Kyle, the love-a-bull pittie, was found with two other dogs in October 2023. He was initially scared when he was brought into the shelter, and we worked in tandem with local animal control officers to gain more insight into the dogs’ backgrounds. A little over a week later, we could identify and talk to their owner, who was going through a difficult time in their life. They deeply loved the dogs but ultimately thought it best for them to be transferred into our care.
Initially shut down and nervous in the kennel, he slowly learned to trust our staff and volunteers. Through their consistent interaction and work, he began showing us his playful and bubbly personality. Kyle had a special love for his stuffies and chew toys, often found carrying them in his mouth while on walks with the volunteers.
Kyle riding in the car with one of our volunteer dog walkers.
Once Kyle realized the depth of our love and care, he quickly found a place in many of our hearts. However, as time passed, he became one of our longest-term residents, waiting patiently for six months to find his forever home.
Kyle ringing out his new stuffie at PetSmart on a Dog's Day Out.
We believe it was worth the wait because, on March 23, he met Dawn and her family. It turned out to be an amazing match, and Dawn recently provided us with an update on the tremendous progress he’s made since being out of the shelter:
It's hard to believe that it’s already been a month (as of May 1, 2024) since we welcomed Kyle into our home. He's adapting well to his new environment, sleeping comfortably in his crate at night with a toy. We still crate him when we're not home, as we're in the process of building trust. Initially, he was anxious when we left, but he's learning to trust that we'll always come back to him.
We are discovering his likes and dislikes. We discovered he hates hoses (but he’s great with baths). We need to replace ours as that seems to be a trigger for him, and he attacked it last week, and now we have a nice “sprinkler system.” Kyle is very food-motivated and is learning to use a “doorbell” system when he needs to go out. Believe me, I’m better trained at it than he is, but we are working on it and learning his cues.
Kyle making himself at "HOME."
He loves to cuddle! He thinks he’s a lap dog (at 84 pounds – he can really fill a lap!). He follows us everywhere, and I am thrilled that he already seems very attached to us. He still loves his toys, as you can tell. He enjoys walks around the neighborhood and has made some new dog friends and people friends. He has adjusted well to our cat. They ignore each other, but sometimes they will lay close together on the bed which is really cute. He loves to give kisses, and I can’t wait until he starts sleeping in our bed. He still always goes outside with a toy in his mouth, which I think is adorable and one of the things that drew me to him in the first place. He’s over the top on the cuteness meter!
"Look at my stuffie, guys!" - Kyle
Overall, Kyle has settled in wonderfully and is already bringing joy, renewed energy, and love to our household. We look forward to taking him with us on adventures and making new memories with him. Kyle has helped to start healing a part of my heart that was totally broken last May when we had to unexpectedly put our Buster [their previous pit bull] down. Kyle is always there when you need him and always happy to shower us with love. We’re so happy Kyle is a part of our lives, and we were able to give him his “forever” home.
Kyle and his adopters on his adoption day!
Stories like these remind us why our mission is so important – to save as many animals as possible that can be saved. To enrich their lives and help be a small step on their journey to a bright future ahead, full of love, care, and…lots of belly rubs!
At the time of this writing, our kennel is almost full. Kyle is one of hundreds of dogs who walk through the doors of our shelter every year. We are overjoyed he has a forever home now with the best adopters we could have asked for—a perfect match!
There is still work to be done, and we are seeking support for the other dogs, like Kyle, searching for their happy ending. We encourage you to consider opening your heart and home to a new furry family member. If you don’t have the ability to adopt right now but still want to help our furry friends, fostering could be a great opportunity for you! Even short-term fostering, like a few days or weeks, can impact a dog in our care - reducing their stress and helping us learn more about their personality outside of the shelter.
Help us help them. Apply to adopt. Foster a shelter pup.
