Dear CCHS,

         Charlie is the first dog that either of us has ever had.  When we decided that we wanted a dog, I’m sorry to say that, the first places we started looking were the pet stores and puppy boutiques.  We were getting advice and suggestions from every direction and it seemed that everyone had conflicting opinions.  One constructive thing that did come out of all the running around was that we learned about all sorts of breeds and got a better understanding of the responsibilities that come along with a dog.    We must have played with a million puppies by the time we finally came to the CCHS.

         The first time we came in we knew that it was the place we were going to get our new family member from.  It wasn’t anything like what I had heard about; my understanding was of a “pound” or a place where bad dogs (behavior problems, sick, or violent) end up because no one else wants them.  This couldn’t be further from the truth.  The facility was very clean, well managed, and the animals were all very well kept.  Also, the idea of giving an animal in need of a good home seemed much more worthwhile than buying a puppy and creating a higher demand for the breeders to keep multiplying the pet population when it is so overblown already.

         As I am sure any of the staff knows, we came to the shelter on numerous occasions watching as different dogs moved in and out, waiting to see what breed was right for us.  The whole time we ignored all the pit-bull mixes because of the social stigma that surrounded them.  Then one day we saw Charlie sitting there in his kennel just looking sad.  We knew his story; that he had been there for about six months and that all the walkers thought he was a great dog.  We were still a little leery of having a pit-bull mix but we decided we had been looking for so long that there was no reason to not at least take him out and play with him.  Worst case scenario at least we give him some attention and exercise.  Right away we took to each other, he was so excited to have people paying attention to him that he didn’t know whether he wanted to play or cuddle.   He just kept hopping into our laps and then jumping back up and grabbing his toys to play tug of war.  We went home confused; we really hadn’t expected to get attached to a pit-bull mix.  So we went home and did some more research, found out how unfair the reputation pit-bulls have gained is and decided we would go back to see Charlie again.  The second visit went as well as the first and we were sold.  We adopted Charlie shortly after that. 

         Since we have brought Charlie home we have had more fun than I could have imagined.  One of our favorite things to watch is his evolution into becoming a member of our “pack”.  With each day he gets more attached to us and more protective of our apartment (which he most likely believes is his apartment now).  One of the greatest feelings is always having someone be so happy that you’re home that they can’t contain themselves.  When we come he doesn’t just wag his tail he does what we call the “whole body wag”.  His “vocabulary” has also grown with each passing day; he has a facial expression for everything and it has become increasingly easier to tell what he wants or what he is thinking.  He has also kept us in shape because we take him to a big open field once a day and he has a very active play time.   His favorite game is fetch especially with sticks…..or more like huge branches.  Since we got him he has bulked up quite a bit, his muscles are all big and strong now and his fur has lightened to a chocolate color with highlights from the sun.  Not a day goes by that we don’t get a compliment from people we pass about how pretty and well behaved he is.  Even the workers at our obedience school say how well behaved he is.

         Our biggest advice to potential adopters would be to stops playing “the breed game”.   Especially after playing with so many dogs, we can tell you that no two dogs, regardless if they are the same breed, act alike.  The best way to find the right dog for you is to play with as many as you can, regardless of what breed you think you’ll like, and meet the personality that is right for you. 

         The three of us would also like to say thank you to all the workers and volunteers at the CCHS for making such a big decision so fun and easy.  Also, thanks for taking care of Charlie so well for so long until we were ready to come get him and make him a part of our family. 

                                                                        Sincerely,