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Your Donation Saves Lives!
We count on your donations to continue our life-saving work. As a non-profit organization with no paid staff members, our dedicated volunteers work tirelessly on behalf of local animals. And our efforts are paying off. Our innovative programs have been credited with reducing the number of animals who are euthanized at our local animal control facility. Our dream is that one day, no adoptable animals will be killed in area shelters. We thank you for helping us realize this dream.Visit the donation page to see where your money goes.
 


 
Success Stories

Happy came into a shelter at 7 years old, where she was thought to be at the end of her lifespan since she was a Great Dane.  She went to Rescue and was adopted by a wonderful family.  Today, she turned 13!  She celebrated with a hat (which she liked) and a Hamburger Cake (which she liked more).  We here at Animal Advocates celebrated the gift of people like her Mom Judy, whose love and caring took a dog with a sad past, and not only gave her a future but a life that we wish all dogs could have.  Please don't overlook the older pets when you adopt. 
Happy 13th Birthday!



G Pic success

 This handsome boy named Tucker was adopted from our Rescue Program 8 years ago!  Here he is pictured with his growing family. 
Big Head 8yo at Christmas


 

ADOPTION, IT'S NOT JUST FOR CATS AND DOGS! 
Did you know that shelters often have many other types of animals in their care just looking for the right person?  All animals deserve the opportunity to live a good life.  Thanks Gail!  


Just wanted to update you on how Camouflage the Snake is doing a week after adoption.  My other corn snake, Steven, had been in a funk since losing his companion Clifford (the Big Red Snake) about a year ago.  When I set up Camouflage's holding tank, for one-week prophylactic treatment for parasites, observation, and acclimation to new surrounding, Steven was watching with interest.  When I put Camouflage into the tank, he tried so hard to get over to it!!!  Both of them ate during the week, so they would be relaxed and less active when put together.

Although Camouflage was listed as male, we all decided when I came to meet that she was probably not.  Maybe that is why Steven was so interested!  I did decide on a different name although I considered "Cammy"; final choice was "Nancy", which means "full of grace", as she is.  I chose this to honor a close friend, who loves jewelry (and Nancy looks as if she is decked out royally) and also loves to eat--made sure my friend felt honored by this!  

Nancy has been active this week, enjoying her out of habitat experience with me, showed no apparent parasites, ate, and kept trying to get to Steven when I went to return her to her habitat.  Well, today, I moved them both into a larger habitat with hiding place, swimming bowl, drinking bowl, various branches, undertank heater, and basking lamp.  Not fancy, just lined with newspaper for easy hygiene, but obviously very satisfactory to them both.  They did it all:  swam, basked, hid (together), tangled up in each other (just as Steven and Clifford did), and generally seemed to enjoy the companionship and comforts of home.  I couldn't be happier having this addition to my family.  

Thank you for the work you do to give these great animals another chance at life and care!  I'll send pics if I ever get down to learning how to operate the used digital camera I bought 2 years ago, pics are "in the camera" rather than on my computer...

Gail R. 


 

successPebbles

We wanted to thank the wonderful staff at Animal Advocates for giving us the opportunity to adopt Penelope (formerly Pebbles).  She is a wonderful dog that we love very much.  She caught on to potty training quickly and loves to go to the bus stop in the morning to visit with the neighborhood kids.  She is great with our other dogs and enjoys lots of car rides and daily walks.  We take her everywhere we go.  She has adjusted quite well to our household and even loves playing with our cats.  She brings a smile to everyone's face when she meets them.  We hope to eventually train her as our next therapy dog.  She really seems to appreciate the love that we give her.  There really is nothing like adopting a shelter dog!

Sincerely,
The Smith's


Thank you for Jasper! Sincerely, Inna

successInna

 


successTostito
I wanted to take a moment and give you and update on Tostito (formerly Pongo). It was a little over a year ago that Tostito joined our family and he has been a joy. Tostito loves our backyard and long walks. He is still a ball of energy and loves to be the boss but his training has helped a great deal. We all love Tostito and could not imagine life without him! Thanks again for all your help with adopting Tostito.

Kim, Steve, Andrew, Joseph and Laura

 

 


 

SuccessWidget

My husband and I adopted Widget (1yo Boxer mix) from your shelter. We absolutely adore her and we're thrilled to have her as the newest member of our family!  I have attached a couple quick cellphone photos of Widget in her new home, just to update you guys about how she's settling in - she loves her new yard full of squirrels to chase, thinks riding in the car is best activity ever, and can be found most evenings fast asleep in the middle of the family room floor.
Hannan O.


 

Here is a picture of Cassie who you guys knew as “Angel”..who joined our family March 18th.

successCassiesuccessCassie2

She has gained a lot of weight and has been spayed and passed her obedience class. We will have a long way to go with training but we will get there..She loves her new fenced yard!
Lori J.

 


 

 

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ZOE AND BOOMER!

Their wonderful adopters sent us this gorgeous photo and said "We hope you enjoy Boomer and Zoe's Birthday pictures.  They are fantastic and loving members of our family.  Thank you for saving them.  We are both over the moon with them, and we think they love us too!" 

successZoeBoomer

successMadison
We adopted our dog Madison (formerly Lucy) from Animal Advocates of Howard County about four years ago and she was in really bad condition when we got her. She had mange, with no hair on her legs or belly. The last people who had her before she was taken in by Howard County Animal Control had her chained outside and she had no skin on her elbows. We looked up her history because she had a tattoo on her and found she was a stray who was taken in by a shelter in Annapolis, adopted, then returned... so needless to say by the time we met her almost a year and 1/2 into her life, she had a tough road.

Now, the physical scars are gone, the mental ones a distant past and she is happy and healthy! I've attached some cute pics! :)

We are so thankful to have her in our family as she is the sweetest dog. She loves to snuggle and she knows how to give hugs. She is very smart, but has taken some time and conditioning to get to trust people again. And, she still has a little work to do. But, she teaches us everyday about unconditional love, resilience, and having a spirit of happiness and strength. We love her so much. So, this holiday season, we wanted to take the time and give back so that other dogs can have a place of rescue/shelter until they find loving homes.
 
Best, Jenn

successSkylar
I know it's been a while, but I thought I would send you a picture of Skylar (formerly Niles)! We adopted him back in the winter of 2009, almost two years ago! He's been amazing - he gets along great with our other dog and enjoys trying to get our cat to play with him. I've been practicing agility with him for fun, and he seems to really enjoy it! We're thinking about trying to take him to some actual classes some day. He's so loving and just wants everyone to be his friend. He loves being a model for all of my photo shoots! Skylar (Niles) has been a wonderful addition to our family, thank you for all your hard work!

Sincerely,
The E Family

sucessSaki
It has now been 4 years since we adopted Saki (named "Chi Chi" at your facility, adopted 12/26/07)!  Saki and her pug brother Homer are both about 8 years old now, and never been happier!  Recently, Saki has enjoyed playing at the newly re-opened dog park "Paw Point" at Robert E. Lee Park in Baltimore.  She is definitely in contention as one of the fastest runners at the dog park.  Saki continues to be full of energy, loving long walks and being outside no matter what the weather condition.  And of course she loves to snuggle come bedtime!  

We are so thankful & grateful to have Saki as a part of our family.  We can't believe it's been four years, as we don't often remember what life was like with out her.  We love her so very much, and wanted to take a moment to pass on this "success" story.  Please feel free to post on your website, along with any of the attached pictures.

Best wishes & Happy Holidays,
Sarah & Chi

successcolby
My wife and I have been meaning to send an update on our adopted dog, Colby (formerly Kobi).  He has brought so much joy into our home and we couldn't be happier with our special little guy!  He loves to go for walks on the Columbia trials and is happy to greet the people we meet along the way.  His favorite activity is rolling over on his back to get belly rubs.  Thank you for all you do!  We have already recommended that all of our friends adopt their pets from your organization.

Happy Holidays,

Ron, Colby, and Sherri

successAshur
Thought I’d share some pictures of Ashur (aka Frankie) with his new family.  In two pics he’s with his big brother, Ares, and big sis, Athena, dressed in Raven’s gear napping on my nephew before the big game in the sunroom.  I’ll send more photos soon, especially after Halloween.  Ashur will be dressed as Dracula since he’s so fond of biting with his sharp baby teeth.  Lol
 
Took Ashur for a visit with my vet Friday, September 30th and he got a clean bill of health.  Also, he starts his puppy training Monday along with his sister and brother.
 
He’s been doing extremely well with crate training.  The first two nights were an issue for him but since then he’s been sleeping all night with no accidents.  He’s had a few mishaps during the day but not many.  As long as I take him out frequently he seems to know exactly what to do.  He’s a wonderful addition to my family and he is very well loved.
 
Sincerely,
Karen

successJanie
I just wanted to send a short note of thanks to you all for the wonderful experience I had last week when I adopted Janie.  Everyone I talked with was kind, courteous and seemed to genuinely care about the well-being of the animals placed in your shelter.  A special shout out goes to Jessica - you were awesome!
 
Janie has settled in nicely and is getting along quite well with her new brother, Wicket (see pics).  They have become fast friends...and both love to sleep a lot and play with their toys.  Janie is a real sweetheart...and we are so thrilled to have her in our family.
 
Thanks for doing what you do!!
 
Robin

successCooper
I've been meaning to send an email update about Cooper, the cairn terrier we adopted last summer, for quite some time. We renamed Cooper "Elvis," and he's been living with us quite happily for the past year. We were warned when adopting Elvis that he would be a handful, and we got to see that firsthand when, during our first meeting with Elvis, he somehow got away from the volunteer who was helping us, ran loose around the shelter until finally making a mad dash for the visitation room full of toys! Since coming to live with us, Elvis has been endlessly entertaining and has really come around in terms of some anxiety he had when we first adopted him. He is very social but also independent, and loves riding in the car, going on trips to the dog park, getting belly rubs and massages, and playing with his toys and ice cubes. We really couldn't ask for a better dog, and Elvis is much loved around here. Thank you so much!

Elise and Michael

successSaide
Hi Everyone!! I just wanted to send some pictures over of Sadie. We got her from your shelter on April 20th and she is doing wonderfully. We liked the name Sadie that you guys gave her so we decided to keep it. She is still a little nervous around new people but she doesn't take very long to warm up. And if a new person has a dog with them then she will be their best friend!! She loves our bed and will lounge around in there every chance she gets.We absolutely adore and her and are so happy we rescued her to be a part of our family.  We got our second cat from your shelter as well and he is just great. Thank you for everything you do there and for making it possible for us to be able to add to our happy family!

Thank you so much!
Lauren and Chris H.

successHayley
Hi Everybody at the shelter!
This is Hayley,  I wanted to tell you that it has been about 9 months since my family adopted Tank. I just wanted to show you a few pictures of him! He is doing amazing! We love him sooooooo much. I cannot believe that he is going to be a year old already. Time really flew. He has been such a joy to have in our lives.

SuccessBuddy
We want to thank you for letting us adopt Buddy on 2/3/2010. He has been a wonderful addition to the family and is well mannered.  He loves swimming with the family in the pool in the summer and socializing at family gatherings.  During the early summer we added a new addition to the family and a playmate for Buddy.  He is in heaven with the new addition and has been like parent.  Buddy shows the new dog, Sandie, what not to do and he doesn't let her get into any trouble - just like a parent!  It is amazing to see this.  As you can see, they are great together and with others.  They loved seeing Santa and all the Christmas activities.  Buddy also likes going for car rides and shopping at PetSmart with Sandie.  We will keep you updated on how Buddy is doing and will be sending more pics soon. Thank you again.
 
The U. Family


successTommy
Hello!  I just wanted to share with you my success story about Tommy.  In March 2008, my family and I adopted Tommy, a 3 year old yellow lab mix.  He was described as a "rambunctious" dog and had two prior owners.  Well, the saying "third time is the charm" is definitely true in this case.  My family and I are so thankful and grateful to have adopted Tommy.  He loves being my sidekick wherever I go - camping, hiking, to the beach, or just a car ride around town.  He is full of energy and always ready to wrestle with his dog buddies at the park.  I can count on his smile and happy-go-lucky personality to put me in a good mood.  When I come home from work, he greets me with such joy and affection that I can't imagine not having him in my life.  I get comments on how friendly, handsome, and fun Tommy is.  I didn't change his name because it suits his silly and sunny personality to perfection.Tommy is a wonderful companion and we are so glad to have him!  
Many thanks!
The G. Family

successRuby
This month marks five years since I adopted Luna from the shelter. As the picture shows, she is a happy girl and a great companion to me. Thank you for her and so many other cats happy in new homes!

Jocelyn & Luna

successSakiupdate

It has now been 3 years since we adopted Saki (named "Chi Chi" at your facility, adopted 12/26/07)!  She has brought so much love & joy to our lives, as well as the lives of our friends & family.  She continues to be very active, loves being outside, and has her favorite "spot" on our bed.  Saki and Homer (her 7 y.o. pug brother) are best friends with each other and family & neighborhood dogs.

Saki loved the blizzard last winter, and was perfectly content playing and laying in the snow!  She also really enjoys our family road trip each summer to Owasco Lake in New York, where she takes frequent "dips" in the lake to cool off. 

We are so thankful & grateful to have Saki as a part of our family.  We can't believe it's been three years, as we don't often remember what life was like with out her.  We love her so very much, and wanted to take a moment to pass on this "success" story.  Please feel free to post on your website, along with any of the attached pictures.

Best wishes & Happy Holidays

Sarah & Chi Y.



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Animal Advocates of Howard County | PO Box 1403 • Ellicott City, MD 21041
(410) 880-2488 •