This is another part of my “Happy Tails” series that feature dogs adopted from our county animal shelter, Miami-Dade Animal Services. The goal is to dispel some of the stigma of adopting from a shelter and encourage others to adopt. MDAS, although making great strides to become no-kill, is still a kill shelter and is currently over capicity. So, adopt, don’t shop!
This is a double happy tails story, so twice the hapiness! Foles and Justice are GSD puppies, brother and sister, adopted separately from Miami-Dade Animal services. After their adoptions, the couples that adopted them randomly ran into each other at a local dog park. There they quickly figured out that their dogs were related. They now set up regular play dates for the siblings. 🙂
I met both couples at a local park to photograph them and the puppies, now 6 months old. The dogs went nuts when they saw each other, playing and wrestling just like a brother sister would.
I asked the couples to tell me about their dogs and the experience of adopting from a shelter. First up is Foles.
What is your dog’s name and age and when do you adopt him?
Our puppy is named Foles. He is almost six months and we adopted him on March 19, 2018.
What made you decide to adopt a dog from a shelter?
We’ve always known we wanted to rescue an animal so it was important to us that we adopted. We wanted to help an animal that needed a home and open up space for other animals in the shelter.
What made you pick this particular dog?
We were getting pictures of dogs that needed homes sent to us from one of the employees at the shelter and when we saw his adorable face, we knew he was going to be our puppy. He is the type of dog we always wanted but never thought that breed would end up in a shelter for adoption.
How was the transition period when your dog was adjusting to their new home?
We were very lucky because Foles was such a good puppy. He appeared to enjoy his crate so he would sleep through the night in there and didn’t mind going in there so crate training him was easy. He also did really well with potty training. He did have some anxiety issues because he was basically feral and neglected before we adopted him so we had to work him through some of those issues at first and that was probably the hardest thing.
What was the most fun thing you learned about your new dog after you brought him home?
We are amazed at how smart he is! We are having so much fun (and he is too!) with training. He already knows sit, spin, down, paw, stay. He seems to enjoy learning new things and that keeps things interesting and fun for both of us!
What is your dog’s favorite thing to do?
He loves to go to the dog park with us. He loves to chew up his favorite toys until he can rip the stuffing out of them. He also recently learned to love the water- we’ve taken him to the beach a few times and he loves swimming!
Would you adopt again from a shelter or recommend it to others?
Yes of course! There are too many animals in need of a home in shelters for people to be wasting money on buying dogs. We learned that you can find even the best kind of breeds and purebreds in shelters! Adopt don’t shop!
Next up is Justice.
What is your dog’s name and age and when do you adopt her?
Her name is Justice & she is 6 months old. I adopted her at 3 months old on March 29th
What made you decide to adopt a dog from a shelter?
I’ve always wanted a dog for as long as I could remember & knowing that there were so many dogs out on the street just made my decision easier. Knowing that I could at least help one animal in need is what made me want to go to the shelter.
What made you pick this particular dog?
I actually came in looking for a “small” dog to “fit” in our home but once I saw her, I just fell in love. She was sweet & I loved that she was playful.
How was the transition period when your dog was adjusting to their new home?
Actually was pretty easy. She loved everyone in the family immediately & they loved her. She slept through the nights & only had potty accidents the first two nights.
What was the most fun thing you learned about your new dog after you brought her home?
She loves to jump
What is your dog’s favorite thing to do?
She loves to roll around in the grass & chew on the grass or leaves
Would you adopt again from a shelter or recommend it to others?
Of course! Without a doubt. Once I get the hang of this crazy pup I would love to get her a brother or sister. I would & do tell everyone that they should adopt, not shop.
Miami-Dade Animal Services is located at 3599 NW 79 Avenue, Doral, FL 33122. It’s open from 10am-6:30pm Mon-Fri and 10am-4pm on weekends. They also have an adoption center located in the back of the Petco pet store on 6200 S. Dixie Highway, South Miami, FL 33143. You can get more info and also start your search online by visiting them on the web at https://bit.ly/2tIJHgX.
There are hundreds of wonderful, deserving dogs and cats looking for homes at MDAS so please make adoption your only option when getting a new pet!