Adopter Name

Maria Aguilar

Rescue Dog's Name

Kaiser and Bruce

Where Did You Find Your Dog?

Animal Welfare League

Tell Us About the Moment When You Knew that You Two Were Meant for Each Other.

We adopted Kaiser first when he was a year old. He was 28lbs at the time and super sweet. I'm not sure what made me pick him out of all the ones we saw that day except that when we walked past his cage he just looked at us and I said "That one." We had a moment with him in a room with a volunteer who said he was super sweet and we agreed to take him home. He has been the sweets dog ever. He is now 50lbs and has come a long way since the day we got him. He has graduated obedience classes with flying colors and is an experts socializer. He can sleep all day if you let him but the minute you ask him to go to the car, he hops around with joy because he knows we are going to a play date. We adopted Bruce from the same shelter. We are unsure of his story as we were told that he came from an Amish home in Indiana. He was 5 months old when I adopted him. He was so sweet and shy when I first met him, but when he met Kaiser, his eyes lit up like he'd known him forever. We soon noticed that he is super nervous about everything from shadows to TV. Everything was new to him. He is really nervous around men but has come a long way since. We now believe he is a result of the "puppy pipeline" which is run by the Amish in Indiana. He has splayed paws which is evidence he was caged his entire life before he was rescued. He is such a sweetheart and has bonded to Kaiser & me in an amazing way. He has also graduated obedience classes and we are working on his confidence every day. He is my shadow.

How Has Your Hero Changed Your Life?

Kaiser was our first rescue. I had wanted a dog for a long time and was going through a tough time in life where my life was completely at a stand still. When we rescued him he was more than a pet to me. He gave me a sense of purpose. Seeing him underweight and lacking self confidence made me more than his owner, it made me his protector. He is now my ESA and I have no idea what I would do without him. I felt the same way with Bruce after seeing how fearful he was of everything. I feel like I need them as much as they need me. They're my entire life now and I wouldn't have it any other way.