Some Of Our Over 3000 Success Stories!

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KaeBee
KaeBee is a true rescue success story. On the day he arrived to us, he was severely malnourished. “KB” was about 8 weeks old, but weighed less than 2 lbs. He was listless, covered in sores, and honestly not doing well. We were scared for his future. It broke our hearts to see this sweet, tiny boy going through pain and suffering caused by human neglect. KB received round-the-clock care, medical treatment and love.
Over time he started to turn a corner. Our tiny pup got a sparkle back in his eyes. He discovered food was the best thing ever. And fuzzy blankets were obviously made for him. He made friends... lots of them! And he grew... He stole everyone’s hearts, including his foster family...and he told them that he was going to stay with them forever.
Today, KB is a healthy, happy, long-legged bundle of fun who has reached his full-grown Staffie size. He is so loved and he loves life right back. Thank you, HHP, for saving my life!
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Baby Rae
It was a normal Saturday or so Katie and I thought. We had arrived at Meet and Greet with our current foster. A tiny little Ewok pup showed up that day in the arms of another volunteer. Googly eyes, smushy face and a personality like a circus clown. I couldn't take my eyes off her. It was love at first sight. She is our shadow, the love of our lives. She is our Sweet Baby Rae (a.k.a. Raisin). We cannot imagine life without her.
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Lucky Charms
We adopted Poppy (HHP Lucky Charms) back in August 2019 and she’s been a part of our family ever since. Poppy is full of energy and she’ll let you know when she wants to play. She likes to hangout in the backyard and is a great hiking partner. She loves her big brother Boomer who’s calming presence has helped alleviate some of her anxiety. Boomer even helped Poppy graduate from her kennel (which for anyone that knows her story, knows that’s a big deal). Poppy and Boomer now spend their days lounging in the bedroom together until we get home from work. We’re still working on getting Poppy used to some of the scarier things in life (including strangers, kids and the big, bad Instant Pot) but we’ve already seen A TON of progress in just a few short months and we’re hopeful that as time goes on she’ll continue to let go of her anxieties.
We’re grateful to Barb who fostered our sweet girl for over a year before she came home with us. Poppy has changed our lives and we’re so in love with her. -Erin and Michael
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Berringer
Berringer came to Hands, Hearts and Paws as a six month old puppy. She was originally purchased from a breeder for $1,400.00, but when her new owners found out she was blind, they decided she was broken and did nothing with her. She was kept in a kennel at their home, even when she had an accident. A neighbor stepped in and told them to get her into a rescue.

I was contacted to foster her. I had a blind cat in the past, so thought a blind dog wouldn’t be much different, so I agreed to foster her. When I got her, she was urine stained with a bad rash on her abdomen, legs and tail from laying in her urine all the time. Several baths and rounds of antibiotics later, her rash cleared up, and eventually her hair turned to the normal white color she was supposed to be.

Berringer quickly became a favorite at meet and greets. She loved meeting all the new people and other dog friends. Soon she had an application on her, so she went to a home visit. Luckily for me, the home visit didn’t work out. As a blind dog there were some restrictions put on her forever home, but after that home visit and another person interested in her, I knew that I could not let her leave. I was to be her forever home. Now, she gets to help foster a lot of other dogs who need us, and still enjoys meeting lots of new people. She has turned into quite the spoiled pup, which is how it should be.
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Lancer
Lancer was found in a small rural town in Missouri as a stray at just 4 months old. HHP reached out to a local animal control center we worked with many times, and tagged Lancer for rescue. Lancer came into rescue a bit scared, and came down with a virus shortly after arriving to us to foster. It was within the first week of fostering Lancer & getting him feeling better that we knew we could not imagine life without him. All it took was love, compassion, and some training and we feel we have the most loyal and loving dog ever. Lancer has taught many fosters how amazing life can be & will continue to teach all other fosters who come through our home next.
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Meatball
2 years ago we brought Magnus (HHP Meatball) home to Iowa. He made himself at home immediately! He has a sweet, chill personality and quickly fit in with our pack of 5 other dogs.. Magnus loves car rides, stroller rides around the neighborhood (walking distances is hard due to arthritis), and best of all...sleeping on the couch! Though he spent the first 7 seven years of his life in a cage, he holds no grudges. Magnus is 76 pounds of pure love. -Sara Miller
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Abel
I first saw Abel's little face as he sat in the back seat of a car on his way to HHP. He was found near KC, starving, nerve damage, broken teeth and serious eye injury/infection. Recommendations were to put him down but not Debbie, she fights for all of them. He had his eye removed and then fostered by Debbie and Tony. I then saw a video of Abel and he was starting to walk. That is when he had me hooked. I went to a meet and greet, sat on the sidewalk with him and fell in love. Walked away then went back and talked to Debbie as she loaded him up. No one was interested or had inquired about him. That was it, applied, house visit and she handed him to me with tears in her eyes.
He has a big brother, Sullivan, 171 lb Great Dane, that treated Abel like he had given birth. Got down at his level and taught him to play, patiently waited for him when outside, always nudging him along. Never far from his side. Abel is officially the Alpha! Abel now has 2 new brothers saved by HHP!
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Aggy
When Aggy arrived to HHP she was pretty much a broken spirit. While in a shelter, she had been brutally attacked by a few of the dogs also in the shelter. She was suffering from being extremely underweight, numerous stitches/scars from the fight as well as emotional scars. When she arrived at her foster home, she was so frightened, she would not leave the kitchen for hours. Her foster mom finally put a bed in there so she could lay down where she was comfortable. She was literally scared of EVERYTHING (e.g. a noise, a chair, the heat turning on, etc.). It seems she had never been in or part of a home. One thing that seemed to give her comfort, was her foster sisters and brother. She would spend hours just cuddling with them. Over time she began to ever so slightly trust her foster mom and the new house.
While Aggy was beginning to heal, her future mom and dad had already begun to fall in love with her and asked to meet her. They were the perfect people to help heal Aggy’s heart. Once the medical hold was up she went to go live with her new mom and dad. With their never-ending patience, Aggy has blossomed into a wonderful dog who loves her daily walks, her fur sister Tasha, running around the yard and most importantly adores her mom and dad.
If HHP has not been willing to and had the financial option to pull Aggy from the shelter she was in she would have surely died there. Instead, she is living the life of a princess in a beautiful home with a yard the size of a park. She truly went from stitches to riches.
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Aurora
Around Christmas of 2014, I found out about Hands, Hearts and Paws. I am a runner and a new race (Tails and trails) was being advertised to benefit 3 area rescues. I had lost my first dog unexpectedly that summer and wasn't sure I was ready for another dog, but found myself starting to look. A couple months later, after watching them on PetFinder, I decided to go to one of their meet and greats to learn more about their organization. When I got to Long Dog Fat Cat, I didn't know how the meet and great worked, so I kind of milled around and found myself next to Erin McComic. She was holding Aurora, who promptly put her paw in my purse and pulled me in closer-as if to say "it's ok-you are supposed to meet me". I was still nervous, but after talking to Erin-Aurora seemed like everything I was looking for. About the size and personality of a dog I was looking for, the potential to be a great running partner, and she was more interested in being with people than being outside. I filled out the application and said a prayer. If it was the right time for me to have another furbaby, everything would work out.
A few days later I heard from Erin and we agreed to another meet at her house. While there, Aurora went after a baby toy and Erin yelled "Aurora Jean!" I couldn't believe it-the middle name of Jean is a tradition in our family. I'm a believer in signs and this was another. The next day Erin and her husband brought Aurora to her forever home with me. Erin told me that she named her Aurora because her eyes reminded her of the Aurora Borealis, but my 3 1/2 year old niece was much more impressed that she was named after a princess (another reason to keep her name-she does go by the nickname Rory-but knows Aurora Jean when she gets in trouble...). And she is definitely a princess, maybe more of a diva-she's very smart, stubborn, and thinks she just allows me to live in the house. Her foster family told me that Aurora had been found in Missouri, left tied to a tree-which explains her continued anxiety issues, but during her time in the foster home, she had exhibited only normal puppy behaviors. Whatever their reasoning, it was their loss, because she is an amazing dog!
Fast forward to today, 2 years later, and I don't know what I would do without her. She still has a lot of energy and enjoys going to daycare a couple days a week and running with me whenever we can. She is in love with the backyard-chasing after the squirrels (and occasional opossums...) and jumping to peek over the fence at the neighbors. She is still a stubborn diva, but so am I-so we make a great pair. Thankfully God threw all those signs at us to ensure we ended up together.
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Beau and Lottie
We adopted Beau (HHP Slugger) in 2013. He was born in rescue to mama Lola Wrigley, adopted as a puppy. (He's a corgi-border collie mix.) At age two, he was returned to HHP (I'm not sure of the reason--possibly the family was moving). After suddenly losing our male corgi, our then eight-yr-old little female corgi (who had never been an only child) refused to eat or play. Even though we were devastated ourselves, we knew we had to find Gracie a new sibling or risk losing her as well. My husband, Ed, started searching on PetFinder and as soon as he showed me Slugger's picture, I exclaimed, "That's my dog!" We met Slugger on a Wednesday evening. It was like a Hallmark commercial with little hearts in the air! We KNEW he was meant to be ours, and he KNEW we were meant to be his. We picked him up on the following Sunday morning, after passing the home check. We named him Beau because he is so handsome. Beau and Gracie loved each other right away and he seemed to feel totally at home from day one. After such a tragic and sudden loss, Beau rescued us just as much as we rescued him! He is the best boy ever and we are so thankful that he is ours.

We adopted our second HHP dog, Lottie, a couple of years after getting Beau. Our corgi, Gracie was 10 at the time, and not really interested in playing with Beau even though he tried everything to get her to play. Just out of curiosity, I decided to see what dogs HHP had available. Lottie ( a blue heeler-border collie mix) was owned by an elderly couple in Missouri since she was a puppy; but was not socialized at all. At barely age one, she found herself in a kill shelter, terrified and fearful of people. A kind person from the shelter contacted HHP because she was in danger of not making it out of the shelter. HHP rescued her and put her in Molly Pagel's loving home as a foster to prepare her for her forever home. When I saw Lottie's name and picture, I knew she was the one! I felt an instant connection. Not only did Lottie appear to be a perfect match for Beau; my grandmother had called me "Lottie" when I was a little girl! I contacted Debbie David, and was soon put in touch with Lottie's foster mom, Molly. (She's part of the family now as well!) Immediately, upon meeting Lottie, we knew she was going to be ours. Even though we were told that Lottie generally didn't like men, she and Ed had an immediate connection and she is "Daddy's girl" to this day. Beau and Lottie are the best of friends, and Gracie adores her little sister as well. Thanks to HHP, our family is complete!
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Bevy
This is Bevy, she is around 4 years old (as of 2017) and we think she is a Scottish terrier/basset. While we may not know her age or breed, what we do know is that she is a sweet, adorable, stubborn, and wildly entertaining dog with a heart bigger than she is. She was rescued by Hands, Hearts, and Paws from a neglectful owner and arrived heartworm positive, hairless, flea infested, malnourished, and with broken teeth. With the amazing help of her foster mom, Julie, and the organization; they were able to nurse her back to health. One night my husband and I just happened to be scrolling the website looking at the dogs, when we spotted Bevy. Her sweet face and beautiful brown eyes caught our attention immediately, and we then set forth for adoption. When we first got her she didn’t bark for a few months, but now she has plenty to say, especially when she wants a treat. She loves going to “daycare” at my parent’s house during the work days to “hangout” with all of her friends and run around in the yard. She absolutely loves being outside, getting her belly rubbed, cuddling, going to baseball games, and her favorite food is ice-cream! Although, Bevy does hate getting her nails clipped (you would think we were wrestling an alligator) and she hates being moved once in bed (even though she insists on laying sideways, pushing mom and dad off the bed). She is the most lovable, friendly, happy-go-lucky dog with a personality all her own. She sees curiosity and joy in life and you can tell how appreciative she is for everyone around her.
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Bourbon
My husband and I had been looking for a younger dog to join our family when I was pregnant. We wanted the dog and our daughter to grow up together. While looking on Hands, Hearts and Paws website I instantly fell in love with Bourbon. You could tell in his picture he would be full of love and energy. That weekend there was a meet and greet that my husband agreed to go to. When we got there we spotted him with Sue right away. When we went up to them, he immediately showed us love and was pushing his body against us (his less than gentle hugs lol). My husband was a little iffy on getting him before the meet and greet and then loved him when we got there. However, when we got there we were told of several medical conditions that he was going through and us expecting a newborn we just didn't think we would financially be able to do it. We wanted to do a home visit anyways just to see how he fit in our home. When Sue got there she told us he was off all of his medicines (which turned out to be manageable for us) and that pretty much sealed the deal. We knew then he was ours. We also learned that before Bourbon was rescued he was someone's puppy that was just in a cage and was never really paid attention too. His owner agreed to turn him over to rescue but after testing, was found to be parvo positive. He was really sick with parvo but here he is today a parvo survivor! He can be very ornery at times but is VERY loving! He could go on walks for days and loves to play with other dogs whenever we get the chance. We have had Bourbon since 2015 🙂
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Emma
When I first saw Emma’s (HHP Binks) picture on PetFinder, I fell in love with her big floppy brown ears. Between her pictures and description, I knew she was the dog I was looking for. At the time, I had no idea exactly how perfect she would be for our family.
Emma was found in Missouri running with a pack of dogs. The dogs were all caught by wonderful, persistent, and determined rescuers. From Missouri Emma Binks found her way into Hands, Hearts, and Paws Rescue and entered the home of a perfect foster family. In October 2016 Emma was adopted out to her first family but was soon returned out of no fault of her own. She made her way back to her foster family for another two months until I found her profile on PetFinder. In December 2016, I drove to Omaha from Ames, Iowa hoping this was the right dog for us. My first dog, Eddie, is a bit picky about his playmates so I was worried how the first meet would go. Much to my surprise it was love at first sight for Eddie and Emma and they are now inseparable.
Even with all of her little quirks, Emma Binks is beyond perfect. She is a great combination of cuddly couch potato and crazy ball of energy. Emma loves to cuddle on my frequent migraine days and join me for some long half marathon training runs. I couldn’t have found a more perfect dog for Eddie and myself. We deeply appreciate everyone at HHP for caring so much about every dog that needs a home. The volunteers never gave up on my sweet Emma girl when she slipped away while running in Missouri and made sure she went to the right home after being returned.
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Frannie
This sweet baby girl was picked up by Animal Control as a stray in Ironton, Missouri and never claimed. Farmington Rescue Friends made the call for help and HHP answered. The only problem was getting her to Omaha. The rescue in Farmington had people to get her as far as St. Louis but no further. The HHP foster home that had committed to her networked far and wide and finally found a woman named Frances Allen in the St. Louis area. She was willing to drive the little pup not only to Kansas City but all the way to Mound City, Missouri! Over TEN hours in a car in one day there and back just to help save one little dog! In her honor we named her Frannie.
Meanwhile the Knoell Family was finally ready to open their hearts again after losing their beloved dog JoJo. They were hesitant as they looked at dogs wanting to be sure it was truly going to be a match for their family. They saw Frannie on PetFinder and learned about HHP. They decided to come to one of the Meet & Greets to meet Frannie but just in case she wasn’t the right one, that way the kids would get to meet several other dogs. But when they locked eyes with Frannie it was true love! Even the teenage boy was so smitten that he was not “too cool” to get down on the floor and get Frannie kisses. We pushed forward with the one on one visit at the foster home that same afternoon. By the end of it Frannie’s foster mom wanted to adopt THEM!Frannie became a Knoell just days before Thanksgiving. Coincidentally, they also had planned family pictures that next day so she got to join the!
Every night Frannie “tucks in” the girls. Dad tells her to go say goodnight, and she goes to one room and gives kisses … then the next and gives kisses … then off to bed in Mom and Dad’s room. LOVE IT!
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Ledger
Ledger came from a backyard when his mom and siblings were rescued. He was adopted out to someone who was supposed to love and protect him for his entire life. Unfortunately that was not the case. His former owner unwisely let Ledger run free on a farm. This was and will always be a HORRIBLE idea. It’s believed Ledger was hit by a car and his left eye was severely damaged to the point that it was eventually removed. As if that wasn’t enough, his former owner let him run off leash AGAIN. The results this time were much more horrendous for poor Ledger. It’s not known exactly what happened to Ledger this time but any number of things could have happened to him. Ledger sustained cuts, scrapes and deep lacerations on well over ½ of his body. He was covered in wounds – his stomach, legs, toes, etc. His back left leg was severely mangled and had a cut that went down to the bone and it was initially thought he would lose his leg completely.
When Ledger’s previous owner discovered how badly hurt he was, they called HHP and wanted to surrender him rather than pay the tremendous medical bills that would ensue. HHP jumped into action and had his wounds cleaned and his cuts stitched that day. Sue, his HHP foster mom, took him for daily bandage changes to the vet and eventually managed his daily bandage changes herself. Ledger lost quite a bit of weight at first, I’m sure because he was too painful to eat. His spine protruded from his fur and he was very thin. It was a slow recovery, with limited activity, lasting many weeks.
My family and I were looking to add a 3rd dog to our pack and I came upon Ledger’s “up for adoption” picture. He obviously was missing an eye and upon further investigation I discovered pictures on HHP’s Facebook page chronicling Ledger’s injuries and recovery. When we did meet Ledger, we knew he needed to become a permanent member of the family. He got along great with the resident dogs and the kids adored him. He was so happy-go-lucky, if it wasn’t for his external wounds you wouldn’t have known what he had been through.
We’ve had Ledger since 2016 and we cannot imagine life without him! He is SUCH a kind and gentle dog and loves everybody. He absolutely loves playing Frisbee and with tennis balls. When he jumps into the air and catches a Frisbee you would never know his leg was so damaged that he almost lost it.
I attribute Ledger’s recovery, success and happy life 100% to HHP and it’s volunteers. They could easily have declined taking back possession of him and God only knows what would have happened to him then. HHP of course had to cover his medical bills – which were several thousand dollars. They’re able to do this because of the donations they receive. (Your donation can completely go to cover the cost of medical bills for sick and injured dogs that come into their care.) Thankfully his foster mom worked tirelessly to ensure that he had the best medical care possible.We’re forever grateful there is a wonderful dog rescue that saved our Ledger so he could become a member of our family!
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McCoy
I am not even for sure how I first came across HHP.....I believe it was because my fiancé was looking at adopting a doberman or a great dane and we started looking into all different rescues. We had already put in an application and did a home inspection with the Doberman rescue and were waiting for a dog to come available that was a good fit. In the meantime I kept looking at HHP's dogs available for adoption and there was this one that tugged at my heart. His name was McCoy. I thought for sure this handsome fella would be adopted in no time. To my shock every time HHP posted the available dogs on Facebook, there was that cute face jumping out at me. I was sure my fiancé was getting sick of me telling him to "look at that face" and shoving my phone in his face...literally! He was really stuck on what kind of dog he wanted so I didn't put too much into it. Finally one day after seeing McCoy still had not been adopted I talked Craig into at least meeting McCoy. Yay!! We went and met McCoy and his foster parents. The meeting went well and so we scheduled a home visit. We already had 2 dogs and 2 cats. The night of the home visit I was chatting with Pat and Erin as I kept my eye on Craig and McCoy. I watched as McCoy sat in front of Craig and proceeded to reach out to Craig with his two front paws. It was this moment I knew McCoy had stolen Craig's heart.
McCoy’s original family decided it was a great idea to move and leave him behind and tied up. Knowing this, we knew no matter what we would make our home his forever home.
We have had the privilege of McCoy being a part of our family for over a year now. Almost everyone that meets him can not help but fall for him. He is so sweet, handsome and the biggest ham you will ever meet. I call him my Wiggle Butt as he gets so happy his whole bottom wags along with his tail. Some people may say Mccoy is lucky....I say we are the lucky ones.
We appreciate everything HHP has done for our Mccoy. Amazing people and the biggest hearts!
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Posh
My daughter and I went to Long Dog Fat Cat meet and greet. There she was Posh with her foster Mom Lisa who asked if I wanted to hold her? OMG that was it, love at first sight. I called my husband 3 times in a 1/2 hour to come see this little miracle. I stayed the whole time to make sure no one else would get a chance to see her. Her hair matched mine, I had to have her. On 11/11/16 we adopted this 14 lb fur baby who fills our hearts and home with laughter and love. Posh’s tail never stops wagging and she sleeps with us. When she wakes up in the middle of the night her tail wags and she gives us kisses. A True love story! Mark Karen and Posh Bell thanks HHP for rescuing her; as she has rescued us.
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Roadie
Upon first meeting Roadie we were not looking necessarily for a dog to take home. However, if you have ever met Roadie you know he captures your heart. After meeting him I had to adopt this dog, I needed to show him that there is a family out there that will love him unconditionally. We were concerned of course because with two legs he may have health issues or handicaps. But I still needed this dog that just melted my heart. Of course the family was on board because how could they not be. Roadie continues to steal my heart again and again. He loves to snuggle, eat, go for walks, and catch bunnies. He truly does not seem effected by the fact that he only has two legs.
A bad day immediately turns good when I walk through my door and Roadie is there to greet me. I cannot express the amount of joy he brings our family.
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Scarlet
Scarlet came to HHP when a rescue friend received a call about a stray pit bull. In this small Kansas town, breed specific laws (BSL) meant that simply because of her appearance, she would be given no chance of survival. Scarlet was quickly taken into rescue and given her name as well as lots of TLC. Although it was evident she had very recently given birth, no pups were found so sadly Scarlet was forced to move on without them. Brought to HHP for fostering, she arrived scared and confused but quickly warmed up to her foster family... Scarlet LOVES people. While her milk dried up and she adjusted to home life, she also butt-wiggled her way into her foster family's hearts. Scarlet found her forever home with them, and has gone on to be an amazing foster sister to dozens of dogs who have come through our home on their own foster journeys. She's truly a Daddy's girl and spends most of her time on his lap or lounging on the bed like the spoiled girl she deserves to be.
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Sprite
Sprite had previously lived with a family for 4 years. At some point, they adopted a German Shepard puppy. As the puppy got older, he and Sprite began fighting over food, toys, etc. The fights were bad enough that the family decided they needed to rehome one of them. Sprite was chosen to be rehomed, stating she was too aggressive and was causing all the fights. So in 2015, they surrendered their her to Hands Hearts and Paws.

At that time, I had applied to be a foster home with HHP. There was a Rottweiler coming into the rescue that I thought I could provide a quiet foster home for while he recuperated from a surgery. The Rottweiler went to another foster home, but I was approved and offered to foster Sprite instead. She was such an odd little dog. Her body language was a little different than what I was used to because her body was different than what I was used to. She had short little legs and a long body (bassett hound mix). Her tail had been cropped extremely short due to an old injury that occurred when she was staying in the animal shelter years prior. She was very possessive of toys and food, so I fed her separately and made sure there were always enough toys for everyone. She was very watchful, quiet, and observant. I already had 2 larger dogs of my own. They would wrestle in my living room and often invited Sprite to join in on the fun, but she preferred to watch them from a safe distance on the couch. She was also the most cuddly dog I’d ever met. She just wanted to sit on me and be loved all the time. Then one day, everything changed. My dogs were wrestling again while Sprite was watching from the couch. She suddenly stood up, leaped off the couch, and landed right in the middle and began to play. It was like she had finally decided my dogs weren’t going to attack her, and she was ready to play. She was still growly over her toys for awhile, but it was softer and more half-hearted. She finally felt safe and didn’t have to fight for anything anymore. 3 months later, I decided to just adopt her. She fit in so well with my other 2 dogs, it was a no brainer.

Sprite has been absolutely fantastic with every single foster I’ve had over the past 2 years. She plays well with them and doesn’t get growly at all, not even over food. One of them even used to chew on her nub of a tail. It didn’t phase her in the least. She loves every person she meets and they love her right back. My cousin’s 3 children are no longer afraid of dogs thanks to Sprite. I couldn’t imagine life without her and I think she feels the same way.
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Willamena
Willamena arrived into HHP rescue as a 16 month Olde English Bulldogge that was surrendered because she wasn't handling the 108 degree days while she was tied to her outside dog house. Once in rescue she was found to be a hot mess of a dog. 20 lbs underweight, fleas, ticks, wounds and recovering from just weaning puppies! Plus she is deaf. For being such a social butterfly, her owners ignored her for 14 months.
None of this was shared with rescue from the family that surrendered her. Once in rescue it was discovered that she also had two ruptured ACL's. Poor girl. Well, welcome to rescue, cupcake! After two expensive surgeries and months of healing time, Willa became who she is today!
Willa came into our family and we knew immediately we found what we didn't even know was missing. She bonded overnight wth our other HHP alumni, Katie's Riley, now Norman. Her hobbies include dragging her bed and blankets throughout the house, chasing shadows, wrestling with Norman, and trying to cuddle with us every chance she can get. She loves to eat, and will lay next to Norman's bowl to make sure he finishes his meal, and then finishes it for him if he decides to leave her any. Even though she is deaf, it doesn't slow her down one bit. She can sit, shake, and lay down. She will become your best friend if you happen to grab her rope toy and start playing tug of war with her. A typical night in our house is with all of us on our (relatively big) couch together, with Willa sitting or laying on top of Norman so we are all as close as possible. She is always overly excited to see us when we come home from work, and with her entire backside and little nub tail wagging as fast as possible even the bad days are turned upside down. She has the cutest snore, can get slobber everywhere, and also clears rooms with her gas, and our lives were completely changed for the better when Willa became a part of our family.
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Woodrow and Gus
After my husband and I got married in November 2014 and moved to Offutt Air Force Base the following January, we knew that we were finally ready to adopt our own fur baby. Just as we started looking, another Air Force couple we knew adopted two Hands, Hearts and Paws dogs, and recommended we check out the dogs available there for adoption.
From the moment my husband and I saw Woodrow’s photo on the website, we knew that he was meant to be a part of our family. His face was very grumpy and he had floppy ears and big belly. After meeting him at a meet and greet, we rushed to put in our paperwork. After being approved, we soon learned that we had been picked to be his parents. The mail truck pulled up with Amazon packages every day in anticipation of his arrival.
Woodrow came home on April 11, 2015. Lisa, his foster mom, also brought along his brother Augustus, who had not had any interest yet, for the ride. (Augustus, now “Gus,” was tiny and shy, the exact opposite of Woodrow.) As we were finalizing our papers, Woodrow and Gus were running around our backyard playing for what should have been the last time. Gus was like Woodrow’s shadow. Wherever Woodrow was, Gus was two steps behind. I joked, “Is there a two-for-one special?” It turns out, there was no such special, but we decided Gus was meant to live with us too. (I am still not convinced that Lisa did not plan this all along, knowing how cute they were together.) Newlyweds with two puppies! It worked out.
Woodrow and Gus are quite the duo, guarding the neighborhood from a dangerous gang of squirrels and flirting with their favorite Starbucks baristas in the drive-thru. But they are still the exact opposite. Woodrow is Mr. Personality, licking strangers in the face if they’ll let him. He makes friends wherever he goes. Gus takes a minute to warm-up to new people. There is not a person he hasn’t barked at. Woodrow is big and goofy. Gus is trim and smart. Woodrow has destroyed at least four dog beds and 10 blankets. Gus’ cage is in pristine condition. One listens, one doesn’t. (Who is who depends on the day.) They are best friends. They are both spoiled rotten.
We cannot imagine life without Woodrow and Gus, though it would probably involve nicer furniture and less cleaning. They make us happy every day. We could not have found two better dogs for us and we’re so thankful to Hands, Hearts and Paws for making our family possible.