PLATO

Plato found his way to PAWS in 2007 through animal control. He was quiet, reserved, and he bore the look of a dog who had spent much of his time outside. His teeth were worn, maybe from chewing rocks, his coat was matted and dull. He showed no aggressive tendencies at all, but he was disconnected from humans.

After spending time at PAWS, Plato became a favorite of volunteer Jim Thaler, who ultimately adopted Plato. The two were often seen taking long, daily walks, and kept each other company. Jim fell ill and asked PAWS to take Plato into our care as he must have known his condition was grave. At that point PAWS had just secured space for a small sanctuary in northern New Jersey, so we were able to take Plato.

Sadly, Jim passed away shortly thereafter. Two months later, a wonderful family from Connecticut saw Plato’s bio on the PAWS website and applied to adopt him. They had had an English Shepherd who had recently passed away and were ready to adopt again, and Plato fit right into their family. Jim would be happy to know that his buddy found another loving home…

STARR

Foreclosures have been a huge reason people have had to give up their beloved pets. Starr’s situation was such, and her owner was frantic to find a good place for Starr.

Luckily PAWS had an open spot at the sanctuary, so sweet, 5-year old unspayed Starr was surrendered to our care. We had her spayed and vetted by West Caldwell AH’s Dr. Danci Mock, and it was discovered that Starr also suffered from a thyroid condition that required daily medication. We were able to move Starr into one of our new (at the time) foster homes where she received one-on-one care and attention. Her skin improved, her appetite slowly improved, and she was adopted by a great young couple and their two cats, and is leading a wonderful life.

Hey Carole:

It was great seeing you at the vet today, and I am sure the peace of mind you got from seeing Starr doing so well was a reward in itself! I have enclosed a picture of us so Starr can get her fifteen minutes of fame on the Paws Website! Since we have adopted her, the cats have grown accustomed to their new companion and have started sharing Starr's water dish. No cuddling yet, and that may never happen, but everyone is well-adjusted to the large change that occurred when we adopted Starr.

Starr loves going on hikes and hitting the lake for a swim! She is also an avid snowdog and loves bounding through fresh powder and skating along and frozen ice patches!

Her favorite toys are her squeaky and ropey. For some reason, anytime you put "-ey" on the end of a word (i.e. walkies, ropey) she gets excited! How she can tell the difference about what I am saying, I have no idea! As you saw in person, and of course as her picture will show, her nasty dandruff is all gone and her coat has fully grown in and taken on a nice luster! She maintains a steady weight at about 43 lbs and we have been diligent with her bloodwork and keeping up with her thyroid medicine. Overall, Starr is friendly and calm - but can get excited every once in a while! -Stephanie

BENTLEY

The lament of Bentley’s former owner was that he was sure Bentley, a little Bichon, didn’t like him. Bentley favored this man’s wife, and a year later, Bentley was surrendered back to PAWS. Bentley went right into our foster home, who had experience with Bichons. Bentley had some issues that needed to be addressed, and after a short time, his perfect home came along. This adult couple had experience with dogs, and Bentley’s “challenges” did not phase them in the least. Bentley is living a charmed life with folks who appreciate him and love, and were extremely happy to be able to adopt him!

BUDDY (now “TEDDY”)

What seemed to be a “quick and easy” adoption turned out to be anything but… Teddy’s former caretaker contacted PAWS asking if we would be able to rehome Teddy (then “Buddy”), an older Yorkshire terrier. Teddy had been the cherished pet of this person’s mother, who passed away, so Teddy landed in the daughter’s home. They could not keep him as they had their own dog, and just did not have the time or money for another dog. Teddy was immediately taken into our foster home, where he was very apathetic, was limping, and just seemed out of it. PAWS immediately took him to WCAH, where it was found that he suffered from multiple issues, one being a serious bladder stone condition that required surgery. After finally recuperating from his surgery and infection, Teddy was adopted by an awesome couple and their two other dogs. He requires ongoing medical attention for his diabetes insipidus, which it was discovered that he had as well…this great couple and their extended family is able and willing to give him everything he needs, and life is great for Teddy!

AMBROSIA

Her “time was up” at another NJ shelter, and she needed rescue asap. Her only “fault” was that she’d been overlooked by adopters since there were so many other dogs at that shelter. Their rescue coordinator and PAWS Director spoke, and the empty spot at our sanctuary was filled by this wonderful little pit bull who became known as “Amber.”

She immediately settled in, and it was discovered that she was just fine with other dogs, friendly, happy, and very sweet. She was with us for a while before her perfect family came to meet her with their other male pit bull, and it has been nothing short of a fairy tale existence for Amber ever since.

JACK

Jack, a large, happy, always-smiling pit bull, wasn’t showing well in his kennel in a southern New Jersey shelter. Doing flips in his kennel and barking at potential adopters didn’t enhance this handsome, young guy’s chances for adoption and he resided there for about 7 months.

His future was bleak when the shelter became full. PAWS received a plea from the rescue coordinator, and we were able to pull him the day before he was due to be euthanized. Transport was done by PAWS board member Paul, and Jack enjoyed the long trip up north to our sanctuary and the chance at a new beginning.

He spent nearly a year with us – everyone loved him. He was lovable, silly, very friendly, and there was quite a bit of interest in him, but none of the potential homes materialized for Jack. Last September, his forever home finally came through with a great couple right in Montclair. It was a long road, but for Jack it was really just a quick leap into finally leading the life of a much-loved pet.

USHKA (now “PENNY”)

This young dog was left in an apartment by herself when her owner had to go overseas. Ushka was fed and walked daily by a relative, but spent most of her time alone. PAWS volunteer Frank was contacted about this sad situation, and PAWS was able to take Ushka into our care. We had her spayed and vetted, and posted her for adoption. Very quickly, a wonderful family who lived near the sanctuary put in an application for Ushka. When they visited, the little girl and Ushka fell in love – she loved the whole family! We couldn’t think of any better home for Ushka, who became Penelope (Penny) and is growing up with Abby, her friend for life!

LAYLA

Summer in the city is not a great time to find yourself at the animal shelter if you are an adult pit bull mix. The shelters are full of dogs just like you, and they need to make room daily for more intakes. This was Layla’s situation… thankfully, PAWS networks with this shelter and received a plea to see if we could pull Layla, a beautiful, cropped-eared, friendly, large female pit bull mix. We had a spot open, and Layla came to live with us at our sanctuary. Great temperament, good with other dogs, she had obviously had a few litters of puppies by her body condition, however she had a great spirit. She was not with us too long before she had some potential adopters come to meet her, one of which was a local gentleman very happy to adopt her into his family, where she happily resides and has made their household complete.

DIAMOND (now “DARLA”)

Another victim of foreclosure, sweet Diamond found herself in need of rescue when her family felt they had no other choice than to put her out on the street. PAWS was called, and was able to take her into our care at the sanctuary. Diamond needed to be spayed, and she had some skin issues, and needed to put on some weight. But what a great, big, friendly American Bulldog! She was soon spotted on our website by a lover of this breed who came from Connecticut to adopt her into her family (which included another rescued male American Bulldog!) Diamond, now “Darla,” spends warm summer days at the beach, and cozy winter days curled up with her new housemate and family.

Hi! I want to update you about Darla!! She is great! Here are 2 current pictures. She is a doll! Everyone who meets her adores her and she is just the sweetest! Gomer loves her …loves going for walks with her and drops his toys outside her crate and kisses her. We are not quite at the point where they are sharing a bed, but we are getting there. She is still learning to be a bit less all over him. The calmer she gets, the better he is, Gomer is all about boundaries! She loves the beach and the water. She is not a swimmer, but loves to wade. She also is a lap sitter and loves to kiss and nibble ears! She also is a BIG eater! She has put on some weight and looks great. Tomorrow we are going to the dermatologist in Yonkers because she still has some skin issues and although she is on frontline, something is biting her (and Gomer too) and leaving red welts. Call me when you get a chance and I will fill you in more. We adore her and she is just a "love bunny"!!! Thanks!! -Pam

MITZI

Taken into a city shelter as a stray, Mitzi won the hearts of the staff and volunteers. A petite pit bull with soulful eyes and a real human connection, she bought herself time with her friendly and intelligent manner, and her ability to get along with other dogs. But time is often short at overcrowded facilities, and PAWS received notice of Mitzi’s deterioration in the shelter. We took her in, and she proved to be every bit as wonderful as her advocates had told us. Shortly after she arrived, PAWS took in another pit mix from a NJ shelter named Fitz. He and Mitzi became fast friends, and for a couple of months they frolicked and spent “house time” together. Mitzi was spotted on the website by a young couple who were moving into their new home not far from the PAWS sanctuary space, They met and fell in love with her, and she was adopted shortly thereafter.

FITZ

Fitz had spent 7 months at another NJ shelter but was continually overlooked because he was rather shy and retiring in his kennel there. PAWS was asked to take him as his time was up, and what a terrific dog! He really enjoys the company of other dogs, and didn’t have to spend much time alone after his best friend, Mitzi, went to her new home… PAWS received an inquiry about him from a family in central NJ who had two other rescue dogs, both spayed females. We took Fitz to meet the family, and it was a love match for everyone, dogs and humans. Fitz is one happy guy, with two canine “siblings” along with two cats and a rabbit to keep him entertained as well as a most loving, caring family.

Hi Carole, Fitz got a clean bill of health at the vet and is now micro chipped and on heart and tick prevention. Please let everyone know from PAWS he has adjusted to our home, animals and is a wonderful addition to family. He is a great dog and we are blessed to have him. I am forever grateful for you, Brianna and the PAWS organization. I will hopefully have some pictures on facebook very soon. Iwill let you know as soon as they are up. I just don't know where the time goes. Talk to you soon. -Donna

ROCCO

His former owners had no time for him and wanted to find him a new home. A rescue coordinator was in touch with the family, and in order to keep him out of the shelter system, PAWS took him into the sanctuary. A real cutie, Rocco, a hound mix, won the hearts of all who met him, and after a relatively short stay with us, Rocco was adopted into a loving home where he happily resides with a blind cat buddy as well. His new family always has time for Rocco and they feel he completes their family.

Hi Carole We love Rocco and he is adjusting wonderfully. I am so very happy to have him. I am off Thursday and Friday so whenever you would like to drop by is fine Again thank you so much -- he is a love Lisa

Remembering Mickey
-a touching letter from his family

Amber (the brindle, top), a PAWS rescue, now in her forever home with her new “brother” Nero. This is one of the most heartwarming adoptions ever, as this girl was literally a day away from death.

A PAWS volunteer drove 100 miles to pick her up from a shelter in South Jersey and take her back to our sanctuary, where, after spending nine months with us, was spotted on our Petfinder site by a great couple who were looking for a friend for their pit bull. 

After introductions went very well, Danielle and Jay opted to foster Amber just to be sure all would be okay.  Needless to say, PAWS was thrilled when we received the call that Amber would be permanently joining their family.  This is just one of the great photos we received…Thank you again to Danielle and Jay for adopting Amber!!

Hi Roseann:

Pickels (now Opal) is doing wonderful! It was amazing how fast she quickly adapted. She is such an easy going cat. She loves attention and we love giving it to her.

She loves sitting by the window and watching the birds. She often takes naps on the chair in the dining room. She goes crazy chasing a marble on the kitchen floor. We love having her and are so appreciate of you and your Mom for the love you gave her.

If you are ever in the area, feel free to stop by and visit her. We too think she’s very special.

Sincerely, Robin

Hi Kristina:

Attached are some pictures of Donnie at home. Our first impression of Donnie at the shelter was that he was a shy and very quite cat..well let me tell you after he got settled in and comfortable with his new home he completely took it over lol! He meows a lot and isn't afraid to let you know when his is hungry..

He loves to run around the house, look out the window for hours, he lets us hold him and he even likes to sit on our lap and cuddle up, he is very friendly and sweet, we have him spoiled lol!. My family and I really love him and so does anyone who meets him he is a wonderful cat! He truly has bought a lot of joy to our home.

Thank you for rescuing him!

Happy Holidays,

Samantha

This is my all time favorite picture of Radar-Pierre. This was taken shortly after his arrival in my home. I will send you a couple more photos of him to post. He is BEAUTIFUL, and lively, affectionate, and very sociable!!!!! His favorite past time is to drop one particular toy at my feet, after which he runs out to part of the house with a long hallway, with the expectation that I will throw it for him, so he can bring it back to me. We play this game until he is pooped, which takes awhile. He got along beautifully with my other two cats right from the start. He is quite a character, he is a cherished member of my family, and we love him desperately!!!!

Beau's transition continues to be very smooth. He loves to be held and have his belly rubbed! He's starting to explore the house more and rub up against everything!!! He even jumps up on the couch now looking to be petted. We took him to the vet today, and everything looks A-Okay for the little guy. Thanks for everything that you do for the animals while they wait to be adopted out. We've been spreading the good word about your cute kitties to everyone we know :)

Julie and Adam

We adopted Zulu a few months ago & he is doing great. He is the most lovable mush! He's extremely obedient & eager to please & will fall over at your feet to get a belly rub. We can't believe he was in the shelter as long as he was, but we thank you for taking such good care of him while he was there.

Thanks again,

Michele & Eric

We just wanted to thank you for bringing us the best dog ever! We adopted our dachshund Skippy from PAWS on August 17, 2001 and have been a happy family ever since. Skippy is the light of our life and it hard for us to understand why anyone would want to hurt him like the did before he arrived at PAWS. We have worked hard to make Skippy's life great. His 5th Anniversary day is fast approaching and we will be donating some supplies to PAWS ,to thank them for all of their hard work in saving cats and dogs, like our Skippy.

Thank you again for rescuing Skippy-
The Kraven Family

Just a quick email to let you know that Eric and Sassy are doing wonderfully. We're both extremely happy they've found their way into our lives. Hope all is well... take care! 

Sandra and James

We had adopted a kitten from you 13 months ago. At the time "his" name was Little man...it ended up that it was a female, and her name is now Micah. I just wanted to tell you that she is just the most amazing cat ever. She is affectionate, loving, obedient, and just everything that I never thought a cat could be. She is currently living with us in Providence, RI since we moved. I'm sure you have tons of animals going through there all the time, but we just wanted to let you know that she is still in good hands, and we appreciate you giving us a wonderful pet.

Thank you. Alicia

I took a box of towels to PAWS, they go through them quickly, lining cages and keeping small critters warm. Hanging just inside the front door was a little Bichon, who looked like she had been through the mill. Just brought in, she was quite dirty. She looked as if she had been out for quite awhile, or not cared for in the first place. Well, a week later my wife and I have adopted her and she is a perfect addition to our little family. My first point is to thank and compliment the volunteer and paid staff at PAWS for taking care of Sophia while she was their guest. She spent the week warm and received lots of attention from the people and one little terrier who belongs to one of the volunteers. My wife and I visited her often and they did everything they could to help see that Sophia found a good home (ours!)... The only thing I could add is that she has been a total joy for my wife and I and even our cat George who is also a PAWS rescue. George was an adult of 2-3 years when we adopted him in 1997.

Kathleen & Kevin

Dear PAWS:

We adopted Johanna about a year ago. She is a white pit bull and incredibly loving. She has been a wonderful addition to our family! Thank you so much for keeping her alive for all those months so that we could adopt her. Keep up the good work!!!!

Lorrie

I visited PAWS on a rainy day in the early Spring of 1999 intending to adopt an orange tabby. When I entered the cat room, a high school student volunteer was there feeding and playing with the cats. I struck up a conversation with the student and asked about the personalities and temperament of some of the cats. He pointed out Jolly remarking that he's a great cat, shy at first but once he knows you he's really sweet. Of course Jolly was a gray tabby not orange.

I learned that Jolly came to PAWS with his sister Holly. They had been born and raised in a woodpile in a Montclair backyard before being brought to PAWS. Holly was adopted right away and was someone's cute Christmas present. This story and the volunteer's comments helped me to make my decision and Jolly left with me that day.

The next part was the most difficult - re-naming Jolly. Friends, family, and co-workers offered suggestions and forwarded baby naming web sites to me. It took about a week of observing him and getting familiar with him but finally it seemed obvious: Spencer.

Spencer is the most loving and affectionate cat I've had. He is a wonderful companion and loves to just hang out wherever the family is - morning, noon and night. He enjoys spending the day on our screen porch snoozing, smelling the breezes and watching the birds at the feeder.

Victoria

My husband & I had purchased our first home in 2000 and we knew one of the additions should be a dog. We knew we wanted to adopt. We searched Petfinder.com for a few months and finally came across Tokyo, who was located at the Montclair, NJ PAWS. We went to visit him and he was quite a wonder to see. Apparently he was used to fight pit bulls and even came into the shelter with blue spray paint all over him. The vet was taking excellent care of him. Well, Tokyo had his own room instead of a crate. We thought, he must be quite a handful to have his own room but later found out that he just doesn't like to be confined. We knew he was special & fell in love with him instantly!! We were suppose to go away the following weekend to see my Aunt in West Virginia, so we knew we had to wait to adopt. I told my husband when we
He has been an amazing addition to our home. His personality is the just the best & he's the most patient dog I've seen. He is great with all our family & friends who come to visit. He actually enjoys when we have parties and get together's because he just loves having people around. He is great with kids and is so patient. He was lucky to be adopted but we were even luckier to find him.

I am glad we made the decision to adopt. PAWS was great to deal with and they made sure Bear (Tokyo) found the right home.

Thank you,
Nick and Amanda