"Jelly Bean (formerly Egg Nog) was adopted about 2 weeks before Christmas. She had a deformed right front leg that the shelter thought might be a neurological defect, turns out the "defect" was a badly broken leg that had healed upside down. We took Jelly Bean to Northwest Veterinary Specialists and Dr. Lozier fixed her up. Jelly Bean has a fused right front leg but that does not stop her. What my husband and I love the most about her is how much she talks to us, at the end of a busy day she will just "tell" you all about her day. We just love her."

~Jenny Tobey

"My family adopted Scarlet in November! She didn't respond to her name, so we renamed her Bella and she loved that name right away! She is a 1 year old Black Lab mix and has already stolen a lot of hearts. Thank you SW Washington Humane Society for your kindness and help."

~Natalie

"I adopted Sadie in April of 2008 and it has been the best thing has happened to me in years. The attendant told me that she was only in the adoption area for about 1/2 hour before I got there. If I wouldn't have stop for lunch I would have missed out on her and I believe if I would have been later, she would have been gone. She was house broken, crate trained and fit into my home immediately. Several of my friends have told me that they wished they would have beat me to the society, because they would have taken her. I just have to thank all of the wonderful people at the society for helping me make mine and Sadie's life full."

~Ray Tatum

"When i first walked into the sw humane society i was told by my mother that i was not getting a dog and that i was just to look. that automatically made me know that i would be getting a dog because my mom is the type of person that says maybe when she really means yes. as i walked down the sad , lonesome aisles, i noticed two wrecked dogs. they were barking,pawing and by all means misbehaving, then i looked at the dog in between them. there sat a calm, quiet ,sleeping black lab. In case you are wondering what happened this dog is sitting on the couch with me as i write this letter. to be honest i wanted a pick of the litter, i thought shelter animals were mean because no one had wanted them in the first place, but i realized i was totally wrong! now i own 2 pets both of which are shelter dogs. i could not live without them,they are my pride and joy . ok, so back to the one i got (the sleeping one) i decided to name her lyndey katherine because i think that name is cute. Now i am constantly bugging the school's asb to do a humane society fundraisers. I became a lover, donator and supporter of the humane society with just one visit(and no this was not just some cheesy thing my mom told me to write)."

~Emmah Ferguson

"I fell in love with Ernie (formerly Rascal) as soon as I saw him at the Southwest Washington Humane Society. I've never owned a small dog, but am a convert now! Since I've adopted this 16 lb tri-color Rat Terrier, his life has never been the same. Ernie gets dressed up for all holidays and special occasions. Ernie gets treats and toys just for looking cute. He is so spoiled and loves to spend time racing around the back yard with his two older sister rescue dogs, Sophie and Lola. One of Ernie's hobbies is ripping the stuffing and the squeakers out of his plush toys. I am very grateful to the Southwest Washington Humane Society for helping all the dogs in need. Ernie is shown in the picture wearing his T-shirt from the Southwest Washington Humane Society that says Shelter Dog and Proud."

~Sarah Cowgill

"Boo (formerly Bruiser) is my first dog, so I want one that is low on maintenance and kids-friendly. He is just the right one: such a sweetheart. He is so easy to take care and so loving. He sticks to me like glue - just quietly dozing off or waiting to be petted - 2 feet from me. He is well-mannered, calm and loves going out for walk and run around the house with my kids. He gets long and very protective of the kitty (to other visiting dog). Other than random night "accidents" in the house, he is just great. I love him very much!"

~Tami

"We went to the shelter to adopt one kitty and ended up with two! Brother's Teddy and Freddy have been the most amazing companions anyone could ask for. The connection between the two brothers just makes them that much more special. We love them dearly and suggest anyone thinking about adoption an animal consider their sibling as well. The love they have for each other is worth it."

~Marni

"Chloe formerly Brimlie is a beautiful rare colored chocolate field beagle who was picked up as a stray. My best friend Pepper saw her and told me about her as I just had to put down my beloved 13 yo beagle Daisycher. She joined our household and after a meet and greet with her brother Max, also a beagle, she found her forever home.She LOVES to hunt and trips to Dakota off leash park and trips to the beach and Beagle group parties. Her favorite thing to do is squeak her toys then tear all the stuffing out of them and get loves from Max and snuggle with her mama. She is a joy and I love having her in our lives!!"

~Jayne Bailey

"It started out as me promising the kids a dog as soon as we got settled into our new house in Vancouver Wa. We had visited the Humane Society about 2 or 3 times, but we were just looking. My brother has a well behaved dog, and he said he would like to come with us to choose the dog, and he would help us train him. So that weekend, the kids, my brother and I all went to the Humane Society and went looking for a dog. I came across a 1/2 Lab, 1/2 German Pointer. We continued looking, but my heart was set on this dog. We meet him, loved him and decided to take him home. His original name was Rusty, but my kids thought he looked like a big Reese's Peanut Butter Cup, so we decided to name him Reece. At first I thought 'what was I thinking, he is such a big dog', all 67 pounds of him! Now he is a big part of our lives, and we love him so much. He brings us so much joy, and even though we are still working through the small kinks, we feel very fortunate to have him in our lives. What a great experience!"

~Shirley

"We first adopted The Dude, who is one of the world's great cats, and then had to find him a friend, so we adopted Drakkar, whom we renamed Drake. They are wonderful cats, and very funny together. They spend part of every evening wrestling and chasing each other around our house. The Dude is no longer quiet, but talks constantly and has trained us to play with him as often as possible. Drake is more self-contained but loves to know where we are and hang out. Thank you for these two amazing cats, who were second-chance adoptions and had both spent several months at your shelter. We could not be happier with these guys, and they are happy with us."

~The Covington Family

"I got mishka and so many people told me that if i hadn't gotten him than no one else would have. He had been badly beaten and abused and at 6 months old had no trust in anyone. And since I adopted him he has learned that love is out there and is given to him 24/7. I am very happy i have Mishka he saved my life and i saved his. He is the best dog i have EVER had! And he has made a Huge improvement by learning how to trust."

~Ali

"Mika is a sweet loving dog that we adopted January 16 2009. Mika loves to play a lot with us and with our pets and we race are dogs they love it. Mika loves our cats sometimes Mika runs right at the cats. We are lucky to have Mika because when we adopted her someone was calling to see if Mika is here - sorry for them."

~Kristy

"Here is a pic of Reeses resting after one of her walks. We love her dearly and she is a joy to us. She loves her ball and her stuffed animals and all the treats but especially her humane family. She likes to takes walks but wants to come right back inside and hang out with the family. She knows she is loved by her humane family and her humane neighbors too!"

~Renee Masanque

"I wasn't sure about going down to the Humane Society because I was afraid that I could not handle seeing all of the animals. The minute I saw Buddy I know that he was my dog and I was his mom. He is the sweetest, loviest and once in a while naughty (not really!) baby that I could have picked--or did he pick me? Thank you to the wonderful people at the Humane Society for helping us find each other."

~Shannon

"We brought our two cats home together as strangers. They were both really ill, but with lots of care they got better in no time. The fortunate part of them being ill is they didn't have the energy to not like each other and so when they were better they had already been together for 4 weeks. Today they are best friends and are my whole world. Thank you so much. I never new such an amount of love until I brought home these 2 wonderful cats...thank you for allowing them to come home with me."

~April Weyer

"After losing my pet at the age of 16, (a long life for a Basset hound, who also came from the Humane Society), I did not want another older dog. Yet, when I walked in and saw Daisy Mae sitting by the volunteer's side, we clicked right away! She is part of the family now. I'm so glad she got a second chance.She is the little beagle with the crooked tail."

~Sandie Rogers

"Truk has been the best dog ever!...When our family adopted him he was about one and a half years old. He is now going on 12. I don't know what we'll ever do without him when he is gone, he is my best friend, my child and my walking buddy. We our honored to have him in our lives!...Thank you Humane Society of Southwest Washington!

~Carrie

"My husband and I just recently got married and had come to the conclusion we couldn't start our new life without a dog. We decided to go down to the humane society in Vancouver, Washington. We got there and there he was. He is an Australian cattle dog and is said to be approx. 10 months old. We couldn't take him right away because he had some health issues from being a stray. They kept him for 2 weeks and then we got to take him home. The name the humane society gave him was Berry, but we decided D-O-G was the right name for him. I am happy to say that our family just wouldn't be our family without him. He is still learning the basic commands but he is a fast learner and seems to be happy with us."

~Codi Maruschak

"My son and I went to the humane society just to look so we could tell daddy what they had. The minute we saw Oscar it was love at first site. He was (and still is) a very active, bouncy boy. He looked so funny though with the hair cut the people there gave him. He had been a stray and very matted so he had a loins cut with a little tuff of hair at the tip of his tail. He hair did grow back and he's been to the groomers many times for a normal haircut. He has brought so much joy to us. He even went on his first camping trip a couple of weeks ago and loved it. One of his favorite things to do is tease the cats and run circles around them. Mommy and Daddy are still trying to teach him not to lick so much. That tongue is always out and moving when we come in the house. But we do love him very much and now we are looking for a little playmate for him. In fact today we're going to a shelter for a meet and greet to see how it goes."

~Sharon Bacon

"We got Kooba, (name originally Bonnie) after spending 3-4 hours trying to decide which dog we wanted. She was scared and nervous at the shelter but sweet. The night we took her home, I was sitting on the floor and she crawled into my lap with a look of intense appreciation! She is an amazing dog, full of love and very well trained! She goes everywhere with us, Mt. Hood camping, hiking, and even goes out with us to wine and dine al fresco! I can't even imagine not having Kooba in our life! I'm so thankful for the Vancouver shelter for taking her in and providing for her. I think people should really consider saving an animal at the shelter because you will be immensely rewarded-there's no greater love and appreciation."

~Mary Mast and Victor Obenauf

"McGee was known at the shelter as "Stubbs McGee," but once we got him home, we axed "Stubbs" and kept McGee. McGee still greets us everyday with a happy "stub" wagging and followed by rolling over on his back for a tummy rub. This is a trait that McGee has had since his days in the shelter. McGee is very tolerant of children, as he is moderately manhandled by a child on an every day basis. McGee has a wide variety of chewy and squeaky toys, all that he pretty much selected himself. His favorite treats include the occasional ham hock or beef bone from his grandma, sitting on laps and breathing in your face with a happy smile, playing ball, car rides, laying on mom and dad’s bed, playing in the hose, and licking the dinner dishes. Our family loves our “big boy� and we don’t know what we would ever do without him. He’s just a four-legged hairy ball of love and kisses! We are so thankful he was at the shelter the same day as us."

~Rachel and Jeff Niten

"We adopted Riley last spring when he was 2.5 months. We've had Riley for over a year now and could never part with him. He is a beagle mix, maybe part lab, because he's now 65 pounds! We call him our social butterfly as he loves to go to the dog park and doggy day care. When he's not finding other dogs to play with he enjoys tracking and chasing rabbits, long hikes in the woods, playing tug of war and lots of scratches behind the ears. He also loves a good nap in the sunshine. As he is such a social dog we decided to adopt another dog from a shelter in Nebraska where we are living now. He and his 9 month old little sister Neela (a black lab mix) are having a great time playing together in our yard and even cuddle up to sleep together. We are looking forward to many more years of sloppy kisses and tail wagging fun."

~Julie Jochum

"We looked and looked everywhere for someone like Chopper. My husband and I have been very happy and blessed ever since we brought him home. He has brought so much life to our home and family. Some of Chopper's favorite things to to do are taking long walks, car rides, watching t.v. and chewing on his bones. Thank you, for allowing us to have such a bundle of joy."

~Ana Brooks

"Our family had been looking for a dog to adopt for quite a while. We went to the Humane Society of Southwest Washington numerous times before we finally found Morgan (Whiskey at the time). He was a 5 month old puppy all alone in his cage, who peered out at us seeming to need our love. We immediately knew this was the dog for our family! He was sweet, kind and loving and we soon made arrangements to adopt him. We are so very lucky to have Morgan in our lives and our daughter often comments that she can not imagine us without him. He has added a new element of fun to our daily routine and constantly amazes us with his good nature and mellow ways. He continues to learn new things everyday and has taught us the meaning of unconditional puppy love!"

~Willow Taylor

"We had stopped by the H.S and walked by Train and he had a funny scratchy bark and we stopped and visited with him. We took him out and played with him for almost an hour and loved him right way. We filled out an application and had to get approved. It was hard adopting him because he is a AMSTAFF [American Staffordshire Terrier] but it was worth every step. He is the best dog we could ever ask for. He loves our 18 month old daughter and he is so gentle with everyone. He gets along great with other dogs as well. We take him to the Saturday market and he is so friendly and we get so many compliments on him. Thanks so much S.W.H.S he is the best. :)

~Braden

"Mamba is our sweet, loving and affectionate Pit Bull. We fell in love with her the minute we met and couldn't help but take her home. She's so loved that we argue every night about who will get to take her to bed. Everywhere we go people fall in love with her and she has even become the baseball team mascot. She is great with other dogs, loves people and will steal your heart. We hope she will help change many of the negative perceptions of our favorite breed, the American Pit Bull Terrier. Thanks for helping us find a new best friend!

~Mamba's new family

"It is coming up on the one year anniversary of when I adopted this beautiful cat, and I wanted to let all of you at the SW Washington Humane Society know how wonderful Jonah is doing! Jonah has brought SO much joy into my life and also into the lives of every person he meets, with his big gorgeous green eyes, his crooked little walk, how he snuggles up with you when you're watching a movie... I can't say enough about him! He is hands down the best cat in the world and I am so thankful that I found him :) Thank you everyone!!!!"

~ Amy Springer

" I lost my cat - she past away and I said that I would not get anymore but here I am with Sweetie... she picked me out and now she owns my place."

~Ray Cochran

"We adopted Beamer when he was about 6 months old. He is now 12 and the only signs of aging we see is his reluctance to jump on the windowsill like he used to. He knows how to roll over and shake, and he always asks for what he needs. He is by far the most affectionate cat I have ever met and I love all 17 pounds of him!"

-Erin, Beamer's new Mom

"In January, I was set to adopt a dog from craigslist. The day I was to pick him up, the lady told me she had given him to someone else! I was heartbroken and I hadn't even actually met the dog! I was so set on bringing a dog home that day that the kids and I got in the truck and came on down to the Humane Society. We met Cane, supposedly a McNab/Pit mix.He is only a little over a year old, so still a puppy. He has been so great! He is still learning how to behave, but is doing wonderfully! I found out later that he gets carsick, which bummed me out, because I like to take my dog places with me, like to the river! We have been working with him and he is doing much better! He is so smart and loving and gets plenty of exercise with the kids! The kids adore him and so do I. I wish I could adopt more dogs and maybe once Cane is well established, I will get one more!"

~Tasha Dillon

"Derp originally started out with us as a foster cat with the intention of placing him for adoption once he became big enough. However, once he looked up at us with his googly eyes and "meeped" his pathetic version of a meow it became impossible to give him back. Derp enjoys being pet, tearing up anything in a plastic bag and leaving his saliva soaked mouse in our bed every morning. Thanks to all the people working at the shelter for our newest family member! We love him!"

~Kyle and Kristi

"Thanks so much for all your help and support in bringing Neiko (formerly Meeko) into our family. He has been doing great and is loving his new Husky sister, Zoey as they play all day long! Nekio loves going to the dog park and is happy to go on a walk or just lounge on the couch. He is an awesome animal and everyone thinks is he just the most gorgeous boy of the neighborhood. Thanks again from our family and especially Neiko...shelter dogs rock!!"

~Emily Fell, Neiko's new Mom

"It's Bindi! Mom changed my name to honor my new life, but left the "ee" sound at the end, so it would recognize it. After lots of feedback from friends and my coloring, I've been responding to Rubi. I am a smart girl and learn quickly. I already know not to go upstairs. The cats are just too fun to chase and they need a safe space. I've slept downstairs since I got home and only woke up once at night to whine. But since mom ignores me, I drift back to sleep quickly."

"...Guess what? Mom thinks it's funny that I snore all the time when I sleep. Thanks everybody for getting me ready for my new home. I'm really trying my best. I'll try to come visit in a while if that's OK."

~Love Rubi (Formerly Bindi Rose)

"...I really want to let people know that shelter pets are the best. Shadow adopted me from the SW Washington Humane Society."

"... I wanted to adopt a senior or special dog as I know these are throw always in a society geared more towards seeing value in the young a beautiful. Shadow waited at the Humane Society for 3 months, which tells you how much they care about placing their dogs. At 14 years of age, most would be put down far sooner than 3 months! Though the vet says I will probably have only 4 years with my sweet Shadow, every one of those 4 years will be quality companionship for the both of us."

"In April I adopted Duke and he is just a gem of a dog! If it was not for the dedicated people like you, he would have been euthanized and not given the opportunity for a second home. It must be really hard, and at times discouraging, but your perseverance is appreciated."

"...He spends most mornings at my office and everyone always comments about what a good dog he is. I tell everyone that there are plenty more just like him at the SW Washington Humane Society."

"Thank you for finding a home for me. My new Mom and Dad tell me it is OK to be a puppy."

"...Mom and Dad told me they needed me as much as I needed them. Thanks again for finding me a forever home."

Love, Radar (formerly Murphy)