Category: Happily Ever After Stories

Happily Ever After Stories

Happily Ever After: Chloe and the Tymkew Family

robyndexter

Once upon a time, Needy Paws rescued a little white fluff ball named Chloe. When she was rescued, Chloe had kennel cough and tested positive for heartworms. Just when the Needy Paws staff thought she was out of the woods, Chloe tore her ACL, probably due to a patellar luxation on both knees. The little dog had one surgery for each knee and then underwent therapy.

Around the same time, Barb Tymkew was browsing the internet for a lap dog companion. Since Tymkew’s Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease requires her to consistently be on oxygen, the dog would need to be low-key and possibly older. She found Needy Paws’ website, and Chloe was the second dog she saw.

“I wanted a dog that was completely house and crate trained and was basically a lovable little fur ball,” Tymkey recalls. “When I saw Chloe, I contacted them right away and put in an application.”

Fortunately, the woman who was fostering Chloe lived in Affton, where Tymkew lives. Chloe’s foster mom said she’d like to bring Chloe over to visit, and Tymkew agreed.

“At the time, my husband was in the nursing home,” she says. “I was hoping Chloe would be good for him, too, and could just sit on his lap.”

Unfortunately, Tymkew’s husband passed away before she could adopt Chloe, but the little dog was ready to go to Tymkew when she needed her the most. She adopted Chloe officially in, and the two have spent the last few months providing each other with love and support.

“I love her, and she loves me,” Tymkew says. “She’s such a good little dog.”

Though Chloe’s age is unknown, Tymkew says she thinks the little dog is around 6 years old. After her surgeries, though, going up and down steps is hard on Chloe, so Tymkew’s son built the pup a ramp that allows her to go up and down stairs with ease.

Chloe’s exact breed isn’t known either. Although her adoption papers say she’s a miniature poodle, Tymkew thinks she might have some Bichon Frise in her, too.

“Her fur is curly like a poodle, but when I have her groomed, it’s so soft,” Tymkew says. “Regardless, she’s exactly the right size and loves to go with me wherever I go.”

Although the little dog is easygoing and loves to sleep on Tymkew’s lap, sometimes she think she’s a lot bigger than she actually is.

“When I first took her to my son’s house, she barked and barked at his lab that’s three times her size,” Tymkew muses. “They’re fine now, but it was so funny.”

This story was originally published at laduenews.com. Read it on LN’s website here.

Happily Ever After Stories

Happy Ever After: Hoonah and the Scott Family

robyndexter

Once upon a time, Hoonah the dog was found as a puppy, piled in a crate with his brothers and sisters. They were left outside Stray Rescue, where the organization sheltered them and cleaned them up. As time wore on, all of Hoonah’s siblings were adopted, and he was sent off to the Puppies for Parole program; there he continued to grow and grow … and grow.

Jenny Scott, a social worker for Saint Louis University, was participating in an online conversation with college counseling staff across the country. The topic fell on therapy dogs, and her colleagues talked about how helpful the dogs can be for new incoming students who miss their dog(s) from home. Scott had always talked to her students about how great Stray Rescue is, often sending them to volunteer at the shelter.

“I saw they had a program where you could get therapy dogs,” Scott said. “I contacted them, and they sent me a whole list of dogs. I was looking for a dog that was cat-friendly and would be trained and ready to go for the fall semester.”

This was May 2016. Some of the dogs weren’t ready yet, but Scott was told there was one that would be perfect for her. So she went to meet him.

“My jaw dropped when I saw him,” she says. “He was so adorable and huge.”

Weighing in at 120 pounds, Hoonah greeted Scott. She fell in love immediately, which was good, because the staff at Stray Rescue asked if she could take him home that day.

“I took him straight to work,” Scott says.

Hoonah hit the ground running as a therapy dog in SLU’s counseling office that day. He was at SLU the entire fall semester, welcoming freshmen to orientation and even getting to go to a square dance with approximately 1,000 of his new best friends.

“I use him for outreach events and also in sessions with students who have panic or trauma issues,” she says. “They can pet him and ground themselves when those anxieties come up.”

While Hoonah had a great first semester at SLU, second semester was harder for him. Since he’s such a big dog, he has hip dysplasia. He tore both of his back leg ligaments and had to have surgery to fix his knee in February 2017. Then, in May, he had his second surgery. Being kennel-restricted was hard for Hoonah, but he was very patient. Scott worked with him on colors and numbers while he healed. Though she had to haul him up and down the couple of stairs she has, she says it was a bonding experience for them.

On July 21, Hoonah got to go back to work.

“He was so happy to be back,” Scott says. “He loves being outside of his kennel and going for walks.”

Now that he’s on the mend, Hoonah’s quirks have come out. He loves sticks, apples and doughnuts. Scott says he absolutely despises water and will avoid puddles at all costs, but she’s working to try to get him used to water, because she knows it would help with his rehabilitation.

“It’s been a challenge with his surgeries. The students were so sad when he wasn’t there,” Hoonah says. “But Stray Rescue has taken care of both of his surgeries and medications. They’ve been so amazing.”

Scott believes dogs like Hoonah can help reduce the stigma of counseling.

“Having a dog there softens everything and reduces the stress of talking to someone,” she says. “It’s almost like magic.”

This story was originally published at laduenews.com. Read it on LN’s website here. 

Happily Ever After Stories

Happily Ever After: Howard and the Kirby Family

robyndexter

Once upon a time, Howard the cat, his six siblings and his mom waited at Animal House Cat Rescue and Adoption Center for a forever home. As time passed, Howard was the only sibling left at the shelter.

Miles away in Chesterfield, the Kirby family had been debating about getting a pet for a long time. Though they’re self-proclaimed “dog people,” they decided to look at cats. Kim Kirby went online and found Animal House. She was impressed with what she saw on its website, so she and her two kids ventured to the shelter to “take a look.”

“The people there were just lovely, and my kids fell in love with a cat named Howard,” Kim says. “He was fun and friendly and playful.”

Kim told her kids she and her husband, Aaron, would think about adopting the feline, but they kept asking about Howard. At the end of May, the Kirbys ended up bringing the 8-month-old cat home.

In the time that’s passed since then, Kim says Howard has been “a lot of fun.” Her 11-year-old son and almost ninth-grade daughter “absolutely love him.”

“He’s very easy [to take care of],” she says. “He loves to run around and chase his tail.”

Kim says Howard loves to jump on her, especially in the middle of the night.

“He’ll come tearing up the stairs to our room and walk up and down my back,” she says.

Howard also enjoys the family’s screen-in patio, where he has safe access to the outside world without being an outdoor cat.

“He loves being out there, since he’s never really been outside before,” Kim says. “He asks to go out there and will sit and watch the birds in the backyard.”

In addition to being a birdwatcher, Howard is quite the sports enthusiast.

The Kirbys have a Ping-Pong table and a floor hockey set in their basement, both of which Howard has completely embraced.

“He’ll get the Ping-Pong ball down off the table and bat it all over the basement,” Kim says. “He’ll also play in the hockey net.”

In addition to his basement antics, the young cat will claw his way into Kim’s bed and wiggle down to her feet, where he’ll fall asleep.

“It’s nice to have his affection,” Kim says. “He’s fun to be around.”

Howard’s new mom had nothing but praise for Animal House.

“They were fabulous to work with,” she says. “They did a great job with helping transition him to our family.”

This story was originally published at laduenews.com. Read it on LN’s website here.

Happily Ever After Stories

Happily Ever After: Shiva and the Quartuccio Family

robyndexter

Once upon a time, Shiva the pit bull was left for dead. She had several facial scars and a bad infection in her tail that left most of it useless. She was picked up by one of the animal crews in St. Louis in November 2016 and was taken to get cleaned up.

The name “Shiva” means transformation and was a perfect fit for the rough road the pup would have ahead. The Even Chance Pit Bull Rescue team knew she’d have to have surgery to remove most of her tail, but it would be an expensive procedure. Miraculously, Jamie Buehrle, wife of Major League Baseball player and St. Charles native Mark Buehrle, saw the post about Shiva online and donated the money for the dog’s surgery.

Enter Tony Quartuccio, who’s currently dating Even Chance vice president and director Heather Roberts. Quartuccio was interested in getting a dog, and Roberts knew exactly whom he had to meet.

“We went to a Christmas event at a pet store, and I had the opportunity to take a bunch of pictures with Santa and Shiva,” Quartuccio says. “I filled out an application [to adopt her] immediately.”

He adopted Shiva officially a few weeks before Christmas – the perfect gift.

“She’s improved so much since her surgery and since her adoption,” he says. “Sitting was really hard for her at first, so we had to work on that when her tail had healed.”

Since her adoption, Shiva’s learned to sit and shake on command. Quartuccio says he recognizes that she’s had some trauma over her short life, so sometimes it’s hard for her to learn things.

“I’ve had her for a while, but she still tries to go through the hinge side of the door,” he says with a laugh. “I don’t think she’s all there, but she’s the absolute best.”

Since she’s still pretty young, Quartuccio says Shiva frequently gets the “zoomies,” where she just runs around like a maniac. In one of these running fits, she was going full-tilt through the house and jumped up on the buffet table.

“She knocked everything off and then realized she didn’t know how to get down,” Quartuccio recalls. He had to pick up his 60-pound pup to get her down off the table.

Shiva is also a bit of an attention hog and will demand to be loved if Quartuccio is in the middle of something else.

“If I’m doing dishes or laundry, she’ll sit there and stare at me like, ‘Please love me,’” he says. “She’s so great.”

Quartuccio says he’s had dogs his whole life, but Shiva tops them all.

“She’s so loving and attentive, and her overall demeanor is amazing,” he says. “She’s the perfect remedy for a hard day.”

This story was originally published at laduenews.com. Read it on LN’s website here.

Happily Ever After Stories

Happily Ever After: Sammy, Iris and the Evans Family

robyndexter

Once upon a time, a litter of five kittens suffering from severe viral eye infections was dropped off at Open Door Animal Sanctuary. Since viral infections can’t be cured, all but one of the kittens lost at least one eye. Iris, though, lost both of her eyes ; her brother Sammy was the only one to retain full sight.

Open Door Animal Sanctuary had a post on its Facebook page about the kittens, and they caught the attention of Gina Evans, who regularly peruses the facility’s adoptable animals.

“I’ve always known about [Open Door],” she says. “They do great work, and when we were looking to adopt our puppy last summer, that’s where we went.”

When Evans saw Iris on the page, she knew she wanted to bring the blind kitty home. She found out Iris was in a foster home with Sammy, who was “her seeing-eye buddy,” and knew her family needed to adopt them both.

Gina’s husband, Frank, says they were initially a bit worried about Iris navigating the stairs in their two-story home.

“Their main spot where they stay is upstairs, but Sammy manages to wiggle his way downstairs for most of the day,” Frank says.

The stairs haven’t stopped Iris, though. Gina says the kitten will sit at the top of the stairs and listen to her surroundings. She navigates with ease, climbs couches and gets on top of the sink.

“It’s really pretty incredible,” Gina says. “She sees beautifully without her sight.”

The brother and sister are a tightknit pair and often get into trouble together. Gina says Iris is prone to toe-biting – her way of getting attention. The kitten has to be shut in another room while the litter box is being cleaned because she loves to play and will grab at the scooper.

“Sometimes you can hear her up there flailing around [in the litter box],” Frank says.

Sammy, on the other hand, loves hugs and “will ask for them,” Gina says with a laugh. “If you don’t pet him, he’ll paw at you until you do.”

The Evans family has only had the kittens for a few months and said they were only 2 months old when they adopted them from Open Door. The Evans’ two daughters, Gwen and Grace, love playing with the kittens, and Frank calls the girls “a big help” in taking care of the boisterous kittens.

“I just love having animals in the house,” Gina says. “They make it feel like home.”

This story was originally published at laduenews.com. Read it on LN’s website here.

Happily Ever After Stories

Happily Ever After: Elliot and the Bogunovic Family

robyndexter

Once upon a time, a utility worker was turning off the water at a home and found an English bulldog alongside six pit bull terriers in deplorable condition. The worker called the police, who contacted animal control.

The bulldog, Elliot, was 2 years old at the time and weighed only 25 pounds. He was covered with plaque scabs, and his feet were swollen and infected. When the vet contacted St. Louis English Bulldog Rescue, Elliot was in danger of organ failure. The rescue organization worked with animal control and the vet to come up with the best plan for Elliot, since he couldn’t be released for 10 days. In those 10 days, however, the pup gained 8 pounds and was more alert.

Diana Engeszer of St. Louis English Bulldog Rescue said the organization had Elliot on a regimen of antibiotics, antifungal medications, medicated baths and creams for his sores. The vet believed Elliot had an extremely suppressed autoimmune system. Luckily, Treats Unleashed in Ladue donated a very expensive raw food to help stabilize Elliot.

He became healthier and was in foster care for a year. Though his various foster parents met his needs as he recovered, he still hadn’t found a forever home.

Lily Bogunovic had fostered bulldogs for the organization in the past, and after her bulldog passed away in December 2015, Bogunovic was bulldog-less. In January 2016, she agreed to foster Elliot.

“At this point, he was needing weekly baths, had allergies and was on multiple antibiotics,” she says. “I had him for a while, and I just got to the point where I wanted to keep him.”

Bogunovic says Elliot is the smartest bulldog she’s ever had. Though he has permanent scarring on his body from mange and past neglect, he’s a “happy-go-lucky dog.”

“I moved from my condo out to Chesterfield, so he now has a yard and a doggy door,” she says. “He also has a French bulldog sister!”

Bogunovic is really into CrossFit, and Elliot has sort of become the gym’s mascot. “He loves to come hang out with us, and everyone knows and loves him,” she says. “He loves to go for rides in the car.”

Once a month, Bogunovic makes his food, since his allergies don’t really allow for consumption of regular store-bought food. She also has to bathe him regularly, which is a process Elliot has come to protest.

“When he knows there’s a bath coming, he’ll lie down and roll over so it’s harder to get him to the bath,” Bogunovic says.

Though caring for Elliot’s particular needs is a little different from regular dog care, Bogunovic loves how sweet and loyal he is.

“I’m shocked he has such a lovable, friendly demeanor considering how he was treated in the past,” she says. “Rescue dogs are just so appreciative. When you save them, it bonds you immediately.”

This story was originally published at laduenews.com. Read it on LN’s website here.

Happily Ever After Stories

Happily Ever After: Effie and the Delaney Family

robyndexter

Once upon a time, Effie the pit bull terrier was found wandering the streets of East St. Louis, pregnant. Gateway Pet Guardians took her in, and she gave birth to 10 puppies, all of whom were named after characters in The Hunger Games. Effie weaned her puppies, and they all went to forever families – while she waited at Gateway Pet Guardians for her forever home.

Jason Delaney and his daughters, 16 and 19 years old, had to put their dog down, and it had been about six months without a dog in their lives. Delaney knew it was time to get another pup.

“I had several friends who had gone through Gateway to do adoptions,” Delaney said. “I got online and found Effie and wanted to go meet her.”

Delaney took Effie outside to play and went for a walk. By t
he time they got back, about 15 minutes later, “it was a done deal.”

“I wanted to take her home right then, but I had to wait until that night,” Delaney says. “She snuggled up on the couch and knew this was where she was supposed to be.”

Delaney said that while all Effie’s puppies quickly went to forever families, Effie just wasn’t being adopted. He was told that Effie had a lot of anxiety and could be destructive, but he didn’t care. Delaney wanted to give Effie the best life he could.

“I’ve always had dogs. They’re not just dogs – they’re part of your family,” he says.

A week after Delaney adopted Effie, Gateway Pet Guardians called to see how everything was going.

“I told them my biggest concern was that while I have a king-size bed, I only get about six inches of it, and Effie gets the rest,” Delaney says with a laugh. “She also makes sure I’m safe from all the squirrels in the backyard.”

They’ve had Effie for about six months, and Delaney says she really “completes the family.”

“Everyone who meets her absolutely loves her,” he says. “She’s beautiful, smart, regal, a total princess and a great protector.”

Delaney was a little worried about Effie meeting his parents, since they were used to small terriers and didn’t have much experience with bigger dogs; however, Effie won them over right away with kisses.

“I’m so fortunate to have gotten her,” Delaney says. “There’s nothing better than coming home after a long day at work and hearing her tail thumping just inside the door.”

This story was originally published at laduenews.com. Read it on LN’s website here.

Happily Ever After Stories

Happily Ever After: Molly and the True Family

robyndexter

hea_true01Once upon a time, Lynn True was lonely without a cat. In June 2016, her cat of 18½ years passed away.

“I knew I was going to have to adopt another cat,” True says. “I’ve had both dogs and cats, but cats are my favorite.”

Since she was planning a trip to Alabama to visit friends in October, True told herself she wouldn’t browse any websites for cats until she got back, not wanting to leave a newly adopted pet behind.

“But there was just this pull to look,” she says. “I got on the [APA Adoption Center’s] website, and that’s when I saw Molly.”

True knew she didn’t want a young cat, and at 13 years old, Molly certainly wasn’t a kitten. But after meeting her at the APA in August, True came back for Molly just a few days later. She ended up not going to Alabama, since she was a cat mom again.

“I wanted to stay with her and get her used to the house and the environment,” True says. “She’s just the cutest thing, and she definitely has an attitude.”

Molly is a cuddly senior kitty, and she and True curl up in the living room together and watch TV.

“I was a volunteer for the Humane Society, so I’ve seen firsthand how much people gravitate toward the younger animals,” True says. “Rarely do they choose an older animal. But [senior animals] have so much to offer. I knew Molly would be perfect.”

When she first brought Molly home, True says Molly was getting sick daily, and she couldn’t figure out why. True discovered the cat had been eating plastic: grocery bags, casings for water bottles and so forth .

“Now, she’s on a plastic-free diet!” True says with a laugh.

One of Molly’s favorite things is a box she discovered when she first came home with True. True had brought up a box of things from the basement and set it down in the living room. Molly has since claimed the box as her own, running to it whenever she’s alarmed or if she hears the mailman come to the door.

But when True has visitors, Molly has to be right in the middle of everything, going from lap to lap and getting as much attention as possible.

“She just makes my day every day,” True says. “I love waking up and knowing she’s part of my day. She’s going to have a good life for however long she has.”

This story was originally published at laduenews.com. Read it on LN’s website here.

hea_true02

Happily Ever After Stories

Happily Ever After: Tristan, Isolde and the Ball Family

robyndexter

hea_ball02For the first time in many years, Joan Ball and her husband, Roger, were without a cat or dog. Their cat of 17 years had passed away in August, and coming home to a house without pets felt empty.

Over the past 30 years, the Town and Country couple had adopted cats and dogs from rescue organizations, especially the Humane Society of Missouri. So, when they found themselves seeking a four-legged companion or two, the Humane Society was the first place they looked.

When their children were home for Thanksgiving, the four of them went to look for a new pet. That’s when a 4-month-old kitten named Tristan caught their hearts.

“He was just so cute, running around and playing,” Joan Ball says. “He was and is so sociable.”

After they fell in love with Tristan, the Balls wanted him to have a friend, so they adopted Isolde the same day.

“She’s just this tiny, sweet little thing,” Joan Ball says.

At the time LN talked to Joan Ball, the family had had the kittens for only about a week.

“We’re getting used to having kittens again,” she says. “I forgot how much they get into everything.”

She worried about having a house full of people for the holidays with such tiny new family members, but she says Tristan and Isolde were “so good.”

“They wandered around and ended up in everyone’s laps. It was very cute,” she says.

Initially, the Balls tried to ban the kittens from a part of the house with a child gate. That plan failed almost immediately.

“It took about three minutes for them to figure out how to climb up over it,” Joan Ball says. “Now they have free reign of the house.”

Overall, Ball says the kittens just make her smile. They leap and play and curl up in her lap. She says she loves watching them chase after jingly ball toys. Both kitties love watching the birds in the bird feeders outside, especially the cardinals.

“I have a fur collar now named Tristan,” she notes with a laugh. “He purrs at 6 a.m. to wake me up. They’re settling in just fine.”

The Christmas decorations were a big hit with the kittens, and Joan Ball says she would regularly find the kittens in the boxes. She notes that they also love hiding in houseplants.

“Hopefully they won’t eat my chives!” she jokes.

This story was originally published at laduenews.com. Read it on LN’s website here.

hea_ball03

Happily Ever After Stories

Happily Ever After: Hans, Anna and the Higginbotham Family

robyndexter

58499b6df0b89-imageOnce upon a time, there were two extremely sick 8-week-old border collie mixes. Part of the Frozen litter, they were named Hans and Anna. Beth Higginbotham and her husband, Tom, had been fostering for 4 Paws 4 Rescue for more than three years and agreed to foster the sickly pups.

“We had to give them baths every day and keep them separate from the other animals,” Beth Higginbotham recalls.

They carefully cared for Hans and Anna, handling them with gloves. A few weeks into their stay, Tom Higginbotham brought up the idea of adopting the puppies, and the rest is history.

Hans and Anna are now about 2 years old and aren’t sickly anymore.

“They are polar opposites,” Higginbotham muses. “Hans is easygoing and loves everyone. Anna is afraid of everyone and everything.”

Higginbotham says they do a lot of training with Anna, both for socialization and for athleticism.

“Since she’s a collie mix, she’s extremely athletic,” Higginbotham says. “She jumps through hoops and is great with obedience commands.”

Anna has to start and end her day with a hug from Beth Higginbotham and will press her head into Beth’s shoulder.

Hans, although he loves everyone, isn’t as athletic as his sister. Higginbotham says he’s more inclined to be a couch potato than jump through a hoop.

The dogs love to go camping, something they first experienced this past summer. They also enjoy going for walks, chasing squirrels and trying to catch moles in the backyard.

The Higginbothams are fond of herding breeds and had a collie before the brother and sister duo.

“We lost her at 16, and Anna was extremely attached to her,” Higginbotham says. “That was adorable.”

Though Beth Higginbotham has never dressed up dogs before, she says these two are an exception. This past Halloween, Anna had a yellow saddle costume with a cat, so it looked like the cat was riding her. Hans had a surfer riding his back.

“We had kids who had visited earlier in the night come back later with their parents and grandparents just to see the dogs in their costumes,” Higginbotham says. “It was hilarious.”

The Higginbothams continue to foster for 4 Paws 4 Rescue, but it’s mostly been temporary fostering since they adopted Hans and Anna.

“We’ll transport and drop off, help with paperwork if necessary,” Higginbotham says. “There’s always something to be done.”

This story was originally published at laduenews.com. Read it on LN’s website here.