This is not your typical adoption picture, because this is not your typical adoption story.
Last fall, a woman began the hardest journey of her life. She was homeless with no options, and refused going into shelter for fear of losing her best friend, a Pomeranian named Lady Bug. A pastor brought her story to the Homelessness Coalition meeting in Monroe County and a number of people began coming together to help create a future for Melissa and Lady Bug.
Soon, a family member was found to temporarily house Lady Bug while Melissa moved into a transitional housing program for the homeless. However, Melissa’s family member was unable to house Lady Bug for long and everything almost came crashing down again.
Finding a foster placement for ten year old Lady Bug proved difficult. Because of Melissa’s circumstances, she had been unable to update Lady Bug’s vaccinations and get her spayed, which are usually requirements before entering foster homes or boarding facilities. Lady Bug was originally rescued from Hurricane Katrina and because of that long ordeal, it was decided that she needed something much more stable than simply being passed from foster home to foster home.
Lenawee Humane Society was soon contacted for assistance with this unique situation and we agreed to help board her and update her vaccinations. An amazing representative from Monroe United Way offset the costs of caring for Lady Bug during her stay with a generous donation, and through tears Melissa said she would donate whatever she could for her beloved companion. True to her word, Melissa made an effort to make a small donation whenever possible to show her gratitude to our organization for keeping her companion safe.
When she first arrived, Lady Bug was confused and upset. She missed her mom. She wasn’t very friendly to staff and volunteers and barked constantly, begging to know what was happening. Lenawee Humane Society staff and volunteers made it their mission to make Lady Bug as happy as possible while she waited for the day she could go back home. Several weeks went by and Lady Bug finally began warming up to her temporary caretakers at LHS. She was enjoying her new routine and the people who gave her something to look forward to. We knew she was still missing her old life though.
Almost two months after Lady Bug came to Lenawee Humane Society, we received the news we had been waiting for! An apartment complex in Monroe had helped Melissa with the daunting task of finding a home where she could finally live with Lady Bug. While the Board of Project Second Chance Monroe donated furniture to Melissa’s new home, Lady Bug was getting ready for the reunion of her lifetime. With the help of Project Second Chance Monroe, Lady Bug was finally spayed and she received a bath, nail trim and new collar before making the journey home.
Marcie Cornell, Lenawee Humane Society’s executive director, hand delivered Lady Bug to Melissa in their new apartment on December 29th, 2015. The reunion was an emotional one, between Melissa’s smiling tears and Lady Bug’s frantic kisses, and it was quickly apparent that this mission had been well worth it.
Lenawee Humane Society wants to thank everyone who came together to help Lady Bug remain with her beloved Melissa. All too often we witness heartbreaking stories of families broken by these situations because other options do not exist. Thank you for coming together as a community to keep these two together, for understanding the impact a pet can have, and for making Melissa and Lady Bug’s dreams come true. Regardless of the obstacles and barriers involved, community members from Lenawee County and Monroe County overcame them together, and this collaboration will not be the last. We are now working on a grant which will offer people in homeless shelters and domestic violence shelters in both counties options for their pets while they find permanent housing, thus removing one more worry from their plate. We are committed to saving the lives of animals while enriching the lives of humans, and we appreciate every single person who helps us stand by our mission.
