Happy December everyone!!  We here at the shelter are finding it hard to believe that another year is almost over.  Our "Back in Black" event ended this weekend, and what a weekend we had!  We had lots of visitors to the shelter, which was so good to see, and more importantly, several of our dogs and cats have found new forever homes. 
  I am overcome with joy because one of the lucky dogs this weekend was our special Patches!  For those of you who don't know, Patches came to Good Shepherd May 25, 2012 (yes, more than a year ago).  He was about 6 months old when he came here, and he's fully grown now.  A year ago, at Christmastime, we noticed that he started "bunny-hopping" when he ran.  Our vet checked him out, and we took Patches to get some x-rays.  Turned out he has congenital hip dysplasia--bilaterally--although one hip was significantly worse.  After some holiday fundraising last year, we were able to get surgery for Patches so he could get around easier.  After a few weeks recuperating, you'd never know he'd had anything done.  Patches has always just been a lovable, goofy big baby, but like a lot of big dogs, he waited and waited.
  That waiting ended today.  A family in Eureka visiting for the holidays had seen the poster downtown and had spoken to Bobbie Bates--who has manned her downtown station for many, many years.  They were specifically drawn to look at dogs who had been at the shelter for a long time or who needed extra care.  They checked out a couple other of our special-needs dogs, but when Patches came out of his kennel, it was love at first sight for all of them. The woman (Carey)  sat down and Patches laid down in her lap!  It was as if meant to be.  I asked the family for permission to post a photo, and here it is:

Mike Ripoll and Dave Ashcraft, the dog techs on duty today, are also in the picture with the Hoover family.  And of course, Patches, front and center, and delighted to be there. 
  As an aside, to help you understand just how happy Patches is, this is a dog who, except for his surgery, has not been outside of the shelter grounds since May of 2012.  We are all so delighted and happy for Patches.  He got his Christmas wish early this year! 
  Along with Patches going home this weekend, we had a pair of girls who also found a wonderful new home.  Shadow and Shelby, six-year-old litter mates, got adopted to the same family.  The girls were both terribly shy and bashful with most people, but even the shy Shelby found comfort with her new family.  As big dogs, a little older, and with special needs (Shadow has seizures and Shelby hates to be separated from Shadow) we were challenged trying to find an adoptive home for them--until today.  The dogs were so eager and ready to go to a loving home, and the adopters had the understanding and knowledge to work with these wonderful dogs.  We wish all our adopters and our dogs and cats the best of everything.  My holiday wish is that the rest of the month of December is like this weekend--where good people come to adopt our dogs and cats into loving, caring forever homes.  Enjoy the holidays!!!!