Cat of the Week: Sabrina

Julia D Cat of the Week

Sabrina is a beautiful long haired black cat. Sabrina can be a little shy but is quickly opening up. She is curious about toys and loves to play. Sabrina gets along great with other cats and may do better in a home with another one. She is learning that cuddling is a good thing.

Sabrina’s adoption fee is $85 and includes spay surgery, being up to date on vaccinations, and a microchip with free lifetime registration.

If this beauty tickles your fancy, please complete an adoption application HERE.

Cat of the Week: Josie

Julia D Cat of the Week

Josie is a very special little girl.  We like to say she is quirky, but Josie is so loved by the people who take care of the cats.  Josie needs someone who can be very patient with her because she can’t be forced to do anything.  She came from a horrible hoarding situation which was bad enough then early 2019 her best buddy in the world passed away.  Things are really hard for Josie.  It is hard for her to make connections, but she does try.

Mid-November 2019 she moved into a foster home.  She spent the first 3 months hiding in a variety of places.  She found a space above the refrigerator to hide in first.  Then she found a hiding place in a bedroom.  After she was finally convinced that it would be ok to come out from there, she spent 3 weeks hiding in a corner of the utility room.  After that she spent about 2 months hiding in boxes with lids.  Then one day she suddenly decided to come out in the living room.  As her foster mama I share all of this with you to help you understand that with Josie it is going to take time, patience and verbal encouragement.

I was successful in the early days of breaking a couple of bad habits of swatting and hissing when being stroked. It was like she wanted to be stroked, but didn’t know how she should respond to it. It took only one week to break her of her bad habit which shows how intelligent Josie is.  Josie would be happier in a home with no other animals and definitely no kids, but if there is another cat in the home, she just wants them to leave her alone.  Josie is now spending time in a cat tree in the living area happily sleeping the day away.  She will come to me now and if she wants to be stroked, she will head butt my arm or hands.  She definitely dislikes being picked up and held.  Currently, she is not one to sit on a lap, but this week for the first time (March 26) she actually walked across my lap so maybe that is something she will work her way to in the future.  Maybe one day if there are no other animals in the home she may decide that a lap might not be such a bad thing.  One never knows because Josie continues to surprises her foster mom. When living at the rescue she was a much happier girl when she was finally given a tower of her own to live in.  Even the volunteers at the center loved her for her quirkiness.

Josie’s adoption fee is $85 and includes spay surgery, being up to date on vaccinations, and a microchip with free lifetime registration.

If you have some patience to give a wonderful cat time to become her best self, please complete an adoption application HERE.

Cat of the Week: Suzanna

Julia D Cat of the Week

Suzanna is a quiet, sometimes shy girl who loves a good cuddle. She does well with other cats and would love a home of her own!

She was born in October of 2018 and her adoption fee is $85. The adoption fee includes spay surgery, being up to date on vaccinations, and a microchip with free lifetime registration.

If Suzanna sounds like the kitty for you, please complete an adoption application HERE.

Happy Tails: Lucy and Charlie

Julia D Happy Tails

Rob, Donetta, Jordan, and Leona adopted two dogs from Last Hope in 2017: Lucy and Charlie.

Charlie, formerly Scruffy, was adopted first and there was quite an adjustment period because he had a rough past. He didn’t know how to go up and down stairs, he was scared of everything and everyone, he wouldn’t take treats, he scattered his food, and he wasn’t house trained. The family knew they would have to be patient and earn his trust. They took it slow with him and he slowly came around. They took advantage of the free obedience class that comes with adoption and got advice from the trainer about how to house train him and he did catch on finally. They took it slow and now he is a different dog. He loves being rubbed all over, the family calls it his “massages” and he gets a couple every day. The once scared and skittish dog now loves to be loved and held. He likes to show off and run in the yard. He steals treats from his dog sister and teases her with them. He’s just a totally different dog now and the family is glad they took the time and had the patience to help him come out of his shell.

Adopting Lucy, formerly Lucy Lou, was a different experience. They were looking for a smaller dog and they had Beagles in the past so Lucy caught their eye. When she came into their home she followed the other dogs and went outside to go potty and learned the ropes from them. She didn’t care to be kenneled when they left the house but she learned to tolerate it and knows now that they won’t be gone for long and she’ll get a treat for going into the crate. She likes to run in the yard, play with toys, and bully Charlie. She is either going at top speed or sleeping; there’s no in-between. She loves to lay in the sun and trick Leona out of her chair. But she’s so loveable that they let her get away with it.

Two adoptions, two very different experiences bringing them into their home. No matter what kind of past the pet has had, it takes some time for them to adjust to a new home life and the adoptive family needs to have patience and trust that it will all work out. We are so happy that Charlie found this family because they knew just what to do – go slow, have patience, and just love him through it all. Both dogs are doing great and loving their forever family! Thank you Rob, Donetta, Jordan, and Leona for loving Charlie and Lucy and giving them a happily ever after.

Dog of the Week: Bruce (aka Henry)

Julia D Dog of the Week

My name is Henry and I was picked up as a stray in Tama where they first called me Roscoe and then Bruce, but my foster mom thought I looked more like a Henry so that’s been my name.  I was scheduled to be euthanized and Last Hope Animal Rescue literally saved me!

I am a 6-8-year-old chihuahua mix, weighing in at a whopping 7 pounds!   I have been with my foster family since September and they adore me!   I have a snarky little chihuahua attitude sometimes, but I’m generally extremely sweet. It is very important that if you adopt me you understand that you have to approach me with caution as I have a tendency to get snippy if I am surprised, have to do something that scares me or that I don’t understand.  My foster mom can teach you what to do so that that doesn’t happen and how easy it is to keep me happy!

I get along with the other dogs in my family, both large and small, although the bigger ones do make me a little nervous.  I do not pay any attention to cats in my house and do not cause any trouble with them at all. I do bark when people come to the door or walk by with a four-legged friend, but I am easily quieted when I realize that everyone is safe and I have protected my family.    I am housebroken and go outside with my dog friends whenever I’m told.  I also let my family know if I have to go by dancing around.  I LOVE to chase the little tennis balls that squeak and I have my favorite squeaky bunny that I love to play with!  I really like having a soft blanket to curl up in and I like to sleep under the covers with one of my family members all night long.  My family thinks that I am so sweet and cuddly and they already have fallen in love with me!  I would be best suited for a family with children over 14 who understand that I am small and need to be handled gently.

Bruce’s adoption fee is $250 and includes neuter surgery, being up to date on vaccinations and preventives, a microchip with free lifetime registration, and a free obedience class.

If you’d like a little dog with a little bit of attitude, please complete an adoption application HERE.

Volunteers of the Month: John and Linda Pisney

Julia D Volunteer of the Month

Every nonprofit organization has that core group of volunteers who have stuck with them through thick and thin and are always there when needed. Two members of that group for Last Hope are John and Linda Pisney. They have been volunteering for almost five years and have helped us out in so many ways.

They’ve been coming in two times a week for the last five years to care for the dogs at the Adoption Center. Linda also processes adoption applications for dogs that stay at the Center and Cedar Run. She helps with office work one day a week by scanning documents and entering data into the computer. We’ve kept John busy with projects around the Center including painting, building platforms for the cats, installing a misting system for the dogs in the yard, putting up shelves in different areas, repairing panels in the dog runs, recycling the cardboard from the Center, power washing, and whatever he sees that needs to be done around the place. His next project is to repair the dog platforms that they play on.

Of course, things have changed since COVID-19 came on the scene. They have been staying home for the last two weeks and they miss the dogs and the work terribly. They hope this will all be over soon and things can return to normal.

What would we do without these two powerhouses? We don’t want to know! We so appreciate all they do and their willingness to jump in and help. Thank you, John and Linda!

Cat of the Week: Sully

Julia D Cat of the Week

Hello, I’m Sully!  I am small for my age but gaining weight fast. I can keep up with my foster brothers that are twice as big as me. I will beat you to bed at night and cuddle you so hard. Toys that move are my thing, oh and if it’s a laser pointer I’ll play for hours. I do get along with other cats and dogs.

Sully’s adoption fee is $100 and includes neuter surgery, being up to date on vaccinations, and a microchip with free lifetime registration.

If this little guy seems like the right guy for you, please complete an adoption application HERE.

 

Dog of the Week: Velma

Julia D Dog of the Week

The name given to me by the amazing people that saved me is Velma, but my foster mom did not think I looked like a Velma, so I became Sophie.  I am a 2-3-year-old, black and tan coonhound; I currently weigh in at about 60 lbs. and I am approximately 24″ to the shoulders. I definitely have a LOT of hound characteristics as I always have my nose to the ground. I have at some point had litters but I am scheduled to be spayed in March.  I am 90% housebroken and my foster family is working very hard to get me to 100%.  My foster mom says I am extremely smart as I learned “SIT” in about 15  minutes!

I am learning to play with the other dogs in my family and I love to run in the yard.  I have the characteristic hound bark/bay and I could easily scare away anything that I thought was going to come into my yard.  I definitely need at least a 4′ fence, as I can jump really high.  I do not bark when the doorbell rings or someone knocks, but I do meet two-legged friends with lots of love and snuggles. I do not have any issues with other dogs and I don’t bother the two kitties in my house.  I like to think I am a lap dog sometimes and snuggling with the teenager in my foster family is one of my favorite things to do! I even get to sleep in her bed with her every night!  I do not like it when dogs come near me when I’m eating and it’s best to just feed me away from everyone else or I get kind of growly.  I would be an excellent addition to any family, big or small, and I would love to be a permanent part of yours!

Velma’s adoption fee is $250 and includes spay surgery, being up to date on vaccinations and preventives, a microchip with free lifetime registration, and a free obedience class.

If Velma sounds like the hound for you, please complete an adoption application HERE.

Cat of the Week: Earnie

Julia D Cat of the Week

Hi, I’m Earnie I love to talk but still not sure about being held. My foster mom is working with me and I am slowly learning to like it. I like to play with toys, the ones that make noise are my favorite. My foster mom says I’m short and fluffy but hey aren’t we all? I would prefer to eat alone, please. I do get along with older and younger cats. I haven’t seen a dog before so I don’t really know if I like them. Earnie was born in July of 2019.

Earnie’s Baby Picture

Earnie’s adoption fee is $100 and includes neuter surgery, being up to date on vaccinations, and a microchip with free lifetime registration.

If you’d like to give Earnie a last name, please complete an adoption application HERE.

 

Dogs of the Week: Maisy and Ryler

Julia D Dog of the Week

Hi, my name is Maisy and my best friend is Ryler.  I am 9 and he is 13. I am very playful and like to play with the dogs that live in our foster home.  My best friend Ryler is not very active but is very lovable. Ryler does have a medical condition but he is on medications that keep him feeling fine. We would really like to be adopted together.

We get along with other dogs but have not been cat tested. We like to cuddle under the covers at night and we are told we are both very sweet.  We do well with children, but because we are so small, it would be best if we were in a home with children over the age of 10.  When it’s cold outside, we prefer to do our business on puppy pads, and are currently trained to use them.

The adoption fee includes neuter and spay surgeries, being up to date on vaccinations and preventives, microchips with free lifetime registration, and a free obedience class.

If you would like to take these cuties home, please complete an adoption application HERE.