You all should know by now our affinity to great adoption stories. We love seeing them, we love hearing them, and we mostly love sharing them! At the end of May, a good looking boy walked through our doors and really charmed the pants off all of us. He was tall, dark, and handsome and we knew he would get scooped up in a minute. During his stay we named him Renato. Well as it turned out, Renato stayed with us a little longer than expect. After his scheduled neuter and a few days of being sick, it was a month before Renato was adopted, but as many good things in life, it was definitely worth the wait.
After the loss of their three family dogs and recently buying a new house, the Anderson family knew it was time to open their hearts and home to a new family member. After researching different dog breeds, they felt a Boxer, Besenji, or Australian Shepherd would best fit their home. They searched a few places but had no luck finding their right dog. They were then referred to Texas Humane Heroes and they figured what could it hurt?
They drive over and there is Renato, sitting and waiting for them.
“My heart skipped a beat and a big smile came across my face,” Karen Anderson says. “I say to my husband, ‘a Boxer!’”
They took him to the play yard where there was an instant connection. He was hugging, kissing, and playing with his soon-to-be parents. “I think he knew I would be his mommy.”
Renato quickly was promoted to Rollo Anderson and as much as his family changed his life, he has also changed theirs.
“I couldn’t imagine my days without him. He makes my heart smile.”
Every day is full of excitement for Rollo. He isn’t much of a morning guy, so when he does decide to start his day, he goes for walks and gets lots of play time. He joins his mom while she runs her errands to many different stores. He gets to pick out his own toys when they go to pet stores but Wal-Mart is by far his favorite because he gets popcorn chicken each time. Lucky dog!
He’s a huge hit with the other customers, especially the kiddos, and will personally check everyone’s cart to make sure they are buying only good things. While he walks great on a leash, when he is tired from all the shopping and attention, he reminds mom that it’s nap time by grabbing the leash and pulling Karen out the door. Sometimes moms don’t realize how long they’ve been shopping and need the reminder.
“Rollo is not only our pet, he is our family. My husband and I are truly blessed with Rollo. He is our new love. I will do whatever I need to to protect him. I love him so much, he has truly changed my life. I have a happy life but now I have lots of love to share and give my new buddy.”
Since his adoption, Rollo has become a certified PTSD service dog.
“Rollo smiles all the time now because he knows the world is a good place and he is now part of a loving family that will do anything for him.”