Home by Halloween!

Nine lucky animals found their forever homes before the clock struck midnight on Halloween. See pictures of four of the cute furry kids here:   http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#!/album.php?aid=244556&id=127945636937&fbid=460731711937  Who you won't see: Muggins, Squash, Autumn, Pumpkin Patch and Spooky - these 5 kittens were gone before we had a chance to take their mugshots. :)

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Look who all went home in September!

Check out our latest photo album, full of the furry kids who found their forever families last month. Read the captions on the pics to learn more about each cute face!

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August Adoptees!

September may be nearly over, but we can't forget about the cute kids who found their forever homes in the dog and cat days of August! Click here to enjoy the pictures and read the captions to learn more about the animals and their new families. The only one we're missing a photo for is Half N Half, who went home to Rockford, IL with JoAnn. This lucky kitty now has lots of kitty siblings!

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Meet 22 animals who found their very own "happily ever after" in July!

July 2010 wasn't the nicest month on record for us humans living in Northeast Wisconsin - rain, rain and more rain was the name of the game!  But for 22 of the cats and dogs who called HEA home until last month, July was just fabulous!!  Check out the album of pics we just posted on our Facebook page. Be sure to read the captions to learn about these guys and their new families.  

Oh, and let's not forget about the three furry kids who didn't have a photo floating around HEA: 

- Petey (who went home with the same family as little Willow - you won't want to miss her pic!)

- Buddy, the 4-year-old yellow lab adopted by Stephanie of Shawano (Buddy is an only child but has lots of doggy friends and family to play with)

- Adel, the puppy adopted by Kathryn and Don of Clintonville.  (Adel is also an only child and gets to go on long walks with her mom every day!) 

Congrats to all these animals and their new families. We welcome you to the HEA family!  Wanna join us? Come pick out your new family member this weekend at the Green Bay Adoption Center: 2065 Holmgren Way in Green Bay.  We're open 6-8 p.m. tonight (Friday) and 11 a.m. - 4 p.m. Saturday and Sunday!  Hope to see you there! 

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Donate $10 OR a 10 lb. bag of dog/cat food to HEA...and you'll get a chance at tickets to the Packers vs. Colts game!

As you may know by now, a very generous friend of HEA donated two tickets to the Packers. vs. Colts game to HEA so that we could generate some excitement - and donations! - for our furry kids.  Until Aug. 19, stop into the Green Bay Adoption Center (2065 Holmgren Way) with a 10 pound bag of either cat OR dog food (any brand is fine, though Purina or better is especially appreciated), and you'll be entered into our drawing for these great tickets!  (Seats are in Section 306, Row 2, Seats 5-6!)  For EACH bag you bring, you'll receive an entry.  And late breaking news: We've just added a new element to the contest.  For every $10 you donate to HEA between now and Aug. 19, you'll also receive an entry into the contest!  The winner will be selected on Aug. 20, so stop in soon! We're open 6-8 p.m. Monday-Friday and from 11 a.m. - 4 p.m. Saturday-Sunday!  But the REAL winners will be the animals of HEA, of course!  Thanks in advance for your generosity...and good luck!

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Just posted pics of adorable dogs and puppies who traveled to HEA from GEORGIA in hopes of finding new homes.

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=192116&id=127945636937

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HEA's current needs

HEA is running low on Dawn liquid dishwashing soap, garbage bags, hand soap, laundry detergent and dryer sheets. If you can donate any of these items, please drop them off at the Green Bay Adoption Center: 2065 Holmgren Way. We're open 6-8 pm M-F and 11-4 Sat/Sun!

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A real cause for celebration!

Happy 4th of July weekend, HEA friends! This is always a festive time of year, with families and friends getting together to celebrate our nation's independence with parades, barbeques and just good old fashioned summer fun! But 21 animals have their own reason to celebrate this weekend...because they are spending it with their new families!

That's right - we saw TWENTY-ONE cats and dogs head to their forever homes in June. You can see pictures of most of them by clicking here. (Just click on each photo to read the caption and learn about where they're now cuddled up and who they're cuddling with!) There were a few who snuck out before we had a chance to grab their photo, so here's a bit about those guys:

• Sammy the dog was adopted by Ryan and Nicole of Green Bay. He went home to a house with his recently adopted HEA alumni brothers Levi (the dog) and Curly (the cat).
• Daisy the dog was adopted by Tamara and Erik of Green Bay. She has two cat siblings Gus and Lizzy
• Jackson the dog was adopted by Mary and Kevin of De Pere. Jackson has his doggy brother Trisket (an HEA alumni)
• Blackie the cat was adopted by Shana and Michael of Green Bay. Blackie's parents got married just a few days before they picked her up and she is an only child. Congrats on the wedding and new addition :-)
• Rufus the cat was adopted by Jill and Corey of Green Bay. Has a doggy sister named Kylie and had been at the sanctuary since 5/9/09.
• Satin the cat was adopted by Carol and Kevin Longton of Green Bay. She now has a doggy brother and sister, Smokey Joe and Maia, who love to kiss Satin. She also has 3 human brothers named Jared, Adam, and Branden. Satin had been at the sanctuary since 3/23/09.

Congratulations to ALL these furry kids and their forever families. If you haven't yet been to our Green Bay Adoption Center (where most of these animals were adopted out of), what are you waiting for? The animals are waiting to meet you. Plus, we offer some great specialty merchandise (for both dogs and cats...and humans, too!) for very low prices. Remember we're located at 2065 Holmgren Way, and we're open every weeknight from 6-8 p.m. Weekend hours are normally 11 a.m. - 4 p.m., but note that due to the holiday weekend, we will be closed until Monday.

Hope to see you soon, and have a GREAT 4th of July holiday!

From Okinawa to Marion: A Life-Saving Trip for Andy

As you likely know, Happily Ever After Animal Sanctuary is based in the small town of Marion, Wis., but since our founding, we've touched the hearts and lives of both people and animals living all across the U.S. Recently, that reach extended half a world away, when the wife of an Air Force soldier stationed in Okinawa, Japan contacted us on behalf of a cat that had stolen her heart. This is Andy's story.

Shortly after she arrived in Okinawa in 2008, Amanda Nemeth became active in a volunteer organization called Okinawa American Animal Rescue Society (OAARS). This group is devoted to helping the animals so often abandoned by American military families who find it difficult to bring pets with them to their next base assignment. They do not have a shelter but rely on foster homes to accomplish their life-saving mission. But OAARS was running out of options for one particular cat, and they were determined to do whatever it took to save him.

After doing some research, Amanda came upon Happily Ever After's website and told us of Andy's plight:

"Andy was found abandoned in August 2008 by a local rescuer in front of a supermarket in Okinawa, Japan. He was taken to the vet where besides being very dirty he had the regular stray results: ear mites. A test for FIV and FeLV resulted in positive for FIV and negative for FeLV.

He was estimated at that time to be around 2 years old, and he was soon placed in a foster home with another FIV cat. He resided with his 1st foster family for only 3 months, as they soon could no longer care for both cats. Afterward, he was put in his 2nd foster family's house, were he lived for a little less than 3 months. The new family thought it was best for him go due to their 4 children being mean and tormenting him. His 3rd foster family had him for 4 months and he was doing great until her husband came back from TAD (Temporary Assigned Duty) and wanted no cats in his house.

With all available OAARS foster families having FIV negative cats there was no place for him but a impoverished shelter in a small kennel where he remains today. We have made great attempts to get him adopted at our events, on our website, on local websites as well as local and military newspapers. The idea of sending him to mainland Japan has come up but they are governed by the same animal rules and he would on be in the same or worse situation.

We have been in contact with stateside shelters in hopes to get this little guy out of his current situation and were very happy when a shelter had been located. We soon found out they agreed to take him in by accident. The shelter is set to close June 1st and with no one to take him he will have to be put down by the local animal control.

Andy does very well with other cats and enjoys being let out of his kennel and a good rub. He does play bite which adults understand; children don't know how to take it. He has a set of unique colors with piercing eyes and is very mild natured. He has never bitten or scratched anyone and is best described as a lap kitty. With being in the shelter, he has had less socializing but comes around quickly."

But luck was finally on Andy's side: Happily Ever After had room in their FIV room and "happily" agreed to give Andy a chance at life as an American! OAARS kindly offered to cover all the costs of sending him to us, and on Thursday, June 3 - after many airborne hours and several different flights - Andy arrived at the Outagamie County Airport and into the waiting arms of HEA president Amanda Reitz.

Though Andy has only been with us for 6 days, he's already a volunteer favorite! He's settling in exceptionally well and adores attention. We're thrilled to have this special guy among our crew, and we invite you to come meet the newest and most worldly member of our family soon!

Welcome, Andy! And thanks, OAARS, for sending him home!

Marvelous May

Hello, HEA friends!
Many of you have been asking "How are things going at the new Green Bay Adoption Center?" The answer is...GREAT! In fact, we've been busy most every day since our Grand Opening on May 8. Excuse the lag time in postings - we've just been a little preoccupied with getting NINETEEN animals from the Center (plus a few from the Sanctuary!) into their new homes!!

Because we have so many happy stories (and faces!) to share with you from our May adoptees, we've created an album on Facebook that you can check out here. (Remember, you don't have to have a Facebook account to peek!) Info on each can be found in the captions below their names.

There was one special kitty who we didn't get a picture of before he headed home - that was Jasper! His new family includes a cat sister who is also an HEA alum, and they live in Green Bay. We couldn't let that great news go by just because we didn't have a photo of Jasper!

So if all the rest of the adoptee pics are in the Facebook album, you might be wondering, "Who is that handsome dude in the pictures at the top of this posting?" Longtime volunteers know him as Choco, but to his new family, he's Moose. Moose waited quite a while at HEA for his forever family, but the wait was certainly worth it. Please read the update email from Moose's mom below to see how happy his story turned out.

Thought we would share Moose's first adventure in swimming. It took a little longer for us to get him there this spring as we first had to buy a larger car to get him and Mona there. I think you remember helping us get him in the back of our little black car. Well now Moose has a larger car to ride in for swimming, and his visits to the vet clinic in Madison. By the way, the last time Moose was there the pressure in both of his eyes had dropped considerably. They are very happy with his post surgery eye pressure. He is still on 4 different eye drops but is going back in July and we are hoping that if the pressure remains low, they will discontinue more of his meds. It did not seem that Moose had ever been swimming. He was following Mona around and did swim some, but would not fetch the tennis ball like Mona was doing. Not bad for a first trip tho with brand new eyes!!!!

Clearly, Moose sure had a fabulous Memorial Day weekend. As the title of this post says, he and the rest of the furry kids who found their way "home" this month definitely had a Marvelous May!

Honoring our Past...Celebrating our Future

What a weekend! Thanks to all of you who came out to celebrate the grand opening of our new Green Bay Adoption Center at 2065 Holmgren Way. Despite the chilly weather, so many folks came out to watch us cut the leash and officially open the new Center last Saturday. And we had a steady stream of people coming in all weekend to check out the animals. We even sent a few home - more details on them to come in a future adoption update post! We encourage you to check out the pictures we took before, during and after the leash-cutting ceremony by clicking here. We also encourage you to come visit the new Center as often as you like - and bring your friends! This facility is definitely a building block of HEA's future - designed to deliver bright futures and forever families to many more cats and dogs in need.

Though this is a time to celebrate and anticipate our future, we also want to spend a bit of time honoring our past. As many of you know, HEA got its start in Ashwaubenon, Wis. - specifically in the home of President Amanda Reitz's family. Two of the first animals taken in by HEA back in those days were Indy and Dixie - fun, amazing dogs that were adopted by in August, 2006.

We like to check in on our alumni every now and then. When we recently contacted Indy and Dixie's family, we learned that Miss Dixie recently crossed to the rainbow bridge. But the wonderful, lengthy note their mom, Jennifer Glasheen, sent made us smile. Even though we are saddened by Dixie's loss, it's so heartwarming to know what a terrific life these two have had since leaving the Sanctuary. And we thought we'd share her words (and pictures - Indy is the white dog; Dixie is the chocolate one) with all of you. Because the sentiments shared here represent what we've always been about and what we always WILL be about - finding the best homes for every animal we serve. Thanks to Jennifer and her family for loving these special gals!

Hi Amanda, I received your message this evening when we got home from our Mother's Day festivities and did try to call you back, but I decided I would email you (lord knows if I were to wait, I'd forget). Though we just adopted Indy and Dixie from the Happily Ever After Animal Sanctuary just 3 years ago, you would never know they weren't always a part of our family. They bonded with our family immediately and have enjoyed a loving and happy home ever since...full of ball chasing, weekends up north, swimming in Grandma's pond on hot days, and just being together as a family. Unfortunately, on March 1 of this year, we lost Dixie rather unexpectedly and abruptly (even now, as I write, the tears are flowing). We had taken both girls in to the vet for their annual visit and a large tumor was found on Dixie's underbelly. Oddly, we were well aware and concerned over what turned out to be benign fatty tumors that were on her back and sidewall, but had never noticed this one (though it was in a spot we wouldn't normally have touched). While initially, surgery was recommended, it was going to be expensive and since Dixie had been showing no signs of sickness, we opted to take a few days to talk it over and maybe seek another opinion. Within one week, our loveable Dixer (as we liked to call her), went from perfectly healthy and normal, to obviously uncomfortable. My Dixer had always had a twinkle in her eye and wore a smile quite frequently and both Chris and I noticed that week that her smile was gone and she was quite unhappy. The tumor grew noticeably within one week and she was struggling. I spent several nights with her, comforting her and making sure she had whatever she needed. On Monday, March 1, my husband and I went with her to the vet to discuss our options again. The vet was surprised by the turn and given the size of the tumor, was no longer confident that surgery would be successful. With the heaviest of hearts, we said good-bye, far sooner than expected, to our loving companion. The weeks following Dixie's death were difficult. We all missed her terribly, but it was Indy I worried about most. I worried that I wouldn't know if she was having a hard time with missing her life long friend, but I most certainly did and we showered her with love and affection to help her through. I can't say she is her old self, but I can say she's a better version of who she was before. She seems to have taken on some of Dixie's traits...becoming a little more playful than she used to be and more needy of that closeness that Dixie was known for (in fact, right now, she's sleeping at my feet under my desk which in the past, would have been Dixie's spot). We all miss Dixie terribly. She was an awesome dog and everyone who met her, fell in love with her instantly. Both of them are great dogs actually, but as a lab, Dixie loved everybody (and everybody loved her), whereas Indy tends to stick to Mama. At Indy's age, we plan to stay a one dog family while she lives out the rest of her years. I know we will adopt again some day as our experience has been wonderful in all ways. I wish we could have had more years with Dixer, but I am glad for what we did have. I don't know how their previous owners were ever able to part with them, but if you ever hear from them, please thank them for us and assure them that they have a wonderful life with a family who loves them. I've attached a few pictures from this past year of both my girls. Thank you! Sincerely, Jennifer Glasheen

Updates on some old friends

The only thing we at HEA love more than sending our animals home with their new forever families is hearing about how these furry kids are doing months - or even years - after leaving the Sanctuary. Lately, we've heard from a few adopters and wanted to share their updates with you - especially since many of you might remember their little faces!

The top two dogs pictured are Gunner and Peaches, who both went home with John and Rebecca Jacobson in Appleton a while back. Rebecca sent us a note, saying, "How time flies! Both Gunner and Peaches are doing well. When they play in the living room, they jump from couch to couch in tandem. Gunner loves to be outside and his favorite activity is rolling in the compost pile. Peaches is a lover and you should see her play!" We're so happy that these two are having a ball with John and Rebecca.

Probably the most famous pair of dogs to ever inhabit the Sanctuary were brothers Chubby and Lucky - beagle/basset hound mixes that came to HEA in 2006. They were 10 years old back then and had spent their entire lives outside - chained to their house. Not much of a life, huh? But, boy, did they enjoy their new lives at the Sanctuary! And everyone enjoyed having them around. They were inseparable. Yet even considering the conditions they spent their first 10 years in, they also adored people and were great snuggle partners.

But as much as they loved it here, they discovered they loved being adopted even more when the Tousey family of Bowler, Wis. took these two home last summer. The boys adjusted fabulously to their first real home and quickly bonded with their new, wonderful family.

Earlier this month (on Easter Sunday, in fact), Chubby passed away. Though the Touseys are grieving his loss, they have told us that Lucky is helping them cope. While we know he must miss his brother terribly, he's been very strong for the family and continues to eat, sleep and go for walks as usual. Diana Tousey reports, "I think Lucky realized before we did that his brother was going to leave us."

We're so grateful to the Touseys for giving both these guys such a great home. Lucky is indeed lucky to have such caring people to go through this experience with, and Chubby was lucky to spend his last year here on Earth with them. These two truly did get the chance to live happily ever after! (NOTE: Chubby is the one featured in the bottom picture above.)

GOOD things happen in 3s!

More fun adoption news to share with our HEA friends! THREE animals have gone home in the last week: two cats and one dog.

First, we'll talk about Ginger, who was fostered by Brian and Miranda until space opened up at the Sanctuary for her. Now, she's in her forever home with Gary and his daughter Haley, who live in De Pere. Ginger is an only kitty, so she'll get LOTS of cuddle time with her new family.

Then there's gorgeous Simba. We don't have a picture of this beautiful cat, but trust us, he's one handsome dude. Apparently Cameo and her children Alex and Caitlin of Green Bay thought so, too. The family was looking for a snuggle bug to bring into their home - and they found that in Simba!

Last but not least is Charlie! Charlie is a 4-year-old cockapoo who wasn't with HEA very long, but he sure won over lots of hearts during his stay. But we're thrilled that Nancy and her husband, who live in Clintonville, have taken him home. They initially planned to foster Charlie, but once they realized what a sweet guy he was, they claimed him as their own.

Congrats to these lucky animals and their terrific new families!

Catching up on our adoption news!

It's been a few weeks since we posted an adoption update, but we're making up for lost time today!

We've had eight furry kids find their forever homes in that time:

• Alf & Stanley: These two pals both went home with Bruce and Jean Hundertmark of Clintonville. The cats adjusted well right from the start - even sleeping in bed with their new parents on their first night home! Jean reports that Alf's "motor" runs almost constantly, and Stanley "sings" as he walks through the house.
• Lydia: This cute little canine is enjoying life with her dad Barry and "doggy brother" Spike in Green Bay. She, too, made herself right at home and instantly bonded with her new family.
• Dogee: This handsome dog found his forever home with Kendra Morris and her children in Mosinee, Wis. He is loving his new family - and skateboarding!
• Dan: Congrats to Alisha Smith and Mike VanderLoop of Green Bay, who welcomed Dan into their family. Dan is one lucky cat to have such great parents!
• Gus: We're VERY happy for Gus, who has come a long way during his time with us. This kitty is now happily ensconced in his new home with Patricia Devoe of Green Bay.
• Mazie & Fanny: These sweet cats went home with Karen Krueger of Green Bay. Thanks for loving the girls, Karen!

Because the blog only allows us to post five pictures per post, we've created an album on Facebook that contains photos of these animals. You don't have to have a Facebook account to view them - just click here.

And thanks to all of you for your love and support of HEA's animals. We couldn't do what we do without you!

Meet Charlie!

We've sure gotten good feedback from all our HEA friends about the adoption updates we post, giving you the scoop about the wonderful cats and dogs who've made their way into their forever homes. But we get lots of questions about the new faces at the Sanctuary who arrive to take their place until they, too, find their forever families. You can always find info about our residents on the HEA web site (www.happilyeverafterinfo.org/up_for_adoption), but sometimes it takes a while to get their official profiles up. Since social media is such a great tool to get info out there quickly, we're going to start "introducing" you to the new faces (and maybe even some who have been here a while but need a "re-introduction") at HEA via Facebook and the blog as often as possible. And we'll start with a very special little guy: Charlie!

Charlie is a 4-year-old cockapoo who arrived almost two weeks ago. He's absolutely adorable, as you can clearly see from the pictures here. But what the pictures don't show is how sweet and fun and loving he is! One of our volunteers took him home for a few hours one night this week while Amanda did some work at the new adoption center. And he was fantastic in a home setting! He is a nice little companion on walks and loves to snuggle and give kisses. He wants to play but isn't quite sure how yet. (We're not sure if he got to play with fun things called toys at his last home.) We also notice that he's a bit shy of men, but he's curious about them, too, so we know if he is around nice men for a while, he'll learn to trust them fairly easily.

So why was this angel surrendered by his family? They said he had bitten the dad and a teenage boy. We haven't seen this side of Charlie at all and believe these were likely isolated or provoked incidents. So if you know you're ready to meet and love this super guy, just e-mail us at heainfo@aol.com. We'd be open to both foster care or permanent adoption! And we know Charlie would love to meet you, too!

Luck o' the Irish Strikes 3 HEA Cats

Yesterday was St. Patrick's Day - a holiday known for pots of gold, leprechauns, Shamrock Shakes, and lots of luck! Three kitties from HEA definitely felt the luck o' the Irish this holiday, since they celebrated in their forever homes with their forever families!

Shadow (top picture) went home with Kim of Green Bay, while Max (middle picture) is now snuggled in with Robin and her daughter in Tigerton. (Max will be an only kitty so between Robin and her daughter he will get plenty of lovin'!) Oliver's mom Heather sent in a fantastic shot of him enjoying life in his new home. She also gave us an update as to how he's settling in:

"Oliver is doing great! He's so funny. We kennel our dog Coco Bear when we leave so he doesn't eat the house, and one day I came back and there was Oliver sitting on the kennel - and Coco Bear was licking him! I laughed so hard. Oliver is doing better than I thought he would considering all the kids we have in the house. He is getting held a lot, brushed and petted, so I think he is liking that!"

We're pretty sure he is LOVING that, Heather! Thanks to you and all our adopters for providing such wonderful homes to our deserving animals!

A great week!

February might be the shortest month of the year, but we crammed a whole lot of activity into that month. And the last few days of the month were some of our busiest.

Last week, we sent four deserving animals to their forever homes. Ford, a very popular guy, went home with Bob and Jessica of Green Bay. Ford is their "only child." They have been looking for the right dog for around 2 years, and they have finally found him!

Ann of Green Bay was looking to help 2 cats that loved each other's company and had been at HEA for a while and needed a chance. That fit Mio and Milo to a tee! They had been at the sanctuary for a year and 1 month. Now they are in their forever home!!

A few weeks back we put out a call here on the HEA blog about a very special cat that needed to find a special home. We're so excited to announce that dear, sweet Melvin (the bottom picture) went home with Amy of Green Bay last weekend! Melvin desperately needed someone to give him a chance as he is a "special needs" kitty. Amy wanted to give him that chance! Her and her cat Chester are showing Melvin what family and love mean. Yay!!

And if you follow us on Facebook, you probably heard about our BIG news: HEA will soon have a second location! Yep, our Green Bay adoption site will open this spring. It will be in the old Claws n Paws grooming building on Holmgren Way (across from Skip's Diner). We'll share more info as plans develop, but tell your friends that they will soon be able to visit HEA animals up for adoption at our new facility - 7 days a week!!

If February had this much going on, imagine what March holds in store for us!!

All about cats transitions to all about dogs!

Valentine's weekend was just purr-fect, if you ask the five kitties who made their way home to forever families as a result of our PetSmart National Adoption Event. Triumph, Jetta, Honey, Bentley and Blazer are already getting used to be spoiled in their new digs!

But this past weekend was all about the dogs. Three doggies are settling into life in their brand-new homes this week!

Pocahantas (top photo) went home to Janette and her daughter Andrea of Green Bay. Pocahantas has a new older doggie brother named Buddy who she is following around very closely, and he seems happy to show her the ropes!

Our good pal George (middle picture) is now becoming best buds with Seth of Neenah. Seth had a dog named Chewie but his parents "stole" Chewie from him so he was looking for a dog of his own. George was way excited to be going home this weekend. He has his "uncle" Chewie to play with as well as 2 "dog cousins."

Miss Ally (bottom pic) went home to Nicole and Ben of Green Bay and their baby Landen. Ally has a new doggy sister named Sadie who is a Teddy Bear puppy. They both enjoy playing together all day. When Ally has a break from Sadie, she spends her time kissing Landen from head to toe until Landen pushes her away!

We're thrilled for all these guys and want to send a big THANKS out to their new families. We're so grateful that you've opened your homes to these amazing animals!

A peaceful good-bye to sweet Nikolas...

Those of you who have been following the story of Nikolas know how much he's touched the hearts of so many - both before his recent illness and during it. Though he made great strides and his condition improved vastly from when he first got sick, he did lose his fight to recover late Wednesday, Feb. 10. As sad as we are to report this, his actual passing was actually quite peaceful and serene. Read Amanda's account below:

"Nikolas just passed away in my arms a few minutes ago. Nikolas wasn't feeling great today but he still took his meds for me this morning and sat up by his food dish (but only ate a few tiny bites). He got a bath today and afterwards I laid him on my bed while I worked next to him. When I laid down with him that afternoon, he moved closer to me and "spooned" with me. When I came back in for the evening around 7pm, I gave him his fluids and he rested peacefully next to me while I worked again. I picked him up to cuddle a few minutes ago and I could tell I was about to lose him. He slept against my chest and was adopted by God only a few minutes later.

He is meeting up with all his HEA friends in heaven as we speak."

Thanks to everyone who has prayed for Nikolas and sent donations for his care. Your support allowed him to recover well enough to have a comfortable - even happy - last few weeks on Earth. We miss him dearly but take comfort in the fact that he's now happily racing around in Heaven!

Help us find Melvin a home!

We are in need of some help – to find a purrrrrfect home for a special cat named Melvin. He has had a hard road to tread so far in his life and we are hoping to find a loving place that he can call his own.

Melvin was brought to Happily Ever After over a year ago as a stray. When he first arrived, he had a serious upper respiratory infection that was wreaking havoc on his entire body. Even though he was fighting abattle against an illness, he always had the energy to purr when being brushed or petted. With a little extra TLC and medication, he made a complete recovery.

His tough time left some battle scars for Melvin. Due to the upper respiratory infection, his nasal passages have been damaged. As a result, Melvin snorts on occasion. These snorts have become an endearing sound to all volunteers that know him. Lastly, his immune system was affected, which causes some nasal discharge when he is stressed or experiencing a change.

Melvin has a very easy-going personality and loves to be in the company of people and other animals. He believes everyone is his best friend and will casually stroll up to you to say “hi.” He will back away from conflict or drama and not get involved. If he is hissed or growled at, he will not hold a grudge, but try again later. Due to his longer coat, he does not mind being groomed and looks adorable with a lion cut.

During his recovery phase, a Happily Ever After volunteer fostered Melvin for many months. When the time came, he was transferred to the Green Bay PetSmart adoption center in hopes to find a forever home. Unfortunately, Melvin recently had to be removed from PetSmart because he was having a response to some stress at the adoption center.

We are calling out to all of our Happily Ever After friends to band together to find Melvin a person or family that he can love. Please talk with any family and friends that may be considering adopting a cat about Melvin. He is a special guy that needs our attention because he is long overdue for some good fortune! If you or someone you know is interested in Melvin, please e-mail heainfo@aol.com or call 920.639.2654. On behalf of Melvin, THANKS for your help!

Good things happen in 5s (plus a Nikolas update!)

The last time we posted an adoption update, we had five critters who had headed home. And today, we have another five to tell you about!

First of all, we've got great news about Bernie. The shy little pomeranian has really started to really come out of his shell, thanks to his foster mom Sara Jones and other friends! He worked really hard to learn to trust people, and he was rewarded with a forever family: Angela and Anthony of Iron Mountain, Mich. Bernie now has two human sisters named Elizabeth and Victoria, a doggy brother named Puddles and a cat sister named Cuddles-A-Lot! Yay for Bernie!

Zeus, the standard poodle mix, went home to James, a Green Bay resident who is retired and can spend all day playing with him! Zeus is the only dog in James' house, so he's getting lots of love and attention.

Charlotte left the PetSmart Adoption Center in time to spend Valentine's Day with her new family in Fond du Lac. Doug and his daughter are spoiling Charlotte (and her kitty brother Tiger Tom) rotten!! (Charlotte is the orange cat in the forefront of the picture above.)

Our sweet little pooches Cricket and Dawn found a home together! They are now living with Jeff & Cheryl of Green Bay, along with two doggy brothers. Jeff and Cheryl look forward to loving the girls for however long they have left (as they are senior dogs). Cheryl is especially thrilled because the numbers of boys and girls in the house are finally evened out!

Of course, many of you are probably also wondering about our little pal Nikolas. The famous three-legged kitty has made some great improvements since Amanda brought him home from the vet last week. As of Saturday, he's sitting up on his own and trying to groom himself! He's also eating on his own most of the time. Amanda has noticed some spasms in his back leg, so she'll ask about that when she brings him in for a vet check-up this week. Keep those prayers and good thoughts coming his way! He's certainly responding to them!

The latest on Nikolas...

Our little man, Nikolas, is pretty much the same. He was examined by the vet again yesterday, and when she pinched his front toes, he did pull his legs back so that could be a good sign! Today, Amanda thought she saw him put some pressure/use one of his front legs for leverage while eating, though his leg may have just ended up in that position.

He is able to eat on his own if Amanda puts the dish in front of him and positions him just the right way, but he still prefers if she holds him and the dish. He woke her up this morning by biting her in the arm because he wanted to eat. He's clearly getting more and more bossy, and his eyes are definitely brighter - hopefully these are all signs that his legs will start working soon!

We've had some requests to repost information about how to donate to Nikolas' medical care, so here it is again:

There are two ways to donate:

1) You can send monetary donations to HEA, E5714 Bork Road, Marion WI 54950

2) Visit the donation page of our website www.happilyeverafterinfo.org/donate and click on the JustGive Donate Now button.

Thanks to all of Nikolas' friends for caring about him!

Update on Nikolas

HEA decided to bring Nikolas back to the sanctuary - well, sort of! He is living with Amanda...imagine that! Amanda is very experienced with supportive care and is taking care of Nikolas around the clock...no kidding, he wakes her up every few hours in the night to tell her that he is hungry or that he wants his paws massaged! If he makes it through this, he will know no other life than being spoiled. He is taking all of his medications like a champ, under the skin fluids (no more iv's, which is good), and is officially eating on his own, although this is pretty messy yet as he sticks his whole head in the dish, but then again he did that when he was healthy to keep the other kittens from getting any food! He kicks Amanda with his back leg, the only leg that works when he is mad/frustrated with her. The hardest thing for Nikolas at this point is that when he hears noises or wants something he can't get it on his own, but he is learning to communicate his thoughts very well with Amanda. Continue to pray for progress. Nikolas says thanks for caring about him!

Support needed for Nikolas

We love sharing good news here on the HEA blog, but unfortunately tonight we have some sad/scary news about one of our critters. Last Thursday afternoon, Nikolas, an 8-month-old kitten born with a congenital deformity of only having 3 legs, was observed acting listless and under the weather. Originally it was believed he may have something as simple as an upper respiratory infection. However, when separated for observation, Nikolas' condition worsened, which included paralysis.

Sunday at 2 a.m., Nikolas was rushed to the Green Bay Animal Emergency Center where they immediately placed a catheter for an IV and injectable antibiotic as well as did bloodwork and x-rays. Bloodwork came back with nothing significantly wrong. and x-rays showed a perfect spine. You would think that would be good, however it's not, because they still don't know what's wrong with him. That makes "treating" anything difficult.

On Sunday, they tried antibiotics, but he showed no immediate response. Because of this and Nikolas being born with a physical abnormality, they are under the impression that it is most likely a congenital defect that may or may not respond to steroids.

HEA has decided to continue his round the clock veterinary care as well as steroid injections, IV fluids and pain medications. He refuses to eat for the nurses so they are syringe feeding him (but he did eat some for Amanda when she went and spent time with him). He is also basically non-responsive to them, but did purr and try to put his head up for Amanda when she visited this afternoon.

The prognosis given by the veterinarians is "guarded." This means Nikolas needs your support. Please "say a little prayer" for our sweet boy in hopes of a recovery.

As many of you know the cost of veterinary care adds up quickly, especially emergency vet care. Nikolas may not recover, but on the other hand he may. The only way of knowing is by giving his mind, body, and soul a chance to respond to the medications and the power of love that is surrounding him. The body can take several days to respond to the steroids, which means round-the-clock veterinary care will have to continue to be provided. If you would be willing to help in Nikolas' care and show him that we all care and love him, please send monetary donations to HEA, E5714 Bork Road, Marion WI 54950 or go to the donation page of our website www.happilyeverafterinfo.org/donate and click on the JustGive Donate Now button.

HEA and Nikolas thank you for the support. We will continue to share with you Nikolas' condition...hopefully good news!