Animal Welfare Professionals

Tell us about your first pet!

What kind of pet was your first? What was their name? Where did you get him/her from?

Share your favorite memory and add a picture if you have one! 

My first pet as an adult, was a 3 year old cropped ear pit bull, that was a long term shelter dog because he was police custody case for animal cruelty, who also had severe dog aggression, and some orthopedic issues.

I started fostering him to get him out of the shelter, and within 24 hours of being in my home, his personality blossomed, and it was obvious how much i needed this dog to stay with me forever.

He was quite challenging, but I was dedicated to helping him no matter what, and he became the best dog I ever had. I owe so much to this dog, and I will forever be grateful for the opportunity to be his guardian. Below is a picture of him on a walk, which he looooooved). The other is a picture of him in his geriatric age, with my young son gently caressing his muzzle. 

He looks like such a love bug! What was his name?

His name was Bubba. Somehow his nickname became Hans Bubbanoff, but I’m not sure how we made the stretch 😂 

Funny how we expand our dog's names.  I had an Afghan hound named Garbo and is became Garbonzo Bean and Beaner.

haha, i think it must be so common
I have a dog now named "Maggie," and I call her "Magaroni" and sometimes just "Roni"

So true! I'm sure my neighbors think my dog's name is Klunkers or maybe even Bubbaloo because that's what I'm always calling her when her name is actually Kloke

Other than lizards and a hamster or two growing up, my first dog was a black lab named Sparky! I still remember the day I heard my Dad pull up at the house, I heard a dog barking and there was the little playful pup, with poop all over his feet from the kennel he was traveling in. He was my entire family's first dog and he was such a sweetheart. Unfortunately, our time with him was cut short when he got sick (maybe around age 4/5) but I still have really great memories of playing lots of fetch and belly rubs. 

I choose to share my first pet as an adult--a wonderful dog.  His given name was Dangeresque Charcoal March of Spiders the First, and there will never be a second...

'Danger' was a largish, hairy, black dog.  That didn't get him adopted very quickly despite a sweet temperament.  Add to that a history of seizures, this 2.5 year old boy was destined for a rather long shelter stay.  I had many opportunities to guess his breed...anywhere from Golden mix--he looked a lot like a Golden Retriever, only black--a Flat Coated Retriever?  Newfie mix?  German Shepherd mix?  Bavarian Hovawart? (look it up, it's a real breed!)

I adopted Danger the summer of my sophomore year in college from the Oregon Humane Society.  He was a regular fixture on the college campus and a wonderful companion through the difficulties of navigating higher education as a person with a mental illness.  He (and another dog and 4 cats) accompanied me in a cross-country move and helped me adjust to living in a place where I'd never wanted to return.

He taught me a lot about caring for him, and for myself.  He did have seizures that were well-controlled on medication and lived to the ripe age of about 14 years, where I gave him the greatest gift of letting him go in peace and without pain.

He was the best dog ever and I miss him terribly, even though I had never been that much of a dog person...he was just what I needed.  And he helped me more than I can ever say.

My first dog, the dog that was my dog, not a family dog, was Chanty, Chantilly Forever Faithful, C.D. I paid for her myself when I was 12 and she was my best friend and companion for 12 years.  She taught me humility, patience and love.  She got me through the angst of my teenage years and to her I am forever grateful.  Without her I would not have had the experiences with dogs that came after with Garbo, Jazz, Joel, Nero, Macy and on and on.  Thank you, Chanty, for being the best friend a girl could have.

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Such a beautiful girl! 

When I was 32, I traded my 8 y. o. Volkswagen to my administrative assistant for her 7 y. o. Irish Setter (she was simplifying her life, soon to divorce & move out of state). Red never left the house without something, usually a sock, in his mouth. If we headed out & there was nothing in his mouth, Red would duck his head & grab some landscaping stones. 

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My first pet was a dog named Penny that my parents got when I was 1! As my mom tells the story, she asked my dad for a Golden Retriever - he came home with Penny.  When she said Penny wasn't a Golden, my dad said that's what they said she was at the shelter!  :) We've decided she was the first Golden Doodle.

My first pet as an adult is my dog Jack!  He's the best and came from Tuscaloosa Metro Animal Shelter after my co-worker and I found him in the median of a 4-lane highway.  He sat in my lap giving me kisses on the way to the shelter and two days later I realized he was mine!  His hold period was up the day before I went home, so off to SF with me he went.  That was 11 fun-filled years ago.

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