| Adoption Stories |
| Brutus |
I was there on the day that he arrived at the shelter. He was old, thin, his coat was dull and the muscles in
his hind end had atrophied. Those big brown eyes held a depth that I didn't see every day. I fell in love
immediately. I asked for his story and was told that his previous owners had left him tied to the porch and
then moved away. We expected that it would be nearly impossible to find his forever home.
Brutus became somewhat of a celebrity amongst the volunteers. So many of us felt that he would be
finishing his final days at the shelter and we wanted so much to take very good care of this beautiful old
man. He went snow-shoeing, took car rides and even visited a local business for a “day on the town”.
Many of us tried to figure out a way to integrate him into our homes, but there always seemed to be some
reason why it wouldn't work.
The day came when I heard that Brutus had an adoption pending!! Numerous volunteers rejoiced and
said their farewells. Tragically, a few days passed and Brutus was returned. Our hearts fell and hope was
failing fast.
Months passed and Brutus became more and more frustrated. He started to bark a lot and even showed
some aggression towards the other dogs. This is always a bad sign, and we worried that his mental
health would continue to deteriorate. One day, I noticed that Brutus had been assigned a playmate! She
was a dog named Cayenne, a beautiful red hound dog that ran like a gazelle and could melt even the
hardest heart with a glance from her deep, dark eyes. I put them out together that day and watched that old
man come alive. He was running around, chasing Cayenne like a puppy! I stood there watching them and
crying like a fool.
Weeks later, an elderly couple came in on an adoption day with an interest in Brutus. They filled out pre-
adoption papers and we held our breath. We hoped that this would be the real thing, but our dear old man
was returned yet again. He came back stressed out and depressed, and I could swear that he knew that
his chances were dwindling rapidly. Many tears were shed and we all felt that he was destined to live his
final days in the shelter.
One day another volunteer told me that a couple was coming with their elderly male dog to meet Brutus.
Uh-oh, I thought, how likely is it that Brutus is going to tolerate another full-grown male? Still, I crossed my
fingers and said my prayers, knowing that when it is the right match, small miracles happen. It was an
excellent meeting! The two old men mostly just ignored each other and got down to more important
business (like peeing on the world). Brutus was going home!!!!!!!!!
I went to visit after he'd been there for about a month and saw a glossy, handsome, happy, well-adjusted
Brutus! I swear he looked years younger, and he seemed like he had always lived with his new pack mate
(Cesca, the fifteen year old Husky). His new people love him with abandon, and his professional
photographer “Mom” (Brigitte) has already sent FAS a gorgeous black and white portrait that now graces
our wall. – Submitted by Mel Hastings
Sadly, Brutus has passed away since this article was written, but he went in peace, knowing the joy of
loving owners and a happy home. This is our hope at Frontier – loving and happy homes, providing
comfort, care and a voice for those who cannot speak for themselves.
his hind end had atrophied. Those big brown eyes held a depth that I didn't see every day. I fell in love
immediately. I asked for his story and was told that his previous owners had left him tied to the porch and
then moved away. We expected that it would be nearly impossible to find his forever home.
Brutus became somewhat of a celebrity amongst the volunteers. So many of us felt that he would be
finishing his final days at the shelter and we wanted so much to take very good care of this beautiful old
man. He went snow-shoeing, took car rides and even visited a local business for a “day on the town”.
Many of us tried to figure out a way to integrate him into our homes, but there always seemed to be some
reason why it wouldn't work.
The day came when I heard that Brutus had an adoption pending!! Numerous volunteers rejoiced and
said their farewells. Tragically, a few days passed and Brutus was returned. Our hearts fell and hope was
failing fast.
Months passed and Brutus became more and more frustrated. He started to bark a lot and even showed
some aggression towards the other dogs. This is always a bad sign, and we worried that his mental
health would continue to deteriorate. One day, I noticed that Brutus had been assigned a playmate! She
was a dog named Cayenne, a beautiful red hound dog that ran like a gazelle and could melt even the
hardest heart with a glance from her deep, dark eyes. I put them out together that day and watched that old
man come alive. He was running around, chasing Cayenne like a puppy! I stood there watching them and
crying like a fool.
Weeks later, an elderly couple came in on an adoption day with an interest in Brutus. They filled out pre-
adoption papers and we held our breath. We hoped that this would be the real thing, but our dear old man
was returned yet again. He came back stressed out and depressed, and I could swear that he knew that
his chances were dwindling rapidly. Many tears were shed and we all felt that he was destined to live his
final days in the shelter.
One day another volunteer told me that a couple was coming with their elderly male dog to meet Brutus.
Uh-oh, I thought, how likely is it that Brutus is going to tolerate another full-grown male? Still, I crossed my
fingers and said my prayers, knowing that when it is the right match, small miracles happen. It was an
excellent meeting! The two old men mostly just ignored each other and got down to more important
business (like peeing on the world). Brutus was going home!!!!!!!!!
I went to visit after he'd been there for about a month and saw a glossy, handsome, happy, well-adjusted
Brutus! I swear he looked years younger, and he seemed like he had always lived with his new pack mate
(Cesca, the fifteen year old Husky). His new people love him with abandon, and his professional
photographer “Mom” (Brigitte) has already sent FAS a gorgeous black and white portrait that now graces
our wall. – Submitted by Mel Hastings
Sadly, Brutus has passed away since this article was written, but he went in peace, knowing the joy of
loving owners and a happy home. This is our hope at Frontier – loving and happy homes, providing
comfort, care and a voice for those who cannot speak for themselves.
| Quarter |
I first met Quarter, and his daughter Sasha, last March. Emaciated beyond belief, they were the most
pathetic dogs I had yet encountered at Frontier. I could visually count every rib and clearly see their hip
bones – it was awful! These dogs were so terrible looking, I had some serious doubts about their
health/survival, much less the adoption chances for two such sad and desperate animals. As I walked
up to Quarter’s kennel, my eyes welled up with tears as he rushed up to meet me. Weak and sick as he
was, his tail was thumping and he reached to lick me through the kennel. I leashed Quarter and walked
him out the door - all the while he was trying to get as close to me as possible and leaned into my body.
A bit unsteady at first, he walked on the leash like a dream – never pulling, always more interested in me
than the many exciting sights and smells at the kennel. Quarter was so happy to be with me. That was it
– in about sixty seconds this dog held my heart. I wanted to do anything I could to see that this sweet and
gentle dog would never suffer again. Somehow, someway…
As the months went by and Sasha was placed and quickly adopted through Echo Dog rescue, I wondered
what the future held for Quarter. He improved daily, putting on weight, gaining confidence and re-learning
his trust in humans. During adoption times, people would walk right by his kennel as he rushed up to
meet them with a hopeful look and a wagging tail. Who would adopt this older, neglected dog? How
could we ever find the perfect home for him? Would Quarter’s final home be at the animal shelter?
One night, as I arrived at Frontier for a cleaning shift, a couple was in the parking lot in their car. I
explained that we were not open for adoptions at the moment, gave them our regular hours and turned
away. Something made me turn back and ask what had brought them to Frontier. Dog-less for many
years, Nancy was ready again to share her life with a special canine. He had to be older, large, friendly
and willing to share their home in a rather private location. No children, no cats, no other dogs, no dogs
living nearby – and then out came Quarter for his walk with one of the volunteers. I had to laugh when
Quarter made a beeline for them and jumped into Johnny’s lap in the car! Now I’ll let Quarter tell you the
rest. - Melissa
The Fabulous Life of Quarter, (as dictated to Nancy)
Hi! My name is Quarter and this is my life story, so far:
After many years of life in not so good conditions, I came to stay at the Frontier Animal Society in Orleans.
I was not exactly at my best upon arrival, but all of that is behind me now. Thanks to the loving care and
patience the volunteers showed me, I slowly regained my trust and faith in humans. I was happy to stay
at Frontier, where everyone loved me and told me I was a very special boy. Little did I know what would
happen next…
One night I was coming out for my usual stroll when I saw two new humans look my way. As I walked
closer I knew this was it – these were the humans that were waiting for me and I ran up to the car. Boy,
did I turn on the charm – I crawled up into the man’s lap, I leaned into the woman, I showed her my pretty
smile, I pulled out all the stops.
As fate determined, I now live in my Forever Home on the shores of Seymour Lake. Some of my Retriever
friends are quite jealous, but I think the birds can have the lake. However, it does make an awfully handy
watering dish! I love to run and play near the lake and enjoy long walks with my humans, Nancy and
Johnny. Hunger and cold are a distant memory, I get a lot of ear scratching and I love my warm and safe
crate at night. My humans want me to be something they call a “watch dog” and alert them when
strangers come around the house. I’m not much of a loud mouth, but I have finally figured out the barking
thing. Hey – it’s the least I can do!
Every Monday night Nancy, Johnny and I go to something called “obedience class”. After several weeks, I
have finally trained the humans fairly well. I think they have a lot of potential and, with a little more help, I
may have taught them what they need to know. I have made several doggie friends and we all struggle
together and have a good time watching the silly humans.
I am so happy with my new life and I believe that Nancy, Johnny and I were brought together for a very
special reason. I hope and pray for all of the unwanted, neglected and abused animals waiting for their
happy ending. Life is good for some, but fabulous for me. Ciao for now – Quarter
pathetic dogs I had yet encountered at Frontier. I could visually count every rib and clearly see their hip
bones – it was awful! These dogs were so terrible looking, I had some serious doubts about their
health/survival, much less the adoption chances for two such sad and desperate animals. As I walked
up to Quarter’s kennel, my eyes welled up with tears as he rushed up to meet me. Weak and sick as he
was, his tail was thumping and he reached to lick me through the kennel. I leashed Quarter and walked
him out the door - all the while he was trying to get as close to me as possible and leaned into my body.
A bit unsteady at first, he walked on the leash like a dream – never pulling, always more interested in me
than the many exciting sights and smells at the kennel. Quarter was so happy to be with me. That was it
– in about sixty seconds this dog held my heart. I wanted to do anything I could to see that this sweet and
gentle dog would never suffer again. Somehow, someway…
As the months went by and Sasha was placed and quickly adopted through Echo Dog rescue, I wondered
what the future held for Quarter. He improved daily, putting on weight, gaining confidence and re-learning
his trust in humans. During adoption times, people would walk right by his kennel as he rushed up to
meet them with a hopeful look and a wagging tail. Who would adopt this older, neglected dog? How
could we ever find the perfect home for him? Would Quarter’s final home be at the animal shelter?
One night, as I arrived at Frontier for a cleaning shift, a couple was in the parking lot in their car. I
explained that we were not open for adoptions at the moment, gave them our regular hours and turned
away. Something made me turn back and ask what had brought them to Frontier. Dog-less for many
years, Nancy was ready again to share her life with a special canine. He had to be older, large, friendly
and willing to share their home in a rather private location. No children, no cats, no other dogs, no dogs
living nearby – and then out came Quarter for his walk with one of the volunteers. I had to laugh when
Quarter made a beeline for them and jumped into Johnny’s lap in the car! Now I’ll let Quarter tell you the
rest. - Melissa
The Fabulous Life of Quarter, (as dictated to Nancy)
Hi! My name is Quarter and this is my life story, so far:
After many years of life in not so good conditions, I came to stay at the Frontier Animal Society in Orleans.
I was not exactly at my best upon arrival, but all of that is behind me now. Thanks to the loving care and
patience the volunteers showed me, I slowly regained my trust and faith in humans. I was happy to stay
at Frontier, where everyone loved me and told me I was a very special boy. Little did I know what would
happen next…
One night I was coming out for my usual stroll when I saw two new humans look my way. As I walked
closer I knew this was it – these were the humans that were waiting for me and I ran up to the car. Boy,
did I turn on the charm – I crawled up into the man’s lap, I leaned into the woman, I showed her my pretty
smile, I pulled out all the stops.
As fate determined, I now live in my Forever Home on the shores of Seymour Lake. Some of my Retriever
friends are quite jealous, but I think the birds can have the lake. However, it does make an awfully handy
watering dish! I love to run and play near the lake and enjoy long walks with my humans, Nancy and
Johnny. Hunger and cold are a distant memory, I get a lot of ear scratching and I love my warm and safe
crate at night. My humans want me to be something they call a “watch dog” and alert them when
strangers come around the house. I’m not much of a loud mouth, but I have finally figured out the barking
thing. Hey – it’s the least I can do!
Every Monday night Nancy, Johnny and I go to something called “obedience class”. After several weeks, I
have finally trained the humans fairly well. I think they have a lot of potential and, with a little more help, I
may have taught them what they need to know. I have made several doggie friends and we all struggle
together and have a good time watching the silly humans.
I am so happy with my new life and I believe that Nancy, Johnny and I were brought together for a very
special reason. I hope and pray for all of the unwanted, neglected and abused animals waiting for their
happy ending. Life is good for some, but fabulous for me. Ciao for now – Quarter
| Patches |
After spending days on "petfinder.com" searching for the perfect dog match, I was about to
give up when I saw Patches. A part Dalmatian, part something else mix. Her pictures
showed her as mostly black with a polka dotted under-belly; her face: half salt and pepper,
the other half black; her white tail, striped with rings of black. One ear fell to the front, while
the other stuck out to the side. She was a funny looking dog, but for some reason, I felt
compelled to e-mail my application immediately. Soon I got a call from Melissa, one of the
volunteers at Frontier Animal Society. She told me that Patches had spent the last six
months in the shelter and was showing signs of depression. She needed to be placed as
soon as possible. This dog was not leash trained, was fearful of men, didn't have
experience with cats and little with kids, plus she didn't have the classic beauty and
breeding of most of the dogs in my neighborhood. This wasn't the set up for an ideal love
connection.
That was what we knew about Patches, but this spirited dog didn't know anything about us.
She didn't know we are in our mid sixties, live a quiet lifestyle and are still dragging our feet
into the twenty first century. Not in tune with the latest music, the newest styles or the pop
culture. We would rather listen to Bob Dylon than Gwen Stefani (although, I do love Gwen).
We pick re-runs of Seinfeld over The Bachelorette. We wear polyester rather than spandex
and to us, Brittany, Lindsay and Paris are places on the map. (Although we do think Rachel
Ray is adorable.) We could be referred to as "the old couple". Yes, Patches would have had
doubts about this love connection, too.
Well, we did it anyway. With MapQuest in hand, we traveled three hours and forty eight
minutes from Portland to Orleans, Vermont to meet our new dog. Was it worth it? Did we
make the love connection? Time has passed and she has settled in. She's good on the
leash and is comfortable with her surroundings. She's a devoted, loyal companion. She is
funny and loves to entertain us with the tricks she already knew and the new ones she has
since learned. She's quite a great girl! What I once thought of as a funny looking mutt, I now
see as a richly patterned and wonderfully textured tapestry. Unique and beautiful.
As we've come to appreciate each other, we've realized this "spirited dog/old people" match
isn't that far off. We have a lot in common. Things like: getting up at daybreak for an urgent
morning pee and the desire to bark at strangers who come the door or who call on the
phone. She loves the "doctor recommended" long walks, rain or shine; Goferyde (that's
going for a ride) seems to be something we do often. Whining when things don't go our way
is something we share and a-h-h those afternoon naps. On the weekend, we all greet the
grandchildren with kisses and when they leave – a-h-h-h those afternoon naps. Having
supper by 5:00 instead of the fashionable 7:30 is right and we prefer hamburger to sushi.
Going to bed by 9:00 so we can stretch out and be comfy while watching Animal Planet or
the National Geographic Channel is the perfect way to end the day. Another positive, doing
the math in "dog-years" means that in just five years we'll all be the same age with even
more in common.
Yes, these are the things that have made us a compatible match for a lasting and happy
relationship.
-- Submitted by Roxanna Spizuoco
give up when I saw Patches. A part Dalmatian, part something else mix. Her pictures
showed her as mostly black with a polka dotted under-belly; her face: half salt and pepper,
the other half black; her white tail, striped with rings of black. One ear fell to the front, while
the other stuck out to the side. She was a funny looking dog, but for some reason, I felt
compelled to e-mail my application immediately. Soon I got a call from Melissa, one of the
volunteers at Frontier Animal Society. She told me that Patches had spent the last six
months in the shelter and was showing signs of depression. She needed to be placed as
soon as possible. This dog was not leash trained, was fearful of men, didn't have
experience with cats and little with kids, plus she didn't have the classic beauty and
breeding of most of the dogs in my neighborhood. This wasn't the set up for an ideal love
connection.
That was what we knew about Patches, but this spirited dog didn't know anything about us.
She didn't know we are in our mid sixties, live a quiet lifestyle and are still dragging our feet
into the twenty first century. Not in tune with the latest music, the newest styles or the pop
culture. We would rather listen to Bob Dylon than Gwen Stefani (although, I do love Gwen).
We pick re-runs of Seinfeld over The Bachelorette. We wear polyester rather than spandex
and to us, Brittany, Lindsay and Paris are places on the map. (Although we do think Rachel
Ray is adorable.) We could be referred to as "the old couple". Yes, Patches would have had
doubts about this love connection, too.
Well, we did it anyway. With MapQuest in hand, we traveled three hours and forty eight
minutes from Portland to Orleans, Vermont to meet our new dog. Was it worth it? Did we
make the love connection? Time has passed and she has settled in. She's good on the
leash and is comfortable with her surroundings. She's a devoted, loyal companion. She is
funny and loves to entertain us with the tricks she already knew and the new ones she has
since learned. She's quite a great girl! What I once thought of as a funny looking mutt, I now
see as a richly patterned and wonderfully textured tapestry. Unique and beautiful.
As we've come to appreciate each other, we've realized this "spirited dog/old people" match
isn't that far off. We have a lot in common. Things like: getting up at daybreak for an urgent
morning pee and the desire to bark at strangers who come the door or who call on the
phone. She loves the "doctor recommended" long walks, rain or shine; Goferyde (that's
going for a ride) seems to be something we do often. Whining when things don't go our way
is something we share and a-h-h those afternoon naps. On the weekend, we all greet the
grandchildren with kisses and when they leave – a-h-h-h those afternoon naps. Having
supper by 5:00 instead of the fashionable 7:30 is right and we prefer hamburger to sushi.
Going to bed by 9:00 so we can stretch out and be comfy while watching Animal Planet or
the National Geographic Channel is the perfect way to end the day. Another positive, doing
the math in "dog-years" means that in just five years we'll all be the same age with even
more in common.
Yes, these are the things that have made us a compatible match for a lasting and happy
relationship.
-- Submitted by Roxanna Spizuoco
