I'm not really sure what made us decide to pay a visit to the Casper Humane Society over Memorial Day weekend.  My daughter and I were out killing time and happened to be passing by, we'd never seen the facility and figured what the heck.  We certainly weren't in the market for a new dog - we already had one at the house (and a very territorial one to boot).  Then, it happened.

Yoda The Dog
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Meet Yoda The Dog.  He just happened to be in the last room we visited on the tour, just happened to be the same breed and about the same color and size as our current dog. and just happened to give us just the right look to make us stop and visit.  Some would argue that the Pekingese has a face only a mother could love - but we've always had a soft spot for them after we came by our first dog, Izzy, via a charity auction.  (Funny, we weren't exactly "in the market for a dog" that night either.  Noticing a trend here.)


We spent a little time visiting and playing with him, and basically wrote off the idea that an adoption would be happening - our current dog hasn't been socialized much, has a bit of "big dog syndrome" - plus was raised by cats, and is extremely loyal and territorial.  Her job, as she sees it, is to keep all intruders away from her family - especially those of the four-legged variety.  We live near a spot where people walk their dogs often - and she's on a constant vigil to make sure any dog that gets too close to the fence knows who's boss.  (Sorry, neighbors.)

Yoda & Izzy - The Meeting
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My daughter thought we should give it a shot anyway and set the two up for a visit - so we went home and got our current beast, brought her in, and awaited the massive canine disagreements that would surely follow.  For some reason, nothing happened.  Yoda turned out to be the one dog on the planet that our other dog would tolerate - we're still not sure if it's the combination of male vs. female, being the same breed, or if Izzy was taken in by the honest face and kind temperament the same way we were.



We went back for a couple of meetings afterwards, just to make sure that it wasn't some freak accident - everything continued to gel with the hounds, so we officially started the adoption process.  A few days later, after some reference and vet-checking, a quick survey of our backyard, an adoption fee and a little paperwork - we officially made Yoda a member of the family this afternoon.

Izzy & Yoda Relaxing Over Dinner
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Gotta hand it to the Casper Humane Society - these people genuinely care about the animals and the people they connect, and really go the extra mile to follow up and make sure that they're putting these pets in the right homes with responsible owners.

It's also Casper's only no-kill shelter, and runs largely on the power of volunteers - there's no city, state, or national funds available to them.  All their operating budget comes from donations, memorials, bequests, adoption fees, and fund drives.  Whether it's the Super Garage Sales, their Cans For Critters recycling program, the Valentine's "Spay-ghetti" Dinner, Strut Your Mutt, or their upcoming Wild West Egg-Fest - they really need help a) getting the word out, and b) connecting with responsible pet owners that could find room in their homes and hearts for an extra critter.  It's a big commitment, and one that shouldn't be taken lightly - but the people at CHS will help you make sure you're ready, and connecting with the right pet.

Their motto - "Until There Are None, Adopt One".   Check!

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