Michelle and her husband got their very first dog three years ago. He stole not only their hearts, but also their bed!
“What more could we ask for than a rambunctious Black Lab and GSP puppy who gives the best snuggles, the most sincere morning kisses, and welcomes us home as if we’re the most important people in the whole world?!” said Michelle.
That same puppy became Michelle’s marathon training buddy, her husband’s bike dog, and their ever-ready adventure companion. His name is Humboldt (Humbo) after the local Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest, and as it was meant to be, he soon gained a brother that has become the second chapter of their rescue dog story!
Michelle said that during the occasional (and dangerous) Sunday morning pastime of perusing adoptable pets online a year later, they were taken aback when they came across a rescue dog that looked like a mirror image and came from the same area as Humbo. Could it be a long-lost brother? Lo and behold, he had the same white milk splash on his chest, similar mannerisms, and was estimated to be the same age as Humbo.
Michelle and her husband had to inquire even if they “weren’t seriously” looking for a second dog. The pup was surrendered at a year old weighing only half of what he should have. He went through intensive vet care and rehabilitation before they came across his picture on that random Sunday morning. It was a paw-fect match and he became the Toiyabe (Yabi) to their Humboldt. A completed pair, and even better than that, rescue brothers reunited! Yabi has continued to thrive and become a superb off-leash adventure dog alongside Humbo, but it took a lot of hard work, patience, and training to give him the life he deserves to live.
Rescue dogs often come with unspeakable traumas and histories of abuse and neglect, but dogs are resilient, and Yabi is the epitome of a sweet dog who just wanted a family to love him; a family he could love in return.
“He was so thrilled to have been adopted and finally in his forever home that the very first thing he offered was a brown present on the floor, but he quickly learned to use the doggy door and show his love and gratitude with bedtime cuddles, pleasure snorts, and a smile that continually melts our hearts,” said Michelle.
Have your recently adopted pets shown their love and gratitude just like how Humbo and Yabi do? Let us know in the comments below or send an email to HappyTails@NevadaHumaneSociety.org.