Madelyn

February 24, 2012

Madelyn, a three-year-old beagle, had been hanging around a neighborhood in Chattanooga, Tennessee, looking hungry and lost. A neighbor who had been feeding Madelyn for several days called the McKamey Animal Center to pick up the stray dog.

“When she arrived, she had no identification and was very timid,” says Tricia Sebes, Animal Care Coordinator atMcKameyAnimalCenter. “We were considering her for the Rescue Waggin’® program, but she was so timid, we worried she wasn’t a good candidate for the trip. She kept her head low and wouldn’t make eye contact with anyone. Even so, it did appear she liked people.”

Thankfully, two weeks of tender loving care from the McKameyAnimalCenterstaff gave Madelyn the confidence she needed to pass her behavior assessment. She was selected for PetSmart Charities® Rescue Waggin’® program – a national transport program that moves adoptable dogs from communities with high pet populations and few adopters to animal shelters elsewhere in the country where adoptable dogs are more in demand. Madelyn, along with dozens of other dogs and puppies from Chattanooga, boarded the Rescue Waggin’ vehicle for their life-saving trip to Humane Society of Huron Valley inAnn Arbor,Michigan. There Madelyn and the other dogs would have a better chance at finding new homes.

In the meantime, the Scott family ofYpsilanti,Michigan, was considering adopting another dog. Their 12-year-old dog, Roxanne, had died earlier in the year and their eight-year-old mixed breed dog, Sophie, seemed lonely and in need of a friend. Ian, the family’s six-year-old son, really wanted to help animals and was instrumental in the family’s search for a second dog.

“He was always saying how much we should help the animals at the shelter,” says his mom, Angela Scott. “So that’s where we headed.”

When they met Madelyn, she was lying quietly in her kennel. She had arrived a few days earlier and been on the adoption floor for only a few hours when they met her. Madelyn crawled into their laps, endearing herself immediately to the family. They went home to get Sophie for a meet and greet. That’s when Ian grabbed his piggy bank so he could help with the adoption fee. 

“He contributed $23 – all in coins – towards her adoption,” says Scott. Madelyn and Ian bonded quickly. She rode all the way home sitting across his lap. Since joining the Scott family, however, Madelyn’s confidence and personality have truly emerged. “She’s been a delightful addition to the family, but a little bit of a hooligan,” says Scott. “I have never seen a dog do this before, but she climbs on my dining room table and just stands there.” Sebes laughs when she hears this story. “She was so timid here, I would have never thought of her as a hooligan,” she says. “It’s great to hear that she’s doing so well.”

Madelyn apparently loves meeting other dogs during their neighborhood walks too. “She met another beagle the other day and you would have thought they were long lost friends,” Scott says. With massively long ears that apparently get wet in the water dish, Madelyn has added a new quirkiness to the Scott home. Six-year-old Ian tells everyone she is never leaving. “She is ours now and we love her.”  

From an abandoned dog inTennesseeto a welcome "hooligan” inMichigan, Madelyn has definitely found her home.

Submitted by: Angela
Ypsilanti, Michigan
US