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success stories - dogs (A-K)Have you adopted a dog from Second Chance for Pets? (Pets are listed alphabetically.)
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Update September 2010: Abby loves boating!!! =)
Abby was left at the shelter with note to find her a good home, and that's just what we did. After being treated for heartworms and recouping in a fabulous foster home with Kathy and Martha, she's now healthy and happy and living with her new mom Amy and her two human sisters - adopted May 2010.
"We thought you'd like to see how Abraham (formerly Ranger) is doing in his new home. We adopted him from Second Chance last October and he has turned out to be the best dog! He is very well behaved, doesn't bark unless necessary and loves nothing better than to be with my husband and I. He sleeps in our bedroom closet (his choice!) every night and loves to romp in his big backyard, as you can see in the pictures. He is still timid around new people but adapts fine once he's around them for a while. What a joy our Abe is to us!"
Update - May 2006: "It has been 11 months since we adopted a dog from
your shelter. Her name was Brittany but has since been changed to Alex.
Hopefully you remember her... a real sweetie! She is a Brittany Spaniel.
I promised you last summer that I would send pictures and am finally getting to it. She
has made a nice transition. We already had a Brittany when we adopted
her, and the 2 are still getting to know each other. I can finally say
that I think they like each other. There was never a problem, just some
ignoring. I am attaching pictures of her and her sister. She is the one
on the right. 
Allie came to the DeWitt County Animal Shelter and was never reclaimed.
Her previous owner kept her locked up in his apartment all the time or
just let her run loose as just a young girl of one year old. She was adopted
by Carlene of Deer Creek in July 2005 and has completed doggie training
classes and loves her new little sister Gracie, adopted from a local Chinese
Crested rescue group! She also loves going to the dog park as they both
go weekly. 
Alonzo was adopted by a local family in the fall of 2010.
This is Annie (on the left), a St. Bernard mix. Annie spent a very long time on foster
care and was finally given her new lease on life when she was adopted
by Jill and her husband and 2 daughters of Bloomington. Jill is Annie's
foster mom's best friend from childhood and is also a Humane Investigator.
This is Ashley, a lab mix adopted a few years ago as a senior pet and now living a great life with Becky, her husband, and their daughter Gracie in Monticello, Illinois.
"I adopted Bailey in the summer of 2005 from Second Chance. Originally,
I wanted to get a male they had for adoption, but a Second Chance volunteer
called me and told me about this other dog, Bailey, who only had about
a day before her time was up. Without seeing a picture of her, I agreed
to take her instead, since her situation was more urgent. When I saw Bailey,
I knew she would be a great dog for me. The more time I spend with her,
the more I don't understand why her previous owners never came to claim
her, as she was in "jail" for a very long time. I don't know
much about her past, but she loves people, giving kisses and
getting belly rubs. Bailey has been a great addition to my family, and
she loves her new brother Oscar."
"Bella is doing awesome! She
is getting along really well with the 3 Dachshunds. We're still working
on the black Lab, Maddie. They get along ok most the time, and they
will almost play with each other when they're outside. But every once
in awhile Maddie growls a little bit, but she's getting better.
Bentley was rescued starving from a local owner. He is now happy living the good life with Kristen and Aaron and his two little people brother and sisters!
I wanted to drop a line and let you know how Bingley has been doing. He is LOVING having a fenced in back yard to play in. My mother's toy poodle doesn't understand that Bingley does not want to play with him all the time. He's a little more energetic than Bingley. 
He has been having a great time making all kinds of new doggie friends. A couple weeks ago he went to visit four other dogs in Bondville that belong to my friend and his sister. Bingley was the biggest but the little dogs really enjoyed crawling all over him. I was told that Penny (a weiner dog) was devastated when Bingley left and she laid in "his" spot for a day after he was gone. 
Adopted back in 2005 by Kathie and her husband Mike of Bloomington, Bo
is now a big couch potato along with his four other furry siblings. He is truly spoiled. If we could all be so lucky!
Ms. Boo Boo says, "Thanks for getting me in the best home ever. I have been so good. My new mom is the best. She lets me sleep with her, and I give her many, many doggy kisses and she kisses me back. I am so glad that my story had a happy ending. I am in a forever home with so much love. Mom says that once summer comes, and I help them put up the fence that maybe I can get a new brother or sister. 
This is Boss, a gorgeous black lab that came to the shelter as a stray back in 2006. He has a wonderful home now. He even gets to visit the local nursing home and loves to play dress up!
"I wanted to send you a picture of Bradley (formerly Elmo the black Lab) and his new brother Jake. I took this picture today after we got home from the "doggie park" where they ran around for over an hour with a few other dogs. Bradley is a beautiful, healthy, fun dog. He is fitting in perfectly. He slept all night last night in his kennel without a peep. Thank you again for allowing us to adopt this beautiful dog. We will certainly take the best of care of him."
Brody, a 7-month-old American Staffordshire Terrier (pit bull) puppy at the time,
was surrendered to Second Chance because his former owner was going into
the army and could no longer keep her pet. Brody was a lucky boy; he didn't
have to spend any time at the shelter because a foster home was available
for him as soon as he came into the rescue group. He spent about a month
in a foster home with two other pit bulls and was always a very good boy
for his foster parents. He was adopted in April of 2007 by a couple from
Clinton with a 3-year-old beagle mix. Brody is now living a happy life
playing with his new doggy brother every day. Brody is truly an ambassador
for his often-misunderstood breed. He knows no enemy and loves giving
kisses to everyone he meets!
We adopted Chance (formerly known as Luke) a little over
a month ago and our lives have never been the same! Thanks to Chance we
now get more exercise whether we like it or not! He had no problems adjusting
to his new home and is a perfect fit for our family. With no children
of our own, Chance has become our first little kid whining when he wants
something and always keeping us busy! He is also the best little snuggler
(minus the snoring) you could ask for! Although he can be pretty ornery,
as my husband always says “he is lucky he is so cute”! Thank
you Second Chance for Pets! We are so happy to be able to give Chance
a “Second Chance”!
Clyde, a young pit bull, was adopted by Joe of Wisconsin. Although Clyde was a lucky boy and didn't spend too much
time in rescue, we're still very thankful that he was given a new chance
at life! Not all pit bulls are as lucky as Clyde! Clyde adores kids (as you can see in the picture) and loves his doggy playdates, especially with Jackson (adopted from Second Chance as well) and
Bella.
November 2010: "It's been a little over two months since Mr. Bailey has come to live with us. We renamed him Dewey, and as you can see from the photos, he is doing quite well. With relatively no problems, Dewey settled in right away. He has overcome his spiteful "problem" with consistent feeding routines and no food after 5 pm. After one sleepless night, we realized it was easier to let him sleep in the same room with all the dogs. His best friend is our pointer, Kaydee, and they play all day long. Our two labs put up with his shenanigans, but neither one seems to mind his presence. Mr. unadoptable has come a long way. He will be attending training classes in February, but we are already working out some of the kinks, and are working on basic commands. He is eager to please and tries to do as we ask. Long, long, long walks help to drain his energy and allow him to focus on what is being asked of him. Consistency is key and I suspect in the coming year he will be the best trained dog I own. Rarely is he away from my side. So, to sum up, we love Dewey and he is a happy, confident little dog who seems to love us too."
Update - May 2008: "I wanted to give you an update on Dia.
She is doing great. This past Thursday she passed her puppy obedience
class. It was once a week for seven weeks. She did really well. She can
sit, stay, lay down and come. She is growing fast; she's about 45 pounds
now and has lost all of her puppy teeth. She has also learned to swim.
It took her a couple of times going to the beach to get used to it but
she does better every time we go."
Update - March 2008: "We just wanted to give you an update
on Dia. She is doing very well. We were surprised how great she did
on the long car ride home. She slept most of the way. We are also very
pleased with how well she is adapting to her new surroundings - she is
a little fearless spitfire! She jumps all over our other dog and likes
to steal toys from him. We are so happy that we adopted her. She is going
to be a great fit in our family."
Dixie, a very sweet young pit bull mix, was relinquished to a local vet
by her owner when he wasn't able to care for her anymore. Rather than
risking sending her to a bad home where she might have been abused or
neglected, he opted to have her humanely euthanized. Luckily for Dixie,
the kind people who work at the vet's office couldn't let her die for
no reason, so they called Second Chance to help place Dixie in a new home.
Dixie spent two months in a foster home with two other dogs and did very
well there. She is a very mild-mannered, submissive little girl who has
a very strong desire to please people. We know she will be the center
of attention in her new home!
Dixie the Collie came to Second Chance as a stray but was originally
adopted from Homeward Bound out of Decatur. Her owners owners did not
want her back, so she went into foster care. Dixie now lives in Davenport,
Iowa with Pam and her husband and her new big brother Kirby. Looks like
things are going great for Dixie and her family!
Edison was adopted in February of 2009. He loves playing with his new owners and chewing on his blanket, or his "meme" as the kids call it!
This is Ely and his new dad Larry. Ely was adopted in September of 2009 and lives right here in Clinton. Ely loves going to the park where he can run and play with his new dad.
This is Farley, a Hound/terrier mix adopted from the shelter in July 2009. Here he is with his new mom and dad and Jack Russell sister Marley. They live in Mattoon and are doing great! Farley loves all the walks and attention he gets in his new forever home. We can't thank them enough for saving Farley! 
Fez is a young Boxer that was originally named Cimba at
the shelter. He found his home with Julie and her kids, Jack and Kate. They report that he is doing wonderfully and is such a good boy, especially
for a puppy!
Originally named Rusty, Frank (the Pug mix in the red shirt) was adopted in July of 2006. He has settled
into his new home very well, as if he has been there forever! He adores
his Pug sister, Lola, and loves playing at the dog park. He has brought
lots of joy to his new family; they couldn't have asked for a better addition
to their home!
Freeway, an adorable pit bull mix puppy, is now living the good life
with Tawnya, Greg, and their son Garrett in Bellflower, Illinois. Freeway
enjoys spending his days playing with his doggy brother Opie (adopted
from Second Chance in 2005) and his doggy sister, Gracie.
Adopted by Gannon. Boy, is she spoiled in her new winter coat!
"Giselle is a delight. She wakes us up every morning wagging her tail and licking our faces. Her favorite sleeping spot is snuggled right up against one of us. When Rick leaves early on the morning, she bounds up the steps to our bedroom, where she perches to watch him from the window as he drives away. She can't wait to see us when we get home. Giselle is absolutely one of the happiest (and most eager to please) dogs I have ever met.
"Gracie’s been a member of our family for nearly a month now
and we couldn’t be happier with her. We’re thrilled to have
found a Pit Bull mix who gets along so well with our little dog, Jake.
They’re constant companions, and when they play together, Gracie
gets down on her belly to be on Jake’s level! We’ve taught the
kids to help us make sure the dogs know that their humans are the 'pack
leaders,' and we’ve had absolutely no problems with food aggression
or aggression toward children or other dogs. As a natural watch dog, she
and Jake work as a team to let strangers know they need to stay at the
front door until we’ve said it’s okay for them to come in. She’s
picked up leash training very well (first with a prong collar, now with
just a choke chain), so that I can walk both dogs by myself without being
pulled in all directions. But the best thing about Gracie is that she’s
more than happy to sit quietly with us and let us pet her velvety fur
for hours on end. We looked at a few dogs through Second Chance, but Heather
didn’t give up until she found the perfect addition to our family.
Thanks so much!"
This is Gretel (standing) – adopted from Second Chance last year as a puppy – and Ranger, adopted this past June 2010. They are enjoying life with their great new parents, Jeff and Jan.
September 2009: Attached are some updated pictures of our Gunner. He is doing great! He recently got a new baby pit bull brother! We know have 3 fur kids!! All of which are rescues. We could NOT be happier!
Hello! I just thought I would update you on Maynard! We
changed his name to Gunner. He is amazing. He is a great little brother
to our pit bull Lily. Gunner and his sister love running around my family
owned lake/woods. We take them there every weekend. He is already trying
to get into the water to swim! I keep telling him it is too cold still.
He is a very energetic pup and fits hand in hand with our outdoor lifestyle.
Through my eyes he is perfect. We could not be happier about our decision
to adopt.
"Wanted to let you know Gus is doing great. Of course, it should be easy for him because he's the BEST guy in the world.
We have a gold fish pond in our back yard; he thinks it's his own personal hot tub."
This adorable puppy was born in foster care to a purebred Blue Heeler who spend some time at the DeWitt County Shelter. More information and updates on this Heeler
puppy coming soon!
Hoochie was dumped at the shelter by an irresponsible and careless
breeder when Hoochie had weaned her puppies and was of no more use. Facing
euthanization, she was adopted just in time. She is doing very well in
her new home and is learning the house rules very quickly! Hoochie was
left to die at the shelter as just another victim of a terrible breeding
cycle, but instead she was given a chance at a new life thanks to her
new mom!
Adopted August 2011 - 
Adopted October 2011
Jackson came to Second Chance when his original family relinquished
him because they just didn't have time for him anymore. Jackson was a
lucky boy because an Animal Control officer begged for his life and was
able to save him from being euthanized. He spent just a few weeks in foster
care before he was adopted by Angie and Jamie of central Wisconsin. He
now enjoys playing with his doggy sister, Bella (an Olde Boston
Bulldogge) and his human sister, Lola. Jackson is a great ambassador
to the pit bull breed, and we love hearing about how well he is doing
in his new home!
This is Jazmine, a beautiful young Bull Terrier/pit bull mix, adopted in October of 2008. More updates on Jazmine coming soon!
Update - September 2009: Second Chance volunteers were very sad to learn that Jazzy's doggy brother Digger passed away on September 16. He was a great dog that brought a lot of joy to his family's lives, and he will be greatly missed.
Jazzie, a beautiful young pit bull mix, came into foster care in the
summer of 2006 with very little (if any!) training. In the few months
that she was in foster care, she was housebroken and learned several
tricks! She was adopted by a wonderful family who was grieving the loss
of their beloved female pit bull to cancer. Jazzie enjoys spending her
time with her human family and her Boxer brother, Digger. She's looking
forward to going camping with her family this summer. Thanks, Marcia
and Kevin, for giving Jazzie a perfect forever home! 
"I'm sending along some long-overdue pictures of our "puppy"
Joe. We adopted him from Second Chance in 2006. His name originally was
Smokey Joe, and he's a little 3-legged man. His new name is actually Joseph
Randall, but we call him Joey most of the time. Anyway, when Joey was
adopted I said I'd send photos, and it's taken me this long to get around
to doing it!
Update, June 2008: "Phoebe came into my foster care about 4 months
ago and right away I knew that she was a special little girl. She is smart
as whip and took to training right away. We worked through some issues
like being afraid to get in the car since her last owners dumped her.
Now she has confidence and loves to ride. After having her so long
I was getting very attached and sadly no one was showing any interest
in her so I decided I would hog her all for myself and renamed her JuneBug. I was devastated when my dog passed away back in November and while I
know no dog could ever replace my Barkley, JuneBug has definitely filled
the void that left me with the feeling that something was missing. My
little JuneBug will now help me socialize other fosters in hopes they
too will be so lucky as to get their second chance."
"We adopted Kayla November 18, 2006. She has become a loving
addition to our family. She lives here with me, my husband Dennis,
son Kyle, daughter Rachel and our dog Maggie. We adopted Kayla after
we had to have our beloved Casey put to sleep, she had congestive
heart failure and was really suffering. I knew that Maggie would need
a companion so I got on Petfinder.com and found Kayla. She had such
a sweet face, I couldn't resist her. She and Maggie get along great.
As you can see in one of the pictures, a favorite game they play is
tug of war. They also like to run around the back yard and chase birds.
Kayla is a very sweet dog. Yes, I say that even though she has chewed
several shoes in the house. We have been very pleased with the service
we received from Heather, Second Chance Volunteer. From the first
email to the directions to pick up Kayla and since, Heather has been
very helpful in answering any questions promptly. Keep up the good
work!"
"The greatness of a nation and its moral progress can be judged by the way its animals are treated."
--Mahatma Ghandi
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