H-E-B partner rescue stories
H-E-B Partners are always looking for ways to give back and help their communities. Opening up your home to a new pet is a special way to show you care about the animals in your community. Eight different partner share their pet rescue stories with you in the hopes that you too will be inspired to open up your homes and hearts to do the same.
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Noodle This is my sweet boy Noodle. I rescued him from the Laredo Animal Protective Society which is unfortunately not a no-kill shelter. He was reportedly picked up off the streets and kept in an outdoor pen for two months before my visit. He was the lonely, sad dog in the back of the pen and was in poor health. He was a matted mess that captured my heart. Noodle is now a happy, healthy pup that loves chasing birdies, long walks and trips to the dog park. He has brought a lot of joy in to my life and I can only hope I've done the same for him. |
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Dixie There was 14 dogs abandoned by their owner. A kind hearted cashier at HEB took them all in. They were very skinny, flea infested, and covered in a rock hard black muck. In our break room, she asked if anyone wanted a dog and told us of their story. I asked what kind are they? She said 7 are Collies and 7 are mixed breed. I asked any female Collies? She said, yes, one. As soon as she showed me a pic of her I said I'll take her. I picked her up the next day. It took 2 1/2 hours to bathe the muck off of her. It took 2 months for her to learn that her name is Dixie and that this was her loving home. How could anyone just leave her? |
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Sampson When I was a puppy I was found in a sewer drainage ditch. In this ditch is where I was sitting hungry, afraid and with an injured leg from being hit by a vehicle all by myself. Thanks to Austin Pets Alive and my foster mom I was able to have a new start. My name is Sampson Stover (aka Adventure Dog) and today my owner is my best friend who knows how to rub my back and gives me the best treats. Most importantly I know how it feels to be loved unconditionally. My fear of people has subsided and my anxiety of cars has disappeared thanks to my family showing me that I will never be neglected again. My injured leg has healed so I do have several hobbies I do enjoy. Such as swimming, fetching and running alongside my owner as he hikes and rides his mountain bike. I am included in everything my owner does except when he attends class at UT. I have been part of many road trips and family events. This past summer I went on a road trip with my family that went from my home in Buda to Wyoming. Once in Wyoming we hiked along the Continental Divide and completed a 70 mile back pack trip in the Wind River Range. I carried my own pack with my food and here I experienced snow, sleet, heavy rain storms and slept in a tent. I think my family is pretty cool. |
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Pistol Pete My wife was, at the time, a Veterinarian at a clinic in Corpus Christi. The week of Thanksgiving last year, a client of hers brought a puppy in a laundry basket telling her that someone left this dog on her front porch. The dog was neglected and emaciated, he could not even stand up. Jenni, my wife, was just about to put him to sleep when the puppy wagged his tail and licked her hand. She decided, against the rules of the hospital, that she would give him fluids and keep him overnight. He may just yet have had some fight in him. The next morning, Jenni arrived at the hospital to find the puppy standing and wagging his tail to greet her. He had instantly become attached to her. A few days later the puppy came home to foster with us while he was recuperating. He was too small to sleep in a crate alone so my wife and I had to put him in the blankets in bed at night to generate body heat. He became so attached to us that we could not even bear to let him live with another family, even though he was now our FOURTH dog. The ladies at the clinic named the puppy Pistol Pete for his strong will and determination to live. He is now a happy healthy 70 pound dog who enjoys people, car rides, and coffee. |
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Hitch Hitch is a beautiful 3 year old Blue tick Coonhound who came bounding into our lives just a couple years ago. At 11 months old, we came across her through a local rescue called Homeward Bound. We were immediately drawn to her sweet personality and seeming endless energy when we realized that she had a little bit of a "hop" in her gait. She was so happy and energetic that it took us a minute to notice that she was missing a back leg. Only just a couple weeks post-surgery for amputation due to a bone infection (she actually still had her stitches at the time), Hitch was already running at full speed and happy as can be! Hitch continues to amaze us every day with the things she is able to do just like any other dog - running, playing, and even shocked us one day when we discovered she had learned to JUMP up onto a tall bed. She surprises people at the dog park with her speed, and we get told all the time what an inspiration she is because she doesn't let her disability hold her back. It makes me the most proud when people don't even realize she is missing a leg until she stands still. Hitch is a good lesson to children and to all of us that we are all a little different, and that no matter what hand we are dealt, with enough determination we are able to achieve anything that we set our minds to. |
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Franny
My life has always consisted of pets in my life from dogs, rabbits, fish and even ducks. One Valentine’s Day my fiancé (who is my husband now) and I decided it was time to add an addition to our small family. We knew we wanted to adopt a dog so we headed to the Humane Society. As we walked around we noticed big crowds where the puppies were, but something told me to go the other direction and there was Franny hiding and a bit scared in her crate. As soon as we saw her eyes and her cute scruff we looked at each other and knew she was the one. That day Franny went from being an unapproachable, quiet, and frightened of people to a happy loving little girl who loves her toys and food. She has been a joy and great addition to our growing family.
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Skooter
Skooter was mine and my husbands first dog after being married. We found him at a small rescue outside of Austin. They told us that he was in line to be put down because of a lack of space at the shelter. I couldn't believe that this adorable little creature would be considered for such a cruel action. We quickly asked to meet him, so we met in a McDonald's parking lot outside of Austin. He was only about 10 lbs. at the time and the cutest thing I had ever seen. We love scruffy dogs! We paid the lady and within 10 minutes he was ours. He is the most loving, caring, and hungriest little dog that I have ever met :) Sometimes he seems human because of his little face and his compassion for people and other animals. We are so blessed to have Skooter in our lives. We have a baby on the way and know that skooter is going to be an amazing big brother.
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Emmy In early November of 2014, after the first big freeze of the year, a woman from a local adoption agency called Pause for Paws spotted a mother with her 5 very young pups huddled together under a trailer along the side of the highway near Pleasanton, TX. The mother was severely malnourished and was hardly able to provide care for her then 3 week old pups. The woman immediately gathered the mother and her pups and took them into her home. They were all seen by a vet and after several weeks of love and care were slowly nursed back to good health. We first saw a photo of Emmy at a local adoption event. We knew when we saw her picture that she would be our dog. At the time she was only 6 weeks old and was not yet ready for adoption but we kept in contact with the adoption agency and was finally able to take her home 4 weeks later. She became an important part of our family overnight and we cannot imagine our life without her. |