Animal Humane Association of Star Valley It's All About the Animals!
Merriam and her toy poodle Lucky from Arkansas were the winners of our Dec 20th Quilt Auction. Her bid and the creator of this beautiful masterpiece were such a generous donation to the shelter. We cannot thank them enough!
We would also like to say a special thank you to everyone for your donations, your time, and for participating in our fundraisers and events. It’s all for the animals!
Kipp continues to make progress even three years after adoption. He is now great with adults of both genders. As long as my husband or I are welcoming someone as they come through the farm gate, he will most often walk right up to strangers and let them pet or scratch his head.
He is still cautiously shy around other dogs and doesn’t exactly understand most play cues from other dogs. However he’s accepting of all but the most persistent puppies, and just gives them a grumpy no thank you. He’s perfectly happy to trot along and be around other dogs as they fetch, wrestle, or chase each other.
It took him almost six months to warm up to sharing his home with the exuberance of a loud, high energy child without trying to slink away to a quieter place. Now, however he and my 8 year old step-daughter are best buds. She has a slew of nicknames for him including “Kippy Poo” and “Kippy Boo Boo Bear.” She wrote a poem about him for school just before break called “Kipp the Mighty Kipp”.
He works hard on the farm at jobs he gives himself. He helps herd chickens and wrangle hogs. He chases off the wild birds that eat the chicken feed. He keeps the hawks and owls away. One time when my bull yak got loose he even jumped in to help me bluff-chase it back into the corral.
Thank you for your believing that this “dog aggressive, male fearing, child aggressive” dog deserved a second chance. Thank you for caring for him for 13 months at your shelter, and taking him back from another adoption that didn’t work out right. He is a celebrated part of our family. I am so grateful to have him.
Best,
Heather
We adopted Gus (Gustavo) From Lucky’s Place in October 2012 at the Jackson Fair. He is 12 years old now and a wonderful companion. He is the best boy in the world. We recently moved to Arizona and Gus enjoys the warm winter.
This picture was taken on Day 1 at the Jackson Fair. Gus continues to brighten our days. No more hiking but lots of walks! We thank you so much for the work you do and how you have made our life and Gus’s life so rich and happy!
Best,
Anne & Doug
“Clark Grable is starting to shed his old coat and beautiful healthy fur is coming in. He has gained a significant amount of weight but he isn’t quite as plump as our other kitty yet (we’re sure he will get there eventually). Salmon (our other cat) and he are tolerating each other well after a bit of a rocky start.
Clark Grable has successfully won the battle of the electronic train set we put up for Christmas (he hated it and as soon as it was off attacked every component😊). The work you do is probably thankless but very important and we appreciate it.”
Merry Christmas!
Sean and Heather
Hopper lived at Lucky’s Place for over three years before he found his forever home in June 2020. Though it took quite a while for Hopper to choose his new dad, we think he couldn’t have made a better choice! Below is what his new dad had to say about this special guy.
“Since the day he came to his new home, Hopper has gone on so many different adventures and has made even more friends. While some know him as a rescue dog that is troubled from his past… I now know him, as many other people do, as the sweetest and most loving companion a person could ever know.”
Hopper had the type of past that you would see on the animal rescue commercials. But that’s not who he is anymore, at least not to the average person he meets. Hopper has gained a lot since becoming a member of my family. He’s made countless friends with dogs and people alike. Whenever a guest comes over he likes to introduce himself right away and he’s still shy when people try to touch him, but he is almost unrecognizable from who he was back in June. He might have stayed in the shelter for 75% of his life, but he’s far from being a shelter dog anymore. I have plenty of pictures of him doing cute things, but instead here’s a picture of him today, an average Sunday.”
“We have a long journey to go with each other, but I know I speak for Hopper when I say that I can’t wait to do it with him.”
We were asked why we volunteer. The unselfish answer is that this is our way of giving back with so much gratitude for our three rescue dogs, Luke, Emma and Coffee. They are the loves of our life! The selfish answer is the feeling we get when we see the pure, unbridled joy that the dogs have for something as simple as a 30 minute walk. How true the statement that dogs are the only beings on earth that will love you more than they love themselves… and even if they don’t know you that well.
Scott & Lisa
We have always felt very fortunate for all that we have, and we are reminded of this daily when we hear about all that is going on in the world. Eventually, we decided we needed to be giving back to our community. And so, we gave the animal shelter a call. Once we started volunteering, we realized how much help the animals needed!!! At the shelter, there are so many things to do, whether your interest is walking dogs, cleaning, cuddling cats, or helping with fundraisers. Although it is tough work sometimes, we always leave there feeling good about helping our community and the animals.
Heather & River
Two years ago I felt the need to give back to the community, so I volunteered for a couple of organizations. When I found myself short on time, one organization went by the wayside. But nothing could induce me to give up my mornings at the animal shelter. Not only do I enjoy the people that work there, but interacting with the dogs is the highlight of my week.
It’s impossible not to fall in love with them. A few hours a week may not sound like much, but it allows me to get to know the dogs, give them some extra attention, and help out those that work tirelessly on their behalf. I’m now passionate about the right of every animal to have a loving home as well as the need to spay or neuter pets. Someday I hope to be able to foster on a regular basis.
Bree
Last fall we received a message that a Great Pyrenees was found up the Greys River Mountains, caught in a trap and badly injured. He was scared and starving to death, weighing only 50 pounds.
The poor boy had been up there for many days. A couple of heroic hunters managed to free him from the trap, get him out of the wilderness, and to the amazing vets at Bridger Animal Hospital. Miraculously the dog made it through the night and, under the care of Bridger Animal Hospital, continued to improve. Unfortunately, he did lose a foot due to his injuries.
He was adopted by a family who named him Trap (“Trapper”) and received a prosthesis to replace his lost foot. Trap’s new dad, Ed, says that he is amazingly fast playing with their other dog in spite of the lost foot.
“Overall, the prosthesis has been a real success and I want to thank you and all the people involved for arranging to get it for him.”
Trap is very happy with his new family and his bed, which is in front of the television. Ed says, “It amuses me to see him lounging in his bed watching TV with my wife and I in the evening, and he is particularly happy if we make popcorn.”
Trap seems to consider himself to be the roving ambassador of good will for the house. “He is Mr. Personality and greets all visitors and assumes everyone comes to see him. Maybe he’s right.”
After 3 years of waiting, she’d let herself go. Her hair was greasy and if someone tried to touch her, she shrank away as though the risk of someone breaking her heart again was simply too painful. Months of volunteer time later, I finally conceded that no one else was likely to adopt cranky old Pauline, so I brought this ‘sad sack’ home. Her sudden turn-around took everyone by surprise. With a self-assured grin, she immediately stretched out in a sunny window. Within days, her coat began to shine, and so did her mischievous personality. The little imp now cavorts along the couch, gallops after other cats, and purrs contentedly in laps whenever a coffee break is called. Such happiness is contagious. May it infect many others with the unexplainable urge to adopt.