Scott Provan is keen on scrappy terriers. His wife, Sheena, wanted a young dog to ease her sweet, but sometimes grumpy 16-year old cat’s adjustment to living with an uncouth canine. Hmmm’¦how to make everyone happy’¦

Pixie Project to the rescue!

Sheena began volunteering with the Pixie Project in 2013. In August, 2014 Sheena was helping in the dog kennels and taking the small dogs out for their potty walks.

Sheena wasn’t specifically looking to adopt a dog that day, but there was ‘œGeorge,’ a 5-month old scrappy black terrier. He was such an affectionate goofball, Sheena fell in love with him right away. She ran home to tell her husband that he was ‘œthe one.’

Sheena and Scott began to get excited about the possibility of bringing George home. Their cat, ‘œMoggy’ (short for Mogdalana), wasn’t so sure, but in typical feline fashion feigned aloofness, hoping beyond hope that her humans would come to their senses and realize that there really was no need to introduce a dog into their heretofore peaceful existence. But alas, fate had other plans for the Provan family.

When Sheena contacted Amy Sacks’”Pixie’s executive director and matchmaker extraordinaire’”to ask about George (then called Mel), the Pixie adoption team was put into action!

Pixie takes matching people and pets very seriously. They realize that when a family brings a pet home it’s a lifetime commitment, so it’s important to make sure that they know what they’re getting into, and even more important that they choose a pet that fits their lifestyle.

Pixie gets to know the personalities of the dogs and cats in their care, recognizing that an animal’s emotional needs are just as important as their physical needs. And of course, Amy had gotten to know Sheena through her volunteering, so when she heard that Sheena and Scott were interested in George, she knew instantly that it was a good match.

Moggy the cat wasn’t so sure, but George was smart enough to stay out of her way, and occasionally Sheena has caught them giving each other sneaky sniffs. Eventually they worked through their species-centric differences and settled in nicely together.

And George? Well, he thinks he’s died and gone to heaven!

‘œGeorge is one of the happiest and friendliest dogs I’ve ever met,’ says Sheena. ‘œIt takes an hour just to walk around the block because he has to say hello to EVERYONE! He does a full body wag when he sees people and never fails to make them smile.’

George is on a first name basis with most of the local pet stores and neighbors. He’s an affectionate guy who loves to cuddle and give kisses. Even if he saw you only a moment ago, seeing you again is occasion enough to justify a full on excited run, wag, lick, and snuffle!

Apparently, George has a penchant for legs and finds Portland’s hot, summer weather grand entertainment, as he has frequent occasion to lick the lower appendages of unsuspected café goers during the family’s afternoon strolls.

And what spoiled dog wouldn’t love going to doggy daycare, where he’s voted staff favorite due to his sweet nature and ability to greet shy dogs and help ease them into the group.

George has a sensitive side too. His favorite toy is a stuffed fox, which he’ll nibble on, but never hard enough to make it squeak. On the rare occasion the faux fox has given a squeaky ‘œyip!’ George looked super concerned, as if he’s hurt it and feels contrite.

George LOVES the sunshine and summer is his favorite season! ‘œOften when we go out for a walk he will reach the corner by the house, see a sunspot, and just lie down in it,’ reports Sheena. ‘œNo matter where it is sidewalk, shop, patch of grass, someone’s foot, next to someone’s table he’ll just lie down and refuse to move. Treats and tugs do nothing. If you go to pick him up he rolls on his back and just lays there with his legs in the air. No amount of cajoling will get him to budge, so we often just hang out there until he decides it’s time to go home.’

The Pixie team check in on George, Moggy, Sheena, and Scott occasionally to make sure everyone is healthy and happy. ‘œPuppies are hard work!’ says Sheena. ‘œBut the Pixie Project answered all our crazy questions and were just so amazing. They gave us everything we needed to help George integrate into our family. I can’t thank them enough!’

By Tamara Anne Fowler
Edited by Cynthia Ryan

Daisy & Tova

Daisy Maisy has super powers: this little Minpin can walk across tables and counters tops and leap to the highest summits of fences in a single bound. She can open magnetic screen doors to let Edward and Nancy, a wild duck couple, into the house.

And, thanks to Pixie Project, Daisy found herself a forever home.

Daisy was adopted in 2011 by Michelle-Shari and Steven Kruss and their children, Tova and Noah.

Michelle-Shari and Tova started their relationship with the Pixie Project when they decided to throw Tova’s 11th birthday party at Pixie and asked party guests to bring donations in lieu of presents. Tova became a Pixie volunteer the following year, but eventually the entire Kruss family began volunteering. Amy asked the Kruss family to foster Daisy the Minpin in order to evaluate her for future placement. As soon as they took her in, the Kruss family formed an immediate bond with Daisy, even though they tried to keep in mind that she was only with them as a foster.

It was near the 4th of July when Michelle-Shari made a personalized ID collar for Daisy. She was concerned about the noise of fireworks frightening Daisy and didn’t want to risk her running out and getting lost. “We put our own phone number on it,” Michelle-Shari laughs, “which immediately made her ours and not a foster. She is such a great dog!”

No one said life with Daisy would always be easy. A wooden backscratcher was innocently placed up against the front door and ended up in shreds. Michelle-Shari remembers when she came home, “It looked like a beaver had entered the kitchen,” she said. But there’s a warm side to Daisy, too. Daisy Maisy loves to sun herself on the backyard rocks. Steven says, “She just plops herself down and lies as flat as she can. It looks like she was dropped from 30 feet!”

Daisy & Peekachoo

The Kruss family also had another dog, Peekachoo, a 12-year-old Alaskan Husky the family adopted at 10 months of age. After working through the transition with Amy and a behaviorist, the two dogs became buddies. Three years after adopting Daisy Peekachoo began to get sick, so the family decided to adopt another dog to help Daisy with the process of letting go. Amy recommended that they get a male dog smaller than Daisy, so the family began looking at a litter of Chihuahua/Papillon puppies at Pixie.

As the Kruss family got to know the pack of pups, Noah noticed that while the other pups would be fighting over a toy, Heally, a small male, sat quietly off to the side. Noah remembers, ‘œHeally just walked up and took the toy while the other puppies were fighting over it.’

Michelle-Shari was initially was drawn toward a female named Piper. However, upon Amy’s recommendation they chose Piper’s male littermate, Heally. Thanks to the special care the Pixie staff gives to each and every adopter, Pixie has an extremely high success rate for adoptions. The Pixie staff makes a personal connection with the animals that come through their doors and they take the time to really know what the adopter is looking for in an animal.

Michelle-Shari with Daisy & Heally

Michelle-Shari recalls, “Amy was right. She’s extremely intuitive about the animals. Heally and Daisy are perfect companions.’

As before, Amy helped transition Heally to his new home. Heally and Daisy have become great friends who love to go on long walks together, bark at the squirrels, and talk to the dogs on TV. Amy insists on all dogs taking puppy classes, and Tova reports that Heally did great. ‘œHe was so tiny compared to everybody else that it was hard for him to play. It was a great class though! And we continued training him at home.”

Humans and animals have a special bond. Pets fill our lives with laughter, comfort and unconditional love. And yet, their lives are too short, and eventually we face the inevitable moment when we have to let go. How do we know when that moment has come? Many times, our pets will tell us’”and it was Peekachoo’s time. Michelle-Shari and Steven knew it. Peek has lead a full life, and at 16 years old it was time to let him go. The vet they had been going to for a number of years was not available, so Michelle-Shari got in touch with Amy at Pixie.

The Kruss Family

Michelle-Shari recalls, “Amy always told us that if it was an emergency we should call her. Amy, Shannon, and Zack were all there, and they made Peekachoo, Tova, Steven and I comfortable. They laid out warm blankets. They gave Peek the wet food that she loved, and slowly and gently made it possible for her to rest.”

Steven was so indebted to Pixie for helping his family that he donated the LED lighting for the Pixie lobby in Peekachoo’s honor.

Thanks to the Pixie Project, Heally and Daisy are happy because they have found their forever home with the Kruss family.

Ferdinand, the gentle giant, was adopted May 1, 2011 when he was 1 year old. He enjoys regular back yard play time with his sister, he has even learned to use the ladder! The slide is still a bit of a challenge!

Cindy, age 9, adopted by her wonderful first time doggie parents on November 6, 2010. Cindy, the sweetest girl in the world, became an instant family member from the moment she went home.

After spending a year in a rural shelter with limited exposure the two year old lovely Ms. Millie came to the Pixie Project and in less than two weeks found her forever home on June 15th 2010. She now lives with her loving dad and his best running partner ever!

Mr. Mugsy (age 11) – Adopted by his new dad on February 11, 2011. Mugsy is enjoying his golden years in being a loyal and loving companion to his best friend in the world!

Laddie (age 9) – Adopted by his forever family June 1st 2009. Two years later he was joined by his doggie brother Archie, a chihuahua mix adopted from the Pixie Project!

Huckleberry (age 7 months) – Adopted by his loving family on June 26, 2009. His family later adopted two kitties from the Pixie Project making them 3 time Pixie adopters!