There is a quote from Dee King that says “Love will travel as far as you let it. It has no limits.” For Hannah, love drove 2 days all the way from Denver, Colorado to Killeen, Texas. To travel such great distance for someone who you’ve never met can be scary to say the least, but when it comes to love, there is something in the back of your mind telling you to go for it and know it will work out perfectly.
Alex Wildee is a young lady who was looking for a new pet for herself as well as companion for her current pet, Jersey. While browsing Petfinder.com, she searched Catahoula and set no limit on the distance. After looking at over 50 pages, Wildee came across Hannah, a 2 year old Catahoula mix located in Killeen, Texas.
“Her spots, blue eyes, and bat ears jumped out at me, she called to my heart,” exclaims Wildee. “Her being from Texas pulled on my heart strings all the more because Jersey, my Catahoula mix, is also originally from Texas.”
After seeing the 15 hour distance from Denver to Killeen, Wildee had many concerns if adopting Hannah was even possible. She decided to contact Texas Humane Heroes anyways to learn more about Hannah and see if she was a good fit for their family. After several emails back and forth with staff, Wildee felt it was a perfect match, but still faced the issue of finding time to travel.
Her first plan to travel ended in failure and left Wildee feeling discouraged, thinking by the time the next opportunity comes, Hannah may already be adopted. She did a few local meets with other adoptable dogs in Denver, but none worked out and she always had Hannah in the back of her mind. After a few weeks, a TXHH staff member emailed Wildee saying not a single person has shown interest in Hannah.
“I was determined,” says Wildee. “I sponsored her adoption fee the next Thursday, switched shifts with my morning manager on Friday so I could be off by 1 p.m., loaded up the car and started driving!”
While nerves of the meeting between her current dog and Hannah were high, it all quickly melted away as the two dogs played like they had known each other their whole lives.
“Hannah’s adoption story was one of a kind,” says Adoption Center Manager, Jenna Gunshinan. “I have been in the animal welfare field for over 5 years and I have never met someone who drove from out of state to adopt a shelter dog they had never met before. Knowing Hannah is now a Colorado girl makes my heart burst with happiness. Having met someone who loves her animals unconditionally makes our job worth every second.”
It is truly a heartwarming story of what’s meant to be, will, and love knowing no boundaries. While adopting a pet is enriching the life of an animal, it also enriches the life of the adopter, providing a lifelong friendship.
“Her name is now Alaska, a new name to start a new life,” says Wildee. “I adore her and she will have a forever home with me for the rest of her life.”
