy. We talked about getting a Golden Retriever from a local breeder, but were a little worried about the cost. One before school I decided to make a trip to the humane society to see what puppies they had. When I went and saw Matti, I immediatly fell in love with her. She was so cute and friendly and I knew right away that I wanted to adopt her.

That was almost 4 months ago and Matti has beco me a part of our family. She has chewed slippers, sandals, watches ... anything but the bones we buy her. But, she is so loveable and loyal. She loves going out to my fiance's family farm and watching the cows. She loves car rides - as soon as she hears us pick up the keys she sits at the door. I am so glad I made that random trip to the humane society, because I have found an awesome companion!

Thanks,
Jodi Scarborough

TANNER (aka Tyrone)
Recent newlyweds, my husband, Jay and I, had just bought our first house. We had lived in apartments for the last few years, and had become accustomed to our two cats, Dallas and Luna, both rescued from LAWS a few years ago. Moving from our 2 bedroom apartment to our 4 bedroom house was making us feel a little small in our new, much bigger house. We discussed the option of getting a dog, and researched several breeds. We both grew up with dogs, and I came from a family where the dogs pee'd first, ate first and slept on the couch, while we sat on the floor. We thought about our options, a puppy, a dog, breeders, humane society and rescue agencies. I won't lie, we had gone to see a dog or two, and had decided to think about putting off getting a dog for a little while, as we both work full time, sometimes long hours, and maybe it wasn't the best time. Hopelessly, we wandered around our big empty house, with no K9 love. Only, I secretly continued to check all the websites for humane societies in the area, you know....just in case! Mid-week before May 24 weekend, I was searching on Peterborough Humane Society site, and saw Tyrone. A beautiful reddish-tan coloured Great Dane / Lab cross. I called about him, and with my luck, he was still there. I got some info on him, inquired about their hours over the next few days, and hung up. An hour passed. I couldn't stop thinking about him. I got in my car, and drove to the humane society. The anxiety was killing me... I had butterflies in my stomach, just thinking about this dog, I had not even seen! I went right to his pen, and there he was...smiling up at me, tail wagging. Tyrone and I went out for a walk, and despite his size, he was extremely well trained on a leash. About 20 minutes passed, and we were getting along great. I took Tyrone back to his pen, and went to talk to someone about him. I was told he had come in a few weeks earlier, under-nurished, with a chronic flea problem, which was not good as he had a bad allergy to the fleas, and had food allergies. Tyrone had a spot on his back that the hair was starting to come in on, as he had chewed himself raw from the fleas, and he had warts on his neck. On top of all that, Tyrone was a stray, and there was no background on him. Despite all this, I was in love. I asked to have him cat tested, and he passed with flying colours!!! Sadly, I left Tyrone, needing to talk to my husband, and turned my back to the sadest looking dog, whimpering that I was leaving. He was breaking my heart, so I told Tyrone I would be back, I promised. Jay and I talked a lot that night, and I asked him to come and see Tyrone with me the next day. We got up early, and went to the Humane Society the next morning. We walked Tyrone, and my love grew, as I watched Jay and Tyrone run around together. Wanting to be sure it was the right decision, we said we would think more about it, and be back if it was the right choice. I took Tyrone back to his pen, this time he did not even fight it, he just went in, head down, and gave me those sad eyes. I was heart-broken, but knew we had to be sure this was the right thing for us and the dog right now. We talked....and well...it is a happy ending. I began calling and leaving messages the next morning before the Humane Society even opened, which was a busy day for them, the Friday of May 24 weekend. I finally got through, and told them I was on my way for Tyrone. Jay and I stopped and picked up a collar and leash, Jay went to work and I went right there. Tyrone could not have been happier to see me. I said "told you I'd be back for you" and we were on our way. Friday May 19th was a busy day for both of us. We went and showed Tyrone off to Jay's co-workers, then to Cobourg to meet my Mom, then to my brother's to meet his dog, then finally home. Tyrone, by that time, named Tanner, was a saint. He loved everyone and everything he met. It did not go perfectly with the cats unfortunately. Luna was terrified, and has been practically living upstairs since, and Dallas has been making sure Tanner knows who's house this really is, and that I am his first and Tanner's second! Since that day, Tanner has been everywhere with us, and he LOVES the car. Even as I write this, the 98.6 pound suck is lying beside me. He sleeps on a gigantic dog bed at the foot of our bed at night, and on the couch during the day. Tanner has some insecurities, but has been nothing but perfect since we got him. He is so packed full of energy, and life, I can't believe we considered not having this addition to our family. With worries of not knowing if Tanner was housebroken, was going to chew the walls in our house, was able to be left alone without a crate, liked kids, other dogs or cats, he has adjusted SO WELL! I don't think Tanner has ever had toys or treats, or undying love, but he has it now. I call home from work and ask how he is everyday! Tanner is the light and humour of our lives....thank you to everyone at the Peterborough Humane Society, and to whoever brought him there. We are not sure why he was given up, or not claimed, if he was lost, but our love for this dog may very well be the best thing that happened to him and us. Tanner was definately my dog from the first moment, I was his savour, but he bonds more and more with Jay everyday. We struggled with him not leaving my side, and not wanting to go inside with Jay if I was not coming in too, but they have gone for runs together, and play "tugs" with his new toys. Tanner is not sure of toys yet, but has learned how to make them talk and squeak. He is very good at commands like, come and sit, and we are working on stay and five (paw). Regardless of his tricks, his good behaviour and his gentle nature, Tanner's love and gratitude for giving him a warm and loving family are all we need.

With love and appreciation,
Tanner, Christi and Jay Brumwell
Dallas and Luna

COOPER
My parents and sister decided to let me pick out a dog for my Christmas present, it was to be all mine, I started researching dogs from a breeder but the price turned me right off, then i started looking at shelters and trying to find a stray that would be good for me, my parents and sister told me to go for a puppy b/c then I can have him at the "fun" stage.

I called into the Humane Society to ask some questions about a dog I had seen in the paper - my mom yelled at me to ask if they had any puppies there as it turned out 6 lab mixes had been turned in the day before. I was so excited I went to the Humane Society right away - I ended up being 15 minutes early and had to wait in the lobby before I could go see them.

Finally the time came - I went into the puppy room and there were 2 cages with 3 puppies in each - the first cage all the puppies seemed really shy and hid in the corner - in the second cage 2 of then were the same way the third one came right up to the door and started playing with my fingers. I knew right away he was for me. In a way he picked me. The only catch was I had to work that morning so guess what he came to work with me and spent the day at my feet sleeping in a box. He is the cutest thing ever.

I've had Cooper for 2 months now and he fits in perfectly with our other two dogs - I've never had an easier dog to house train either, he caught on very fast.

He is very playful and lovey and I absolutly adore him - now he goes for rides with me in the mini cooper and cuddles with me at night. The only catch is he is a chow hound - He never stops eating.

- Tania

MERLIN
As I write this Merlin, our cat is almost 18 years old. He has been a friend, guardian, defender and counsellor in his life.

How can a cat be all those things? Well, I suppose in a way he can’t, but just listen to what his life has been like.

It would have been 1988; my fiancé (now my wife) wanted a cat. I was most definitely NOT a cat person. I was a dog person. Cats were pets for weird people. Cats didn’t LIKE people. You served them, why would I ever want one of those?

Well obviously we ended up with a cat. In fact, we ended up with two. When we went to the Humane society to pick out a kitten for my wife she picked out a black and white long-haired kitten. While she was looking at the ‘pretty’ cats I just stood and watched. I wasn’t particularly interested in the picking process since I didn’t want a cat.

While I stood this plain, ordinary little tabby kept reaching out of it’s cage to tap me on the back, arm or hand. What ever could be reached. If I looked away it would tap me again. I suggested that we get this little tabby. Angela said no. She wanted the pretty cat (who became known as Cinder). I said that was fine. I would just get a cat too. I picked out the tabby and we left.

From the first day Merlin was my cat.

I was fixing up a 3 bedroom bungalow, there had been a very small fire there at one point and I was able to live their for a very low rent, and made up the difference by redoing the drywall in the kitchen/dining room and in the laundry room (where the fire had been).

I could not keep Merlin away from my tools. If I put down a screwdriver, he started playing with it. If I put down my drill he started trying to push the trigger. Yes that’s right. He seemed to instinctively know what made the thing work.

When I had the 8 foot sheets of drywall on the ceiling using the drywall jack he’d find some way to get up to the locking mechanism and try to pop the lock out of place. If he had ever done it he would have brought the drywall down with a crash.

Luckily he didn’t.

Time passed. I married my wife and we bought a condo. The cats made good pets. Merlin was especially social. He would greet everyone at the door.

I used to come home from work and I could see Merlin with his head stuck under the curtain of the sliding glass doors. He would be sitting there watching the parking lot. By the time I got to the door he would already be there. You could not come in without petting him.

Merlin was a strong cat. I don’t think we’ve had a place yet where the interior doors have latched properly. If he wanted into a room and the door was closed he would just push really hard and open the door. He taught Cinder how to open cupboards so she could get at the garbage (we changed the garbage pail in response to that.) He would ‘disappear’ sometimes. We would later find him calmly sitting on the top of the fridge watching us.

He always wanted to get out the door and see what was ‘out in the world’. We had to keep an eye when going in or out or he would escape.

One day BOTH cats got out into the hall. They got quite a shock because there was a DOG out there. Apparently the dog was very interested in Cinder. Merlin decided that was just NOT on. He put himself between the dog and Cinder. I had no idea that a cat could expand to that size. He puffed out to a huge size (and he was a big cat to start with!). This was when I learned that cats could growl! He actually made the dog back off!

Later when we had children we were worried that the cat (Merlin) might try to sleep with the baby the way he slept with us, that was usually by laying ON me until I made him move.

I had to put two baby gates in the doorway since Merlin could jump so high. That didn’t stop him from being my children’s guardian however. If you have had children you know that little children (babies and toddlers) can get sick at night and no one would even know until morning.

That didn’t happen at our house. If either or our boys got sick at night or wet the bed or was crying, Merlin would come into our room and cry until one of us got up, he would then walk to their door and sit down looking in through the baby gate. That was our signal. Invariably something was wrong with one of the boys and we would take care of it.

Merlin was the one who seemed to watch over them at night, and he wasn’t even allowed in their room at night. Later when the boys got a bit bigger he was the one they made houses for, and he would even go into these ‘tunnels’ made of cushions from the couch or chairs. They would use him as a pillow when they were tired, and he would let them. He became their second best friend (next to each other).

When my children were older and sick he would always be there. If they were lying on the couch he would lie in front of them and just be with them. If they were in bed he would be in their room, if they even tapped the bed he would be up and in with them. He was the one they snuggled with when they just needed to feel close to someone while they were sick.

He became my youngest sons counsellor. If you have a child with a temper then you have seen them stomp off to their bedroom and sit or lie on the bed and bemoan how terrible life is and how nobody likes them. If your child is like mine you also know there is no point in going in there until he/she calms down.

Liam would storm off down the hall. Merlin would come from where ever he was and calmly walk down the hallway to the door. If the door was shut he would give it a good shove and open it. I watched him once go in when Liam was sitting on his bed extremely angry about something. He simple sat directly in front of him on the floor and stared at him.

Liam tried to pretend he wasn’t there and ignored him. That worked for about a minute. He then tapped the bed and Merlin was up. Liam then told Merlin all his problems. You would swear that Merlin listened without passing any judgment. Liam was calmed down and okay to be around people within another 5 minutes.

Somehow Merlin always knew who needed him, and he was just there. Often you wouldn’t hear him or even be aware he was there at first. Then you would just sort of come to know that you weren’t alone. He was there. If you needed he would be there for petting, talking too or just company.

Now Merlin is almost 18 years old. My sons are now 7 and 9. Until about six months ago Merlin was still a powerful force in our home. In that last 6 months he has lost about lbs.. He has gone from 15 pounds and some ounces to 9 pounds. His hair is falling out. He spends his days asleep.

He is still sociable. He still comes to me every night for a good long sit on my lap. He doesn’t seem as comfortable though. He doesn’t like it if I shift my weight or move my legs now. He still likes to have the boys come and sit with him and talk to him, but he has pretty much stopped going to them. Except… about two weeks ago when Liam was sick, he was there with him. He was determined that he was going to cuddle with him in bed. He can barely get up into that bed now. A cat that could jump from the floor to the top of a refrigerator, can now barely get up on a bed 24 inches from the floor. We’ve given him a stool so he can get up onto his couch.

Somehow Merlin has become a real member of our family. When people call to talk they talk about us and our children, and often we get an enquiry about Merlin as well. That’s because he is our official home greeter. We have friends with children who are grown who still talk about Merlin and what a great cat he is.

He has been a good companion (yes, a cat as a companion). He has been a friend to my children. They have learned many things having a pet like him.

I cannot say how glad I am that I listened to that little cat so many years ago.

Now, sad as it is, we are waiting for Merlin to teach the kids one more thing.

They are soon going to learn what death is. That hurts. While he does not appear to be in any pain we can see that he gets weaker all the time. He is starting to have problems just getting around. My boys have been told that he doesn’t have long. This has lead to tears, a few nights of having kids in bed with us because they are sad. That is an event that we all dread, but know that cannot be avoided.

When the time comes we have a place picked out for him. We will probably say a prayer thanking God for the great gift he gave us in Merlin. The cat I didn’t want.

Merlin died April 4, 2006. On his last day he seemed to need to say goodbye. I work from home, so he came to me and laid on my lap his entire last day. I would put him down to fill my coffee cup or go to the washroom and he would follow me, then demand to get back up.

We don’t know if it was Lupus or an Autoimmune disorder. It really doesn’t matter what made him so sick. I was with my friend when he died. I guess that’s what does.

Merlin is buried under a smoke bush in our back yard. He has a head stone and a flag made by my son Liam. He also has a ring of plastic flowers. They will be replaced soon with real ones.

To quote my son Alec ‘Merlin is the best gift that God ever gave me.’

- Sandy Murdock

REX
After moving into a townhouse with my fiance and 1 year old daughter, I jumped at the chance for adding a dog to our family. We were told to get a puppy from a breeder because our daughter was so young, and that it may be dangerous to get a dog from the shelter because their history is unknown. I knew that we would rather adopt from the local shelters, so we stopped by the Humane society multiple times a week, checking for the "one". When we walk ed out in the backyard to see the dogs outside, there was one dog that we knew instantly was the dog for us. He was a german shepard, and the winning factor was that he loved our daughter Olivia. We had decided that how the dog acted around her would be the determing factor, and he was the only dog that not only paid attention to her, but kissed her and was gentle around her. When we brought him inside to the front desk, we were presented with some shocking news. He had been brought in as a stray from Cavan, but apparently had killed a cat. This was shocking because this dog was the most gentlest and calmest dog I literally have ever laid eyes on (and I've worked with many dogs in the past) We took him into the cat room with one of the staff to see how he reacted around cats, and despite the fact that every single cat in the room started hissing as soon as he walked in, he sat there beside us, wagging his tail. We decided to take precautions and take chance and see what would happen.

Rex has been with us now for nearly a year. Our daughter is now 20 months old, and the two of them are the best of friends. She jumps on him, rides on his back, tries to eat out of his bowl with him, and the whole time he just stands back and gives her kisses. He goes and checks on her everynight before he comes in with us for bed, and when she's sick, he doesn't leave her side. As for our 2 siamese cats, well, I couldn't be more shocked. He has never once snapped, pl ayed rough, growled or even lifted his lip to them. The three of them get along like best friends.

Rex is the best thing that could have ever happened to us and I really couldn't have asked for a better companion. He is everything and more that we had expectations for in a dog, and he has given us a whole new sense of love.

CHIAM
I had wanted a dog my entire life, my third word was "bow-wow". Every year for Christmas and my birthday the first thing I'd ask for was a dog, unfortunately my Mom was allergic to all animals except fish so the answer was always a no. Now that I am living on my own in a decent sized apartment I decided that enough time had passed and that it was time for me to find myself the perfect dog. There was no question where I'd get myself a dog either, I wanted to adopt a dog from the humane society.

I went to the Peterborough Humane Society three times, once with my fiance just to get an idea about what to expect, once with my friend who wanted to be able to go, and the final time I went my fiance and I adopted Chiam. I hadn't seen him the first time I had gone, even though he was there since mid December, and when I went with my friend I initially passed him over completely since he was only six months and I wanted a dog who was around two years. My friend however saw him and talked me into talking him out for a walk out back, and I fell in love with him immediately. The poor sweetie was crawling on his stomach and terrified while on the leash, any time we went to pat him he trembled and lay down exposing his belly to us. It was heartbreaking seeing him so scared at such a young age. When I left that night I told my fiance all about him, and two days later we skipped our afternoon classes to go adopt Chiam.

It has only been a week but he's gained so much confidence. While on his first night here we had to carry him up and down the stairs to take him outside he now tries to go up and down every set of stairs we come to, and where he walked with his tail between his legs and would shy from our patting he now goes out for walks with a big doggy grin and a tail wagging high and does he ever love being patted now! He's a very fast learner, he only needs to be shown to do something once and he's more than happy to do it on command everytime he's asked so long as he gets a good back rub out of it.

I chose to name him Chiam (pronounced Hi-um, with the H sounding like you've got a hairball) because of its meaning in Hebrew - life. It's what I want to give him, to make sure he experiences all sorts of happiness in his life.

Thank you to the staff at the Peterborough Humane Society for taking good care of Chiam until our paths met, and for taking good care of all the other beautiful dogs who I hope will find a loving home like Chiam did.

Much love,
Amanda, Christian and Chiam

GULLIVER
Lynx has a new name "Gulliver" and we just wanted you all to know he has a wonderful new home and we have a wonderful new cat in him. Although he has only been here for a week he is adjusting extremely well. We are thinking he has maybe been an indoor cat because his favorite two things seem to be the kitchen fridge and sleeping on the bed. He doesn't have much interest in even thinking about the outside, which is fine with us if that's what he wants. We have two golden retrievers and they are being very patient and quiet and letting him come to them when he's ready. He is still a little wary of them and only is let out to explore the house if the dogs are outside. Under their supervised meetings his hisses are becoming fewer and fewer so hopefully in the not too distant future they'll all be friends. A side from the occasional hiss at the dogs the rest of the time he is either curled up asleep, eating or purring so he's doing fine. He Is a very gentle, easy going, well behaved, affectionate cat which is exactly what we wanted so thank you all very much for our new lovely little guy.

George and Jill
"Katie", "Samson"
and "Keeper" (our still missing other cat)