Elle S.
Yelp
Amazing, grateful, compassionate, ahhhhh thank you so much.
I did not intend to meet my best friend but I came out with the kind of dog you read about in books.
SUMMARY:
- Make appointments online, appt times are released 2 times per week
- A 10-day adoption trial is a genius idea to test compatibility but also not push a commitment without testing the waters (you're supplied food, toys, a harness, a Pasadena Humane Society collar, emergency support should something happen, a 24-hr hotline)
- You can meet and greet the dog in a playpen during your appt
- The staff returns calls within a day & is always informative
Appts can be made online & are 45-min visits with an animal (you can choose more than one) that you see online. I have been interested in fostering a large dog to get them out of the shelter. I saw online that 'Morticia' was a border collie mix & I was just curious if I could handle a border collie mix. I also made an appt to meet Raymundo, a large Labrador retriever.
I met Raymundo and he was HUGE, like MASSIVE. My only critique for this place is to list weights instead of small, medium, large because the dog I thought was smaller (Raymundo) turned out to be a fricking dinosaur, and the dog I thought was bigger (now named 'Gemma') was waaaaaay smaller than she appeared in the photograph.
Then... I saw Gemma. Oh my. My mother said "she's absolutely breathtaking." She would tune in to dogs barking in their kennels but come back to me repeatedly. We were in awe of her elegance & beauty.
Another critique which I don't think can be solved bc it's part of the nature of animal shelters is contradicting stories on why she was in the shelter. The handler said she was surrendered pregnant & her puppies were adopted out immediately (obv, puppy privilege) & the owner had given her the dark name - but the woman in the office said Gemma was found with her "boyfriend" as strays and they named her for the Halloween vibes since this was in October. It doesn't specify in my paperwork, so I'm still confused. However, there are a lot of dogs that come in and out of here, & you can't expect every employee to know the details of every single dog.
STORY TIME:
I met Gem before leaving for a 10-day trip to Chicago & would have adopted her on the spot but a trip would be so stressful for her. My mother said, "leave it to fate" & I held onto that.
While in Chicago, I checked her profile almost daily. I had to stop myself from looking some days in case she was adopted. Half of me wanted her to find a home, but the other half felt this intrinsic bond to her. One day I noticed she was listed as "foster" and they called me back & said it's just a fostering situation. I was relieved that Gemma (I named her before I even got her) was in a real home for the holidays.
I then called and said hey, I want to make an adoption appointment for when I return. They cannot hold any dog (which is good for the dogs; you want to give them the opportunity to be adopted). We made the appointment, and they said if anything changes we will call. I confirmed the appt the day before & the same thing was said to me.
Then!!!! Came the day!!! I came to pick up Gemma & it's amazing how many resources they give you:
1. Free VCA vet visit
2. Free 30-days pet insurance that we activated
3. All paperwork including rabies vaccine and spay/neuter proof
4. Information on crate-training, introducing a dog to a cat, the 3 day (nervous wreck) - 3 weeks (assimilating) - 3 months (real personality emerges) info sheet
5. A discount for training classes offered at Pasadena Humane (I live in Long Beach but otherwise I would go)
6. A free bag of Hill's pet food they feed them at the shelter (good for weaning off the food to another brand since you have to do it gradually)
7. Get to keep the easy walk harness
8. Get to keep the shelter number tag attached to her neck (I put it in my memory box)
9. Get an adoption certificate with your name & the new name of the pet
I am so, so, so, so, so happy with Gemma. She is the most intelligent, most playful, most inquisitive creature I've ever come across. I didn't think I could get a dog after my late senior terrier passed away 8 months ago, but when I met Gemma, I had that same feeling I had when I met my Belle. This wonder & thought of "why do I just want to know everything about you." I cannot for the life of me believe she was at the shelter October - January. Everyone tells me, "it's so clear that she genuinely loves and adores you," and that is all I could have asked for in a companion.
Thank u so much Pasadena Humane Society for caring for Gemma & for tolerating my phone calls wondering if she was still available. I'm so lucky
Elle & Gemma