There's Still More Happy Tails

from BARC adopters...

I adopted FRED nearly two years ago. She was teeny, with a funny boxy head, big ears, and extra toes on her front paws. Since then I've moved with her to California, where she spends most of her days chasing her many toys, basking in the sunlight, and lounging in her kitty bed. She is a beautiful cat and she knows it! Fred loves to meet new people and when I come down the hall to my door, I can hear her squeaking. I can't imagine not living with her and she has made me very happy. Thank you, BARC! Lindsay Hansen

Here is another picture of CHARLIE the Basset Hound who was adopted in January 2005. Would you say he is fitting in well? He's taken over my kids' sandbox, but they don't mind because they know Charlie loves his sunbaths in there! Thanks for the great dog! —Heidi Fortin and Family

Here is a wonderful happytail picture of MAX and Sparky (known as SPARKLE at the BARC Shelter. They are both BARC dogs that were adopted by the Finnegans. They also have two other rescued American Eskimos. The Finnegans report that the Eskimos are treating Max (the black pitbull mix shown on the left) a little better and are trying not to be so bossy.

Hi there folks! Just reporting on our much beloved Tessa (otherwise known as SHANNON at the BARC Shelter). Well, what a surprise—we never expected such an amazing creature when we adopted her in March 2005. Aside from being funny, tough, rather cute, and an excellent security force, Tessa is one of the best natured most emotionally responsive dogs I've ever known. It's tough not spoiling her too rotten. It's been amazing how she has warmed to us--the whole mix of her genes seems to lean her towards serious bonding. She is respectable and respectful, a creature whose awareness of her position in our lives is always evident.— James and Jamie

We adopted Suzie Q (known as NUTMEG) from the BARC Shelter on January 25, 2005. She was only in the shelter for about a week. She was brought in with 2 kittens, which were adopted out before her. She is the sweetest cat! She has finally found love for our other 2 cats and loves to play with them. She took right to her new home without any problems. She is sneaky and loves getting into a lot of trouble. We are very happy that we adopted her, and we thank BARC for taking her in and caring for her until we adopted her! Thank you very much!
Erin and Rick

We adoopted AUGIE (the Belgian Malinois/German Shepherd) and STEVIE (the cat) from BARC two years ago (2003). Stevie is blind and follows Augie around the house so he can cuddle with him. Stevie also comes to you when you call his name and tap on the floor. Augie has a lot of friends at the local dog run in Long Island City. We had his first birthday party there complete with a dog friendly cake and 16 doggie guests. Stevie hangs out with our other cat Tabitha, a beautiful black cat that we found 14 years ago. We love our companion animals so much. Thank you BARC for giving us our adorable boys! —Julie, Steve and Nicholas Argent

I've been meaning to write about PEPPER for a while. I adopted Pepper in November 2003, I was going to give her a week to see how we would adapt to each other. My family was a little nervous when they saw she was part pitbull, had a fiesty nature, and was labeled "food aggressive". When I first brought her home she chewed through the leash I had just bought her in a few minutes. I knew she was going to be a handful. So I gave her some time to get use to us. It took about a week and a half. First she wasn't barking. One of the main reasons I got her was for added security. Well a week later, when one of my uncles came to visit, and she showed her vocal side. It was perfect. Deep enough to alert us and short enough to not annoy the neighbors. Now the challenge was to see if I could remove the "food aggressive" label. I gave her about a month, then I tried to see how far I could get. One day, right when I fed her, I grabbed her leash to control her when I showed her that I would let her back to her food. Well as soon as I grabbed her leash she thought she was going for a walk. She loves going for walks more than eating (quite the opposite of me!). She couldn't care less if I touched her food. There have been times too where I had to take things she picked up off the street out of her mouth and she usually doesn't resist. One of the things I did was read up about Labradors and found out the best thing you can do for them is to run them a lot, because they are hyper by nature. So I started taking Pepper for long walks. The long walks covered miles. The long walks then turned into jogs. Before you knew it I had won the lottery to run in the 2004 NYC Marathon—my first marathon. Pepper was a great workout partner. Around 9:30 PM every night she would start knocking on the door to go out, then as soon as she would see me getting ready, she would spring up like a Jack Russell. Many people asked me how to get motivated to run a marathon. I told them to "adopt a dog". Of course a large dog that you could go running with! Pepper and my family are doing great! She loves all the adults and kids and they love her. She is very social and playful at the dog run in Bay Ridge, Brooklyn. I hope all is well at BARC. You all provide a wonderful service. Rocco Petito & Pepper

Hi Tony and Everyone at BARC: Just wanted to send you some photos of JOEY a little more than a year past his adoption. We initially just intended to foster him for a couple of weeks, to see if he'd calm down a little bit outside the shelter. Considering his "exuberance" when he was taken out for walks at BARC, we thought he'd tear our apartment apart. But he was so calm and well-behaved there was no way we could bring him back. He pulls much less on his leash than he used to, he gets along with (most) other dogs, and he' s incredibly affectionate and loving. He's very close to our friend's dog Maggie (the black dog in the photo), and shows a lot of patience with her, considering she jumps all over him when she visits. He even likes our cats, although they're a little leery of him. Joey spent a lot of time at BARC, and I think people passed on him because of his size and tremendous energy. But we feel incredibly lucky that no one adopted him before us. He's a wonderful and happy dog. Jay Ukryn and Ginger Trunkes

Dear BARC: It's the eve of the one-year anniversary of my adopting Blix (known as SLEEPY at the BARC Shelter), so I believe it's a fine time to send my deeply-felt thanks to you all for the care and kindness you gave to Blix while he lived with you, for seven months, at the shelter. Along with my husband and other kitty Rara, he's the love of my life. Blix is one of the notorious feral "Litter of 11". When I met him at the shelter I was taken by his gorgeous green eyes and sleek black coat. He stepped up to me and seemed to ask me in his humble way to pick him up out of his cage. Which I did. I walked around the room with him until he freaked out and grabbed the nearest cage with his forepaws and held on with his incredible strength. That was the last time I was able to actually hold him and walk with him in my arms—until about a month ago. Now he's the dearest little cat to hold. From the start he's loved being petted, and listening to music (Brian Eno is one of faves), and he loves to curl up on the bed with me and my husband and stare out the window at the trees and gardens and all the creatures who live outside. Blix is really amazing with his friend Rara, who was 3 months old when we brought home, a few months after Blix. One image I'll never forget is the day Rara was neutered, Blix snuggled up with him in the little cat bed—he kept his paw protectively around Rara the whole evening. A nurturing soul. The picture seen here of Blix shows him perched on the bedroom dresser, as he does every morning, waiting patiently for a squirrel or bird to appear before him on the firescape so he can lunge up to the window sill and crouch completely still, but perceptibly shaking before it. The morning vigil. We're crazy about the old boy. Thank you BARC. Lisa, Hamish, Rara, and Blix

We first spotted HEIDI (now called Spades) and TAD POLE (now called Maddox) snuggling in their cage. They were very little and sick. We adopted these angels and brought them home. Within days Maddox became so sick he almost died. Both cats were vomiting and had ringworm, which led to quite a journey. Needless to say, a year and half later (from Feb. 2005) they could not be healthier or more spoiled. We cannot imagine how we ever lived without Maddox and Spades. Thank you so much for all your help!

This is a happytail picture of FRANK, who lived at the BARC Shelter for a longtime with Rosie, a Jack Russell mix. They were both adopted a few years ago by Pat Henry, a longtime BARC Volunteer, who now lives in Texas. Rosie passed on a little while ago, but Frank is still thriving!

Dear BARC Shelter, JOJO has been in my home now for just over a year, and is a wonderful creature. She was a laid back kitty from day one, but has really come out of her shell, becoming an evermore inquisitive, playful, vocal, rambunctious and happy cat. I am so grateful for your work with animals in need, and pleased to share with you yet another happy tail. Laura Altman

Dear BARC: I just wanted to say thanks for adopting such a wonderful cat to us. We adopted BARTHOLOMEW about a week ago, and he has been nothing but the sweetest most loving cat to us and our other 2 cats (one of which we adopted at BARC a while back). He is the perfect addition to our family, and we couldn't be happier! Thanks again! Jenny Aborn

The two friends in the picture are Gwen (foreground, known as SUSIE at BARC) and Tom (known as FERGUS) were adopted from BARC in March 2003, my second and third cats from BARC. My first BARC kitty, Jack, (formerly Pinky), unfortunately succumbed to cancer in December 2002 after a legendary year as the most affectionate cat in history. Though a little skittish at first, Gwen and Tom have warmed up to be about as loving as anyone could ask for. Tom in particular likes to plop himself down in your lap while you're sitting on the couch. I guess he figures you've got nothing better to do than pet him while you're sitting there! Gwen's more into circling your feet for drive-by petting. She likes to build nests for herself in the laundry, but Tom on the other hand prefers a perch higher up on the bed where he can watch the fish tank. Both of them are big fans of curling up on the bed when there's a movie on, though they both tend to sleep through the whole thing. My friends and I have adopted a total of five cats from BARC and every one of them has been a wonderful, loving friend. Jon Gherardini

This is a picture of Kelev, who was known as NICHOLE KIDMAN, at the BARC Shelter. She is seen here at the celebration of her birthday. Her new parents, Stuart and Hannah, actually met while volunteering at the BARC Shelter! We are very happy they are all doing so well!

We adopted a yellow labrador from BARC in January 2005 when my son Adam brought us to the shelter. You called him CHICKEN-DONUT...we call him Willie...from Williamsburg. The picture on the left shows me and Willie on Super Bowl Sunday! When we got WIllie he did not even know he had a name and had no manners. Willie now comes to his name (most of the time) and understands sit, stay, down, back up and crate. He spends a lot of time outside on our two acres that are fenced in. He still has a lot of work to do on manners and has to get the used to the cat (and vice versa). Willie is much loved, and has a permanent home. Stephen J. Eisenberg

Here is DOT relaxing at home after literally bouncing me through snow in the storm. Gail

About six years ago (1999) I took home CINDY who had been thru hell. BARC not only gave her all the medical attention she needed but kept her at the shelter for 8 months. Lucky for me no one got to her first. She is hands down the most gentle, sweet and loving dog. She has quite a few dog friends and a human fan club. Cindy is a total diva hogging the best seat in the house at all times. She has had adventurous summer vacations in Frenchtown, New Jersey all the way to Boise, Idaho. Cindy's about 9 years old now and gets pretty lazy but as soon as she finds a playmate or a stick she has the energy of a puppy. Cindy's companionship has saved me through my fight with cancer because she is such a lover. We try to stop by BARC to say hello when we can and she barrels in to see her old friends Tony and Vinny. She knows when I'm leaving town and sits in my suitcase making it impossible for me to pack. The above picture is a Christmas card I made. I think you can see how happy she is! She has so much personality. Adopting Cindy was one of the best choices I have ever made! Jackie

I just wanted to let you all know at BARC that CHEVY, whom we adopted in 2004, is doing REALLY well now. He was having some digestive problems when we first got him, but we had a consultation with a holistic vet, who recommended a diet of chicken, certain vegetables, and white rice (along with some enzymes to aid digestion). I was skeptical at first since EVERYTHING seemed to give Chevy diarrhea, but I'm happy to report that his digestive problems are completely cured now! He also has no more drainage from his eyes (he had a lot before), he gained just a little weight, and he is now waaaay more active than when we first got him. So, I just want to thank you guys for your assistance in adopting Chevy, because he is THE best cat in the world! He's so sweet...and now that he's started playing more. He's really funny too. He's Mr. Personality. You can tell by his picture how good he looks and happy he is in his new home in Carroll Gardens. Best Wishes, Lauren & Ande

Dear BARC People: I really love my dog Ali (sounds like Ally), who was called CANDY at BARC Shelter. Ali loves our home and she follows my Mom EVERYWHERE she goes. She wears snow boots and a pink sweater in the snow and people walking around laugh at her because she looks so cute. She likes it when I read her stories from my books. "I just turned 6 in January, and because I got so many presents for Christmas, I asked my Mom for no birthday presents so I can give some money to BARC. Please get something for other doggies and cats that can't live with us." Thank you for letting me adopt Ali. Thanks, Lulu

Here is a recent picture of our new found love, MICK. We adopted him from BARC in December 2004 after instantly falling in love with him. He has been such a great addition to our home and family. We are extremely glad we found him. Thank you BARC Shelter for taking such good care of him until we showed up. I don't know who is happier, Mick or us! Suffice to say, it was a good match for all of us! Thanks again!