Allie was the second dog that Nina and I walked at the Hope Whispers Walk a few weeks ago.  There was one precise moment when we both fell in love with her. It was when we approached one of the volunteers and Allie gently put her front paws up on the volunteer for a hug. Fortunately for iPhones, we were able to snap a picture of it ❤ ❤ :

Our experience with Allie was so enjoyable. She is easy going, mild-mannered, loving, affectionate, and really, just all-around precious. Each volunteer that we walked by had a sweet story to share about Allie. And we can see why.  After just a short time with her she had us sold.  Also, she LOVES treats. And, I mean reeeallllyyy loves treats. Like will do anything for them, and is even willing to take the risk of plunging her nose into a volunteer’s fanny pack to gobble up as many as she can before being stopped. Here’s proof:

The truth is, we didn’t even want to stop Allie from mowing down as many treats as she possibly could before coming up for air. Why? Well, because we’d be pretty peeved if someone tried to stop us from doing the same. Because it was the Hope Whispers Walk and these shelter dogs deserve to live. the. dream. for the short time they are out of their kennels! Plus, she takes treats so gently, which basically means she earns every one of them.

This adorable gal, has been picked by families that are not suitable for her (like for example, they have a cat…and guess what, she doesn’t like cats) so she gets returned.

However, all of that is about to change for her this week. We are determined to do our best to help find Allie the perfect home (with no cats, because well, we don’t particularly love them either so we won’t hold it against her). So here is what you need to know about Allie:

• She is FOUR years old
• She is loving & affectionate, but give her just a moment to warm up to you!
• Good with other calm, well-mannered dogs after a proper introduction (SO BRING YOUR DOG FROM HOME FOR A DOGGIE INTRO)
• Happiest when near people.
• NO cats.
• Her ID is A3712191
• She is at MCACC East Shelter 2630 W Rio Salado Pkwy Mesa AZ 85201

This past Sunday, at the Hope Whispers walk at MCACC East Shelter, Nina, Justin, and I fell in love with an “unnamed” two-year-old guy.  So, naturally the three of us stood there with our dogs, one unnamed, and tossed around name after name to find one that fit this young fella. After much deliberation, we decided on….Petey.

After meeting Petey you would honestly be baffled that he is sitting in a kennel at 2630 W Rio Salado Pkwy in Mesa just hoping for a loving home.

Typically, when we walk the dogs, we can get three different dogs per person walked, bathed etc. Justin, however, clearly fell in love with this guy because he spent an hour and a half with just Petey. Can’t say we blame him, being around this pup makes your heart smile.  His tail literally never stops wagging….ever and we have video proof. He is perma-happy and we are hoping whatever makes him so jolly is contagious so we can get some of that going in our lives.

While we were having our name-brainstorming session, Petey stood patiently wagging his tail and wiggling his bum as he looked at the other dog we were walking. His body language was pretty much the same the entire time, relaxed with tail wagging.

Justin told us that Petey was so friendly to everyone and he would hop around with his ears flopping all over the place. And then, randomly he would plop down and lay in a frog position.

Nina and I could not stop talking about how cute this dog is. So last night, when I got a text from her about the dog she is picking to promote this week and it said “I think I have to go with Petey” I knew there was really no other option for Week 22. With his goofy disposition, adorable face, floppy ears, and constantly wagging tail….we feel like Petey is the perfect Week 22 choice!

If you’d like to meet Petey his ID is A3766254 and he is at the MCACC East Shelter. Help us spread the word this week and get this fun guy a LOVING family of his own.

Speaking from personal observations, when walking through the A wing at MCACC east shelter (because I’m a creature of habit and somehow always end up in that wing to get my dogs to walk) there are three kinds of dogs.

Type 1 is the scared, confused, defeated type just cowering in the kennel hoping no one notices them or makes them move because they are terrified of what happens next. That is, until they get out of the kennel and then typically they perk right up at the taste of sweet freedom!

Type 2 is the calm, quiet, patient dog who sits nicely waiting for his/her turn for a walk, meet & greet, or outing of any kind whatsoever.

Type 3 are the dogs that make a shelter a little overwhelming…and that is the “PICK ME” type.  These dogs are the ones literally jumping around barking and essentially doing flips in their kennels because they want you to notice them SO badly.  I’m not kidding, I have actually seen dogs pulling out every ounce of athleticism they have to get notice all while SHOUTING “Pick Me!”….which leads to that environment of overstimulating barking and humans trying not to make eye contact because you want to take them all. Because they are ALL begging you LOUDLY to pick them!

The above-descriptions lead me to our week 18 Project Pal, Colton.  Colton is Type 3, which might be why he is still at the shelter. When people walk by his kennel, Colton barks his A off…..kind of a turn off for potential adopters. BUT, let’s be honest…if I was a dog in a kennel I can guarantee I’d be the same. Survival of the fittest, get yourself noticed–seems logical, right? Wrong. We, as potential adopters, seem to be drawn to the second type and might even subconsciously avoid the other two types.

So, Nikki has selected to advocate on behalf of Colton this week. We are urging you to go to MCACC East Shelter, get Colton A3732111 out of his kennel and into the play yard or out for a walk to see who he REALLY is. This guy is very well-behaved. He is happy to have his leash put on, he walks well, and is attentive to his handler for guidance.

Colton is VERY friendly, and he actively tries to get attention from people.  Give him a chance to warm up to you when you first meet him.  He is such a happy, pleasant fella outside of his kennel.  So, let’s #freeColton this week and give those Type 3 dogs a little love <3.

This post was written before we found out Nelson was adopted:

During Lizette’s week, one of the volunteers at MCACC East Shelter was helping us with obtaining photos and details for Lizette’s promotion. Through that new friendship, it was suggested that we participate in the Hope Whispers walk at MCACC. I showed up that Sunday at 8:30am with Justin & my mom to walk the pups at the shelter.

When it came time to pull dogs from their kennels to go out for a walk, I headed down the aisle and the gentleman helping with the process lead me to Nelson’s kennel. Unlike the other dogs in his wing (who were jumping up and down barking for attention), Nelson was just laying on his bed quietly.

Nelson’s demeanor immediately changed once he was on his leash and we were headed for the door to freedom. I am pretty sure we were in an all out sprint towards that door probably more my doing than his but he didn’t object. You guys, he is SO dang cute. As soon as we were out of the shelter he was this happy-go-lucky, sweet, all-around perfect little buddy.  I honestly didn’t want to return him to his kennel, EVER, but felt like since I was there to walk dogS, I should really walk more than one sweet soul.

I cannot begin to tell you how much I enjoyed this particular dog.  While I ❤ all dogs, Nelson just won me over immediately. He also warmed Justin’s heart and my mom’s as well. Justin could not get over how good-looking Nelson is there were a few moments when I thought I saw a shred of hope that Justin might let me take Nelson home.

Nelson showed absolutely NO signs of any sort of fear, aggression etc. He seemed VERY happy and interested to see other dogs and people of course. Honestly, this guy just wants to play.  He’s only a year old and is adorable in every possible way. After our lengthy walk during which I accidentally trespassed into the Cubs Spring Training Stadium, we sat out in the grassy area on Rio Salado and just dog/people watched. He was so content just hanging out and every once in a while, he’d remember I was sitting with him and he’d come right up to me and kiss my face. (photo below for reference) I took him to the play yard after our walk so he could be off-leash for a bit and again, he was a delight. I ❤ Nelson so much.

Here’s the interesting bit…..when I finally went to return him to his kennel to get another dog, the volunteer helping put the dogs away asked if I was sure Nelson belonged in that wing. I was. Mostly because I am OCD and a rule follower and I knew exactly where they had instructed me to pick up & drop off. They didn’t remember sweet Nelson, but found my ID card hanging from an empty kennel (belonging to Nelson!). Back he went. I wrote a note on Nelson’s bio paper on his kennel so potential adopters might read it and give him a chance to get out of the kennel.  Later that day, MCACC featured Nelson on their Facebook page!  It was so interesting, TWO different people commented that they had just been to the MCACC shelter the day before and couldn’t believe they hadn’t seen Nelson there. Of course I made sure to respond being obnoxious with excessive unsolicted Nelson-promo.

This blog post was actually never published until today, because…well Nelson was adopted the day we sponsored him.  But, alas he is somehow back at the shelter two months later.  I’m telling you, this dog is a dream.  He is at MCACC East Shelter and his ID is A3721498.

Every time we do the Hope Whispers Walk at MCACC east shelter, our friends say the same thing to us, “I just can’t do it because I’d be too sad and I’ll end up taking every dog home”. Well, we are here to tell you that you won’t. We promise. How do we know this? Because, while you can be an avid dog lover/advocate, and value the lives of all dogs, you just simply do not have a connection with every single dog.

Now that I have said that, I want to tell you about Red. Who I am obsessed with and have been thinking/praying about since I laid eyes on him.  When we walked up to Red’s kennel and pulled the gate open to get him to come inside (they were cleaning kennels so all dogs were outside), he was just laying on the ground, shaking and refused to come to the inside part of his kennel. So, Karly, one of the awesome volunteers at MCACC (and they really are amazing–all of them) crawled into his kennel to encourage him to come out.  And, he did.

Out came this beautiful, sweet two year old boy. It was literally love at first sight. Not kidding. I was overwhelmed by my love for Red the moment I saw him.  Once we were out of the shelter, he was a completely different dog. He was visibly happy and excited. We walked around the park for a while before deciding to take a seat in the grass.  As soon as we sat down, this dog literally secured his hold on my heart. Why? Because he sat down ON my lap.

Here’s what I know about Red:
–He seemed to love everyone, but was a little unsure at first. Needs a pep talk!
–SUPER mellow and low key. Just hung with me in the play yard quietly for literally an hour. (If you meet him, don’t judge until you’ve spent time QT with him in play        yard).
–Does not love the hose…laid down on a pile of towels when we went over to the bathing station.
–Let the wonderful MCACC volunteer wipe him down ALL over with a wash cloth (ears, bum, you get the jist).
–Knows “sit” and will stay seated until you say “ok”. (I have video proof.)
–Just wants to be near you…literally if I sat down in the chair he would walk over and sit right next to me. If I stood up, he stood up and followed me.
–Well-mannered. Does not jump, does not pull on the leash.
–Was so sweet to everyone that approached him.
–Red has had kennel mates in the past and did well with them. He is VERY interested in other dogs. If you have a dog already definitely bring him/her in for a doggie intro with Red prior to adopting so the MCACC staff can make sure everyone gets along.

Bottom line….I REALLY actually want Red for myself. But, I also already have a dog who doesn’t reallllyyy love other dogs. Now, the only alternative would be for someone wonderful to adopt this guy and give him a loving home where his desire for companionship will be embraced. I’m not talking about someone who will adopt him and put him in their backyard….not going to fly. I am being picky here. Red is adorable and deserves to be treated like a member of the family. Trust me, you will be glad you picked this sweet guy.

If you think you have the qualities to be considered a potential candidate for Red’s future owner, reach out to us at projectpalaz@gmail.com for more information on him.  Or, you can go to MCACC East Shelter and meet him. His ID is A3745425.

If you didn’t think of this (below) when you read the title of this post….well, then you are really young and now, I officially feel old.

Anyways, week 16 is Tristan’s pick and she has selected Rocko who is an 8 year old Lab/American Bulldog mix. This guy has Tristan (and the rest of us at Project Pal) wrapped around his finger for a few reasons (no, not just because he is brown & white and looks just like Elvis & Cammy who were also her picks ha!). First and foremost, Rocko was an owner surrender in OCTOBER, because his family was moving….

But, the wonderful folks at MCACC have given Rocko a second third chance at finding his forever home.  One of the volunteers who has spent time with him said he is a great dog– he loved the Wag & Walk hike and made friends with a 10-year-old boy while there.  He is interested in other dogs, but does not bark at them. Given the opportunity, Rocko would chase cats which for me is actually a selling point  for you feline-lovers, just giving full disclosure on Rocko’s distaste for kitties.

Overall, Rocko is very well-mannered.  He knows “sit”, “shake” and “lay down”.  The shelter also believes Rocko to be house-trained (major bonus points there). He also loves to cuddle and will even lean in for hugs and pets.  Most of all, Rocko loves play time….so much so he will lay on his back and wiggle his legs around. He is a sweet dog and is READY to have a home of his own.

Rocko was adopted in March, and returned for being “hyper”….well, to the lovely family that adopted Rocko and returned him, maybe if you got off your bums and walked this sweet guy every once in a while his energy level wouldn’t have been a problem. A lot of us have dogs with energy and we choose to embrace it! Actually, it might just be the motivation you need to help get you up and moving, maybe to lose a few lbs, or help keep your heart pumping.

So let’s keep the momentum from last week going and help find Rocko a new, REAL, forever home where he will have endless tennis balls, kongs, and all the toys he can dream of to play all day long.

If you are interested in adding this free, personal trainer to your life (courtesy of Tristan who sponsored his adoption fee) you can visit him today at MCACC East Shelter. His ID is A2319929.