Their Story: Our caravan of vehicles started the route to Temple on an early September morning. We were off to rescue kenneled pure bred dogs from a puppy mill that had been in operation for years. I was both nervous and excited to be a part of ending their journey as dogs whose sole purpose was only to produce for profit. We approached the property with local law enforcement, just to keep the peace. I saw pen after pen of poodles, chihuahuas, Boston terriers and min-pins. We rescued approximately 77 dogs, with some of them being newborns. I volunteered to foster #22, an apricot poodle with a huge belly, ready to give birth. On October 1st, Mama gave birth to a little apricot boy and a black and white little girl. I raised them to 8 weeks of age, and then it was time to return them all to the Humane Society of Williamson County to find their forever homes. The little boy was adopted by a friend and I was tickled because I knew I could follow his life growing up. Well, I can follow Mama and her daughter Marie's life also. They were adopted by...ME! They just spent their first Christmas surrounded by family, cuddles and warmth...and lots of toys! This fostering experience gives me peace and satisfaction to know that Mama did not have to give birth in the soil this time and not be all alone. She will never have to give birth again and gets to live out her years playing and nurturing her baby girl. This is the first time a puppy has not been ripped away from her. Mama is 8 years old and has had a hard life, but her remaining years will be filled with happiness, love, hugs and her little girl, Marie.

Their Story: Upon my return from Afghanistan, my son, Skyler, wanted to adopt a kitty. We looked all over the Georgetown, Leander and Cedar Park area. Finally, we went into the Humane Society office on Crystal Falls. Skyler fell in love with a little kitty named Maddox. When they opened the door, Maddox jumped out onto Skyler and grabbed onto him. I knew we were getting that kitty. In the same cage, up on the top shelf was Maddox's mom, Mitts. She was very calm and just laid there and watched. When we told the ladies at the shelter that we wanted to adopt Maddox, they explained that the mom, Mitts, had been very ill and all of her kittens had died except for Maddox. They explained that Maddox could be adopted seperately, but preferred they stay together. Skyler, who is very soft hearted, looked up at me and said "please dad, can we get them both". So, we did get Maddox and Mitts. They have been a wonderful addition to our family. Maddox acts more like a dog than a kitten. He follows us around the yard and is always right by us when we are outside. He and Mitts will lay by us and watch us when we are out in the yard playing or working. Maddox also tries to tackle Skyler when he is playing football. If any small kids or dogs come to visit, Maddox stalks and ambushes them. We couldn't be happier with the addition of Mitts and Maddox to our family and I believe that they are very happy with us as well. Thanks to everyone at the Humane Society of Williamson County. They were very helpful and friendly with the adoption process.

Their Story: On 11-02-2009 I came to make a donation. I picked a day when HSWC was closed so I could get in and out quickly since I have a soft heart. Didn't work out that way since as I was walking out a volunteer was walking in with a beautiful brindle dachshund. Upon closer look I saw his jaw was broken and the tail had a kink in it, my heart melted. Gunner came home the next day to embark on his new life. After talking with the Humane Society and my vet it was decided not to fix his jaw since he was not in pain and it was an old injury. He might look a little different but he loves his toys and plays tug all the time, very gently of course. He has been with us for a year now and has passed the AKC CGC test and begun training for agility. The weekend of 11-06 & 11-07 he competed in his first agility trial. With his true love of life and tail up he ran with all his heart and was first place in all three events and had qualifying time in two events. Gunner has come a long way in this past year from being on a euthanasia list, to the HSWC and finally to a loving home.

Their Story: I had been looking for a dog for weeks before coming to HSWC in August 2010. I live in Austin so I had been to every SPCA, Humane Society, and pound in the area only to come up empty-handed or fall in love with a dog that was already in the process of being adopted. As crazy as it may sound, I was visiting the Town Lake Animal Shelter every morning to see if I could find "the one" before someone else claimed him/her. My patience was wearing thin and I was beginning to wonder if I would ever find my forever friend. My parents live in North Round Rock and one day my mom happened to be in the area of the HSWC and she stopped by. There were several small dogs that fit the description I was looking for, but she knew right away Lucy was the one. She immediately called me but, I couldn’t make it out in time that day so she hung around the shelter until closing trying to make sure no one would adopt her. The next morning I made the trek out to HSWC. I even skipped my morning class at UT because I had a feeling, a feeling that this was the day I would bring home my best friend. As soon as I saw Lucy, I knew she was it. Her combination of cuddles and playfulness was perfect and she followed me around in the play pen and jumped in my lap whenever possible. Now, Lucy and I are truly best pals. She has a deep love for stuffed animals (and tearing them apart!), tug of war and fetch, and she loves meeting other dogs and people. I take her everywhere I can to satisfy her curiosity. She also lovingly follows me around no matter where I go in the house (even in the shower!), and she curls up with me in bed at night. She is the best roommate a girl could ask for!

Their Story: I adopted my Tibetan terrier Brian from a rescue group, and watching him become socialized and confident after his history of neglect and near starvation was extremely rewarding. But Brian needed a friend to keep him company during the day, and I wanted a new puppy! I knew I wanted a large breed as I'd never had large dogs, only small ones, and I wanted a puppy because I'd never had one of those either. People said I was crazy, too much work, Brian would hate him, he'd ruin my house, etc, etc.

I went to the Humane Society of Williamson County to look at an adult female Catahoula/Great Dane, and she was huge and out of control! But the staff said they had a puppy named Ceasar that was also (probably) a Dane/Catahoula, so I went to check him out. He was a little watermelon of a puppy, half again as big as his littermates, bigger than my Tibetan terrier Brian at 9 weeks old. I absolutely fell in love with his calm personality and multi-colored coat, and I knew it was meant to be. I renamed him Zevon after the late folk singer Warren Zevon; I liked the music and loved the name.

Raising a large breed puppy was a challenge but he surprised me by how quickly he learned the dog door and housebreaking was never a problem. He got bigger every day; I remember watching his adult teeth come in and thinking to myself, "What have I set myself up for? This dog is going to be HUGE!" The funniest part was watching Brian and him negotiate their relationship; a little 20lb Tibetan terrier can be pretty fierce when faced with a giant and growing puppy who needed constant reminders of the hierarchy. Zevon loved Brian immediately, and it didn’t take nearly as long as I expected for Brian to warm up to him. Before long they were best buddies, and Zevon picked up Brian's easygoing nature as he grew.

Now, 3 years later and shortly after his 3rd birthday, Big Z (as he is affectionately known) is 110lbs of pure sugar. He's absolutely the sweetest dog you have ever met. I am so proud of him and so thankful to the Humane Society for the work they do ensuring unwanted puppies like Z find good homes and never see hunger, neglect or abuse.

Their Story: One sunny Saturday and months after talking about finally getting our first dog together, we set out for the HSWC just to see the pups we’d been looking at for weeks through the website. We weren’t sure if we’d find the right companion for our small apartment after visiting with a few wonderful but incredibly energetic pups. But then we spotted Monte, a long haired miniature dachshund. We could just tell that he needed a family after taking him for a long walk and just sitting in the shade relaxing with him. He is the calmest dachshund alive! Some people had warned us of the breed's stubbornness but we quickly had him house/crate trained minus his first encounter with the trash can, marking it as his own haha! He does the funniest thing when we give him a treat inside... After finding a hiding spot for it, he'll dig an imaginary hole in the carpet or couch then nudge the imaginary dirt back over the hole with his nose. Amazingly, he never forgets where he stashes his loot. He's quite a mighty dog in a mini package that's sure to light up our lives for years to come.

Their Story: After moving out on my own and living in my apartment for over a year, I decided I wanted some company. I remembered seeing cats at the Humane Society of Williamson County shelter and because I knew they were a no-kill shelter I wanted to adopt from them. I'd never adopted a pet before so I wasn't sure what to expect. At first, I just sat with all of the cats trying to decide which one was a good fit for me. Then I saw this white cat sitting all by himself, and I asked if I could see him. From the moment I got to play with Zeus, I knew he was the friendliest cat, and I could see him going home with me. When he got to my apartment, he was the epitome of a "scaredy cat". I wasn't even able to turn on the TV without him running to the bathroom to his "safe spot". I was patient with Zeus though and we took our time getting to know each other. It's been three years since then and in that time Zeus's confidence has grown tremendously. He is a very happy cat and it's not unusual to find him curled up cozily in my laundry basket (his favorite place to be). Zeus makes me feel like a proud parent! Adopting him was one of the best decisions I've ever made.

Their Story: After buying our first house, we realized that we had a huge yard and no playmate for our one-year old boxer mix, Josie. She had so much energy, and loved other dogs, and no matter how hard she tried, our cat Cesar did not find her wrestling game nearly as fun as she did. As an HSWC volunteer and past adopter, I respected the hard work the shelter was doing to make Williamson County a no kill community, and so naturally it was the first place we went. At the shelter we met so many absolutely amazing dogs, choosing just one to bring home seemed impossible. When we brought Josie to meet her new potential playmates, she made the decision for us -- she and Quinn instantly hit if off, they played, ran together, and Quinn was completely content to be the beta dog, following Josie around rather than challenging her for dominance.

The HSWC staff helped us so much during the process, they even introduced Quinn to cats to make sure she wouldn't be aggressive towards ours. Quinn was found as a stray at 2 months old, was taken to Town Lake Animal Shelter where HSWC staff saved her just before her planned euthanasia. We are so grateful that they did! Adopting Quinn was one of the best decisions we ever made. She has not only made Josie happier than I have ever seen her, she gets along with our two cats, and is a bundle of love, cuddles and affection. She has taken to her new home very well, she fancies herself a guard dog, but loves lounging on the deck. At only 5 months old, she has definitely brought with her her own set of unique challenges (for example, she can leap onto the counter in one swift movement and steal anything her heart desires), but with training, love and positive reinforcement she is growing from an adorable puppy into a fabulous dog, and is an irreplacable member of our family!