Our Volunteer of the Month for June 2018 is hard-working Melinda Kadera!
Melinda has volunteered for Last Hope since 2013 when she heard about us through her sister. When she first started she did a lot of transports of dogs coming from other states to Last Hope. She also helped clean kennels in Solon, back before the Adoption Center was purchased.
When she purchased a house she was excited to start fostering dogs and has fostered five since 2015. Her first foster dog, Diamond, stayed with her for about two years and she was so happy and excited to help her find her forever home. Melinda also helps get monetary contributions from family, friends, and her workplace.
My name’s Skeeter and I’m a good ol’ hound dog with lots of love to give! I’m around two years old, and I love to be outside and enjoy the fresh air in true hound dog style. I am looking for a forever home that is active and will give me lots of new experiences. I’m hoping for someone who will take me on lots of walks and teach me new tricks, too! I like other dogs, but I’m not a big fan of cats…they seem fun to chase anyway! Kids are great, but only if they like a big lovable guy like me.
Skeeter’s adoption fee is $250 which includes neuter surgery, being up to date on vaccinations, a microchip, and a free obedience class. If you’re interested in Skeeter, please complete an application 
Blackie has the cutest and most inquisitive face! She loves to roll over belly-up and knead her paws in the air, especially in a ray of sunshine. She loves to be petted and goes crazy for catnip. She’s very playful and will be seen often with a play mouse in her mouth. Blackie is very timid and shy yet is very gentle and lets you pick her up without any protest. She has one of the loudest purrs we’ve heard. She is very good with other cats and children but would need an adjustment period to rambunctious children. Loud noises tend to make her hide.
Panther has the softest and the silkiest fur and loves to have it petted and groomed. If you’re looking for a cat who is constantly in the same room as you, this is your girl! She will follow you around everywhere, including curling up by your feet to keep you warm at night. She loves to watch the birds out the window and enjoys stalking ladybugs in the hot sun on the window. She doesn’t protest being picked up and would rather sit next to you verses on your lap. Panther is very playful and is constantly moving her toys in different areas of her foster mom’s house.
Hi, my name is Simba! I came all the way from Texas to find a home since there are so many homeless dogs down there. I’m so grateful to the folks who got me here and to Last Hope for finding me a great foster home. I can’t wait to meet my new family! I am housebroken and crate trained. I love to be a part of the group and I do well with all sized dogs (I’ve never met a cat). I love to play and run and I have a lot of energy. While I’m not playing, I love to cuddle up with my humans. A belly rub and a lap to lay my head on are my two favorite things in the world!
If you want a loyal, loving companion and a playmate for your kids (2- and 4-legged) then I’m your man. I might be a little too strong for small children, though. Because I spent a lot of time outside in Texas and didn’t receive any heartworm preventives, I contracted mild heartworm disease. But since I’m so young, I handled the treatment like a champ and will make a full recovery. Last Hope will pay for another heartworm test this summer to make sure that I am heartworm-free.
Do you like friendly, outgoing boys? If so, then you should come meet Buddy (2)! Buddy is just three years old and excitedly waiting for his furr-ever home. This boy is right there at the door waiting to say hello when you enter his room. He loves to be the center of attention and will be there right by your side to talk to you. But as soon as you throw a toy, he’s racing across the room 
to snatch it up! Buddy will make a great lap kitty, a cuddler, and the best feline companion for you! He’s even an explorer, often an escape artist (out of his room), and a playful boy too! He gets along great with the other kitties in his room. Buddy is purr-fect, all he’s missing is you!
Howdy folks, Rover here! I’m a 2-year-old Texas boy, pit mix, who was recently transported to this here wonderful state of Iowa! I am about 60 pounds, a playful pup, I love being with my people, and am house trained. I even know a couple of commands (sit, come, working on stay).
be getting along just fine! All the folks I’ve met so far have been so very nice to me and my foster family keeps telling me what a good, sweet, handsome boy I am – will you let me show you how sweet and loving I can be to you by giving me a furever home? This ol’ boy would greatly appreciate it!
Dodger is a petite kitty rescued from a hoarding situation in Iowa. Her previous owner moved and left her and many other kitties on the property. She was rescued and taken to Last Hope at the end of March. She took immediately to her foster mom and furry siblings. She is a very loving girl that will always cuddle. She gets 
along very well with the other cats in her foster home. She also does well on her own, but really loves human interaction. She would do best in a home that wants a lot of attention and love from a pet.
The rescue Barb was with wanted to downsize the number of cats they took in. Waterloo had a huge need for a no-kill rescue to help save the lives of feral kittens, along with many other cats/kittens, so in talking with her good friend and fellow cat rescuer, Terese Evans, they decided to ask Lori if LHAR would be interested in expanding their rescue efforts to include the Cedar Valley area…Waterloo, Cedar Falls and surrounding areas in Black Hawk County. After meeting with the LHAR Board in January 2017, a few months later they started rescuing kitties locally!
Barb loves taking pictures of her fosters and editing them and has taken pictures of almost all animals rescued in her area, as well as a few from Cedar Rapids. She loves to write creative biographies for the profiles of the fosters she is familiar with. She is also the Cat Lead for the Cedar Valley fosters.
on the 1st Wednesday of the month, where she talks about LHAR and features pictures of pets and events we are holding. She will soon be on the radio the 3rd Wednesday of the month, too.
She and her husband have two rescue dogs: Whiskey is a ‘Color- Headed White’ purebred Sheltie who is now 10 years old (he was rescued from a puppy mill auction), and three-year-old Yogi Bear is a Terrier mix who taught Whiskey how to be a dog! They also have a 16-year-old Maine Coon named Smokey, a 14-year old Blue Point Birman named Jumanji, and a 10-year old Maine Coon mix named Bakari. Barb has lost count of the number of kitties she has rescued since 2009, but is sure she has fostered close to 300 cats/kittens and 3 dogs – and they have a special place in her heart!
I’m Goliath and I’m looking for a loving home where I can stay permanently because I’ve been moved around a lot recently. I can be a bit shy why you first meet me but once I’ve warmed up to you, I love to have my head and ears rubbed. My foster mom and dad say I’m a real catch and someone better scoop me up! They call me Buddy and think I’m about the best dog ever. They have a physically fenced in yard and it really is my favorite so I’d like a forever home with the same so I can have some space outside to explore. I tend to wander off if I don’t have a fence so it’s pretty important! I perk up 
instantly if you get a treat bag and I’ll be a very patient boy and sit for the treat you give me! I like older kids (12+) and other dogs that have a laid back personality like me, but I certainly wouldn’t complain if you wanted me to be your one and only dog.
My name is Zelda and I’m looking for my forever family! I am a young female German Shepherd mix, I know basic commands like “sit” and few fun ones like “left” and “right,” but I would love to meet a new family that has dog experience and can work with me on learning even more commands. I am looking for a family with a fenced yard, I don’t mind older kids (12 years and older) and I think I might be okay with one other dog, but I do like to be the dog 
in charge and get all the attention -haha. I’m not a big fan of riding in the car so crating me is how I prefer to travel, so my new family should really like to go for walks to help me get some exercise.