Buddy exhibits such a love for life and he has certainly livened our family. He is so sweet and even tempered and loves to play and beg for belly scratches. Buddy is still a little timid but he looks to his sister for guidance on who to trust. Buddy has problems maintaining his weight because he runs free in the yard constantly. This time of year we have to increase his feed. He has a goofy little smile and talks constantly giving us the wu-wu-wu speech telling us how happy his is to be free of neglect and abuse! Buddy wants to give you all big sloppy kisses and snuggles!!

I wanted to let the people know at Caring Hands Human Society that I appreciate the work that you do. If it weren't for people like you guys, the abuse would continue!

Pass on my thanks and blessings to all at the Newton facility!!!

Gayla

[Note from the webmaster: We want to thank you too Gayla – and the people at Colonel Potter! Lives are saved one at a time, and this is a great example of working together to make ‘happily ever after’ come true!]

Today, Juno has gained approximately 10 pounds. Her coat is beautiful and she shows her personality constantly. We did find out that Juno is a Samoyed. She shares many of the Sammy qualities including her unmistakable smile and characteristic singing (bark/howl mix) when she is excited.

Juno has especially bonded with our daughter who calls Juno her best friend. Thank you so much for allowing us the opportunity to bring Juno into our family. She is an amazing animal and we love her so much! I especially want to thank you Lori for recommending her to us. I had been emailing you back and forth for probably a year trying to find the right fit. You were right, Juno is it!

Attached are a couple of photos of her lounging in our backyard.

Thanks again,

Kendra

Polar has been a great addition to our family and we thank all of you at caring hands for helping us find our very own polar bear.

Jeremiah

The toughest part is that she is still learning what it is to be a dog. So sad that she was put through such ordeals.

Best of all she knows what it is to want to go outside to do her potty business. She is in a pattern and hasn't missed, or messed up yet. The past week she has graduated to sleeping on the bed all through the night and in the mornings she tries to be very very small to avoid the get up and go outside routine. I believe she is a Florida dog deep down inside as much as she dislikes the cold.

We have been discussing the possibility of another Cavalier to help teach her about a dog's life. If an adoptable King Charles Cavalier shows up suited to the task please contact us.

Best to you in the new year! Thanks so much for Sheba.

Eric

Note from the webmaster: Chip adopted Jag a while ago and recently sent this happy adopter story from Afghanistan after he got our online newsletter! Wow, thanks Chip! PS: Jag is being cared for by Chip's loved ones until he can return. Let's all remember to keep the troops and support staff in hearts and thoughts - and to help give them and their pets the support they deserve!

Chip - we wish you a safe and happy return!

I think my husband spoils her more than anyone else and its cute how he talks to her when he is giving her ear scratches. Marley is house broken and leash trained now. She is afraid of stairs but was more afraid of thunderstorms and ends up in bed with my husband and I during them. But she will not go down the stairs so I have to carry her.

She wags her tail all the time and even "talks" to me. When I leave, I leave the tv on and she watches cartoons. When I get home she and my other Peke Max greet me and tell me how much they missed me. They are the best of friends. She is very sweet. Everyone who meets her just fall in love with her and when I tell them her story they just love her even more. She loves going for rides in the car and goes to the groomer once a month for her spa day. The vet gave her a clean bill of health and she does not need to return until her check up next Aug.

Little Marley has been an inspiration and we couldn't imagine life without her. She even smiles for pictures which i have sent from my phone in another email. We are getting ready for our first road trip to Wyoming for Thanksgiving. I would be in trouble if I went home without her and Max!

Unfortunately, a couple of weeks ago we lost one of our four legged family members. Betty was a black lab chow mix that was dumped at our house as a puppy and we had her about three years. It was a hard loss for all of us, but not as much as it was for my step-son who cared for Betty.

I will be looking at adopting another dog for him for Christmas. I think we will keep with that tradition. I believe in giving credit where it is due and I want to tell you how I appreciate everything all of you do for these babies. It takes really special people with big hearts. I share with everyone I talk to how these animals need homes and how sad it is that they are waiting to just be loved and how important it is to have owner responsibility. I hope that with everyone I tell little Marley's story to, if just one person chooses to adopt, I have helped as well. Marley is an adorable little girl and she is very loved by all of us. I want to thank you for allowing me the privilege to have Marley in my life.

May God bless all of you special people and help those in need of homes find a loving one very soon.

Take care,

Lisa
Hutchinson, KS

Thank you all from the bottom of my heart for helping us to find Bella and thank you for all the wonderful pets you help. The picture is of our beautiful Bella with our daughter Kelli.

Sincerely,

Denise and Stan

We couldn’t be happier and, knowing that she is an older boxer, we only hope that we can make the rest of her life really special.  We are so grateful to Caring Hands for rescuing this beautiful lady and for the good care that she received while with them.

Thank you for all you do,

Way, Becky, Bethany, and Lucy

that she knows what she likes and doesn't like. She is wonderful with all my nieces and nephews, they occasionally visit and they all love Trixie. She has three best friends next door, a miniature Rat Terrier Mix, and two miniature Daschund mixes. The neighbors love Trixie and treat her as one of their own. If I'm gone in the evenings, she often goes over for playtime.

She's also impressed several people, my landlord thinks she is the best dog I could have possibly adopted. An employee of the electric company fell in love with her this spring, I was out walking a couple of weeks ago, saw her driving down the street and she stopped to ask about Trixie! Even mail carriers love her!

Trixie loves to go for walks, her ears perk up and she gets so happy when she sees me with her leash! She sits but can barely stay still long enough for me to put her leash on! Trixie also loves her squeaky toys, we play catch indoors and out every day. She loves running in the park, to me that is when she is in her element, her head held high and proud, she takes off like a lightening bolt! It's an awesome sight. She has taught me so much!

Thank you so much for allowing me to adopt Trixie, she is one of the best things in my life!

Debi

After bringing her home, she was immediately put on a Jenny Craig diet for dogs, and has some of her girlish figure back, although she's still overweight. Annie/Angel is a very sweet, gentle dog.

Sincerely,

Donna

He loves to snuggle and give kisses. And while I get ready for work every morning...he makes sure to love on me the whole time so that I will think about him while I'm gone. Lol I am very happy with our new family members and I think they are happy with us.

These guys can't TELL us their feelings...but like us...they feel lonely and sad and they just want to be loved just like we do! Thank you Caring Hands for all that you do!!

Kado and Max want to thank you too. They are very happy with their home.

Susan, Kado & Maximus

I am having to go outside on a leash with one parent for the time being until they get a new gate up. They plan to do that in the next few weeks. They had planned to do that before I came, but did not know how fast they would find me!

I am slowly learning manners. I have almost mastered 'sit.' I need to learn 'stay' and 'come.' I also have to learn to eat dog food not cat food. I went to the vet Thursday after I came home and they said I am doing well with health.

All in all I am doing well, and one of the best things I do is cuddle either in a parent's arm or under covers. I like to sleep between my parents under covers. I take up the bed, and it's a California King bed!

I will make a visit to you in the future. Thank you and I hope all the animals are as lucky as I have been!

Love,

Pinto...(With help from my Mommy!)

(the other dog at our house) and Ginger are just best friends. She was a great addition to our family. Thank you!

Megan (aka Mom)

Please forward this (or show it to) Mattie's foster parent, too. I know that she loved Mattie, and I appreciate all the care and training that she did for Mattie.

Thank you so much for the service that you do in truly caring for the animals who come to you, and in helping people like us find pets to love.

Don & Kathy

At age 19 Shadow’s vision was failing, hearing lost (as evidenced by a very pleasant 4th of July with no Shadow panic attacks from the fireworks) and he had a few accidents in the house. On the morning of March 4, 2008 Shadow went outside to “do his business,” stumbled up the steps, jumped up on our sectional and became nonresponsive. He went to heaven that day. We were a sad set of parents.

Flash forward to 8 months later – November 2008. Long story short, we saw Danger (then Ranger) on the Caring Hands website and were immediately smitten. After making arrangements to adopt we went to Pet Smart to finalize the adoption. But no Danger! He had been left at the Newton shelter. But then in strutted Houdini (then Junior). We looked at each other and decided immediately that we had room for two. So we asked the shelter staff to hold onto Hoodie while we drove to Newton to get Danger.

The boys immediately adjusted to our bungalow styled home and big back yard. During our first summer together we took them everywhere – camping, to the river, to human parties, and on long walks through parks and bicycle trails. We have frequently urged our friends to bring their dogs over and have had up to five doggies running around and socializing. They round out our lives and make coming home the best part of our day!

Randy & Cheryl

years as a mother for a breeder, and she obviously wasn’t used to being in a house or playing with toys or being walked on a leash. At our house, she pranced around on the carpet like it felt really good on her feet, and she was fascinated with the t.v. Then we gave her a dog bed which immediately became “hers.” She still isn’t too crazy about toys. The squeaky ones scare her. But she learned very quickly that the leash means “go for a walk!” We do that every day, and there’s no getting out of it. She’s a great exercise partner because she’s never not in the mood.

Having been around lots of other animals before, she gets along fine with our two cats. She also plays well with other dogs at the dog park, and she likes meeting other dogs when we go for walks.

The best stories, though, have nothing to do with the adjusting she’s been through. Abby is a real sweetheart and she’ll cuddle and she’ll come to us for more and more petting. She loves meeting guests and meeting people on walks, especially kids. She plays hard, too. She went absolutely nuts playing in our backyard in the snow. Also, one evening she was running really fast laps around the living room while I sat on the floor. I got dizzy just watching her. Finally she stopped and sat down facing me, and her eyes just slowly closed - while she was still sitting up! She’s also smart and is learning a few tricks like “shake,” “high five” and “roll over.”

It’s no doubt that Abby is a keeper. She’s our best buddy and we’re looking forward to lots of years with her. We’d like to thank Caring Hands for bringing her to us and for taking such good care of her.

Deb & Ron

fire. Then mom let me explore my new home. I've got all kinds of room to roam around. However, I did have a couple of accidents that afternoon, but momma was very patient with me and I haven't done it again. Can you believe it, she even lets me sleep with her and Maddie.

Momma takes me and Maddie our every couple of hours. I thinks she's afraid I might poop again. Anyway, when we come in, Maddie and I run through the house and play with toys. Maddie has a basket full of really cool toys that make weired squeaky sounds.

I have seen more new things this week. It seems like mom is always doing laundry, dusting and running the sweeper. Of course, I think she needs help, so I'm right there with her. I'm not sure whose more wasted afterwards, her to me. But, after the house is clean, we sit ad watch HGTV. And, guess where I'm at? Right on mom's lap.

I just wanted to let you all know, how much I appreciated you taking such good care of me while I was at Caring Hands. But, I've got a really nice home and people that really love me. I'm finally home and it's "My Forever Home".

Love,

Sissy Sue (Cotton)

She was scared and very nervous of everything- including the wind blowing the leaves across the grass. She started becoming more active and much more happy. We have decided to keep her on canned food, as it seems she enjoys it much more than anything else. She also started playing with her squeaky toys and running around the house so fast we've nick-named her 'greased lightening'. She is a blur of happiness, speed, and activity. It's heartwarming to once again have barking in the house again. We really missed having a dog. She now rides in the car with me every morning to drop off the kids and run errands.

Housebreaking is still ongoing. It's a slow progress, as she has been used to relieving herself in her kennel and sleeping in it from her former life as a puppy mill brood. Fortunately, I have a lot of patience, and we have been very gently teaching her indoor etiquette- only raising our voices to show displeasure- NEVER our hands. We've had her about 5 weeks now, and I am pleased to say that she no longer uses her own kennel as her toilet and is starting to grasp the concept of "indoor/outdoor" activities.

I know we have a ways to go yet, but I feel confident she's going to have perfect indoor manners. She tries hard to please and be a good girl and just wants loving attention. I feel very blessed to have Cricket and I wanted to thank everyone - all the workers and the volunteers at Caring Hands Humane Society who helped me and talked with me and spent so much time with me assuring that I was getting the right dog for my family. No one tried to hurry me along, even though the building was VERY busy with other people looking for dogs as well. I had wonderful helpers directing me to a room, answering questions and checking in with me every few minutes. I could not have asked for more caring people who genuinely loved what they were doing. Thank you Caring Hands!

Loralee and Cricket :)

I want to thank Lori for communicating so well during the adoption process and for the foster family who nursed Molly and her pups prior to our adoption. The foster family were so open for our visits.

The adoption process was our best experience yet!

Sheri

outside Caring Hands, and wasn't old enough to be taken away from her mother. An employee "fostered" her until she was big and strong enough to be adopted. Each time I called to inquire, they remembered me, which was unusual, I thought. They have continued to follow up and offer help, more than a year after the adoptions. I would definitely recommend Caring Hands, and all the wonderful people and pets there.

Thank you!!!

Susan Warren

Thank you for taking him in and caring for him, for all the love and kindness that you show to the lost, lonely, and forgotten animals amongst us. Thank you for helping us through the application process; for the visitation time, helpful words of advice, and caring for Stitch until we could take him home! Caring Hands provides a great service and we appreciate the time and energy you contributed to our pet adoption as well as so many others. Thank you again!

Blessings,

Laura and Shep

Kenny & Manson's Story

Hello, I wanted to send you an update on Manson and how well we are doing. Life deals us all obstacles. I am a testament to that. On December 9th 2008 I was in a very bad semi-truck wreck. My back was broken in two places and I was facing surgery to fuse 6 vertebrae.

I was living alone at the time and with not being able to work or do anything I was very bored and depressed. But every once in a while you meet somebody and for some reason they instantly love you.

This happened to me at your facility.

I ended up at the Caring Hands Humane Society in Newton on the search for a kitten. I looked at a few kittens and I went and looked at the adult cats. I was in the market for a kitten but I figured that since I was there I would visit everybody. I walked into the adult cat room and a male tabby instantly glued himself to me. I patted him on the head and when he demanded more pets I gave him more. Throwing caution to the wind I filled out the paperwork and told them I had to run to Wal-Mart to get cat supplies, but I would be right back. Upon returning to the Humane Society they brought out a box and told me I was gonna want to put him in it to go home. They brought Manson out and put him in the box and taped it shut.

They carried him to my pickup and we headed home. About 5 miles into the trip the box was no match for him and he escaped. I spoke to him and he calmed right down and settled onto my lap for the rest of the ride home. We made it home and I let him in the house. He checked everything out. I fed him, showed him the water and he laid on the bed with me.

We spent the rest of the evening watching TV. I have never met a cat that would watch TV but he does.

I bought him a cat bed but he has claimed mine and stays pretty close to me. After the surgery My mom and my girlfriend moved me back to Oklahoma where I was originally from. Manson is such a huge part of my life. He is truly my buddy. He helps make the days go by because I can not work anymore and money is tight due to being on workman's comp. Manson always listens to any of my problems and despite the language barrier between us I feel like he talks to me too. He loves his toys and I recently bought him a small r/c car that he loves to chase. He has never shown me the side of him that earned him the name "Manson."

Jack’s Note: - That’s because you are his special person Kenny! We don’t know if you’re a cat whisperer or if it is just your special bond – but we’re glad you found each other! We were afraid Manson would take over the building…

Thank you so much for what you do. Not only did Manson need a home but I needed him. I wish I could give all of them homes, the dogs too. Keep up the good work and thanks again.

-Kenny & Manson

Jack’s note: Well dear readers, we are very grateful to Kenny! Another Happy Ending…Yes! Cat’s are as unique as people are. Whether you like Cuddle cats or Attack cats there is a cat out there for everyone. Come to Caring Hands to meet YOUR new friend!

Well, he wasn't interested in me at all, and just wanted out, so he and I found ourselves back in the hall with several members of the staff. I asked about another dog, Val I'd seen in an outside pen. "Val doesn't get along with cats." I was told. Well, I have two cats at home so that wouldn't be a good fit.

Then Mike, impulsively, said, "Bring out the Japanese Chin." I remember saying, "What on Earth is a Japanese Chin?" Someone put him in my lap and he immediately began licking my face, and I fell in love. "Can I take him home?" I asked. Not unless you adopt him!" was the reply. It was a deal, and neither of us has ever looked back.

Never having had a small dog before, I was deligted with how entertaining he is. Just moving from here to there, waving that feathery tail over his back, he looks as if he's been put here for the express purpose of cheering up everyone in his vicinity. He manages our daily two-mile walks easily, and has claimed the back yard as his own, snuffling around out there and sometimes doing a little dance, all on his own. It took a while for the cats to accept him, but all three are good friends by now. His previous owner had reported that he was used to sleeping on her bed, and he has continued that habit here. I appreciated all the information she had left with him, including his exact birth date and other habits.

Metta

We have many children in our home, so dog temperment is extremely important to us. Both dogs are in excellent health and have wonderful temperments for children!

Roger & Beth

big world. It looks like Rosey was bred quite a lot, and we are excited to love her and let her enjoy living a spoiled doggie life!!

My daughter’s 3 gold fish passed away 2 days before we adopted Rosey, she was heart broken over the loss of her beloved companions. She asked me later that evening if we could look at some homeless dogs on the internet, and immediately Rosey caught our eye. My daughter and I truly believe that God knew Rosey needed us and we needed her just as much. Who would have thought that something so precious could have come out of something so sad. Rosey has made the grieving process a lot easier for our little girl. Rosey and our daughter sleep together every night and are the best of friends!! We want to praise Caring Hands for responding so quickly to us on the adoption of our sweet baby girl Rosey. Your staff made the process so easy and professional. You have truly added a pure joy to our family. Thanks for giving us a forever friend to cherish and adore!! As my sister always says, “ No house is complete, without the pitter-patter of doggy feet.”

Thanks again and best wishes!

Val in Wichita

Roger & Beth

So that's why I decided to go for it with #3 and these cats are all veggie cats. My daughter named two of them Coleslaw and Cauliflower but we call them Cole and Flower. Then #3 was named by a good friend of mine at Caring Hands and I liked her idea. The Caring Hands kitty is named Boccoli or Broc for short.

All the kittens are getting along just fine. Cole never tires of wrestling. Broc enjoys it too. Flower is a bit jealous of the attention Cole is giving Broc but they are more alike I guess. Flower is gentle and somewhat sassy. She likes to be held like a baby. She voices as if she says...It's my turn! Hello, I'm here! All three kittens are like ragdolls when I hold them and they purr about constantly. All the kittens are very loving!! So I thank Caring Hands that I was able to ad Broc to the family. Things are going great and none of my kittens are related!

So if you are reluctant about adopting. Try to go for it one day soon. Then you'll see all that you were missing out on was just more love!

Lori in Wichita

The staff at the Caring Hands Humane Society were so helpful and the most wonderful people you could hope to deal with. They truly do want the best for their animals, and their help and cooperation in making sure you get the animal was just amazing. I had called so many places, but never was I treated the way I was there.

Bear came home, sniffed around the yard, played a little, and then investigated his new home. He spent the next morning with his head in my lap hanging out on the couch! He was officially part of the family. He wouldn't eat at first, but after he decided what kind of food he liked and hand feedings, he's now one of the most spoiled dogs you could ever meet. He isn't our pet but our son, and he means the world to us. We love him with all of our hearts, and would do anything for him. He has been such an amazing companion when Dad works nights or is out playing Soldier. Every day when we come home he's at the top of the stairs just waiting, knowing we'll drop everything to give him a little love. He sleeps in our bed, gets love whenever he wants, and gets more treats than we do. We's so much more energized and playful since we first got him. He has deemed the left hand side of the love seat his seat and he makes sure you know if you're in his place. Yep, that's our spoiled boy!

I can't help but think "I rescued him from a shelter, and yet somehow feel like he has rescued me." Thank you so much for giving us not a pet, but a member of our family!

Alicia

She begs real well and sometimes she will dance on her two hind legs and I tell her we are dancing and we do patty cakes. She loves to go in and out the doggie door. Sometimes she lets us know when she wants to go outside I have to go with her so we can run and play. you would think we had little kids living here with all the toys around.

When we set down to eat supper I have to feed the two of them too. She sleeps with us. She has to come up in the bed at night and kiss us goodnight. She likes to run around the house we bought her a foot ball she likes to play with it. She also likes to play tug of war with a toy we bought. We said god blessed us with a dog that has the two traits from our other two dogs Precious the one we just lost and Wendy the one we lost a couple years back. She is quite a pleasure to both of us and Littlebit.

Thanks a bunch

Roger & Lucille Bitner

Saki was the best decision I could have made at this point in my life. I found him through Caring Hands Humane Society on-line and fell in love with him immediately. At the time he was in need of affection just as much as I was and I believe this is why we were an instant match...not to mention we look frighteningly similar to one another!! Saki now has his own groomer, his own side of the bed, along with pretty much anything else he wants. The apartment has become more HIS stomping grounds than mine and anybody who enters initially goes through an in-depth screening by Saki and then falls inevitibly... second.

Our favorite daily routine is making the bed. This is sometimes repeated 2-3 times throughout the day if needed to 'wear him out.' Saturday mornings consist of drinking coffee in bed together while watching the weather channel, cleaning the apartment together and of course...making the bed. He's my buddy, my pillow, my shadow, my confident, my fashion expertise before work, my companion, my personal comedian/entertainment, and my best friend!! I don't know what I would do without him.

Thank you for giving us the opportunity to find one-another!!

-Jordan and Saki

I had no hopes that any cat would ever replace his sweet and gentle self in our home, but thought a baby kitten might be just the thing to bring some life back into the house.

Truth be told, I would have loved to take all of those hopeful, homeless cats home with me, but I knew that one more was all we would be able to add to our family of cats. There were several who tugged at my heart in a particular way, but for some reason I just couldn’t make up my mind. I was sitting down holding another cat and I guess he was determined to get some attention too. Once before we had been “chosen” by a cat at an animal shelter and he had turned out to be the smartest and most loving kitty we’d ever had, so I thought that was a good sign.

After holding him on my lap for awhile, and seeing how much he enjoyed cuddling and being held, we made our decision that he was the one we would take home. He wasn’t a baby kitten (about 9 months old), but was still young enough to have the playfulness we wanted in a new cat. So I carried him to the staff to let them know who we had chosen and they told me about his history.

He had been adopted from Caring Hands some months earlier, but had been returned to the shelter when either he or another cat in the house started marking inappropriately. Now what was I going to do? I had already looked him in the eye and promised him that he was going to have a new home with me and my husband. And we already had other cats at home. Would he feel threatened and make a mess at our house? I knew what a problem that could be, especially in a house with multiple cats. But I had already promised him, and knowing he had already been sent back once before, I just couldn’t deny him a second chance. Plus I knew that most people, knowing his history, wouldn’t give him a chance at all.

So we filled out the paperwork and made arrangements with our vet to have him checked out before taking him home. They couldn’t see him until the next day, so he would have to spend one more night at the shelter. The next day we took him for his checkup and found he was healthy except for a bad case of fleas. The vet recommended that in addition to a bath and flea medication, we leave him at the animal hospital for several days to make sure all the fleas were dead before taking him into the house. Those were three of the longest days of my life.

When we finally got to bring him home, we had to decide on a name. His name from the shelter was “Vance” but I didn’t care for the name and he didn’t seem particularly fond of it either since he never responded to it. After spending a whole afternoon with him, playing, napping and snuggling, I decided that he was a “Murphy.”

So, to make an already long story short, Murphy has become a wonderful addition to our home. He is very easy-going and gets along wonderfully with our other cats. When I’m home, he follows me around the house and when I work on the computer, he sits right beside the keyboard and takes special delight in hitting the Escape key. One of his jobs is retrieving the labels as they come out of the label printer on the desk. At night he shares my pillow, although he’s a bit of a pillow hog and ends up with it all to himself by morning.

I’m so thankful for the wonderful folks at Caring Hands who make it possible for these animals to get a chance for a loving home. And I want to encourage folks who may be thinking of adopting a pet to not hold an animal’s history against them and to not always just look for the most beautiful animal. The homely and average ones might just love you the most. Because now, to me, Murphy is the most beautiful cat in the whole world.

LuAnn.

They answered all of our questions and performed all the "tests" of her for us. They did it all willingly and quickly. We were overwhelmed with their helpfulness and consideration. They made our adventure absolutely worthwhile! Our friends and families still think we are crazy for driving that far for "a dog". But we knew she was worth it, especially after all the assistance everyone at Caring Hands had given us.

Kansas, appears to be loving her new home and family. The boys love her already and our other pets have adapted to her quickly. She is so well behaved. And surprising of all, she loves the snow. She bounces around in it and has a great time. Steve plowed part of the yard to make it easier for her and her short legs but she prefers to play in the deep snow.

Thank you again for making this all possible! We can never thank you enough for all the help you gave us. She is definitely worth the trip to Kansas!

Sincerely, Lisa & Steve Hoff

At first, Dave hid from Henry for the first week or so…but now they “play” and wrestle for a good percentage of the day. Henry prefers sleeping in his kennel we bought him. He just outgrew his first kennel and is now loving his much more spacious one. We’ve taken him to the vet in Hesston and he’s received all of his shots and heartworm medicine. Henry enjoys looking at his reflection in his water bowl and then pawing at it, and dipping both paws waaay into the water. He also enjoys growling at all of his stuffed toys. Our favorite thing he does is tilt his head way up high and let out a high pitched “whooooo” when there is a CD playing in the house. It’s adorable. Attached is pictures of Henry with us, and also sitting in the rocking chair with his new “brother” Dave.

Thank you so much for all you do for these animals. We love Henry so much! If possible, can you let the people that gave Henry (previously Farley) to Caring Hands know that he is in great hands?? Thank you so much!

Joel and Shelby Dryden

Hesston, KS

anticipating a blow rather than a pat. The second of which was that he was not comfortable enough to eat. He would take a small bite of food then immediately jump back as if he were anticipating someone pulling his bowl away. The third item that captured my deepest sympathies was the fact that he had suffered with extreme allergies all of his life and had been medicated for the same, but had never been tested to ascertain his specific needs and to treat the same.

With all the trips that Jackie made to the vet for allergy problems combined, he could have been treated for his specific problems. I started allergy testing with our veterinarian, the serum has finally made it here, but the veterinary office that I use has relocated and increased its clientele base to the point that I cannot get Jackie in to get his first shot!!! I plan to give him the injections after that, but they have to ensure against anaphylactic reactions the first time and wish to observe him. I am still pursuing this, but am frustrated.

In the mean time, I have loved Jackie up so much that he is a constant wagging tail. He has slipped back into puppy hood and I have to constantly provide for his gnawing needs or face the destructiveness that some puppies exhibit. I get him a lot of squeaky toys so that when he's happy, he goes around squeaking his toys. I'll tell you what, we hear a lot of squeaking around here and it just reassures me that we have a contented dog. He also sometimes just lays on our bed and can only seem to move his eyes, but not his body because he is in such a state of happiness and contentment. I look at him at these times and he just seems to say with his eyes, "Thank you momma, for loving me." I feel so blessed, then. He is such a little ball of love. We have developed a routine to deal with some of his allergy issues... I try to keep the yard as dandelion free as possible, we start off the day with him soaking his feet in the tub (he was constantly licking his feet, that was the main issue of his allergies). While he is in the tub, I gently remove the build-up in his eyes with the water (he gets a lot of gunk in his eyes and a tissue is too coarse). I almost never see him licking his feet, now, and his eyes are usually clear throughout the remainder of the day. We talk to Jackie as if he were a little baby and he practically licks my face off when he is felling ornery.

We all (me, my husband, Burton and our five-month-old domestic gray medium haired kitten who weighs over five pounds and is not fat, who is Jackie's bestest friend) have developed a deep love for this extra special dog.

I am eternally grateful to the previous owners and Caring Hands for allowing me the opportunity to have Jackie as a part of my blessed life.

My Sincerest Gratitude,

Ava V. Anderson-Kemper July 7, 2006

face. It took her TWO WEEKS to make sure!! Doesn't one look...the very first look tell you anything? She just didn't get it that I'M PERFECT.

On the 14th day, she brought in her whole family! She did not, however, bring with her or even MENTION she has horse sized dogs!! So neither of us knew I'd have some initial shock once I arrived at my new home. My new mom is so nice! She spoils me rotten with tummy scratches (and I don't even get frisky, in fact, sometimes I roll off her lap because it feels so good! Mom jumps when I get my grasp, though. She said her legs aren't ladders, whatever that means. She said it hurts. I don't know what that means either. All I care about is that she lets me stay on her lap, even after she lets me climb back up and she keeps on scratching me! I give her a LOT of kisses and nips when she stops petting me. She immediately starts scratching again! I've got her well trained!! She gives me a LOT of yummy wet cat food! I love that stuff!! Of course, being a 14 pound little guy, I eat my dry food, too. She's kind of bad about making me eat 'the healthy stuff', though. Oh well...still tastes good! I LOVE my food!

Mom has this really pretty girl cat, but I haven't seen her since the first day I came home. I have seen the 'horse dogs', though. She thinks THEY are big, but when I fluff up and chase them out of the room with my big claws, I AM BIGGER! Hah! BUT...she keeps making me hang out with them and be nice. They aren't as bad as I thought anymore...but I still prefer to be alone with my family scratching me. I don't have time to be bothered with big gray dogs. I have lots of naps to take! I'm REALLY glad they took me home with them!! I'm so happy and content! I like to tell them that, but they seem to only want to speak gibberish to me. Sometimes I think I know what Mom is saying, but don't tell her that.

Thank you everyone at Caring Hands for introducing me to my new Mommy, Daddy, brother and sister--even the big grey horse dogs!! They are SO GREAT!! I love them a whole lot!!

Love, Ollie (Oliver)

But he has become so close to me that he cries when I leave even if it's just for a minute. If he's going to take a nap or something he has to be either right next to me to cuddle with or at least in the same room. When we go to bed, he has to stay up and make sure that I'm gonna lay down with him and that I'm not going to leave him. Anytime I walk around the house or at my mom's house, he feels like he HAS to follow me. It's absolutely adorable.

He's learned who grandma and grandpa are (my mom and dad) and he kind of knows who tia is (my sister) and he knows me as momma or mommy. Even with his weak back legs (one is twisted at the knee cap), he loves to run around the house, jump on furniture, and play just like any other dog. I've taught him "let's go downstairs" "let's go upstairs" "who's here?" "let's go!"and if my dad's home and we're going upstairs to see him, I'll as him "where's grandpa?" and he'll run upstairs and search everywhere until he finds him. When I tell him "let's go!" he automatically thinks that it refers to a car ride (which he loves) In the past year, Ty has become accustomed to many nicknames. The ones he recognizes the most is Ty, Tybo, bubba, baby boy and even sweetie pie. He's such an amazing dog and I feel so happy to have him in my life. He turned six on September 12 and I can't wait to share many more birthdays, christmas', and overall years with him.

I wanna thank Caring Hands for allowing me to adopt Ty into my life.

Caring Hands has an acquaintance room so I could bring my dog and cat to check how this kitten would interact with our animals. The kitten with the blue eye and green eye who was named “Spot” was brought out and he did extremely well, he wanted to play with our dog and was not afraid of our other cat, plus he was playful and loving. We wanted to check other kittens personalities to insure we were making the best decision since we would care for an animal for its entire life. An entire litter of two girls and one boy, the brother and sisters of the kitten I was looking at were brought into the room and the other little boy named “V8” jumped right out and starting licking me and did exactly what his brother did, he played with the dog and wasn’t afraid of our cat (our cat wasn’t exactly friendly since he had to ride in a car and be confined in a room he didn’t know).

The two brothers were adorable and I couldn’t decide what I wanted to do, so of course Caring Hands informed me of a special to get two kittens! Low and behold I got two kittens. It is special since they are brothers and have each other, but they have another dog and cat to play with and they are doing awesome! Our older cat takes care of the kittens and acts as surrogate father and now that they are bigger everyone is starting to wrestle around. It is one big happy family at our home. The names didn’t quite fit them so the kitten with the blue eye and green eye is “Ace” and the kitten with the flame point markings is “Leo.” I have been extremely pleased with Caring Hands Humane Society and I couldn’t have asked for better animals.

Thank You!

Miles gets ready and Eddie says Jack in the Box and Miles will jump up in the air. Its really cute.

He is doing much better when we go on walks, he did not like a leash when we first started. As far as going bye bye he is still a little scared of it. He has to sit on your lap (not so safe) but he shakes because he is scared. So we only go a block or two then come home. I think once he realizes we will always come back home he will be ok with it.

Anyways, I can't think of anything else. Oh he is finally potty trained, I think, still not trusting him to be free by himself in the house, but it has been 2 weeks since the last accident. Thanks to everyone at Caring Hands and Melinda and her family for blessing us with such a wonderful addition to our family. I will bring him by in person probably next year when it warms up again, he should be a better passenger by then.

Ohh that feels so good, I even had my teeth cleaned, I must say I am a rather good looking dog. I have a sister named Roxy, she is younger than I but bigger we have a lot of fun together. We have a big yard to play in but only go out to potty and play, this how it should be when you are a part of a family. I sleep in my own kennel at night or if I just need to get away from all of the day care kids my Mommy looks after, she is so wonderful that way! I love my naps and am really good about going to bed when my Mommy tells me to, I know she will have a good treat and sometimes she gives me one just for looking sweet. I had to learn not to jump on the furniture but I am a fast learner and try hard to please my Mommy.

I have a fun family, there is a boy in my house who is 2 ½ years old and he loves me very much. I like to give him lots of kisses. There is also a 17 year old girl and of course my Mommy and Daddy too. In addition to Roxy there are also 3 cats. My Mommy volunteers for the humane society in Wichita and she is always bringing home new friends for me to play with, right now I have a doggy friend named Blade who is a 1 ½ year old black Lab. I like to bark at the kittens she brings home but I never try to bite them I just want to see what they do because everyone is my friend. I tricked Mommy because I didn’t bark the first 2 months I lived here (tee hee hee). I come when I am called, walk well on a leash, learned to heal, wave, high five, and lay down on command. Who says you can’t teach an old dog new tricks! I am so amazing, my family is very happy I came to live with them and I am so happy the nice people at Caring Hands gave me a chance to find my new Mommy!

Mommy changed my name to Annie and I took to Annie right away, she says she named me that because I was dumped outside when my other family moved away.

Sincerely Annie (aka Angel)

I just celebrated one year with my new family, and I'm very happy. I was an older gal when I was adopted. I'm very thankful that I am being taken care of and have a new lease on life, as well as the opportunity to live out my remaining days with a family who loves me.

I still have chronic ear infections, but my mommy is very careful to check and treat my ears every day. My ears were permanently scarred before from not having them treated when needed. Now, they feel so much better! I couldn't ask for a fuller life. Thank you to all of you at Caring Hands for making sure I found a new family who loves me very much!!

Much Love - Angel

He stretched his front legs up ours and starting rubbing his paws on us just like my Toby used to do to everyone he met. I knew in that instant that he was the cat for us. He is still warming up to both of our dogs. My basset hound runs from him but the lab really wants to make friends as you will see in the picture. Max as he is now known at our house has taken over the basement with our son and they are great buds now.

I highly recommend anyone longing for an animal to first visit the shelters in there local area before going anywhere else!! Thank you so much for all the help you gave us when we came in. We will definitely be back in the future.

The Clines.