Last week, we discussed what online photos of dogs for adoption can tell us. This week, I asked pet professionals and pet owners how they met a pet online and how that led to an adoption.
Here are some of the stories that they shared.
Shoshannah Forbes (Israel) My first dog, a ten-year-old boxer I named Julie, was adopted from death row in an animal control facility. I adopted from a photo online. Something about the softness in her eyes. I could tell that she was a gentle soul. She didn’t like really submissive dogs, but in general was real easygoing and got along well with everyone, especially my cats. I have no idea why her original family gave her up at animal control. She was a fully trained and well-behaved dog. She didn’t live long with me before she passed away, but she was a great and easy first dog. Older dogs are the best first dogs!
Linda Ehrenworth (New Jersey) Mouse. I had gone six years since my last dog had died and I wanted to rescue. He was the first dog who didn’t look stressed in his adoption photos (page 18 on PetFinder). I looked for months (adoption events and internet). When I saw his picture, I knew This one will live with me. He didn’t disappoint, he’s the best. Didn’t know his name, where to potty, or even how to sit when he came home. He was approximately one year of age when we adopted him. Mouse holds an advanced trick dog title now. I just remembered watching him drag his foster parents through the park the day we met. Love at first sight.
Debby McMullen (Pennsylvania) I met Mela online. It actually wasn’t an adoption picture. I saw her on a lost-and-found dog group and she happened to be in the temporary custody of a friend of mine. I had been casually looking for a new female addition since my Siri passed, and something about her picture spoke to me. So I asked the shelter where she was being admitted to allow me to come and meet her. She actually never made it to the adoption floor! In the picture, she looked hopeful.
Christina Boling (Minnesota) I knew I was going to get a dog that year, but my family set the stipulation that I should wait until spring because it would be easier on house training. At the time, I was actively involved in rescue and spent a lot of time on forums for rescuers that were looking to pull dogs, specifically border collies, from high-kill shelters. Somebody shared Pilot’s photo on the forum. I commented on it and just couldn’t get him out of my head. He didn’t look anything like the dog I expected to get, but he very quickly became the dog I wanted. The day after seeing his photo, I asked the group closest to him to pull him for me while I worked out transport. He was flown up to Connecticut via Pilots N Paws a week later. It took about a year for us to really deeply connect. After that, I knew he was and is my heart dog. We’ve been together for ten years now. Ten years, 48 states, six months of homelessness. He has never been the most medically healthy dog, but love and pet insurance, coupled with good medicine, have gotten us this far. He was just tentatively diagnosed with stomach cancer. We are celebrating little accomplishments now. A meal here and there. Walking outside by ourselves. I don’t know that I will ever again love a soul as deeply as I love him. We speak the same language and neither of us needs to say a word.
Photo by Christina Boling
Christine Hale Vertucci (Illinois) I met Omar online. We had recently lost our first beloved Rottie and were searching through animal control, rescues, and the shelter where I worked for one to adopt, with no luck. I had heard of a litter in the city, but didn’t know any details. And then almost two months later, a picture showed up on PetFinder and no fewer than 20 friends forwarded it to me—he was part of the litter I’d heard about. It was love at first meet, and we’ve had amazing adventures ever since.
Shelley Bueche (Texas) Yes, I did, my rescue chiweenie Del. She was so infested with ticks, she needed a transfusion. Del was found with two other dogs at an area creek—one dog was run over, one dog adopted by a vet office, and then [there was] Del. She was rescued by Austin Animal Center and went straight to foster. I saw her photo on Facebook, so she never went to the shelter. She has severe storm anxiety (I think it probably stormed when she was abandoned) and is a bit snarly (a chi trait) but is pampered by my husband and me, empty-nesters.
Tammy Marshall (Washington) It was my birthday ten years ago. I found the exact breed and color I had been searching for online. It was meant to be. I had photographed a Dock Dog competition and the winner was a black flat-coated retriever. After that, that was the breed I’d decided I wanted. I searched online and around for months before I found an ad online for a black flat-coated retriever. I called them and they told me they gave away all the puppies. I was so disappointed. They called me back later and told me one puppy had been returned and asked if I still wanted one. Now he’s being boarded at a vet with a back injury while I move. The vet just messaged me that Jett is one of the most affectionate dogs she’d ever handled. I replied to her that he is the best dog in the world.
Tim Beau (Oregon) Lalo. We had been thinking that our Chiquis might want some company while we were away during the day. She didn’t really have any anxiety issues, but still we thought she might be bored. We looked at several dogs at three shelters, but none of the small dogs seemed right for us. Hector looked on Craigslist and saw Lalo’s photo and fell in love with him instantly. So we arranged a meeting. We talked with the woman, who said she was too ill to take care of two dogs. The other dog was a big Lab. She handed Lalo to us tail first and he seemed all right about that. On the way home, he seemed to know he had a new home. Soon all his fearfulness began to appear. He was afraid of all people and dogs. We acclimated him to Chiquis slowly. He soon adored her, but she seemed to only tolerate him. Sorry, Chiquis. It seemed odd that he was afraid of all other dogs, even large dogs; after all, didn’t he just come from a family with a big black Lab? He had cryptochism, but few other issues at first. Later he developed luxating patella, not that unusual in chihuahuas. Over time his fears mellowed away, but he still won’t allow new people to pet him. He will approach them, let them touch his nose, but any closer and he retreats; with further attempts to pet, he snaps. He now is comfortable with most small dogs and larger dogs he knows well. He’s a tough and consistent flyballer.
Tami Archilla (Washington) We found Vito on a Facebook group for people looking for pets and people who have pets to be adopted. There were photos of the puppies and the picture of him grabbed my heart right away. I went to see all the puppies and interacted with them all and it was still him that I bonded with. As soon as he was able to leave the mama, we brought him home. He was the perfect match for my son. They’re inseparable! Here he is at puppy school graduation, last March.
Photo by Tami Archilla
Cheri A. Moore (Washington) A good friend of mine was trying to help her boss save a kitten. Apparently, the boss is extremely allergic to pet dander and so a no-pets rule was in place in her home, much to the frustration of the family’s pet-loving young teen daughter. Daughter had a basement bedroom that mom seldom entered and had found a stray kitten that she had snuck into the house and was keeping in her room. Mom went into the room and had an immediate and horrific allergic reaction, prompting dad to say he was going to take the kitten and drown it. Mom then pleaded with dad for 24 hours to find the kitten a good home. Being granted the 24 hours, she set her crew at work to posting about the kitten and I spotted my friend’s post. We had lost our very elderly cat about six months before and were tentatively thinking about a new cat. I responded to the post asking a few questions, including a request for photos, and I fell in love with the adorable kitten. We arranged for me to pick her up the next morning, and Munchkin became a member of the family!
Flacortia Rosiea (Canada) Not a rescue story, but I saw Ona on Kijiji and knew right away he was the one. This was 12+ years ago, three months after my husband passed away, and definitely something I would not do today. He was with his breeder in Sasketchewan. I had a long phone conversation with his breeder, then sent her the money. He was six months old at the time and too big for showing, so he came to me. Having him around really helped me deal with the grief crazies. His breeder and I became fast friends and got me involved in rescue/foster work. Nowadays, I would never in a million years buy a dog sight-unseen off Kijiji.
Colette Kase (Mexico) Our elderly dog was 16 and I was casually thinking it might be time to get another dog. Because I’m in my fifties, I wanted a big dog as I know it might be the last time I’m able to manage one and I love big dogs. I was doing research online for a rescue (in Mexico) that specialized in big dogs. There are very few breed rescues or specialist rescues, but I found a small Great Dane rescue in Mexico City. I live in Mexico, but nearly 1,000 miles from Mexico City! I was casually scrolling through their page on Facebook when I saw a photo of just a dog’s face. He wasn’t a purebred Great Dane, sort of a hound/Dane cross of some sort. I was obsessed with him, but I was looking for a puppy (or so I thought).
I contacted them and they had another Dane cross puppy. They sent me videos and photos and I realized that having a young puppy that size with our elderly dog would not be realistic. So, I mentioned this other dog I’d seen. Before I knew it, I was flying to Mexico City to meet him. It truly was love at first sight. They flew him down to me soon afterwards and, unfortunately, he was not healthy. He had TVT, which is a sexually transmissible cancer. Because it’s transmissible through bodily fluids, even sniffing or licking is a risk.
There was no way we could keep him separated at home from our elderly dog, so we boarded him at a local vet for seven weeks and visited to walk him twice every day. He did seven weeks of chemo with them and then he came home to live with us. We’ve had some other health challenges, but he’s now in great shape and we’re hoping that he’ll soon become a visiting dog for people with AIDS. I’m totally smitten with him as is everyone who meets him. We were even bullied (in the nicest possible way) to give him an Instagram page. We don’t have one of those, but he does—Sir Rodders!
Dawn Elberson Goehring (Hawaii) I found my Scooter on PetFinder. I wasn’t really looking to add a dog, but as soon as I saw his scruffy terrier face, I was in love. I had a group of tricks dogs that performed and had to be great in a variety of situations, as well as love to learn. He was actually found by a school, hanging with the kids. He seemed drawn to kids. He was about six months old and past the puppy stage, another important factor. But the biggest draw was his look. I loved scruffy terriers and I loved his looks. I didn’t act at first, but couldn’t get him out of my mind. He was in another state, and I decided that if they allowed out-of-state adoptions and were willing to meet me, then it was meant to be. Happy to report that he turns 16 this year and was a perfect fit with me, my other dogs, and the show-biz life. He has always been the happiest dog ever.
Photo by Dawn Elberson Goehring
Kim Campbell Thornton (California) Back in the late 1990s, I was on an email list for Cavalier people. Our greyhound had died and we were ready for a Cavalier and I put out the word on that list. I also asked someone I knew in the breed for names of breeders he liked. One of those people was on the email list and she told me about 2.5-year-old bitch that she wanted to place in a pet home because she had developed a murmur and wouldn’t be a good breeding dog. We were going to be in the Bay Area, so we went to meet them and Bella, and she went home with us that day. Less than a year later, we decided we were ready for a puppy (our first ever) and found a breeder on the same email list. She lived in Ireland and shipped Darcy to me when I was in NYC for Westminster. So that’s my old-school meeting-online story.
Marianne Mongeon Wilder (Washington) July of 2018, I saw Fannie on Craigslist. I sent a message saying I was interested in meeting her. When I showed up at the house, a man in his mid-thirties opened the door and a plume of marijuana smoke billowed out. He handed Fannie to me and said she was about two years old. She was scared, shaking, and underweight. No shot records, no food bowl, nothing. I took her home and loved her back to health. I can’t imagine life without her!
Ron Ford (Washington) My boy Mystery was a foster kitty I found online when my old roommate moved away with her cat, and I had gotten used to having two of them around. So I looked for a second tabby cat online. Mystery needed a home and one person to bond with, so I became that guy.
Eileen Anderson (Arkansas) I “shopped” for my rat terrier Cricket on a rescue website in 2002. I perused the site for a couple of weeks. Kept going back to her. The photo of her made her look quiet and demure. I wanted a companion for my older male terrier and she seemed just right. I had to barrage her fosterers with emails to get them to part with her. (The head of the rescue encouraged me in this.) Cricket and I fell in love the first day, but she was not nice to my male terrier at all. They learned to tolerate each other. She was not in ANY way demure.
Beth Fabel (Washington) Harley was my first Papillon and ended up being my heart dog. I wanted a Pap as I wanted a small dog, and I thought a dog turned into rescue for being too active (as some are) would be a good fit since I wanted to do agility with it. I was all set to adopt a female I had met when her foster mom called and said that, while I was a great home, she had another potential adopter who was a better fit. I understood but was sad. Then she told me about this dog a friend was fostering and when I saw him I fell in love. I learned about him, everyone believed we were a good match, then he was shipped from Colorado to West Virginia, where I lived at the time. From the moment our eyes met, he was mine. He was special. I still miss him.
Natalie Bridger Watson (North Carolina) Not sure if mine counts because I didn’t know she’d be mine when I met her. I got a dog-training consultation form in my email in-box for a Malinois/German shepherd–mix puppy, seven weeks old. They were out of my service area by about 15 minutes, but I know the trainers who serve that area and I love working with a spicy herdy dog, so I decided to at least go to the initial consultation and steer them toward safe help. From the moment I saw her, I was smitten—and I’ve trained for ten years, so I’m pretty well “vaccinated” against puppy cuteness, but there was just something about this puppy. She was smart as a whip and so eager to get it right. I decided to work with the family and even waive my travel fee. And I loved this puppy! Her lessons became the highlight of my week. When they decided to re-home her several months later (five kids, an adult mal, two working parents, and this six-month-old GSD/mal puppy—it was just too much), I jumped at the opportunity. I had just washed my service dog to in-home work only and was casually looking for a new candidate. I had been saying for months, “If I could just find a puppy like this one.” Then she was suddenly available! And now she’s my service-dog-in-training and she is every bit as wonderful at it as I had thought she would be.
Did you meet your pet online?
I met two of my three pets online—the third I “rescued” from a four-lane thoroughfare near my home. My cat came to me from a friend of a friend, via Facebook.
My big dog joined our family after I’d agreed to pick a dog from a local animal shelter to play “Sandy” in a production of “Annie” at our city’s Civic Theatre. I was looking online at the shelter’s PetFinder listings when I saw a dog who fit the bill, at least color-wise. He was brown, which worked according to the script—he was a “nice sandy color”!
