“I think a lot of times shelter dogs don’t get enough credit. I think they know what’s going on. It’s like they know that ‘Hey, I’m kind of in a bad situation and these people gave me a second chance.’ ”
Jen Holtus » Read about her adoption of Moon Pie,
When their Australian shepherd died a few weeks ago, Jen and Will Holtus found themselves yearning to fill a void in their Thornton home. Even with two other dogs and a young son, the house seemed too quiet, so they decided, in Jen’s words, “to make the herd complete again.”
“It just seems like a number that works for our family,” she says. “Three humans, three pups.”
So they browsed online, searching for another shelter dog that would provide a good fit with an active family that relishes the outdoors. There was never any question that they’d adopt from a shelter, Jen notes. The dogs just seem to sense that they have gotten a reprieve.
“I think a lot of times shelter dogs don’t get enough credit,” she says. “I think they know what’s going on. It’s like they know that ‘Hey, I’m kind of in a bad situation and these people gave me a second chance.’ ”
The face that caught their eye belonged to a 2-year-old Queensland heeler mix named Moon Pie, a reddish-brown and white-flecked sweetheart that just days earlier had made her way to Colorado, and the Denver Dumb Friends League Buddy Center, from the Peaceful Animal Adoption Shelter in Vinita, Okla.
Moon Pie was one of about 30 on the weekly transport that brings dogs from an overpopulated swath of the Midwest to Colorado, where adoptive families snap them up within days. The Holtus family — including one of their current dogs — drove to the DDFL’S Castle Rock shelter to meet Moon Pie in person.
“She came up and kind of said hello to each of us, including our son, which is encouraging, because cattle dogs can be skittish around kids,” Jen says. “She was mellow, and she didn’t seem overwhelmed by her new atmosphere.”
A bond formed. Then, while the Dumb Friends League worker was sorting out the paperwork, Moon Pie — whom they would rename Kadie — curled up next to Will’s leg. That sealed the deal.
Recalls Jen: “We just said, ‘OK, she’s comin’ home.’ ”
Shelter workers told the family that Kadie may have been a stray in Oklahoma, but Jen isn’t so sure.
“I don’t think she could have been a stray for too long, because she knows basic commands,” she says. “I think someone had her at some point.”
Kadie had to be spayed before heading to the Holtus home, but now she has settled in.
“So far, so good,” Jen says. “With all the snow, she and our Lab were just chasing each other around. And she’s an immediate pro at playing fetch — she just drops the ball at your feet.”
Kadie’s new family promises to keep her running — they love to fish and camp and generally spend time outdoors. That’s part of the reason Jen figures Colorado has become such a destination for shelter dogs from across the country.
“I think it’s partially the landscape, that there’s so much to do and explore, and that it’s great to have that furry companion with you,” she says. “I’ve always been a dog lover, and I’m happy to give one a home whenever we can. My husband says I’d adopt them all if I could. That’s probably true.”