Lucky’s Journey Through HSC for #GivingTuesdayCLT

Well hello there, friends.  My name is Lucky the good boy, and I am 14 years old.  Don’t let my age fool you though…I am just as quirky and energetic as some of the younger pups.  This story is about my journey at the Humane Society of Charlotte and all of the nice people who helped me as I waited for a new home.   

Back in my day, I lived with a family and enjoyed all of the love and belly rubs that a young pup could get.  One day, I began to not feel very well, and let’s just say that I had a tough time waiting to go outside to use the potty. It broke my heart when my mom was no longer able to provide the care or medicine that I needed to feel better.  She brought me to a shelter nearby where I stayed until my friends at HSC wanted to help me find a new home, and transported me to their Animal Resource Center. 

I arrived at HSC in a shiny blue and green van and was eager to see where I had traveled.  My journey started with an intake exam with HSC’s shelter veterinary team.  They guided me onto a table, and I was able to ride it as it magically lifted into the air.  Once the table was in place, the vet began to check my heart, my breathing, and my teeth.  They said that although they noticed a heart murmur, I was healthy, and they knew exactly how to make me feel better.  I no longer always had the urge to go potty thanks to the care that they gave me for a urinary tract infection.  

The next stop on my journey was a visit with a friendly lady who confirmed what I knew already: that I am a good boy.  She conducted what they called a behavior assessment, and she asked me to sit for a yummy treat.  Little did everyone know that I would do anything for a treat.  With a goal of receiving more delicious pieces of Pupperoni, I showed off my sit, lay down, and paw skills.  I think that everyone was happy with my temperament, and I had a full belly by the end of my assessment.   

After my medical exam and behavior assessment, HSC said that I was ready for adoption.  They gave me a very clean and spacious dog suite to call mine until a new family would take me home.  I have been sitting in my suite day after day, but no one seems interested in taking an older dog like me home.  All I want is a soft bed, a new family to cuddle with, and plentiful treats for my talents.  The staff and volunteers at HSC give me lots of attention, and I enjoy walks outside and time in playgroups with my fellow shelter dogs. They take great care of me, and remind me to trust that my new family will come very soon to take me home. 

One of my favorite things to do while I wait to get adopted is listen to little humans read to me through a program that HSC calls Reading Buddies.  It is very calming to have this human interaction, and I just love kids!  Every couple of days, a new friend puts his or her blue cushion in front of my suite door, passes treats to me, and then reads me a story.  I have no idea what the stories are about, but I can tell that these kids are gaining so much confidence from reading to my nonjudgmental ears.  They make me feel happy!  

It has been two months and my story is still being written, here is my dream…after months of waiting, they’ll come for me: my new family.  I would have just been resting my eyes when I blink and see them looking at me with a smile on their face.  Quickly I’ll stand up and go to my suite door to greet them and show them how nicely I can sit.  We will look at each other for a couple of moments, and then they will walk away. At this moment, I hope more than anything that they come back for me.  A few minutes later, my wish comes true, and they come back with one of HSC’s adoption counselors.  They grab a leash, and take me outside to one of the meet and greet areas.  I immediately run up to them, sit down, and give them a paw (yes, I saw the treat bag in their hands).  We will have so much fun getting to know each other, and I will know that they are special. They are my new family; I can just feel it.   

After a few minutes, I will be taken to the HSC lobby, and my new family will be waiting to take me home.  We will grab a few supplies from HSC’s retail store (including two bags of treats; my favorite), and then we will walk out of HSC to start our new life. This is my dream – I will be adopted. 

I hope that you enjoyed my story, and I hope that you will help my friends at the Humane Society of Charlotte give thousands and thousands of happy endings to other homeless pets like me.  I know I will spend my golden years loved and cared for. All I could ever dream for. 

Will you make my dream a reality? Come visit me at the Humane Society of Charlotte and bring lots of treats! Lucky is still waiting for his forever home and available for adoption today. View his profile here.