Category: success stories

A Gotcha Day Celebration!

Posted on by Shae

Ryan and Lauri Vincent have fostered homeless dogs for the Humane Society of Utah for nearly two years, including senior dogs and three-month-old puppies with mange. Fostering is how they met Faith, their friendly and playful, nine-month-old pit bull breed type pup.

“Faith was around three days old when we first met her,” Lauri explains. “She had to be fed Pedialyte through a syringe, or she would die. This experience bonded our family so intensely that it felt like she was our baby in a way. So we decided to make her a member of our family.” 

On August 1st, Ryan, Lauri, their son Daniel and Faith attended our first annual Gotcha Day event, presented by Mountain West Veterinary Specialists (MWVS). This free event celebrated HSU adopters and included food vendors, photo-ops, live music, and an interactive community art piece. Plus, a birthday cake and puppuccinos for all the dogs in attendance!

“Most people who adopt pets don’t know the exact date their pet was born. We wanted to create an opportunity for our adopters to be able to observe their pet’s unofficial birthday. August 1 is “Dogust: The Universal Birthday for Shelter Dogs, so it was the perfect day to celebrate together with our adopters.” explains Kaya Nielsen, our Events & Merchandise Manager. An adoption anniversary is typically called a ‘gotcha day,’ and throwing a party to celebrate the occasion has become common among adoptive pet parents. 

According to the American Pet Products Association, an estimated 1.7 million people throw Gotcha Day parties for their pets every year. Since 46 percent of individuals in America adopt from rescues, humane societies, and animal shelters, many people throwing parties for their pets don’t know their birthdays, which is why these events have become so popular over the years. 

Kirsten Gull, the owner of MVWS and longtime Utah Humane supporter, says, “We were so happy to sponsor this birthday celebration because we are always looking for ways to help our animal friends and make our community a better place.”  

For those interested in throwing an epic gotcha party for their rescued pet, we recommend coming up with a theme, ordering pupcakes from your local pet-friendly bakery, and getting party favors and food for the humans. 

If you’re hosting an outdoor party during the hot summer months, as we did, be sure to put out plenty of cold water and some plastic baby pools in your yard so your party guests and pets can go for a dip.

There is no place like home, Will’s story

Posted on by Shae

Will, a four-year-old Australian Shepherd, needed surgery, and soon. He came to our Animal Resource Center suffering from severe bladder stones. As a result, he wasn’t eating or drinking and was at high risk of acute renal failure. For Will to regain his health, our veterinarian recommended urgent surgery to remove the stones. The estimated cost of this operation was $3,400.   

His family stressed that they would do anything to ensure Will lived a long and healthy life — but unfortunately, they couldn’t afford to pay for the surgery. 

“We wanted to keep him, of course. Will is a valued member of our family,” explained Jystine, Will’s guardian. “But we couldn’t afford the procedure to remove the stones, which would mean putting his life in danger. We didn’t know what to do or what our options were.” 

That’s when Jystine contacted the Humane Society of Utah for help. Our Admissions Team determined that our Pet Retention Program could assist Will’s family best. The program provides resources to pet owners who wish to keep their pets but are experiencing financial hardship. In addition, resources are offered to people and pets who genuinely need them and include food, medical care, or behavioral services.

Due to Will’s dire situation, our staff scheduled him for an urgent bladder stone removal operation. Stressed and worried about their pet, Will’s owners called to check on him every four hours. They wanted more than anything for Will to recover and return home as soon as possible. 

Fortunately for Will and his family, the surgery was a success, and after just one day of recovery, Will was able to go home. But due to the global pandemic, so many families like Will’s are struggling to make ends meet. 

And too often, when loving owners can’t afford food, medical care, or other essential care for their pets — they feel surrendering them to the Humane Society of Utah is the best or only option.

“While we have a great facility, and we work hard to provide the best possible care for the animals who come to us, a shelter is still a stressful place for any animal,” says Amber Henry, our Admissions & Placement Manager. “We’d much rather keep pets and people together, if possible.” 

Since then, Will’s owners have expressed their sincere gratitude to our team, who helped save Will’s life and make it possible for them to afford the costly surgery. Learn more about our Pet Retention Program at UtahHumane.org/petretention.