Forrest with a new friend

Roper

Three dogs came into our program when their caregivers decided they were not good "working" dogs for their farm. Bear, a red Australian cattle dog, Sheba, a small cattle dog mix, and their son, Roper, were all living on chains in the yard. All our foster homes were full, so the trio were listed on Petfinder in the hope that someone would see them and want to adopt them.

A woman living near Washington, D.C. spotted Bear's cute face on Petfinder in August, 2002. She was a little skeptical because Bear had spent three years living outdoors on a chain, and she lives in a two-bedroom apartment with another cattle dog. But she couldn't resist his sweet expression. He seemed to be saying, "Give me a chance, I am such a good boy!" Living six hours away from Monroe County, she began emailing MCAL about him, and pretty soon she and a good friend made the drive to a meeting spot halfway there (MCAL checked out her references long-distance and made sure Bear would be going to a good home).

"Bear (now Forrest) is the absolute sweetest, most laid-back cattle dog I have ever met!" reports his new "mom." He took to crate-training during his housetraining stage, and now, after taking hour-long hikes in the woods, wading in streams and chasing squirrels, he is content to lounge on the couch and chew on bones.

His adopter wanted to help Sheba and Roper find homes before the cold weather set in. In suburban Washington, D.C., the dog overpopulation problem is not as severe as it is in rural West Virginia. Most dog caretakers are educated about spaying and neutering (as well as adoption) so, although shelters continue to receive dogs people don't want, it's usually easy to find homes for healthy, good-tempered dogs like Sheba and Roper. So, in October, the pair of long-distance Monroe County volunteers (from Northern Virginia) returned to make a rendezvous with a local MCAL volunteer. Arrangements had been made for Sheba and Roper to go to a Northern Virginia Humane Society shelter where it was certain they'd be adopted quickly. And they were! At only 25 pounds each, the two little dogs were chosen as soon as they hit the adoption kennels. Sheba now lives with a Secret Service agent who likes to take her on trail rides with her horse! Roper, a snuggle-buddy at heart, lives with a single woman who wanted a portable little companion, and she is thrilled with her new fur-kid.