PAWS Chicago

PAWS Chicago Alumni

Thank you for your call regarding Perkins. We've renamed him Simba and he is doing phenomenally well. He is incredibly affectionate and sweet and loves to snuggle. We're thrilled to have him. He's really been a blessing to us after we lost our beloved cocker spaniel, Shadow, in April of this year. Simba loves car rides and belly rubs. He's brought so much happiness to our family. Thank you so much for bringing him into our lives.

-The Rzepka Family

Betty (PAWS name Fran) is doing GREAT! Her housetraining and crate training improve every day. She learned to play with toys and LOVES to play fetch with her stuffed squid squeak toy or her dental chew bone. She also really likes her sweaters and clothes. When I take one out, she starts jumping around and gets all excited. We're
going to start obedience training in the next couple of weeks to get her to be a little more responsive to commands and a little more manageable with the leash. Outside, she loves meeting new people and animals, but she gets a little over-excited and I need her to be a little more responsive to
commands for her own safety, but it's really just a minor issue. She's an absolute GEM!

Thank you so much!
-Matt

	Formerly Baron! Just thought I'd share this picture with you guys! He's such a big boy!!! -Jessica

My husband and I were recently married and decided that we'd like to grow our new family...and adopt from PAWS! A few weeks ago we adopted Cotton Candy who is an adorable, 12 week old female kitten. We absolutely looove her! She is incredibly playful and energetic but at the same time very cuddly and sweet. We recently introduced Cotton Candy, who is now "Fifi" to Rocco, who is our 6 year old cat. I wouldn't say they are best friends yet but they are certainly making progress and are getting along fine! Fifi loves to play with all of her toys especially this feather toy which is attached to a string. She even takes naps with us and likes to sleep on our laps.

We are so happy with our new addition and want to thank you for all the help you have given and your continue commitment to helping animals in need.

-Hilary and Garrett

	Leo has adjusted great and is officially a Stockton family member. My 2 year old daughter Jasmine, as well as our 18 year old Jack Russell, Eddie love him. Thank you PAWS for a outstanding experience. We will recommend PAWS to everyone who tells us they want a new pet. -Jamie (Mom of Leo)

Since we adopted from you, I cannot begin to measure the level of household joy as it grows exponentially.
Tintin, formerly known as Miss Piggy, has quickly settled in with us. True to my first impression of her, she is as much of a playful rascal as she is cuddly. Her endless charm and personality has made the saying truer than ever
for us: big things DO come in small (fuzzy) packages.

Thank you, and keep up the excellent work!

-Arielle

	Bruce Wayne (formerly Dingo) just graduated from puppy school this week at the top of his class (hooray!). He is doing wonderfully and not a day goes by that he doesn't make our hearts smile. He wanted to send you a photo of himself in his Halloween costume...what a stud! Thanks again for helping us find our forever friend. -Angela

I just wanted to email and thank you for all your help while I was tracking down Nicholas... a little Pekinese/Shih Tzu mix that I first noticed on Petraits!! I adopted Nicholas on Sunday and he is an ABSOLUTE dream... I can't even tell you how cute and playful and fun he is... Again, thank you for your help! I am just so happy to have him! -Amy Jo

Gina (PAWS name Britney) is doing very well. As we do a lot of traveling, she spends a lot of time with her other family across the street. We call her the 'neighborhood shared dog'. Since the adoption, Gina has had a needle biopsy of an enlarged mammary gland. After another round of antibiotics, Gina is doing well and is back to normal. There are some minor issues with house breaking, but not too serious. Time will work it out I'm sure.

-Paula

Thanks for reaching out. Both my husband & I are so happy to have Oscar (PAWS name K-Fed) in our home. He is so sweet, smart & fun. He has adapted very well & we notice new personality traits every day. He loves to go on walks & to the dog park. He is energetic, but also loves to cuddle.

We have enrolled him in private classes to get him trained even more than he already is. I have included two photos - a before & after. As you can see, we shaved him because he had long, matted hair. He now has gorgeous shiny, silver-ish hair & he looks very handsome.

We are so lucky to have Oscar - thank you to PAWS for all that you do!

-Hillary & Brian

	Dory (German Sherperd-Collie) is doing great. She has adapted very well. We did not change her name - she was overweight when we got her and she has now lost weight. She is on very high quality food and on a diet. She walks 1 hour per day -Gloria

Chip is doing very well. He is very happy. His new name is Kane. -Andy

Sal is doing great, we didn't change his name because it really fit. He loves belly rubs and treats (not so into toys), and running with his doggie daycare group. He's happy and healthy and we love him.

I'm attaching one of the best photos we have, Sal is on the left, and he's pictured with my sister's dog, Lorenzo, on the right. They were very excited to be on a car ride together!

-Margaret

I adopted a dog from Paws earlier this year; Gizmo, who I renamed Bailey. -Adam

I just wanted to let you know that Dash (previously known as Teague) is doing great!! He has brought more joy than imaginable to our entire family. We have four children, 15, 13, 7, & 6 and Dash is all of their best friend. He is extremely friendly, fun loving, playful, and loves rides in the car. Dash is also very funny and keeps all of us very amused most days. He thinks he weighs about 15 lbs. so he will not hesitate to "plop" down on top of us when any of us are sitting on the couch, a chair, or even in bed, and can't quite figure out why we all start laughing hysterically and attempt to push him off of us. Dash is a terrific dog and we are very grateful to have found him.

-Cheryl

Just wanted to let you know that Pancho who we adopted from Paws about two months ago (Whom we've renamed Butters) is doing great. He was pretty sick for a while, but he is making great strides. He has gained about 4 or 5 pounds
and has taken over our house. We are having an absolute blast with him and he has become a very important part of our family. I am thinking I may be looking for a brother or sister for him at some point down the road. I have
attached his Halloween picture for you.

-Tina

Artemis (formerly Tigger) & Akito (formerly Roo)

My senior girls are doing well. They are more adventurous when it comes to checking out their new home than they were when they first arrived and hung out under the bed mostly. They like to hang out on the top purch of the kitty condo and in the kitty cubes (I have seven interlocking cubes for them to wander around in).

I am so happy that I adopted a pair! They aren't cuddly with my boys (my two male cats), so they have each other which makes me very happy. They are cuddly with each other. Plus, it gives me one more cat to love than if I just adopted a single one!

They also know when it is time for wet food and treats and gather around the kitchen just like my boys do. I think they are happy in their new home and I am very happy having them around.

Thank you PAWS!

-Gina

Bella (formerly Soon Yi) is doing great. It didn't take her too long to adjust to her new home. She's a little ball of energy and curious about everything. She's a good lap cat and loves attention, but also likes spending some quiet time by herself. -Jonathan

Sean and I are happy to say we LOVE being the proud new owners of Fredrick and Douglass! When we tell friends the story of how these two lovable guys walked into our lives... no one is surprised they are here.

Is it odd to say that I'm thankful I got the flu? If I hadn't been sick for a few days, Sean may have not brought me into PAWS in order to "put a smile on my face." I don't think either of us thought we would go home and spend the rest of the night researching standard poodles! We really couldn't stop thinking about them. In fact, I woke up the next morning feeling like it was Christmas... because I knew we were going back to see the dogs again!

We have really adjusted to our new lives with the boys. Sean and I have been getting a big kick out of seeing how we can challenge them. It seems like each walk in the park is a new walk for them... whether it's hiding
treats for them to find or practicing greeting other pups, Freddie and Doug really like to learn and make us happy.

Thanks for all of the PAWS support! We are proud to tell people we found the boys from your shelter and are happy to encourage others to visit the other pets there should they "need to put a smile on their faces" too!

-Chelsi

We adopted Ricky at the beginning of September. I think he is fully adjusted to his new home and environment. We kept his name as he responds to it. We enrolled him in dog training classes where he is making good progress. He is very friendly dog and we are very happy to have him as a family member. I am enclosing a picture of him in the park. -Laura

Just wanted to let you know how P.D. (PAWS name Petey) was faring with his new family.....

He's done very well in the months since we adopted him. He has taken to the children, especially our now 2-yr-old twins, almost as though he is a herd dog: he actually circles around them and "herds" them (which is only
annoying when he's doing it on the stairway landing......the rest of the time it's quite cute). He actually sleeps in the same room with our 5-yr-old and the twins, and alerted us one night by barking frantically when
the twins had managed to knock down one side of their crib. What a good dog!

P.D. took a cross-country trip with the family this summer, to visit grandparents in the Adirondacks, but stopping in Pennsylvania and New York City along the way. He had a lovely time on the trip and did VERY well in NYC. The biggest surprise, however, was how much he liked being in the woods! I took him hiking on several trails in the Adirondack Park, and he pulled me up the mountains, especially on some of the more steep terrain. He has amazing pull for a 13 lb dog!

I'm attaching a couple of pictures of one happy dog.

-Kate

We are so glad to have Blaze (PAWS name Snapdragon) added to our family. He has been a lot of fun and has made us very happy. He adjusted really well on the first night was smooth he has not cried or complained not once! He has seen the vet and everything is great! We love him and truly made the right choice! -The Bowers Family

Bobby, formerly known as Quimbley, has adjusted well to our family of three cats and one poodle. He and Branch, our poodle, bonded immediately and he has been very good with the kiitties. We had a potty issue but after a week and a half of patience and consistency he is now housebroken. Its been wonderful to see him become more comfortable and confident in his new forever home.
I want to thank the great staff and volunteers at your center. We spoke to one volunteer and told her what type of conditions we had at home, cats and active poodle, and she suggested we meet Bobby. He's a perfect match.

-Sabrina and Nikki

Thanks for you interest in our pets, they are doing great! We did rename them. I have attached some photos for you to share.

Doodblebug we renamed Little Man Tate because he is so tiny but has a big personality! He has some bouts of male dominance, but loves to play. We buy these balls covered in yarn and he chases them around for hours. He meows if he looses them and we have to find them because he loves to play with them.

We renamed Phoebe to Lexi. She is so soft we always are commenting how she's soft like a bunny rabbit. She's a quiet little lady. Both are quite snuggly and like to rest in our laps or lay on the couch with us. We quickly found out Lexi LOVES catnip and kitty treats. She'll do just about anything for either, even push little man out of the way, which is quite unlike her, but she loves her treats!

-Maria

We adopted SCARLETT (PAWS name Leigh) in January 2009 at four months. She has been a great addition to our family and loves her new sister, Shellie. She weighed in at 20 pounds when we adopted her and she is now 75 pounds, but still the baby of the family. She's very energetic
and loves to give kisses. We just celebrated her 1st birthday by throwing her a doggie birthday party. She is wonderful and we are all so grateful to have been given the opportunity to adopt her. We love her so much.

(Scarlett is the German Shepherd mix)

-Kristy

	Kona (formerly Max) is doing fantastic. Here is a recent picture of him from Halloween. -Christopher

We are doing great! Here is a picture of Jeany (formally known as Monkey) -Tim

I think Clem (PAWS name Wallace) has hit a turning point and seems more and more comfortable every day. He does great on his walks, and his tail is fully extended instead of being tucked under. In fact, he's even wagging it on a regular basis! He is doing much better with his fearfulness - he's not even scared of big street sweepers anymore! He's also eating more and on a schedule, which is reassuring. His personality is really starting to come out and I think he's going to be a big goofball in a few months. Here is a picture of him hanging out with our cat Willow. I think he's still getting used to having his picture taken.

-Meagan

Brando formerly Leonardo has adjusted very well and is certainly a much loved and spoiled part of our family. We can hardly remember life before him. Our experience at PAWS was wonderful! -Nick, Emily and Brando

Just wanted to let you know that things have been going great since I adopted Rain a month or so ago. I have, in fact, changed his name to Ardashes--he goes by Ari (pronounced as the letters "r" "e"), though. We've been having a grand old time together, so much so that he's
inadvertently made me late for work a few times already because he's such a wonderful cuddle-er that I can't bring myself to get out of bed in the morning. I attached a few pictures of Ari so you can see for yourself that he's as cute as ever. Hope things are well at the center!

-Katy

Guinness (Isadora while at PAWS) is doing very well! We have not taken her to obedience classes because
she was actually very well trained when we brought her home. Housebreaking was an easy process with a few small bumps in the road. She had a few accidents in the house during her first few weeks with us, but after adjusting she learned very quickly! She has not had an accident in the
house in months, in fact, I cannot even remember the last time. Her eating habits have improved tremendously! She eats twice a day on a regular schedule. We absolutely love Guinness and can't even remember what our lives were like
before we adopted her. She is just so sweet! She has a favorite toy, which is a little orange squeaky guy with a blue backwards hat on. She carries it all over the house with her, and brings it to us when she wants to play fetch. She is very playful both with people and other dogs, she loves to play with any dog she sees!

-Shannon

	Baby Ruth has been renamed Mauimoto (Moto for short)She's doing great and playing w/ (or maybe just taunting) my older cat. - Cheng

Thanks for asking about Princess Toadstool! I found that Princess Toadstool wasn't very fitting, so I renamed her Charlie! I've had her for almost two months now and I couldn't be happier. She is a delight to have in my home. She never leaves my side and in fact she sleeps with me. Health wise, I took Charlie to the vet the week after I adopted her and
she checked out as a completely healthy cat! I decided to invest in higher end food and she has put on some healthy weight. I was a little worried because when I got her she was very thin! Thanks again for everything! I've been recommending PAWS to all my friends!

-Joshua

Valentino is simply wonderful. He's now a long-and-lanky 9 lbs, at 8 months old, and we're constantly being
told by everybody that meets him how beautiful he is.
He seems to love everything and everybody, even going to the vet. and he's developed a strong bond with our 3-year-old calico, Jazmine. they romp thru the house together, sleep back-to-back on the couch, and play with
the 'da bird' toy together. We're pretty much madly in love with him. He's a bundle of energy and into everything about 75% of the day, then he falls sound asleep, usually on Roger's recliner. He's clever, affectionate, vocal, and just-plain-charming. We couldn't be happier that we decided to stop in PAWS that day and "just look at the kitties."

-Karen & Roger

I am absolutely thrilled with my decision of adopting him. He is such a loving and crazy cat with so much personality. He curls up in a ball and sleeps on my chest every single
night like a little baby. I really do think it was a perfect match. I'm pretty sure he's happy too with how much we spoil him. Thank you for checking up on us, I appreciate the time you all take to make sure the cats quality of life and well being are really taken care of. I look forward to adopting more with PAWS in the future.

Thank you for all that you do,

-Christine and Sputnik ( recently renamed to Kingston)

	Everything is great! A bumpy start, but everything is good now with Minni. Minni also goes to doggy-daycare every so often. Her name stayed Minni. I like it and she seems too as well. -Amy

We love Randolph so much and he has been the perfect edition to our family. He has gotten so big, he has nearly tripled in size. He is eating well and not getting into any trouble. We are still feeding him twice a day both wet and dry food. He is eating, playing, sleeping, going in the litter box, and just being an amazing part of
our family. We recently had a Halloween party, and even Robocat got all fancied up.

-Liz

	Just wanted to follow up to an email you sent me. I adopted Buffy a little while ago, she's doing great. I changed her name to Darth Maul (after my favorite Star Wars character!). -Ashley

Dasher kept his name, but we renamed Conan, Grommit. They're like yin and yang. They're both doing well, and fit in beautifully. -Emily

I adopted 8 year old Chance "I'm a Good Boy" Bateman from Paws on September 11th. I had no idea it would be so emotional. I had been fostering Chance for 4 1/2 months to get him over a nasty case of heartworm. So I thought it would be just a matter of signing a few papers to make it all legal. Bunny was my adoption counselor and we were both so excited for Chance that I invited
her to come to my house for a celebration. On the way home I bought balloons, champagne and a chocolate cake with Welcome Chance on the top. I invited
all my neighbors and friends to help me celebrate this joyous occasion. Everyone in the neighborhood saw Chance go from a malnourished sick dog to a
healthy dog that trots when he walks! His name will remain Chance, it fits him perfectly.
Thank you Paws!

-Mary Eileen

Here are some photos of our dog Zoe. We adopted her in Jan (her name was Buttercup). She has definitely grown up fast! -Rebecca

Jeffrey is doing great. I kept the name. After fostering Jeffrey for a couple weeks, I knew I couldn't give him up! He is inseparable from fellow PAWS alumnae Iris (the black and white one) and dog-from-another-shelter Stanley (the black one). He wrestles, he plays with toys, he runs around the backyard, he chases squirrels, he watches the world go by out the windows, he eats with relish, he cuddles. His subdued early days of perfect behavior are a thing of the past, but he's still pretty low on the destruction scale for a puppy his age. Unfortunately, when he does feel like chewing, his taste runs to durable goods like sofas, so we have had to go back to crating for a while. He is totally house-broken; I got him over three months ago and after maybe two accidents in the first week he's had zero since. He was a star in basic obedience class, but he's a little bit of a game-day player, in that he liked to show off in class but is not so interested in performing in everyday life. We're working on it, and when he's a little older I'll probably get him involved in agility, like Iris. Jeffy has been a great addition to the household! He's a total sweetheart; several of my friends have threatened to spirit him away when I'm not looking, due to his extreme awesomeness.

-Cameron

We've decided to finalize our adoption with Sawyer (the dog formerly know as Mattin). He's doing great in our home! He loves meeting new dogs on the elevator and going to the nearby dog beach! He learns very quickly and we've started with some basic training. He started out with some mild separation anxiety and would bark non-stop when we left him alone, but after a lot of crate training and positive reinforcement we've gotten him to stay quiet in the crate while we're gone.

-Andriana

Jackie has been a wonderful addition to our family. I can't believe she is already 6 months old! We loved fostering her, and couldn't help but adopt her. My husband always laughs about how he grew up in a family that aren't really cat lovers, and now Jax is his "little girl."

I also wanted to commend PAWs on what an amazing job you do. I know that until animals are put into foster homes or adopted, they are in the best
possible care. I have enjoyed being a part of the foster team, and when we adopted Jackie, couldn't wait to show my husband around the adoption facilities. They really are amazing! Thank you again for all your help with our new kitty addition to our family!

-Andrea

We just adore our kitties! They are easy going and so good with each other. Stella (PAWS name Brixie) is a very calm but easily startled girl who loves to run and have her chin scratched. Chester (PAWS name Ike) is our little baby, even though he has tripled in size from the tiny kitten he was when he arrived. He has relaxed from being a typical kitten who wants to play, play, play to a young adult who loves to snuggle and play fight with Stella and our adult male, Pierre. Everything about having them in our lives has been wonderful and easy. They are such companionable kitties. We can't imagine life without them! Thank you for the work
you do!

-Lauren & Joe

	Clark is doing well! He is the best cat :) I have renamed him Charlie Murphy. He has really taken to being friends with my boyfriends dog Trotter. -Kelly

I adopted Thunder on July 19, 2009. He is doing pretty good. He still breathes very heavy, but the vet states that he is fine. I have been slowly having his nails ground little by little as the vet states that they are too long and unable to be cut because of the nail veins. He completed a six week
basic obedience class. All in all, Thunder is a great dog! He is so much fun to come home to and see him spinning in circles when he sees me!

-Amy

Benny (formerly Banjo) is doing great! He fits perfectly into my little life and I into his. He's playful, jovial, and pretty loyal to his new position as my partner in crime. Also,everyone - strangers to friends to his vet - comment on his incredibly gentle and mild nature. I couldn't have asked for a better pup! Our most recent adventure took us to a friend's farm in Indiana where he delightfully
ran around chasing squirrels and cats and experienced a hayride for the first time. I've attached a picture of his smiling face from the hayride. So happy to be out and about!

Thank you so much for first giving me the opportunity to adopt Benny. He has made my life here in Chicago complete. Also, keep up the good work with
the foster program. I first met Benny when I fostered him and I love that you give other animals a chance to be in a home environment while their ultimate destination is unknown.

-Kelly and Benny!

It's been almost three months since we adopted Tiger (PAWS name Hamlet), and he is doing great! He adjusted very quickly, and feels right at home. He greets us at the door every night, and sits by my bed every morning when I wake up. He is very smart and extremely curious. He enjoys following us around and has to know exactly what we're doing. His favorite activity is playing with a string on a stick, and dragging our socks all over the place. He is a wonderful pet and a perfect addition to our family.

-Justyna

Just updating you on Sugar. She is doing great, and we absolutely love having her. We finished a basic obedience class with her over the summer, and now we are about to start an advanced class in a few weeks. Sugar is still somewhat shy and fearful around new people (particularly men) but this has gradually improved. I'm hoping that with additional training Sugar will gain some more confidence.
Housetraining has gone very well...she only had a few accidents in the beginning but is now fully potty trained. She also was undergoing heartworm treatment. She got through that okay, and the next step is to have her
blood tested in about a month to make sure that the treatment was successful. Overall, she's very sweet and very much loved! We keep saying that adopting
her was the best decision we've ever made! This is
Sugar modeling her Halloween costume!

-Susan

Mia (PAWS name Judy) is turning one on November 10th and is doing very well! I moved back to my home town this summer in Maryland and brought her with me of-course!
We're living in my parents house for another month until I move into an apartment 20 minutes away. She loves all the space in the house and is very spoiled with toys and treats. Her litter box use is fine and she just started adult food which she cant get enough of! She went to the vet last
week for a check up and weighed 8 pounds.

-Amanda

We adopted Shiloh at the Angels with Tails on Armitage
event. We named her Beasley. She is doing really well! She has perked up our older dog quite a bit and has been such a joy to us. Beasley has her puppy moments but is doing extremely well in puppy training class. She
gets along well with other dogs and loves people. We're still not sure how big she will get but she grows daily and is about 30 pounds. She loves tennis balls, shoes, and food. Thanks for taking such good care of her
during her first weeks and thanks for allowing her to come home with us...she has made our home very fun and complete.

-Justine

I want to thank you for allowing me to adopt Jolie. I renamed her Shadow because she follows me around everywhere. My last dog Midnight passed away 8-29-2009 at the age of 13. I adopted her from Paws in 1998 . She was my best friend and when she got bone cancer it was devastating. I miss her very much. I came back to you the same day she passed away . I received another blessing from God. For the short amount of time I have had her I became very attached to her & love her very much. I am not married so she is my family. I miss her when I go to work, cannot wait to come home to her. I spend my
whole weekends with her we both enjoy each other's company. Thank you for everything

-Scott

We adopted Bandit (there has been no name change) from PAWS at the Angels with Tails event at the end of July at Armitage and Halsted. We got him when he was about 9 weeks old and under 8 lbs. He is now approaching 17 weeks and is weighing in at about 18 lbs!! We are going to have a healthy boy on our hands.

He is a great dog and everything is going really well. We had a trainer come to the house a couple times for individual sessions and he starts his puppy pre-school on Thursday -- I think we are all looking forward to that! Thanks so much for all you do to help these animals -- we can't imagine life before him.

-Erica, Brad and Bandit

It's been 2 weeks since we adopted Bailey, formerly known as Pina. Bailey wants to tell you that she has adjusted to her new home remarkably well and quickly. She gets lots of attention and affection. In return, Bailey has showered us with more doggie kisses than we ever had in our lives.
Bailey even seems to like her baths and enjoys the hair dryer - like the doggie diva that she is. Bailey enjoys her 3-4 walks each day as well as barking at squirrels and other dogs. So, Bailey and we will be attending doggie training, and she will likely be making new friends at doggie daycare. Bailey wants to thank Paws Chicago from her wet nose to her stubby tail for everything you have done for her. And she sends a special shout-out (bark-out) to Laura DeCasio for approving Bailey's new owners.

-Norm & Arnold

We adopted Daisy (PAWS name Tally) about two weeks ago, yet it seems like she has been a part of our life forever. We recently married,and now Daisy is the first addition to our family. She is fearless, adorable, loving, and smart. Although barely 9 lbs, she eats like a horse, sleeps like a baby, has the poise of a Spartan warrior, and carries herself like a queen. Thanks for providing the opportunity to adopt Daisy–she is the best!

-Amy

Norman is doing fantastic! He's loving his new digs, dog beaches & parks. He's a crazy puppy with lots of energy and goofiness. We love him so much and have enjoyed watching him grow up. He's super smart it turns out and is learning lots of new tricks. -Pam

	Kobi is a great dog, we could not have chosen better. -Nancy

We LOVE Langdon (Paws name Adam) so much and can't imagine our lives without him in it. He is so sweet, playful, funny and is so smart--he really has a personality all his own. We fall asleep every night with him laying next to us and wake up to a waging tail and kisses. No words can
describe how much we adore him ...he's the best!

Thank you from the bottom of our hearts for rescuing him.

-Amanda and Michael

Last year I adopted Hoznick, renamed Iggy, for his endless energy and theatrical pacing. He has been a welcome addition and livens up the house as well as my older cat Zig Zag. They have become great pals and run through the house and up and down the stairs. Iggy greets me every time I come home, which gives me great joy! He loves his toys and is just as fun as can be to have around. Wherever I go he's there either curled at my feet or next to me in a chair. He also loves to perch at the dining room window and watch the birds, squirrels and rabbits in the yard. It's pretty amusing since he sits on a bench and puts his elbows on the sill and looks as if he's sitting at a bar.

I received another call checking in on Tag (formerly Piper) and Ollie (formerly Marisol) the other day, so I thought I should send an update. They are fantastic cats and the lights of our lives. We could not be happier and have become crazy cat ladies. Their pictures are my screen savers and I talk about them like they are our children. They are a great match as sisters with Ollie as the precocious, VERY vocal,
trouble starter and Tag as the shyer, quiet, cleaning obsessed watcher. They are sweet and social and happy to make friends with any of our visitors. We have a great vet who got them up to code on all of their shots back in March and they seem healthy and thriving.

-Jill & Sara

Everything is great with Frisco (PAWS name Kenny). Frisco loves eating everything he can off the ground outside. He knows the command "leave it" but doesn't follow that command when walking outside. We may try to use a gentle leader so he stops going after grass, wood chips, etc, but we would like to try to avoid that. Frisco is extremely cute and fun to be around. We love him very much and he is a very important part of our family. When my wife and I are not at work, we are pretty much always tending to Frisco whether it be playing, walking, etc. He definitely does not lack attention. He has been on a few trips to Michigan, he is an expert swimmer, and he has tons of personality.

-Jesse

Things are going well with Fizz and Pumpkin. They are wonderful additions to our family. We renamed Fizz; she is now Starla. Pumpkin is now Ruby. I have attached a picture of the little darlings. Ruby is in the foreground and Starla is behind her. -Joellen

This is Grigor and Halida with Carrera (Snow White). Carrera is doing great, she is growing fine and
healthy, she is now at 28 lb, and she is not overweight. She has a ton of energy, an hour of running in the park is not enough to exhaust her. She plays well with the other dogs in the park, maybe even too well because she
already has a boyfriend. His name is Oliver and they are very cute together. She is still acting very much like a puppy, everything in our apartment is a potential toy. She is trying to chew everything she sees.

-Grigor

It's been two years since I adopted Kara (the name given by PAWS and I kept it) and she's adjusted well. She has a choice of two couches to sleep on, goes to the Mayslake Dog Park every Saturday and Sunday. She receives hot dogs and lunch meat as treats and all in all is very happy. Now I just need to find her a brother or sister since she is so energetic! -Lada

	Everything is going well with us. The kitten's name is now Ada (PAWS name Julia Child). She's healthy and active and I think she's pretty happy. She loves batting around wine corks or crumpled paper, and wrestling with cardboard boxes. She's grown a LOT since we got her in July! Thanks again for bringing this wonderful cat into my life! -Amber

Little Conan is now known as Dennis and he's doing really well all things considered. He loves to play with his tennis ball and snuggle up under the covers on the couch. We truly adore little Dennis. -Danielle

	Our adoption of Pookie from PAWS has been fantastic! We renamed him Mack. He is a terrific pet and we are working on some training issues, such as pulling on his leash (which is better). We adore him, he's had his physical and takes his flea/tick and heartworm medication monthly. He has also gained about 4 lbs. -Laura

Everything is going great with the Dixon. He's adapted very well and is really happy. I changed his name from Dixon to Winston, it fits him perfectly. He's a very great dog and I'm very happy he's apart of my family now. Him & Foxy get along very well. Always by each others side. -Sarah

Goldie is doing great. She has fit in with our family
wonderfully. She is very patient with our two young children and gets along with our Bernese Mountain Dog, Casey. Goldie and Casey are friends who love to play and relax together. We feel very lucky to have gotten a dog as good as her.

-Amanda

We just wanted to send a quick update about Lydia (kept her PAWS name) and thank everyone who worked with her during her time at PAWS! We cannot begin to tell you how happy we are to have Lydia in our lives! When we adopted her she had just caught a cold, but after a quick
trip to the vet we had her feeling better in just a couple days. We've found Lydia to be very well behaved (for a 1 year old lab), and have already had some success training her. She sits, shakes, and is house broken! Lydia is full of energy, but so are we! We cannot thank you enough for matching us with such a sweet, loving, and good-natured dog! She's adorable and hilarious to watch. We are extremely happy to be Lydia's "forever home"! I forget what life was like before we had her! A special thanks to our adoption counselor Kim! We're off to the dog beach.

-Amelia

We adopted Mila (PAWS name DeeDee) as an 11-week-old puppy almost one year ago, and can't imagine life without her! She is extremely friendly, has the sweetest temperament, and has adapted perfectly to our home. Mila graduated from both Puppy I and II and is a quick learner. She is full of energy and loves to go to doggy day care, the dog beach, for car rides, for long walks around the city, and when it's all over, wants to snuggle whenever she can. She's a 60 pound lap dog! We absolutely love her and love spending time with her. We are so lucky to have found such a great companion at PAWS.

-George and Alexandra

My fiancé and I have had Stella (formerly Godiva) and Oliver (formerly Stuart) now for a little over 3 months. We got them at the same time so they could grow up together, now they are best friends. Stella recently finished her first training class and is doing good with the new commands she has learned. Stella enjoys going to the Montrose Ave Dog Beach and hanging out with her friends at Hamlin dog Park. Oliver enjoys hanging out and cuddling with his best friend Stella. They are a great match and we can't thank you enough for bringing them into our lives.

-Tom, Kate, Stella and Oliver

Everything is going good with Bacon ( the dog formally know as Stetson). He is very well trained especially house trained which is a big positive. He gets along with all my friends and family and everyone loves him. Thanks for setting us up. Bacon is an awesome match. Here's a pic of the Chicago White Sox new biggest fan, Bacon

-Jeremy

We're doing great. He's got the spirit of a Beagle, so he's all over the place, but he's also a really GOOD dog and wonderful around all the kids in our life. He adores my son, and the feeling's mutual. He's still trying to figure out his place with the cats and the cats are still hissing away at him, but we take it seriously and stay on top of it. He just started sniffing into the cat litter and eating the cat poop, so now I have to stay on top of that. I might have to put a door in that entry way to our laundry room, but in the meantime, I'm turning the litter boxes around so the cats can creep in, but Wylie can't. (He's a major chewer, so I buy a lot of chew toys and chew treats.) My son helps with the walking, poop clean up, feeding, etc. My goal is to have this whole house in a full balanced state within the next 6 months, so wish me luck. The other day Wylie licked our older cat, Tita and she almost enjoyed until she remembered she was a cat and then she started to hiss, so I think I just have to continue to be patient.

-Laurie

	We wanted to let you know that our newly adopted pup (PAWS name Kissy) is doing well - her new name is Matilda (aka Tilly) and she is getting along swimmingly with her big sister Layla, who you can see in the background of the attached photo. We will be sure to keep you posted on her progress! -Emily & Jacob

Our adoption is great. So Chewy (formerly Cecil) is doing very well in his new home and we couldn't be happier with him. After adopting him, we took him to get groomed and got rid of the knots in his hair. We noticed right away that he isn't shy about fishing for attention from everyone he meets. He is truly the life of the party and everyone who meets him is instantly a fan. Despite being very rambunctious, we have managed to train him. He has been house trained and now knows sit, stay, come, and lay down. Below is a picture of him relaxing after a hard day of chasing and chewing on toys.

-Matt and Liza

	We wanted to share with you a few snaps of our dog Oliver (previously named Crosby). We adopted him last Oct. Ollie is doing very well and is very very handsome. -Lisa and Jay

Lottie is now named Grace and is doing GREAT in our home. She has blended right in and she and our other cat Spencer are best of friends as you can see in the photo. Our whole family have fallen fully in love with her. Thanks again for all your help finding the perfect kitty! -The McDonnell Family

Wilson (Finkle) is still doing great! His fur is starting to calm down and he looks less like he stuck his paw in an electrical socket. It's really soft and shiny now and he still has the funny long, white fur behind his ears. It's so cute and it lays down when he's sleeping. He is into absolutely everything and thinks that "no" means "again" but he is very happy and just a sweetheart.

-Lindsey

We adopted our puppy on 6/18. Her given name was Lovely Rita, but we have changed it to Ruby. When we adopted her, she weighed 15 pounds. She now weighs approximately 50 pounds! She is doing very well. She is already completely housebroken, and can sit, stay, lay down, play dead, and shake with both paws. She loves to play with everyone- both humans and dogs. She has a great temperament- very sweet and gentle. She recently met our 8-month-old niece, Hannah, and was very good with her. We have lots of nieces and nephews and Ruby loves to play with all of them. Everyone in the family compliments us on how well-behaved she is. We live in a small condo, but Ruby gets tons of exercise. She likes to go to Wiggly Field and loves to go to the dog beach! We also have a lake house in Michigan, where she loves to run around and play (she's still a little skeptical of the lake, though). We are both first-time dog owners, and we are so happy we decided to adopt her! Here are some pictures taken about a month ago. She has obviously gotten bigger since then, but it is hard to get her to sit still for pictures.

-Jim and Sara

	Daisy is a good dog (most of the time.) She is super happy though and that's the main thing. Her name originally was Kimora, but it is now Miss Daisy. Her personality is carefree and whimsical so our two daughters really love her the most. -Candy

Bunny (Sheba) is a happy Wicker Park pup! She has a boyfriend named Blue, loves squirrel toys (and real squirrels) and gives everyone she meets big hugs. Bunny spent the summer riding in the car all over Chicago, visiting doggy parks and making lots of neighborhood friends.Thank you for rescuing Bunny - she has become a valued part of my home! -Kate

Jumper (PAWS name Jumpy) is just wonderful. Quite bouncy so I see how he got his name. He has graduated from beginner training and was at top of his class. Acts like a meerkat when he approaches his food bowl and just loves when my son who comes over to visit. They love to play chase. Has more toys than you can shake a stick at. And he is helping me regain my footing after a bad knee replacement. Would definitely recommend anyone adopt from paws.

-Marilyn

My husband and I adopted Bear (PAWS name Alan) this summer. He is our first pet together and he couldn't be more perfect for us. His gentle giant nature makes him incredibly lovable to everyone who meets him. We've discovered his favorite activities are walks, runs, and car rides. He has found no use for the multitude of toys we've given him. When all is said, I don't think our home could be complete without this big goof.

-Stephanie

We recently adopted Gretchen (now called Erie), a four-month year old German Shepard. She is just the perfect puppy! She has already made several dog friends around the neighborhood and gets so excited when we run into them on a walk or at the park. Recently, she has become really interested in water...the park we take her to has a fountain she absolutely loves playing in! (Now taking a bath is another story!) Erie recognizes her name, the
command "sit" and "come", and is learning more everyday! She has the biggest ears I've ever seen on a dog and gets so many compliments everyday on them!
Her favorite thing to do is cuddle up with either my boyfriend or me. She is just such a loving puppy! Erie also really enjoys every type of squeaky toy there and is and will not give them up until the noise has stopped!
She is a blessing in our lives! Thank you so much PAWS for everything you did for her before we got lucky enough to adopt her!

-Katelyn

We are so happy that we added Maxwell (Paws name: Toughy) to our little family! He is adapting very well to city life! A little hesitant and shy at first, he now plays like a puppy and enjoys his walks on our tree-lined streets. He has still stayed a very quiet and cuddly pup, which is perfect for us. We love him! -Sarah and Nick

I adopted Bashful. I have renamed her Kahlua. She is doing great! She is continuing to be a very smart dog, and
very well trained. She is very obedient, and stays in our yard! She can sit, lay, stay, and come, and she absolutely loves playing catch in the yard. She is extremely lovable, and loves giving kisses. She is still a
big chewer, but i keep her busy with multiple raw hides and squeaky toys! The biggest problem we have with her is that she loves to get into the bathroom garbage, so we have bought garbage's with lids on them recently!
She loves to play with other dogs as well. She'll visit our neighbors two labs sometimes, and she also loves my grandma's and sister's dogs. She is also becoming a great swimmer. I bought her a small kiddie pool that she
loves to jump in, and she also loves to go to the park and play in the lake. We are pretty sure that she will not get up to 50-60ibs. She is still a rather small puppy, with some stubby legs! She has decided to grow more horizontal than vertical, but she is still just as adorable as she was when I adopted her! She will soon be 7 months old and I am still extremely
happy with her!!

-Christine

The former Iggy & Pop are doing great! They are now named Boo & Radley. They have great energy and appetites. Enclosed is a picture to share with the volunteers. (Boo is on the left - Pop, Radley is on the right - Iggy) -Terri

Hi PAWS! I recently adopted the greatest addition to my life, Juno (recently named Maya). She adjusted to having her own house VERY quickly! She loves having a window sill to lay on, lots of toys to play with, and an owner to cuddle with at night! She'll do just about anything for a belly rub, and will follow me everywhere around the house
hoping she might get one! I look forward to seeing her every night, and she's always waiting by the door to greet me! We're BFF's!

-Kari

Hi I wanted to update you on Spirit! We decided to keep his name with a slight alteration, he spells it Spyrit now. He is the greatest thing on three legs! You would never suspect that anything was wrong with him and I don't think he even realizes that he is less a limb. Everyone in the household and all of our friends think he is just the greatest, even when he is being a monster (his nickname). Spyrit has two big sister kitties that love him very much and our house just would not be the same without him. Here is a picture of him doing one of his favorite things: helping to load the dishwasher!

-Nicki

	Here's a few closeups of Buddy (the former Butter) and Jack (the former Cheese)... They are a couple of characters! Their favorite spots in the house are the cat trees by the front and back windows--lots of birds, squirrels and the occasional rabbit to spy on... -Cheri

We adopted Richie (formerly Lionel) into our family. It's hard to believe we've only had him for 2 weeks! He is the love of our lives and I can't believe we lived so long without him. Looking forward to many, many years as a family together! Attached is a picture of him chewing a rope toy on his first day with us. Thanks to everyone at PAWS for taking
such good care of him before he found his "furever" home!

-Pam

	We did keep the name Pasha for our kitty and she is very happy go-lucky and spoiled. -Abby

The cats are doing great. They are sweet to everyone who enters our home and continue to bring my children and I great joy. The cats seem to be enjoying us as much as we love them. My daughter said to tell you that Zach (PAWS name Calvin) and Cody (PAWS name Hobbs) have been purring a lot, especially Cody who's been purring very loud. As I've reported previously, my 7-year old twins are in charge of feeding them so they have learned a bit about responsibility with this adoption. I've attached a recent picture of the two snuggling.

We've had no significant issues, although Cody, who was large when we adopted him, remains a bit overweight. I'm struggling to control his diet which is hard when Zach is still fitT and trim. They are both on Science Diet light food so hopefully that will help.

-Erica

Sinatra, the Husky we adopted from Paws, is doing great! We didn't change his name because he had already been with 3 other families and we thought he needed some sort of stability. He is our little prince and our coonhound, Whisky, has made a best friend for life! We couldn't have asked for a better turn out. The vet said he was a little thin on his first visit so we set out to fatten him up! Lots of treats and kisses! He is happy, healthy, and has tons of room to run and play! Thanks again!

-Jaime, Joe, Whisky & Sinatra

We adopted a black kitten named Hannah from you in June. We kept Hannah as her name. Hannah gets along well with her two older brothers, and loves to play (and jump in the air) and snuggle. She provides a nice, energetic playmate for her black and white brother Nicky (a fellow PAWS alum). And she's sweet as well. Within a few weeks of bringing her home, she and her orange brother Newton were snuggling together on our bed, like the best of pals.
Attached is a picture of her, along with her brothers.

Many thanks to the PAWS Staff for all their help and assistance, during and after the adoption. Their work helped to make Hannah's transition into our home go smoothly.

-Paul

Things with Jazz are great! We still kept her name. She is a certified part of our family, and we couldn't be happier with how things are going. She gets along with the cats now, so we can all hang out together. She's on a routine with us, and likes to stick with it...even at 7am on a Saturday morning. We love taking family walks together, and sharing pictures with our friends and family. The
attached picture is her and I one lazy night.

-Diana

Greta (formerly Prudence) is doing wonderfully. We had a bit of a bumpy start because she was afraid of all the outdoor noises (cars, dogs barking, construction, etc.), but with some patience and lots of treats she is now really enjoying her walks. Her playful and affectionate personality brings so much joy to this house! -Julia

	Everything is going great! We changed our dogs name to Bella. (Her Paw's name was Puff). She is an amazing dog and we love her so much! Lindsay

Things with Randy are going well. He now responds to Lincoln and is quite a handful! I've attached a few pictures of him from the past couple of months. He's gotten so big that the volunteers at PAWS might not even recognize him.
He's pretty quirky from his afternoon naps in the bathtub to the way that he is a "natural born hugger." Every time he gets picked up he wraps his front paws around you arms like he's going in for a bear hug! Overall, we've been having a great time with him and are so glad to have him as a part of our family!

-Kelsey and Dave

	Charlie, (PAWS name Sniffer), has brought so much love and laughter to our home. He has been the best dog and we are grateful everyday for the PAWS Shelter. He has his own facebook page and would love more friends to follow his daily updates. Please friend request him. His name on facebook is Charlie Wigglesworth Berlanga-Kamminga. We are eternally grateful for all you do! -Jeff & Adam

Bella is doing good!!H er name was orginally LuLu Beans!! Bella is doing great and is adjusting to the house just fine!!All she wants is attention all the time and to be loved!! -Rachael

Clifford (formerly Cody) has been with us for a little over a year and a half. He has added so much to my husband's and my life and hopefully we've added to his. I work from home so he is my constant companion. Although he is not great at performing many office tasks, he does keep
me company throughout the day. He loves to take walks, play in the dog- friendly parks and spend time with his cousins. My husband and I feel lucky to have him.

-Amanda

Gracie Mae and I have been together since June 8th. It seems like Gracie has always been here with me. We clicked from day one. She is learning new tricks everyday. Her favorite game is hide - n -seek. She hides in the bedroom and I hide her treats around the house, then Gracie goes and finds the treats.

Gracie Mae is a GOD send. I thank PAWS everyday for doing what they do to help the animals.

-Patti

	My new little pal is doing just great. I've changed her name from Julia to Mitzy. She is truly a joy to come home to everyday. She is very adventurous but the most lovable and cuddly kitten I've ever had. Thanks for making my experience such a wonderful one. I couldn't have asked for a better outcome. -Chrissy

We did decide to change Senator's, we now call him Bruno. Bruno has adjusted well since we adopted him. We are in the process of crate training, but I don't think he is a fan as of it yet. We take him for several walks throughout the day, which includes an hour walk first thing in the morning and another before we go to bed. I think the walks have helped him become more at ease with other dogs and with our overall neighborhood.

-Lewis

I adopted Joseph in June, and have renamed him Simon. He is doing wonderfully! He instantly made himself right at home. He's so outgoing, never hides or runs from anything -- even water! He insists on
sitting at the table with me whenever I'm eating, and loves to snuggle right up by my neck. He's growing like a weed, and I can't wait to see what he's like as he continues to grow up!

I've attached a recent picture of him. This is one of his favorite spots to watch me when I'm cooking in the kitchen.

-Katie

Greta (Zelda) is doing fabulous. She's such an awesome dog, but having fostered her for 5 weeks prior to adopting, I already knew she's be a great permanent love in our house. We're currently fostering again, and Greta and Teeny get along so well and are hilarious together, big monster and little monster as I affectionate call them, share the dog bed, the couch and both sides of my lap. There's one photo if greta the day she was adopted and returned home to me (the one with the scarf) one with Teeny at the dog beach, and another sharing her bed! Such a good foster sister!

-Jessica

	We adopted Eli, who's name was Brandon. He's doing very well. He has adjusted brilliantly to our home and we love him to pieces. His favorite toy is a volley ball, that of course he's deflated with his attention. -Elana

Thanks for checking up on us! Ducky (who we have re-named Rigby) is doing very well and I think he has fully adjusted to his new home. He just finished obedience classes and we have continued working with him at home. I attached a recent picture of him with an oversized ball in his mouth. Thanks again for keeping in touch! -Jordan

	Eddy, also know at PAWS by Karl is doing great. He loves to play with his neighborhood friends. He's doing well with my two cats. One of which trusts Eddy enough to get in his crate with him. Included is a recent photo of him looking very happy. -Patti

Cheese is doing great. She's grown quite a bit and is about eight pounds now. She's a really good dog and basically the whole neighborhood loves her. I take her for walks and all the neighbor kids come running out to say hi. She does really well with them and doesn't get scared or try to bite them, even though they get a little rough sometimes. She's your typical puppy, running around the house like crazy. Potty training is going fairly well.

I've attached what's probably the cutest picture ever!

-John

Yes, Annie is doing great, and she seems very, very happy in her "forever" home. She has a good size backyard with a tall privacy 6-ft. fence. She has plenty of toys to chew on as she is teething. We are very happy with Annie. No, we did not change her name. We think the name 'Annie' fits her perfectly (also we did not want to confuse her).

Annie has a very strong personality and she craves a lot of attention. She is extremely active, but we are able to keep up with her. We take her for walks twice per day. The backyard is her playground. We live very close to a huge Chicago park, and she loves chasing wild rabbits or baby bunnies and squirrels. They are every where in our area (the park, neighborhood and some times even in our own backyard)! Annie gets 30-45 minutes of play time every day.

Annie has been housebroken. Once in a great while she may have an 'accident' where she should not have gone, but we know it is because she is a puppy and her bladder is weak. However, this has only happened twice since we brought her home August 1. She has her own "bed" and sleeps on her giant soft pillow bed.

-Nancy

Our girl continues to do just great. We are still training her to trot and not pull on the leash. While she is getting much better, there is still room for improvement. She loves her 2 neighbor dogs and goes on walks with them whenever they can come out. Chili (PAWS name Precious) still sees our cat as sport but that situation too has improved....the cat is no longer trapped in the basement anyway. You'll see from the pictures that she certainly feels right at home in her new home. The only thing that makes this poor dog INSANE is squirrels, she just can hardly contain herself when she sees one. We are trying to crate train her but so far she has outsmarted the mean thing! She actually unzipped it while we were gone!

Thanks for all your, and everyone at PAW's great care of Precious/Chili while she was there and thanks especially to you for knowing how great of a dog she is. We think we got adopted by the best dog there! Please pass on these pictures and let your team know that she is loved and doing just great!

-Tina

It has been a few months and Rocco (formerly known as Dexter) is sweet, fun, mischievous, and my buddy. We go to the dog park a few times a week and he is always a big hit! His big ears and bobble headed trot are a standout in any crowd. I bring him to Petco so he can try out the goods before hand. So all is well. I will shoot you a few photos and if we can free up some time we will try and see you all at the PAWS walk.

-Karen

After the recent lost of our two German Shepherds earlier this year, I decided I wasn't ready to adopt a new dog just yet, so I signed up and volunteered for your crisis-care foster program. I thought it would be a wonderful way to help families in crisis who needed temporary care of their dogs and at the same time, have a dog in our home to love and take care on a short-term basis. About a week after my orientation my husband Ron and I went to the Paws Shelter on 26th Street to take home one of their crisis care dogs. We choose, Daisy, a 3-year golden retriever / lab mix. She was complete sweetheart from the minute we got her home.? She was a bit timid, but very well behaved...she just wanted lots of love and attention (she loves belly rubs!). After only having her for a week, Paws called to say her owners had relinquished her and that I should bring her back so she could be put up for adoption. Even though we thought we weren't ready to adopt, there was no way we could let this sweet, gentle dog go. So after a few days I called Paws and asked if we could adopt her. So Daisy is now a permanent member of our family and we could not be happier. And she's definitely being spoiled by us - she loves her treats, toys and especially the long walks she gets everyday. She is truly a joy to have...and I have Paws to thank for that. So thank you very much and I hope to continue to volunteer and/or foster at Paws in the future. I've attached a couple of pictures of her and I.

-Mary Beth

We adopted Archie on June 6th and he is doing wonderfully! He has grown a lot since then- I have attached pictures. He is a happy healthy boy- loves to play fetch and is a natural athlete. We are going to sign him up for
training classes this fall and maybe some agility. His other favorite pastime is cuddling! He has the sweetest temperament- everyone loves him. We can't imagine our lives without him, he is truly a part of our family.

Thank you so much for everything you do!

-Carrie and Frank

Everything is going wonderful with my kitten, her name is now Chloe (PAWS name Mary). She's super lovable and playful. We cuddle every night and she's great with other people. She is quite the jumper and loves to sit by the windows and listen for birds. She's growing so fast I can hardly believe it, almost at 6 pounds! I have attached a recent photo i took during one of her afternoon naps.
Thank you so much for all your help. I am extremely grateful to have found Chloe and brought her into my life.

-Kirsten

We wanted to drop a quick note and fill you in on Baxter (formerly named Louie). We adopted him around Thanksgiving 2008. He is great and so much fun! He had training in the winter and he graduated with flying colors! He still loves to play ball and never gets tired of it. He always has so much fun at the dog park. He has been such a joy and great addition to our family. -Kelly & Joe

	Winona (whom we've re-named Luna) is thriving. She is the most loving and easy-going dog I've ever known. She's not housebroken, and we're having trouble in that area. Still, we couldn't be happier! I am attaching a picture of Luna with my daughter, Eva, and our puppy, Magnet. Luna and Magnet play all day long. They are perfect companions. -Stephanie

We wanted to send a huge thank you to everyone at PAWS for helping to bring our beautiful little beagle, Beaker, into our family. Beaker is doing great and we can't imagine that anyone would have ever wanted to give her up, she is such a sweet and loving girl. She has already brought so much happiness into our lives! We kept her name because she is five years old, and honestly, we can't imagine changing a single thing about her.

Beaker started obedience class this past Tuesday and impressed the trainer with her intelligence and quirky and endearing behaviors (she likes to stand on her hind legs in what we call her "Prairie Dog" stance, and she also sits with her little feet facing outward in her "Sassy Pose"). We are
hoping to work on her leash and listening skills, and we're excited to further our bond with her through these classes. She recently had her first bath, which we were really nervous about giving to her...but she loved it!

The best compliments we have received have been from the vet and from random people when we are out walking her. No one can believe that we just got her, because she is so well adapted and loving towards us. The first time I took her to the vet, she was shocked Beaker had only been with us for two days because it seemed like we had been a team for years.

It tears me up to know that someone gave her away, but we are so happy and thankful to have her with us now. Thank you again for helping us make our
family more complete!

-Melissa and Jeff

	Oscar is just great. We honestly can't believe how well he fits into our home and lifestyle. He is a happy healthy guy and about as lovable as they come. We opted to keep his name the same because we thought it suited him so well. We love him very much and has blended into our lifestyle seamlessly. I love him so much and am so happy he is mine. We won the puppy lottery! -Shannon

Just wanted to let you know how Bear (formerly Jacob) is doing. We adopted Bear on 6/2/09 (he is a schnauzer). He has adapted wonderfully to our home. We are thrilled that he was already housebroken and has learned how to let
us know when he needs to go out (he stands up and looks at the stairs if he is upstairs or goes to the door if he is downstairs). He is eating great, considering he only has a few teeth. He loves to be petted and wants to be in a room with people (he doesn't like to be left alone). This is not a
problem as my husband and I work from home, so when the kids are out or at school, he stays in our home office with us.

We took him with us when we went on vacation this summer and he was a great traveler! He loves to ride in the van with us. He did very well visiting my family in Florida and was the only dog to ever get along with my brother's dog down in Florida. He is friendly with all the dogs in our neighborhood
and all the children recognize Bear and come up to pet him.

We are so happy that he "chose" us to be a part of our family.

-Nancy

Topper (PAWS name Shandor) is great! He’s a young cat, but pretty mellow—he likes to run to his next napping spot. He has recently discovered another cat in the hallway mirror and the joy of bird and squirrel watching from our third floor windows, but his favorite activity is playing in the bed sheets. He is cuddly. He is sweet, and he is fun to watch. Thank you for giving him a
safe place to stay before he came home.

We named Topper for the silly 1937 movie in which Cary Grant is a ghost (Topper, the cat, is all white) and for the drummer of the Clash.

-Kristen

Things are going really well with Chloe (Dolly's new name). She has grown into a really wonderful dog and is about the most loving creature you'll ever meet. We cannot picture our lives without her and really appreciate the counselor at PAWS pointing us in her direction. For a family with two
adopted children from foster care, Chloe has been a fitting addition to our family and has provided an ever present source of love for our kids! Thanks again to all you do at PAWS!

-The Radcliffe's

Basco (the kitten formerly known as Mario Battali) is doing amazing, growing every day (evidenced by the fact that he can now jump on to our kitchen counter from the floor), and continually curious! He is loving, patient, daring, and friendly and has even got in to the good graces of our six-year-old cat, Dublin, a feat previously thought impossible! (See the attached picture for proof, he has brown eyes and she has green... it will eventually be the only way we can tell them apart when he is full grown).

~The Gensler-Hreha family

After several months we've only grown to love our little Romeo (formerly Marshall) more. Such a big personality! He chirps and gobbles at us all day to let us know what he's thinking and prances around the house following us wherever we go. He's a happy, healthy boy and has found a perfect match in us. His hip doesn't seem to bother him at all anymore and he just goes, goes, goes. Thanks, Paws!

-Laura

My boyfriend, Mike, and I are failed foster parents--big time. The first time I laid eyes on Stan I knew I was in trouble. We picked him up at the 26th center and from that day on he managed to weasel his way into our hearts. I can't tell you how much we enjoy Stan. His favorite thing to do is sleep in our bed, chew on Old Navy flip flops--8 pairs to be exact, carry sticks that are too big for him, and be the center of attention at our local pub. I can't thank Paws enough for letting us get involved in the Paws Foster program. Even if we had decided not to adopt Stan it was a wonderful and inspiring experience getting to see how much Paws cares for these animals and places them in homes until they are ready to be adopted. Stan may be our dog now but he will always be a Paws dog at heart.

-Lisa & Mike-

Thank you for your message, and yes, I will be keeping Pogo (PAWS name Chacho), as he is now known(he jumps straight up and down, as if on a pogo stick, when he gets excited). He's doing great, goes to daycare a few days a week with my boxer and gets along with everyone. Still not 100% housebroken, but I think we're making progress.

He loves my boxer, Koki, which they now do constantly (sleep in the same bed and everything).

-Anna, Koki, and little Pogo

	Walter (I formalized it a bit from Wally) is doing great. As you can see from the attached photos, he and my adult cat Stanley (also a PAWS alum) have bonded well. Walter continues to be playful and affectionate. He had his remaining shots on schedule, and my vet found him to be completely healthy and a good weight for his age. Thanks for checking in! -Delia

Morgan (we changed her name from Tippi) is doing great! She's really sweet and happy and has adjusted well to living with us. She's getting lots of exercise and eating well; we're definitely spoiling her! :) -Jen

We all LOVE Delilah now Bella Blue. Jackson the standard poodle licks her face every morning, she added her to his routine of licking my face every morning. Sugar Cube , the rescued Spitz, is watching her and liking her just so she doesn't get in her way when we are together. Jelly belly the 6 year old Persian cat is finally warming up to her, Bella is she's pretty tough when it comes to eating. I can put a hunk of salmon in her dish but she wants the hunk from Jelly's dish (she thinks jelly belly is
getting something better). I have a 3 story house, she knows every nook and cranny now. Sleeps with me, buries her head in my face and purrrrrrrrrrrrrs, all the animals have a pecking order and are respectful of each other.,,,, so far.

I THINK I'VE GOT A WINNER!!

See you at the PAWS run!!!

-Jenn

Wendy, the goofball Shih tzu, was renamed as "Buddha", then later changed to "Buda" (as in Budapest, where we have traveled). The name really fits her and she learned it right away, cocking her head each time we call
her. She is a quick and observant, loves to sit in the windowsill and watch for people to walk by, is obsessed with squirrels and attention, and loves to eat! She has brought much laughter and love to our lives, thank you so much!!!

-Kim

We adopted Wick (you called him Toby) two weeks ago. We are so happy that Wick has become part of our family. We've been looking to add a dog to our family for a year and now we know that we were waiting for Wick all along! He's wonderful. He may be eight years old (we think younger), but he keeps up with Mama on 3 mile runs every morning. He's a wonderful couch potato when we curl-up to watch TV in the evening. And, best of all, he's a love-sponge!!! Thank you for bringing from Animal Care and Control so that we could see him and fall in love.

-The Antic Family

Sassy is getting fatter. She is in dog obedience training, has been on 2 out of town trips, ripped up my sister's carpet, and gets into everything. She visits the local dog park in my neighborhood every day. She insists on sleeping in my bed and gets on the dining room table when I am out of the house. I love her very much and can't imagine what my life would be like without her. -Susie

Just wanted to let you know that Fennie (PAWS name Annie) is wonderful! She is one of the sweetest and smartest dogs I have ever encountered. She goes to doggie day care twice a week and we try to get her to the beach most weekends, too. We recently had a baby and while she's had moments of skepticism, she always watches out for him. She has made all of our lives happier. We are huge fans of all of the work
that PAWS has done - thank you!

-Nicole

We're doing great! Maddie, formerly Miley, is loving life. Just got back from a trip up to Door County - I think she was in heaven. The smells! The birds! The chipmunks! Thank you for such a great event! -Michele and John

	Here are a few pictures that we have really enjoyed of Maggie (grey tabby), and our Sheriff (red tabby). Maggie has been such a great addition to our family, and we would just both like to thank Paws very much! -Eric and Megan

This is just a quick note to let you know how well Sugar has adapted to her new home and how much I am enjoying her company. I adopted her at the Paws adoption event on July 26th and have loved every minute I've spent with her since. I've renamed her Sadie and she is such a sweetheart that I can understand how she got the name Sugar.

Thanks for rescuing her and giving her a second chance!

-Linda

	My two little girls Phoebe and Zoe (Paws names Alison and Bridget) are doing great! They are so happy and spoiled! Here is a picture of them playing in their new favorite toy. Thank you again for all that PAWS does! -Elizabeth

Roo (formerly Petunia) is doing very well in her new home! Her vet said she is completely healed from her fractured tail and pelvis--so much so that she wouldn't have even known it had happened without medical records. Roo loves cuddling, sleeping, long walks, and stuffed toys. She's become very well socialized with both dogs (there are so many in our building) and people (I get stopped by people wanting to pet her constantly--but who could blame them?). She starts obedience school today. Sometime after she graduates,
we'd love to get her a brother or sister to play with. She is the sweetest dog in the world. We love her so much and are so happy to have her! Thanks PAWS!

-Jennifer and Ian

	We have named our dog Duke (PAWS name McGee) and he's a real sweetie. We love him very much and he's adapting well to his new home. We just went on our first vacation with him in the woods, and discovered that he doesn't like to swim very much. He does love to catch frogs and he is a good companion who is very protective. Here's a picture of Duke from when he first came home. -David

We adopted Leonard (formerly Hot Dog). We love him so much already! Here is a picture of him in the living room. Thanks for checking-in. -Christine

	Things are going great with our new adoptees. We have changed their names, however. Smokey is now Isabella (Izzie) and Baxter is now Figaro (Figs). I've attached pictures of both of them. It took a bit for them to get used to each other, but they get along great now. We adore them -- they're our babies!! -Adi and Michael

We adopted Kenzie (formerly known as Chilindrina) over Memorial Day weekend. She has been such a wonderful addition to our life and family. She seems to love her new life in the city where she can visit many people and dogs while on her regular walks. She has a walker that visits her daily and is working with her on aggression towards fast moving bikes and pigeons. Kenzie has settled in nicely to her routine and we love having her in our lives. We could not ask for a better girl and are so thankful to the folks at PAWS that allowed her to join our family. We may even get her a brother or sister in the near future! I have attached a picture of Kenzie playing with one of her toys.

-Suzanne

Thank you for checking in on us. Everything is going great. Zoe (she was Cheena @ PAWS) has taken well to her new family, loves her other doggie brother and sister. She will play endlessly with our 8 year old daughter and can't get enough of the dog beach. She's about 19 months old now and a ball of energy. Can't wait for the 3 year old stage to hit, that is when I have heard they begin to relax. I often take her to boot camp with me in the morning (I own/operate a women's boot camp), she loves watching over us and being part of the group.

We hope to see everyone at the PAWS run/walk this September.

-The Ozimek Family: Joe, Diana, Taylor, Chandler, Cleo & Zoe

Zifir, formerly known as Irwin, has settled in very quickly and energized our older cat Kibo! They enjoy their food (and never go without checking out what the other one eats!), they play together (thanks to Kibo, we do not have to play with Zifir all night long- not that we complain about his endless energy; he has a great cat-sitter!), and they sleep together! We have twice as much joy and love in our family, thanks to PAWS. Our adult cat, Kibo, would have loved to tell you that he loves having Zifir around. Lots of love from us, Kibo and Zifir,

-Serdar and Gulsat

Things are going very well with the dog we adopted from PAWS. We renamed her Penelope (her PAWS name was Lottie) and call her Penny. She's adapted very quickly and is on the verge of being housebroken. She spends her days playing with her housemate, my roommate's shih tzu. In the morning, she likes to sneak up into bed (even though she knows she's not supposed to) to cuddle and then wakes us up by licking our faces. Her favorite time is when she goes on walks, because she gets to meet all the dogs in Lakeview and spots the occasional rabbit.

Thank you so much for taking good care of not just Penny, but all the dogs at PAWS.

-Jasmine

Here is a picture of Bella (previously known as Lobita). She seems to be loving her new home and getting along great with the new members with her family! -Elia

	Everything is going better than we could have dreamed and we are loving having Benson as the newest member of our family. -Jessie

Thank you for checking in on Phaedra now known as JoJo. She is adjusting well. It's taking a little time to get her out of some bad habits and teaching her to be more confident but I think she will be fine. -Janis

	I just wanted to give you a quick update on our newest family member. We changed her name from Kendall to Addison. We also took her to see the vet and everything checked out just fine. We also completed a basic training class and will probably enroll in an intermediate training class in a few months -- after some practice, of course! -David & Marissa

My husband and I are really enjoying our new dog! We adopted him as Flip, but we've changed his name to Diego. He's adapting well to his new home and loves to explore outside and go for long walks. He's full of energy and
a joy to have in our lives. I've attached some recent photos. Thanks for everything,

-Erin and Ben

P.S. The last photo is Diego studying some flute music. He loves to sit and listen to me practice every day. :)

	Everything is indeed going great with our new dog. We love him and we think he is very happy. His new name is Doug (Andy was his name at PAWS) and attached is a new picture of him. He just got a new frisbee this weekend and he loves it - he hasn't figured out how to catch it yet, but he'll get there. -Richard, Tracy and Doug

Myles (PAWS name Chopper) is doing fine and in puppy school. I have attached some photos for you to see. -Lynette

I adopted Cookie from the Michigan Avenue
"Angels with Tails" event. Prior to meeting Cookie, I spent many weekends wandering through the PAWS facility looking for the right dog. When I saw Cookie on your website, I *knew *I had to have her. I am glad to tell you that I do not think I could have picked a better dog and Cookie loves her new home. She has been an absolute pleasure to have around and I look forward to our life together.

Thanks to PAWS for all the good work you guys do!!

~Liesel

Your previous tenant's new dad. Fudge has been
a dream come true & is a fully spoiled part of our family! He has been slightly renamed Fudgy Bear by our 6 yr old son Nate, Poo Bear by my soon-to-be wife Mary Ann, Foo Bear by most of our friends, & simply Bear by me. Bear sleeps with our son every night & follows him upstairs every
morning to cuddle on the couch under a blanket & watch cartoons together. Bear's favorite thing to do is sun bathe & snuggle with us, but is quite active on the leash! Often he's pulling our son to wherever his nose takes him. He's a great car dog & prefers to snuggle on my lap when our son isn't in the car. Bear is not the biggest fans of other dogs but loves children! Some weekends I take him to the nursing home
I work at for adults with special needs & they love him. I get asked nearly every day by staff & residents how he's doing & when he's coming back. There's also a dog park nearby the nursing home we walk at when he visits. Thanks again for letting us adopt Bear!

-Phil

Honey (Paws name Honey Bunnie) is the best thing that's happened to our lives! We fostered her and fell in love with her and wanted to share our lives with her. She's 8 years-old now and we are amazed at her energy and spirit. She ALWAYS wants to play ball.

One memorable moment that truly made us fall in love with Honey was while we were fostering her. We let her her out in our backyard, and later realized that she was no longer in the back, and the found out that our back gate was open! We frantically put on our shoes, grabbed a bunch of treats to lure her back, and right when we opened the door to go chase after her, there she was smiling and sitting at our steps like a good girl, waiting for us to let her in. That's when we not only knew that we wanted to keep her, but also that she wanted to be a part of our family.

Honey has become much more comfortable and adorable at our home. She has her own ginormous bed in my room, and she presses her head on the side of my bed as she goes to sleep. Her wake-up routine that seems to scream "Hurray, it's a brand new day," has put a huge smile on our faces every morning. We are so glad to have found Honey, and we love to see her happiness increase day by day. Clearly, she now knows she's found her forever home.

-Michael

I have attached a picture of Charley (PAWS name Swish). He is 20 lbs and still growing. He is bright, energetic and very playful. He is pretty much trained now but has an occasional accident if we are not vigilant enough. We are very thankful to have found such a great dog at Paws. . -Bruce

I wanted to provide you with an update on Clyde, the dachshund mix we adopted at Angels with Tails. He's settling in nicely and makes a great family pet. He's great with my children (ages 7 and 9) as well as with my elderly parents. He's become much more outgoing now and loves to play and run. We've started him in an obedience class. He learns quickly but is quite easily distracted! We are very happy with him and glad he's a part of our family. I've attached a photo and a letter my daughter wrote about him.

-Catherine

I recently adopted the greatest addition to my life, Juno
(recently named Maya). She adjusted to having her own house VERY quickly and loves having a window sill to lay on, lots of toys to play with, and an owner to cuddle with at night! She'll do just about anything for a belly rub, and will follow me everywhere around the house hoping she might get one! I look forward to seeing her every night, and
she's waiting there by the door for me! We're BFF's!

-Kari

	Boomer is doing fantastic and growing up to be quite the little man. We just moved from our condo in the city to a house in Oak Park about 2 weeks ago and Boomer has been enjoying the luxury of his own back yard, fetching the tennis ball and chasing fire flys. I can't say enough how much joy he brings to our home. -Chris

Lucy (PAWS name Gloria) is doing well. Her and Molly (3 yr old border collie mix) are getting along really well. Molly had to teach Lucy the rules of the house and of the doggie park - but Lucy is a quick learner and has adapted very well in a short period of time. We adopted Molly 2 years ago. -Ron and Laurie Marksberry

Soon it will be the 1 year anniversary of Jacob joining our family. It was a slow start, but I let him settle in at his own pace and now he is showing us what is truly inside him. He is very playful and is becoming quite the snuggler. He enjoys playing with his brother, Lou, chasing whatever or nothing at all and as you can see, spending a good part of the day looking out the window at the birds and squirrels in the trees just outside my windows. What a perfect addition to our little family. There are so many joys and benefits to adopting an older cat. Thank you PAWS.

-Sheila, Lou and Jacob

Saffy, formerly Samantha, is doing great. She loves to go into my sock drawer and pull out rolled up socks and move them around the bedroom. She is a little bit of a biter, so I have been working with her on that issue by getting her to either stop her biting as she starts it or to bite more gently. She is very affectionate and so outgoing. My friends are so surprised to be in my house with a cat that is so gregarious. My old cats were very quiet and did not like company, and the cat I adopted last year, Carmen, is also very skittish with company.

Saffy and Carmen get along very well despite the fact that Saffy is almost twice Carmen's size. They play pretty well together but if I am spending too much time talking to one, the other will push her way in to get some attention. I have attached a picture of Saffy, I need to get one of the two girls together at some point.

-Julie

We adopted Lacey (PAWS name Sue) on June 25th. She quickly fell in love with her new home and her new kitty brother and sister, Prince and Sadie. She is definitely the baby of the family! She loves to play FETCH with her plush White Sox baseball. Her other hobbies include playing with kitty tunnels, sliding on wood floors, stepping on computer key boards and giving Eskimo kisses. The day we adopted her was such a happy day for us and we can't imagine not having her in our lives.

- Sandy and Tony

One trip to the groomer and he was no longer Shaggy so he's now known as Luke. Luke has been very busy in the 10 weeks since he was adopted. He was a very skinny and weak 15 pounds when I took him home. Those days are
long gone. He's now 18.5 pounds of romping stomping Terrier. He is a very busy guy, who manages to get into just about everything! He's had a DNA test which confirmed his Terrier heritage - he's predominantly Jack Russell with
some Beagle. Quite an active mix. Luke adores his two big sisters, 3 year old Schnoodle littermates Helen and Jessie. After barking at him for the first 12 hours, the girls quickly accepted Luke into their pack, and he's lucky to have them, because as it turns out he is completely deaf. After six weeks of wondering when he was going to learn his new name I began to suspect he had a hearing problem. It was harder to pick up on because he follows his sisters everywhere, so when I called them, he came too. Over
time there were enough clues that we went to our Vet who agreed that he had some hearing loss. Yesterday he went to a specialist for testing and its official, Luke is 100% deaf in both ears and most likely has been since birth. Luke and his sisters go to daycare and training everyday. For the past two weeks he has been learning hand signal commands and he's doing really well - we go to classes together every Saturday so that I can learn the hand signals too. It's amazing to watch the progress he's making!

I thank you so much for bringing him into my life.

-Joanna

	Just wanted to let you know that things are going very well since I adopted Roslyn, Her new name is Ruby Ray, and she has adjusted to our house beautifully. She is a joy. I have attached a few pictures for you to see how shes grown...thanks for a wonderful puppy :) -Jenni

We adopted Sadie two months ago when she was about 6 months old and she has been a wonderful addition to our family. We kept her name and now she actually comes when she is called! We took her to puppy obedience classes where she did a great job learning basic commands. She has come a long way in the last two months but her
sweet personality is still a constant. She is smart and cute and loves going to doggy beach and the doggy park. After a lot of playing she loves a good nap. We feel very lucky to have found such a terrific dog!

-Siena

	I adopted Einstein about two months ago and changed his name to Lomez. He is doing very good in his new home. Full of energy. Thank you for allowing me to adopt him. -Bill

My name is now Cosmo (formerly known as Kafka) and I used to live with everyone there at PAWS. Thank you so much for taking such great care of me before I was able to find a home! I now have a whole condo to explore and a sister cat to befriend. My new sister, Jasmine, has been trying to be patient with me, but all I want to do is jump on her. My new owners, Peggy and Scott, have asked me to play nice, but it's so very much fun to chase and leap! I have enclosed three pictures of me in my new home and playing with my new sister. Once again thank you for being such wonderful people. I think about my friends there at PAWS and I hope that they too, all get great homes to go live at!

-Cosmo

	David and I adopted Clara, now Clarabel just over one month ago. The third picture are her new sisters Sass and Kenzie (not PAWS alumni). -Ilana

Addison (formerly Wednesday) has made a great adjustment to her new home. She enjoying her days taking walks around Lincoln Park and barking at other dogs through the window. Thanks for PAWS for everything you do, and continue to provide homes to second chance dogs. -Ed

	Truman and I are doing lovely. He is absolutely the most adorable cat that I have ever encountered. Everybody who comes to visit is greeted by his excellency as he loves to be adored. Thank you for providing such a wonderful service! -Christopher

I adopted Mobie on Mothers day. I have changed his name to Logan. Logan is adjusting very well. His obedience skills are pretty good. He loves my older Golden, Maddie. Enjoys playing with squeaky toys and has a special "Dolly" that he loves.I've enclosed a few pictures of him. He is the younger golden of the two or the slightly larger one if you are unable to see the white face on Maddie.

-Laurel

	Hi! I am writing with an update on Stavros we adopted around May 1st. We changed his name to Jack, which he responded to immediately. Things are going wonderfully, and we are so happy to have Jack be a member of our family. Jack is currently finishing his last week of intermediate obedience training, and doing very well. -Darcy, Dave, Derick and Jack

Just dropping a line to say Maude (adopted May 18) is doing just great. She has a new name, "Cheese" and gets along fine with her brother Butter (my older cat). Turns out she's just as talkative as my older kitty, so I come home to two little chatterboxes everyday I'm attaching a picture of her (on right) and her new brother (on left, white).

Million thanks for rescuing her so she was able to join our family!

-Clarissa

	I just wanted to let you know that Akide (formerly known as Tilly) is doing great at her new home. She has been great to have around. She loves to play and eat and hang out with us on the couch. She also turned out to be very organized. She keeps all her toys together in one corner of our living room, it's adorable. -Defne

The cat we adopted from PAWS, Lingo, is doing wonderfully. He is the sweetest, most loving and cuddly cat that I have ever met, and he is exactly everything that we were looking for. Our main concern when adopting a cat was that they would have to get along with our dog (we have a one year old Pug). And we could not have found a better match than Lingo! He loves his new sister so much, they have become best friends and it is so sweet to watch them play and watch them cuddle with one another. We have not changed his name, as we liked it the way it was. Lingo is the best addition to our family and we are thrilled everyday that we found such a perfect match at PAWS. Thank you all so much for helping us find a companion for us and for our dog Roxie. We love him dearly and he is doing very well in his home with us.

I have attached a few pictures of Lingo and him with our dog Roxie!

-Melanie

Gargamel (now Sam) is doing great! He is such a wonderful addition to our home and we love being greeted every morning by his sweet face. He is growing bigger everyday and his paws are the talk of the neighborhood. He is going to be a big boy! He loves to cuddle, play
fetch, ride in the car, and snuggle with his froggy. Sam is hoping to reunite with his sisters available for adoption this weekend at Angels with Tails West Loop. A special thanks to the foster family, staff, and volunteers who cared for our little guy while he was at PAWS!

Photo attached: Sam with his favorite playmate, Cousin Ernie.

-Leslie

Life with F. Hamilton Schrödinger (formerly Frisco; I kept the F) has been mostly lovely. I admit I was a bit worried after an FIV+ cat chose me at PAWS that Sunday afternoon, but I soon realized that he and I would be more than fine. The vet said he looked healthy - no visible problems - which is a
relief. I know it might not always be this way, so I am enjoying my time with my tabby. Hamilton - some friends call him Ham, or Hamdinger, or Schrodie - is a trim
11 pounds, and has adjusted to life in my place quite well. He has gone from a quiet cat to a constant "chirper"; he doesn't do full-on meows very often. He is also more active than I expected - he loves to play with feathers and toys on sticks, and of course with the laser pointer. My
friends who have met him adore him, as I do. My dad, who is not a cat person AT ALL, often asks to "speak" to Hamilton, who will often chirp on command (when I pet him), on the phone.

Hamilton is not much of a lap sitter, but he has to have me in sight. He will sit by the window as I watch TV, or jump on my desk when I'm at my computer (I had to place a portable end table next to my desk so he will not walk on my keyboard as I type). He often tangles himself in my legs when I'm walking, which has proven interesting. Also, at night in bed, Hamilton LOVES to lick my face. LOVES it. It has proven difficult to stop because I don't want to discourage any affectionate or grooming behavior. But he would lick for hours if I let him. I'm mostly gotten him to lick my arms and hands instead, but every once in a while, he'll try to sneak in a kiss or two..

Hamilton also has refrained from scratching any furniture and allows me to clip his claws with very little fuss. He eats well and always uses his litter box. He wakes me up every morning - sometimes earlier than I'd like! - with soft paws on my face.

Thanks, PAWS,
for helping my kitty find me!

-Dee

	Savannah (formerly Libby) is doing well and loves her new home. I love coming home knowing that she is waiting for me. She loves to play and is spoiled with lots of new "toys" and loves to nap on the couch!! -Chris

I just wanted to let you know that Wrigley is doing very well, and he is getting so big! -Tiffany

The dog I adopted (originally named Lucky, now named Oliver) is doing great! I changed his name to Oliver because I live on Dickens. One of his characters Oliver Twist was an orphan, I was an English major so the name
stuck. We are a perfect match and it's so funny that he has some of the same traits as I do (clumsiness, snuggling, loving activities etc). He is full of energy and loves our long walks. He's so interested in everyone we meet and loves to be around people. Oliver definitely can be a stinker sometimes: he'll hide my shoes when he knows I'm getting ready for work but he's still a playful puppy. He loves to swim and run around at the family lake house. My whole family is in love with him and my parents call him their "Granddoggy/Grandpup". I can't
imagine having a different dog- he and I clicked right away. It's weird to think that I've only had him for two months since it seems like I have had him forever. When I first got him he was underweight at about 45 pounds and has filled out to about 55 pounds. Whenever my friends or coworkers talk about getting a dog I automatically
blurt out "PAWS!" and rave about my experience. In the next few years when I am ready to get a second dog, I can't wait to come back. I often visit to see the dog that PAWS has because I love the environment and know that they are being taken care of.

-Jessica

The newest family member (or Murphy) is doing great! He is such a cute little puppy and is loving his new home and parents. He has been very spoiled with treats and all the play time he has been getting from friends! His old name was Schatzie. -Alyssa

Bella (PAWS name is Bella) is doing really well with us and has become nothing short of our four legged child, haha! We're learning that regardless of her age, she hasn't had very much exposure to the world, so its been fun watching her grow with each experience. We took her on her first road trip to the Indiana dunes last weekend, and she was a riot. She is so good with people and other dogs too, its nice to be able to share her kind spirit. All and all, she's flourishing and we're very happy with her. Thanks for checking in!

-Audrey & Lexi

I'm attaching a picture of Grizz (formerly RJ). He's doing good at home and is fitting in with everyone really well. He loves to bark at squirrels, play fetch, and chew on his stuffed animals. And oh yeah, he LOVES affection and to have his picture taken. He's the greatest dog ever, and I'm happy we were able to rescue him from PAWS. -Rob

Thanks for checking in. Hunter has renounced his PAWS name, and is now Charlie. Dog ownership has been so much more rewarding than I ever imagined. After an initial bought with kennel cough, Charlie recovered quickly and immediately settled into his new home. We take long walks, long naps, and fun car rides. He's become a regular in my office, where he licks every inch of our office floor when he's not sleeping in his bed. On days when he doesn't come to work, he has a dog walker named Lindsey that he has a total crush on. Last weekend we took a trip to Michigan for some fun on the beach. Turns out Charlie is a bit of a city dog, and he was less than impressed with the sand and water.

-Jake

We did change Alton's name to Thor and he actually loves it. Thor is getting along so well with our cat Diva, and enjoys spending time lounging and running around the apartment. He loves his walks and playing fetch practically anything that is outdoors he loves. He loves receiving pets,
chest rubs, and getting treats. He has mastered sitting and we believe he is the best sitter this side of the Mississippi lol. We are so happy and proud to have Thor as a member of our family. We look forward to many happy years together. Thanks to you all so much for allowing us the opportunity to have our family grow.

-Freddy

I adopted my cat Comet on May 23, 2009. We have kept her name since she's already used to it. According to her last vet visit at the end of May, Comet is healthy! Well, aside from her obesity. She is on Hill's R/D canned food for weight loss. When my boyfriend and I brought her home from the shelter, Comet explored the apartment and cried a little, then made herself right at home on the window sill! She is now more active and plays a lot. I think she has adjusted very well to our home. Comet isn't shy when new people come to visit...she rolls right over for a belly rub!

We are very pleased with our new pet. She had only been at your shelter for a few hours when we arrived. It is hard to believe someone did not want such a sweet cat. Thank you so much for giving us the opportunity to adopt a great new friend.

-Briana and Jack

This is in response to the e-mail I got asking for an update on the cat I adopted. Her name at PAWS was Carley, but I have changed that to Zelda. Things have been going well, although she had some digestive issues for which the vet is treating her. Thank you for the work you do with the pets at PAWS Meg Bullock

Everything is going great. It's hard to believe it has only been a few weeks. PAWS helped us to add another cat to our family.

A few weeks ago we adopted little Oort (PAWS name: Split Pea). She was chatty and playful right away. It took a few days for our one year old cat Kuiper (PAWS name: Serrano), adopted in Sept. 08) to get comfortable with
her. He has always been shy but they were incredibly curious about each other. Now they play together and chase each other around a lot now and seem happy to have each other. We sometimes catch them napping together and grooming each other.

We were warned that previous owners said Oort may have had some problems using the litterbox or staying off furniture. She's had no problems eating and has had no accidents or problems with the litterbox. She only hops up on the furniture she's been allowed to. No problems. She's a happy cat and we're happy to have her as part of our family. Her favorite things are goofing off, chasing a wand, and curling up to purr or nap next to Jenn or me.

-Jenn and Rex and Kuiper and Oort

The girls are doing extremely well. We now call our big girl Petunia (PAWS name Ginger Snap) and our less big girl Tulip. Collectively they are 'The Torties'. They continue to be the sweetest cats we have ever met. They seem completely
at home here. They are still close, but spend much less time glued together. Petunia is very protective of Tulip when she perceives a 'threat', like an unexpected noise or verbal abuse from our senior cat, Molly. Molly is not real happy about having them around, but puts up with them as long as they defer to her. They all still have a ways to go, but
there has been much progress. Molly is a skinny 16 year old who considers herself to be the master of the universe. Tulip seems fine with Molly running things, but Petunia is more inclined to offer up a challenge. Petunia struggles with her weight loss, even though on a strict diet. Some progress has been made, but it is slow going. We thought calling her Petunia might enhance her self-image, in case that was an issue for her, hence the name changes. She is very smart, personable, playful and surprisingly agile for such a substantial cat. She loves having her ample belly rubbed and will roll over as soon as we start petting or brushing her.
Tulip has really come out of her shell. As you may recall, she was severely introverted and unhappy, and hid with her face stuck in the corner of a box while at the shelter. She is now completely content to spend time with us, and sleep stretched out in the open. We find her sleeping on her back in the middle of the floor on a regular basis. She
seems completely comfortable and at ease. She has been jumping into my lap in the morning while I read the paper. She is the more vocal of the two, and seems to be in charge of waking us up in the morning for breakfast. She takes this responsibility very seriously.

-Robert and Deanna

Gabby (PAWS name Blossom) was from the first moment I adopted her the biggest sweetheart. She is fantastic with all people/children as well as other dogs. She was a bit dominant when I first adopted her (nipping at me) but responded very well to training. I'm hoping to get her certified as a therapy dog sometime in the near future but there still are a few qualifications that we need to work on for the canine good citizenship test (walking with a loose leash!). She also really enjoys agility and is a natural! I truly could not have gotten a better dog!

-Robin

We love some much the NEW member of our family LOLA"( PAWS name Ladybug ) is fantastic , well trained , obedient and extremely friendly! Since the adoption form PAWS Lola gained around 5 pounds she had a complete check up with our vet including teeth cleaning and check on some small cyst's ....Boxer's are very susceptible to skin cancer . -Ugo and Jorge

We have had our wonderful little Chihuahua home now for about three weeks, and we are in love! She came to us very shy but is now really opening up. She comes out of her crate in the morning so excited to greet the day and to see us. She always gets our day off right because of her happy attitude! We have decided to name her Poppy, but her name at Paws was Robin. We are working on training her to go to the bathroom in a dog-litter box. I
believe it may be starting to work, because she has now gone twice in her box! We love her to death, and are so happy we made the decision to take her. She is 100% a member of the family and has brought great joy into our
lives.

Thank you so much for everything - Paws is WONDERFUL!

-Julia, Abby, and Poppy

Tough Guy was lovingly hand raised and it shows. We adore him and changed his name to toughy. He is not really tough at all, really the sweetest little man in the world. He knows his name, comes when called (mostly) and will "sit" when i ask him to (sometimes) we're currently working on "stand", which has half a chance of working as long as I hold a mouse or a ball or some fun object over his head.

You are doing a great job at paws...thank you very much,

-John, Betsy, & Toughy

We are really bonding well together. Jenny now known as Kiki is a welcomed loved addition to our family. After the passing of our 10 year old dog Noel we thought we could never love another dog again. Kiki with her beautiful eyes great and love for affection for life has helped us realize that we can love another dog. Everybody in the neighborhood loves her and she loves working the crowd for love and affection.

We love her and she loves us. A perfect match

-Paul and Christine

I wanted to send a quick note to let you guys know how Wilson's doing. I adopted Finkle on 06/23. He's such a sweetheart and I love him so much! I would describe him as crazy and curious and so much fun. Thanks to everyone at PAWS for providing him with a great life before the adoption,
for the time spent with us on adoption day, and for helping me be so prepared for bringing him into my life. I will always support PAWS and continue spreading the good word.

-Lindsey

Cricket is doing great. My boyfriend is on summer break from graduate school and has been spending hours cuddling with her everyday on the couch. She still has a shy personality and avoids contact with people
she doesn't know. She is very loving towards us and rubs herself on my leg when I get home form work each day!
She is also a very playful cat. She likes to play "hockey" with small objects, batting them across the wood floor from wall to wall! A former hockey player himself, my boyfriend has bonded with Cricket. And just think, he previously claimed to dislike cats! She also hides
her cat toys under our rugs and blankets, taking them out to play and putting them back when she's finished!

We are very pleased to have adopted such an awesome cat. I have attached an adorable picture of Cricket curled up next to me in bliss.

Thanks for everything PAWS!

-Amy

I wanted to send an update on Abby. She is the most amazing dog EVER! My finance and I are completely in love. She is doing so well in every way. She is very well trained, so gentle with all people and dogs, and very very calm. She gets really anxious when we leave in the morning but I have never in my life received such a welcome as I do when I return home to her in the afternoons. Her personality is so
adorable. She is very needy and always happy and wants to be right in our faces having us rub her and spoil her, which we do happily. The picture I attached is of her and my parents black lab, KC. I have not had an opportunity to take a ton of pictures but this is one of her finishing playing in the lake and chasing KC around... My parents have 3 black labs and when I take her home to Michigan we run them in
the woods, Abby is SO fast, she outruns all of them. My mom thinks she is part fox because of the way she prances through the woods jumping over all the fallen trees for miles and miles, literally.

I still cannot believe we got so lucky with Abby. She is the perfect dog for us. My friends think I'm crazy because I never want to leave her. I bring her everywhere with me. She loves to go shopping on Oak Street, she loves to run with me along the lake, and I take her to dinner frequently. My fiancé cannot believe it either, we are totally 100% attached to Abby.

Thank you all for taking such wonderful care of her and grooming her into this amazing friend. I can't believe anyone would ever ever give her up (esp. twice, makes me so sad). We love her and are so grateful to have her in our lives!

-Alissandra and Matt

The two dogs we adopted are doing very well. Blue (previously Marcus, adopted 08-08) and Gray (previously Daisy, adopted 04-09) are best buddies. Although this first year with Blue has been rocky, lots of headaches & heartaches, my husband and I are hoping now that he's a little older, things will stabilize. He's still our number one guy, and everything has just made him that much more special to us. The last couple of months, things have been turning around, and I think next year will be ALOT better!! Having Gray around has helped immensely! Gray has turned out to be a total sweetheart! She's blindly devoted to everyone (me, my husband, Blue, even the cats!) and is very smart. She's super energetic and loves going on runs with me. She's still got that puppy-craziness going on, but nothing that's too much to handle, and everything's just adorable about her.

I've attached a picture of them, Blue is the dark one on the right, Gray is the lighter one on the left.

Blue and Gray have been a wonderful addition to our home. We love them very much!

A million thanks for providing the means of getting our most precious buddies!

-Jon & Trudy

Marcy and Jake are great. Didn't change their names. Jake is extremely affectionate (ok, maybe a little needy at time!) probably because he's been with us since he was 10 days old. But I wouldn't have it any other way. He's my baby! Marcy pretty much stays to herself and lets Jake be in the
limelight. We try to love on her as much as she'll let us. They both LOVE the feathers on a string (attached to a stick). That's mostly how we play with them. I'd recommend that toy to any cat owner. Jake is quite the curious kitten!

-Kari

	Tim and I adopted Patches (formerly Keepers) in April and he is adjusting well to our family. -Ravi & Tim

My name is Kaye and my fiancé and I adopted Faith on May 5 of this year. We have since changed her name to Natasha and attached are some pictures of her in her new home. I want to thank all of the great PAWS volunteers who helped us pick her out. We already had a pet rabbit who has the run of the house and we were very concerned with his safety as we were selecting a cat. The volunteers directed us to Tasha and it couldn't have been a better match. As you can see in the picture she and bunny Ira get along great. Over the past couple of months she has really come into her own and gotten sweeter and more playful. My fiancé, the bunny and I are all very happy to have her in our lives. Thank you again for helping us to grow our family!

-Kaye

Scott and I recently adopted BJ from paws. We could not be any happier with him. We recently changed his name to Bear and he seems to respond to it well. He doesn't like to play to much but he absolutely loves to get love! He enjoys just sitting next to you on the couch and putting his head in your lap as long as you pet him! He loves belly rubs and pig ear raw hides! We take him everywhere with us and he is a joy. He sits with us when we eat on restaurant patio's, or when we take a trip to the video store, and always comes when we go get ice cream! We don't have to crate him when we leave as he just chews on his bones or raw hides or just sits on the couch and naps. We have learned to keep food off the counter though! I have attached some pictures for you to see him! Thanks so much and we will be attending some of the Paws events, such as the beach party and the walk in September.

-Mary and Scott

Tot (PAWS name Nugget) is doing really well. We are are in the second week of training! She is responding really well to the training, and will listen as long as there aren't any other puppies to distract her! She is still a bundle of energy and loves to run around outside AND inside. She is getting so big! When I went to he vet, she was 24 pounds. -Julia

	We are doing great. I haven't changed her name - it is still Olive. This week we are graduating from the beginner's obedience class. We are frequent visitors to the Montrose dog beach as well as neighborhood dog parks. -Elina & Olive

Attached are a few pictures of Sarge, formerly Newman. He is about 65 lbs now!! Sarge is an extremely good dog. He's been trained to stay out of his cage now while we are away. He is also good with other dogs and kids! We feel that we really lucked out with Sarge. He's part of our family and we
couldn't imagine not having him. He loves walks, car rides and visiting his grammy and grampy and his "uncles" Boomer (formerly Austin) and Biscuit!!

-Sue

	We absolutely love Tula (PAWS Name Penny Lane). She fits in well with our lifestyle and our other baby, Henry (who is a dog). Thank you so much for having a great place to adopt pets. She will always have a home here with us!!!!!! -Melissa

My dog Maxie (formally Poochy) is doing great!! She is just the best dog very sweet and affectionate, loves other dogs and people, no bad habits at home, etc. Only problem is that she doesn't like hot dogs, and as someone who works for Vienna Beef, well...We've gone to the doggie park and the doggie beach, and a couple of days a week she goes to doggie daycare where she can play all day long with other dogs - just about her favorite thing to do (she even gets a little miffed if she sees another dog on the street and we don't get a chance to meet him/her!) I couldn't be happier with her, and by the way she smiles all the time,
she seems to be happy too!

Thanks again for all you do, and for bringing Maxie into my life!

-Tracey

	We are very fortunate to have Frederick (who's new name is now Louie) as part of our family. He seems to be happy as well. His big brother Airedale Jack also enjoys having him with us. The photos we attached are of Louie on Jack's bed. Louie no longer wants his little bed which is more his size. Thank you PAWS. -The Mejia Family

Logan's new name is Charlie and he's doing well! We still have yet to discover what he is mixed with! We've already been to the beach in Michigan City and a trip to Cincinnati to
meet his extended family. He got along very well with his Standard Poodle cousin Zoe and has made a few other dog friends. He is very patient with kids and loved visiting the students at the school I teach at. While he is a wonderful cuddler and very relaxed at times, he also loves running laps
through the house! Now on to training!

-Allison

	We have changed Justin's name to Dingo. We figured he looks like a dingo! He's been such a sweet and smart puppy. He loves training and has loved the beach. He's been quite the water dog. Dingo doesn't lack personality...he's kept us busy and we love him! -Brett

We love our new puppy. We renamed her Taylor (her name was Nelly) and she learned her new name and new home very quickly. We love going to Wiggly Field and the Montrose Harbor beach. Taylor is a very good swimmer and we even realized that she has webbed paws! Thanks so much! -Liz and Joe

Lexi, formerly Latte, has adapted quite well to her new home these past 3 months. When I first brought her home, she ran 18 circles around my kitchen table. Poor little thing just didn't know what to think. She didn't know how to play with a toy or sleep in her doggie bed and the stairs petrified her. Now of course, she hoards all of her toys in a pile and then brings them out to play one by one, with tug of war being by far her favorite game. She loves chewing on her bones and getting treats and going for walks. She has mastered running upstairs but we are still working on her descent. She is a very sweet and loving little girl.

Thanks for all of the wonderful things PAWS does for these animals.

-Terri

I changed his name to Lou (I know too many Patricks and it was a little confusing). He is absolutely the best dog ever and everyone tells me that. He rarely leaves my side, doesn't bark and hasn't been any trouble. He enjoys traveling on short road trips with me. Here is a picture from a recent trip. Thanks for everything. -Matt

I would just like to say that the adoption of (PAWS name Dee Dee) Remmie was the best decision we have made not a day goes by that we don't second guess on adopting her. She has adapted very well to her new home as well as brought quite the amusement lol. She loves her exercise as well as her visits to the dog park were she just loves to run and chase the others. i thank you all for giving us the opportunity of adopting such a wonderful pet.

-Brandon

We (my wife Karen and our 2 sons Connor and Liam) have the most wonderful dog, Bailey (PAWS name Eddie) that I have ever come across. He is intelligent, energetic, social and well behaved. I have been around and raised a lot of
dogs - and only one has even come close to him. To say we are thrilled with him joining is a gross understatement! While he may not be the 3rd child I was angling for - he certainly comes extremely close.

Thanks for following up.

-Simon

We are totally in love with our little girl- we named her Daley (PAWS name Mystic) and she is the greatest girl ever. She is learning a ton of commands already- she knows sit, stay and lay down!!! She loves giving us kisses and even the vet said she is the cuddliest puppy he's ever met!!! She is doing GREAT with her training- she is a great walker, knows her name, come, sit and stay (and is pretty good with lay). House training is, ahem,
mixed- We are so lucky she came to PAWS and so happy with PAWS as an organization.

-Leigh

I just want to let you know that Princess - now reverted to the name she came to Paws with - Kaia - is doing great! She had some behavior issues (dog aggression etc) but we have been to two classes for aggression and she has responded really well. She's not ever going to be a "dog park" kind of dog but she can keep it together with a little encouragement for most dogs she meets.

She was afraid of everything when she came to us - pots and pans, the laundry basket, hangers and men in general - but once she began to trust us and was allowed to explore at her own pace, she settled in nicely. She can be a little bit of a love bug at times and is really the silliest dog we've ever had. She routinely spins 180 degrees when excited, can wiggle across the room on her back with all 4 paws up in
the air to get attention and routinely falls off funiture when being silly. Tennis balls remain her passion!

She has taught us about dogs and patience as well as ourselves and she has brought us so much joy.

Thanks so much from our family of which Kaia is now an intergral part. You are all doing great work and we wanted you to know how much you are
appreciated!

Betsy, Joe, and Alison

King has been with us now for a month and a half, and he has worked out VERY well. He is really very affectionate (with us, that is -- he still has his social issues with strangers, though he usually accepts them after a few minutes). There's nothing like coming downstairs in the morning and having a big handsome dog greeting you effusively! We have lots of stuff lying around the house and King amazingly really doesn't seem to want to get into things. Big lug that he is, he will occasionally knock things down, but we are very careful when it comes to breakables. When we are walking King in the neighborhood, he is always getting compliments on how gorgeous he is. (But it hasn't gone to his head -- YET!) We have NOT renamed King, since that was his name almost all his life, and the name certainly is appropriate.

THANK YOU!!!!!!!!

-Frank & Jim

Sorry to be so late in replying. Naomi has changed her name to "NATASHA" Naomi Gaughan. She is fine and runs like the wind. She has doubled her weight, has had all her shots and just completed her Basic training in Puppy School. She even got a diploma and excels at "Puppy Pushups". I'm hoping to get her a "Lion cut" next week after Sammi gets her "Lion Cut" - it's much cooler for them for the hot summer months.

Thanks for sending her to us.

-Hildegarde

Harold is doing well. When we picked him out at the shelter he was pretty lethargic, so we've been surprised at how different he's turned out! He's slow to test out new things, such as but now he'll climb up and even in our laps. He's really agile, even though he's pretty overweight. I think that he's already getting a little sleeker. He's also VERY vocal! We're trying to train him to be quieter - it's weird because he'll sit in the other room and yell, and then if we go in there, alot of times he gets up and leaves! I think he really wants us to just follow him around the apartment! For now we're just ignoring it and seeing if he'll tone it down. The flip side is that when he's happy he purrs loud enough for us to know. We didn't change his name exactly, but after getting to know him I decided his full name is Harold Mulder because he loves to watch the X-Files with me. He really likes his scratch post, and to get brushed. He also loves showing off for company - he struts around whenever someone new comes over!

-Amanda

I am happy to report that little Kathy Lee, whom I have renamed Moka, is very happy in her new home and I'm thrilled with her too. She must not have been out on the street very long because she is so gentle and loves people. I've attached a pic of her perched on the radiator by the window. Little Moka is the sweetest cat I've ever met she's active as any kitten, and she is a cuddler. She sleeps quietly at the foot of my bed, only coming to my pillow at first for a soft head-butt and a cuddle before retreating to my feet, where she stays all night. She's taken to sleeping in an overstuffed armchair, and she also favors the down coverlet on my bed. She has the run of the house, but is a "greeter at the door" when I come home.

Anyway, I am so glad she's with me, as I hope you can tell. Thanks, PAWS, for the little addition to my family and for all you do!

-Fran and Moka

My husband and I adopted Berta at the Michigan Avenue adoption event. From the moment we saw her we knew she was meant to be part of our family. We have had her about a month now and it seems like she has been with us forever. We did change her name to Lucy. She is doing great and is so much fun to have around. We couldn't have asked for a puppy with a better personality than hers. She is the perfect puppy and she was a great addition to our family. We love her so much! Thanks for everything!

-Jaclyn and Brian

We adopted Zap a few months back and so far everything is going great. We changed his name to Gus. Recently we graduated from obedience school, but we are still working at commands without treats. He has no health issues and
day care seems to be the highlight of his day. He likes to wake up from naps to sit on the sidewalk and wait for other dogs to come play with him, or he finds a good stick to chew on. In the neighborhood he's found a few puppies
that share the same passion and once in a while we run into one of his litter mates and those two roll around like no other.

-Kirk

	My dog adoption has been a perfect match! I did change my Chow Chow's name (PAWS name Abedingo) to David Bowie (Bowie for short) and he just graduated puppy class, as in the attached photo. Everything is going really well... he is growing up fast at 6 months old! -Matea & Bowie

Jazz has been doing so great. It took her a few days to settle in. She had this look on her face like "Am I really staying?" But I think she is really starting to believe that we are a family now. We go for 2-3 walks a day, she gets treats and bones, and loving. We took a trip to Wisconsin to visit her new extended family, and everyone bragged about
how well-behaved and beautiful she was. As for the cats...they are surprisingly doing very well. My husband and I pored over books and articles about how to introduce them, and have been following all the rules. We are also letting nature take its course. Millie, our 7-year-old cat, has been laying down the law since Jazz came home. And Jazz is responding well. She knows that the cats are not squirrels or
toys. I think it will be a few weeks before we can all be comfortable with each other, but we definitely can see that it will happen. The first night we had her, we all looked at each other and thought "what the heck did we just do?" But every day when I come back from a walk, I think about how much I love her and how much I love being a dog owner. She has been such a great addition to our family!!

-Diana

	On June 5th I adopted two beautiful kittens (PAWS name Alison and Bridget) and I simply adore them! They seemed to adapt to their new home very quickly. I'm sure that is due in large part to the excellent foster program that PAWS has. Thank you to the PAWS staff and volunteers for all their wonderful work! -Elizabeth

Hi, thanks for asking about Lizzy. She is doing well. Our vet took her for surgery shortly after the adoption to remove her remaining teeth, because her stomatits was severely flaring up. X-rays showed that she had retained roots where her molars had been extracted previously. The doctor cleaned
out the old roots and only had to extract one of her other teeth. She has made a good recovery. She is happy, lively, and playful when she is not sleeping in the sun. She has gained weight, and her coat looks great. Everyone thinks she is beautiful and sweet. We try to keep her to a special diet, but she eats the other cats' Whiskas, even with only a couple teeth. Lizzy used to hang out with Doctor/Karloff back in the day, and she says hi.

-Kathy & Lois

Just wanted to write because you all requested an update on the kitties I adopted, Quincy and Squinchy. As you can tell, we have not changed their names, because they seem to suit them so well! They are both entirely healthy now - no more respiratory problems or eye problems or tooth problems. we have them on a partially raw diet in order to boost and then maintain their weights, augmented with some abady granules mixed in so they have high-fat, high-protein diets. It's worked wonders - they've gained a lot of weight (but are not overweight), and have shiny full coats of hair, no more hair loss. we've had a lot of changes since they moved in - new furniture, a remodel of the heating system, a fresh coat of paint, and while that was an interesting time for them, they haven't had any behavior problems or skittishness. they are very, very, very friendly and playful, and they love to crawl up on our shoulders and give us hugs around our necks, of all things! The best part is that the two cats, who are brothers, are close friends. they sleep, play, and eat together and don't have any problems with each other aside from the occasional jealousy when one is being petted. We don't mind - we can pet them both!

We definitely adopted the two best cats PAWS had for our personalities, and I think they are in the best home possible for their personalities! We couldn't be happier and I don't think they could be happier anywhere else! Thanks for all the help and for rescuing and believing in Quincy and Squinchy so that they could be our new friends!

-Andrea

The kittens are doing well. Monico is now Mo and Racheo is now Reggie. My son Alex and I are both enjoying having the kitties around. They are super sweet and affectionate and they love to roughhouse with each other. -Lisa

	She is doing great. She's had training and mountains of love. Her name is Eden (was Brinda upon adoption). She's hilarious and loving & growing up... -Angie

Thanks for checking in. The adoption is great and Brie (formerly Taylor) is healthy, playful and doing really well. Attached is a photo of her relaxing on her favorite chair. -Ilya

I received a call from you today regarding an update on Chocolatte. We call him Louis now (pronounced Louie).
Louis is doing AWESOME!! He is the sweetest boy and such a cuddler. He loves to climb up on your lap
and snuggle up. Sounds great except he's 76 pounds!!!
Louie is part of a whole pack of dogs here at our home. He has 2 "brothers", King Arthur (the black dog in the picture!!) and Caesar (black lab/pit mix). All three get a 4 mile walk everyday as a pack. Weather is NO EXCEPTION!! The 3 of them have quite busy days as we have 2 acres fenced in for them to run free and King Arthur and Louis both love to swim in our pool!! In addition, we own a competitive gymnastics club where they attend work with us every day. They interact with children and adults daily so they are quite social!! Most of our friends have dogs too and our home is dog friendly so they have lots of pack friends too! But of all the activities Louis loves, fetch wins as the best in his eyes.
This dog will run and fetch for HOURS! We have to make him stop! He is a little obsessed and we are working on that! Together, Caesar and Louis are playmates while King Arthur is the doggie ruler at our house!! He rarely plays. He just reigns!

-Sari

Thank you for taking care of me until my new family adopted me. You new me as Casey, but my new name is Layla. I am very happy, and my new family loves me so much. Here are some pictures of me so you can see how I have grown. I live in the neighborhood, so you may see me around. -Layla

On June 5th of this year we decided to adopt Brutus. Zoë, our granddaughter, picked him out and renamed him: Toby. He is very intelligent, listens and obeys and knows we love him. Toby is very good around small children; Toby especially reacted very well when my wife Myung celebrated her birthday here in our house with 55+ adults and children attending. Toby relishes his outside leashed walks around our neighborhood and is very toilet trained to "go' when he is outside. All in All, this animal meets and passes our expectations. Toby only barks when someone rings our doorbell or knocks on it. At night Toby sleeps in his bed on the floor in our bedroom and when told to go to it he runs up the stairs to the second floor in anticipation to sleep through the night and when our granddaughter sleeps over, Toby's bed is put into her room and he goes readily to sleep in that room with her. This is our first pet after raising 3 children and we are totally pleased to have him in our lives now!

-Jose

Here is a photo of Nala {AKA} Moonbeam with my granddaughter. Nala is a very good pet. She is one of the family. Nala completed dog training. -Anthony

My boyfriend and I adopted Wendi during Easter weekend! We have changed her name to Murphy. She is doing amazing. We got her so our other dog, Dakota,
could have a playmate. They are like two peas in a pod. Murphy sleeps in a kennel at night because she is not house broken quite yet, and every morning starting around six am Dakota is trying to get us up so Murphy can get out and play. They use each other as pillows in the car and go everywhere together. I'm going to attach a picture. Murphy is the darker brown one on the right, the one on the left is Dakota. When we got her, she still had
all her puppy fat, but she definitely has the shepherd body now. She's gained about ten pounds so far, but I'm positive many more are to follow! I could not have been happier with this adoption or the transition into having
both dogs! Thank you so much!!!

-Katie

The kittens are settling in nicely. They are playing with everything and each other constantly, except for when we take lovely kitten naps together. We renamed them both, Ookie (the Tabby) is now Cloverfield and Marta (the part Siamese) is now Lulu (short for Beluga, she's getting big fast). Clover on the other hand is not getting big fast. They love sleeping on their little perch next to the computer, and they play everywhere with everything! Thanks for saving them from an uncertain fate! We are very happy with our new little family...

-Aaron and Jessica

We want to thank you for helping us expand our family with the adoption of our new dog. When we met her at PAWS she was named Diana. We decided to change her name to Maybe. Her name comes from a character from one of our all time favorite television shows (Arrested Development). Maybe took to her new home very well and quickly made the couch her hang out spot. She loves our neighborhood because there are a lot of other dogs around whenever we go out for walks. Also, we're half a
block from the lake and we've recently started taking her to the dog beaches in the area. She loves running around and playing with the other dogs. She hasn't tried swimming yet but we think it's only a matter of time. She's starting to go for short jogs with her Daddies
and we think she will be a great runner once she is older. She's made a lot of friends and is the talk of the neighborhood. We are taking obedience classes and Maybe is picking up the training really well. She does an amazing "down" and "stay". "Leave it" and "drop it" are coming along. She also picked up "come" and "touch"
with ease. She is also getting quite good at loose leash walking. We really couldn't be happier with the addition to our family.

-Rob, Frank, and Maybe

I adopted 2 female kittens, Julia and Paulette. I believe some of you may remember the two of them sleeping on my lap and Julia licking Paulette. They were so cute, and still are. I kept Julia's name the same, but changed Paulette's to Lucy. They both are getting so big, and are completely crazy! Very active kittens, always getting into everything and exploring! I'm happy that I got the both of them because I know they keep each other company if I'm not home. They really get along great and are such lovers to everyone! I have posted a picture of the two of them sleeping together, it's hard to tell that there are even 2 cats in the picture because they are so close together.

-Anna

	Everything is great. We changed Remy's name to Banana Barley (he usually goes by just Barley). He is a wonderful dog and we are really happy to have him! -Jake

Vinney Van Gogh (his secret name, because all cats have one, is Vinney from Brooklyn) is lord of all he surveys and is discreetly curious about all visitors. He will sit in their laps, when allowed, and a loud motor begins to churn inside him. He uses his bed which means fur does not collect all over the house. He is affectionate with me and has learned his name. At midnight he goes downstairs to smoke a cigar and play a game of poker with .... well, that's a story for another time. Good for you, Vinney.

-Margaret

Bella (Paws name Festus) is doing really, really well. I originally met Bella, as she was my foster dog in March 2009. She is 6 years old, but has the spirit of a puppy. Bella was originally owned by a food testing facility. When she first came to stay with me, she was so weak
and could barely walk up the stairs. She had no belly, but rather had flaps of skin that connected her abdomen to her rear. She seemed lost in my apartment, and preferred to lie on the hard, cold floor near the wall. She was very jumpy, and would scare at the flick of the light switch or the door closing. She would shake incessantly when we were outside. Bella seemed to have never learned what it means to truly be a dog, or to be loved as she should.

In the past 3 months, Bella has begun to come out of her shell and experience the world. Besides learning that it is okay to have her belly rubbed and to cuddle, she has also begun to interact with me and others around her. Bella likes to take one of her long front paws, and extend
it onto my leg, as to say, "Let's hold hands." When I have friends over, she likes to snake her way onto the couch and nuzzle her way in the middle of us.

She is also learning how fun dog parks are. Instead of wandering by the trash, she now likes to greet all of the dogs and investigate. She does not know what it means to play "fetch," but still likes to run towards the crowd as they chase their ball, and then run back to me. She is also learning to play with toys. Bella still gets very scared at cars on the street and at loud noises in-general. However, through endless calming reassurances, she has begun to be more confident walking down the street, and the tail is no longer embedded between her legs. Her energy is up, and she finally has a belly. She bolts up the stairs to my partment and has also learned that she can run full-speed at the dog park.

Everyone asks me if she is a puppy. They are surprised that she is 6 years old. I get teary-eyed when I think of my girl, for she really is a puppy, and just truly came into this world when she was rescued by PAWS this year.

Thank you for giving my Bella a second chance, and for giving me the opportunity to love her like she so deserves. For anyone that is hurting out there, Bella and PAWS in-general are testimonies to the difference that can be made through love, nourishment, and hope.

-Laura

Precious is doing well. She likes to sleep with us and she is an excellent athlete. She bats toys around with two paws and sails through the air as she runs up the stairs. -Carol and Tim

Our PAWS adoption is going great. We adopted Buffy from you back in late April and we have changed her name to Murphy. We got her through obedience school and she has now learned how to sit, down, and shake!

We take Murphy to the dog park in Uptown almost everyday because she loves it there. Also I am teaching her to run on the Lakefront Path with me since I'm training for the marathon. When she does a good job running, we go to the dog beach on the way home as a reward.

I love Murphy to pieces and am so grateful to have found such a wonderful dog! Thanks for checking in. I attached a picture of Murphy in her graduation hat from obedience school and one of her laying on her pillow on our couch!

-Cheryl

My husband Matt and I are so happy to have attended the Angels with Tails event on 5/20 where we found our little sweetheart! You may remember him as Brandon, but we now know him as Gueber (pronounced goo-ber). He has been such a good little guy over the last couple of weeks.
He loves to play with the million of toys we have spoiled him with especially his Kong, chewy tree branch, and squeaky chicken. He is learning how to take walks around the park a few blocks away from our home. While at the park he loves to stop and watch the kids playing baseball and riding their bikes along the sidewalk. He has been great with children, adults, and even other dogs. Once he gets the hang of "potty outside" we won't be able to ask for much more!
I have attached a few pictures of him while at his new home. Please feel free to share them with everyone who has been part of his life.

-Heather

We call him Cash (PAWS name Roy) . He seems to know his new name. He seems happy. He is a very good dog, not like "Marley" too much. He did sneak down to the kitchen and grab a chicken breast off the table once (the report was correct he is very food oriented). My kids, Sophia 12 and Zach 15 love him. They don't live with me, but visit as much as possible. They had thought they would never have a dog, and now they do. The neighborhood kids love to call his name and pet him. I took him to the dog beach with Cash's "mom's" god-son, Earnest (another "brother" with Zach of Cash). Cash ran and ran and jump right into the water (he does not yet know how to swim), and chased all the other dogs. He loved it, and Earnest and I did too. Cash loves to go on long walks, and seems happy and well adjusted. WE love our newest family member. Thanks for rescuing Cash and for introducing him to us.

-Doug

My husband and I adopted Peanut Butter (PAWS name Camila) on May 16th and she is doing great. She has been a wonderful addition to our family and is truly a constant source of happiness and laughter. She is doing great with crate training and starts obedience class next week. She has made fast friends with other dogs in the neighborhood and, as you will see in the attached, she LOVES her toys. We cannot thank PAWS enough for bringing Peanut Butter into our lives!

-Jennifer and Davin

Spartan is doing great (I did not change his
name). We recently completed dog training class with Spartan. He's made great strides over the last 2 months and loves his new neighborhood, routine and of course cuddling on the couch. His manners are improving everyday! It's been great fun!! He's my best pal. I have run into a few of the volunteers at PAWS and at a dog park. They are the best!! Some remember him well. Please tell your volunteers hello from Spartan!!

Thanks for all you do and huge thanks to the volunteers who gave him lots of love before I found him!!

-Paige

Just a note to let you know that Gracie Mae (PAWS name Gracie) has settled in quite nicely in her new home. She has been to the Vet and no major issues to report. She loves taking walks in the neighborhood. I thank PAWS Chicago for taking care of all these animals, allowing people like me to rescue a dog that is in good health and has good manners. -Patricia

Myself and my fiance` adopted two Chihuahua mixes from PAWS in April. They were named Rocco and Taco. We kept their names, except that we changed Taco to Tako (it means octopus in Japanese). They are awesome! When we first brought them home they seemed to be frightened of everything, and ignored each other. Now they are super friendly and very well behaved. They even act like real "brothers", playing together and protecting each other (from the vet, big dogs, squirrels, etc.). Going from zero to two dogs was a big adjustment, but now we cannot imagine life without them! Thank you, PAWS! Please see the attached picture.

-Natalie, Erik, Rocco & Tako

One year ago today, Jack (the name was never changed) decided he was coming home with me. He has been a great joy to have in my life and gets along very well with his older sister Kiara. He's very healthy and happy and is so loving! It has been a wonderful year with Jack, and I'm looking forward to many more to come. -Sandy

	I adopted Nero at the end of April, and his name is now Tazo... he is incredibly affectionate, playful, curious, and smart. -Jenny

Hi, My name used to be Ginger and I had two puppies, but after being fostered for 3 weeks I became a regular family member with Dena and Brad! They renamed me Frannie Mae and I have been responding very well. I love going for walks, looking at the squirrels and birds and playing
at the Churchhill dog park with my dog pal Izzy. I have a great summer do, and I am a happy pup! I love living in Bucktown and going for rides in the car!
love,
-Frannie Mae

It is hard for me to believe that it has been almost ten years since I brought home my Paddy Cat (PAWS name was Gillian). I remember when I walked by the storefront (this was back in the day when you were on Clark Street, and I think it was part of a bank) and I saw my little grey love in the window. She is doing great, ten years, many moves, one marriage, one new cat (The Mitten) and one baby later! I like to say that Paddy is nice enough to let us live in her house, and pay the mortgage and generally be at her beck and call. Thank you for Paddy O'Catty!

God Bless!

-Kitty

Cleo (I renamed her from Sherry) is doing great, and she has a new best friend.

-Julia

	Konrad and I have been together for a month now. He is doing great and we are having so much fun together. He is really well-behaved and has a wonderful disposition. Thank you so much! I feel so lucky to have him. Erika

,We adopted our kitty from PAWS about 2 months ago and we couldn't be happier! His name at PAWS was Patrick, but we have since changed it to Kalin. When we adopted him, our alma mater, Michigan State University, was doing great in the NCAA basketball tournament, so we decided to name him after one of the players. He is the sweetest little guy and is so much fun (except when he's trying to wake us up at the crack of dawn for play time). He loves attention and will take all that he can get. He's very vocal and likes to follow us around the house meowing. He loves to snuggle and purrs almost non-stop. He likes to play just as much. His favorite toys are a feather wand and a sparkly puff ball that he likes to carry around in his mouth. He even plays fetch with it! In short, Kalin is a perfect match for us. It has worked out better than we could have ever expected and we are all so happy.

-Melissa, John, and Kalin

	Her name is now Princess Kitty (PAWS name Princess, my granddaughter's idea and she is happily ensconced in a high-rise condo where she doesn't have to put up with other pets. So she rules. She's become a real lap cat but still doesn't like me to pick her up. She's really sweet and a great companion. We're BFF. -Cynthia

Things are going great with Miss Riley (PAWS name Marley). She's such a sweet heart. We're in the process of taking the puppy training classes and they're going pretty well, so that's good. Here's a few pics of her with her new sister Chance, the cat. -Sarah

We have had our Cheseapeake Bay Retriever Chessie, whom we renamed Nellie for several weeks now. I had originally seen her at Bloomingdale's in Old Orchard on a Sunday about a month ago. The 2 volunteers there were so great to talk to. Nellie is loving, gentle, so good natured, and a joy to have as a part of our family. She is 110% retriever - she usually has 2-3 toys in her mouth at once, and loves to play fetch all day long. A friend bought her the stuffed duck which she has in her mouth in the attached picture.Thanks so much for all that you do - Nellie is very happy living in the burbs with a large fenced in yard and daily long walks!

-Mary

Just sending along a few photos of our cat that we recently adopted from you. You know him by Flash, but his name since he's been with us is Gomez. He's crazy playful and incredibly snuggly when he's sleepy. Just an all around sweet, social, well-adjusted cat! -Megan

	We are happy to share a couple of snaps of Sugar Bear (PAWS name Sugar) with you. She has settled in very well in our household and gets on splendidly with our other cats. She made some good progress and is in much better health. She is lovely to have around very low maintenance and a good addition to our Feline family. -Carole and Achim

I'm responding to your email about the cats we adopted from PAWS. Originally they were named Cali and Rayanne, but we changed the names to Cleo(patra) and Ruby
They are doing great - Ruby, the kitten, is growing up so fast. She's very active and loves to climb on everything!
Cleo, her mom, has an attitude worthy of her name. She is the new boss of the apartment, though she has her sweet moments too, when she curls up in our lap purring.
In August we are moving to a new apartment where we will have more room, which I know the cats will appreciate.

Here's a picture of them waking up for a nap!

-Katherine and Alex

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Send your PAWS Alumni stories (100 words or less) and photos to alumni@pawschicago.org.

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