Kristie and Patrick adopted Molly (formerly Daisy) from Last Hope and it’s been a perfect match! Kristie was looking for a dog that could go through therapy dog training and her sister-in-law (Carol, who is on the Last Hope Board of Directors) pointed her toward Molly. Kristie works for the Domestic Violence Intervention Program in Iowa City and was hoping to find a dog who could potentially go through training to be a therapy dog that she could bring to the program. Enter Molly!

Because Kristie had a specific goal in mind, she tested Molly on a variety of things including tolerance for touching/petting/grabbing, how she behaved around other dogs, if she liked attention from a variety of people, and how she responded to unexpected noises/actions. Last Hope also encouraged Kristie to take Molly to an obedience class to see how they would interact in a learning environment. She also took Molly home for a couple weeks, after completing the application process, to see how well they bonded. Last Hope wants to find the perfect forever home for our animals so we were open and encouraging to this level of investigation to make sure Molly was the right dog for Kristie’s wants.

There was a short adjustment period once Molly came home with Kristie, which is expected. Molly was somewhat reactive to dogs while on a leash so Kristie and her husband worked on socializing her with other dogs. She was also quite a jumper and counter surfer but through training, she has made a dramatic turn-around. Now, when food is dropped on the floor, Molly waits to be told it’s okay to eat it before she makes a move.

Now that Molly is a family member, Kristie and Patrick think she is amazing! As you can see by the picture, she’s a Super Dog. She goes pretty much everywhere with them and also goes to Kristie’s office a couple times a week and to the shelter once a week. She is a staff favorite and when they’ve had a particularly rough experience, they declare that they need “Molly time.” Dee, a shelter staff member, says about Molly, “When Molly comes to our facility, faces of staff and clients alike light up.  She brings joy to everyone she interacts with, and so often assists us in helping someone feel as though there is hope when things are not going as planned.  We love Molly and are thankful that she has become a part of our work family.” Molly is still working on becoming a registered therapy dog (she’s still a little young and rambunctious).

Molly loves to be petted, belly rubs are a must, and she can run like the wind. Her favorite time to cuddle is first thing in the morning which Kristie says makes it difficult to get up and get to work! Chasing tennis balls is her absolute favorite thing to do and her new thing is to chase the ball into the water. They take her camping where there is a lake and she can’t wait for them to throw the ball into the water for her to chase. She has also taken to boating and feeling the wind on her face!

We LOVE hearing all the happy tails but one like this really warms our hearts. Kristie and Patrick examined their own needs and wants and took the time to find a dog that could fulfill them. Sometimes people get frustrated because adopting an animal is not as fast as going into a pet store and buying one. It’s a process because we care about the animals and want to find the perfect forever home for each animal. That takes a certain amount of time and forethought.

We wholeheartedly thank Kristie and Patrick for taking the time and introspection it takes to successfully add a new family member into the mix. What a great happy tail and what a great forever home for Molly! She has a purpose and a family who loves her – what more could a dog ask for?