More Happy Tails

from BARC adopters...

Dear Barc-- This is a story about a cat named Magic (aka. HOPE), who transformed me from an indifferent, cat tolerator to a full-blown cat daddy of two. I've loved animals my whole life but never had a pet and somehow never imagined the possibility as an adult until November, 2006. I came to BARC to check out dogs, but my friend persuaded me to visit the cat loft, where I was taken by a young cat who seemed very exploratory and active. Upon closer inspection, it turned out she had no eyes. (I couldn’t quite believe it, so I had to ask.) I went home alone but smitten.

I went back 2 days later and brought her home. My boyfriend and I often forget that she is blind, as she will look right at you most of the time, and has no problem getting in the middle of whatever is going on in the room. Then again, she bumps into things and stares at the wall, but she knows her way around and gets faster and smarter every day. She loves rattling balls, the sound of running water, crackly plastic bags and she has even grown to like the friend we brought home for her to play with. Thank you BARC for making sure this very special girl was taken care of so I could find her. -- Adam

Hi BARC! I just wanted to let you know that Barney, formerly known as Baby Powder is doing great. I am so happy I found him. He was a stray and now has a loving home. He was a little nervous at first with other people but he's doing much better now. Barney loves to go for walks, cuddle, and give kisses. He also enjoys sleeping late and lounging on the couch eating bones. He is so cute. Thank you so much for helping me find Barney!

I adopted Cano (Turkish for "darling") from BARC and I used to live 4 blocks away from the shelter. Whenever we went out, she was dragging me back to the shelter! I didn't understand it at first, but when we went back to see Dr. Felton, I saw how happy Cano was. She just wanted to stay there, but she couldn't leave me either ! She is an amazing lab-pitbull mix and really friendly. Some people may be wary about adopting a pitbull mix at first but Cano is the most adorable dog ever. And the nicest people working at BARC! Now she's living happily with me in Istanbul, but she wanted me to write you to say much she misses her friends and family back home ! Thanks for being there!-- Asli & Cano

Hello BARC ! I just wanted to let you know that Seymour and Simon (formerly Jason) are doing extremely well. My girlfriend and I adopted them a little over a year ago, and they're absolutely thriving. Seymour, who we mostly just call Moose, is such a wonderful cat. We thought he would be slightly institutionalized since he had spent his entire life in a cage (he was a blood donor for a number of years) but it turns out that he's as sweet as a newborn kitten. Simon, though it took him some time to get used to being in a new home, has completely taken over the apartment. His toys are everywhere, he sleeps wherever he wants, and he wakes us up for breakfast whenever he feels like it. He's lucky that he's so cute, otherwise we might just go back to bed! Our two boys get along fantastically; they cuddle all day and sleep together on our bed at night. Moose even gives Simon baths! We can't imagine not having these gorgeous cats in our home and in our life, so thank you for taking such good care of them until we found each other. All our best, Arielle and Anah

I adopted my dog Nantucket, Tucket for short, from BARC back in October 2003. He inspired me to start a website about dog adoptions. Read Tucket's story and view his gallary of photos at: http://www.pupsdaily.com/about/

I just wanted to let you know that Coco (formerly Eddie) is doing extremely well. I brought him home in January on a very cold, snowy day. He was a little shy at first, but came out of his shell within weeks. He is such a cuddly, loving and loyal dog. He has quite a passion for burying himself under the covers. Coco also loves to run in circles at the dog park, roll around in the grass, as well as chase birds and very tiny balls. Quite often, he stands on his hind legs to have his tiny belly rubbed. I'm so grateful to BARC for finding him. My life is so much richer because of him! Thanks--Michelle

Hello! -- We adopted Dash in July, and wanted to let you know he is doing great! He's already been camping a few times, has gone in the water on Eastern Long Island, and has had many nice, long walks here in Greenpoint.

He is very gentle with our two cats and he is a very welcomed addition to our family. He is great with commands and loves his head and belly rubbed. Thank you for this wonderful opportunity to have him as apart of our family! Best-- Adam & Kelly

Hello BARC-- We are finally writing to you to update you on our wonderful cat, Jazzy (aka DJ Jazzy Jazz) - formerly Jasmine - who we adopted from you in February 2007. She is such an incredible cat - sweet, smart and always vocal. Although we were told she had a history of health problems and that she was even adopted and returned due to health complications, Jazzy has been completely healthy and thriving in the two years that we've had her!

Our home would not be the same without her and we thank you for allowing us to adopt her. Jazzy loves her cat-mate, Edward, and even plays with our dog, Mabel. When Jazzy isn't eating or playing she is usually curled up in near proximity to my husband (and her best friend), Mark. Attached is a photo of just one of the many yoga-like sleeping postures she takes. Thank you for bringing Jazzy into our lives! -- Lisa

Tango (named Matthew at BARC) was found tied up on N 10th and Driggs in the rain. He was in a terrible state of neglect - a mass of matts and nails that curled under so he could hardly walk. It took BARC staff hours to cut away the tangles and matts (that's how he got the name Matthew). We adopted him Labor Day weekend of 2001 and have loved him ever since. Over the years Tango gave us so much joy and companionship.

Sadly whe passed away after 8 wonderful years at 15. Tango was such a good and beautiful boy, and we were so lucky to have him in our lives. We miss him very much and know he is having all the pig ears he wants up in heaven.

We still have our kitty Missy who came from BARC and recent addition, puggle rescue Maggie May .Thank you everyone at BARC for doing the work that you do. You gave Tango a chance all those years ago so that we could give him a home. What a special gift. --Jenn & Jose

I just wanted to let everyone know that Miles is doing well and thriving. I adopted Miles from BARC in October, '07. We stop by occasionally to visit since we are still nearby in Brooklyn,but I wanted to post an update,so that other people that knew him from his time there would know that he is happy and healthy. He has been a great blessing to me and is an outstanding goodwill representative for pit bulls,as well as 'shelter' dogs. Miles makes new friends everyday, and has a legion of friends that rivals a busy socialite.(lol) Very perceptive,outgoing,inqusitive, personable, and his eyes and good looks tend to draw people in and make them do his bidding. He makes me (and others) laugh at least once a day, and he is the best snugglebunny ever,seriously. Miles is very intelligent and never ceases to amaze me with subleties of his nature, he is constantly thinking,and has the memory of an elephant, he has made me more aware of my own enviorment and the subleties of my own nature. He definitely makes me a better human. Thanks BARC staff and volunteers for the work that you do that makes these unique connections possible. Sincerely-- Elizabeth

From the moment we walked Lucy (formerly Vanilla Bean), we fell in love, and knew that she was the perfect dog for us! She is incredibly gentle and mild tempered. She was even trained to 'sit', 'lay down' and give her 'paw'. Each day she amazes us with her intelligence and charm. She is at once mellow and playful. She loves playing fetch at the park, going for runs, and playing hide-and-seek with her toys! She's an athlete and inspires us to be active every day. Since we got her, she has gone on trips to the beach (possibly her favorite place in the world!) and hiking upstate - she loves to ride in the car. She loves playing with other dogs too. Every day people stop and admire Lucy's grace, uniqueness and calm demeanor. She has truly made us feel like a family, and has brought us more joy than we could have imagined. We are so thankful for BARC Shelter for giving Lucy a chance, and allowing us to find the perfect pet! Thank you! -- Jessi & Chris

I adopted two dogs from BARC back in January 2005. They are from two different litters surrendered to the shelter, and both are some sort of poodle-mix. Anyway, they are awesome dogs and I love them more than anything. So, I wanted to send you an update on the fellers and express my gratitude.

Seamus is about 5 years old now. He is a very chill dog, and he's a little guy so his bark sounds kind of like a little monkey. He is easily my best friend and follows me anytime I even go to another room in my tiny apt.

Sprocket, his sister, seems to have more of the poodle genes in her. She is very intelligent and loves learning tricks. When she gets excited she has a tendency to high five like crazy. She is also a bit vengeful in an intelligent way. If I clip her nails (she hates it) or if i don't come home soon enough for her she will pee wherever is my chill spot in the apt. She's a nutter, but I love her all the same. When I first adopted her she was a year old (now about 5-1/2)vand was extremely nervous. I am very thankful she got into your hands where she could find a home. Since then she has become a more confident dog and rarely gets the shakes. Thank you. These pups have come to be my best buds. Every day I am thankful for them. Cheers-- Meaghann

Hi BARC--Just wanted to let you know that Shea (formerly known as Emily) is doing great! My boyfriend and I came to BARC a little over 2 months ago and Shea stole our hearts. She had been adopted by someone else who unfortunately couldn't keep her and the day that she was brought back we found her. It all worked out just fine. She took very little time realize that she had found her permanent home; we can't imagine life without her. Shea has made many friends at the dog park, loves to play tug-o-war and then sleeps like a baby when we get home.

We also just started to let her off leash while in Central Park. She has a "thing" for squirrels but is doing much better at not chasing them and listening when we call her name. Shea is also a big cuddle bug, she loves to be close to you (or on you). When we tell people that we rescued her they say that she is so lucky but I always remind them that we are the lucky ones!! Thank you so much for all that you do and we sing your praises when asked where we found her. -- Pam and David

Dear BARC--This happy tail has been a long time coming. Lola, formerly known as Praline, was a semi feral cat who had been in the shelter since August of 2007. I adopted her in late December of 2007, not long after I lost one of my two cats to FIV. She spent some time cowering in the bathroom and would come and lick wet food off of my hands, but was quite skittish, running away from me if I came anywhere near.

Over time, Lola calmed down and grew to particularly like to sleep on clothing I would leave on furniture. And she eventually stretched out more and became friendlier. I began to try to pet her when I gave the kitties wet food. Sometimes it worked. She grew less fearful and more photogenic as time went on.

And grew to love clothing even more. She is pictured here sitting on a sweatshirt I sleep in during the winter. If I leave this sweatshirt on the bed after I get up, she heads right to it. But the real breakthrough? Lola finally loves to be petted. She purrs and purrs, and particularly enjoys a nice, relaxing bellyrub. I think this one will eventually be a lap cat. Thank you so much for saving Lola so I could bring her into my life.-- Mary

Just wanted to give an update on the love of our lives: Candy. My best friend and I adopted Candy from BARC in September of 2007. Since then, Candy has charmed the pants off our entire neighborhood, all of our friends, family members, strangers, construction workers – basically anyone who has a heart has fallen in love with this dog. She loves to snuggle and sleeps with either of her moms every night. She’s a big snoozer and a serious fan of air conditioning. When she has too much energy, she entertains us with her “zoomies” which is essentially her running 100 mph through the house, tearing through any obstacles in her sight. Her strong jaw makes it hard for her to maintain any toy for more than a day, but she has left her “baby” – a stuffed squirrel – unscathed. She gives her baby lots of kisses and likes to bring it into the bed with her when she sleeps. I can’t imagine our lives without Candy and we will be forever grateful to the folks at BARC for rescuing her and bringing her into our lives. I've attached a pic of Candy schnoozing on the couch. - Stacey

My love story is about a relationship I carried on for well over a year, with Valencia-known as the attack cat. I volunteered at BARC and fostered Valencia. He was beautiful, smart, curious and bold-I was afraid of him, but also intrigued; I fell in love with him. Through the gentle coaxing from one of BARC's wonderful volunteers, Lesly, who would softly say to me"just take him." The support of Mary, another loyal volunteer, who would point out how Valencia would sit in my purse and the reassurance from Jaesyn, the cat whisper, I finally relented and decided to take him.

I left that day with Mary and Lesly who accompanied us to Fifth Avenue Veterinary Care to check out his heart, turns out he was really o.k. just suffered a broken heart in need of love. I cannot stress this enough; the way a cat is when they are in a shelter, even a wonderful one like BARC, will surprise you once they are in a home.

We all knew of Valencia bad boy reputation, but what a love he is. The first day I let him have run of his new home, he ran through each room, returning to me as if in disbelief. I will never, ever regret taking him. I absolutely adore him. Everyone who meets him, and he is a people cat, laughs at the funny things he does. He loves to get his face washed and then sit in a sunny window. I could go on and on about his antics, but just want you to know that I now know what happiness is. Thanks BARC for saving him for me.-- Judy

Hi BARC!-- Mae (AKA Marsha) is doing great. Here she is (on the left) kicking back with a friend. Mae has proven to be a very resilient girl. Over the last two months, she has fattened up nicely, refined her housebreaking skills, and won heart of every human in her path.
Mae will happily accept a morning romp in the park or a good rawhide bone any day, but her favorite thing of all is to snuggle with her people. Lucky for Mae, her people are happy to oblige. I wanted to thank you for showing such patience and compassion throughout her slightly extended adoption process. The great care Mae got at BARC set her on the right path for a very happy tail.--Emily B.

Hi BARC, I am writing to share with you the wonderful update about Splash, whom I adopted in early January. I have re-named her Sweetie-Pie because that really describes her. I had volunteered at BARC several times and had always had a soft spot her. During my last volunteering project, decided to adopt her.

She is doing GREAT! She is the sweetest, most snuggly, lovable cat I have ever had. AND she is equally as friendly and lovable to anyone I bring
into my apartment. She just likes to chill out with us. She has become
very active and still amazes me with her increased strength and agility.
Not bad for an old gal. Her impaired vision does not stop her for jummping to high perches, sitting on the window sill to talk to the birds or playing and chasing her toys. She most enjoys snuggling on the couch and sleeping on the bed. We are both so happy. -- Sue

We picked up Julius at BARC in May of 2007. He had been found on the street in Bushwick and BARC had dubbed him Bushbird as a result. My girlfriend and I had gone around looking at all the cats and trying to make a decision but it wasn't easy. Julius was so handsome that I asked for the attendant to open his cage. She did and he immediately came over and put his paws on my shoulder. My girlfriend looked over and we were both looking at her and she said "I think he wants you to pick him up." I did and he started drooling on me and the woman who was working there then said "It looks like you've found a match." and we had. Now, nearly two years on "Bushbird" became "Julius" who is forever called by his nickname "The Weens". We'll always be grateful to BARC for introducing us to The Weens. We love him. - Joshua R.

It's now 6-months since we adopted Stella (aka Lana) and she continues to be a joy to all of us. She has passed her first obedience class with flying colors, and will now move on to a Agility Class since her energy seems endless. We spent the last week on vacation with her and we think we have finally figured out what the other mix is...we now think she is a Tibetan Terrier-Sea Otter mix as the photo shows you. Loved the water. Thanks again for all your work!-- The Tennant-Gadd Family

We came to BARC looking for an older, sweet, laid-back cat to be our fifth roomate. When we met Phoebe, she immediately jumped into our laps and drooled all over our arms and we just fell in love with her. She has been living with us since October 2008 and is doing great. For a senior cat, she is still very active - she loves to chase imaginary mice around the house and play with feathers. But she's also perfectly content to just hang out on the couch and watch TV with us. She loves people and is not the least bit shy around strangers. Thank you BARC for taking such good care of Phoebe, and letting us bring her into our home! -- Meg, Mae, Andrew and Andrea

Hi Barc!--I just wanted to drop a quick note and thank you for giving me the opportunity to find my Honey (aka Mama). She is the best thing that has happened to me! Having walked dogs at BARC for a few months I knew the minute I saw Honey she had to come home with me. She is the best little cuddler and has staked a claim on my bed. Between sleeping and chewing her ball I would say she has a great life and has improved on mine. I couldn't imagine a life with out her. Thank you for being there for Honey and all the animals at BARC! -- Sam

Hi BARC-- I wanted to send a long overdue update on Fuzzy (aka Alec). It's been a wonderful nine years since he joined my family and I love him more than ever. He loves to boss us around and spends his days lolling in the sun and actively chasing straws and other toys around (in the middle of the night, of course). He's even proved to be a great mouser! Thank you again for helping us connect to our baby. I'll never forget how he reached his paws out to me and "chose" me when I first met him. -- Arlene