Cat of the Week: Josie

Julia D Cat of the Week

Josie is a sweet girl presently staying at the Last Hope Adoption Center. Josie can be sassy but also has a friendly side to her as well. She loves a good pet on the head. After a sniff of your hand, Josie will enjoy any attention you give her! She may need an introduction period for other furry friends and will need someone who will have patience toward her. Josie can be a playful girl too! Won’t you please considering meeting Josie, to see if she could be your lifelong furry companion?

Josie’s adoption fee is $85 which includes spay surgery, a microchip, and being up to date on vaccinations. If you’re interested in this cutie, please complete an application HERE or email adoptions@adopthope.org.

Dog of the Week: Kahli

Julia D Dog of the Week

Hi, my name is Kahli and I’m about a year old.  I’m looking for a family to love.   I’m a sweet ball of energy.  I have a big personality and I love to be where the action is.  I love to jump, run and play, but I’m happy just laying on the couch, too.  I am great with all kids and dogs my size or bigger.  I am alert, attentive and listen to commands.  I am crate-trained and housebroken.  I don’t get cranky about my food or toys.  If you’re looking for a dog that is young and spunky, I’m your pup!

Kahli’s adoption fee is $300 which includes spay surgery, being up to date on vaccinations, a microchip, and a free obedience class. If you’re interested in this adorable girl, please complete an application HERE or email adoptions@adopthope.org.

Cats of the Week: Hakuna and Matata

Julia D Cat of the Week

Hakuna Matata!  What a Wonderful phrase!   Hakuna Matata!  Ain’t no passing craze! It means… NO WORRIES – for the rest of your days!  It’s our problem free… philosophy.. HAKUNA MATATA! If you are a fan of the Disney movie The Lion King, or the hit Broadway musical, you probably just sang those words, didn’t ya!?  When these two adorable kittens were rescued along with their (feral?) mama, after having been spotted in the bushes near a walkway near the UNI campus, we said right away… Hey sweeties… No worries, for the rest of your days!  SO… We have our very own HAKUNA & MATATA, rescued right here in the Cedar Valley area – not from the savannah plains of Africa!

Their amazing Bengal like fur coat is soft as silk!  The brown Tabby and white markings are stunning!  They really do resemble jungle cats!  The only way we’ve been able to tell them apart until we got to know them was, Hakuna has a PINK NOSE and a wide white blaze up his nose – and Matata has a BROWN NOSE, with a darling hour-glass shaped white blaze up her nose!  Plus Matata was a bit hissy, which Hakuna has never been!   Hakuna is a very sweet boy and was easier to work with right from the start.  He came in with a sore on his neck, and originally it looked like an injury starting to heal so he was given medication and a Convenia shot to help it heal.  However, it never healed completely and he had to eventually have surgery on it.  We never really figured out what it was, but the testing proved nothing contagious or dangerous to his health, and it is completely healed now!   He is gentle and purrs easily and likes to be held or snuggle up around your chest/throat – where he was cuddled when he was little.  He loves to play with toys and cuddle with Matata!  SO much so, that we want them ADOPTED TOGETHER because they are very bonded!  Hakuna may do fine by himself, but we really think Matata would do much better if adopted with her brother!

Hakuna has grown SO MUCH and is a lot bigger than Matata; she looks really petite beside him now!  But don’t let that fool you – she can/will hold her own!! They will probably do fine with another cat if properly introduced, but you will want to keep them in a separate room for a couple of weeks so they can acclimate to the sights, sounds, and smells of their new home.  Introduce to any new pets slowly.  They didn’t mind the friendly small dog who came in to visit them – Hakuna really liked Yogi – but Matata was a bit more reserved.  They will probably do fine with a friendly, nonaggressive dog if properly introduced, too.

Matata was very attached to her mama when rescued, and she was quite the little hissy kitten and so ‘fierce’!  She never tried to bite or smack at you, but she would lay those ears back and hiss up a storm!  We could easily pick her up, but she wasn’t very content and took the first opportunity to fly out of our arms and back into her cage!  She would hide so you couldn’t pick her up, too.  But after awhile, she finally wore down, and ‘lo and behold, now she is sweet as pie, talks to her foster mom all the time, wants attention and to be petted (especially down her back and up her tail!), and doesn’t mind being picked up and held now!  She loves to bat at hanging toys, and loves to chase and romp with Hakuna – her bestest buddy!  And OH how she loves to cuddle with him!

They really haven’t been around young children, and we think older children who are used to being around cats would be a better fit than little ones, as they may scare them. They were probably born in late July or early August 2017, so they are about 7 months old as of Feb. 1, 2018.

If you’re interested in Hakuna and Matata, please complete an application HERE or email adoptions@adopthope.org.

Dog of the Week: Lucy

Julia D Dog of the Week

Hi, I am Lucy! I am about 4.5 years old and I am full of energy and am looking for a family that is as active as I am. I love people and give them lots of kisses too. I love to ride in the car and go for walks and I am super good at both! I don’t like cats or chickens so they definitely can’t be in my home.  I require a privacy fenced yard to run in and burn off some energy! I would need the kids in my home to be at least 12 years old.  I am smart too! I know some people words like sit and shake. I am certain you can teach me lots more too.  I am sure you will want to take me home with you the minute we meet!

The adoption fee for Lucy is $250 which includes spay surgery, being up to date on vaccinations, a microchip, and a free obedience class. If you’re interested in Lucy, please complete an application HERE or email adoptions@adopthope.org.

Cat of the Week: Mercy

Julia D Cat of the Week

Hello, my name is Mercy! I am about 1 1/2 years old and I am a beautiful brown Tabby with gorgeous green eyes. I was rescued a few months after having had a litter of kittens in the boiler room of one of the local hospitals in Waterloo! I’d been hanging around there for awhile, and people would feed me, and it was sure nice to have a safe place to have my babies INSIDE. When they got a little bigger, one of the people at the hospital took my babies home. Somehow I had injured my foot, and I would dart away from people and always stayed a distance away but I was always curious. Once my babies were gone, I ran back outside but hung around because I was familiar with the place… I was so thankful that once again they started putting food out for me after I came back outside!

Luckily some kind volunteers from Last Hope set a couple of traps out in the patio area where the employees could go outside to eat, and I finally couldn’t resist that yummy food they put in there. I was pretty thankful they rescued me! They have taken great care of me and I have shown my gratitude many times. I have what is called a Brachial Plexas of the foot… it means I have a permanent injury that damaged the nerves and it cannot be repaired. My paw curls under, but I can still get around OK. I probably caught my paw on something and pulled too hard, which damaged those nerves ~ the hazards of being an outdoor kitty! My foster mom calls me a ‘Sweet Dolly’ and we like each other… A LOT!

Mercy’s adoption fee is $85 which includes spay surgery, being up to date on vaccinations, and a microchip. If you’re interested in Mercy, please complete an application HERE or email adoptions@adopthope.org.

Volunteers of the Month: Kayla and Anthony Manning

Julia D Volunteer of the Month

Kayla and Popeye

Kayla and Anthony Manning have been volunteering for Last Hope for about a year and a half after Anthony, who worked at a doggy daycare center, heard from one of their clients about the good work Last Hope does.

Anthony and Olive

They began by fostering dogs until May of 2017 when they foster “failed” with their dog, Popeye (formerly Cooper). During that time they fostered six dogs. Kayla is now finishing up full-time schooling toward becoming a nurse so they don’t have the time to commit to foster at this time but they hope to open their home to fosters again later this year.

Domino

In addition to fostering dogs, they also help run the adoption events in Coralville and help out at the Cedar Rapids adoption events when they’re able. They’ve helped with transports, medication drop-offs, and home visits in their area.

JJ

When asked why they like to volunteer for Last Hope Kayla said, “We have both always been dog lovers. We both grew up with dogs…and for both of us, they are the best part of coming home at the end of the day. We are both strong rescue advocates, and when we first got involved with Last Hope it really meant a lot to us that Last Hope is a no-kill animal rescue. We chose to volunteer at Last Hope

Willa

because we appreciate the time and attention given to finding the perfect family for each animal. The foster program is by far our favorite part of volunteering for Last Hope…to see dogs that have come from neglect and abuse…to finding their forever family and knowing what it’s like to be unconditionally loved is what it’s all about for us.”

Amber

Kayla and Anthony live in the Iowa City area with their two dogs, Popeye and Olive, and their two cats, Josh and Dazzle. All their pets are rescues, of course.

“We love all animals and encourage others to consider extending the same kindness and compassion given to dogs, to every animal.”

Thank you, Kayla and Anthony, for all you do for the animals! From opening your home to foster dogs, to spending your free time at adoption events – we appreciate your hard work.

Happy Tail: Selene (fka Riviera)

Julia D Happy Tails

Terri, her husband Jay, and their cat Coal adopted Selene (formerly Riviera) recently and all are doing really well. Terri heard about Last Hope from a couple co-workers who spoke highly of the organization. Terri and Jay were looking for an addition to their family after they had to say goodbye to their cat, Asche around Thanksgiving of 2017. They attended a cat adoption event in December and rather than them picking a cat, Selene picked them. Normally shy and timid, she came right up to Jay and the decision was made!

They began the adoption process and say they were impressed with how thorough the process was. When Selene first went home with them, they kept her in a separate room from their cat, Coal. They let Selene out a couple times to explore the rest of the condo and each time she found her way into the interior of a reclining love seat which took some creative extraction techniques to get her out of! But she is all settled in now and everyone is getting along great.

Terri says that knowing how shy all the Last Hope volunteers said Selene was, they would be surprised by how active, playful, and attention-seeking she is now that she is in her forever home. She’s not afraid to call to them from other rooms or run into the room at full-tilt with a toy in her mouth looking for someone to play with.

There are many things to like about Selene but a couple of them are the cooing sound she makes when she wants attention or is happy and how smart she is. Just from observing Coal sitting and waiting for a treat, Selene learned to do the same. She enjoys playing with a laser light with Jay, she likes to annoy and play with Coal, she loves to carry around toys and call loudly and proudly that she’s made a “kill,” and she enjoys sitting in the cat tree in front of the patio door and watching the sparrows outside.

Terri says, “To everyone who thinks black cats are unlucky, we highly disagree!  Our two black cats, Coal and now Selene, have brought much joy and happiness to our lives. It’s easy for us to see why the ancient Egyptians revered and worshiped all cats including black ones!”

It’s obvious Selene picked the right family! Thank you, Terri, Jay, and Coal for opening your home and hearts to Selene.

Dog of the Week: Jasmine

Julia D Dog of the Week

Hello, I’m Jasmine and I am a Texas girl looking for my new home in Iowa! BTW – still getting used to this Iowa weather. Whew, it’s cold!  I would love to snuggle on a warm couch with you! I love people and kids too! I am not so fond of cats though.

I can be a little selective of my doggie friends because I like getting all the attention, but I may like a calmer, submissive doggy friend.  I love treats and getting lots of attention.  And I am the best at giving kisses too!

Jasmine’s adoption fee is $250 which includes spay surgery, being up to date on vaccinations, a microchip, and a free obedience class. If you’re interested in Jasmine, please complete an application HERE or email adoptions@adopthope.org.

Dog of the Week: Shadow

Julia D Dog of the Week

Hi, I’m Shadow!  I am a nearly 4-year-old lab mix and I’m convinced I’m a lapdog! I love to be with people, but I’m very well behaved in a really big crate when home left home alone.  I really like other dogs, but I need a home of my very own because I’m not the best at sharing. I am curious about cats and chase them a little, but have gotten along pretty well with everyone that I have met so far!  I LOVE to play and will “hound” you until you finally put my toys away or wear me out!  I really like walks and living with someone who is active with me and likes to run/walk would be a really good match for me, but not required as long as you’re willing to play a few times a day! I can jump really high, so a tall fence is a good idea in my forever home.  I’m a pretty big boy and I really like to play, so kids over the age of 10 are best.

The adoption fee for Shadow is $250 which includes neuter surgery, being up to date on vaccinations, a microchip, and a free obedience class. If you’re interested in Shadow, please complete an application HERE or email adoptions@adopthope.org.

Cat of the Week: Mufasa

Julia D Cat of the Week

Hi, I am Mufasa. I am a good looking mature male tabby cat. I enjoy bird watching and sunbathing from the perfect window seat. I get along ok with other cats but would do best with a kitty who is more submissive. I would do good with kids but I just need to get to know them. I am a cat that wants to be attached to one caretaker. I enjoy having my hair brushed and don’t mind a good head rub. I am currently living with my foster mom, but would love to go to a forever home! I am more on the reserved side but my foster mom say’s  I’m becoming more affectionate and playful!

Mufasa’s adoption fee is $85 which includes neuter surgery, being up to date on vaccinations, and a microchip. If you’re interested in Mufasa, please complete an application HERE or email adoptions@adopthope.org.