Success Stories

~Kelly~

I’m hoping that somebody there at Pet Project remembers Kelly. She was found at 7 months old, in labor. She ended up having 1 big & deformed dead kitten. If not, here she is!)

I adopted Kelly from Pet Project in 2004-2005 (I can’t recall exactly when it was). I had debated for a few months before whether or not I could handle having 2 cats, but in the end, my heart won, and Kelly has been with me ever since! At first, she was pretty nervous. When somebody made any sort of noise, she would run under the bed. NOW she is the second one at the door (the first one is my other cat, Milo). She has been amazing. She is extremely photogenic (as you can tell by the pictures), very loving, talkative, affectionate, playful, sweet, etc. I couldn’t ask for a better cat. Even though her yearly vet appointments are no fun (she goes absolutely crazy!), she is a joy to have! I love her so much and I couldn’t imagine not having her in my life. Thank you, the staff at Pet Project, from the bottom of my heart, for giving me the opportunity to adopt Kelly. She is spoiled rotten, and I wouldn’t want it any other way! J

Lindsey N. Milliken

~Lucky Lady~

HERE IS A PICTURE OF LUCKY AND SOME OF HER AND HER NEW PLAYMATE SADIE. SHE ACTS LIKE THIS HAS BEEN HER HOME FOREVER HAVING THE RUN OF THE HOUSE AND FURNITURE. THANKS TO SHEILA FOR TAKING CARE OF LUCKY UNTIL WE COULD GET HER TO BILLINGS MT. WE WILL STOP TO LET YOU SEE HER WHEN WE COME BACK TO DICKINSON.

ROGER AND KAREN KNAUP

~Maggie~

I’ve been meaning to contact someone for some time now about a black lab that I adopted in 2001 from Pet Project. This may seem somewhat corny, however, I was just on the website and looked at the past animals that found homes and my dog wasn’t there! Of course, it was 4 years before the first one you have listed.

Anyway, I got Maggie, a 1 year old black lab, in August of 2001. She had a severely broken elbow and the vet could only put a screw in her leg to try to stabilize it for the future. I went to the lady’s house and Maggie approached me, I rubber her ears and she groaned in pleasure. I knew at that moment, I was not leaving without her. When I originally got her, she was supposed to be a “truck” dog for my husband at the time since he was an over the road truck driver, but when he came home 4 days after we got her, she heard him coming in the house late at night and chased him back down the stairs from our bedroom! She always slept on the bed with me and it was the coolest feeling that I had rescued her and she was returning the favor by protecting us. I was at home alone most of the time with 2 very small children and 1 on the way. Of course, when I introduced her to Terry, she accepted him as she does everyone. Maggie continued to blossom and be the very best dog I could have ever hoped for. About a year later, I came back to Richardton with her and called the lady whom I got her from and asked her if she wanted to come over to Heiser Motors just to see how well she was doing, and she did. I think it was a good feeling for her knowing that we had taken such good care of her.

In her younger years, Maggie portrayed the extreme personality of the lab. She was a water dog all the way. After 4 kids, numerous cats in and out of the house and all our travelling-she LOVED the pickup and she loves to travel, she continued to be the most faithful companion ever. She certainly was not cat safe at first, but if I told her to “leave it” and brought it in the house, she would let them lay on her and sleep with her. She’s such a smart dog. SO easily trainable. I would hook her up to the bike cart with 2 little kids in it and me on the bike and I swear I didn’t have to pedal for about 10 blocks because she pulled us! I finally had to buy a harness because she didn’t care that she was choking herself! In the winter, we’d hook up the kids’ sled to her and she’d pull them around on the farm some, too. It was so fun. I swore that I would never, EVER buy a dog, but that my next companions would all be rescues. They seem to just know what you’re doing for them and in all their ignorant and unknowing glory, try desperately to please their families. I now have a dachshund and a Pomeranian that were rescues and she protects them from each other AND from everything else.

Over the past 8 years, Maggie has been the best dog my family could have ever hoped for. Late last year, I noticed she was slowing down very quickly and got to the point I couldn’t even walk down the sidewalk with her. She started to lose weight, A LOT of weight. She weighed 59 pounds in July of 2008 and in December she was 49.5. I took her to Dr. Kim who referred me to Heart River Animal hospital in Mandan for a EKG as well as other tests because all her blood tests were normal. Well, we got examined and x-rayed and turns out she still has 4 buckshot inside her that was missed when she had her first leg surgery before I even got her! I couldn’t believe on top of all she had been through, the full extent of her abuse was right there with those 4 bright white little dots in her x-rays. I broke down and thanked god that I knew that I had made up for all the torture she went through in her first year of life. The Dr. informed me that Maggie has severe osteo-arthritis in her back. One of the worst cases she’s seen in a long time. We put her on Rimadyl and it seems to be helping a little as she can at least walk through the snow a little but can’t go very far. I’ve been taking her to West Dakota about every week or two just to monitor her weight and she’s put on 1.2 pounds since December, which isn’t much, but it’s something! I have to give her 3-4 cans of Hills Science Diet canned food a day mixed with her dry food, or she loses more. I will continue to do the absolute very best for her in her remaining time.

This email serves 2 purposes for me. The first being, I wanted to let Pet Project know that one of their first rescue adoptions has been more successful than anyone ever could have imagined, and I thank Pet Project for having the faith in me to allow me to make her mine. The second, on a darker note, serves a more intimate and delicate purpose. I don’t know how much longer she has. She’s only 9, but I have to consider her quality of life rather than quantity. As long as she can eat and still go outside, she will be with us. The sad truth is that the arthritis is progressing and it’s very painful for her, and for us. To watch her waste away and not be able to chase the ball, or go for a bike ride, or go swimming, or chase the cows, and the saddest thing of all, is she hasn’t slept with us for about 4 months now because she can’t go up and down our staircase anymore, hurts immensely. The biggest realization came last night when we watched Marley and Me. My husband and I cried and reality really hit hard. So, to end on that, I’m not sure if this means anything to you or your organization, but I wanted this to be a mini-biography or tribute to her and her life with us. I’ve enclosed a few pictures that highlight her wonderful, full life and hope your organization continues to be a growing, imperative part of our community. Thank you for your time.

Shanna Heiser-Singer

~Kolby~

Hello Pet Project!

I just wanted to give you all an update on Kolby and let you know how great he is doing. When we bought him to our farm July I knew I wanted to get another cat so our very busy cat Lucky would have someone to keep him out of trouble and play with. I decided to call pet project as I wanted to be able to give back and help out. We were asked to take in Kolby at the beginning of Aug as a foster, and at the time thought it would be great to help out and keep him again until he found a forever home. The day I pick him up he was very shy and didn't want to come out of the pet carrier when we got home. The next few days, Kolby hid behind the couch under the bed and didn't come out when we were home. Then we went though the nocturnal phase where Kolby would come out for a bit at night. Fast forward and as I am writing this Kolby is sitting on my lap. He has done a total one eighty and is a part of our family that I could never give up. Kolby loves wrestling with our other cat Lucky, teasing our German Shorthair Remmington, and is my daughter Cami's best friend. In fact when Cami went to visit my family for a week in SD Kolby was meowing by her bedroom door and wondering where she was. He has also become our new mouse catcher, which I am grateful for! Kolby is now an outgoing attention getting well adjusted cat, and has found his forever home. As you can see in the picture he is the king of the castle even over taking the dog bed. Thank you Pet Project for helping us add Kolby as a member of our family!

Hollie & Cami Dearduff, and Jeremy Kuntz

~Jack~

Attached is a picture of "Jack".  I was checking the web site and saw our
announcement for his adoption and thought you might want to add his picture.
As you can see he is just as cute as can be!  We just love him.  He is now
very comfortable in our home and we love having him around.  My daughter
Maren said last night, "I just love him, I wish I could carry him around
with me all day."  Thank you for the opportunity!

The Dorvals

~Flat Black Foxy Moxie~ (Ebony)

When we first adopted "Ebony", we knew that we wanted to change her name. At a few failed attempts, we came up with "Flat Black Foxy Moxie" or "Moxie" for short. We had our doubts at first about her because she was so skittish around us. She managed to get a door open to our bathroom we are remodeling and hid in the floor boards for two days. However, she finally came around and we couldn't ask for a better cat. She's sweet, affectionate, well-behaved and a mentor our younger adopted cat, Hank. Her crooked tail, partially missing bottom lip, very peculiar meow and extending belly (she loves to eat) are just part of her charm. Her favorite activities are warming herself by our wood burning stove or watching her fish in our fish tank.

Joni and Aaron

~Razzy~

I just wanted to update you on Razzy. She is a wonderful little dog! I got her for my mother-in-law Doris, who absolutely adores her. Razzy has become one of the family. When Grandma Doris is gone, Razzy runs to the neighbors and stays with them. She has two buddies to play with. Sheba our St. Bernard and Sally our Australian Shepard, also our cat. They have all become fast friends (the cat may take awhile). I just wanted to say thank you, Razzy has brought many smiles to our family. We will recommend you to anyone looking for a pet.

Denise F., daughter-in-law of Doris F., Bowman, ND

~Macy~ (Candy)

Dear Pet Project,

I can't even begin to tell you how great it is to have Macy back home, she hasn't changed a bit. I thought Macy would be scared at first, but she remembered everything about home. I have an 80 lb. black lab named Sadie and Macy just loves to pick on her, that tail is just too much fun I guess. Macy used to sit and lick Sadie's face and still does. When Sadie gets a treat, I used to shake a jug so Macy would come for a treat also. The first night we had Macy back, she came right to the closet when Sadie got her treat. Pet Project took great care of her and I thank you for that!

Sincerely, Karen Landro

Candy (Macy) was rescued last fall and reunited with Karen this spring!

~Taz~

I just wanted to give you an update!!! I adopted a Siamese cat from you guys in May of 2004. His
name is Taz. He has been the light of my life since!!! I absolutely adore him & he has been such a wonderful cat. He's so loving & is happy to see me when I come in the door!! He loves curling up & sleeping with/ me at night too! He's got quite the motor! His purr puts you to sleep it's so calming! We are going to be moving into our own home at the end of the month & I am so excited-I think he will just love the extra room to roam! He loves when I take him with me to my parents house-he play in play n the bay window for hours!! Anyway, I just wanted to tell you that he is a great cat & I am so glad he is mine!

Thank you!!
~Adopted by Heather Zimmerman, Bismarck ~

~Kamree~

Kamree was found living under the deck of the Iron Horse Saloon in Medora. Haley, the young girl who found Kamree contacted Pet Project because she knew this young cat would be placed in the best of homes. While in foster care Kamree had four kittens; Jade, Justus, Jaksun, and Jaspur, who were all placed into loving homes.

~Adopted by Sandy and Tim Gerou in Brainerd, MN~

~Tango~

Tango, the basset, was adopted from Pet Project. She and our other basset have become best friends and they have a wonderful time together. They some times try our patience, but that is life with a basset!

~Adopted by Linda Barajas~

~Simon~

Last march I adopted Junior (renamed Simon as was easier to remember *lol*). Simon has made himself quite at home and fits right in with the other two cats I had previous to him joining the family. We are still working on some of his bad habits (apparently fed table scraps at one time). As you can see with the pictures, he makes himself right at home anywhere and everywhere - he chooses the place to sleep and we work around him (had to wait 3 hours to finish laundry one day - he wouldn't leave the dryer without a fight)

~Adopted by Nolan Overton - Dickinson~

~Cuddles~

We adopted Cuddles this past spring, and she instantly became one of the family. Cuddles is full of so much love and has such a great personality, we don't know how we ever got along without her sneezing in our faces, making quail noises when she wants some attention, or constantly sitting on our heels whenever we are doing anything. Cuddles loves her kitty siblings (2 girls and 1 boy cat) and even finds time to play with them once in a while. We are very greatful to have Cuddles in our lives and extend our deepest appreciation to all those who were involved in nursing her back to health and allowing her to enter our lives!

~Adopted by Eric & Terry Halverson, Dickinson~

Have you adopted a pet through Pet Project? Email us your success story!

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What is Pet Project? Pets for Adoption Dogs & Puppies Cats Kittens Other Pets Lost & Found Pets Success Stories Pet Project Wish List Pet Adoption Center Pet Tips & Articles Contact Us	Success Stories ~Kelly~ I’m hoping that somebody there at Pet Project remembers Kelly. She was found at 7 months old, in labor. She ended up having 1 big & deformed dead kitten. If not, here she is!) I adopted Kelly from Pet Project in 2004-2005 (I can’t recall exactly when it was). I had debated for a few months before whether or not I could handle having 2 cats, but in the end, my heart won, and Kelly has been with me ever since! At first, she was pretty nervous. When somebody made any sort of noise, she would run under the bed. NOW she is the second one at the door (the first one is my other cat, Milo). She has been amazing. She is extremely photogenic (as you can tell by the pictures), very loving, talkative, affectionate, playful, sweet, etc. I couldn’t ask for a better cat. Even though her yearly vet appointments are no fun (she goes absolutely crazy!), she is a joy to have! I love her so much and I couldn’t imagine not having her in my life. Thank you, the staff at Pet Project, from the bottom of my heart, for giving me the opportunity to adopt Kelly. She is spoiled rotten, and I wouldn’t want it any other way! J Lindsey N. Milliken *~Lucky Lady~* HERE IS A PICTURE OF LUCKY AND SOME OF HER AND HER NEW PLAYMATE SADIE. SHE ACTS LIKE THIS HAS BEEN HER HOME FOREVER HAVING THE RUN OF THE HOUSE AND FURNITURE. THANKS TO SHEILA FOR TAKING CARE OF LUCKY UNTIL WE COULD GET HER TO BILLINGS MT. WE WILL STOP TO LET YOU SEE HER WHEN WE COME BACK TO DICKINSON. ROGER AND KAREN KNAUP *~Maggie~* I’ve been meaning to contact someone for some time now about a black lab that I adopted in 2001 from Pet Project. This may seem somewhat corny, however, I was just on the website and looked at the past animals that found homes and my dog wasn’t there! Of course, it was 4 years before the first one you have listed. Anyway, I got Maggie, a 1 year old black lab, in August of 2001. She had a severely broken elbow and the vet could only put a screw in her leg to try to stabilize it for the future. I went to the lady’s house and Maggie approached me, I rubber her ears and she groaned in pleasure. I knew at that moment, I was not leaving without her. When I originally got her, she was supposed to be a “truck” dog for my husband at the time since he was an over the road truck driver, but when he came home 4 days after we got her, she heard him coming in the house late at night and chased him back down the stairs from our bedroom! She always slept on the bed with me and it was the coolest feeling that I had rescued her and she was returning the favor by protecting us. I was at home alone most of the time with 2 very small children and 1 on the way. Of course, when I introduced her to Terry, she accepted him as she does everyone. Maggie continued to blossom and be the very best dog I could have ever hoped for. About a year later, I came back to Richardton with her and called the lady whom I got her from and asked her if she wanted to come over to Heiser Motors just to see how well she was doing, and she did. I think it was a good feeling for her knowing that we had taken such good care of her. In her younger years, Maggie portrayed the extreme personality of the lab. She was a water dog all the way. After 4 kids, numerous cats in and out of the house and all our travelling-she LOVED the pickup and she loves to travel, she continued to be the most faithful companion ever. She certainly was not cat safe at first, but if I told her to “leave it” and brought it in the house, she would let them lay on her and sleep with her. She’s such a smart dog. SO easily trainable. I would hook her up to the bike cart with 2 little kids in it and me on the bike and I swear I didn’t have to pedal for about 10 blocks because she pulled us! I finally had to buy a harness because she didn’t care that she was choking herself! In the winter, we’d hook up the kids’ sled to her and she’d pull them around on the farm some, too. It was so fun. I swore that I would never, EVER buy a dog, but that my next companions would all be rescues. They seem to just know what you’re doing for them and in all their ignorant and unknowing glory, try desperately to please their families. I now have a dachshund and a Pomeranian that were rescues and she protects them from each other AND from everything else. Over the past 8 years, Maggie has been the best dog my family could have ever hoped for. Late last year, I noticed she was slowing down very quickly and got to the point I couldn’t even walk down the sidewalk with her. She started to lose weight, A LOT of weight. She weighed 59 pounds in July of 2008 and in December she was 49.5. I took her to Dr. Kim who referred me to Heart River Animal hospital in Mandan for a EKG as well as other tests because all her blood tests were normal. Well, we got examined and x-rayed and turns out she still has 4 buckshot inside her that was missed when she had her first leg surgery before I even got her! I couldn’t believe on top of all she had been through, the full extent of her abuse was right there with those 4 bright white little dots in her x-rays. I broke down and thanked god that I knew that I had made up for all the torture she went through in her first year of life. The Dr. informed me that Maggie has severe osteo-arthritis in her back. One of the worst cases she’s seen in a long time. We put her on Rimadyl and it seems to be helping a little as she can at least walk through the snow a little but can’t go very far. I’ve been taking her to West Dakota about every week or two just to monitor her weight and she’s put on 1.2 pounds since December, which isn’t much, but it’s something! I have to give her 3-4 cans of Hills Science Diet canned food a day mixed with her dry food, or she loses more. I will continue to do the absolute very best for her in her remaining time. This email serves 2 purposes for me. The first being, I wanted to let Pet Project know that one of their first rescue adoptions has been more successful than anyone ever could have imagined, and I thank Pet Project for having the faith in me to allow me to make her mine. The second, on a darker note, serves a more intimate and delicate purpose. I don’t know how much longer she has. She’s only 9, but I have to consider her quality of life rather than quantity. As long as she can eat and still go outside, she will be with us. The sad truth is that the arthritis is progressing and it’s very painful for her, and for us. To watch her waste away and not be able to chase the ball, or go for a bike ride, or go swimming, or chase the cows, and the saddest thing of all, is she hasn’t slept with us for about 4 months now because she can’t go up and down our staircase anymore, hurts immensely. The biggest realization came last night when we watched Marley and Me. My husband and I cried and reality really hit hard. So, to end on that, I’m not sure if this means anything to you or your organization, but I wanted this to be a mini-biography or tribute to her and her life with us. I’ve enclosed a few pictures that highlight her wonderful, full life and hope your organization continues to be a growing, imperative part of our community. Thank you for your time. Shanna Heiser-Singer *~Kolby~* Hello Pet Project! I just wanted to give you all an update on Kolby and let you know how great he is doing. When we bought him to our farm July I knew I wanted to get another cat so our very busy cat Lucky would have someone to keep him out of trouble and play with. I decided to call pet project as I wanted to be able to give back and help out. We were asked to take in Kolby at the beginning of Aug as a foster, and at the time thought it would be great to help out and keep him again until he found a forever home. The day I pick him up he was very shy and didn't want to come out of the pet carrier when we got home. The next few days, Kolby hid behind the couch under the bed and didn't come out when we were home. Then we went though the nocturnal phase where Kolby would come out for a bit at night. Fast forward and as I am writing this Kolby is sitting on my lap. He has done a total one eighty and is a part of our family that I could never give up. Kolby loves wrestling with our other cat Lucky, teasing our German Shorthair Remmington, and is my daughter Cami's best friend. In fact when Cami went to visit my family for a week in SD Kolby was meowing by her bedroom door and wondering where she was. He has also become our new mouse catcher, which I am grateful for! Kolby is now an outgoing attention getting well adjusted cat, and has found his forever home. As you can see in the picture he is the king of the castle even over taking the dog bed. Thank you Pet Project for helping us add Kolby as a member of our family! Hollie & Cami Dearduff, and Jeremy Kuntz *~Jack~* Attached is a picture of "Jack". I was checking the web site and saw our announcement for his adoption and thought you might want to add his picture. As you can see he is just as cute as can be! We just love him. He is now very comfortable in our home and we love having him around. My daughter Maren said last night, "I just love him, I wish I could carry him around with me all day." Thank you for the opportunity! The Dorvals *~Flat Black Foxy Moxie~ (Ebony)* When we first adopted "Ebony", we knew that we wanted to change her name. At a few failed attempts, we came up with "Flat Black Foxy Moxie" or "Moxie" for short. We had our doubts at first about her because she was so skittish around us. She managed to get a door open to our bathroom we are remodeling and hid in the floor boards for two days. However, she finally came around and we couldn't ask for a better cat. She's sweet, affectionate, well-behaved and a mentor our younger adopted cat, Hank. Her crooked tail, partially missing bottom lip, very peculiar meow and extending belly (she loves to eat) are just part of her charm. Her favorite activities are warming herself by our wood burning stove or watching her fish in our fish tank. Joni and Aaron ~Razzy~ I just wanted to update you on Razzy. She is a wonderful little dog! I got her for my mother-in-law Doris, who absolutely adores her. Razzy has become one of the family. When Grandma Doris is gone, Razzy runs to the neighbors and stays with them. She has two buddies to play with. Sheba our St. Bernard and Sally our Australian Shepard, also our cat. They have all become fast friends (the cat may take awhile). I just wanted to say thank you, Razzy has brought many smiles to our family. We will recommend you to anyone looking for a pet. Denise F., daughter-in-law of Doris F., Bowman, ND *~Macy~ (Candy)* Dear Pet Project, I can't even begin to tell you how great it is to have Macy back home, she hasn't changed a bit. I thought Macy would be scared at first, but she remembered everything about home. I have an 80 lb. black lab named Sadie and Macy just loves to pick on her, that tail is just too much fun I guess. Macy used to sit and lick Sadie's face and still does. When Sadie gets a treat, I used to shake a jug so Macy would come for a treat also. The first night we had Macy back, she came right to the closet when Sadie got her treat. Pet Project took great care of her and I thank you for that! Sincerely, Karen Landro Candy (Macy) was rescued last fall and reunited with Karen this spring! ~Taz~ I just wanted to give you an update!!! I adopted a Siamese cat from you guys in May of 2004. His name is Taz. He has been the light of my life since!!! I absolutely adore him & he has been such a wonderful cat. He's so loving & is happy to see me when I come in the door!! He loves curling up & sleeping with/ me at night too! He's got quite the motor! His purr puts you to sleep it's so calming! We are going to be moving into our own home at the end of the month & I am so excited-I think he will just love the extra room to roam! He loves when I take him with me to my parents house-he play in play n the bay window for hours!! Anyway, I just wanted to tell you that he is a great cat & I am so glad he is mine! Thank you!! ~Adopted by Heather Zimmerman, Bismarck ~ ~Kamree~ Kamree was found living under the deck of the Iron Horse Saloon in Medora. Haley, the young girl who found Kamree contacted Pet Project because she knew this young cat would be placed in the best of homes. While in foster care Kamree had four kittens; Jade, Justus, Jaksun, and Jaspur, who were all placed into loving homes. ~Adopted by Sandy and Tim Gerou in Brainerd, MN~ ~Tango~ Tango, the basset, was adopted from Pet Project. She and our other basset have become best friends and they have a wonderful time together. They some times try our patience, but that is life with a basset! ~Adopted by Linda Barajas~ ~Simon~ Last march I adopted Junior (renamed Simon as was easier to remember lol). Simon has made himself quite at home and fits right in with the other two cats I had previous to him joining the family. We are still working on some of his bad habits (apparently fed table scraps at one time). As you can see with the pictures, he makes himself right at home anywhere and everywhere - he chooses the place to sleep and we work around him (had to wait 3 hours to finish laundry one day - he wouldn't leave the dryer without a fight) ~Adopted by Nolan Overton - Dickinson~ *~Cuddles~* We adopted Cuddles this past spring, and she instantly became one of the family. Cuddles is full of so much love and has such a great personality, we don't know how we ever got along without her sneezing in our faces, making quail noises when she wants some attention, or constantly sitting on our heels whenever we are doing anything. Cuddles loves her kitty siblings (2 girls and 1 boy cat) and even finds time to play with them once in a while. We are very greatful to have Cuddles in our lives and extend our deepest appreciation to all those who were involved in nursing her back to health and allowing her to enter our lives! ~Adopted by Eric & Terry Halverson, Dickinson~ Have you adopted a pet through Pet Project? Email us your success story!
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Success Stories

~Taz~

Thank you!!~Adopted by Heather Zimmerman, Bismarck ~ ~Kamree~

~Tango~

~Simon~

Thank you!!
~Adopted by Heather Zimmerman, Bismarck ~

~Kamree~