Success Series - Ezy

Welcome to another installation of our Success Series! Every Friday* for the next several weeks we will post the story of a pet who has found their forever home through HSEC. If your animal was adopted from HSEC and you want them to be featured on the blog, contact us: humanesocietyofec@gmail.com

 Some adoptions are easy.  Dogs who are tail-waggingly friendly and seem to shout, “take me home” are often short-timers in our kennel.  Unfortunately, this was not the case with Ezy, who became a long-term guest. Ezy (pronounced 'easy') was our very first featured adoptable animal on the blog in October of 2011! You can read more about him here.

A large Shepherd mix, Ezy is a handsome guy, but not one to warm up to strangers.  Time and again, he was overlooked by adopters, but at the same time began to bond with the volunteers who came to walk and play with him. Soon, he developed into quite the soccer player, kicking the ball around and even finding a way to carry it in his mouth!

Amy, a new volunteer who spent time with Ezy, found a connection, sitting in his run with him after a long walk. His charm surfaced and he began climbing into her lap, smothering her with kisses.  Soon, Amy was excited to arrive at the Humane Society to play with her buddy, and realized she was in love.  But there was a problem.  Being a college student, Amy knew she couldn’t give this big, active boy the time and space he needed.

Luckily, love for animals runs in Amy’s family, and her aunt and uncle were also interested in finding a new canine friend.  With five acres in Raleigh, they had plenty of room for Ezy to run and play, and the rambunctious fellow made an immediate attachment.  He loves to sit under a large dogwood tree on the property, and enjoys cuddling with (before ripping apart) stuffed toys.  He’s also fond of fishing trips, where he can play in the lake.  Following a round of training classes, Ezy learned to sit, stay and wait, although this big fellow is still afraid of storms and will head for the nearest lap at the first sound of thunder!

Shy no more, this hard-to-adopt guy has found a wonderful place to call home – with people who have found him Ezy to love.





*We know, it's Saturday. We won't tell if you won't!

Success Story - Ezy, Soft, and Balto

Every animal that comes through our doors is loved, but there are those few cats or dogs that really touch the heart. For some reason - length of stay, special needs, health concerns - everyone who works or volunteers at HSEC knows these extra-special guys, and we celebrate even more when they have success. So let's take a look at three of our recent extra-special success stories: Ezy, Soft, and Balto.

Ezy

When we began this blog in October of 2011, we had just one candidate for the very first blog dog - Ezy. By October Ezy had already been at the facility for longer than a year. Ezy was brought in as a stray with an uncertain pedigree and it was clear that he wasn't very comfortable around people. He was never mean or vicious, but he was very shy. Staff and volunteers had to be careful to approach Ezy the right way. He quickly warmed up to his favorites, but was often overlooked by potential adopters because of his shy personality.

A wise volunteer once said "there's a lid for every pot", meaning that every animal had an owner out there already waiting for them. Well, in Ezy's case he's more like a stock pot - and his lid has finally found him. His adopter is a volunteer who spent several weeks getting to know Ezy and making him comfortable before finally taking him home.

Some adoptions are so happy they just make you cry. We couldn't be happier that Ezy has found his pot!

Soft

Soft was another long-timer at HSEC. This older cat came from a home where the owner could no longer care for her, and it was clear that the seven-year-old was stressed out at the facility. We give our residents the best care possible, but our environment can be loud and scary and is no replacement for a permanent home.

Soft was also our very first cat of the month in October 2011, and she had already been in the facility for several months at that point. Because she was stressed, she could be shy and even temperamental. She certainly wasn't putting her best foot forward for potential adopters. Luckily for this beautiful long-haired cat, she was fostered by a wonderful family who finally made things official by adopting her in April.

Older cats can have a difficult time finding a home, and we were all a little worried about Soft. This is an adoption to celebrate for sure!

Balto

Balto was a more recent addition to our facility. A year-old malamute should have plenty of energy to spare, but Balto is hampered by the painful condition of hip dysplasia. He needed two surgeries just to have a normal, pain-free life.

We reached out to our friends through Facebook and on the blog to help us fund Balto's surgeries, using a new tool called ChipIn to track donations. We're happy to announce that we have completely funded Balto's surgery and care, raising $1005 in total!

Balto has already had his first surgery, and is doing well in his foster home. And best of all, potential adopters have stepped forward to give him a forever home! This is the best kind of happy ending and we couldn't be more grateful for the role you played in making it come true.

So from Ezy, Soft, Balto, and all of us at HSEC...

Just the Facts - March and April

It seems like the past few months have flown by, and all of a sudden we're right around the corner from summer. Our freshly painted Cat Palace is looking great, and a beautiful mural has just been finished - we'll be sure to share pictures as soon as we have them.

Adoptions generally slow down a little bit during the summer months, but during March and April we've had quite a few to celebrate.

In March we took in 32 animals in total - 19 cats and 13 dogs. And just to keep things nice and symmetrical, we've adopted out 32! This includes 9 adult cats, 6 kittens, 10 adult dogs, and 7 puppies. 9 of these adoptions were off-site.

In April, we took in 23 animals, 9 cats and 14 dogs. But again with that magic number, we adopted out 32 - 11 adult cats, 3 kittens, 10 adult dogs, and 8 puppies. 8 of these adoptions were off-site.

It was wonderful to see so many animals go off to their forever homes, and this opens up more space in our facility to transfer in more critters. Remember, when you adopt a pet from a no-kill operation, you're not just giving that animal a home. You're also opening a space for another unwanted animal in the facility. You're saving TWO lives - and providing the no-kill facility with the funds to continue operating. Thank you!

So without further ado let's take a look at some of the sweet guys that found their forever homes in March and April!

Addie

Ezy!!! Blog Dog of the Month October AND November 2010

Bunny

Patrick

Zeke

Blog Dog of the Month - Ezy!!

It's time for our third and final installment about Ezy!!  Ezy has been our Blog Dog of the Month for October AND November and unfortunately this sweet dog is still waiting to find his forever home!  Ezy has been living at the Humane Society of Eastern Carolina longer than any of our other current residents, 18 months!!  Wouldn't you say it's his turn to find a forever family?

Mixed breed dogs often come into the facility, and sometimes these mysterious mixes create some uniquely interesting animals. It can be very rewarding to adopt a mixed breed dog who will fit perfectly into your family. Like Ezy (pronounced Easy), our Blog Dog of the Month.

Everyone seems to have a different opinion about Ezy’s genetic background. He definitely has some Shepherd in him, but the rest is anyone’s guess - Akita? Chow? Brown bear? He’s not a very tall dog, but he has a powerful barrel chest and neck and beautiful thick fur. In fact, it’s hard to tell where the fur ends and Ezy begins.

Ezy is not exactly the athletic type. He gets very excited to go on a walk, but he’s been known to sit down and refuse to go another step without a short break! Especially when it’s hot, it’s easy for him to become overheated under all that gorgeous fur. Ezy would do well in a family who took him on short walks, but he would probably not be a good match for someone who wants to take their dog jogging.

Adopting a mixed breed dog also ensures that your dog is totally unique! Ezy is such a handsome boy, though it’s hard to see that clearly when he’s in his run. In the sunshine, the brown highlights glow in his black coat. There’s definitely no one else who looks like Ezy!

In the end, it doesn’t really matter what Ezy “is”. All that’s important to know about Ezy - or any dog - is the singular set of traits that define his personality. Ezy is shy, and sweet, and loves attention. He tends to have favorite people, and he loves his favorites completely.

He’s an amazing dog just waiting for the right person to come along and take him home. 

If you're looking to add another canine to your pack please consider Ezy, he's a wonderful dog who just needs a little extra time getting to know you.  He loves other dogs and he'd LOVE to meet you!  Please come by the facility to meet Ezy, give us a call at (252) 413-7247 or e-mail us at hsecgeneral@gmail.com.  Ezy is up to date on all vaccines, neutered, and his adoption fee is only $60!!! 

Let's find Ezy a home for the holidays!

Blog Dog of the Month - Ezy!!

It's time for the next installment of our 3-part series on Blog Dog of the Month - Ezy!  This sweet guy is still looking for his forever home so, please, read his story below and help spread the word about the incredible dog!

When our Blog Dog of the Month Ezy (pronounced Easy) first came to the facility, staff and volunteers quickly learned that he needed some extra attention. Like many residents of HSEC, Ezy was a stray, so we don’t know very much about his background. We have to take our cues from his behavior and can only guess at the experiences that shaped his personality.

And Ezy has a big personality! But at first, you wouldn’t know it. Sometimes it takes Ezy a little bit of time to warm up to new people, especially men. Once he gets over his initial shyness, he loves attention. He loves to have his ears and chest scratched, and he’s a leaner - he’ll push against your legs as he totally relaxes into the attention.

Ezy’s cautiousness has sometimes worked against him when visitors come to HSEC. Like most shy dogs, he can be easily overwhelmed by new people who approach too quickly.

When meeting any dog, but especially a shy dog, it’s important to move slowly and speak softly. Try squatting down to their level and let them approach you. Don’t make eye contact right away, as dogs can perceive this as aggressive. Once the dog seems comfortable, pet them on their chest. Bringing your hand over the top of a shy dog’s head can be scary to them, and some dogs don’t like to be touched in a place they can’t see, like their hind end.

If you give a dog a bad first impression, don’t worry - you can overcome it with some time. Just retreat and start over again with the techniques suggested above. But it’s far better to use patience at the first meeting so that you can easily form a connection with a new dog. Go slowly and the dog will learn to trust you.

Volunteers and staff know that it just takes a little bit of patience to get close to Ezy, but once you do, he’s yours forever. So come out to the facility and spend some time in the play yard with Ezy. Your reward could be a lifetime friend!

Interested in meeting Ezy?  Stop by the HSEC facility during our open hours, give us a call (252) 413-7247, or e-mail us at hsecgeneral@gmail.com!  Ezy is neutered, up to date on all vaccines, and his adoption fee is only $60!!!

Blog Dog of the Month - Ezy!!

It's that time again!  For the month of November we've selected Ezy to be our Blog Dog of the Month!  Look familiar?  Ezy was also spotlighted in October but unfortunately he is STILL waiting for his forever home and we hope to share more of his story with you throughout the month.  This is the first in a series of 3 posts we have planned for this special canine to help him find a family!

Since he entered the facility, our Blog Dog of the Month Ezy (pronounced Easy) has made huge improvements in temperament and training. Ezy came in as a stray, jumping right into his rescuer’s car. He must have known that she was trying to help him, because Ezy can be very shy with new people.

When he first came to HSEC, Ezy wasn’t sure what he’d gotten himself into. The facility can be an overwhelming place, with lots of new sights, sounds, and smells - not to mention new people. Like many new residents, Ezy was initially hesitant to trust volunteers and staff. We don’t know what Ezy’s background was like and so we don’t know why he tends to be so cautious. Whatever the reason, he needs a little extra love to help him compensate.

When Ezy was given a bit of extra attention, he really began to blossom. He made one volunteer into a special friend, and once he’d decided to trust her, he began to realize that other people weren’t so bad. He got used to the set of familiar faces that he saw at the facility every day. Being exposed to so many different people was very beneficial for him.

Like many cautious dogs, having a doggy buddy helped Ezy become more comfortable with people. Shy dogs may have a difficult time reading humans, and so they are alarmed by what they interpret as unpredictable behavior. But when a shy dog has a more confident dog as a buddy, they can read the confident dog’s body language. If the other dog isn’t afraid, the shy dog will see that the situation isn’t threatening, and they will have a large reduction in their own anxiety levels.

Ezy gets along very well with other dogs, and loves to wrestle and play tag. He’s also what trainers call food motivated, which means that he is willing to work for a treat. As soon as he figured out that just sitting would get him a reward, he was on top of it! If he knows that you have treats in your pocket, he will cut you off and “sit” very insistently in front of you, waiting to be praised and rewarded. This makes us think that he would be relatively easy to continue training.

Unfortunately, Ezy has outlasted several doggy buddies because he has been at the facility so long. He’s watched his friends leave for their forever homes and has always been the one left behind. We think it’s Ezy’s turn to get to go home.

If you are interested in adopting Ezy and giving him a forever home please let us know!  All HSEC animals are spayed & neutered and up to date on all vaccines.  Ezy's adoption fee is $60 and you will also receive a free bag of dog food!  Give us a call at (252) 413-7247 or e-mail us at hsecgeneral@gmail.com for more information on Ezy!

Blog Dog of the Month - Ezy

Hi Folks!

A regular installment on our blog will be the 'Blog Dog of the Month!'  In each post we will spotlight the dog who is most in need of adoption at our facility. 

This month that lucky dog is Ezy!  He has been at HSEC longer than any of our other dogs and we're hoping to help find him a family as soon as possible.

This sweet boy is about 2 years old and was brought in as a stray.  The woman who found him called him "Ezy" because when she saw him it was so easy to get him to jump right into her car!

We suspect that Ezy has been with us for a while because it takes him a while to warm up to strangers.  When we let him out for exercise in our play yard he tends to shy away from new people but our staff know Ezy has a much friendlier side to him!  When we go to let him out he is almost always waiting at his kennel door and once it's open he bolts right out, eager to play. 

 It takes some patience, but once he warms up to you Ezy loves a good ear rub and will sit calmly while you pet him and give him some loving attention.  As you can see, Ezy is a Shepard mix, mostly black with a white chest.  He also has some very unique brown and black patches around his sholders which in our opinion make him more loveable!

If you are interested in adopting Ezy and making him a member of your family please let us know!  We'd love for you to come out and meet him.  Ezy has been neutered, dewormed, and is up to date on all vaccines.  He is also on heartworm and flea prevention.

Ezy's adoption fee is only $60 and his new family will inheret all his medical records as well as a small bag of Hill's Science Diet Food!

If you are interested in fostering Ezy please give us a call at (252) 413-7247.  Even if you can't provide Ezy with a forever home he would absolutely love to get out of the shelter environment and stay with you for a month or two!

If you have any other questions please feel free to give us a call at (252) 413-7247 or e-mail us at hsecgeneral@gmail.com.