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Happy Tails

The happiest part of our work is seeing the love between people and their pets, and knowing a pet has made it home. "Happy Tails" is where we try to share that feeling, because these "tails" wouldn't have happy endings without you. Whether you're an adopter, donor, volunteer, sponsor, social media follower, or friend, thank you for helping to put smiles on faces.

Please enjoy photos of adopted dogs, cats, and small animals, happy in their homes, as well as the profile photos of pets who have recently been adopted. Thank you for being a part of our pet-loving community.

If you've adopted from CCHS and would like to tell us about how your cat, dog, or critter is doing, we would love to hear your own "happy tail"! Whether you adopted one week or one decade ago, your pet is an important part of your story, and ours.

Share an adoption update with our team, and we may publish it here, on social media, or in newsletters. We may also post them in the shelter, or as updates for our staff and volunteers. We're looking forward to seeing our friends again, happy at home (and we know you have the pictures to prove it!).

Cairo (Midnight) and Goose

With sunny days, we're seeing lots of people out and about with their pets. We love to see dogs exploring their surroundings and spending quality time with their families. CCHS recently got updates from two different adopters who shared the adventures their dogs are having with them, and we wanted to share them with you! May these two alums (and Cairo's brother Milo) have many more bright and sunny walks!

Milo and Cairo (formerly Midnight)

Goose

Monty

At CCHS, we care for all sorts of companion animals, not just dogs and cats. Oftentimes we work with small mammals such as rabbits and guinea pigs, but we do house animals like birds and reptiles when they need us. Monty Bird came to us from the dedicated team at Champaign County Animal Control, where he had been removed from a home with an irresponsible number of pets. He was always a social bird, much preferring to perch on people and have freedom to explore beyond his cage.

In adoption, it sounds like he's very much the same! His family wrote to us:

Good morning!

I wanted to share an update and some photos of Monty! I saw a few of your employees and updated them, but I wanted to send these.

He is absolute delight to have and has helped lots of people over come their fear of birds. He loves my daughter and throwing cat toys balls with the bells inside. He loves hanging out with the other birds and all people.

Thank you so much for giving us this opportunity.

Monty’s Flock

Thank YOU for being a loving family to Monty!

Nova (Wild Child)

Nova (formerly "Wild Child") arrived at the shelter with several siblings and fellow strays. She immediately proved to be a sweet, friendly kitten and she went home with her new family only five days after becoming available for adoption. Once home, it didn't take long for her personality to shine through! Although they expected Nova to be shy at first, they shared, "she started cuddling with us from the first day. She's very affectionate and playful."

Her favorite toys include a wand toy she carries with her everywhere, and slinky toys. But perhaps most entertaining to her family is her love of the vacuum cleaner! Here's Nova, playing with one of her favorite "toys".

Nova's family shared, "[Animals are] very individual, just like humans are. Before adopting a cat, I looked up tips online and there's so much advice out there that doesn't apply to her." While fascination with vacuum cleaners may not be found in any cat-care guide, it perfectly captures the lesson Nova has taught her adopters: every animal is wonderfully unique.

Echo

At the shelter, Echo was full of energy and always looking for a playmate. He is blind, but that didn't stop him from saying hello to everyone with enthusiasm and affection. A staff member recalled that Echo is the "most extroverted dog you can find."

Disabilities in pets can require additional commitment and care, which not every adopter has the capacity to manage. However, Echo's sunny outlook quickly charmed a family and they brought him home. Now he has not one, not two, but three dog siblings! According to his adopters, the other dogs have welcomed him and helped him integrate into their lives.

After four months at home, his family shared this photo of him on a favorite perch and told us that they believe they have "the sweetest boy!"

It's always wonderful to hear "He's doing great!" from an adopter, but especially when it's a dog like Echo, who might have faced challenges not just in the shelter but also in a home.

We are so glad to hear that Echo is doing well and loving his family. Thank you for giving him a home!

Leo

Are you ready for some Leo love?? We know we loved receiving this update of a happy, cozy kitty. Leo has been with his family since January, which was more than enough time to settle in. His family says that he's the best work-from-home buddy they could ask for, and that his snuggles are the absolute best.

S'mores

It's been barely more than a year since this bright-eyed bunny was brought home to his family. While he may have started off a little shy, he’s quickly grown more comfortable in his space, exploring his surroundings and enjoying the simple pleasures of bunny life.

With a wonderful new family and plenty of cozy spots to relax and hop around, S'mores has fully adjusted to his new environment and become an integral member of the family. We're thrilled to see him settling into a life that's just as sweet as his name!

Want to see more pets at home? We'll update this page periodically, with new photos and stories. You can also catch an occasional "happy tail" on our Facebook or Instagram.

Plus, our monthly donors receive even more happy dogs, cats, or critters to their inboxes every month, to thank them for their support!

!Notes about Happy Tails Formatting!

This section is not visible on the page and is for our reference only. Each pet's feature should have a different layout, to keep visual interest on the page and so it doesn't appear repetitive. However, the overall formatting of the page should remain consistent, as described below.

On this page, please do not post photos with human faces, !!especially children!!

Here, we refer to the pet owners only as "the family", "the adopters", and "the relinquishers". Keep it plural, even if the adopter reached out as a single. Please don't use names.

Videos can be added by uploading them to Canva and embedding them with an iframe. Please ensure you either mute the audio, or listen to it thoroughly, all the way through, to ensure there is no revealing information, swearing, inflammatory opinions, etc. from any humans present.

Lines should be added before every pet name. Do not end the page with a line.

Paragraph Element. Style is Large Text (underlined)

Photos and text about the pet's story, in any grid or layout you think looks good. In terms of formatting, try to switch it up visually, story to story.

If the pet was renamed, the title of the section should be "Current Name (Shelter Name)". In the copy, the first time they're named write it as: "Name at Home" ("Name at shelter" at the shelter) or (here he was called "Name at Shelter"), etc, and then moving forward, only refer to them by their new name. If quoting a volunteer or staff favorite write up that uses the shelter name, replace it with "[Name at Home]". If quoting the family do not refer to the pet by their shelter name, even if it's the first mention of their name in the text. UNLESS you are directly quoting the family

For example:

Penny (Mrs. Lincoln)

Penny ("Mrs. Lincoln" at the shelter) was a volunteer favorite. Here's what Volunteer had to say about her: "I always look forward to coming to see [Penny] during my shifts!" At the shelter, Penny loved playing with her mouse toys, and she still does. Her adopters said "We loved Mrs. Lincoln immediately and couldn't wait to get her home. We call her Penny now..." etc

If the story features multiple pets, it should also include the shelter names (when applicable), and should not use an ampersand.

For example:

Georgia and Peach (Carolina)

"Georgia and Peach are the lights of my life," wrote their adopters. At the shelter, Peach (then called "Carolina") and Georgia.... etc

You have editorial license to separate quotes, cut sections, and/or replace a word for clarity. AS LONG as they are noted:
--Quotes where you have cut out a middle section, in order to preserve a single thought or sentiment, should be noted with an ellipsis.
--Quotes that have been separated must be indicated as such with a unique quote attribution.
--Quotes where words have been replaced for clarity should be noted with brackets.

For example, given the sample text: I love Sasha! She does the cutest thing every morning right when I wake up. It's becoming one of the happiest parts in our morning routine. Bringing her home was one of the best decisions ever.

You could say: ... She's already making herself right at home! Her adopters shared, "[Sasha] does the cutest thing every morning right when I wake up. It's becoming one of the happiest parts in our morning routine." It sounds like she's becoming family quickly, and we are so happy they found each other. Her family wrote, "I love Sasha!...Bringing her home was one of the best decisions ever."