Happy Tails & Rescue Stories

These are YOUR happy adopted “tails” of Bond County Humane Society pet’s from YOUR letters, stories, pictures, memories and thanks.

Have you adopted a pet from Bond County Humane Society? If so... We’d love to hear from you! Send us an email bchs4pets@sbcglobal.net or write a new post to our Facebook page! Let us know how everyone’s doing at home and/or how your pet has changed your life for the better! Include an updated photo of your fur kid(s) for a chance to see it included here and/or in a future issue of BCHS’s Newsletter! Thanks so much!

And find more Happy Adopted Rescue Pets with the “I’ve Been Adopted” filter from our Petfinder.com listings.


2015

Rue

Rue and two littermates were found by a woman who took the kittens in but could not keep them because of her serious health issues. So she brought the kittens to Bond County Humane Society in May 2015 so we could find them loving homes. Rue was the last of the 3 to meet his family, but it’s a great one!

Happy Adoption Day, Rue!

Rue’s mom shared this great note and photo:

Gabe & I adopted Rue on August 25th, 2015 after we lost our two cats 28 days apart. Our home was too quiet. We visited the shelter [in Greenville] & the room where all the cats play! I wanted a mama & baby but that wasn’t meant to be. Rue found us. He purred & played, wasn’t vocal, & stole Gabe’s heart. We brought him home & what a joy he brings to our life.

“He plays fetch. He is my 6 A.M. alarm clock, sleeps under the covers with us at night & cries at the door when we leave & come home. The girls at the shelter said he was the sweetest cat ever & they were so right! He has found his forever home! We love our precious Rue! Thanks a million!!”

— Shelly Gigliotti, December 3, 2015

Rue expresses hoops of love for his permanent home

Suzie

Suzie was a 3 year old stray Shih Tzu rescued and brought to Bond County Humane Society in July 2015. She had very irritated skin and infected ears, but prompt veterinarian care got her on some allergy medication and alot of her hair had grown back in time for meeting new families. Suzie found her furever parents during one of BCHS’s regular adoption events on Saturday August 1, 2015 at Petco in Fairview Heights, Illinois.

A week after heading home with her new parents, Suzie’s mom wrote us this happy email:

I just wanted to send you a few pictures of our sweet little girl. She has fit right in our home as we thought she would. She and Gracie went to the groomer and day camp yesterday. We are so glad you chose us to give her a new home.”

— Linda Knight, August 08, 2015

Photos from Suzie’s Family!

Suzie the happy pup
Suzie enjoys the cool hearth in summer
Suzie and new sister Gracie share the sofa
Linoleum playtime is just fine for Suzie

Kellsey

Kellsey’s mom was an abandoned Beagle named Penny, taken in by a family who ultimately surrendered her to Bond County Humane Society in February 2015. Shortly after coming to the shelter it was determined Penny was pregnant. On Easter Sunday, Kellsey and 3 adorable littermates were born. The puppies were all adopted in June 2015 and Kellsey’s new mom has written us a couple of notes with photos and even a video of her sweet, playful pup!

Kellsey, in the middle, with her littermates

Kellsey’s new name is Daisy Kay:

I figured you might enjoy an update on Daisy. She’s doing great! We are going to get her rabies shot this week. She’s growing so much! And she knows how to ‘Sit’ when told! Here’s a pic we took after my first day of vet school. And this is her on a play date with her friend, Paisley, a blue tick hound owned by a friend.”

— Suzanne Ford, July 13 & August 26, 2015

Photos from Kellsey (now Daisy)’s Mom!

Daisy with her mom after vet school
Daisy and new pal Paisley sniff everything together

Stacey

Bond County Humane Society pulled Stacey, a high energy, two year old Labrador Retriever mix, from Bond County Animal Control when her time had expired to give her a second chance at life. She’d been found as an unclaimed stray. Volunteers worked with her at the BCHS dog shelter, getting to know her personality and tuning up her rusty obedience training. She listened well and knew some commands, but needed to release her energy with exercise and playtime first. Stacey’s favorite game is tennis ball fetch. BCHS was able to introduce her to her brand new furever home in June 2015.

Stacey’s adopting mommy sent us this quick note with a photo:

Good morning BCHS, Stacey is settling in quite nicely so far. She is not a fan of the cat, but that is fine. Otherwise all is well!

“Thank you again for rescuing her! She is a GREAT dog. Thank you!”

— Elise “Elly” Stout, June 11, 2015

A happy Stacey recharges for more playtime!

Stacey takes a quickie nap without letting her toy get very far away

In 2019, Stacey’s mom wrote us another note and mailed us a box of toys and treats:

I adopted Stacey from you in 2015. You had rescued her, then was not sure if anyone would adopt her because of her energy. She has been one of the best dogs I have ever had. I just wanted to say THANK YOU and tell you she is an amazing dog. I hope this helps a little bit for the shelter.

“Thank you!”

— Elly Stout, September 18, 2019

Handwritten note sent by Stacey's mom in Sept 2019 Gift Box of goodies sent by Stacey's mom in Sept 2019

2014

Stephanie

Stephanie cat waiting for love at the BCHS shelter

In April 2014, Bond County Humane Society received a phone call from a Greenville resident who'd been feeding a stray cat, an adult dilute Calico. She reported the cat had a litter of kittens a few days before and had just shown up next to her house covered in blood and sitting next to the food bowl curled up in a ball. A BCHS volunteer rushed to investigate the situation. Upon seeing the condition of the cat she was taken immediately to Greenville Veterinary Clinic for a medical assessment. The veterinarian determined that the cat was about five years old, and she had given birth but had experienced complications and had a prolapsed uterus. She was also badly injured, possibly by another animal. Her jaw was broken and her left eye injured to the point the vet recommended removal of the eye. The entire time she was examined she purred! She was named Stephanie and had emergency surgery the same day which included a spay to correct the prolapsed uterus and removal of her left eye. We did not know if Stephanie would survive the surgeries or the recovery but we had to try. Efforts were also made to find her kittens, but there was no sign of them anywhere.

Happily, Stephanie came through, purring all the time and loving the attention! She turned out to be a playful and extremely affectionate cat; she knew that she was just as beautiful with one eye as her original two and she would be a great addition to a loving family. By the end of May we made Stephanie available for adoption, but it wasn't until three months later we met a young woman at a Petco store adoption event who fell absolutely in love with Stephanie and her rescue story. The woman and her mother had four other house cats, a dog and various small mammals and reptiles in their home, most of them with long stories of their own. Their home is practically an ark for needy, loving animals.

Stephanie’s new family sent us this update and photo:

To Rachel & BCHS, Stephanie is now Tonka and doing GREAT. At first she would never leave my room. We put her food dish in the bathroom and I had to coax her out from under the bed to eat. She finally got the hang of that, but the minute she finished eating, she would go right back to hiding. We then started to ‘catch’ her and bring her out into the living room with us. Little by little she began staying out there and then starting coming out on her own. Mind you, she had to adjust to a dog 4 times larger than her and four other cats. She now hisses at them and they run away. I think the claws have something to do with it as the other cats only have their back claws. The dog is another story.

“Tonka is now roaming the house with no problems. She loves going downstairs to my daughter’s room and hanging out, but every night she is back in my room sleeping with me. She still looks for her food in the bathroom but that has long since stopped. She now socializes with all of the cats, dogs and people. She has put on weight and is having no problems despite the loss of an eye. She is ‘soft and cuddly’ as my daughter would say. She has made a great addition to the family.

“With the nice warm weather we’ve been having, nothing better to do than hit the pool. Well, Miss Mitts is quite the swimmer. After a few short lessons to make her way safely to the steps, she’s a pro and spent most of her free time fetching her toys from the pool. Once fetch was no longer fun, she found her way to a floating rest area and now thinks it is appropriate to hang on top of dad (see photo). And after a long hard day of swimming and running, always good to take a nap on the deck with her new big sis Maddy (second photo). She continues to embed herself into the clan... and doing quite well!

“Thank you,”

— Julie Sparkman, December 3, 2014

Photo from Stephanie (now Tonka)’s Family!

Tonka the cat in her new home of many friends human and animal

Celine & Calypso

As much as we try to discourage people abandoning animals at our shelters as there is no guarantee they will be found in time for rescue, invariably someone will do it anyway. This time, in September 2013, a litter of four tiny kittens was left in a cardboard box on our cat shelter porch. The babies were so little they had to be bottle-fed, so a volunteer took them home with her to provide ’round the clock care. A member of Bond County Humane Society was moved by their story and their picture and made a donation, sponsoring the adorable kittens. Fortunately all four survived to adoptable age and were spayed and neutered and ready to meet new families in November. The two females, Celine (the calico, pictured far right) and Calypso (the tortoiseshell, pictured far left), were adopted together to a home in a neighboring Illinois county.

Celine, Calypso and their 2 brothers in foster care

Around their first birthday, their furever mom sent us this great note:

I thought you might like a picture of the 2 kittens we adopted in November. Their names are now Cinnamon and Saffron (Saffy, but should be Sassy!) aka the Stinker Sisters. They are both doing well. Cinnamon, formerly Celine, is the biggest and probably weighs around 12 pounds now. Saffron is about half her size.

“This is a picture of them on the cat tree in front of the double glass doors.”

— Carolyn Hart, September 18, 2014

Celine and Calypso snooze in the rocking chair
Celine and Calypso hang out high in their cat tree

Cinders

Bond County Humane Society pulled Cinders, a one year old Labrador Retriever mix, from county animal control when her time had expired to give her a second chance at life. We quickly determined that Cinders was a near perfect dog. Her energy balanced her smarts and she learned new commands at a lightning pace. Her special skill was “alarm barking” and she would let BCHS volunteers know with a sharp woof when there was a new sound, a new dog, or a new person to meet. Swiftly, Cinders charmed a young, active family at one of our August 2014 adoption events and we were able to match her with a great furever home.

Cinders’s new family has sent us several updates and photos since her adoption:

Dear Rachel and everyone at BCHS, We just wanted to take a few minutes to give you an update on Mitts (aka Cinders). With her four white paws, we were leaning to ‘Socks’ or ‘Boots,’ but we are a hockey family and gloves are typically called ‘mitts’... so ‘Mitts’ it is and she’s fitting in very well. Mitts and Maddy, our Golden Retriever/Great Pyrenees mix, were an instant hit. They ran around the back yard, playing and chasing. Our Rat Terrier mix, Taylor, is a bit on the cautious side, but is warming up to the idea (about the same interaction with our friends’ dogs). Last night we caught them playing in the back yard, but I’m sure Taylor would deny it!

“She has a lot of energy and it’s easy to see she still has quite a bit of puppy left in her. She’ll be great for the others and they’ve all been sleeping quite well at night! We went to Petco on Saturday to check out the possibility of a kitten/cat, but are quite happy that Mitts is part of our family (and I’m sure she didn’t mind that she got to spend the night in a king-sized bed either.... she’s quite the cuddle-bug!!). Thanks for the opportunity for Mitts to join our family; although at times, it’s a bit more like a circus!!...

“With the nice warm weather we’ve been having, nothing better to do than hit the pool. Well, Miss Mitts is quite the swimmer. After a few short lessons to make her way safely to the steps, she’s a pro and spent most of her free time fetching her toys from the pool. Once fetch was no longer fun, she found her way to a floating rest area and now thinks it is appropriate to hang on top of dad (see photo). And after a long hard day of swimming and running, always good to take a nap on the deck with her new big sis Maddy (second photo). She continues to embed herself into the clan... and doing quite well!

“Stay cool,”

— the Picard Family: Christy, Dan, Caitlyn, Taylor, Maddy, and Mitts, August 18 & 24, 2014

Photos from Cinders (now Mitts)’s Family!

Chlorine pools are Mitts' favorite smell now
Mitts enjoys an easy day on the porch with her new fur-sister

Shelby

Oftentimes when Bond County Humane Society rescues a dog from county animal control, the dog requires what would be considered normal medical care. But sometimes, like in the case of one year old Border Collie Shelby and her 8 week old puppy, Kacie, the dog requires lifesaving medical treatment. They were surrendered to county animal control and after spending the required time there, BCHS accepted them into our dog shelter.

Within 24 hours of admittance to the shelter, both dogs showed symptoms of canine parvo virus. Parvo virus is extremely contagious and many times deadly for dogs. BCHS took immediate measures to test the dogs and verify both suffered from the dreaded parvo virus. Kacie, the puppy, was taken directly to the veterinarian’s office to be put in isolation and receive IV fluids. The vet was initially not very optimistic about her outcome. Shelby, the mom, remained at the BCHS dog shelter in isolation and was treated by BCHS staff with fluids and medication. Within 24 hours Kacie’s prognosis was very good for a full recovery and after 72 hours she was returned to BCHS for additional care and continued isolation. It took Shelby a little longer to respond to medication, but ultimately she also had a full recovery.

Kacie, the now healthy puppy, found a furever home right away, while Shelby continued to recover at the shelter and regain all her strength. She was a gentle, shy dog; she listened well and enjoyed walks on leash. In July 2014, Shelby met her adoptive family at PetSmart in Glen Carbon, Illinois.

Photos from Shelby’s new family: on her way to the dog park, dressed up in costume for Howl-o-ween, and just relaxin’ at home:

Shelby says, put the pedal to the metal!
Howl-o-ween might not be Shelby's most favorite howliday, but she's a sport
There's no place like adoptive home
black and white dog, gray with age, wearing black and white polkadot shirt

Another note and photo from Shelby’s family!

This is Shelby [in her polka dots coat]. We acquired her from you. She is doing fine. We love her.”

— Karen Palmer, Jan 17, 2022


Patrick

Patrick, the orange short-haired Tabby kitten, was barely a month old when he, along with his cat mother (Danica) and 4 siblings (Jeff, Gordon, Leslie & Janet), were left in April 2013 in a box on the porch of Bond County Humane Society. Their mother was very healthy and well-socialized and she passed along her calm, happy personality to her kittens. When Patrick and the other kittens were about 3 months old, BCHS featured them, along with several other litters, on our Facebook page. Many online followers viewed the photos and stories and some were inspired to consider adopting. After being assured that new kittens, when carefully introduced, can usually get along with pets already in a loving home, a local Bond County couple applied to adopt little Patrick to add him to their family.

Patrick’s new parents sent this email:

Just thought I would give you an update on our kitty! We adopted him in July of 2013. Patrick (renamed Oliver) is doing great!

“He has gotten so big. He really enjoys naps on mom’s or dad’s lap and running around the house at top speed. He likes the bathtub (when it isn’t full of water, that is) and he gets along with our other kitty, Morgan (adopted [from BCHS] in 2010), except when she isn’t in the mood to play.

“He really is a fun, energetic and playful kitty, and we are so happy to have adopted him. His story really touched our hearts and we just knew he was the one for us.

“Thank you so much!!”

— Cole and Megan Boatright, February 2014

Photos from Patrick (now Oliver)’s Family!

Oliver hangs on in the bathroom
Oliver is naptime friends with older sister Morgan
Oliver is very at home in the living room
Oliver knows to watch out the window for his favorite people and birds... and squirrels... and deer

Quincy

Quincy, a Terrier Mix puppy, and his 3 small litter mates were surrendered to Bond County Humane Society in December 2012. After his littermates were adopted Quincy went to live at a foster home so he wouldn’t be all alone in a kennel space. In that foster home Quincy could play with 1 adult person, 2 adult dogs, a cat and his foster mom’s grandkids. At 14 weeks old, Quincy was still working on his housetraining and knew some basic commands like “Sit” and “Leave It”. Quincy was adopted to a loving Illinois family in early 2013.

Quincy’s parents sent this email:

Hi Bond County Humane Society! I stopped by PetSmart today and spoke with a kind gentleman from Bond County. I told him how we adopted Quincy LAST February and how he is such an awesome dog with a huge personality.

“He loves to play soccer, squeaky ball and in the snow. And, boy, does he love walks; besides playing in the back yard with his older brother Scrappy. The most entertaining thing during the winter months is Quincy and our 13 year old cat love to play games indoors and aggravate each other.

“Anyway, here are some pictures. I’ll try not to go overboard and just give you a bit of a timeline.

“Thanks for all you do!!”

— Valerie Tindle, February 15, 2014

Photos from Quincy’s Family!

Little Quincy bothers his big sister kitty (all in fun)
Quincy is a training classes graduate!
Quincy and Scrappy love walks
Quincy and his older brother with dad
Quincy fetches in the snow - that's hard core

Gordon

Gordon, the orange medium-haired Tabby kitten, was barely a month old when he, along with his cat mother (Danica) and 4 siblings (Patrick, Jeff, Leslie & Janet), were left in April 2013 in a box on the porch of Bond County Humane Society. Their mother was very healthy and well-socialized and she passed along her calm, happy personality to her kittens. At 7 months old, all grown up, but still with the heart and stomach of a kitten, Gordon was sweet and good-natured, just like his mom, brothers & sisters. His whole family had found adoptive homes while Gordon waited patiently in our shelter, knowing his new mom & dad would surely find him eventually. In November 2013, during an off-site Adoption Event at PetSmart, one such couple saw Gordon, read his story, and after they’d left the store nearly turned around for him that day; but they decided to sleep on their decision. Their home already had a Basset Hound dog and a 17 year old cat. But that orange cat they’d met proved irresistible! The good and compassionate couple looked up where BCHS would be showing adoptable pets the first Saturday of December and they came to find Gordon again. Now they were sure and they applied to adopt him.

Gordon’s new parents sent this email:

Hello to everyone at Bond County Humane Society! We thought we would give you an update on Gordon.

“We got him December 7, 2013 and as you can see in the attached pictures, he’s made himself quite comfortable in his new home. He enjoys jumping in the bath tub (when dry), playing with his new dog friend ‘Daisy’ and finding a nice lap to sit on. We have a 17 year old tuxedo cat ‘Whitesox’ that prefers to keep to herself but Gordon doesn’t seem to have a problem keeping himself and us entertained.

“We’re so happy to have him in our lives and wish to thank you all for all you do. Thanks,”

— Dave and Francine, February 2014

Photos from Gordon’s Family!

Quincy is a training classes graduate!
Quincy fetches in the snow - that's hard core
Little Quincy bothers his big sister kitty (all in fun)
Quincy and Scrappy love walks
Quincy and his older brother with dad
Quincy fetches in the snow - that's hard core