Success Stories
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Spank came to me in a very low point in my life. I had become a widow and was very depressed and lonely. I went to the shelter and saw Spank and he looked like he was as sad as I was. He started to talk to me and I knew he was mine. He has brought such joy to my life; no one will ever know how much.
My Fiancé Ashley and I picked up a tiny black lab puppy from the Humane Society back in March of 2008. She was one of 2 sisters who had been brought in from the side of the road. From what they could tell, both were only about 8 weeks old. We took both of them into the play room to see how they would react to us. One had quite a bit of energy, while the other was a bit more skittish. The skittish one did come right over and sat under our feet. We could tell she just wanted protection. We both decided that this was the one.
We named her Lily, and took her home that day. From the minute we got her home she jumped right in to life with us. She was very playful and got along great with our other Chihuahua puppy. After a few weeks she got sick, but the Humane Society had provided us with a medical insurance plan to help cover costs, so we had that peace of mind for her treatment.
Lily has improved greatly. She is a very energetic young puppy that continues to grow. She is incredibly intelligent and is learning what to do and what not to do. She is a beautiful dog, and is always getting compliments from people who see her down at the dog park or just walking around. She is a great dog, and we are so glad that she has become part of our family.
I went to the Greenville Humane Society looking for a dog to rescue and found a ten-week old lab mix puppy named Dakota. He had already been adopted and returned just two weeks later because his owners couldn’t keep him. He didn’t really know his name yet so I renamed him Cooper since he was getting a new start. I knew he was the one for me because he sat calmly in his crate and let me pet him and when I walked away he started whining for me to come back. It was relatively inexpensive to adopt him and he was already neutered with his first shots and de-worming. He got into the normal puppy trouble but he’s grown into an amazing dog.
Today is Cooper’s 3rd birthday (as best as I can guess from his age at the time of adoption) and he is one of the coolest, sweetest, and healthiest dogs I’ve ever met or owned. He’s incredibly smart with tons of personality and loves to go hiking and swimming or just lounge beside me on the couch. I can’t imagine life without him and I don’t see any reason why I would ever get another dog without rescuing one from a shelter.
On January 26, 2008, we decided it was time to add another member to our new family. We headed to the Humane Society to begin what we thought would be a long process—just “window shopping” for the afternoon. We both agreed that an adult dog would be our best fit, so we headed straight to the adult kennels. Each kennel was occupied with at least two and sometimes four dogs. Some tried harder than others to impress us.
This time, unlike any of our previous visits, we decided to test drive a few of them. The first two were friendly enough but ill-suited to our low energy lifestyle. It seemed as though we had struck out this time. On our way out, two hounds stared patiently up at us. They weren't barking, they weren't jumping, and they had fully mastered the pathetic look. The staff told us their story, that these two hounds were found wandering on the side of the road somewhere in Travelers Rest. The staff had named them Aaron and Aaliyah. So “Aaron” got fitted with a leash, and we headed out for a walk. He was a perfect fit—calm, attentive and very interested in us.
He is mostly coonhound, but we guess that he's also part basset hound because of his big droopy ears. There were no arguments about what to call him, we named him Copper. The first few days were surprisingly easy. He slept a lot, and he was the most mellow dog ever. We made sure to take him with us virtually everywhere (including our offices) so that he would understand that we didn't plan to leave him.
Copper is learning to fetch, and he gives high fives. And he snuggles better than anyone else.
We love our Copper, and wouldn't trade him for anything.
I love my "divorce" cat, Nellie Francine Fishpaw, who I got at a rough time in my life. Not only did she cheer me up, but she comforted my lab, Sarah, while Sarah was ill with cancer. Nellie gives great hugs, is a chirping, talking cat and she loves to play even though she isn't a kitten anymore.
Here is a photo of 6-year-old Tacoma, a redbone coonhound mix. My husband Bobby and I got him from the Greenville Humane Society when we were dating. In August of 2002 Bobby’s dog Cooler died. He had Cooler since childhood and he was a great companion.
That October, we decided he needed another companion to love as much as Cooler. And we knew there were plenty of dogs out there who needed someone to love them. So we decided to go to the Greenville Humane Society to find a new friend. Almost immediately after walking into the adoption area we knew which dog was the one for us. Tacoma was about two months old and he watched us the entire time as we walked around. He laid in the back of his cage looking as sad as he possibly could while all of the other dogs barked and jumped around (he knew what he was doing).
So, we went back to Bobby’s house to get the money to buy him. Neither one of us had the money and no one was around to lend us the money. But we knew we had to get it from somewhere. So, we turned up all the couch cushions and looked in every corner of the house and we took all of the money he had in his wallet. We went to my house and I got all of the money I had in my change jar and we turned up all of the couch cushions there, too. We put all of that change into a bucket (having no clue of how much we had) and headed down to the Coinstar at BI-LO. We had just a little over $65 dollars. It was exactly $65 dollars to buy Tacoma. It was meant to be.
We went back to the Greenville Humane Society and adopted him. They gave us a free bag of dog food (which we desperately needed after scrounging up all of the funds from our houses) and we took Tacoma home. He sat on the floor board looking up at me with big “thank you” eyes. I never grew up having a dog, only cats. But at this moment I became a dog person, too. Tacoma is still with us today enjoying his big backyard and full of energy - far from the sulky little puppy in the cage.
I adopted my little man, Raleigh, from the Greenville Humane Society in 2005. I wanted a dog and would go to the Humane Society during my lunch break every now and then just to see what kind of puppies were there. I had to be careful what kind of dog I got because of my allergies but I knew I wanted to adopt a dog rather than buying an expensive pure breed. One day I went during my lunch break and I looked around and then I saw this small puppy in one of the crates. I walked over and he lifted his paw up at me like he wanted to shake my hand (which is a trick he now does for a treat) and that is all it took. I went back after work that same day and adopted him. He is the best dog ever and I love him to death.
He was easy to potty train and he is very smart. He can sit, shake and lay down but he also has an amazing memory and can associate words like no other dog I have seen. I can say just one word and he knows exactly what I’m talking about. If I say “hoof” he goes and gets his pig hoof (his favorite thing to chew on), if I say “ball” he goes and gets the tennis ball, if ask him if he wants to “go” he runs straight for the car, if I ask him if he wants to “walk” he goes to the drawer where his leash is. I can even say “Charleston”, or “lake”, or “Poppa and Nana” and he goes to the car because he knows we are going to Charleston, or the lake or to see my parents. And he even knows his dog friends names. If I say “Lucky” or “Lexie” he freaks out because he knows he is going to play with them.
My husband and I adopted two of our cats from the Greenville Humane Society. We got “Stitch” back in March of 2002 and we got “Sora” in August of 2004. Both were kittens when we got them and when we brought Sora home, Stitch and Sora became fast friends. They even curled up together and slept next to one another. After our daughter Isabel was born, I was a little afraid of how they would react to the baby and less attention. I shouldn’t have been worried though, because they became very protective and loving towards her. Here are some pictures: Stitch is the calico, Sora is the tabby.
We just recently passed the one year mark of adopting a dog from the Greenville Humane Society and wanted to share our success story with you. We just randomly visited the society one Saturday and there was a Weimaraner with the saddest eyes in one of the pens. We asked to take him for a walk and he was so good that we couldn't leave without him. So we took him home and made an emergency run to the pet store since we weren't expecting to adopt that day! It turned out alright though because he slept for almost 2 days straight and didn't need any entertainment!
Now we have had Casper for a year - he's in very good health, at the proper weight, and has good manners (well, most of the time). We also know he was the perfect dog for us even though we weren't specifically looking for a Weimaraner. He took very well to training and has accepted us as his family (in fact, he's quite attached to us now!). He lives for his daily walks, playing at the dog park, and, of course, a good 'ol rawhide. He's very affectionate towards us and we don't see how anyone could be without such a wonderful companion. We're glad we decided to adopt and that we just "happened" to visit the society that Saturday.
After a year of practically begging my husband for another dog, he agreed and we adopted Pawley on December 10, 2005. All it took was one sweet snuggle in the nape of his neck and he was hooked. Since that day, Pawley has been the absolute best dog in the world. He is spoiled rotten (shouldn't they all be?) and is eternally grateful for his home. He loves going to the lake with our family...after all, this is where he meets up with his best friend to spend the weekend swimming and exploring the islands of Lake Keowee. He is truly a bright spot in our lives and we are very thankful that the Greenville Humane Society brought us together. Thank you for the great service you provide the community!
Please check out the pictures of Pawley as a small pup and another of the gorgeous dog he has grown up to be.
Some time ago we adopted Tommy from the Greenville Humane Society. Tommy is a 10 year old black and white kitty with bright green eyes. He is doing great in his new home, and is very purry and playful. We love him, he is so adorable. It is very funny to watch this almost 20 lb cat and my tiny kitten play and chase each other. He likes the kitten and grooms him all the time. Tommy also gets along wonderfully with my other two cats. We are so glad we adopted Tommy—and he loves his new forever home too. We are very thankful to everybody working in the Greenville Humane Society for selflessly caring for the animals till they find their forever home.
As I met with the Foster Program Manager, I giggled to myself. I had not thought I could receive a dog the first day. This was moving rather fast. We had lost our shepherd three months earlier and were planning an extended trip later in the year. Adoption at this time was not in our plans, but we really missed having a dog in the house. Fostering seemed like a good compromise. She opened the door and this beautiful black Labrador Retriever leapt as high as the kennel would let him. My heart leapt in return. I asked a few questions and then finally said, "I think we can do this." Armed with a crate, harness, collars, food, medicine and chew bone, we headed out to my car and started home. I called my husband, "Honey, I'm bringing home a 67 pound lab!"
Quickly, we began to learn a great deal about him. He was house trained. He knew a number of commands like "sit", "lie down", "no", and "come". He knew what to do on a leash after having a gentle reminder. He was playful, energetic AND knew how to play gently. He was a well pampered dog! He even recognized a box of milkbones.
It was a fun first day learning all we could about each other. That evening we put in a movie and he simply laid down beside us—enjoying our company. I watched him sleep, tallying the things I had learned about him, and could not fathom how someone could invest so much time and energy in training and let this lab go.
Sunday the fun started all over again. He followed me everywhere. I told my husband, "If he was mine, his name would be Shadow." All that was left on my list for that day was to practice playing my harp. He had walked by the instrument a number of times, acknowledging it, but never touching it. My husband sat on the back porch and called the dog to him. They stayed out there while I played a number of pieces I had used in harp therapy. They both fell asleep. Even when I had finished, it was a full 20 minutes until he woke up. There's not a higher compliment!
Monday I went to work with pictures and a top 10 list of things to love about this dog. My goal was to find new parents that would go with me on Friday to adopt him as I brought him back to the shelter. I emailed everyone I knew with lake houses touting him as an "instant dog - just add water". I ran home at lunch to check on him. I peeked through the window and found the back porch completely intact with the dog sleeping on his back in the open crate.
Monday night, my husband and I talked and talked. We knew with his friendly, gentle spirit, he would not remain on the adoption floor long. There was really little training that needed to be done. Then, we admitted how well he fit with us and our life and decided to accept the gift we had been given in him. I started at that moment calling him Shadow.
We became the new parents that Friday, and it seems we learn something new every day about and from Shadow. I look back on that fateful Saturday with a grateful heart. What joy a dog can bring to the house!
I wanted to let you know what a great companion I found when I stepped through your doors way back in 1995.
The day I came by to look, this little pup made it apparent that I could not leave his kennel without paying him some attention. I took him out to the yard to play. The choice was made.
A bit later, I found out that his life had not been all that great before he got to the shelter. We got him patched up and he was back to eating the cat's food and barking for a walk in no time.
He had several companions throughout his long life, a Schnauzer named Blitzen, and two cats. He outlived them all—17 good years.
He also made it from my tiny 1/2 apartment at Clemson during graduate school all the way to a very nice four bedroom home (two of which were claimed by him) in Austin, TX.
I am so glad I walked through your doors that day. He was one in a million, and I was very lucky to find such a great dog to share so much of my life.
In September 2006, my 13 year old Cocker Spaniel passed away and I was devastated. In March 2007, I finally felt ready to look for a new pup to bring home. My son and I went to the Humane Society every day after school for a week looking at the dogs and one day there was Mazie. She was so beautiful and sweet, didn't bark at us all—just leaned against the cage to get as close to us as possible. I fell for her completely. It turned out that she was on hold for someone else, and they also thought she might have a hernia, so I couldn't take her home that day anyway. Well, we got lucky—I called back to check on her and the other person never showed up. Also, it turned out she didn't have a hernia at all, and she became ours! She is such a wonderful addition to our family—she has never had an accident in the house, she is loving and loyal and just has the sweetest disposition. In fact, I am so happy with her that this year I plan on returning to the Greenville Humane Society to find another dog for my son. Mazie sleeps with me and he wants one, much smaller, of his own—I can't blame him! If our new pup is even close to as wonderful as Mazie has turned out to be, we will be the luckiest family ever!
It’s hard to believe that is has been over two years since we got our little Shelby from the Greenville Humane Society. My husband and I were home visiting for the weekend and told our uncle Rick, who is a shelter volunteer, that we would come to the shelter to help walk some dogs and spend time with him before leaving town later that afternoon. On the drive over to the shelter, I told Stephen that we absolutely could not get a dog that day. Our house was too small, it would be difficult to potty train, too much responsibility at the time, so on and so on. We both agreed that we were there just to spend time with Rick and to lend a helping hand only!
As soon as we walked in the kennel room our eyes were drawn to this adorable tiny beagle with long floppy ears that nearly dragged the ground. I knelt down and she stuck out her tiny paw through the kennel gate resting it on my hand. I looked into her big brown sad eyes and knew that I had fallen head over heels for this precious little creature. She began licking me and I told my husband that I had to walk her. Our walk around the courtyard turned into Stephen and I holding her in our arms like proud parents of a newborn baby. Our lives were touched by this innocent little animal. We welcomed Shelby Lynn Sellars into our home and our hearts that very afternoon.
Shelby continues to bring our family so much joy and happiness. It is so nice to come home to such a lazy, loving animal. There are so many variables that happen in your daily life but it is always nice to know that Shelby’s winning and loving personality is a constant that we can rely on each day when we come home.
This experience has been one of the most positive experiences of our lives. If you are considering adopting a pet you should follow your heart and do it. Providing an animal with a good home and lots of love is one of the most rewarding things that you can do. Pets are an investment that you will get a reward on each and every time!
Five years ago I struggled with the loss of my dog to cancer. I provided the best health care for my dog and put him through more medical procedures than necessary. I cried while cleaning his 24" long incision from his tumor removal. I knew it was time to let him go. My veterinarian patiently waited for me to come to the decision to let go. I started to mourn his loss and gave him the best 3 weeks of his life.
Watching an animal go through cancer was trying. As the two years passed I visited the Greenville Humane Society for six months before deciding to take the plunge. Molly was in a cage with her sister. As her sister ran to the back of the cage Molly just sat there and let me pet her. I wasn’t sure I was ready to make the commitment to take Molly home, but I didn’t want to leave her behind. It wasn’t a hesitation of was I able to take care of her but more was I willing to open up my heart again. I took Molly home and spoiled her rotten. She has the best food, all the toys in the world and a back yard all dogs dream of. Having a puppy in the house was surely a challenge. As I took her to the vet for her first check up the doctor greeted me with “what took you so long” I had to hold back the tears. It was if he knew the heartbreak I went through with my last dog.
Molly has been the best dog and companion I have ever had. She is smart, loyal, fun loving and happy every day. Molly learns a lot from repetition, is a great running companion, and loves to snuggle up on rainy days. Family and friends are amazed with how friendly she is and always leave wanting a dog just like her. In fact it amazes me that such a great dog was just handed away.
On January 13th it will be three years since I adopted Molly from the Greenville humane society and I am proud to celebrate this day with the humane society and thank you for the tireless efforts to help so many animals in need.