This page was last updated: April 29, 2013

Home   Contact Us   Adoptable Dogs   Adoptable Cats   In The News

How You Can Help    Lost and Found Pets   Home Sweet Home   Sponsor Program   Join Our Organization   Adoption Application   Map/Directions

See more . . .

From our first day in operation in 2002 our singular purpose has been to find safe, loving homes for every adoptable Barbour County companion animal that is unfortunate enough to find itself lost, abandoned, neglected or abused. 

For the most part, we are able to place our 'fur kids' in a relatively short amount of time, but others have waited patiently for as much as years until the perfect adopter comes along.

While we find great joy in each and every successful adoption, it's particularly heartwarming for us to see the 'long timers' finally placed in that very special 'forever' home.

Day by day, one by one, young and old, big and small---we send them off to 'home sweet home'.

  Happy people!  Happy pets!

________________

If you adopted a pet from us anytime in the past and you would like to send us a photo or two and a note, we'd love to hear from you.  Submissions can be made by clicking on the button below.

Judy,

Ashley, Lily and I would like to thank you and your staff for everything that you did for Emmie. I just wanted to let you know she is fitting into her new home very well.  Emmie and Lily were so happy to see one another once we got them out of PetSmart and into the car. They fell asleep together on the backseat on their way home.  It was so cute.  I thought I would share some pictures with you of Emmie and one of Emmie and Lily together.  Emmie was so happy when she finally came into her forever home she settled right in and fell asleep on the couch.

Thanks,

Andrew, Ashley, Lily and Emmie

Everything is going well with Mikey so far. He's had some accidents in the house but he's getting better. He gets along with the cats pretty well although they typically watch him from a distance.

We are very glad to have him.

Billy

Checkers was one of the more challenging dogs we’ve cared for.  His high energy temperament, coupled with a continuous desire to be busy, made him just a bit ‘crazy’ in the shelter environment.  We weren’t sure he would ever find the perfect home, but along came Howard Tenke, a wheelchair user who was looking for a dog he could train to be his service dog.  Obviously, Howard could see that special ‘something’ in Checkers that told him this was the boy for him.  The photos and note we received from Howard tell the rest of the story . . .

Hi Carol,

Just wanted to let you know Checkers is doing very well.

He has proven to be quite the character and has adapted to life with me quite well and has been a daily source of joy, not only for me but he brings a smile to my neighbors’ faces, too whenever he encounters them with his charm and they always compliment me on what a gentleman he is.

What has really amazed me about the Checker Man is how quickly he learns new tasks and commands.  His intelligence has me in awe at times. I can safely say he is the smartest dog I have ever had the privilege to know. When I adopted him I knew he was smart I just didn’t realize how smart.

I would still like to come out and photograph the critters currently at the shelter for you in hopes you can find homes for them. I was thinking we could do it the first weekend in April then make it on ongoing project once a month.

I am enclosing some recent pictures of Checkers please feel free to use them as needed.

Regards

Howard Tenke

It was a happy day in ‘Pug Land’ when Hallie (on the left) met her new brother Max and her wonderful new family.  Floyd and Laurie had been preparing all week for Hallie's homecoming---learning all about her habits and her personality, getting her new toys and her very own bed.  Hallie was a bit timid at first, but was soon giving kisses to her new friends and was ready for the six hour journey home to Norfolk, VA and her wonderful new life.

Mary is one of 15 dogs that we rescued from a hoarding situation in a nearby town, and she’s the first to be adopted.  Living in a home will be a new experience for Mary, but she’ll have Molly, a Chocolate Lab, to show her the ropes, and a great new mom and dad to give her all the love and security she needs.

Megan is a soft and fluffy Collie with a very sweet, gentle nature.  Jenica and Alex drove down from Morgantown to see her and instantly bonded with our beautiful girl. Looking at this photo you can see that they look like a happy family already!

Tammy, Tipper and Toby were three puppies who grew up at our shelter, Tipper was adopted last Spring, but Tammy and Toby have been waiting for two years for their forever homes.  We were overjoyed when Toby went recently went to his new home, and from what we hear from his new owner, he’s doing wonderfully. Tammy was left by herself  for another week until  George and Linda saw her on Petfinder and were captivated by her sweet face and the rings around her eyes.  They drove down from Oakland, MD to meet her and it didn’t take long for them to decide to have Tammy join their family. We can't wait to start receiving updates on Tammy’s adventures in her new home!  We’re grateful to all the adopters who find room in their homes and their hearts for the wonderful dogs who have waited so patiently to be chosen as a new best friend.

Mork and Mindy were an instant success when we placed them on our Petfinder website---adoption applications came pouring in. This lucky couple and their little dog, Augie, were elated to be chosen to take Mork home.  For a little while Mork may miss being with his sister, but he’ll have a big brother to play with and teach him to be the perfect pet.  Good luck, Mork!

Little Mindy's new family drove all the way from Strasburg, Virginia, on a snowy Spring day to pick her up. Their gentle Husky, Wally, seemed very glad to have a tiny new playmate, and Mindy’s new owner was overjoyed to finally be able to hold her and take her home.  We’re sure that this will be a wonderful life for Mindy!

Hello Kim and Joy,

I really enjoyed speaking with you both today.  Violet is happy and adjusting well in her forever home.  We adopted her from The Little Guild of St Francis in West Cornwall, CT on March 6th. We all love her!  She's a sweet little fluff ball---a truely lovey baby who has broken out of her shell.  Her personality blossoms more each day.

Thank you Kim for taking the time to tell me her and your stories.

Lastly, attached are some photos of Violet in her new furever home with our kids.

Daisy: 7 year old female Tuxie (on chair)

Sadie: 4 year old female Golden

Emily: my 15 year old daughter

Brian Jr: my 13 year old son

As I now know Violet and Daphne are in fact sisters---the next step is getting the two reunited.

I will keep you updated and send more pics soon.

Thanks again for all you do on behalf all these furbabies who otherwise would have no voice.

Bless you.

Kindest regards,

Anita Nedley

The day after Mary went home, we received this note from her new family . . .

We made it home without any barking. Mary whimpered at a stoplight when she spotted a silver SUV and she watched it pass us. She doesn't like being inside much. She keeps going to the windows. She saw herself in the mirror on our bathroom door and went to the back of the door looking for the dog, then came back around. She's very curious about all the different noises, especially the tv. When she first heard the voices she tried to check behind the wall unit. She didn't sleep much last night. The second story of the house is confusing. We know she will adjust. Molly is better today. There is less growling and she seems resigned. Mary is very attached to my husband and follows Ed constantly when he is home. She goes to the vet at 5 this evening. Thanks again for all you do for these pets. We will keep in touch. Unless there is a dramatic turn of events, looks like we have a new family member. We are working on changing her name to Indie since she runs around like a race car on the track. 

On March 17th, the McClures drove from Salem, VA to meet Nakita and it was love at first sight for all concerned.  Terri and Reid attended our St. Patrick’s Day Dinner and then headed home with the newest member of their family.  We’ve just received this update from them and it looks as if Nakita has, indeed, found the home she waited for so patiently.

Hello Judy!

Terri and I want you and all the folks at AFOBC that we have fallen in love with Nakita! And so have Easton and Riley, as the attached picture will confirm. Nakita has been fully accepted into the pack and we're all getting along beautifully.

. . . She is a wonderful girl, so warm and loving---plus she demonstrates all the positive qualities we love in the Rottweiler breed. For one example, when we let her into the enclosed back yard for the first time she walked the entire perimeter checking out the boundries of HER domain.  We are taking her on short walks to build her stamina and we've managed to start her on a special weight reduction diet. She's looking good!

Thanks again for all you and the volunteers at AFOBC do to make the lives of all God's creatures better.

Cheers!

Reid McClure

Hello,

We adopted "Cami" on Labor Day weekend 2012 at the Meadowbrook Mall. Just wanted you to know that she is one spoiled, happy kitty. We renamed her "Zoe". Thanks for taking her in to your shelter...she has already brought us much joy (even though she is very rotten)!

Caroline Kwiatkowski

We received this note from Mindy's new family just a few days after they took her home . . .

Hi Judy-

Yes, we made it home on Sunday just fine. It took longer than expected but we got back in one piece. Some of the higher elevations were snow covered but we just took our time.

We renamed Mindy...her name is now "Gemma" which means precious stone. She is so precious to us! She and her "brother" Wally get a long very well and I swear she thinks she is as big as him. We take her with us on Wally's walk and never expected her to walk the whole way but sometimes she does! The times she doesn't make it, we gladly snuggle her in our arms.

She goes everywhere with us that she is allowed. She met her Veterinarian on Monday when Wally had to go weigh in (he needs to lose 10 pounds). She has been to the high school where my children go to school, the fire department, rescue squad and some stores. Everyone thinks she is adorable and she loves the attention.

She sleeps with me or my daughter every night and she is doing very well learning how to potty outside; only 2 accidents since she came home.

I have no words to tell you how much of a gift Gemma has been to me and I feel so blessed to have her. I thank you so much for allowing me to adopt her. Please know that this will not be the last email I send....I will try and show you how much she grows but she will always be our precious little girl.

Shayla Wharton

Ellie is beginning a wonderful new life with a new brother, Ira, a Puggle mix and a small human brother, Asa, a very friendly little boy.  And we’ve already received this great report from Ellie’s new family . . .

Hi Judy,

Miss Ellie is doing great, we are already falling in love with her! She is very concerned about Ira's whereabouts and gets anxious if he is out of her sight. She has taken to the family, the house and all the comforts of home like a fish to water. She has only had minimal accidents inside, nothing to be concerned about, and eats and drinks as we had hoped! She is fantastically patient with Asa and doesn't even run when he tries to pull her tail. We are careful and observant with them, as we are with Ellie, in general, as she grows accustomed to her home. We are very grateful to have her and are looking forward to a long and loving life with her!

Thank you for saving Miss Ellie for us; she is a loving little gem of a dog and we are thrilled to have her join our family!

Best Regards,

Jeanne

Here's another update we received on Gemma . . .

Hi Judy-

It is so hard to believe that it has been almost 2 weeks since we brought home our precious girl. I wanted to let you know she is doing very well and share one of the sweetest pictures with you. She loves her big brother Wally so much and he is so good with her. Thank you so much for blessing us with little Gemma.

Shayla Wharton

Twelve-year old Emma is doing a great job of keeping us updated on her best friend, Charolette . . .

This is Charolette the day after she got spayed. I have been taking her to regular obedience classes and she has made immense progress! She is so good at the sit/stay that I can have her sit, walk around the house, and come back to see her in the same spot.

Emma

Laura and her daughter fell in love with Hummer's friendly and gentle manner. All is well in his new home. Look how content he is!

So far my girls and I are thrilled with Hummer. He is such a good dog. I took him walking for an hour, and he walks very well on a leash. We ran into a couple of dogs on the way and one tried to follow us. Hummer ignored him. The girls tried putting their hands in his bowl while he was eating and he did not seem to mind. He did try to go to the bathroom twice in the house, both times only a tiny bit ended up in the house before we got him out to do the rest. He follows me everywhere I go. What a great dog.

Thanks so much.

Laura Hart

Good news from Miles’ new home. He is doing well. He enjoyed a bath and went to sleep in the bed next to his new Mom, Rachel. He is learning to tolerate the cat and she is starting to get used to him. So far things are going smoothly.  He gets plenty of walks and he bonding with 14 year old Tayvon as well.  Miles has been given a second chance in a wonderful home, and this time we believe it will be forever.

Max has been waiting for six months for his forever family to come along. And today there was no doubt in anyone's mind that the moment had arrived. We’ve heard from Kandi and Victor that Max made himself right at home, had a bath , and played outside with his new companion, Skye. He is looking forward to a long and happy life and his new family couldn't be more pleased with their first day together.

Hello!

I am so excited to tell you about how great Bandit has been doing! He is a fantastic friend and I love spending time with him. I work from at home, so I spend all of my time with him. I set up his crate in my room in a little cubby hole in the wall.

So far, I have taught him how to sit and also I am teaching him to not pull on his leash while walking. He is picking everything up so fast because he is so smart!

I take him for at least 3 walks a day, and sometimes I run with him. He likes to run around the neighborhood with me. We have a huge open field right across the street from our house, and I take him out there and let him blow off some steam. He loves to chase the birds near our bird feeders.

I have a huge bean bag in my room that he loves to lay on with me. He is so content sitting on my lap while I watch a movie and chew on one of his many toys. We play tug of war and fetch all of the time. He takes naps because I think I wear him out from the long walks and runs we take. He is my best buddy and follows me around the house everywhere and likes to "help" me do things like put away my shoes and clothes by sitting right next to me and observing.

Bandit seems to really love it here! He is such a great dog and he is doing so well!

I will keep you up to date with him with info and pictures!

Thanks so much for all of your help!

Lindsey & Bandit