Echo

You guys probably get dozens of these emails, I hope there's room for one more. Cefus, now Echo, is doing great. All of our friends and family are impressed with how well-adjusted Echo is compared with his first few months. He has been such a great supervisor of all of the bottle-kittens that come through, that I thought I'd share a picture of one his favorite little friend. I hope everything in your organization is going smoothly, and we thank you for all the hard work you do.

Thanks again! Sean, Rachel, Nelly & Echo

Piper

Piper came into our lives just a little over a year ago, and has made each day brighter ever since. Just a couple weeks after Rob and I adopted him, we packed up our things, squished into my little truck, and drove cross-country all the way to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Piper was a terrific little passenger, patiently taking naps until we reached our destination for the day.

He's so smart and well-mannered that we can take him pretty much everywhere: car rides, dog parks, camping…you name it. He doesn't even mind going to the vet!! Piper is a perfect companion, work-out buddy and cuddle-bum. He is such an awesome dog that he inspired me to get a job at a doggy day care! Piper is a great breed ambassador, and with his affinity for giving doggy kisses, he helps everyone realize that pit bulls aren't a breed to fear.

Plenty of thanks to Astrid and everyone else at Home At Last, and to Piper's foster family: Samantha, Mike, Morris and Etta, for caring for Piper until he found his forever home with us!

Best always, Jessaca, Rob, and Piper

Folly

It has been just over two years now that we've had Folly Dog in our family. I should have sent this thank you earlier, but life gets busy, etc. Her name emerged because we found her with your volunteers on 4th Street in Berkeley almost on April1st, and adding yet another dog to the two dogs and two cats already with us was a bit of folly. Knowing her better now, Folly fits even more than we knew, because she is nothing if not full of it! Like most terriers, she has a very well developed sense of humor.

I wish you were able to see what a great friend and playmate she is to our two nieces and nephew, all under seven. Our niece Jade, a kindergartner here in San Francisco, is currently obsessed with horses and since she is a Mission-district, city kid, there's not much chance she'll have one at home any time soon. Folly does her best to make up for that loss. Jade makes corrals for Folly to sleep and eat in, leads her by her Halti over jumps she builds in the backyard, grooms her -- for hours. Folly is so eager to play horse for her beloved that I bet she'd even eat hay if Jade fed it to her. With our two college-age sons and their friends, she is affectionate and playful and loyal, and always very, very happy to see "her boys" and their buddies.

She is gentle and kind when that's what's wanted from friends and family, and crazy and rough when it's appropriate to play that way. She is loving and patient and a good dog friend to our two Patterdale terriers. Attached are a few photos: The three, with Folly smiling in the middle; tired pitter mix lying in the sun; and in her favorite office chair. Actually, any chair is her favorite if one of her humans has just exited it.

She is a member of our family, totally and completely, and without you who knows where she would be and what her life would be like. We are headed out of the Bay Area for a new adventure in Santa Fe, New Mexico at the end of the month and we wanted to let you know how lucky we feel to have her and how much deep and grateful thanks we send your way for helping her find her way to us.
With appreciation, Margarita and Kimball

Melvin

Dear Home At Last On behalf of Linda & "Melvin" we would like to thank you for everything. The adoption process was painless and smooth. From meeting Chris and all the coversations with Astrid at the end of it all we have a wonderful dog. Chris & Jen are wonderful embassadors for your organization and we will always recommend you any chance we get. We look forward to a lot of long walks with our "new" family memeber

Thanks Again, David & Linda

Note from HAL: Thanks to HAL fosters Chris & Jen for taking in another foster dog and doing such a great job! Melvin's days at the shelter were numbered and they helped to save this worthy dog's life by giving him a chance at a home!

Pebbles

Pebbles reminds us of her namesake: she is cute, alert, warm-hearted, and playful. However, after living many months at the animal shelter her situation was fairly grim. Her skin condition became exacerbated by the stress of the kennel and the detergent used to clean her cement cell. Pebbles became frantic at times, desperate to get out for a walk. Once she was outside she settled down a bit and would reward her volunteer handler with kisses and enthusiasm. Fortunately, HAL was able to step up and rescue Pebbles at the last minute.

This sweet girl is now living in Northern California with her new family. Her guardian writes: "... I wanted to thank you for all your help. We absolutely love Pebbles! Though, we did change her name to HoneyBear... she sits like a bear. The weather has been great so we've been able to take her out o n walks/hikes/runs at least twice a day, as well as play fetch and tug in the yard. She's adjusting perfectly! She sleeps with either Wendy and I, or our son... sleeps thru the night with no tossing or turning... WOW!"

The pictures of Pebbles/Honey Bear resting in the sun were posted on the BACS shelter bulletin board and they brought tears to the eyes of more than a few shelter volunteers.

Nelly

Hello my name is Nelly (it used to be Katie). I was adopted by Kathy, Carlos and Angel a few months ago. I love my new family and they love me. There are two cats and a dog named Paco. I play with Paco and I even get along with the cats! My mom tells me that they are soooo happy I came to live with them and so am I!

Note from HAL: Nellie had had such a hard life prior to being in a home, but never ever lost her easygoing and upbeat bulldog temperament--after being a teenage mother, in and out of shelters, on the streets, in boarding, etc. We're so pleased she's finally home at last.

Sasha

Hi everyone! I just thought that I should drop you all a line to say thank you for my great dog! I got Sasha (formerly known as Lilly) in October of 2004. She was just a puppy then but has grown into a very outgoing and loving companion. I couldn't be happier to have her. She is my loyal friend through thick and thin. She is a bundle of love, and feels the need to give wet kisses to everyone! She now has a doggy brother and sister as well as her kitty friend Zane, all of whom she loves and plays with constantly. She has a stubborn and mischevious spirit but, nonetheless, she brings joy to our house. Thanks again for my friend for life.

Carrie