Adoption Success!

Have you adopted a pet through Lake Haven?  Share your story online!  Send us your adoption story and photos.

Additional success stories can be found in our yearly Holiday Newsletters.  Check out our last Holday Newsletter or read previous years at: http://www.lakehavenrescue.org/news.htm

Jade is Home!

Hey Lake Haven!

After a long ride from Michigan to Georgia, Jade (now called Malley Jade) is home! It took some getting used to, but after just a short while, she began loving our car and spending time with her new family. Now that we're home, she loves where we live. She has plenty of places to run, play and hide, as well as comfortable places to laze around.

The moment I saw Jade, I knew I had to bring her home.  I was in Michigan to visit my family, and had been thinking of adopting a cat for months. Being very picky about finding the right one, I wasn't expecting to make any decisions on my visit.  But, as I said before, when I saw those beautiful eyes, and soft fur, and heard her little cry, I knew I needed to give her a good home!  Finding the right pet to fit with your personality, and living style isn't the easiest task, but I know for certain that this was the perfect choice!

Samantha & Malley Jade

Scout - UPDATE!

Another Scout update! It's almost been a year now since he came to live with us, celebrating his first birthday July 1st. Scout is still our baby.  Everyone in the house is devoted to him and completely wrapped around his paws.  He just got so big!  Long legs have made him the bane of all the squirrels and bunnies that once had free reign in our yard.  He lives to chase them. The moment he sees a bunny, he starts making this whining bark noise we'd never heard before.

His nickname is 'Destructo' because, unfortunately, he also lives to destroy anything ripable, including his own toys! Luckily though, he's also a cuddler, and loves to curl up on the couch after a hard day in the yard.

We love our Scouty more than ever, and thank you deeply for bringing him into our lives. 

Another Scout!

Well, Scout (Jasper) is now about 6 months old and doing just great! He is so precious to both of us. Every time we take him for a walk, people are constantly saying, "What an adorable dog!" and "What kind is he?"  He is very smart and trained easily. He loves everyone and is so friendly. Attached are a couple of pics: when we first got him and at 6 months.

Thanks again!

Bill and Lynn

Tia

Hi, Just wanted to let you know how great Tia (formerly Jasmine) is doing. We adopted her in May at the PetSmart in Grandville (I see her sister Jersey is on the site also). She's funny, spunky, smart and very loveable. She's been to a few obedience classes so far, and everyone has commented on how happy she is. She gets lots of play time, walks, and a little bit of learning time everyday. She's a great dog and we just love her!

Thanks again to all, especially Tonya!

Lisa and Jason

Kodi

Kodi is about 55lbs.  He is very lovable and super, super energetic.  He was really easy to house train and is learning obedience.  He loves to play.  Though we all thought he was Golden/Aussie mix, he is all Aussie.  He wakes up busy and tries to herd our retriever.  He is a good candidate for agility. 

Best Wishes,

Sonja and Paul

St. Joseph, Michigan

Hello Friends,

A couple of months ago, I sent you photographs of "Totem," the Aussie/Spanie Mix I adopted from you last August.  In my update at that time, I told you that Totem had mange, but it turns out that he has environmental allergies, which we are treating successfully now.

I also wanted to let you know that I sent his DNA in to Bio Pet Vet Lab in Knoxville, Tennessee, and I thought you would find his ancestry analysis as "remarkable" and fun as I did... It turns out that Totem is a Rottweiler, Australian Shepherd, Chihuahua, Dachshund Mix! :) The DNA test cost $57, and it was very fun for me to find this info. out about my son! :)

I wish you and all your animals very good things!

Warmly,

Julie

More Tugger!

Tugger is doing GREAT!!!! He has Received his last set of shots and has been neutered. He will get his stitches out tomorrow. Last week he weighed 52 pounds.  He is getting big now. He is a great dog!!!

Thanks again to all the rescuers.  Your work is so important, and you are doing a great JOB!!!!!!

Terrie

Shasta

I just wanted to take a few minutes to update you on Trinity. We were thrilled to receive your call telling us that Trinity was still available. We called Karla and arranged to pick up Trinity that afternoon. When we finally got home, after showing her off to family, we played Frisbee and catch in our yard. I attached a couple of pictures.

We had to change her name because neither of my daughters could say Trinity, so my oldest daughter named her Shasta from her favorite movie “Snow Dogs”. Shasta has been doing great. We took her to our vet, and she removed the remaining stitches and prescribed something for the swelling. She has been a great dog. She loves playing in the yard with the entire family. Everyplace we take her she is the center of attention. People are alarmed to find out what she has been through and think that it’s a great idea to adopt a pet instead of going to a breeder. My daughter has already taught Shasta how to jump through her Hula Hoop.

Thank you,

Justin & Sara

Jersey

Hello my name is Austin, and we adopted Jersey from you at the PetSmart in Grandville.  We're sending these pictures of her to show you how she is doing.  She is loving our farm that we have.  She also is now the team mascot for my soccer team.  Jersey is well behaved.  We are trying to get her to make friends with our goat and cats.  She is one of the best dogs we could ever have. Thank you so much for letting us to take her home.

Sincerely,

Austin

Bela

Dear Lake Haven,

We adopted Hailey; one of the St. Patrick's Day German Shepherd mix puppies March 14, 2008. We wanted to share with you how wonderful she is doing, and what a joy she has been in our lives. We have since renamed her Bela (pronounced Bayla), and she will be four months in a few days.

The first few days after we brought Bela, home we could tell it was difficult for her being away from her sisters for the first time. She cried all night in her crate, and just wanted to snuggle and be held (she was only 6lbs....so cute!). It was at that time we introduced her to what is now her favorite toy...her stuffed animal ' Wolf '. She sleeps with it, and it is the first thing she wants to play with in the morning. You can see her in the picture snuggling up to it.

We are now happy to say she loves going in her crate, especially at night and all we have to say is "Kennel Up" anywhere in the house and she will run inside and lay down (waiting for her treat of course!).  She sleeps through the night now, which is great, and also loves hanging outside with us.

She went on her first camping trip last weekend, and she loved it! She goes pretty much everywhere with us and rides great in a car. Whenever we go out she, is a huge people magnet; everyone loves her and wants to pet her. She is currently in puppy classes, and is doing really well. She can sit, lay, stay, come, leave it, etc. We are so happy to have her in our lives, and she has also helped prepare us for what it will be like when we have children in a year or two.

Thank you Lake Haven!

We would love to see pictures of her sisters Kailey, and Riley. If their adoptive parents see this, please post pictures.  We would love to see what they look like and how they are doing.

Adam & Jenn Wayland, MI

Eddie

We adopted Buddie, now known as Eddie, in June 2008. He was fostered by Candy at that time. He is everything an Antalonian should be, a great friend and protector.

He weighed in at 78 lbs a year ago, and his spine was visible due to being lost before Cheryl of Lake Haven and Candy rescued him.  Since then, he has added 38 lbs.

Eddie enjoys his Basset, Charge, and long walks in the woods..  I never thought I would find a dog as wonderful as my Bloodhound, but I had not met Eddie.   

Thank you Cheryl and Candy for Eddie  

Meeko

Meeko (formerly known as Frances) is doing great! We adopted her February 7, 2009. Her first day was very overwhelming. First, she went through the store to get a leash, collar, toys and food. She was a little afraid, but loved seeing other people and dogs. Then, we got her out of the store and terror showed its face. She was terrified of the car. We got her in, and she was shaking terribly. We had to drop Andrew's mother off, and Meeko met her best friend Buster (Cocker Spaniel). This is also where she was named Meeko per her recommendation. We were tossing out names and she barked and wagged her tail at Meeko, so she then was known as Meeko. She also learned "come" within an hour.

As she was learning the house, she discovered another scary thing...stairs. Andrew and I worked on these for about 20 minutes using treats to get her up and down, and now they're her best in-house exercise tactic. One of her favorite in-house games is stair-fetch.  We live in a tri-level condo, and she will stand at the top floor and drop her toy to the bottom level. She loves it. She also loves squeaky toys.

Meeko shows signs of separation anxiety, and this is another thing we are having to overcome. She will go into her crate without much hassle. However, if she hears the garage door open, she cries bloody murder... unless she's in the car with us. She has also discovered she loves the car. It took almost two weeks of taking her to

 "fun" places such as her stores (any pet store), to see Buster and to Grandpa's house where she can run and run. She will now happily exit and enter the vehicle on her own.

Meeko has almost doubled in size since we first got her. She had surgery March 16 and weighed in at 28 lbs. It's scary how quickly she's grown!  I weighed her last week, and she's 46.3lbs.  However, she still wants to be a lap dog.

Thanks so much! She's a great dog. She has her problems, but we're working on them. She's overcome a lot, and continues to impress us and make us laugh. She is very easy to train as well. Within her first week, she learned sit and lie down.  Now we're working on roll over and getting her to stop jumping and nipping when she gets excited.

One of the pictures is titled "sleepy Meeko".  This is her coming home from her first time at the dog park in Holland

She was pooped!  She did have a lot of fun, so it was worth it and continues to go a few times a week.  There is a cat in some of the pictures named Rapter.  Rapter greeted her with a great big hiss, growl and a nice smack across the muzzle when we first brought her home.  As you can see from the pictures, they have since become fast friends. I still plan on bringing her to one of the Saturday Adoption Days where we got her, so those of you who dealt with her can see how big she's gotten.  She is still spoiled and loving every minute of it. :)  

Thanks again,

Heather

Zach

Here are two pictures of our dog Zack. We got him through Lake Haven Rescue in August 2008. He was being fostered for Lake Haven by Tammy in Jenison. He was part of a large litter of Aussie mixes. Zack is a great dog, and we are so happy we have him.

We would love to see pictures of his littermates if anyone out there thinks they have one and could post them.

Holly & Gary

Trooper

Dear Lake Haven Rescue,

We adopted Trooper on November 28th, 2008.  At the time, he was about eight weeks old.  He weighed 18 lbs.  He was very quiet the first couple of days until he got to know us better.  He is now six months and about 50 lbs.  He is a happy puppy who now knows sit, stay, come, down, fetch and more. He loves playing around outside with my boys and giving kisses to my daughter. She's only two, and he is incredibly gentle with her.  He is happiest when he's by our side... preferably with one paw touching us.  It's very sweet.  He has added so much joy to our lives.  Of course, puppies are not easy, and potty training in the middle of the winter was a challenge, but he was so worth it.  He is a sweet dog and absolutely beautiful.  People stop us on the street all the time and ask us about him.

Thank you so much for rescuing him. We're thankful for you and his foster mommy, Chris.

Lauren, Darren, Tanner, Logan, and Serena

Wonderful Addition!

Dear Lake Haven,

I just have to pass along some pictures of a wonderful, successful adoption(s) and an incredible addition to my home and personal life. I adopted Jynx (formerly known as Kartik) on 4/4/09. He chose me that day and settled right in to his new home immediately.

During the first week, I just got a sense that Jynx may be a little lonely while I am at work during the day.  After all, he is only just a year old.  The next week, I went to the PetSmart out in Kentwood (near my work) to see who I might find for a playmate for him. Once again, the cat chose me, not me choosing the cat. So, within two weeks, I brought Jeena (formerly known as Gina) home.  She is from Vicki’s Pet Connection.  They absolutely love each other.  They are very different in their personalities, but bring out the best in each other, and enjoy each other completely, not to mention, they make me laugh all the time with their silly antics. Jynx loves attention, but is not really a snuggler; he just follows me around the house wherever I go and will just sit by my feet or lay by my side. Jeena is a total snuggler.  Out of the two of them, she is the one that always finds trouble (in a good way).

It’s been such a joy to have some company and companionship back in my home. I just adore them!!!  They are King and Queen of the castle here, and I wouldn’t have it any other way. Thanks again!!

Sue

Maggie and Leo

Dear Cheryl,

My husband and I are what you call "foster failures"!  I went into the Grandville PetSmart on a Saturday afternoon (which we did often) looking at the dogs.  My husband and I were in search for a dog.  Well, he wasn't with me that day (that's the last time he let me go to the pet store by myself!) and we ended up fostering four 6-week old kittens in September of 08.  We had them for three weeks before we had to give them back. However, we couldn't give them all back! We ended up keeping two of them. We named them Maggie (orange and white one) and Leo (orange one).  The names came from the Detroit Tigers player Maglio Ordonez.

The first picture is of all four of them the day we got them. The second picture is of the two of them a few months ago. They are in the bathtub, which they love as long as there is no water!  The last two pictures are of them now.  Leo has become quite a large cat, and he isn't even a year yet!  He is quiet most of the time, but is very much the troublemaker.  Maggie is sweet and loud!  She talks a lot!  We have been so blessed by adding them to our family!  They are two of the most affectionate cats that I have ever had, and I have had lots of cats growing up!  We wouldn't trade them!

Thank you so much for what you do for these pets. I was so impressed with the way things are run that I have become a volunteer myself. We are still in search for the dog, but in the meantime, the cats have taken over the house!

Thanks again!

Scott and Jamie (and Maggie and Leo!)

Tugger Update!

Hello everyone,

I just wanted to let you know Tugger is doing great and loves it here.  He has grown so much!!!!  He weighs 25 pounds now and loves to eat.  The first time he smelled me cooking bacon, he started barking and went crazy for the smell.  Now he has to have at least one bite, and sometimes we have to put him in the crate to eat our breakfast.  He loves bacon!!!!!!! :)

He has a new little sister to play with, and they have a blast together.  She is Lab/great Pyr.  Here are some pics of him.  He is such a great dog!!!

Thanks so much,

Rick and Terrie

Maggie

Dear Lake Haven,

We adopted Clover a month ago from the PetSmart in Grandville. We have since re-named her Maggie, and I wanted to tell you how well it's going.  She is just wonderful and so loving, but it took her about a week to understand that she wasn't going anywhere and that she was here to stay.

We got her a hair cut, which I think was her first because she was scared of the clippers, but she didn't bite or growl.  She just tried to jump away from the groomer. The vet said she's in very good health and appears to be a very nicely tempered dog.

I got her just in time because she really helped me cope with the death of our 17-year-old cat a couple of weeks ago, and as far as the other two cats go, only my male cat doesn't seem to care for her too much.  He does a lot of hissing and growling at her from afar.  However, I think he's getting used to her because his hair doesn't go up on his back and he doesn't walk with his back arched and on his tippy-toes.  Maggie just walks past him and doesn't pay any attention to him.

Thank you for the opportunity to be a pet parent again.  She makes me smile everyday.

P.S. Here is a before and after picture of Maggie's hair cut.

Karen

You're the Greatest!

We adopted Lincoln (now named Watson after the assistant to Sherlock Holmes) from you April 4 at the Grandville PetSmart. He was one of the large litter of Border Collie – Lab Mix. He is such a great addition to our family and has fit right in with our two Golden Retrievers, which was no small feat as they were pretty set in their ways.

Nate was Watson’s foster “parent” and what a great job he did. Watson was kennel trained and almost completely housebroken. It was so nice to be able to talk to Nate before we brought Watson home so the transition was very smooth. If there are any more of these puppies left, people should grab them because they are a great mix – smart, easily trained, good natured yet not timid.

Thank you for all the great work you and your team do!

The Post Family

Caledonia, MI

Stephen Colbert 

Dear Lake Haven:

We adopted Stephen Colbert on January 3, 2009 and just passed our three month anniversary with the little guy! When we first got him home, his favorite past times were hiding under the bed and screaming (not crying... definitely screaming) in the middle of the night. Now he no longer fits under the bed, and he doesn't make noise until the alarm clock goes off in the morning.

He loves his brother (our 5 year old mixed breed, Captain Jack), and enjoys taunting him with toys and "herding" him around the house. Although he acts tough, he is really just a big baby and even got scared by a Chihuahua the other day.

We have been taking him to our community dog park where he has been learning how to play with other dogs and people, and he is starting to get the hang of it! He has also completed an 8-week puppy training course and is very good at sitting when he wants, laying down when he wants, and giving high-fives for treats. 

When we got him he was seven pounds, and he has now grown to 40 pounds of fur. Colby was a pretty adorable baby, and only gets cuter and snugglier with time. Thank you so much for letting us take him home!!!!!!!!!

Aaron, Laura, Jack, and Colby

P.S. The first picture is the most recent - I just took it today :) The second photo is from a couple weeks ago when his ears got the idea that he was a German Shepherd.

Tuggy Bear

Hi to everyone at Lake Haven Rescue and Morgan's foster family!!!! He is doing well and loves all our other animals!!  Aubry, our Golden, puts up with a lot of chewing on, but takes it with a smile and loves her new friend!!!!

We changed Morgan's name to Tugger/Tuggy Bear/Tug/Tuggy Buggy, and you get the idea.  He tugs on everything!!!!! We just love him.  Thank you to everyone who had a part in his Rescue!!!

He went to see the vet last week and got his second shot.  No signs of worms in the fecal, but since he had such a bad case, he wormed him to be safe.  He got a clean bill of health!!  He got his heart worm preventive yesterday and will get Advantage in a few days. We did not want to give it to him all at once.

He has grown a lot since we got him.  He is doing great on potty training and sleeps all night now in his crate.  When he gets tired in the day, he will go in by himself for a nap.  He still is not sure about the lead, but does enjoy his walks around the pasture.  He carries the lead in his mouth, and then he is ready to go.  LOL so funny!  I will send pictures again at a later date so you can see how he has grown.

Thanks so much,

Terrie 

P.S. My cat Jazz likes to wrestle with Tugger, but the cat gets a little rough, so I have to watch them; he plays with claws in. :)   

Porky's Life Since Lake Haven 

On February 6th 2009, I drove from my home here in Aurora, IL to Michigan to adopt "Porky".  He was one  of a large litter of Border Collie mix puppies that I found online at PetFinder.

When we got home from our 8-hour round trip, he instantly curled up in an extra large dog bed that had belonged to my 95lb retriever mix that I lost to cancer in January.  At 7lbs, he seemed to fill out the bed just perfectly. He even made instant friends with Tigger, my cat.

Since then his name has been changed to Avery, and he has learned to sit, lie down, stay, roll over, walk on a loose leash, and play fetch. We start puppy school next week, but something tells me he may skip a grade. My vet has seen him three times for his puppy shots and will see him again as soon as he is big enough to be fixed. He thinks he is a brilliant little prodigy.

As of March 26th, he weighs 22lbs. and is a perfect pet. Please thank his foster mom for us and let her know how well he is doing. I hope the rest of his litter all found their forever homes and are just as perfect as he is.

Here is a picture of my little sweetheart on his very own new bed.

Erin, Tigger and Avery

Teddy

On March 13th we were blessed with the most friendly and loving new member of the family.  He is very caring and full of life.  He has blossomed into a very playful and energetic dog.  He and our other dog, Andy, get along great.  They have even taken into going outside together, and when the come in, he helps Andy get up the steps.  Andy has a back leg that has some arthritis, so Teddy gives him a little nudge.  They play and run in the yard.  He has also gotten very close with my mother, who has Alzheimer's.  He loves to sit next to her chair and get his belly rubbed or just be pet. Needless to say, we have found the perfect match. The picture of us walking is Teddy going to his first grooming at Buckingham's Pet grooming.
 
Thank you Lake Haven for the gift we received from you.

R. Shawn & Jeannie

Lily

I adopted Lily in October 2008 (in Grandville).  She is my little sweetheart!

Here she is in December, dreaming of Santa, and getting a little bigger in January.  The third picture is of Lily recovering from her spay surgery in February (black dogs are hard to photograph).

She is a smart dog and is enrolled in school; she loves learning and going for walks.  Going for a ride in the car is still a little scary, but we’re trying!  Lily has many canine friends, including Ginger and Hudson. She loves tearing apart plush toys and finding sticks.

Rose W. (Lily's mom)

Totem

I adopted this little guy from you last August, and I just wanted to send you a couple of photographs of him today. I named him "Totem."

He's 9 months old now. We love him so much! He's had all his vaccinations, and he was neutered 9/30/08 at Grand Avenue Veterinary Hospital, here in Duluth; he has a Duluth, Minnesota dog license. He had mange at Christmas time, but he's over that now. Totem and I completed a 10-week Beginner Class of Dog Obedience at Twin Ports Dog Training Club. The "graduation ceremony" was a "Mock Obedience Trial," and Totem and I took sixth prize out of 30 dogs! We are going to begin the next level of obedience training on April 9th.

I looked at your success stories, and I saw the one from Joseph who drove from Detroit to get Bentley at the Grandville PetSmart after he found him on your website... I also found Totem on your website (going through Petfinders.com), and asked my parents who live in Hastings, Michigan, to pick him up for me after we went through the application process and reference check with Kathy B.  My husband and I drove from Duluth, Minnesota, to meet them at the Mackinaw Bridge when we adopted Totem.  A very "long drive" like the one Joseph made, but worth every minute of the 14 hours round trip from our end, and the 14 hours round trip from my parents' end too! It's wonderful how you can "recognize" your family member from the look in their eyes on your website!

I'm forwarding you the puppy photo that you had posted to the Petfinders website, and two photos that I took of him while we were walking along Lake Superior a couple of days ago...

Thank you again for this perfect pet!

I wish you and everyone you love all good things!

Warmly,

Julie

Long Drive for Bentley Worth It

Joseph drove all the way from the Detroit area to the Grandville PetSmart and even took time off of work to make sure he adopted Bentley, who was featured on our website and on Petfinder.com.

From Joseph:  Bentley is doing very well. He has so much energy and loves to play, but he can tire himself out quickly. When he isn't following me around the house, he is wrestling with his plush/squeaky toys or finding some cozy place to settle down for a nap. He is already sooooo spoiled and growing so quickly. He has been a great joy to have already. I'm so glad I drove up there, and let me say it was quite a drive.  I'm just so happy to have Bentley.

Joseph

Our Lake Haven Boys

Hello.  I wanted to drop you a line regarding Kasey, the Lemon Beagle we adopted from the PetSmart in Grandville on Saturday, 2-21-09. We have renamed him Rudy. He picked up on his name almost immediately. When we first brought him home, he ran around the house, then plopped himself on the couch like he'd been there forever.

He is learning his pecking order.  We have a 13 ½ year old beagle/lab mix, Titus, who is the alpha dog, but Rudy does love to follow Titus around and learn all the rules of the house. We also have another dog, Griffin, that we adopted form Lake Haven about six years ago, and Rudy loves to play tug-o-war with Griffin.  It's nice for Griffin to have a buddy to play with again, since Titus is the "old man" and doesn't play too much anymore. When Rudy and Griffin are done playing, they curl up on the couch together... my two Lake Haven kids!!!  It's so cute. 

Rudy has made himself quite comfortable in our bed at night.  Thank goodness he doesn't take up too much room, but in the morning, he doesn't like to get out of the warm bed to go outside...but who does.  We are so amazed at how smart he is.  We take him for walks in the park and around the neighborhood, and when we get back to our driveway, he knows that this is his house. He has learned a lot in the short time we've had him.  He is such a wonderful dog; we cannot believe he wasn't adopted earlier, but we feel so lucky and blessed to have him in our lives.

Here are a couple pictures of Rudy (Kasey). The bigger dog is Griffin.  Thank you so much for this wonderful boy!  He has been such a wonderful addition to our family, and a gift.  We will always be adopting from a shelter!

Sincerely,

Karen G.

Cloe

Breanna wanted a dog for her 16th birthday; her cat KeKe had recently passed away from old age. Cloe has been in our forever home now for a little more than a year now.  The mother and pups were brought in wet and frozen during the rain/ice/snow storm the end of January last year. I have attached a picture of her as a puppy and now all grown up into the sweet girl she is. By the way, we also had an older husky/aussie mix dog that had diabetes at the time we adopted Cloe, which the vet indicated only would live several more months.  Well she is still doing great (on insulin now for over 2 years).  Cloe gave her the motivation to continue, keeps her active, and they are the best of friends. Thanks for all your great work and for the rescue of our little girl Cloe.

Cloe as a puppy is in the arms of her owner, Breanna.     

I am also looking for information on Cloe's littermates adopted out on February 2, 2008 from PetSmart. Her Mom was also rescued and adopted out a couple of days prior. I would love to exchange pictures and updates with her siblings or/and mom's owners. She is a Sheppard/Sheltie mix, black and white as a puppy, and some of the brothers were brown and white or a mixture of both.

Rick, Laurie, Breanna, Cloe and Nikki

If you think you are the owner of one of Cloe's littermates, please contact Lake Haven to be put in touch with Cloe's family. 

Macie

Hi,

With all the recent news about the Montcalm Animal Shelter, I thought I should send an update on Macie. I remember that Cheryl rescued Macie from Montcalm in August, and I adopted her soon after.

You may recall that I had lost my beloved eight-year-old Aussie Lab to a spinal stroke in April, and Macie had lost her beloved owner/Mom in the summer. I decided that although neither of us could replace the one that was gone, we would be good for one another. And I thought Macie would be great for Mattie, our little Daisy dog who was heartbroken without her big sister.

Well, Macie has been a doll. Nicely trained, incredibly eager to please, and just sweet through and through. We haven't had a single day of trouble. Oh, except for the skunking incident in November... and we survived that. She is a bit of an escape artist, but she never goes far before returning to our doorstep (and I'm getting smarter about the storm door, which she figured out how to open in the first week). In just six months, she's become a cherished member of our family, and we feel very fortunate that Lake Haven saved her from a very different fate.

Thanks for the great work you do on behalf of animals who just need loving homes.

Peace,

Mary

Wrigley

We adopted Wrigley in June of last year and he has definitely changed our lives!  He has adjusted well to having a big brother named Hobbes, who has really taken to showing him the ropes around the house...how to get treats, how to take over the couch and bed, and even how to steal things from the counter! 

He is very independent and loves to cuddle.  If you plan on sitting down, you can plan to have Wrigley on your lap and Hobbes by your side. 

He has settled right in and has become a part of our family. 
 
Becca and Jason

Bella

We adopted Bella on June 7, 2008 at the PetSmart Adoption Day.  Our plan was to just go "check out the puppies we spotted on your website" even though we had been planning for quite some time to get a dog. We didn't know what we wanted exactly after months of research, but as soon as we picked up Bella and held her in our arms, we knew we found the puppy for us. To this day, we are so thankful to have her as part of our family. 

Travis and Stephanie

Ellie

I just wanted to let you know what a WONDERFUL cat Ellie is! As you can see, she has made herself quite at home with us. She gets along with our two German Shorthair Pointers too! They are happy to have a cat again too. I had to have my beautiful cat Rudey put to sleep back in October. He was 14 years old and had major health issues going on. Needless to say, my heart was broken in at least a zillion pieces. I had seen Ellie in PetSmart-Grandville several times, but wasn't ready for another cat yet (or so I thought).

My husband and son had suggested that maybe it was time for me to get another cat. After Christmas, I was in PetSmart with my son, and Ellie was still there......It was a sign. Then, she fell asleep in my arms. I thought my heart would burst. She has completely taken over the house - it really is ALL about the cat! She is the cat that healed my broken heart. She sleeps every night in my son's bed with him (my husband and I have the dogs in bed with us). My husband has bought her about every kind of cat treat made. We really love her so much. Thank you so much for allowing us to adopt her!!!

Michelle

Grandville, Michigan

My Baby Scout

I want to thank you so much for my puppy.  He was just what I needed in my life. Our family lost our dog very suddenly to congenital heart failure five years ago, and my father, sister and I had been longing for a furry companion ever since. My mom was the hold out, but I set aside money from my job, and at long last, an agreement was reached. I'd been cruising the Petfinder site for weeks before the agreed upon timing when we'd get a dog. When I stumbled across Scout, and his brother's and sisters, I fell in love. I immediately knew that the single all black puppy (except for his white toes and starburst on his chest) was for me.

I called Lake Haven that day, and learned that the puppies were actually being shown for adoption the next day at PetSmart. My mother and I decided to go... you know, just to look....  It was a mad house! So many people were surrounding the pens, but most of the puppies were still there, in the pen or in others' arms. I asked to see the little black puppy, who was currently chewing on a man's shoe laces. He (Scout) immediately started licking my face, and I never put him down except to sign the adoption forms.

Scout now has my entire family wrapped around his large paws, and probably knows it!

The funny thing is, when we first took him to the vet, he weighed in at 4lbs.  We were told he'd probably end up being 20lbs or so, which was perfect, because I didn't want a big dog, and Scout adores people and to sit in their laps.  Scout grew quickly, and was doubling in size practically every week! Six weeks later or so, we took him to the vet, and he'd already hit the 15lb mark! Upon re-questioning our Vet, he had to admit that he may have underestimated Scout's final weight, by about 20lbs!

At about 22 weeks, Scout's already passed the 32lbs. mark, but he's still just as curious, sweet, and loving as the day we got him. And while yes, he's very hyper, and he's going to be twice as big as we thought, I wouldn't trade him for any dog in the world. In a couple years, when we're ready to get Scout a friend, I'll be sure to use Lake Haven again.

PS. All the photos are from Scout's first couple weeks. Scout doesn't like staying still long enough for the family digital camera to take a picture, and my sister's was the only one that could, and she's off volunteering in Detroit in a school there. He looks just the same, only 8x's bigger! LOL.

Brady (adopted as "Petey")

I just happened to be talking to a co-worker, who mentioned that she was looking at your website and planning to go to PetSmart this month for a cat. Well, the name struck a chord, and I told her that your place was responsible for giving us Brady.

Its hard to believe that he will be three in Feb., and it will be our "three year anniversary" with him in May. I cannot imagine life without him....he has brought so much happiness to Paul and I these last few years.

I am sending some long overdue pictures of him. He is so happy and energetic, and he loves to go for walks, play fetch, and run in the woods, not to mention going to see his favorite bank teller...who always gives him an extra treat! He is also a big baby.....if you plan on laying down with a blanket, you better make room for him (I guess no-one told him that 60 lb dogs are not technically lap dogs). :)

Thank you again for bringing Brady to us, and maybe someday in the future we'll be in touch to find him a sister to roam the woods with!

Happy holidays!!!

Jillian (along with Paul and Brady)

Mocha Summer

We found Mocha on the Lake Haven website in 2005. She was part of a litter that Cheryl said a guy “found” at a jobsite. She is the most loyal dog you could ever ask for. She stays right by your side no matter what. We named her Mocha for obvious reasons, and then her middle name “Summer” is because she came to her “Forever Home” on June 21. Thank you so much for giving Mocha a new lease on life; we are forever grateful!

Judy

Success Story!

I first adopted a kitten from Lake Haven/Petsmart in May of 2005.  I had found a litter of kittens at a garage sale in a 'free box' next to the cash box and decided it was time to start my family of pets. I had recently purchased my first home and growing up with lots of pets, decided I wanted to continue the tradition and have a house full of pets. I wanted to give my new kitten a playmate and started going to PetSmart looking for a good match. After two or three visits to PetSmart and striking out, I wandered in on a Saturday during Adoption Day and found the cutest little kitten and fell in love at first sight. His name was Choo-Choo, and he had been found only hours old and had to be hand fed his first few weeks of life. I talked to the woman who had fostered him at length.  But while I was talking to her, another woman had come up, snatched him up and decided to adopt him. I was upset and left PetSmart disheartened. I began driving home and about ten minutes in to my trip home decided to go back and see all the kittens again to see if another one might be the kitten for me. I got there, and the women who was his foster mom informed me that the woman that was going to adopt him changed her mind and he was available! I took it as a sign, and quickly filled out the adoption application and was able to take him home that day. He was re-named "Lil' Guy", and we have had him ever since. He is still small, but he shows my two Labrador Retrievers and German Shepard who is boss. In fact, he rules the roost! The foster family that was present on adoption day was very careful about who he was adopted to, and it meant a lot that they were willing to talk to me about where he would be going, the conditions he would be living in and were able to provide a very detailed history of him.

Several months later, I was looking to add to my family and was struggling to find a cat that felt like a match. I went to PetSmart, and it happened to be adoption day. I found my cat (later name Mishka) in February of 2006. He was six months old and very, very meek. Something about him clicked, and I wanted to adopt him but a family was already looking at him. Cheryl happened to be standing by and had observed my interaction with him and then the family that wanted to adopt him. I had thought he was going to go to the family and was bummed out that I had missed out on adding such a beautiful cat to my home. I left to do some shopping for my other animals, and Cheryl actually found me later in another part of the store and had told me that she felt the family would not be a good match and asked if I was still interested. Was I ever! I took him home that day, but we had a long road of building our trust. Mishka had come to Lake Haven at approximately 6 months of age and not much was known about his history. It was apparent once I got him home that He had been abused at some point in his short life. He would run and hide the moment anyone moved too quickly, and hours later he might emerge, but only if he felt it was quiet enough. It took my husband and I more than a year to get him to trust us enough to not run every time we made any sort of movement, but he turned out to be our most loving cat. We currently have five cats (all indoor), and he is the one that 'mothers' the others. He can be found cuddling with the others or helping them clean their ears and is always the first to greet you when you come home. He is also the first to jump into bed to cuddle by your feet at night and the first to greet you in the morning when you wake up.

I have recommended Lake Haven to any and all that I have encountered looking to add to their family. I was deeply impressed with the organization of Lake Haven and their need to adopt to the right family rather than any person willing to pay the re-homing fee. The fact that your fee includes a spay is also most beneficial. While I currently have a large family (five cats, three dogs and a gerbil!), I would not hesitate to turn to Lake Haven if I wanted to add to my family. The 'profile' of the animals are accurate and most helpful when trying to decide on who may or may not be a good fit to your home. I am confident that the volunteers would realistically assist in placing all the animals. It is also very beneficial when the foster families are on sight, as they are able to answer a lot of the basic questions regarding the animal's recent history and any issues that may arise. I have been to several adoption days since adopting my two cats and continue to be impressed by the professionalism of on-sight volunteers.

Thank you again for all the work you do in placing your pets in to loving homes.

Emily

I have included pictures of Mishka (the orange and white cat), Lil' guy (grey cat) and one picture of them together--they are stalking my German Shepard in that picture.

Thank You For These Beauties!

We are enjoying every minute with this brother and sister that we now call Chip and Coco. Coco's skin is now covered with beautiful soft fur after her bout with fleas that caused fur loss. They LOVE their baby blanket.

Thanks again,

Al and Cathy

Hi Cheryl!

Just wanted to give you an update on Chappy (Harvey) and Sassy  (Saffey). We got them in September, and they are adapting very well to our household. They are a great addition to our family.

As of day one Chappy came in and made the guest room as his own as you can see in the picture. He thinks the spare bed was created for him. Sassy is enjoying her freedom to roam in and out of the garage. She is finally coming around and will let us pet her more and more every day!

As you can see in the one picture, my husband made them cat perches in the  garage so they can get up high and away from our dogs!

For kicks and giggles why we adopted our two new cats was because our cat disappeared on us... and after 5 months she decided to come back, and now we have three wonderful cats and two dogs! What more would a family want?! :) Thanks again...  We really enjoy our new addition to our family!

Vickie

I would like to thank Lake Haven Rescue for putting a smile back on my 10-year-old daughter and my face again with the adoption of Iris (renamed Cheeka). We recently had to put our 16-year-old cat to sleep due to an illness, and we have been deeply saddened by the loss of our family member. I made a trip to PetSmart last week to buy some dog food and discovered this adorable little kitten at your display center. I went home and scooped up my daughter and back to PetSmart we went. That night, we were blessed with a new kitten, which I can honestly tell you is completely spoiled.

Cheeka is zipping around our house now like she has always lived there.  She is quite the spitfire. She has already shown our black lab who is boss, but yet we have found them taking naps by each other on a couple of occasions--although she seems to have found her favorite sleeping place at night, which is on my neck.

Dear Cheryl and Volunteers,

My name is Bella, and I got my new home on Sept. 13! I've taken very well to my new brothers. The tabby, Koda, loves to play with me. My other feline brother, Zeus, likes to cuddle with me. The funny thing is that the dog, Remy, is my best friend. We snuggle together on the couch and he likes to play with me, too.

I love my new home! I love to explore and play with all my new brothers. Being held and petted (and spoiled) by my new family is fabulous.

Thank you for giving me a second chance!

Love, Bella

MOLLY

We've had Molly since May, and we are so happy. Molly completes our family, and is a perfect fit for us! Molly is well behaved and even knows commands (sit, shake, lie down).

My daughter Megan (six) is absolutely in love with Molly. They spend hours outside playing chase and fetch!  Molly even gets along with our cat, Hannah. Molly is full of energy and life, and we love her just the way she is!!!

Molly wanted me to say hi and tell you she loves her new home!!  We are so glad we found her on your website!

Ed, Jen, Megan and Molly

Hi Cheryl and Company,

Just a quick note to let you know Macie's been a dream so far... almost too easy to be true! She was so sweet on the ride home... and very ready to pee when she finally got out of the car!  She and resident dog Mattie are tolerating each other nicely.  After just 24 hours, they are napping in the same room. I bet they'll be buddies before we hit the one-month mark.

Macie LOVES going for a walk, and prances with her head and tail held high. She has already met the dog-loving neighbors, including Sophia (off-white standard poodle puppy adopted by Nancy right across the street.  I didn't realize Sophia was from Lake Haven too until last night). She seems mostly relieved to be here, already has run of the house, and slept under my bed last night. She still seems like she's waiting for the other shoe to drop, but I'm sure I'd be a little skeptical too after what she's been through. She's going to have her hair, teeth and nails done at 2 p.m., so I hope she still likes me after that!

Thanks for saving her... we're going to heal from our losses together. I'll send another update after a couple of weeks.

Mary G.   

Dear Lake Haven Rescue,

I thought you would enjoy seeing how well Sophia is doing. I adopted Sophia on July 28th. She has grown quite a bit and will begin dog obedience training on the 16th of this month.

Sophia is very good with children and other dogs. She loves to ride in the car and go visiting friends, especially those with dogs. Sophia enjoys tug of war, but she also loves to fetch her toy dumbbell.

Sophia gets a toy or her leash, if she can reach it, and carries it to the door to let me know she needs to go out.  Sophia likes her leash and her "cousin" Sienna, a Rottweiler mix.

Sincerely,

Nancy

SKYLER

I adopted Skyler through Lake Haven in February 2008.  From the moment I saw his little face, I was hooked.  He is now a wonderful member and addition to our family.

Skyler has a fulltime playmate in his adopted sibling, Lilly (black lab Newfoundland mix).  They would play in the back yard all day long if I would let them.  She is 10 times his size, but he has figured out several ways to hold his own.  

Thank you Cheryl and team for everything you do for the pets you are able to rescue. You all are doing a wonderful job!!

Sara

Hello All,

It was a year in February since the adoption of our Nora, and we just don't know what we'd do without her. She is the most loving, talkative companion, and I'm sure her brother, Oliver, would agree. 

Thank you for all you do for the many animals in need of a loving home.

Love,
Bev, Stu & Oliver