A smiling couple with two small dogs, posing outdoors against a wooden fence, both wearing sunglasses and casual clothes, cute and cozy.

RUSTY & TRIXIE

Adopted February 2, 2020

Bonded pairs - when two dogs or cats must be adopted together - are a bit harder to find homes for, so we are super excited to announce Rusty and Trixie have a new home! Their previous owner kept the two of them in a small box so they would not escape until AALOC convinced the owner to surrender the dogs. Now they have plenty of room to roam, two loving owners and a brand new friend - a bulldog named Pumba!

Thank you to Makenzi and Tyler who adopted two dogs to ensure they were together! Tyler even made a special sign to welcome Rusty and Trixie to their home and new brother Pumba made Rusty and Trixie very welcome on their first house visit. We couldn't be happier for our two lucky pooches!

In a follow-up email from Makenzi she had this to say: "This is MaKenzi, my boyfriend Tyler and I adopted Rusty and Trixie from y'all a few months back and sitting here this morning I'm just super thankful for my babies and realized that we never sent you any pictures so wanted to send a few over. You should see them play. Trixie has all the toys and it didn't take Rusty long for Rusty Boy to start attacking them as well. Also wanted to say thank you so much for all that you did for them and all you do for the sweet babies in need of a home! We love these two more than I could have ever imagined - and they are the most spoiled dogs you've ever seen - and they know it!"

A woman with long blonde hair holds a small white and black dog close, both looking at the camera, in a cozy room.

NINA

Adopted September 5, 2019

When you volunteer at AALOC it’s easy to fall in love. You love all the dogs and cats at the shelter and they love you in return. But sometimes you meet one of the animals and recognize this special dog or cat was meant to be with you forever. That’s exactly what happened to Pam, one of the AALOC’s volunteers, when she met Nina.

Nina was smart enough to know in order to survive she had to find a kind human as she wandered an industrial area in Orange County. She came across a caring gentlemen from a local garage who took her in. Nina had no collar or form of identification and no one claimed her, so this gentlemen brought Nina to AALOC.

Nina is a senior dog, estimated to be about nine years old and has been diagnosed to be both arthritic and deaf. None of those issues concerned Pam at all and soon after Nina was available for adoption she went home to live with Pam, her husband and a friendly big dog by the name of Bear. If there is one being who loves Nina more than Pam it’s Bear. The two are already inseparable! Pam said: “We adore our little Nina and are having so much fun with her! Bear loves, loves, loves her. She gets so excited in the morning when she wakes up and does a happy dance. It’s so cute!”

Some people say they could never volunteer at a shelter for fear of getting too attached to the animals there. It is true you will meet and love so many wonderful animals but every so often you meet the one meant for you!

Happy, fluffy dog with tan and white fur, blue collar, tongue out, sitting on a couch by a fireplace. Top it at 140 characters, always ending the sentence.

SUNDANCE

Adopted August 25, 2019

Sometimes doggy dreams do come true: Sundance has a new forever home! That special someone who recognized what an incredible pooch Sundance was, finally came to take him home. Deana had adopted a female dog named Brandy from AALOC 10 years ago and returned recently to find another great dog. Sundance was just the right fit and he immediately fell in love with Deana, Brandy and his new family. With his striking blue eyes and energetic, friendly personality we just know Sundance will win Brandy’s heart in no time!

Deana sent the photos above and video from the first day Sundance came home. Sundance couldn't look any more comfortable or happy in his new home. In a recent update Deana said: "I just have to share more photos. Sundance and Brandy are best buds. He loves the couch and we are in absolute love with him! He knows more commands and never barks. Brandy has helped teach him too! We are so happy he is here!"

Thank you Deana for recognizing the amazing dog Sundance has always been!

Two people with a dog outdoors, posing by a garage; man in orange shirt and cap, woman in purple top, all smiling and happy.

DONUT

Adopted August 5, 2019

Just a puppy, Donut was living in the back of a car when he and his siblings were surrendered to AALOC. The rest of the litter were adopted but Donut was left behind for years. He was recently adopted by a wonderful couple - Jane and Greg - and we couldn't be more excited Donut finally has a loving forever home!

One of Jane's first reports on Donut said: "He's doing great! We've been going on lots of walks and he even went with me to Greg's hockey game last night. He did so well. I wasn't going to take him because I didn't want to overwhelm him, but he was a champ. He met Greg's family and even made friends with a little Pomeranian named Tucker."

They say a picture is worth a thousand words: the photos we received from Jane from Donut's first week with his new family bring tears to our eyes! Watching TV with his owner or napping on a rug may seem like quite the ordinary things for dogs that have had homes, but for Donut these were brand new experiences. Thank you Greg and Jane for opening your hearts and home to Donut.