Dakin Dog Alumni
Gone Home! We thought you would like to read some of the letters and email we receive from people who have adopted Dakin companions/animals. If you have a Dakin companion/animal, and would like to share your story, please let us know by mail or email at info@Dakin.org.
cheese & omar
Dear Dakin,
We're approaching 4th of
July weekend, and so the anniversary of our adoption of Cheese from the
Dakin! I can't believe it's been a year. So I thought I'd give you a little
update and send a recent picture - not that he's really changed in
appearance or anything, but we take lots of pictures of him! In this one,
he's sitting on my desk at work. Not too many dogs can do that! Cheese (Mr.
Big Raul) is the best dog ever. I never thought I'd be a dog person, but he
has changed my mind. It's been an amazing year getting to know him, and now
he is just 100% percent part of our little family. He still loves walking
around Northampton, playing with other dogs in the park along the bike path,
hanging out on everyone's lap (he's not choosy as long as there's a spot for
him) and since April, he's had a new playmate - a beautiful cat named Omar
whom we adopted from Dakin. They're getting along well- chasing each other
around the house and lounging in the sun together.
Very Sincerely, Vanessa and Casey
jiba
Hello! I am forwarding you a picture of our new dog we adopted from you with Guami, my 120 pound Lab/Saint Bernard mix. Her new name is Jiba (pronounced in English as Heeba)- it means forest in Indian Puerto Rican language. She is doing great and has a lot of spunk, and enjoying running like the coonhound she is. Nero, her brother, was adopted by one of my co-worker's daughter. What a small world! Thank you!
ali
Hello! I wanted to give you a quick update on “Beanie.” I adopted Beanie in August and have named her Ali. She is the greatest puppy in the world! She is completely trained and is very well behaved. She absolutely adores people and gets so excited to greet everyone. She has brought us so much joy and makes us laugh every day. Ali doesn’t leave my side, she comes everywhere with me. It is really nice that I work from home and can always be with her, she is very spoiled. I just wanted you to know how much we appreciate what you do and for giving this wonderful puppy to me. The energy is back in the home again after the passing of my other dog and we are so happy to have our Ali. Thanks again for all that you do!!!!! -Catie
Sky & Sassafras
Dear Dakin Family,
Those of you in Leverett might remember these adorable babies. Both are happy and healthy and learning new tricks to pester Dad every day. Sky is as playful as ever and Sassafras is starting to figure out how to play back, a little at a time. We'd never have though that our timid border-collie mix (Sassafras), who barely ate a thing in her first week or so with us, would turn into such a foodie/princess; she'll be the first to remind us that it's approaching dinner time and she is never to be ignored. Sky is our little monkey, though we didn't expect for a second that she'd end up being the quiet one, if ever she gets too bored or isn't getting enough love, she'll quietly collect clothing items and slippers from wherever she can find them and pile them up in the spare bedroom. The parade she puts on while doing this is just precious! Happy Holidays and Thank You from all of us, for making our family complete!
-The Pion Family; Doug, Tasha, Lauren, Sassafras and Sky
lilly
Hello Everyone at Dakin!
We adopted Lilly 6 months ago today. She is doing so well and we love her very, very much! It's hard to imagine life without her! She loves to play and sleep and walk and swim! For 7 years old - she is quite active!
Thank you for letting her come home with us. xoxoxox - Anne and Michael
xena
Hello! Back in February, we adopted Xena from your facility in Springfield. As soon as we walked in, our eyes locked with Xena's and we knew we were taking her home! She was a handful at first, but I think she was just so nervous every time we left. Now she knows we are always coming back home to her! She loves going on walks, and we recently went on vacation to the beach. She had the time of her life! Xena is very much loved! Thank you! Kyle and Maria
lota
It's hard to believe that it's been a year since I adopted Lota (aka Latosha) from Dakin. I love this little dog so much and she is so happy being a part of our family. Please know that this dog is loved, and that I AND she appreciate all your hard work. You guys are heroes. Be well and thank you! Angela.
betty echo
Hi. We adopted our dog from you folks back in October. A few weeks ago I was reading USA Today and they were looking for stories from people who had adopted from shelters. I wrote in to them only to have them call me, but also to ask for a picture of my dog to tell my story. Just thought I would share you Dakin’s recognition in my story towards the end. Here is the link. Kindly, Danielle and Betty Echo/Alabama chick :)
annie
We adopted Annie in September from your Springfield location, and she is LOVING her new home. She goes on three walks each day and when she gets inside she attacks her doggie bed, whips it around a couple of times and then lies down on it. Annie is much loved by her new family and all our friends who meet her. Thank you for all your help in caring for her and bringing us together. Carrie
juno
Hello Dakin Folks! I wanted to send a little progress report on Star whom we adopted from your Leverett location in early June. She's a big fan of her new name, Juno...at least she comes running when she hears it! She has a blast on the hiking trails and has even started to learn the difference between left and right. In August we took her to Saquish Neck in Duxbury, MA. Since she's from northern Alabama, we figured this would be her first ocean-side experience. She chased, nipped and barked at the waves, and happily spent her time herding sandpipers and sea gulls. We are happy to say that Juno has become an indispensable member of our family. Thank you for rescuing our new best friend! Nick & Tim
arthur
Hello! Arthur has been a part of our family for almost a year now. He enjoys his home in the country where he has room to run, run and run! On his walks he likes to visit with the cows. He even licks their faces and they lick him back! He loves to curl up next to the woodstove. We are so happy he is part of our family! Thank you. Colette
floyd
Hello. We adopted Floyd from Dakin in March. We have wanted a dog for a very long time, and we are so happy to have Floyd as our new family member. He is sweet, gentle and so much fun. Since we've adopted him he has learned how to sit, give paw, roll over and play dead! Thank you so much for doing such a wonderful job saving the lives of these animals. We think Floyd is very happy in his new home. Nicole and Evan
pickles Guacamole
Dear Dakin, I wanted to update you and tell you how happy I am with my new family! I have a great yard to play in, chew on sticks and run around. I am growing everyday and have started puppy kindergarten. There is one big bulldog in my class who likes to run me over when we play but I am learning to hold my own. I can already sit, lay down and come when I am called. I have met so many new people and dogs that now I am the most popular pup in town...though I am trying not to get a big head about it!
Love, Pickles Guacamole (Molay for short)
zerbina
Hi! I adopted Hedy- now known as Zerbina (or Zerby)- just over a year ago. She is the most fantastic companion a person can have!! She now lives in Vermont and has a very happy life (although the snow and cold was a little challenging for her). Thank you so much for helping to bring her into my life! Athena
Bama
Hi Moon,
I wanted to give you an update on Dottie, now called Bama, whom we adopted March 14. I expressed concerns as to how she would interact with our other dog, Reesie, but things have gone very well, despite a "shaky" start the first night we had Bama home. Reesie and Bama are playing constantly. They wrestle and run around the yard like a couple of crazy kids. Bama loves balls and is learning how to play "fetch." She has proven to be quite a chewer so we give her plenty of toys that are perfect for her inclinations! Bama is very affectionate and a complete cuddle bug-- almost every night she lays on top of me cuddling and sleeping. I love how she ever so gently plays with my ponytail to try and get my attention. She has great excitement and enthusiasm. We are guiding her and training her as best as we can and she is already making progress. She has had a week without an accident in her crate. We are a very proud mom and dad.
Thanks for all your support and advice! Una and Shannon
benjy
My name is Marguerite. My family adopted
Barkley-now Benjy-in the fall and I wanted to send some pictures so
you could see how he is doing. He has come out of his shell and is a
very funny guy. He loves to eat snow and lounge around the
couch. He and Bella are getting along well and Benjy even loves the
cats! Thank you for all of the help and for everything that you do,
we love Benjy and could not be happier with our experience!
Rose, Joe, Marguerite, Bella, Benjy, Kisses, and Reeses
Deidre
Just an update to say Deidre (aka Lannie) has settled in great. We got her last July and her and our black lab Logan are good friends. We had some trouble keeping her in the outdoor run, but we bought a "Doggie Fort Knox" and all is well. She just cannot resist following those good smells into the woods! Thank you for helping us find her! Especially to Kate, our adoption counselor. I have attached a few photos of Lannie and Logan, and my son BenHenry.
Sincerely, Rose
Chloe
Dakin Staff and Volunteers, My family and I would like to thank you for bringing Chloe (previously known as Sandy) into our lives last week. She is adjusting wonderfully to living in the house and being poked at by little hands all day. While she gets startled at times, it is amazing the progress she has made in a week. This morning when I dropped a full cup of coffee, she lazily opened one eye from her bed where she was curled up. She is already making a huge progress in basic commands as well and will even sit for our five year old. She has stolen our hearts, and we cannot thank you enough for the wonderful care you gave her prior to her finding her home.
Thank you again, the Robinson Family
sophie
Hello Dakin…Here is a picture of my baby Sophie. She enjoyed Christmas and kept these antlers on for 3 hours!! Sophie is such a riot! I'm not sure if she had ever seen snow, but she jumps like a jackrabbit to get flakes, and runs with her nose pushed into the snow so that when she looks up at you her whole face is covered in snow. Her 2 best friends (besides mom of course) are "her" 2 cats Bella and Cal. They run around the house and sleep together....they even share Sophie's food.....she is so gentle and sweet. She is still very timid, and she isn't crazy about riding in the car, but we are trying to make her more comfortable with it. She does love her "spa" days though when we take her to the groomers to get a bath and "mani/pedi". She is such a girl!! She comes out smelling good and smiling. We love her to death. She is also such a daddy's girl. When he comes home she won't even look at mom. She is spoiled rotten and we all love it!! I can't imagine a better addition to our family.
Lea
mocha
Hi- I adopted Mocha from Dakin through the Dixie Dog program about four weeks ago. Mocha is doing terrific! She has made herself at home here, loves to play with her squeaky toys, and fetch balls. She loves to cuddle on the couch with me and really wants to please. Thank you for such a wonderful puppy!
Jennifer
hank's family
Dear Dakin, Thank you so much for taking the time to answer my question and such a quick response. It is a relief to know that the local animals are still a priority. I attached a picture of some of our crew. Hank, the Dixie Dog, doesn't sit still for a picture so he isn't included. I have adopted 5 dogs and 2 cats over the years from your shelter. Dakin is great.
Thank you, Amy
brown sugar
I am writing to thank you for the hand you had in bringing my sweet pup into my life. I adopted Brown Sugar from Dakin on December 20th. Her name is now Olive Velvet. She is super soft and a beauty to look at. She is a rambunctious bundle of energy. Once she gets pooped out (which takes quite some time!), she is the cuddliest cuddle bug there is. Thank you so much for all the work you do.
Angie
joba
Hi, In October 2008, my family adopted a wonderful dog from the Dakin Pioneer Valley Humane Society in Leverett. He's a Weimaraner/Chocolate Lab mix, and his name was Chance when he first came to us (we changed it to Joba). Joba was brought to Dakin from Alabama through the Dixie Dog program. He was very, very shy at first, but has since become a confident boy who adores his family and his little brother Brady (also a Dixie Dog).
Thanks, Amanda
Pete (now Elvis)
Hello Everyone at the Dakin Shelter,
We adopted Elvis aka Pete from you in April 05, he was a Dixie Dog (Collie/Shepherd Mix) who came from Tennessee. I would love for you to pass on the attached pictures of this "Ham". If he sees the camera, he's in front of it!
This boy is a joy to have around! He was housebroken from day one, stayed in the yard w/our Golden (who he became best friends with) and got along fine w/our four cats! He loves our 10 & 2 year old also. If the two year old goes to touch Elvis, or sometimes, like two year olds do, trip over him, Elvis just lays quietly until the coast is clear. We couldn't ask for a better match to this family! He does like to chew, so we need to watch him for that, but I can't think of any other bad habit this boy has. And I can't thank you enough for allowing us to adopt him, and to the Tennessee shelter/foster home for saving this boys life. It's like he has always been with us!
Again, Thank You,
Robbie
Banjo
I'm writing to give an update on the dog I adopted. His name was Oz and he came from Tennessee. Now his name is Banjo and he knows it well. He is such a great dog! I don't even know where to begin. For starters he just makes me happy whenever I am around him. His personality is amazing and everyone who has met him, both human and animal, have gotten along with him. He has excellent manners, he comes, he sits, he lays down, doesn't jump or bark or whine. He stays sometimes, although he is always hoping to come with me wherever I go. I take him off leash in the woods every day and he loves to run and chase squirrels and play in the river, but he always comes when I call him, and cheese is his favorite treat. He was marking a little in the house when I brought him home (probably because of the other animals) so I got him a crate which he was very good about until he settled in, but now we can leave him home with the other dog and he is fine. He loves to play and he quickly figured out how fun it is to chase frisbees, and he is also one of the best cuddlers I have ever met. He is great in the car, he is fine around horses, I trust him completely with other cats and dogs, he loves to watch the gerbils in their cage, and he is an excellent alarm clock (not the loud kind, but the kind that pounces on you and plays with you until you get out of bed.) He is a very fast learner and it isn't hard for us to communicate so he has picked up a lot already. I seriously can't find anything wrong with him and clearly someone spent a lot of time with him. So, thank you for finding such a great dog. I am so happy to have him.
Sincerely, Julia
Brewster
Hi-
I wanted to send you a picture and update of Brewster, who we adopted as a Dixie dog in January of 2004. He was the "best dog" at our wedding in September. He is the absolute light of our lives and we cannot imagine how we managed without him. He is well loved by everyone who meets him. When I bring him to visit the sick kids at my work, he climb right into bed with them and licks them all over. He is truly a loving and kind dog, and we are just so pleased that he came into our lives. I am in school full-time right now, so we don't have the resources to get him a buddy just yet, but when we do, we are definitely coming back to Dakin. Thank you again for bringing this guy into our lives.
Molly and Jason
Sasha, Freya and Dundee
Dear Dakin Staff,
I just wanted to write to catch you up on our 3 dogs and how they have been doing. Dundee who we adopted last August (a dixie dog from Kentucky) gave us a real run for our money when we first got him. As you probably remember we were very close to bringing him back due to our difficulty in getting him trained and house/people broken. As you may remember from my frantic email last year his nickname for his first 5 months living here was "monster boy" because he was impossible. Our other two huskies, Sasha (was Macha) and Freya who we adopted in September of 2004 are also doing great. Dundee has come full circle and is now the sweetest dog you could imagine. He is happy all the time, very affectionate, very gentle and his new nickname is "Budley" because he follows us around and is a great buddy. He can go off leash, he has been following commands much better and generally has finally settled into our house hold. I have attached some pictures...as you can see all of the dogs have grown significantly in size and personality. Last fall we put up a fence in our yard, which the dogs love!!! Melissa (I think) was the name our adoption counselor with Dundee, so could you let her know how great he is doing? Also if you have an email address for the shelter Dundee came from in Kentucky I would love to send them an update to let them know how great he is doing, or if you could forward this email to them I would greatly appreciate it.
Thanks,
Erin
Captain Jack
Captain Jack was found on the streets of Greenfield suffering from an injury to what appeared to be a car hit-and-run. Taken in by the Animal Control Officer and then brought to Greenfield Dakin, Captain Jack quickly become a staff favorite. The South Deerfield Veterinary Clinic treated him for his injuries, including the removal of his right eye. Jack spent his time in the office of Dakin recovering from his tragedy and learned to trust humans again. He was soon adopted by a woman named Jen and has since been spending his time being loved and spoiled in his new home. Dakin staff are often blessed with happy visits from Captain Jack.