I just wanted to let you know that Lolita and I are doing fine. It has been a real experience with her. We did ok the first month, until I had to take her to the Vet. That was traumatic for her…being put in a carrier…she was hard to corner! Everything checked out fine at the vet. When we got back home, she ran & hid under furniture, only coming out at night to eat when I was asleep or when I was at work during the day. I would get down on the floor & talk to her under the chair, my nightstand etc. This continued up until about a month ago. I had downloaded some meowing cats and kittens ringtones on my phone, & was playing them one afternoon and she really started meowing. After that she made herself visible after I had gotten into bed & before I turned my light off. We started playing with one of those red laser light toys and she loves it. This has become a nightly ritual. She has gotten ‘braver’ and ‘braver’ about getting closer to me. Then this past weekend she came close enough that I could reach out and pet her, & of course she loved that. My heart melted & I’m calling this my little Christmas miracle. She stays hidden during the day or whenever I’m up & doing things around the house, but my hope is that she will get more & more comfortable. She doesn’t like tv, and wasn’t fond of the men who have been here to do termite inspection, house repairs etc.

There hasn’t been much news to update you with until now, and I am very, very happy she is finally breaking through.

Happy Holidays!
Jean & Lolita

Just wanted to check in and let you know how thoroughly happy we are with Mocha (aka Vaca). She’s been such a good fit for our household, and we are enjoying her so much. We had a house full of relatives (even a dog) over Thanksgiving, and she was the belle of the ball. Everyone enjoyed her, and she enjoyed everyone, even the dog in the group. Yes, she was worth the drive from Tempe to Tucson! We just love her!

- Ken & Peggy

Poor Lexus (Harley) must have had a rough start to life… But I am very grateful that HOPE gave her a second chance. I was going through a difficult time when I adopted Lexus, and I truly believe that she saved me just as I saved her. I am glad that my desire to adopt her and my willingness to spend as much money and time as it required to get her to the state of being a healthy, happy, well-adjusted dog was taken seriously. Attached are photos of Lexus taken within the past year.

Thanks for what you do for the animals in our area.
- Whitney

Norm Graber, who was volunteering for Hope when I adopted Diamond and who also became a part of my life, sends an update about Loki. He says that he was playing Santa Claus for Hope for Christmas 2008, and at the end of the day he was told that HOPE had covered the adoption fees for a little shaggy kitten. The little guy didn’t have a name for a couple of weeks but when he acquired one — Loki– it was quite appropriate! Loki is now a big beautiful cat who lives and travels with Norm in his RV. He sends this picture.
Thanks to HOPE, four lives were forever changed. You do wonderful work.

- Carla McKinney

Want to let you know that Nigel has adjusted beautifully to his new home. He and the pups and our 16 year old cat Mango are all getting along well. Thank you for doing such a great job is raising this very special boy.
- Flo and John

Just thought I would give you an update on Sage, formerly Hazel. She is quite the figurine in the bookshelf, don’t you think. She has made herself at home almost since day one. Very affectionate, she loves to lay on my chest and as a result so does Scully, my other cat. They compete with Zar (Vizsla) and Mara (Weimaraner) for being next to me. My chest isn’t that big, LOL! Luckily the dogs are content to lay by my side. As the cats ‘jockey’ for who is on my chest and who is on the arm of the couch, next to me. Sage is loving the raw diet, though she is picky about it. She prefers the frozen raw medallions (thawed of course) to the freeze dried raw nuggests. So in the morning she gets Taste of the Wild kibble and her evening meal is the raw medallions. She has gained a bit of weight since coming here.

- Juanita

The dog is Bella, we got her at the humane society in November. She loves Donnie. The first 2 days she was a bit jelous of the attention he got but now she just loves him and follows him around. I think it was a good test for her, she will be sharing attention with a baby in 11 weeks. Donnie is a very well tempered cat, he is very loving. Thank you, we are glad we found him, he fits in well and we love him.
- Sarah

I just wanted to let you know that Adele is still with us and in very good health. She’s such a pretty kitty… a priss too, but we love her to death. She’s so funny. She’ll beg for your attention, and then when she finally has it, she’ll run away. Gotta love it. When she’s not cuddling she loves to hide and burrow, so we built her a little “apartment” in the corner of our living room. It truly is her… Fortress of Solitude, if you will. I’ve attached some pictures for your blog. I’m doing just fine with my allergies as well, so we may be in the market for a second sometime in the future. Thanks to Shilo for introducing us and a couple girls at Petsmart that very same day. We wish all the kitties and puppies a Happy Thanksgiving and hope they find homes soon!

Sincerely,
Scott & Retta Parker Stevenson

dot and janis

[Later] I returned to PetSmart… that’s how Janis came to join our household. It is obvious that these kittens received great care and love during the first four months of their lives. They are happy, enormously affectionate, enthusiastic, and very healthy. Thank you for that. I am enclosing a check so that you can continue your good work along with a picture of my family. Enjoy!
- Sincerely yours, Suzanne S.

We adopted Buffy (above) from Hope Animal Shelter about 5 months ago. As you can see, she was a very busy kitty! She is now older and wiser, but just as cute! She is the perfect cat for us, and has lived up to her description (from her foster mom) as affectionate and a real joy to have around. Thank you for the care and loving environments you give to your animals, it shows in the love and trust they give to their new family!
- Most gratefully, Tricia Tozier

We adopted Marvin from HOPE on December 11th, 2010 when he was 5 months old. His name was Shea at that time. After 3 months Marvin has adjusted and is loving and healthy and doing well. He loves our other cat Mitzi who is also a shelter cat.
- Sari

Testimonial

My husband and I adopted Willow (formerly Pearl) about a year ago. We fell in love with her sweet personality and goofy little crossed eyes. As soon as she arrived she made herself at home. She and our tabby Georgie became best friends right away and hardly leave each others side. Willow has some personality quirks that make her extra special like her insistence in licking your hand as you pet her and her strange habit of kneading you for up to an hour (at least that was the longest I could take it). She is the sweetest kitty ever and we are so happy to have her in our home.
- Lisa Lewis

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Yazzie was adopted about 5yrs ago. He’s an adorable handsome man. There is a story about a cat named Yazzie in Bean town who was a stray. He pestered one man so much, he eventually found a home. This was his name at the shelter.
- Pam Hoffman

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McTavish was adoped about 3yrs ago (Toonces-the SNL driving cat on SNL when he was at Hope). He loves to wake me up & snuggle in the morning. He’ll be on next year’s Christmas card.
- Pam Hoffman

Yoshi fit right into our home from the first day he became part of it. Never any fear and never so much as a hiss at my other cats (although he may have given our crazy dog a few warnings). He can always be found in whatever room I’m in. He likes to stay close. And he sleeps next to me every night. He’s only 11 months now and already bigger than the average full-grown cat… I can only imagine how big this little lover is going to be. Please know that I’ll be eternally grateful to you, HOPE, and Rhonda for bringing me the gift that is Yoshi.
- Khara

I just wanted to let you know that we all made it home safe to Idaho. Oracle, who is now named Misdemeanor (not my doing – ask my fiancé about that one ) made the trip just fine. We went to the vet and got a tranquilizer for him, so he slept most of the way here. He is settling in well – he sleeps with us and plays now, showing a lot more personality now that he feels safe here. We love him so much, and we are so glad that we adopted him. As you can see from the picture I’m attaching, he has taken over my bed and feels quite at home. Thank you all for the wonderful care you gave him until we could take him. Hopefully we’ll see you again, and I wish you all the best.

Thanks for everything!
- Cara

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Thanks for all you do! I adopted LuLu from Hope. She is such a wonderful cat!

- Michael

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My daughter and I adopted Dylan, (Three legged kitty) He is doing much better, at being part of the family.

- Linnda

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Hello! We adopted “DeeCee” from HOPE and just wanted to give you an update. She fit into our family like shes always been here! She’s wonderful! My boys renamed her Madison, or Maddi for short. She follows us around, loves to play, and snuggles under the covers. Thanks so much for rescueing Maddi so she could find her way to us!

- Jennifer

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I adopted Selkie (the black Tortoiseshell) from Hope nearly four years ago. You called her Zsa Zsa & had her litter mates (all “Z” names) as well. She is so fun & ornery! Lyra, the smaller Tortie, was from another rescue org. Both girls adore each other! I recently adopted a very lively young dog & Selkie is her playmate. They often groom each other & cuddle up together. My life is so much happier with my beautiful “kids” in it. Thank you!

- Terri

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In a few months I will have had Jaida (aka Geneva) for a year, and I can’t tell you what an impact and blessing she’s been to me. She plays fetch, loves everyone who comes to the house, has her ‘mommy’ petting sessions, and is just the best kitty – she truly found me, and she has her ‘forever’ home. Thank you for rescuing her so she could find me – she’s a little miracle.

- Vanessa

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Wanted you all to see how my little girl (known to HOPE as Mercedes) Ember has turned out! It has been almost a year since I adopted her and I cannot thank HOPE enough for bringing her into my life…she is my light and totally spoiled rotten =) Thanks!

- Stephanie

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This is our 6.5 month old boy, Jim, who we adopted 3 months ago.

- Dan

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I just sent you a $100 donation through Donation Center. It is in honor of Beatrice Borealis, my tabby cat, born 11-03-08. She was adopted from your organization at the Swan/Grant PetsMart on February 14, 2009. She is quite the kitty. Happy New Year.

- Diane Deyoe

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[Pookie (formerly Camilla)] has turned into a very playful cat and likes to retrieve whatever she can carry in her mouth. Socks are not safe. She also likes to lay on my lap or chest if I am trying to read the paper on the couch and also likes to walk across my laptop, which makes for an interesting challenge. I am very happy that Pookie told me to take her home. She brings a good energy into our home.

- Dolly

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Duster is doing great! He adjusted very well into his new home and has been nothing but a blessing in my life, I don’t know what I’d do without him! Him in his favorite place to lay, on top of whatever I am doing! He is amazing. Thanks for everything!

- Courtney

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Nate is settling in wonderfully in his new home. He has also acquired a new name, Dash, both because he loves to dash from room to room, and also because he is so dashingly handsome. He and his new big brother, Bubbles, have decided to be friends and are getting along very well. We want to thank you for taking such wonderful care of him, and for allowing him to be part of our little family.

- Amy

Thank you for making animals available at PetSmart. I adopted Lizzie almost one week ago and she is wonderful. She didn’t even seem like she needed an adjustment time. She answers us when we speak to her and knows when I need to pet her. I call her from the other side of the mobile home and she comes to me. I just love her. Thanks.

- Teri