I started volunteering at HSHV in October of 2016 after losing my first fur-baby to lymphoma a few months before. Three weeks later, I met my first HSHV alum, Dobby, and fell head over heels the moment I saw him. At the time, we were living with my parents and their puppy, but in the summer of 2017 Dobby and I were able to get a home of our own. I had planned on getting Dobby a sibling when my work settled down a bit, but it soon became apparent that he needed another dog around sooner rather than later.
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My name was Bertha now they call me Gracie because I am so sweet. I’m a Maine Coon cat who is ten years old, My person passed away leaving me alone and sad. I was adopted by my new forever family. I have a big window to watch birds and a loft to tap my forever family on top of their heads with my paw– my game!  
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I’d been in my new, cat-friendly apartment for six months when I decided it was time to adopt my first furry pal. Having grown up with cats but never having cared for one alone, I figured I’d choose a young adult, maybe 2-5 years old, as an easy place to start. Scooby had other ideas. This 11-year-old plushy black kitty won me over with his snuggly, laid-back demeanor and steady purr. After a week of soul-searching, I decided I couldn’t leave this older fellow in the shelter for another night. Within 20 minutes of popping out of his crate, he
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Last June, my family adopted a gray kitten, Noodles (formerly Luca) from HSHV. Now he is 1 year old. He’s very playful and enjoys playing with feather cat teaser toys, and loves to nibble people’s fingers. His best friends are 2 of our other cats, Rufus and Nucky. Nucky was also adopted from HSHV. He loves to play fight with Rufus, and enjoys cuddling up next to Nucky, who’s very fluffy. Whenever my dad makes salad, he loves to watch, and loves to steal a bite of the chick peas. He also loves to put this toy fish in his
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I have been dealing with stress from nursing school and anxiety from being alone in my apartment. I came into HSHV with the idea that I was just going to pet the animals and hang out for the evening so that I could relax a bit — then my eyes fell on Kylo. He is a handsome, cuddly cat who couldn’t have come into my life at a more perfect time. He has been the best addition to my life and I couldn’t love anything more.   Bilbo now Kylo
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We found Margo at an adoption event with HSHV. Poor thing was missing so much hair and didn’t really look to be in the best health but something just said she needed a loving home so we adopted her. She’s not exactly the breed people thought she was by looking at her, but what a great puppy she is turning out to be. She’s smart and energetic and loves to play fetch. She looks beautiful now that her hair all grew back in and is getting the love she deserves! Thank you HSHV; she’s definitely a great addition to our
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About 9 months ago I had taken home a feral cat from HSHV. Her name is Millicent, and she has been the biggest joy in my life. After about 3 months though, I could see her getting lonely and needing more attention. After debating, I went back to find her another cat to be with when I’m not around during the day. I looked around for about 20 minutes and was unsure. Then a lady there told me they had a room with some cats that came from a bad situation. I went in and tried to pet some of
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A year ago today I adopted a 10 year old tortie named Arabella. Adopting a cat was not on my agenda that day. I scarcely knew if I even wanted another pet. It had been a year since I had to send my previous companion over the Rainbow Bridge. I had adopted Pepper, a long-haired, part Maine Coon kitty, at the tender age of 8 weeks, 2 months after the passing of my father. He was with me for 20 years. I was devastated at his passing. The day I came to HSHV I was supposed to have a hair
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My roommate and I absolutely love animals. We had recently moved into a condo, but something was missing. We wondered down to HSHV to look at the little kittens in hope to find an addition to our little family. There was this tiny 2 lb. kitten, all grey, looking at us with piercing green eyes. We instantly knew she was the one. We played with her for the good part of an hour and the feisty little girl kept escaping our arms. We took her home that day, and, man, is she spoiled. We like to call her “our little
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We picked Tucker (formerly Sam) up yesterday. We were given a two-page handout on suggestions to help us integrate our new “cautious” family member to our home. Tucker escaped his “safe” starting zone in about 10 minutes. Within an hour, he had smelled around the entire house, and had his first meal and plenty of water. He has been at home since. We cannot thank HSHV enough for bringing little Tucker into our lives.   Sam now Tucker
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