Category: success stories

Lisa and her fiancé, Austin, came to the Humane Society of Utah during our Mountain America Credit Union Fall in Love adoption event in November 2019.  They had no intention of adopting a dog – they just wanted to see all the gorgeous pet faces and be surrounded by the excited families who had come to adopt that day. 

Then, they saw a photo in our lobby of a dog named Butch that needed a foster home. He was black and tan colored, one and a half years old, and looked like a hound, lab mix breed. There was something about Butch that drew Lisa Ann and Austin in, so they made their way over to our foster department to inquire about him. 

“Your foster team warned us that day that Butch did not like tall men, especially tall men in hats, which is the exact description of my fiancé,” Lisa explained. “But when they brought him out to us, he and Austin connected right away.  We knew we had to take him home even though we still had no plans to adopt another dog.” 

Butch needed foster care because he was sick with kennel cough and very malnourished. He also had bullet fragments in his shoulder. Since he had been transferred from a shelter in Texas, we had no information on his injury, but our medical team said that his leg would have to be amputated if his shoulder didn’t heal properly. 

They brought Butch home that day, and he and Austin continued to bond.  “He would get so excited whenever Austin came home from work. Every single morning when Butch would hear him wake up, he’d shuffle out from under the bed, hop up, and shove his face in between his neck and shoulder to get morning cuddles. Now, they’re best buds!”

Eventually, Butch’s kennel cough cleared up, and his leg healed. Our medical team assessed him again and saw that an amputation would not be necessary after all. Butch was finally healthy, and he became officially available for adoption on December 7, 2019. 

“By then, he’d spent almost a month with us, and we knew we had to keep him. He’s just so goofy! I had no idea that a dog could love balls THIS MUCH. When we wake up in the morning, the first thing he does is get cuddles from dad, then immediately finds his ball and brings it to us. It’s a fun party trick to show our friends that he will choose the ball over breakfast, food, walks, or anything else you can offer him.”

Butch is now three and a half years old, and he can walk, run, and jump just fine. His leg and shoulder barely bother him at all. And he has begun associating tall men in hats with his dad, so much so that if he meets one in passing, he will get excited and try to greet them. He also has a dog sister named Gracie, with whom he loves cuddling and going on walks, and playing fetch. 

“We are just so happy we brought him into our family,” Lisa shared. “He’s really an example of not always getting what you’re expecting. We had zero thoughts of adopting a dog that day and just wanted to look at all the animals you had available. The second we saw him, we knew he was meant to be with us.” 

Will, a four-year-old Australian Shepherd, needed surgery, and soon. He came to our Animal Resource Center suffering from severe bladder stones. As a result, he wasn’t eating or drinking and was at high risk of acute renal failure. For Will to regain his health, our veterinarian recommended urgent surgery to remove the stones. The estimated cost of this operation was $3,400.   

His family stressed that they would do anything to ensure Will lived a long and healthy life — but unfortunately, they couldn’t afford to pay for the surgery. 

“We wanted to keep him, of course. Will is a valued member of our family,” explained Jystine, Will’s guardian. “But we couldn’t afford the procedure to remove the stones, which would mean putting his life in danger. We didn’t know what to do or what our options were.” 

That’s when Jystine contacted the Humane Society of Utah for help. Our Admissions Team determined that our Pet Retention Program could assist Will’s family best. The program provides resources to pet owners who wish to keep their pets but are experiencing financial hardship. In addition, resources are offered to people and pets who genuinely need them and include food, medical care, or behavioral services.

Due to Will’s dire situation, our staff scheduled him for an urgent bladder stone removal operation. Stressed and worried about their pet, Will’s owners called to check on him every four hours. They wanted more than anything for Will to recover and return home as soon as possible. 

Fortunately for Will and his family, the surgery was a success, and after just one day of recovery, Will was able to go home. But due to the global pandemic, so many families like Will’s are struggling to make ends meet. 

And too often, when loving owners can’t afford food, medical care, or other essential care for their pets — they feel surrendering them to the Humane Society of Utah is the best or only option.

“While we have a great facility, and we work hard to provide the best possible care for the animals who come to us, a shelter is still a stressful place for any animal,” says Amber Henry, our Admissions & Placement Manager. “We’d much rather keep pets and people together, if possible.” 

Since then, Will’s owners have expressed their sincere gratitude to our team, who helped save Will’s life and make it possible for them to afford the costly surgery. Learn more about our Pet Retention Program at UtahHumane.org/petretention.