Latest news with #WataugaHumaneSociety
Miami Herald
15-07-2025
- General
- Miami Herald
Foster mom couldn't keep dog — but kept vow to return for her. ‘Wasn't a dry eye'
A foster mom couldn't keep a dog — but kept a promise to return for her. That's when the woman adopted Winnie Bean Pocket with 'no hesitation,' ending her longtime stay at a North Carolina shelter. 'There wasn't a dry eye in the building,' Danielle Deschamps, communications coordinator for the Watauga Humane Society, told McClatchy News in a July 15 email. 'This isn't an easy vocation we've chosen, and stories like Winnie's are what keep us going. Her resilience, the community's compassion, and a foster's promise fulfilled… it's a story we'll carry in our hearts for a long time.' The shelter celebrated the emotional adoption after Winnie had been in and out of its care for three years. She first arrived 'on a date as memorable as she is: 02/22/2022,' according to Deschamps. 'She's endured two foster homes, three intakes, 12 kennel moves, two failed adoptions, one surgery, and 56 vaccines,' the shelter wrote in a Facebook post. 'She's known more change — and more waiting— than any dog ever should.' Over time, Winnie became known as a charming pup with a diva-like personality. But she struggled at the shelter. 'Her most recent stay with us lasted 280 days — and it wore on her,' Deschamps wrote. 'The stress of the kennel, the constant noise, the emotional toll… it made her reactive and anxious. She would injure herself by repeatedly jumping in her kennel, and one injury was bad enough to require stitches and a cone. It was clear: she needed out, and she needed love.' At one point, a foster parent took in Winnie during Hurricane Helene. The woman fell for the dog, but her landlord wouldn't let her keep her. So, she vowed to come back to the shelter when her lease was over. Then nine months later, the woman 'kept her word.' She couldn't live without Winnie, leading to the heartwarming adoption, the shelter wrote in its email and on social media. 'They've already shared a home,' the humane society wrote. 'They've already shared their hearts. This time, it's forever. It was a good day — ugly crying happy tears and all.' The shelter is in the mountain town of Boone, a roughly 85-mile drive west from Winston-Salem.
Miami Herald
10-07-2025
- General
- Miami Herald
‘Big ol' goofball' dog rescued after hurricane still needs home 200 days later
A dog rescued after a hurricane is being overlooked — and he's 'waiting for a chance to belong.' G.G. Goof has spent roughly 275 days growing up at a North Carolina animal shelter after arriving as a puppy. 'Goof is exactly what his name suggests — a fun, lovable whirlwind of energy,' Danielle Deschamps, communications coordinator for the Watauga Humane Society, told McClatchy News in a July 10 email. 'He's bouncy, playful, and happiest when he's rolling in the grass or tossing around a toy. He's got these soft, soulful eyes that really draw you in.' Goof needs a new home months after Hurricane Helene hit the Southeast in late September. The storm left parts of Western North Carolina with catastrophic flooding and damage from fallen trees. 'His story is a memorable one — he quite literally blew into our lives during Hurricane Helene,' Deschamps wrote. 'He showed up on someone's porch right after the storm. They kindly kept him safe for a few weeks while we worked to recover — our adoption center was without water for more than two weeks and we ran on a generator for nearly a month.' Goof landed at the shelter, where he became known as a 'big ol' goofball.' The mixed-breed pup is now 1 year old and weighs about 70 pounds, according to a Facebook post and online adoption profile. 'He's grown up here, behind adoption center walls,' the shelter wrote. 'A big-hearted boy with an even bigger body, he's still figuring out where all his limbs go.' Deschamps said animals increasingly are spending more than 200 days at the shelter due to 'limited pet-friendly housing, rising costs of pet care, and ongoing overpopulation issues.' When Goof first arrived, he was seen 'wiggling with excitement.' But after months of being passed over, he's started to show signs of sadness. 'What's really striking is how different he is outside the shelter,' Deschamps wrote. 'Here, he can be chaotic and overwhelmed, but every outing has revealed a calmer, more joyful side.' As of July 10, Goof was still up for adoption in the mountain town of Boone, a roughly 85-mile drive west from Winston-Salem. Details about the shelter's adoption process can be found at 'We won't sugarcoat it: G.G. Goof needs patience. He needs structure,' the shelter wrote. 'He needs someone willing to look beyond the zoomies and see a dog who's never been given a fair shot at growing up right. But under all that energy is a loyal heart just waiting for a chance to belong.'
Miami Herald
03-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Miami Herald
Resilient cat's kittens were all adopted. But she's waited 200 days for a home
A resilient mama cat waited as all her kittens got adopted — and now, she needs a home of her own. 'She's gentle and quietly loyal,' a North Carolina animal shelter wrote June 30 on Facebook. 'She doesn't ask for much — just a little time, a bit of patience, and someone who sees her not as the cat who's been overlooked… but the one who's been waiting for you.' The Parent Trap is up for adoption after spending more than 200 days at the Watauga Humane Society. She had a ringworm infection when she arrived as a stray in December. 'She had clearly been through a lot,' Danielle Deschamps, communications coordinator for the shelter, told McClatchy News via email. 'But even from the beginning, she carried herself with a quiet resilience.' The mama cat bears the same name as 'The Parent Trap,' a movie about twins who reunite after years apart. One of the versions stars Lindsay Lohan, whose films inspired the names of the cat's six kittens: Confessions of a Teenage Drama Queen, Freaky Friday, Get a Clue, Herbie Fully Loaded, Just My Luck and Mean Girls. 'As a mom, she was wonderfully attentive — patient, gentle, and protective, despite being in a stressful shelter environment,' Deschamps wrote. 'She always made sure her kittens were comfortable before worrying about herself, and it's that same soft-hearted loyalty we still see in her now.' All six of The Parent Trap's babies were adopted, and now it's her turn to get a fresh start. She's described as a cat who is cautious but shows off her curious side when she grows comfortable around people. 'She's a comedy fan (especially if she gets head scritches during the show), adores her pickle toy, and never turns down a feather wand showdown,' the shelter wrote. 'She won't sit on your lap — but she'll curl up next to you like it's where she's always belonged.' As of July 3, the 2-year-old cat mom was still waiting for a new owner. Details about the shelter's adoption process can be found at 'Our staff would love nothing more than to see her get her long-overdue happy ending,' Deschamps wrote. 'She's been overlooked for far too long — but all she really needs is someone patient enough to let her show her true, sweet self.' The shelter is in the mountain town of Boone, a roughly 85-mile drive west from Winston-Salem.
Miami Herald
27-06-2025
- General
- Miami Herald
Dog who ‘swam through a hurricane' struggled at NC shelter. Now, a fresh start
A resilient dog 'swam through a hurricane' — then struggled at a North Carolina shelter. Now, Tex the pup is getting a fresh start in a new home. 'We're over the moon,' Danielle Deschamps, communications coordinator for the Watauga Humane Society, told McClatchy News in a June 27 email. 'She's headed to a 30-acre fenced-in farm where she'll have four dog siblings, tons of space to explore, and most importantly, get to live inside again.' The 3-year-old dog was adopted after experiencing a rough patch. Tex was living with her previous owners when Hurricane Helene slammed parts of the Southeast in late September. 'When their home flooded, they swam to safety — pets included,' Deschamps wrote in a separate email. 'Before that, she loved water. Afterwards, she wouldn't go near it. It's like the storm stole something from her.' Tex's family had to move, and she kept escaping from the yard of their new home. 'Her family made the painful decision to surrender her, knowing they couldn't keep her safe anymore,' Deschamps wrote while Tex waited for another home. 'She was adopted once, but returned. Too much energy, they said. But the truth is, Tex isn't wild — she's just spirited, searching, and ready to live again.' For about two months, the 'gentle-hearted survivor' was in and out of the shelter in the mountain town of Boone, a roughly 85-mile drive west from Winston-Salem. The humane society hoped her next owner would help her find a sense of peace, according to the emails and a Facebook post. 'She trembles in her kennel, flinches at loud sounds,' Deschamps wrote. 'But outside, she softens. She runs with purpose. She leans into you. She still believes in people.' Then on June 27, the shelter shared the news of Tex's heartwarming adoption. 'It's truly a wonderful situation, and we're feeling incredibly hopeful that this is the perfect fit for her,' Deschamps wrote.
Miami Herald
18-06-2025
- General
- Miami Herald
‘Scrappy street cat' with 3 legs shows shelter his sweet side. He needs a home
A 'scrappy street cat' now shows off his sweet side — and he needs a home. 'He melts under a good head scratch and leans into affection like he's been waiting for it his whole life,' Danielle Deschamps, communications coordinator for a North Carolina animal shelter, told McClatchy News in a June 17 email. 'His purr can fill a room. He's discovering the joys of indoor life, and you can see how much he's savoring it.' Cloudy the three-legged cat has spent nearly 100 days at the Watauga Humane Society. He waits for a fresh start after he once lived in a man's greenhouse with roughly 15 other stray cats. 'Many of them were struggling, some with visible health issues, but all were cared for with quiet devotion,' Deschamps wrote. 'This man didn't have much, but what he did have — shelter, food, and patience — he gave to them freely.' The felines were part of a cat colony, 'where every day was survival.' After relying on his instincts, Cloudy was among the cats captured and brought to the shelter for care, the humane society wrote in a Facebook post. 'He arrived with only three legs but no shortage of courage,' the shelter wrote. 'His limp didn't slow him down; it just gave him character. Somewhere between the wet food and the soft blankets, the scrappy street cat softened. Cloudy learned that hands could offer love.' Cloudy is described as a sweet 6-year-old cat who's learning what it's like to relax on beds and window sills. The shelter doesn't know what happened to his missing leg, though it could have been injured in an encounter with a wild animal. 'Whatever happened, he healed on his own,' Deschamps wrote. 'No vet, no pain meds — just time and quiet strength. He's the kind of cat who's already survived the hard part — now he just needs someone to show him what the soft part of life can be.' As of June 18, the shelter's website still listed Cloudy as available for adoption. Details about the animal organization's adoption process can be found at The humane society is in the mountain town of Boone, a roughly 85-mile drive west from Winston-Salem.
