Every dog and cat that we find a loving home for is a success story.  Our staff waving goodby as the new owner and pet leave our shelter is the happy ending.  Below are a few success stories that illustrate the commitment both of our staff and the wonderful people who adopt from our shelter.

INDIGO                    

There’s a terrible irony to animal rescue. The more spectacular it is, the worse it is, since what animals most often have to be rescued from is human neglect and cruelty.This is not a business for the faint-hearte
  The main mission of the shelter is to find good homes for abandoned and what are called “surrendered” animals. The success rate is remarkably high. A few are eventually determined by the staff to be unsuitable as pets, but not until Pam and her staff have worked long and hard to bring them back from whatever experience made them unsociable.
  Indigo was one of the close calls. A Lab/Terrier mix, she had lived on a chain for two years when she was brought in. Taunted mercilessly by children and eventually abandoned, she was fed by a neighbor for a while. A furious barker, she wouldn’t let anyone get near her.
  Indigo spent three years at the shelter. By slow, careful work, the use of a “gentle leader,” a sort of muzzle, and many treats, she was brought gradually back toward a sense of safety. She never seemed able to relax her guard, though. The “dog evaluator” reluctantly concluded she was not adoptable.
  Faced with the evaluator’s conclusion, Pam said she wanted another chance. “There’s somebody out there for every animal,” she said.
  Pam and her staff went back to work. Months later a man showed up and right away Indigo bonded with him. Pam had to tell him the whole awful story, but the man wasn’t deterred. Rather than take Indigo right away, though, he decided to pay her a few visits at the shelter, to see whether the bonding was real or not. It was. When the man showed up each time, she went right to him.
  So Indigo found a home. Or, you might say, found out for the first time what a home could be.

                                                                                              
SHADOW

Shadow, a German Shepard mix, was locked in a cellar for the first three years of his life.  He was rescued by a dog control officer and brought to the NCSPCA.  Shadow had never socialized with people and for many weeks he was withdrawn and very protective of his cage space. The shelter staff worked daily with Shadow and soon his true friendly personality flourished.

Shadow now has s second chance to enjoy life in a home with a loving family. He just been adopted.  Here's the first report from his new owner.

Here's a quick update on Shadow.  He has been fabulous!  Acts
like he's lived here all along!  Ignored the cats, made immediate friends with our daughter and our other dog, and calmly explored each room in the house!  He readily accepted my husband as "alpha" male, they get along so well.  We are very happy with him so far. He loves the snow  and we have a lot of snow!  His tail has been wagging nonstop!  We've just settled in to watch the Olympics and he has made himself right at home on our living room floor, taking a nap after an active day. Shadow is such a smart dog; there is a very old soul behind his beautiful amber eyes!

Thank You,
Julie Smalls

LUCKY LOUIE

This letter is for the board to see as well as the staff. We adopted "Lucky" today and of course, we are the ones who are Lucky! But together with all the great things about adoption day, I need to tell you how wonderful the staff is at the shelter, especially Pam and Tim. Actually I should not name names, because they are all great. I have lived all over the country and have never taken home a dog as clean and happy as this one. They were not expecting us, so it is not like they got him bathed and ready for us. When we went back for a quick visit, he ran back into the shelter to talk to all his friends. Your gang makes life at the shelter so wonderful for all of its residents. We are really blessed. This is a thankless job and the staff is always pleasant and courteous. Thank you shelter gang first for Lucky, now known as Louie, but also, thanks for all that you do! I hope you know that you really make a difference in the lives of these darling pets.  
Molly & Waldemar Kasriels, Westport

 NICHOLAS

 We wanted to drop you a note to let you know a little about Nicholas  
 whom we adopted on June 18th. He is deaf, and the canine cardiologist 
 has told us that his heart murmur is "profound" caused by an enlarged
 heart and congestive heart failure. Nonetheless, with medication, he is
 enjoying a very comfortable and active life. Nicholas divides his
 time between our homes in Olmstedville and McKnownville. He wants 
 to meet every person he sees. He enjoys going on long walks at SUNY Albany and rolling around in the grass in our fenced-in back yard. He enjoys playtime with other dogs once a week at Liberty Canine Daycare. He is a very special part of our family and we only wish he had joined us years ago. Clare & David McNally, Albany

  
KOOPER

A little update on Kooper. He continues to do well.  His personality has really come out and he is such a joy and just wants to please.  He never leaves my side voluntarily. Dexter (a black lab) and Jack (the cat) have become his best friends. They all play so well together. Kooper has learned many commands and is able to walk off leash with me down the road in the back to the lake. Upon the free command Kooper and Dexter run and romp and have a ball. He runs like a lamb and has great fun.  It is so nice to watch them romp up and down the grassy hills. Kooper finally went to a proper groomer Monday. Here is his proud picture when he came home from the groomer. Anyway, things are great in Paradox for Kooper. Thanks again.  Jeannie Scalis, Paradox

RUSTY

Rusty was a horribly abused dog who was given a second chance in life when he was brought to the shelter 3 years ago. He was terrified, emaciated and aggressive. Slowly the staff restored him to handsome good health. But while Rusty was friendly and affectionate with the staff, he was intimidating and standoffish with strangers.  

Monica and Tom came to the shelter to look at a litter of puppies but they had read about Rusty in the Valley News and asked to see him.  Monica said, “We realized immediately what a predicament Rusty was in. The puppies would easily find adoptive home but Rusty needed us.” Over the next few weeks, Monica and Tom drove from Schroon Lake to the shelter twice a week to spend time with Rusty. They fed him biscuits, petted him, and took him for long walks. They understood that
they needed to woo Rusty, to spend time with
him and create a bond of trust.

Over time Rusty warmed to his new friends. The final “meet the family” step was a shelter play date with Grace, the other family dog. After 12 visits over six weeks, Monica and Tom knew that the time was right to bring Rusty home. As the staff waved good-by, Rusty happily jumped into the car to begin his new life.

Today, two months after his adoption, Monica said, “Rusty has fit right in. We’re totally in love with him. When Tom is watching TV, Rusty will sit by his side making squeaking noises until he’s invited up on the couch. He and Grace are best friends and play all the time. We cannot praise the staff enough for their support and we are so grateful to have Rusty in our lives.”  Monica Roberts & Tom Fisk, Schroon Lake

CODY

Cody is an absolutely fantastic dog. His temperament is superb, he’s wonderfully intelligent, and he learns quickly.

Cody is patient and kind with the children. Catherine, my three-year-old, can be a terror, and Cody tolerates all her antics with serenity.  She puts hats on him, chases him around the house, and then she turns around and he chases her around the house. My little boy, Nicholas, will grab Cody's collar sometimes (I am always holding Nicholas when this happens), and Cody will just look at us both peacefully.

As a guard dog, Cody has excelled beyond my dreams.  He sounds the alarm, and gets my two other rescue dogs, lazy in their old age, to do their jobs. When we go off for a long walk in the woods, Cody comes back instantly at a short whistle. All in all, we could not have hoped for a better companion. I'm happy to say the process of finding Cody on Petfinder was seamless, and the staff at the shelter was wonderful. When we’re ready for another pet to join our motley crew of rescues, we’ll definitely come back to the NCSPCA.  Claire Carpenter, Orwell, Vermont

HOLLY

When I walked into the NCSPCA shelter, I was looking for a dog of Alaskan heritage...something strong, athletic and genetically tough. I wanted desperately to find a “replacement” for Harry, a malamute mix who had recently died after being my constant companion for 10 years. Harry accompanied me as I skied all 46 peaks. He was also a bit of a warrior and protected me on many occasions. I missed him tremendously and wanted him back.

My trip to the shelter that day never landed me another Harry. Instead, I found myself immediately drawn to a little black and tan dog that smiled at me when I arrived. She was everything Harry was not: small, happy, light hearted and almost giggling. But when this dog wiggled and tried to say hello from her kennel I instantly realized she was THE ONE.

Holly’s energy, kindness and compassion are constant. She brings new friends and relationships my way, helps me when the sun is not shinning and gives kisses to any who dare get close. She asks for very little and is an ambassador for all of her kind. She is happiness wrapped in fur.

Holly asks that you consider a visit to the place where we met: the North Country SPCA shelter. Consider adoption. You won’t be disappointed and you could meet a very good friend. Betsy Richert, Keene

FOREST & AFFA

If anyone out there is interested in getting a new pet but isn’t sure what they want I recommend a rescue pet. I recently adopted not one but two animals from the North Country SPCA.

I went on Petfinder.com and promptly found a little Afghan hound terrier mix named Affa. She was perfect!  When I first saw her in person I fell in love

While I was signing the paperwork to adopt Affa I noticed a strange cat waddling around. I asked about him and was told that his name was Forest and the reason he walks so oddly is because part of his brain never developed before he was born. Forest had been at the shelter for over a year. He was friendly and seemed perfectly fine to me even if he was a little off -balance.

I brought Affa home and my family immediately fell in love, just as I had. My mother began spoiling Affa worse then I do. Even with the happiness of having Affa around I still couldn't get Forest out of my head. I knew that I had to adopt that cat. I called the shelter and took Forest home.

Affa and Forest are both doing very well. Affa has the energy of a puppy, despite being twelve years old. And Forest has pillows all over my house to lay on that are there just for him. Every once in a while I think about what would have happened if I hadn't adopted them. Because of their age or imperfections they might not have ever found a good home. They have added so much to my life after being here for only a short time and will continue to do so. It's funny to think how they don't even know how happy they make me. Holly Dumar, Chazy