Well, the story goes that I just moved to Santa Clara from Ohio last October. Immediately prior to that move I lost my 6 year old half yorkie, half chihuahua Toby to a freak vet accident.  I was heartbroken and not entirely sure I wanted another dog for a while.  However, around the first of December, something made me visit your website. And there he was, Boston, the cutest puppy I'd ever seen.  I really do think it was love at first sight.  I immediately got in my car and drove to Santa Cruz to see him. He was so sweet- the first thing he did when I took him to the outside visiting pen was roll over on his back on top of my foot looking for a belly rub.  I knew right then I had found my new companion.

I took him home and a few days later, after much deliberation, named him Grayson.  The past year has been amazing watching him learn and grow.  He wakes up happy and excited everyday....at 6am sharp. Maybe I should have named him Big Ben! He is very routine oriented and will let you know if you've missed a scheduled potty break or mealtime.  He loves to play fetch and dig holes in the sand at the beach. He is also incredibly quick to learn new things.  He  knows sit, stay, lay down, roll over, up, shake, speak, leave it, take it and he'll give kisses on command, too.  Right now I'm working with him to be able to identify all his toys by name.  He's got a long way to go still but has "bear," "monkey," and "pig" mastered.   Another funny quirk- when it's time to go #2, he will find a stick in the yard and carry it around in his mouth until he finds just the right spot to go.  I joke it's the doggy equivalent of taking the newspaper with you into the bathroom.

I've had several dogs in my life from childhood on but few have measured up to Grayson.  I couldn't be happier and am so thankful to you for saving him so I could have the pleasure and privilege of having him in my life.  Thank you Santa Cruz SPCA!

Sincerely,

Amantha

Puck, the little Terrier mix in between the Border Collies has been with us since May 2010 and we all adore him. He has been comic relief and a sweet addition to our pack. Thanks so much

~ Mel

Duke (formerly Bean) has been with me over three years now, and we just can't imagine life without the little monster! He went from a kennel stressed, shy, skittish little guy to an energetic, curious, incredibly brave pup with fantastic doggie skills, and no idea that he's "small." He's happiest in a lap or on top of your feet, and despite an injury to his front paw earlier in life, he easily keeps pace with his larger "sisters."

Duke quickly learned how to socialize and play properly with other dogs, and has been invaluable with helping our more recent doggie additions learn the ropes! His best friend is our 60lb husky mix that he loves to wrestle, and curl up with on cold nights. When he rough-houses, he goes into "monster mode" and growls like a little gremlin-the Husky just sits there and takes it like a champ.

Duke is such a hilarious, loving little guy, and we're so grateful to share our lives with him. Thank you, SPCA staff & volunteers!!

~ Nea

Wanting a dog for some time, it was by chance I stopped by the Santa Cruz S,P.C.A., because my doctor's office is in Soquel on Chanticleer Ave.  I saw Fritz, previously named Ernie, and was hooked! He is the perfect companion for a lone lady.  The attention he gives me is returned to him tenfold. His walks are good exercise for me as well as for him and he is learning to socialize with  the neighborhood dogs, big and little.

I'm so happy to have found Fritz! A lot of credit goes to Santa Cruz S.P.C.A. for all the great work you do!

A very grateful adopter.

~ Bunty

We adopted Polly and she is the best dog ever.  We just love her and she fits with our family perfectly.  She was very easy to house train (no accidents yet!), great with our small children and so loving and sweet.  Thank you!

~ Jayden

We are very happy and lucky to have Rusty in our lives! He is a very bright and fun loving dog. Cheers!

~ The Guisado family

Buddy has made himself right at home and we're so glad we found him! He's handsome and well behaved and brought some much needed happiness to our lives after my mom's husband passed away. Plenty of others like Buddy are waiting to meet you at the SPCA, go check it out!

~ Rose

My new tiny black Chihuahua Shasta (who I renamed Starling Little Batgirl) is doing great. She is the most well behaved dog in the world. She follows me and comes running when I call her. She was so shy for two weeks that I didn’t know if she could bark. Now we visit her new cousins Chichi, Zoe, Annie and Chiquita. She is far less timid now and is even enthusiastic and playful. We sleep together and go to the beach. We are best friends and I am so grateful to her for rescuing me! I thought after my 12lb Min Pin Batgirl died that I would stop breathing also, but this 4lb. Chihuahua, Little Bat, saved me. Thank you for letting her.

An interesting personality trait Starling possess is a reserved calmness, and she listens to me like Batgirl did the last two years of her life. Starling is just like Bat in that way. This little fairy is quiet as a bug and perfectly behaved. The beaches in Monterey and Carmel were Batgirl’s doggie heaven. Now I'm sharing those beaches with Starling, She is so thrilled to run in circles in front of me in the sand and comes running out of the doons when I call her. I am glad to make a single life a little better.

Keep saving lives,

Maya

Just wanted to write quick note that both Major and Maggie are doing great! My boy Wyatt (small one scowling in picture) loves them and they are really wonderful w/ him. Everyone happy!

~ Juli

Cooper was described as "a find," and that has proved correct. He is the sweetest dog I've ever met, and fits in with my family's cuddly nature perfectly. As he's loosened up with us, his terrier nature is oozing through his poodle exterior, and he's enjoying playing with critter toys and "burying" treats. We're so glad he found his way to us, thanks to SPCA Santa Cruz.

~ Christy

When I decided to adopt a dog from the SPCA I was looking for a large dog but instead fell in love with a small dog with a BIG personality. Rosie has been nothing but pure joy, a wonderful companion in my transition in personal growth. I am truly thankful for all the love, joy, and friendship I have with her and I will always take great care of her. She is a very social and active dog that I can take anywhere with me. I am a preschool teacher and I can take her to school with me and she loves children. Her favorite place to go is the beach where she can run around with other dogs. She loves everybody and everything! I am very lucky to have found such a wonderful dog!

~ Su

I have gotten the pleasure of adopting not one, but two dogs from the SPCA in recent years.

I adopted Filbert almost five years ago (I can't believe it has been this long!) after he came in with another little chihuahua. He was my first animal I have ever owned on my own (I was nineteen at the time of adopting him) and we have been inseparable ever since. His unique personality matched perfectly with mine and he has become such a mama's boy. Having him around has gotten me through some tough times in my life. He's always been there for me, making me laugh with his singing or just laying with me or doing whatever. He's a special little guy.

A few years later (back in 2006) I met Joey (or little Joey, but we like to call him Little Joe Joe now :) ). At the time, the poor guy had been through so much, coming from animal services to the SPCA. He was actually being fostered by someone else for a while, until they couldn't meet his needs any more. We opened our home to him and he has become a part of our family.

Not only have I gotten my forever babies from the SPCA, but these two crazy kids found each other. I never knew that dogs could love each other so much until I saw these two. They are always together, playing, snuggling, chasing anything they can find. I could not imagine my life with out either of them, or with just one of them. Thank you Santa Cruz SPCA for all the hard work you do for pups like Filbert and Little Joe. I am truly blessed to have found both of them.

~ Sarah

We adopted Penny as a little puppy, 2 years ago. She has brought so much happiness and loving into our lives, we couldnt be happier! This amazing "little" lady is the friendliest, most beautiful dog we've ever met.

After reading the story about the overpopulation of chihuahuas and the sad situation and risk they are in, we decided to come back and adopt an adult one to add to our family. These two are such a crack up. Instant friends, and incredibly silly! We are so glad to have made a little difference in their lives.

Thank you!!!

~ Karla & Shannon

We adopted Romeo from the Santa Cruz Humane Society after our 17 yr old  Cocker Spaniel passed away. We didn't think we could love another animal as much as we loved our Cinnamon. We went to Petsmart a couple of weeks before Christmas to purchase some gifts. The Humane Society was there with their adoptable animals. We saw this cute little Brittany Spaniel-Border Collie mix, we took him for a short walk and took him back to his kennel and left the store. We just could't get his sweet little face out of our minds. We called and he was still there, they brought him back the next weekend and the rest is history. We named him Buster, he is the best friend anyone could ask for, very well behaved, and lots of love to give. He surely made our Christmas wonderful and filled our home full of laughter. This was our first time to adopt an animal and it was very well worth it. The only thing is he is suffering from seperation anciety. I am sure it will get better in time. He has graduated from his first dog training session and is doing quite well.

~ Joanna and Larry

On December 17, 2010 my husband adopted one of the "e puppies".  Our little girl was called Elsa at the SPCA but we renamed her Bella Hanna = Pretty Flower (Italian/Japanese).  She has brought such a breath of fresh air to our family as we were mourning the death of our 15 year old dog.

Bella is smart as she can be,  Right now loves to chew on her toys, go for walks and every Friday night we take her to Petsmart to pick up something new or just walk around the store.  She is friendly to all who pet her and even touches noses with the other dogs.  We take her for walks and she has done amazingly well on potty training even though we have had so many rainy days,  she's always ready to go outside.

Thank you SPCA for rescuing this wonderful puppy.  She has certainly rescued our family.

~ Karen

I am so excited to be able to share our story about Jack (Sparrow) and Sissy!  (previously Clancy and Mouse). On December 14th, my husband and I sent our beloved DayZee to kitty heaven - our last of four cats we've shared.  Our hearts were simply broken and the thought of an empty house after almost two decades of furry happiness was beyond comprehension. The very next day on my lunch hour I took a trip to the SPCA - just to cuddle some kittens, nothing else.  Honest!    Although if I were to fall in love, I was hoping it would be with an adult since they are harder to place. Well, Jack had other ideas!  While Sissy was dancing around my feet, Jack jumped on my back.  What a character!  And as soon as Sissy stuck her nose in my ear and huffed, I knew I was a gonner!  Luckily my dear husband trusts me and let me bring them home.  He has told me almost daily since then that I really picked some winners.  They really helped us through our grief.  In a hurry!

We are head over heals with these lovies and I can tell you it's quite mutual.  Jack is almost six months and Sissy is almost 10 months.  And while they're not related, they were together at the SPCA the whole time and love each other very much.  In fact, Sissy had been adopted out previously but the family brought her back because she couldn't adjust to life without her younger brother.  It means so much to us to be able to keep them together and watch them clean each other, wrestle, play and sleep together. They bring us constant joy and we're happy to give them a safe, loving home. Thanks to the SPCA (and Jack's insistence!) we never did have to come home to an empty house.

~ Lisa

We adopted Martell and Minna (now Sophie and Oliver) in August 2010.  We were not expecting to adopt two little kitties but we saw so many and could not leave without taking two!  

Martell was extremely shy and Minna was very hyper so we were not sure how they would get along together but as you can see they are now inseparable!  We love our little kitties and are so glad we adopted two!

Thank you Santa Cruz SPCA!

~ Adele

We adopted Romie in August. He is a fantastic boy!!! Were so glad he came into our lives. Romie's always there to make us laugh... and to cuddle with! He loves to give kisses and sleep in the bed.  He has made quite a few friends in the neighborhood.  Romie's also very good on and off the leash.  BEST DOG EVER!

~ Julian and Meredith

We fell in love with Buddy after weeks of volunteering.

He's brought so much love and excitement into our home. He is very loved and the sweetest little man we've met.

~ Lindsay

No, that's not a bat, it's my baby boy Bleu.  Bleu is the greatest dog ever!  He loves kids and babies and gets very protective if he thinks someone is trying to hurt the baby.  In fact, the baby and he are best friends. The baby (his only response to the 1 1/2 year old's antics as been to lick her all over).

Bleu is a Pitbull/Catahoula mix and was very timid when I first got him, but is now the friendliest dog you've ever met, and extremely smart, in fact he was at the top of his training class.  For those of you looking to adopt a dog, I would highly recomend a Pitbull, or Pitbull mix they are the most misunderstood dogs, and make wonderful, loyal, loving pets!

~ Toni

We adopted our wonderful little dachshund Sal in January of 2009.  I (Megan) had been urging for a long time that it was the right time for us to adopt a dog--and finally we agreed that it was the right time.   I was at work perusing Petfinder and there was Sal, who had just come to the Santa Cruz SPCA from the Merced County Shelter.  I knew that he was the dog for us.  I convinced John to leave work early with me and we drove that very day from San Francisco to Santa Cruz to adopt him. Our lives have not been the same since.

Sal immediately became a member of our family.  He was first a "big brother" to our chinchilla Earl, and then about six months later also to our new baby, Kathleen.  Sal is 10 some pounds of sass and attitude to boot.  He loves going for long walks, roaming the dog park, and snuggling in a bed.  We cannot imagine our lives without him---we love him so much.  Thank you for all that you do to save the lives of so many animals like him.

~ John, Megan, and Kathleen

We went to the SPCA 2 years ago to adopt a cat and my daughter fell in love with Puff.  He calmly sat on her lap, and for an hour she petted his fluffy fur.  That evening we left without him, since he wasn't a cat and we already had two dogs, but all the next day we thought about him.  After work, I got my daughter and we rushed back to the SPCA where he was still waiting for us.

Although he was small and thin and sniffly when we adopted him he is now a strong, robust, little dog that loves to hike and tussle at the beach with his other rescued buddies Presly and Popcorn.  While the first two dogs were mine, he is my daughters best friend.  We love his little tap dances and his funny way of eating all his fruits and vegetables.  He really loves strawberries!  At night when my daughter cuddles with him I know I did the right thing adopting Puffers.

~ Isaura

At long last, we decided to add a dog to our family of 2 boys and 2 cats.  When we first embarked on our visit to the Santa Cruz SPCA, we reminded our boys to not fall in love with the first dog they saw - we had to pick the right dog for our family.  Famous last words!  Within moments of entering the shelter and meeting "Nero", he won over our hearts and minds and has been the best addition to our family imaginable. The boys decided to call him a McDougle, to honor a beloved, recently departed dog, MacTavis. "Dougie", as he's often called, is now a neighborhood favorite.  With his sweet and engaging personality, he has even become an adjective, with friends saying they need to get their own "Dougie dog".  We tell everyone the story of our visit to Santa Cruz and the special way we met Dougie.  He will now be celebrating his 2nd birthday with us and we can't imagine our lives without him.  We thank our lucky stars for the fortuitous visit to the Santa Cruz SPCA that brought Dougie into our lives.  He's simply the best!  Thanks for all you do to help others find their  own special "dougie" dogs and cats!

Sincerely,

The Lewis-Rooney's

Tracey, Kerry, Kaelin, Liam and cats Vaquita and Salsa

I had gone to the shelter to look at a lab that had been posted on the website and instead found Lucas, a one and half year old Malamute mix. Lucas had been at the shelter for over a month, turned in as a stray. We don’t know what Lucas’ life was like before he came to be with us, but abuse and confinement were definitely a part of it. Lucas was terrified of the bathroom and of being in any type of smaller room or area (he still won’t go from the backyard into the house unless the doors at each end of the small hallway are open). If you bent too quickly to take him by the collar, he immediately yelped and dropped to the ground. Under any circumstances, this is heartbreaking. But Lucas has a happy ending!

The first night Lucas was home, I looked up to the far end of the yard to see him running in ever widening circles around the plum tree. The pure JOY of being free was evident in every stride. Lucas is incredibly smart and everything written about the northern breed is 100% accurate: they will try to outthink you at every turn and have more energy than any one animal should ever have!!!!  Despite his earlier life, Lucas has yet to meet a person he doesn’t like or a dog he doesn’t want to run and play with. Having never been around a Malamute before, his “vocalizations” have taken some time to get used to, but he is slowly learning the “no barking” command. Lucas is loving and loyal, so smart, and completely loved by his new forever family.

~ Misti & Vince

Sometimes success stories don't come directly through the SPCA, but we love to hear about any animal in need finding a good home, so we decided to include Crosby in our listings.  Thank you, Melissa, for giving Crosby stability, love, and a forever home!

I had been looking for a dog to adopt for a while and when I came across this handsome boy, the search was over! He still needs training, but he's an absolute love and has filled our house with fun and laughs. While I had been looking at the SPCA for some time, I happened to adopt him from someone who was sleeping in her car with 3 puppies because she couldn't keep them in her apartment. Although I didn't get my boy from Santa Cruz SPCA, I am so grateful for the work they do and hope that more of us will look toward them when we are looking for an addition to the family. By the way, Amy's Olive IS a love! I love seeing her on our walks around the neighborhood.

~ Melissa

Joel and I just moved into our first house together.  We had been there for a couple of months when we decided to adopt a cat... It took a lot of looking but we found Andre at the Santa Cruz SPCA, and now we are complete.

~ Christine and Joel

(previously Pumpkin)

Please make sure that your volunteer, Maureen, sees this success story. It is all because of her! I wasn't sure I would adopt that day I came to the SPCA in March of this year; I wanted to make sure that we found the perfect cat for our family of a 10-month old kitten and 4 year old German Shepherd. After I told Maureen what type of cat I was looking for, she introduced me to Pumpkin and really encouraged me to adopt him. (We renamed him Timber. In the photo, he's on the left and our younger cat, Maybe, is on the right). Maureen seemed to feel very strongly that he was the right cat for us. It was almost as if she knew something I didn't. He won my heart that day, partly because he looked so much like our other cat, but mostly because he was so affectionate and sweet. When we first brought Timber home, we kept him separate from the other animals. Maybe knew an "outsider" was in the house and she would hiss and growl under the door of his room. After about 10 days, we let them meet, and Maybe persisted in trying to drive him away. But Timber was very patient, never hissing back, and gently won her over in a few weeks. They are now the best of buddies. We often catch Maybe staring adoringly at Timber while he sits regally looking out the window at all the birds in our yard. They play constantly and have started grooming each other in the last couple of months. And our German Shepherd, Taxi, is the best big brother, always giving Timber giant wet kisses on the head. Being primarily "dog people" up until now, I never dreamed we would have two cats and a dog all cuddling on the bed with us weekend mornings while we drink our coffee. Those are the times when I feel the most content. Timber has come a long way since he lost his previous owner earlier this year. We love him dearly and he has brought so much happiness to us and to our other animals. Thank you, Maureen, for your insight that day. We just want you to know that we will be forever grateful to you! Thank you so much for being such a wonderful person and for all of your hard work with the SPCA... you are truly an angel!

~ Lynn & Robert Meier

My boyfriend and I decided a while ago that we wanted to adopt a cat--preferably one who loved to cuddle AND play! So we went to the Santa Cruz SPCA and immediately fell in love with Toki, our rambunctious 5-month-old gray and white tabby kitten who has us completely wrapped around his little paw! We've had him for two weeks now and he's settled in very nicely, and loves pouncing on his toys by day and purring on us by night. Truly we could not have asked for a better cat, and if we ever decide Toki needs a companion we'll be coming back to the SPCA! Thanks for your help, everyone, in making the adoption process so easy and fun, and for trusting us with adorable and sweet Toki! He's in good hands--or rather, we're in good paws!

~ Melissa

Lapis and Esme were both adopted from the Santa Cruz SPCA, and we are so happy they are in our lives!  Esme was adopted last year in August, and she is just over a year now (on the right).  

Lapis has been part of the family since 2003!  We just moved to a new home in Brookdale, and this picture was taken on our first morning in the new house.  They've settled in nicely, taking over the entire bed, as usual :)

~ Juliette

I adopted my dog, Six (formerly named Sissy) from the SPCA when it was on 7th Avenue 8 years ago.  I went there looking for a small white dog and came home with the most amazing and magical perfect  1 yr old lab/pit bull/rottweiler mix ever.  She's changed my life and my heart, and I was so grateful that I started working in animal shelters and have been doing the work ever since.  She went from timid, nervous, shy girl to confident, happy, and sweet as butter Kid's Camp canine counselor in 8 years.  Thank you so much, Santa Cruz SPCA for all the excellent work you continue to do!

PS: This is Sixer with one of "her" kids!

~ Katy

It was a cold and rainy morning in January. I was browsing the Santa Cruz Sentinel's web site and came across a photo of the pet of the week. I read her story and began to cry. My Mom had two Shih Tzus and now my Dad has two, so I have always had a great affection for them and could not believe that someone would abuse and abandon one of these amazing dogs! I decided right then that Olive and I were fated to be best friends. I still had two hours before the shelter opened, so I downloaded the adoption forms and filled them out, then drove to the SPCA and waited for them to open. She was scrawny and ratty looking, but, I took one look in her eyes and fell in love.

Now, 7 months later, she is fat, happy and the most loving and loved dog on the planet! She absolutely loves attention and follows me everywhere. Coming home from work and having her practically jump on me with her tail going a mile a minute is my favorite part of the day. When we go for walks she runs up to anyone we happen to come across and wags her tail at them until they pet her.

I will forever be grateful to the folks at the SPCA for saving her. Miss Olive and I send our love!

~ Amy

A day in the life of Marley is pretty simple.  Every morning he bolts outside to chase after the mystery cat.  He loves to go on his runs, and every day he and my son Jamie snuggle on the carpet (what Jamie calls "lovey dovey").  Marley has even managed to wiggly his way into our weekend vacations.

Adopting Marley was one of the best decisions we ever made.  It was pretty tough at first because he missed his old life, but eventually he came around to trusting us.  Witnessing Marley transform from a timid and scared dog to an affectionate companion gave us pure joy every day.  It was a great distraction from Jamie's chemotherapy treatments.  No matter how upset we were with the injustice of cancer, Marley always found a way to make us laugh.  Jamie endured eight months of chemo and had treatments twice a week.  I worked the whole time and hated to leave the house when I knew Jamie was feeling ill.  The one thing that gave me satisfaction was knowing that Jamie was never home alone.  Every time I came home I would catch Jamie and Marley napping in the family room together and it gave me comfort to know that someone was taking care of him when I couldn't be there.

I am happy to say that Jamie is now is remission from his battle with Hodgkin's Lymphoma.  There is still a lot of anxiety over the small chance of the cancer coming back, but at least we know that Marley will never let us sit around and be depressed about it.

~ Marcela

Casey does drive me a little crazy (not housebroken, very undisciplined, etc.) but I'm already absolutely in love with her.  She has a wonderful disposition, and she has settled down quite a bit.

We're spending a few days up in Truckee to bond... here are some photos from this morning's outing on the Truckee river with my son and the husband of my oldest niece.  Casey really enjoyed herself, but she is WIPED OUT tonight!

Please feel free to share the pictures with the gang down at the shelter...

~ Mike

My husband Steve and I adopted Annabelle from your 2nd chance program 3.5 years ago. She is doing very well. Since her adoption we have had a 2nd surgery for her other leg, but you should see her run! We also had to remove a large tumor from her mouth last year. She may not have all her teeth now, but she still has a very pretty smile and a fabulous personality. We love having her. Thank you 2nd chance fund!

Warmly,

Dianne

I’m sure you’ve heard this before – fostering is a joke. We totally bonded with Tootsie (now Cooper) as soon as we got him home; there is no way we would bring him back. He’s perfect for us and is a great office dog. Every day I see more of his former manners showing, and in no time, he will be back to his well-trained self. He’s a total crack up in the morning, he needs his snuggles. As soon as Dave closes the bathroom door he comes tearing across the room and jumps up on the bed to lick my face. Thank you for all your help. Getting Cooper is one of the best decisions we’ve made.

Mia & Dave

I wanted to report that Twiggy (now GiGi) is a wonderful Chihuahua.  She is very calm, collected and fits in well with us here.  I have two gentle, mid-sized older dogs who took to her immediately and look after her. My elderly mom lives with me and really enjoys her.  I work in my home office where she is sleeping in my lap right now. We go to the dog park at least once or twice a day. She is a very sweet, social dog and responds wonderfully to training. 

Best regards,

Lindy

When we became a foster family for the SPCA 6 years ago, we had no idea how much our lives would change as a result. Our very first puppy foster was an 8-week-old Aussie Mix named "Stevie Wonder." He was found running through a busy intersection in Watsonville by animal control and it was soon realized he was both deaf and blind. Unfortunately, because there are so many animals in need of homes and a special needs dog like this would not fair well in a traditional sheltering facility, he was scheduled to be euthanized. Thankfully, Lisa Carter, the Director of the SPCA, heard about the pup and jumped in to save him. She called me in hopes that I would agree to foster, and the moment I met Stevie, I knew I couldn't say 'no'.

After fostering him for about 6 months with very little serious interest, we realized we would be INSANE to not adopt him ourselves. He is - hands down - the most comical, loving, unique, and amazing dog we've ever met. Once we decided to adopt him, we wanted to change his name - my partner Adam and I are both 80's babies and loved "The Neverending Story" when we were kids. A friend of ours mentioned that he looked like Falkor the Luck Dragon, and it stuck. He's very smart, very sensitive, and such a character. Everyone that meets him not only comments on his beauty, but also his playful personality - he makes fast friends everywhere he goes. We are so thankful to the SPCA for recognizing that every animal deserves a chance at life and we are so happy to have him in ours.

~ Jennifer & Adam