08/21/2025
Working at the shelter is my favorite thing I do all week- and this story and stories like it are what keep me coming back week after week.
Pick-Me-Up Story: 🖤When Love Comes Full Circle🖤
(In case you needed one today)
A few months ago, a family walked through the doors of Sammie's Friends and fell for one of our most amazing playgroup superstars. We were thrilled to see him go to what seemed like the perfect home.
Unfortunately at that time, our post-adoption support was just taking shape, and the new family found themselves overwhelmed by some typical transition stress behaviors. Despite their best intentions, they brought our boy back after just a few days.
But here's where the magic happened.
The dog had already claimed a special place in Mom's heart. She reached out to me directly, explaining what had happened and sharing something that made my day: "I really want to give this another try. I saw something special in (NAME). We're not giving up on him."
We worked together to create a comprehensive transition plan, complete with management strategies, enrichment ideas, and a support timeline. The following week, they returned—ready, prepared, and determined.
During the second adoption meeting, I'll admit I was focused mainly on Mom since she was clearly the driving force. Dad? Well, let's just say his body language screamed "this is her project" as he literally backed away whenever I tried to include him in the conversation. Classic reluctant adopter stance— I've seen it!
This time, everything clicked. They followed our protocols to the letter, stayed in regular contact, and (NAME) settled in beautifully with his new family.
Fast forward three months, and here's where the story gets really good.
(NAME) started joining us for morning playgroup about once a week because—get this—Dad wanted to make sure his boy got proper dog socialization time. Their other dog at home loves (NAME) but isn't much of a player, so Dad made it his mission to bring (NAME) in for some proper roughhousing with his canine buddies.
Through casual conversations with Mom, I learned something wonderful: Dad had completely fallen for this dog. Not only that, but he was now convinced that (NAME) needed a playmate. This former "it's her project" adopter had spent an entire month scouring every rescue and shelter in Northern California, determined to find (NAME) the perfect companion—specifically a (BREED TYPE) because he was convinced that's what (NAME) was and wanted another.
Yesterday brought the most beautiful plot twist.
Dad brought (NAME) in for his weekly playgroup session and watched him absolutely light up while playing with Stevie, one of our more... energetic adolescents.
Stevie's resume includes professional-level pogo stick impressions (seriously, this girl can bounce 3-4 times her own height) and a talent for scaling no-climb fencing that would make a parkour athlete jealous. She's incredibly sweet but definitely not what most people would call an "easy" adoption.
I watched Dad's face as he observed the two dogs together. The wheels were clearly turning.
Later that day, my phone buzzed with a text from Dad: "We're taking Stevie home on a foster-to-adopt trial for (NAME)."🥳🥳🥳
Not only did they already have all the right management tools in place—baby gates, barriers, enrichment toys, training plans—but they understood the importance of proper introductions, socialization schedules, and giving everyone space to decompress.
That evening, I received another text. This one was from Mom, and it contained a photo that reminded me exactly why we do this work🥹🥹🥹.
The real win here? A family who started as uncertain adopters became educated advocates for difficult-to-place dogs. They didn't just open their hearts—they opened their minds, learned our protocols, and became the kind of adopters every shelter dreams of: thoughtful, prepared, and committed to success.
Sometimes the best outcomes take a little longer to unfold, but they're worth every moment of patience and support we invest.
Dogs are here to teach us about ourselves. 🖤
