Moki

Our alumni become family! It’s fun and heartwarming to see an animal find their perfect home, and it’s a bonus when their humans keep in touch! Moki (now Penny) attends ALIVE events, so we have been fortunate to see her and her parents out and about over the years. A little story about how Moki got so lucky, below…

"We feel incredibly fortunate to have been able to work with ALIVE to rescue our beautiful girl, Penny. There was no question in our mind that we would adopt a rescue dog, but we didn’t really know where to even begin other than the “big name” adoption centers in town (which were great -- just not our style).

We were lucky enough to be friends with a volunteer at ALIVE who shared with us how much she loved spending some of her free time with the animals at the shelter. We told her that we had been considering adopting a dog for some time, but were concerned with all of the variables involved from veterinary costs and training, to even the basics – what do you need to buy for day one with your new pet? Our friend suggested a couple of dogs to us, but as soon as we saw Penny (she was “Moki” back then) we had a feeling that she would be the one. We set up a time to go and meet her. We sat on the floor and she immediately curled up in our laps – it was a good sign – one that we took very seriously. One week later, we were taking our dog with her new name to her new home.

Penny came to ALIVE Rescue through Animal Rescue Corps where she was saved from a hoarding situation with over 40 dogs. ALIVE swooped in to take several of the dogs rescued that day. It had been many years since either of us had had a dog in the home, and it would be our first dog as a couple, but this was something that we discussed for several years prior to moving forward with the adoption. We really wanted to make sure that we were entirely ready for everything. We spent time talking to friends who had adopted, as well as our good friend who was volunteering at ALIVE.

ALIVE was great! They were very patient with us, and also incredibly thorough in their vetting process to ensure that we were a good match for adoption – this was critically important to us as we truly wanted an independent resource to help us understand what was involved both during the adoption process as well as for the rest of the animal’s life with us. We had heard stories of people who had adopted in the past, and yet it wasn’t the right fit and as a result, ended up taking the dog back to the rescue. This was something we wanted to avoid at all costs. The home visits were conducted with professionalism and yet were also done with care. The paperwork was generally quite easy. ALIVE even helped us to consider what kinds of food to get, what kind of collars and leashes to use, etc. They were an amazing resource.

Our first week with Penny was filled with questions. Are we feeding her enough? How often does she need to go out? Is she going to be OK by herself? Does she need to be in her kennel while we are away or can she roam the house on her own? Some of these questions we were able to figure out on our own as of course each animal is different. For any questions we couldn’t answer, ALIVE was able to help us find the answers and the resources we needed. They were able to connect us with an in-home trainer who came and helped us with the initial separation anxiety. Now Penny is so happy to be here with us – and she is a total angel on her own (she’s a master at napping!)

I don’t think we realized that our hearts could grow as much as they have as a result of adopting Penny. She is a funny, smart, independent, quirky, sweet and beautifully behaved dog – so much so that we believe we are spoiled!!! She doesn’t beg for food, has never chewed up our shoes, and is even so patient and tolerant of her occasional vet visits. She loves belly rubs, head scratches, treats and especially a little taste of peanut butter from time to time – not unlike her dads!

In our home, we love all dogs, whether they are rescues or pure breeds – but having said that, we have personally found that not only are there so many wonderful, sweet, beautiful pups that are currently in shelters in need of homes, but that these “mutts” have such unique, kind and GRATEFUL personalities – for some of them, this is the first time that they have had a warm home with a consistent source of food. We also believe that older dogs, special needs dogs and even some dogs who may not be the most “photogenic” are often the MOST grateful for a second chance.

We are grateful every day for ALIVE rescue and for our beautiful sweet girl, Penny.

You can follow Penny on Instagram at @PennyPeller!"