To no fault of her own, a sweet little dog named Cleo bounced from home to home for the first few years of her life. By the time Cleo was 6 years old, she had lived in five different homes and Cleo grew wary of all the changes. When another family move was in Cleo’s future, a family friend stepped in and adopted Cleo in the hopes he would be her final home. The two had bonded, she was loved and well cared for, but unfortunately, her new owner was paralyzed in a motorcycle accident and was unable to continue caring for Cleo. After his accident, a friend of his took Cleo into her home with the hope that she could provide Cleo with a final forever home.
Cleo’s new home brought new adventures, like dog training sessions and long hikes out in the country. She got lots of attention, grooming and even daily teeth brushings! Again, she was loved and well cared for, but the home was not quite right for quiet, shy Cleo. Her new adopted family included two other dogs in the home, and although Cleo can be dog social at times, living with two other dogs proved to be too much for her. The dogs did not always get along and after about 8 months of trying to cohabitate together, they made the difficult decision that Cleo really needed to be an “only pet”. They wanted to ensure Cleo truly found the right home for her needs, therefore they contacted Our Companions to assist in that search.
Cleo entered into our Rehoming Program in March 2023 when she was about 8 years old. Our Rehoming Program aims to keep pets in their current home situation, while we utilize our resources, media platforms, and marketing partnerships to find a suitable adopter and home that will best meet their needs. Pets will then move from their current home to their adoptive home, rather than moving to a shelter. This greatly reduces stress and helps with the transition process for pets as they settle into their new life.
Our team got right to work with understanding Cleo’s needs and personality, determining what would be a great fit for her, and promoting her across our network. We were seeking a home where she could be the only pet, someone that could understand her shyness, and a home full of patience and love where she could finally relax and settle in. Cleo took time to warm up to people given all the changes she had experienced in her life, but once she warmed up to you, she was such a doll! She just wanted to enjoy life’s simple pleasures, like chasing balls and going for walks, with people she felt safe and could trust.
In May 2023, we felt we had found a nice match for Cleo with applicants in a home environment with older teen/adults and no other pets. The applicants had not had a family dog together and felt it was a piece missing from their home. We set up a Meet and Greet with Cleo, her current owner, and the family. Everyone got along wonderfully, and it seemed both Cleo and the prospective family were very interested in each other! The family were not only patient, understanding, and motivated in their pursuit to find a great match for them, but they were also motivated to learn new things about having a dog join their home. They greatly appreciated all the information from our team about how to best set up Cleo for success with this next chapter.
During the home visit, Cleo was a bit nervous when we first arrived, but as the time went on, she seemed to become increasingly more comfortable in the home and surrounding yard. Cleo had a blast sniffing the fun smells in the field around their house. We noticed a few dogs in the neighborhood, but everyone kept to their own yards and Cleo couldn’t care less. It was certainly new territory for Cleo and for the family, and everyone took the steps towards adoption in stride!
The mom of the family had dogs as a kid and was very excited to have a family dog once again. The teenager daughter did a lot of the walking at our Meet and Greets and was so excited to have a pup to love and spoil! We also learned that the father of the family had recently suffered from a heart attack and he was very happy to have a daily walking partner. We spent a lot of time going over Cleo’s care and provided training articles and information to her new family. There is always a transition period where new pets need time to decompress and get used to new sights, sounds, and routines so we always keep in close contact with our adopters to make sure everything is going well. No one was sure how Cleo would do and we wanted to support the family since they have not had a dog in many years, but Cleo seemed to settle in to her new life like it was her destiny all along! In fact, the very first night she “walked right in the house like she had been there three times before” and made herself comfortable. When it was time for the teenager to go to bed, she said “let’s go up!” and the two went off to bed upstairs together!
Cleo seemed to settle in to home life with her new family right away. Each update about Cleo was filled with new milestones, which was huge for our shy gal! “She has a favorite chair she likes to rest on when we are all hanging out and LOVES tennis balls! Play time is really fun.” We would discuss many different aspects of dog ownership too, such as suggesting different enrichment activities, training tools and techniques, and respecting her need to decompress and have alone time in the new home. Cleo had a few known fears, like thunderstorms, and some unknowns, like how she would do meeting new dogs. The family took things slow with Cleo and really let her settle in without pushing her to do too many new things at once. This was especially important since dog ownership was new to the family and Cleo’s past was a bit unknown as well. It was important to give Cleo and her new family time to bond and get to know each other- It certainly paid off in the end!
After only a month in the home, Cleo seemed to adapt to her new life and schedule with no issues. Her family sent us this update, “We are amazed by how smart she is and I think she is getting comfortable with us too. Going through the few thunderstorms we have had over the last week or so has taught us what to look for and how we can try to ease her fear and give her comfort.” Her new family was certainly learning her cues and wanted to give her all the best that they could! As Cleo settled in to home life, her new family got to introduce her to new things too, and found a favorite treat of Cleo’s- small vanilla ice cream scoops!
During that first summer with the family, Cleo also attended daycare while she was boarding and even made a few doggy friends! This was wonderful since we knew Cleo had a social side, but knew she did not thrive living with other dogs daily. Now she can have some social friends without constantly sharing her space with them!
And of course, it wasn’t just a summer of fun for Cleo, it was all year long! Cleo loves to play and was rightfully spoiled throughout the year with stuffies, squeakies, and tennis balls. Her family shared, “She has really settled in well and completes our family. She is so smart and has quickly picked up our cues for when we are leaving for the day or bedtime, it’s really cute :)”. She gets daily walks with dad, special treats from mom, and lots of snuggles and love their teenager! Cleo settled into family life quickly and even enjoyed meeting new family members and friends! By the holiday season, Cleo had her own stocking for the fireplace and toys from Santa on Christmas morning.
We are overjoyed that Cleo finally got her last chapter with the family and home she’s always wanted. Cleo likes this little life of hers and the joy, love, and comfort her family brings! We’re so thankful that her family understood her needs and wanted to work towards giving her fulfilled, happy life. Congratulations to Cleo and her family, and to many more years of happy updates!
