Do You Know This Dog?” That’s how it all started. The ad in the local newspaper caught our attention as we were having breakfast in Basalt. The handsome black Lab was found as a stray at the City Market and he had been at the Aspen Animal Shelter for two weeks. It was the end of April in 2006. We had lost our previous Lab in December after a long illness and we were really lonely for a dog. We called the shelter and learned that “Buddy” was still there and available for adoption. We headed for the shelter.
It was love at first sight, but the shelter staff insisted that we take him out for the day to make sure we liked him. We were there on a fly-fishing trip so we headed to one of our favorite spots near Woody Creek Bridge. As soon as we got there, a tennis ball floated up to shore – a sure sign. “You’re our dog and we’ll name you Woody.”
Woody was “Mr. Manners” the whole day. In fact, he was so well behaved that we started to believe his family would be looking for him soon. He sat at the river’s edge and waited until we invited him to get in the water. He stayed close and never barked. We returned to the shelter at the end of the day and officially adopted him. They told us that seasonal residents probably abandoned him at the end of ski season. He had no identification, so there was no chance anyone would come to claim him. He was our dog now!
Woody seemed unsure of what was happening, but happy to be with us. After a few weeks, we began to see signs of separation anxiety. Maybe he was worried that he would be abandoned again. The first time we left him alone in the house, he tore down the blinds in the living room window. The next time, we put him in the back yard, but he tried to pull off the boards of the cedar fence. After that, we took him everywhere we went or we hired a babysitter.
We took him to Doggy Daycare when we went to work. That summer, we had to attend a family wedding out of state. We boarded him at the same Daycare place. He did fine during the day, but the first night he was there, he chewed holes all around the top of his big galvanized aluminum water bucket and broke a tooth.
We began the search for a second dog. Woody seemed to need a constant companion and we liked being a two dog family anyway. We adopted our sweet Golden, Claire Bear, from Golden Retriever Freedom Rescue and put in a doggy door. Woody took Claire under his wing. We were able to leave them at home and it seemed like our problems were solved.
Then we went on another fishing trip to Woody’s old home territory. One afternoon, Don hooked a nice trout and Woody was instantly in the water. We were so shocked when he grabbed the fish and took off. We caught him and got the fish; it didn’t seem hurt so we released it and it swam off. That was another side of Woody that we hadn’t seen before. Ever since then, he goes crazy when he sees fish rising or sees us catch a fish.
That same trip, we made the mistake of leaving Woody and Claire in the truck for a brief time while we fished at a certain hot spot. When we returned to the truck and opened the doors, we just stood there in shock. Woody had ripped the leather interior to shreds – the seats, the headliner, everything. OOPS! We won’t make that mistake again. Now, we take turns fishing so one of us can look after Woody.
Woody is very vocal at times. He barks at us to say, “throw the ball” or “let’s go for a walk.” He is an energetic, fun-loving dog who wants to be involved in everything. He loves to swim and fetch, and he will play to the point of exhaustion. Other times, he is calm and snuggly. He loves belly rubs and sleeping in our bed. I’ve actually had people say, “That’s the most mellow Lab I’ve ever seen.” If they only knew…
We probably spoiled him too much in the beginning when he was so nervous and insecure. In any case, this is his forever home and we love him. “Do You Know This Dog?” We do now, and we wouldn’t change a thing.
Mary & Don Miceli, November 2009
Well I'm not sure where to start, so Saturday was the day that I picked up Maya (formally KiKi) and it therefore seems like a good place to start. After leaving the Shelter, Maya and I went for a walk around the Aspen Shelter and then got in my car for the trip home. She was very unsettled and the trip down valley was difficult, as I do not think she has spent much time in a car.
Our first stop was at the Crown Mountain Recreation Park where we met my wife and Alex, our four-year-old Siberian Husky, for another walk. After that we went to my store, for a short period, and she was very good with all the customers. They loved her.
We then proceeded to our home in Missouri Heights and introduced Maya to her new home and yard. Because she had been spayed on Wednesday we restricted her playing with Alex and so she explored her new house. We were not sure if she was house trained, but sure enough after a few hours she went and sat by the sliding back door. SHE IS HOUSE TRAINED. We went for our evening walk and Maya met all the other dogs in the neighborhood and got along great with all of them. She is very social.
By evening it was evident that she had not slept at all since I picked her up. She was very excited like a whirling dervish. We all went to bed about 9:30 and I mean all of us in bed. She conked out until morning and with the start of Sunday there was a marked change for the best. She was much more relaxed and comfortable. By Monday Maya had become one of the family and I know she knows that she has a new home forever. She is a true Siberian.
Seth, you missed a great sled dog as Maya runs like the wind and eats surprising small amounts of food. There is a young Lab that comes into our fenced yard and Maya runs him to death. She is very, very fast, and can pull a great deal more than the 36 pounds that she weighs.
We have had a number of our dog friends come over to see Maya and one of them felt that Kai (the former Aspen Shelter dog) had sent a “thank you” for the additional 12 months of life in the form of Maya. I think that may be true, at least I want it to be true.
Well Karen, Alex and myself want to thank you all at the Aspen Animal Shelter for this beautiful and sweet young lady. You know that we will continue to support the shelter all we can, and Maya will have the best of everything forever. Please let the Wylys know how very grateful we are for all their efforts and how happy they have made us.
Just 45 days ago if you were to ask my mom, if she wanted a dog, her response would have been (and I quote) "WHAT ARE YOU NUTS?! I don't even want a houseplant!" But that was 45 days ago. Don't get me wrong. My mother Ana is the kindest, most nurturing person, even to people outside of our family. She has "orphan family" all over Aspen and enjoys the love and company of many. With such a rich life she felt that there was little time for the responsibility of a dog. But that was 45 days ago.
45 days ago I went to the Aspen Animal Shelter and Boarding Kennel for a visit. As a dog trainer in Aspen I like to stay connected with the professional staff there and see if there are any animals that get my attention. I got an eyeful when I met a dog named King. At 100 pounds of Rottweiler power he had an unmistakable presence, majesty. In his eyes was a vulnerability, like he was seeking something but was too proud to let on. He was tender but aloof, affectionate but independent. There I stood, teetering on the ledge that every dog trainer swears never to peer over, the irreversible jump off point where you consider taking home the dog at the shelter who gives you "the look". One step over the line and its a nosedive into the lifelong relationship with a Rottweiler of unknown origin. So I brought him home.
My neighbors had varied responses, from the "you gotta be kidding me gape" to the "there goes the neighborhood glare". That only strengthened my resolve to love, care for and train this dog within an inch of my life. Even my husband Chris, a many of limited emotional connections with dogs, had an instant bond to King, who we began to call Sam. Yup, we had ourselves a Rottweiler to add to our neat little family of myself, my husband Chris, our 3 year old son Aidan and our Bernese Mountain Dog Zephyr of the same age. Fourteen legs running around a 1500 square foot home. Brilliant.
Then my Dad Vince stopped by. After taking my vitals he asked it I was clinically insane. He's not much for dogs. Within 15 minutes I saw the film form over his eyes. Incredibly, he was headed for the ledge. He waited about 10 minutes before informing me that this dog was a special dog, one that he wanted for himself and my Mom, the lady who didn't even want an African Violet. I have wanted my folks to have a dog for years because they live up behind Highlands where it's just bordering on that Little Red Riding Hood deep woods feeling. My duty as a daughter first, and a dog trainer second sealed the deal in blood. I would train him for them, not us...gulp. I just had to get my Mom to agree to having Sam as a permanent houseguest. One dinner together and a gentle nose nudge was all it took. So, October 21 is Sam's new birthday, the day he moved in with my parents. He is so loved. I am so grateful. My husband? Well he will have to wait a little longer to meet another once-in-a-lifetime dog like Sam. It may take longer than 45 days.
Susan Flynn, Dog owner and Trainer Late November 2008
All I can say that Cotton (known previously at the shelter as Mr. Snowball) is the best thing that has ever happened to me. The moment I first saw Cotton I had to have him. It was love at first sight. Cotton has an amazing life now. He goes everywhere. We hike, go to the beach and travel together. Learning what he went through I just want to give him the best in life. Cotton has made me so happy. Cotton is now in training to be a service dog. Cotton helps me with my work. I work part-time at a women's shelter and he helps calm the women and children down when they are going through hard times. All I can say is thank you to the Aspen Animal Shelter--without that shelter I would not have my best friend Cotton Malone.
Thank you so much, Ivanowa Oran Late Summer 2008
Jango has found her way into our hearts and into Bridger's bed!! She is such a sweet pea! She loves curling up on laps, walks with Riley (our big Golden), romps in the yard with Daisy and Pickle (neighborhood pets), and all the boys at soccer and hockey practice!
Lisa Gonzales-Gile Fall 2008
Michela, now named Nell, is fitting into our home seamlessly and is a wonderful pup. She is really mellow, has slept through the night cocooned in her crate, each night and is enjoying visits to our local downtown, the nearby school where she has found other dogs to romp with, and is catching on in the ‘house training’ department. She follows us around and safely assumes we’re her pack (she’s right!) and pretty much comes when asked, stops what she shouldn’t be doing, and is really quickly becoming a little citizen of our household. I can’t tell you enough how much my husband and son are enjoying her.
We are big fans of animal shelters having adopted our last pup in 1998 from our local humane society. So it was amazing to me that my girlfriend and I stumbled upon the Aspen shelter during our recent annual galpal getaway. She and I leave hubbies and kids behind each fall to visit someplace new. This year on a whim (and only three weeks before the trip) we planned Aspen. It was last minute. On the trip we were in the Little Nell watching how dog friendly the hotel and town are. We saw the ad for the shelter in The Aspen Times and thought how wonderful to see the paper and shelter so aligned in its community efforts. Well on a whim we hightailed it to the shelter to visit pups as fast as we could.
I stumbled upon our pup and fell in love. Unsure if I should adopt I left for the evening. On the way to the hotel I told my friend I’d name her Nell. There was also a weird coincidence in that she is from Hillsboro Texas and I live in Hillsborough California. The next morning we were scheduled to depart for the airport and I saw the New York Times referring to Paul Newman’s daughter “Nell’ in an article about her. I thought it was too crazy that this name would be presented to me right then and there. I took it as a sign. We checked out, went to the shelter and adopted our pup. The bellman from the hotel waited in the shelter parking lot and enjoyed the tangent in our journey before dropping us off at the airport. My dog adopted, I flew home knowing I’d make arrangements to bring her home, somehow, soon!
You can imagine my hubby’s surprise when I told him what I’d done. My sons were ecstatic and appreciated getting text messages surreptitiously during the school day. I flew home and made arrangements to pick her up two days later. Amazing that United Airlines could get us to San Francisco, Denver then on to Aspen and back in one day and do so using points from our frequent flier miles. I took it as another sign we were meant to get our girl. So two days later with two free tickets, my husband and I left SF at 6 a.m. and were back home by 5:15 that night. All the flights went smoothly and on-time. Four in one day! No hitches whatsoever. I figure the travel gods were looking out for us.
I’m always a believer when things go synchronistically, smoothly and quickly it is a sign someone is following their heart---following their truth. Adopting Nell has been one of those moments. Our entire family loves her and she is happy and now at home. Thanks for being a part of our journey. Tell the shelter team “hi’. They were all great and we will be supporters of your facility forever. You do great work!
My name is Jack and I adopted Tess about 2 months ago. I just wanted to write a quick email to say thank you and to let you know that things are going great. She is such a sweet and amazing dog, and I feel lucky to have her. She's doing really well, has put on a little weight so her ribs don't show anymore, and got along great with my mom's three dogs when she brought them up for a visit a few weeks ago.
Your program that allows people to take dogs out for a few hours is a really cool idea, and without it I never would have met Tess. The Aspen Animal Shelter is an amazing place, keep up the great work.
Thanks again, Jack Mercer Fall 2008
Everything that could be done to find my original family was done but to no avail. The rescue place was running out of space, so we were being sent to shelters all over the country-- the ladies from Aspen took 18 of us. I was one of the lucky ones who got to fly to Aspen. The pilot let me sit on Jan's lap and I was able to look out the window. When we landed some newspaper people were there to greet us. They wrote an article the next day and mentioned in the paper that there was a little pit bull looking out the window of the plane. The next day there was a letter to the editor complaining that pit bulls were being brought into Aspen. That person didn’t even know me. I believe that is called racial profiling. You always hear the bad stories, not the good about my breed. I happen to be submissive and very affectionate.
I love people and assume everyone feels the same about me. I get excited when I see children, because they like to run around and play too...when we have guests I sneak into bed with them and snuggle; so far no one as kicked me out of bed!
I have a bratty older Blue Heeler sibling named Stella who pushes me around and sometimes hurts my feelings. I get back at her by removing the stuffing from her favorite toys. She did teach me how to swim and we both like watching "The Dog Whisperer" together. We don’t like being disturbed when it’s on. Stella sits right in front of the screen with her paws crossed and I sit up on the sofa. Jan and David hope we are learning some good behavior, but fear we’re more interested in the bad.
My life would have been very different if Hurricane Katrina didn’t happen. Good or bad, I don't know. i probably wouldn’t be sleeping in a king-sized bed or taking over the sofa. I most certainly would be fighting fleas. There are no fleas here. I’m spoiled rotten, get to hike, play in the snow, go camping in the desert, go for car rides, dig in the dirt, swim and play with other doggy friends. I also love rolling on stinky things. Life is good!
Jan, David and Stella Panico January 2006
Shereen Sarick
Lily has made herself right at home with Susan and Brian Landers and their kids Sam and Jack in Atlanta, Georgia. Lily is quite the traveller--she originally came to the Aspen Animal Shelter in January as part of a rescue group from Merced, California--dogs who were about to be euthanized due to overcrowding.
Susan wrote "It was a great 2008 Easter. Started with an Egg hunt and then our Easter "Lily" was delivered this afternoon. I finally got my girl! She is just a doll! We love her so much! " Lily is a darling one-year old Lab/Boxer mix with a somewhat shy personality but she loves people, especially kids, and is great with other dogs. Brian's mother Linda lives in Aspen part-time and fell in love with Lily when she was visiting the shelter.
Linda says "They are having the best time with Lily! She runs and plays with the kids. She sleeps with Brian and Susan. She is fitting right in and making herself right at home. She loves her new home!"
(The photo above shows Sam, Susan and Lily. The left photo below shows Lily with Jack and Sam and their cousin Landon in the background. The right photo below is of Sam and Brian with Lily.)
Meow...how have all of you been? My new parents Charo and Bob really know how to treat me like a king. They tell me every day that they love me a lot. They must because they seem to put up with my snoring. I still don't believe that I snore but that's what they tell me. Maybe because my bed is so comfortable. I get a lot of toys to play with too...but I keep losing them under the furniture. I always wait by the window in the sun for them to come home. What they don't know is that before they come home I like to spend the warm days laying in the bath tub drinking the water with my paws. Sometimes at night when they aren't watching I drink some water out of their glasses. Then go back to sleep on their pillows and play with their hair. Sometimes I hear that their family likes the way my name is said in Spanish..."Home'ro" So I hope that everyone is doing well and a kiss for all.
Prrrrrrrrr...Homey(email sent via his new parents Bob and Charo, October 2007)
Hi! My name is Max and I came to the Aspen Animal Shelter as a rescue from an overcrowded shelter in Merced County, California. I kept hearing them say these were my “last days” – whatever that means – but then two ladies, Anne and Bland, from the Friends of the Aspen Animal Shelter board, came and got me and five of my shelter mates who were also being told it was their “last days.” Anne took me home to foster me – ha! She isn’t very good at fostering because she fell in love with me and immediately adopted me! I love it here! I go hiking in the mountains and swimming in the rivers with my two siblings, Bella and Stryder. Our home is full of love and treats – we’re super spoiled and get to sleep wherever we want to! I always curl up on the bed, right next to Anne. She really loves me despite the fact that I chewed up the leather seat, gear shift, armrest … well, pretty much the whole inside of her nice Jeep the first time she left me in it. She was mad but then started laughing at what I’d done – it was pretty impressive! I’m one lucky boy - life is good here in Aspen!
Stryder...
My name is Stryder and I came to Aspen as a Katrina rescue from New Orleans. I had spent ten days alone in the deserted city in the aftermath of the storm, when I was rescued and taken to a shelter in Gonzales, Louisiana. It was there I met the ladies from the Friends of the Aspen Animal Shelter board and despite being a little fearful and snarly, (it was very scary there!), they saw through my fear and rescued me. I was brought to Aspen and fostered until I could be officially adopted a few months later by Anne, a shelter board member. I now have a wonderful life in a loving home and go on lots of hikes where I romp in the mountains and along the river. I used to be very fearful of water, but now love splashing in the river with my siblings, Bella and Max. When not hiking and playing, I curl up and snooze in my favorite chair or stare out the window and watch the river and the birds and chipmunks in the yard. I would really like to catch a few, but I’m not allowed to chase them. That’s okay though – I still feel like the luckiest boy ever to have been rescued by the Friends of the Aspen Animal Shelter!