Category: Uncategorized

A Tail of Transformation | Mojo’s Adoption Story

Mojos Adoption Story Social Pic

Thanks for stopping by! We hope you enjoy our latest Tail of Hope. Be sure to follow us on social media to learn about newly published adoption stories and to read heartwarming bios of dogs available for adoption. 

For this Tail of Hope, we had the chance to speak with Mojo’s parents, Teigan and Trevor, to learn about their life with Mojo and how he’s worked to put his past behind him to live more confidently. 

Saved From the South

Mojo’s story begins in Arkansas. He and his brother were surrendered to KL Animal Rescue in Cedarville, Arkansas. In early October 2022, Hopeful Tails stepped in to transfer them up north so that they could have the opportunity to find their forever homes. 

For a short while, Mojo, about ten months old at the time, stayed in a Hopeful Tails foster home, but luckily, he would not need to wait for long before his forever family found him. 

Forever Family Found

Enter Teigan and Trevor. The couple was searching for a friend for their dog, Bama, and didn’t have a specific type of companion in mind, just one that was a little bit grown as their lifestyle wouldn’t be fit for the demands of a puppy.

They searched online and happened upon Mojo’s photos from Hopeful Tails. “We kept talking about how cute he looked in each of his photos, and we knew we had to meet him,” Teigan shared. So, they decided to stop by later that week during Hopeful Tails’ regular Friday open viewing from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. at the rescue’s building in Joliet.

Mojo captured their hearts, even though he was scared. Teigan described that night: “He hid under the desk and wouldn’t come up to either of us. We could tell he was terrified. Even in the play area, getting him to come to either of us was tough. But we saw something special in him and applied for him that night.”

Mojo’s Gotcha Day was November 25, 2022. He had found his forever family! But his story was just beginning. Mojo, with the love and unconditional support of his new parents, was about to embark on a journey of transformation and work hard to overcome his past wounds. 

Embarking On A Journey of Healing

That first night Teigan and Trevor brought Mojo home was challenging. He was anxious, didn’t want to eat, and couldn’t sleep. While distressing for his new parents, they understood that Mojo needed ample time to adjust. After all, his environment was completely different from the street and shelter life that, until now, was all he knew. 

Teigan laid beside Mojo on the floor to help calm and comfort him. She also took a gentle approach to feeding him directly from her hand. That night solidified Mojo’s bond with his new mom. “He has trusted me since that night and we share an amazing bond. He was scared of everyone but me at that point,” Teigan said.

The couple quickly sensed that Mojo likely had a traumatic experience with a male at some point during his young life because he would bark and growl at men, and displayed those behaviors especially toward Trevor. Mojo would run away from his new dad, be scared to go outside with him, and didn’t want to be fed meals by him, either. 

The world outside of his new home seemed scary, too. Teigan noted Mojo would always have his tail tucked when they took him out of the house and he would sometimes shake. He was very fearful of meeting new people and just wanted to stick by his mom’s side.

The couple wanted to help Mojo feel more comfortable and secure in his daily life, so they signed him up for classes through Petsmart. After just one class, Mojo displayed a small level of trust with Trevor, which was heartening to see. Outside of class, Teigan and Trevor worked with Mojo at home using the tips their helpful trainer provided. Teigan noted that Trevor showed incredible patience and love for Mojo to help him feel like he can trust him. 

With each class that followed, Mojo grew in his confidence, comfort around other dogs (especially his friends in class), and overall trust in humans. He was no longer hiding under stools and became excited to go into Petsmart, socializing with other dogs and doing tricks for his trainer, Bobbie. “Everyone in class was so amazed and proud of Mojo,” Teigan said, “We started bringing him everywhere with us, along with Bama, to help him socialize more and continue building trust with other people.”

An Incredible Transformation

Today, Mojo is somewhat of a social butterfly – a complete 180 degree change in a matter of months. He loves attention and thoroughly enjoys going up to people at the dog park to get pets. He also loves to cuddle with his dad and enjoys playing with him in the backyard. They even have a special “high-five” that they share together. 

The couple is still working on getting Mojo completely comfortable with going outside for his dad, though, but are sure that will come in time. Teigan and Trevor work with Mojo every day in order to continue building his confidence.

A Bright and Happy Future

When asked what they love most about Mojo, Teigan had this to share – “It would have to be his love for all other animals. He loves making new friends with any animal. He even sits at our rats’ cages whining because he genuinely wants to meet them. And when he sees a dog he knows, major wiggle butt kicks in. Mojo has such a sweet soul and that extends to people now, too. He is so gentle, cuddly, and loving.”

Mojo isn’t afraid to ask for affection, either. He loves to nudge if he wants to be pet and flops onto his mom and dad, letting them know when he wants to cuddle. 

Today, in his new life and newly found confidence, Mojo’s typical day includes lots of cuddles and pets, playtime with his sister, Bama, running around outside or going for walks, and watching dog TV. But Teigan and Trevor think his favorite activity is probably visiting Cherry Bomb for ice cream pup cups. 

Teigan’s Advice For Future Adopters

“Sometimes the shy/anxious dog turns out to be the most loving/best dog for you,” Teigan shared. “It takes time, patience, and lots of love to show a traumatized dog that there are safe people and that they can live a life free of fear and full of love.”

She added, “Don’t judge dogs based on their behavior at a shelter or rescue. They are different in a home environment, especially when consistent training and effort is invested to help them adapt and grow.”

“Mojo has been such a blessing, and he is living proof that no matter what traumas you go through, you can still learn to love and trust others. You can overcome anything and everything.” 

Mojo loves his new life, having worked hard to overcome his past, and lives it to the fullest with Teigan, Trevor and Bama. 

If you are interested in adopting a Hopeful Tails dog, please visit our adoption page for more information or email hopefultailsadoptions@outlook.com

A Tail of Perfect Timing | Gina’s Adoption Story

Ginas Adoption Story Social Pic

Thanks for stopping by! We hope you enjoy our latest Tail of Hope. Be sure to follow us on social media to learn about newly published adoption stories and our heartwarming foster stories. 

For this Tail of Hope, we had the opportunity to speak with Gina’s parents, Victoria and Paul, to learn about their adoption journey and how their lives have changed for the better since welcoming Gina into their home!

Rough Beginnings in Kentucky

Picture this: A severely underweight one-year-old labrador mix is running loose near a sketchy property in rural Kentucky. Malnourished, she’s in no condition to feed the pups she just birthed. By her side is her sister, also malnourished and also a new mother. The scene is dire. 

With the help of local police, Gina, her sister and their puppies were brought to the nearby Kentucky River Regional Animal Shelter. Shortly after, in late July 2022,  Hopeful Tails learned about Gina and the situation, arranging a transport team to drive down to Hazard, Kentucky, to pick them up and bring them back to Illinois. Sadly, not everyone made it to Hopeful Tails – three puppies in the combined litter passed away. 

Despite their hardships, Gina, her sister, Nina, and their remaining pups were fighters and would soon be on the road to recovery. Little did Gina know that her future family was just a few miles away in nearby Plainfield.

A Dog-Loving Couple

Victoria and Paul had moved to the area a couple of months before and were actively looking to foster a dog initially, hoping to adopt eventually. Self-proclaimed ‘dog people,’ both Victoria and Paul had grown up with dogs throughout their lives and thought of each one of them as family members. 

The same month they moved to the area, Victoria lost her beloved cairnoodle of 16 years, Charlie, to cancer. The loss devastated her, but she had been feeling a strong pull to foster, missing the consistent presence and love of a dog. 

On August 1, the couple decided to submit a foster application to Hopeful Tails. As Paul tells it, he knew immediately that they would be foster failures. Victoria, however, wasn’t so convinced. 

Love at First Foster

Two days later, they visited Hopeful Tails to meet with a couple of dogs Stacy, the rescue’s foster coordinator, said needed foster homes. The very first dog brought out was Gina, running right up to Paul as if she had known him forever. Over the next twenty minutes, Gina got lots of hugs and pets. Victoria and Paul saw just how sweet Gina was, and their hearts melted. 

After an out-of-town wedding the following week, they returned to Hopeful Tails, hoping and praying that Gina would still be available to foster. And she was!  

August 14 was the day they brought Gina home. Over that following month, the couple fell in love with her, hard. Gina especially enjoyed cuddling and sleeping. “We could tell she knew she was finally safe and felt relaxed in our home. And she slept really well, often snoring! It was precious, and we’re sure she was catching up on some much-needed rest,” Victoria shared. 

Slowly, another side of her personality began to emerge – Gina turned out to be super goofy! From whipping her rope toy around to rolling over on her back and making goofy faces to zoomies in the yard, Gina was undoubtedly coming into her own. 

Gina’s New Life

Within a month and a half, between Hopeful Tails and her foster home, Gina transformed from a super skinny 34-pound dog who didn’t enjoy being touched to a much healthier 52-pound dog. On September 19, knowing for a while at that point that they would be foster failures (just as Paul had predicted), the couple officially adopted Gina into their family. 

Fast forward to the present day, and Gina is coming up on her one-year anniversary of being in her forever home. “Our lives were changed for the better the day we officially adopted Gina,” Victoria shared. “She is one of the most affectionate and genuinely sweet dogs I’ve ever known. You could never guess how difficult her life was by the way she acts. Plus, she’s got personality for days, which we adore. She’s spunky, goofy and loves to ‘talk.’” 

Victoria firmly believes that Gina came into their life at the perfect time, saying, “I think us finding and adopting Gina was meant to be. I call her my angel because I feel like Charlie sent her to us. His passing was devastating, and Gina has been such an incredible light in our lives.”

In July, Gina celebrated her second birthday with a cake, her favorite treats and some new toys to add to her already overflowing toy bin. 

Some of her favorite things are going on long walks with her mom, taking naps, getting special treats, doing zoomies around her big yard, going on car rides to anywhere but the groomer and the veterinarian, and playing with her many dog cousins. 

Gina loves her new life with her family and lives it to the fullest daily.

If you are interested in adopting a Hopeful Tails dog, please visit our adoption page for more information or email hopefultailsadoptions@outlook.com

Peggy & Bandit’s Story

IMG 9925

 

In March of 2019, I bid a heartbreaking goodbye to my 13-year-old Border Collie, Badger. The pain was gut-wrenching, he was my best friend.

One day I saw a photo of a puppy on Hopeful Tails’ Facebook page, I couldn’t get it out of my mind. I decided to go meet him, it would be therapy. Pet a dog. It was a first step to healing. That evening, the pup sat in my lap, put his head on my arm and went to sleep. I closed my eyes and it was almost spiritual. When he looked at me it felt good. It felt right, just when I didn’t think I could ever feel good again. It was meant to be.

That pup, Bandit came into our lives when we were swallowed up by the darkness, he was the light that Badger sent to help us move forward. Less than a year after Bandit joined our family, I almost lost my husband due to a heart condition, where he spent months in the hospital. It was just Bandit and I, he kept me going when I didn’t think I’d be able to. Over the years, he made the dark days brighter, and I truly believe that he rescued me. I’ll always be so grateful to Hopeful Tails for rescuing my sweet boy and putting him into my arms”

– Peggy