It happened again.  A Shelter Dog stole my ❤ .  Because this pup is so sweet, it is perfectly fitting that he is named after candy, meet five-year-old Reese.

Reese is a quiet, mellow, snuggly guy who is typically curled up in his kennel as potential adopters pass by the rows and rows of kennels filled with adoptable dogs.  Maybe this is why he hasn’t grabbed the attention of the perfect family. Upon first meeting Reese, many people mistake Reese for being shy….but he isn’t. He is just perfectly polite. A truly kind-hearted, loving, affectionate, gentleman.

Reese is the kind of dog you want to come home to after a long day at work.  This guy will crawl right into your lap and soothe away all your worries. Want to feel loved and adored? Adopt Reese.  Not to mention, he is also a much healthier anti-stress tool than my usual go-to options (wine, binge watching the RHOBH, eating a whole box of goldfish–the big, family sized box, not the small one etc).

This mellow fellow is not just quiet and calm all the time.  Reese is a well-rounded dog…and given the opportune moment, he’ll get going and showcase his more active side! Favorite hobbies (aside from showering his people with love & smooches): playing with toys, playing chase around the yard, going for walks **GREAT loose-leash walker alert**. FYI: this is actually a MAJOR selling point.  Dogs with leash manners are dreams come true. So, by transitive property, REESE is a dream come true.

So, even though it’s clear that Reese may have had a rough past-life, those memories have not impacted his love for people. ALSO, Reese has done well with meeting other dogs, so if you have a dog at home already…bring your pup in to meet Reese. We know you’ll be swooning over this hunk just like we are.

Reese recently enjoyed a day out of the shelter to attend training (sponsored by One Love). The volunteer that had him out for the day just RAVED about him saying Reese is the kind of dog you can take anywhere. While they were strolling around the Biltmore Fashion Park (he’s fancy BTW)…a family stopped to enjoy his company. Reese literally just laid there while they all obsessed over him. As the family got in their dog-fix by petting him, Reese was so relaxed he literally went to sleep, on the sidewalk, right outside of the Lululemon store (seems KIND of coincidental since the volunteer who had Reese out is a single guy, and Lululemon is usually filled with cute girls). We live in such a dog-friendly world these days, and since Reese has those impeccable manners, we feel he’d be the perfect companion or wing man….

Reese is FIVE years old and is at Maricopa County Animal Care and Control East and is part of the One Love Pit Bull Foundation Shelter Dog Program. THIS MEANS they will provide his adopters with free post-adoption training and cover the cost of his microchip. His ID # is A3825992 and the address for the shelter is 2630 W. Rio Salado Parkway, Mesa, AZ 85201. Let’s have a successful week and find Reese the PERFECT home (one in which his new owners will post and/or text me picture updates on him daily frequently).

What I love most about Calie is not that she is good with other dogs (because she is).  It’s also not that she already knows “sit” (because she does).  It’s not that she’s pretty good on her leash and would even be a good jogging partner (because let’s be honest, I’m not trying to jog any time soon *but if I was, Calie would be IN).

My favorite thing about Calie, is that she’s just like the rest of us girls out there in our late 20s/early 30s/late 30s/early 40s/late 40s….you get where I’m going with this. And actually now that I have typed this I realize maybe I shouldn’t be speaking for all girls from age 20-50 for those of you who workout daily and eat to live not live to eat- you go girls! Your bikini pics are WAY better than mine. BUT anyways, what I am trying to say is Calie likes her treats & well, she isn’t missing any meals. Girl is not a fitness queen, she’s not interested in sticking with chicken + broccoli for six meals a day, and you know what…she really embraces her curves. Something I feel a lot of us could learn from Calie! No body shaming allowed in Calie’s presence!

This girl (who is about 5 years old) is bursting with personality….she’s got the cutest tuck-n-run of ALL time. Calie does GREAT with other dogs, she even came in with a buddy (who has already been adopted). So, if you have a pup at home, bring him/her in to meet Calie to ensure everyone gets along prior to adopting.  You guys, trust us, just go meet Calie. This adorable pup has a whole community swooning. She is playful, but not hyper…and is more than ready to go home.  She is at MCACC East and her ID is A3698216.

We’ve mentioned it before, but I definitely feel like this needs to be said again…when you volunteer at the animal shelter you don’t fall in love with every single dog you meet. But, what I want you to know is that the moment I saw Dolly come wiggling through the gates of the play yard at MCACC West I was in love.

This precious girl was an owner surrender…her previous family said she is good with other dogs, good with kids, and good with cats. Dolly has had kennel mates and done fine with them. And, at adoption events she does well with the other dogs there. She is so relaxed. SO, what I’m saying is….she should really have a home by now.

I met Dolly last Thursday when we were hanging paintings from Color Up County at MCACC West.  They brought her into the play yard for an interview about the One Love Pit Bull Foundation Shelter Dog Program. Dolly is sponsored by One Love in the Shelter Dog Program, which means she is receiving enrichment items to help her cope with life at the shelter, she gets to go off-site to training classes, AND once she is adopted she comes with a free microchip + post-adoption training classes to ensure a smooth transition into her new home.  Anyways, when they let Dolly off her leash in the play yard there were about six of us out there (all with treats in-hand) vying for Dolly’s attention. She promptly pranced around to each of us to accept our pets (and treats). Let’s just say, Dolly did not play favorites, she gave us all a chance to adore her!

I can tell you the exact moment Dolly stole my heart.  So, I am standing out in the play yard with a group of people who literally know everything about dogs and have more experience with them than anyone I know….and everyone is trying to get Dolly to “sit” to show off her skills to the camera. Just imagine this sweet, happy, STOKED-to-be-out-of-her-kennel pup running around to each person all of whom are saying “sit” “sit” “sit”.

She was so excited that she could not focus on the instruction.  So when Dolly headed my direction, I prepared for rejection. But, because I felt like I had to be a team player and at least try to get her to sit, I quietly said “Sit!” and MUCH to my surprise….DOLLY SAT. It was like all the stars aligned and Dolly knew I was just the random, useless girl in the group that day so she wanted to throw me a bone (no pun intended).

Guys, that moment sealed the deal for me with Dolly. I knew she was a true dream come true. Dolly has a heart of gold…and she really, truly is the full package. I mean, how often do we get to say “DOG friendly-CHECK, KID friendly-Check, Cat friendly-Check”

 …ya, pretty much never.

SO, what are you waiting for?  Dolly has been overlooked for FAR too long, and it’s time for her to have literally the happiest ever after…ever. If you believe you can offer this sweet, loving….wonderful dog the perfect home then well, LET US KNOW. Her ID is ID: A3814546

 

This week, Tristan selected Toby to feature for Project PAL. I want to begin by saying I am very proud of Tristan for not selecting a brown dog, she has really broadened her dog palate on her last couple of picks! Toby actually happens to have the best of all colors/textures.  Like, if my stepdaughter scrapbooked a dog, it would = Toby. So, for those of you who like to be original, unique, and have something no one else has…Toby is your guy. He is white and black with brindle legs ❤ …does that make him a dog unicorn? I feel like it does. 

Sweet Toby has been at MCACC East since June 11th.  If you are horrible at math like me (English majors unite!), that is getting dangerously close to FOUR months at the County Shelter.

It is important for you to know that One Love Pit Bull Foundation has recently sponsored Toby under their Shelter Dog Program.  If you’ve been paying attention to any of our posts for the last multiple months, you know this means they will provide shelter enrichment for Toby, a microchip, flea & tick treatment, and free post-adoption training to help him adjust and bond with his new family.

Toby will be an all-around great companion for the person/family that chooses him.  As far as adopting a dog goes, he’s a pretty low-maintenance choice.  I’d say he’s kind of like a mullet–business in the front, party in the back.  I really wanted to use that quote, so now it might be a biiittt of a stretch to make it work but here it goes: Nine times out of ten, Toby will want to just take a load off and watch whatever TV show you are currently addicted to (business in the front?)…he won’t make any complaints or give unwarranted commentary, which I am specifically pointing out because I do feel this quality is undervalued.

Toby may be a calm and patient fella, but don’t get us wrong….he still has the hops and will surprise you every once in a while with his agility (party in the back?). When Emily with One Love told me this about Toby, I was so happy. Mostly because recently, my fiance played basketball with one of his friends and came home and literally said the same thing about his friend’s basketball skills. This information led Emily to suggest that Toby is Justin’s friend’s spirit animal.

Toby already knows basic commands and he is very gentle when taking treats.  On top of that, he has great leash manners, which you don’t fully appreciate until you have a dog that has horrible leash manners (not naming any names but my foster dog, HAYLEY & Jenni’s dog Chance).

Anyways, MCACC Shelter Staff have listed Toby at approximately 4 years old. He is currently being cared for at MCACC East and his ID is A3783028. If you already have a dog, bring him/her in for an intro prior to adopting! We sure hope we can help Toby find his family in the next 7 days before he officially hits four months at the Shelter!