Happy Endings

Click to see some of our recently adopted pets!

Please do not call/e-mail the shelter about these pets, they have already found new homes. If you are interested in adopting a pet, please visit our Animals for Adoption page.

Scroll below to read some of our Happy Endings stories!

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If you have adopted an animal from Jersey Shore Animal Center, we would love to hear from you. Please submit your story and/or picture of your pet to Jaime@jerseyshoreanimalcenter.org so it may be added to this page.

Please include the approximate date the animal was adopted and the name your pet had at the shelter if possible.

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Adopted January 2009: Donovan (formerlly known as Nubbins)

Hello, I had adopted Donovan (aka Nubbins) from you in January of 2009. I want to tell that he is doing great and enjoys his walks around the neighborhood during the day! He has meet many new dogs around the area and loves going to the park (especially the car ride!) when the weather is nice. Although, most of the time he just enjoys laying on the couch and snuggling up to me. Since not much was known about him, you would be glad to know that he is housebroken, knows a few tricks, and is always wagging that tiny tail of his. Thank you guys for letting me give him his forever home!

Veronica

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Adopted January 2010; Lila, (formerlly known as Yoga)

We wanted to let you know how Miss Lila (formerly "Yoga") is doing since we adopted her in January. She is fully house trained and has the curiosity of a cat! She enjoys neighborhood walks, visits to the Oceanport dog park and socializing with the other dogs in the family. When we take her out, people we encounter seem to be very drawn to her and she loves the attention so much that when they ask what breed she is we tell them she is an Attention Hound! She has become best buddies with our Shih Tzu Sparky, and they are inseparable. She adapted to her crate easily and often goes in to take a nap on her own. She loves to play with the many  doggie toys we have, as well as watch the birds, squirrels and chipmunks that frequent the yard. She even returned to JSAC for the dog wash last month for a bath. We are very happy to have her as a part of our family!

John & Michele

 

 

 

 

 

 

Adopted in 1996: Shannon (formally known as Pointsetta)

I just wanted to send this thank you email for the opportunity to have adopted a dog from your shelter in 1996.  We have recently had to put her down due to being elderly and other health issues relating to getting older. She was 17 1/2 years old and had the best times with her.  I again want to thank you for the opportunity to share our lives with her.  I have been telling everyone to adopt dogs from shelters and not from pet stores as these dogs that are at the shelter do appreciate being adopted.

Diane Feeney

 

 

 

 

 

 

Adopted June 2009: Darla Jo (formerly known as Slinky)

My husband, Tom and I adopted Darla Jo (was Slinky) in June of 2009. She is a wonderful girl and we are very happy to have her. She gets along great with our boy, Lars. They have become buddies. Although she is much older than we were told we knew old dogs need homes too. She has bad hips and once we put her on Rimadyl she gets around much better and even plays with the big boy. Here are some pictures of our kids.

Sandy & Tom Szymanski

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Adopted June 2010: Toby (formerly known as Mufasa)

Hi,
Just wanted to send some recent photos of the kitten "Mufasa"  that I adopted a few weeks ago. I did change his name to "Toby".. he is a very happy little guy and brings me much happiness already. 
I will send more photos as he gets a bit older.

Thanks again to all the staff at Jersey Shore Animal Center.

Sincerely,
Lisa Zazzara

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Adopted December 2009: Pumpkin and Skipper (formerly known as Hattrick)

 

Hi,

We adopted these two babies last December 12.   The orange tabby is Pumpkin, and the black cat is Skipper.   They are almost 10 months old now, and doing just fine!   They love running through the house, playing and wrestling with each other!   We are very happy to have them as part of the family.

Skipper is now 12 lbs and the vet doesn't think he's finished growing yet! They keep saying, Look at the size of those feet! He's going to be a big one!  He's the lover.   Pumpkin is more slender and the acrobat and mischievous one! I tell people that Pumpkin is ?Jimi Hendrix acid rock, and Skipper is Margaritaville that describes their personalities very accurately.

Thank you for being there and taking care of these adorable cats until we were brought together!

Barbara & Ed Herbert

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Adopted March 2010: Shadow (formerly known as Tigger)

Hello, everyone!  We just wanted to send you a note with some pictures of Tigger, who we now have re-named Shadow.  We tried to do this before, but it wouldn't "send".  We adopted Shadow in February, and it was the best thing we ever did!  Shadow is a wonderful little boy, and our family loves him so much.  He is so well behaved and is such a family oriented dog.  If I lay on the rug he will pick himself up and come over to me and lay right next to me, with his head on me!  I have truly fallen in love with him.  He has only had one "accident" since his adoption, and that was in the first week or so.  He loves to run and play in the yard! I cannot imagine anyone ever abusing him, and I hate to think of what he had to endure from the time he was a puppy...but he is now in good hands!  We hope to bring him by at some point during the summer so that you can see him!  In any event, THANK YOU for allowing us to adopt this kind, gentle soul!  He is the light of my life!  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Adopted February 2010: Teddy (formerly known as Chris)

Dear JSAC,

A little more than two months ago we adopted a beagle, who you were calling Chris from the shelter. When we took him I promised one of your staffers that I would send some pictures of him in his new home, sadly I can't recall her name. We have since renamed him Teddy (short for teddy bear). Here are six shots, I hope you enjoy them. The file names are a little long because I ripped them from my Facebook album.

Katie Gatto

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Adopted April 2010: Blaze

We adopted Blaze recently and he's been wonderful!  He's extremely friendly, and has a ton of character!  He loves the toys I give him, and comes running over to the side of his pen to play his favorite game when I walk near.  (Sniffs my hand, then pushes his head into it for a pet, repeating as necessary!)  He's still locked up at night or when we're at work until we do a better job bunny proofing the room, he's turning into a real Houdini, waking me up once outside his pen, exploring the house!  I can't say enough good things about him, we love him very much and are very glad to have brought him home. 

Bonding him with the bunny we already had has been interesting, they take turns being unhappy or curious about each other.  When Blaze is unhappy he'll hop right into my lap for safety and is all around adorable.  They're showing progress and we think it will turn out well. 

We kept his name, Blaze, but we've given him the nickname puddle, because he sinks into a very comfortable puddle of fur and needs to work off some ounces! 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Adopted March 2010 - Flopsy (formerly known was Kianna)

Flopsy (Came with the name Kianna) went home to Brick in March.  Her first few days she just wanted to cuddle up in her new friends lap. She was renamed Flopsy when she flops over instead of sitting after finding her spot to nap.   After a happy trip to the vet and learning where the litter box and food were, she became more secure and started to explore.  Her favorite toy is a catnip red strawberry and one of her favorite pastimes is looking out the windows and doors and watching the birds, squirrels and bunny rabbits. She is very loving and we still cuddle a lot.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Adopted January 8th 2010 - Maggie (Formerly Noodle)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Hey Everyone,

We just wanted to take a minute to thank everyone for bringing Maggie (aka Noodle) and out family together. She is adjusting very well in her new FOREVER home. In her first month with us she has let her sisters Sasha & Ruby (both min-pins) know that she is boss. They don't mind though since they were pretty much used to it from Bailey (aka Cocoa) who we adopted from you 3 yrs ago. She loves running through the 2 ft of snow we just had. She goes on walks, and really loves to play with her new toys. We hope she is as happy with us as we are with her.

We said it 3 yrs ago when we adopted Bailey from you that you people are very special in every way. What you do for these pets is totally AWESOME!!

We will keep you posted on Maggie and let you all know how she is doing.

Ken M

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Adopted: October 17, 2009 - Milo and Maxine

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Adopted: November 17th, 2009 - Max

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Adotped: October 24th, 2009 - Marley (formerly Percy)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Hi guys! Thought you might be interested in seeing how Percy, now named Marley, has adapted to our home. As you can see by these pics he was meant to be here! He is extremely loveable and likes to be treated like a little Prince. He eats like a HORSE and plays like he never runs out of energy. He loves to be cuddled and rocked to sleep. Marley is the best and we love him to death. It was one week yesterday that we adopted him but it feels like he's always been here. Thanks guys for everything!

Michelle T.

 

 

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Adopted: October 31, 2009 - Quigley (formerly Ashkii)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Hello,

We adopted Quigley (formerly known as Ashkii) on 10/31/09. He was the “sweetest” treat for our Halloween and he is doing really well in his new home! I’ve attached a picture of Quigley lounging in my daughter’s shoebox….he is really quite the entertainer and has become a loving part of our family…we all adore him!

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Adopted April 18th, 2009 - Toni and Kita (formerly Toots and Lakita)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Dear Shelter,

Thank you so much for finding us a wonderful family who spoil us each day. We were known as Toots and Lakita when you found us in a field across from the Shelter.

Our new family found us at the shelter in April and brought us to our new home. My new mom, dad and sister Sam changed our names to Toni(black) and Kita. We get organic cat food to eat, sleep in our owners beds, get to jump on the kitchen counter and dinning room table when ever we want.

A few weeks ago, our new family donated 100 pounds of cat and dog food to those less fortunate as us. 

We wanted to write and send you pictures of the family. Thank you so much for our new family members. Have a wonderful holiday.

Toni and Kita
( Faye, Gerald and Samantha C.)

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Adopted: October 29th, 2009 - Lacey (formerly Jenga)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Lacey has been a great addition to the family! She is such a good kitten! She warmed up to her mommy right away, and always sleeps right by her side during the night. She has many many toys and is always getting into mischief! I could not have asked for a better cat!! =) She is also very very healthy and eats very well. Her first vet appt. she weighed 2 pounds 2 ounces. She has since probably gained a pound or two! I love her so much!

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Adopted: October 12th, 2009 - Shelby (formely Baby)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

To all my wonderful friends at Jersey Shore Animal Shelter!

Hi everyone! I haven't forgotten any of you! You were my temporary home for a very tough time in my life but now I am so happy!

It's been about 7 weeks since I was adopted by some very nice people and I just wanted to let you know I am doing just fine!  I go for long walks in the woods every day near my home and I am making lots of friends at the local Dog Park!  I have one more week to go at Dog Obedience school and my trainer, Peter, says I am doing great! I have learned so many new things at school and sometimes it is confusing but my Mommy makes sure I do my homework every day.  Peter is such a nice man and a good teacher and he always picks me out in class to show everyone how well I can follow his commands. I like to show off!  I think he is pretty happy with my progress because he suggested I sign up for Therapy Dog class!  Can you imagine? I am ready for higher learning!   I think I will sign up for this class because getting a good job today requires lots of training and I think I would be a good working dog!  Maybe one day I will come in for a short visit to see all of you but for now I just want you to know I am very happy and enjoy my new home very much. My people want to say thanks for taking good care of me while I was living with you.  Wishing you all Happy Holidays! Ruff-Ruff!

Love,

Shelby (formerly known as "Baby")

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Adopted: September 2, 2009 - Kelly (formerly Angel)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

It feels like a year since we adopted Kelly (Angel) (back of picture)..... But it actually has been three months! We are sorry that we didn't write right away, we wanted to get to know Kelly for a bit. She is now a happy little girl who loves her family. She now has a older brother named Elmer (in front in picture). They seem to be getting along now. On the day we adopted Kelly, she took over the house while Elmer ran and hid. She really loves to eat, her fur is nice and shiny, and she seem to have gotten darker as time passed. Kelly is a wonderful addition to the family and we love her! We are really looking forward to spending the holidays with her for the first time.

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Adopted: August 8, 2009 - Prince Charming

 

He is wonderful cat!

We are so happy to welcome him as a family member. We all love him so much!

I have attached some pictures of him for you to see.

 

 

 

 

 

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Adopted: July 27th, 2009 - Callie (formerly Trinity)
(Trinity came in to JSAC with a badly broken back leg, which had to be amputated)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sorry this has taken so much time to send this off. But we are very happy to report that Callie (aka Trinity) is growing by leaps and bounds. She is a character with a wonderful personality. She is a very strong and determined little girl! I have attached some pics for you to see.

Callie sends her love to you for taking such good care of her. I am sure she will not forget you!

Thanks too from all of us. Callie is a part of our family now and brings all of us so much joy!

Sincerely,

Maryann W. & Susan G.

 

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Update - Adopted: May 7, 2008 - Baxter (formerly Theodore) -

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Thought you might like to see Baxter as a continuing Happy Ending at one year and 13 pounds. He is a sweatheat and all boy. Always in trouble and always cuddly and "slightly" spoiled. Thank You.

Linda and Don A.

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Adopted: February 14th, 2009 - Sunshine

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Adopted: September 15th, 2006 - Gypsy and February 21st, 2009 - Harley (formerly Edgar)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Hi - Just wanted to send you some pictures of Gypsy and Harley (aka Edgar)   Harley is one of the puppies of a litter of 12 . I just want to thank you for sending us home with loving parents who take care of us so well. We have a big house and yard to run around in. We have so much fun together.  Our Mommy and Daddy got us a pool to play in . We love them so much..  We are all just one big happy family. Hope to see you all soon ..We are so lucky to have these beautiful and loving dogs. They are a big part of our family. Once again thank you from our hearts.

Diane and Pete B

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Adopted: February 28th, 2009 - Kiwi (formerly Blossom)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Our family had the great fortune to adopt Kiwi (formerly Blossom) from the Jersey Shore Animal Shelter in Brick.  She is about 6 months old in the photos but we adopted her around March 3rd 2009 when she was at least 8 weeks old.  She was one of a litter of 12!!!  She was named Kiwi because of her coloring and her hypnotic green eyes.  She is truly a love.  One of her best features are her ears as she has a different "ear-do" every moment of the day.  She is a Pitt Mix and Very loving.  We cannot say enough about this Shelter.  She was spayed, micro-chipped, collared and leashed when we came to pick her up.  The staff worked with all of the pups daily which was great for us to know and appreciate how well they were handled.  We only wish someone would adopt her sweet Mama who is still there.

Hopefully some of the other people who adopted from this litter will write in as we would love to see some of the others as they are growing up so fast.  We loved the photos of Cassidy!!!

Adopt from this shelter.  It was a great experience for the entire family.

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Adopted: June 19th, 2008 - Malibu "Bu Bun" Bunny (formerly Surfer Girl) and Moondoggie (formerly Buster)

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Adopted: March 25th, 2009 - Katie (formerly Cecelia)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Greetings to all of you at the center! We wanted to share with you how blessed we've been with the adoption of Katie (Cecelia) on March 25, 2009.  She has brought so much joy to our family.  She adapted very well to her new home.  She loves children and wants to play all the time. 

She has also become addicted to walking.  One morning she decided she wanted to go for a moonlight walk at 1:30 am.  We told her that 1:30 am is too early to go walking.  She then fell asleep until 4:30 am.  By 5:00 we were on our way.  Since then, she is doing better with her wake up call. She wakes us up every morning between 5 & 5:30 to go for her daily 3 1/2 mile walk.  She's keeping us in good shape! Attached are some pictures we hope you will enjoy!

Wilma & Lamar (Sonnie)

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Adopted: January 13th, 2009 - Dominic

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

It's been a little over 6 months since Dominick came to be part of the family. He's grown a little and does get along well with his brother Chester. He has a little issue with being amorous in the middle of the night- so if I wake up he instantly knows and wants to mush. Otherwise - he's fairly independent. His latest thing is he either chases me down the stairs and tries to attack my ankles or he does this (see picture) with the psycho face and acts like he's going to jump while I holler at him, "use the stairs".

Julia F.

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Adopted: May 12, 2009 Tootsie (formerly Matilda)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We had lost our beloved cat Shelby to a congenital heart defect just two weeks before we went to the Jersey Shore Animal Shelter.  Our plan was to find a young cat or a kitten and I had my heart set on another grey tabby.  That was how it was until we met Matilda.  She had been living at the shelter for over a year and she had been, they guessed, about a year old when she was brought to the shelter.  She's tortie with the darkest face I have ever seen on a cat, even her whiskers are black.  She was more than a little shy but she let us hold her when we met her and we knew, without a doubt, she would be coming home with us as quickly as possible.

Tootsie (short for Tootsie Roll because she is chocolaty and orange!) has adapted to our home and to us quite well in the past two weeks.  She is sweet, and while not a lap cat, she sleeps at the foot of our bed, cuddled against my leg, every night.  She makes us laugh a lot because she seems to talk to herself when she walks...in a sort of high pitch squeak...and she holds her tail high in the air...where it waves and bends like a snake... when she walks.  She love to play especially chasing the beam of a laser light and she follows me from room to room when I walk around the house.

We wondered why such a sweet cat lived in the shelter for so long overlooked by so many people.  But now we know why, she was waiting for us!  Thank you Jersey Shore Animal Shelter for giving us just the cat we never knew we wanted!

Cynthia and John B.

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Adopted: May 1st, 2009 - Benjamin

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Hello, It’s Benjamin. You remember me, right? I spent a short time with you back in April. You gave me all my shots, you neutered me, and gave me a chip so I don’t get lost again and end up back there. Well, even if I do, my mom & dad won’t be far behind. Pretty cool!

While I really appreciate the wonderful people at the shelter, I’ll never forget the day my new mommy & daddy walked into the room. I was sleeping. I woke up, stretched, looked right at them, and meowed.

It didn’t take them long to realize that I chose them; not the other way around. A week later, I was picked up and taken to my new home.

As soon as I got there, I knew there were changes that had to be made, but I had to play it smart. I acted very timid and wouldn’t leave the basement. My mommy & daddy spent three hours down there with me while I walked back & forth in between them. I was basically marking them with my scent. They belong to me now.

After a while, they went upstairs into what used to be ‘their’ living room. Mommy sat at the top of the basement stairs and coaxed me up step by step. Then I explored the upstairs for about five minutes before I discovered there was yet ANOTHER floor.

Once I found what used to be ‘their’ king sized bed, I fell asleep for a while.

Since then, I wanted to let you all know that I have them both perfectly trained. I am fed no later than 8:00AM, my litter box is cleaned no later than 6:30, and I am brushed and groomed every Saturday. I even get a little bit of wet food every now and then. My favorite is Filet Mignon; of course.

I’ve taken over my parent’s fully furnished and carpeted basement with my numerous toy mice, my robe, (that used to be Dad’s) my scratching post and litter box. Dad and I play fetch with the toy mice every day.  I am very good about using my scratching posts; I know the difference between that and their nice new sectional. (P.S., the sectional is mine now, too.)

I follow Dad & Mom upstairs every night and sleep in between them. When it’s time to wake up, I like to ‘help’ Mom do her makeup. I used to be pretty curious about the bath tub, but that didn’t last too long.

Some of my favorite things to do are sit by the sliding door in the afternoon. There’s an AWESOME sunbeam that comes through after 2:00. I also like chilling out on the couch between Mom & Dad while their watching TV. I make sure that one of my toys are always at Dad’s feet when he wakes up, and I’m always there when he goes to sleep.

My Grandma has two cats and as soon as she found out I came home, she was there bearing toys & treats. I don’t like to think that I’m spoiled, but I certainly am. My role here is a stress reliever, a comedian, an acrobat, and most of all, an unconditional love to my Mom & Dad. They certainly saved my life and gave me a happy ending.

I’ve come a long way from the cage at the shelter. Now I have three floors to cover and get plenty of exercise. I have two parents that have no problem making me the center of attention at any time. I love them so much, and they love me as well.

So, thank you all very much for all that you did for me while I was there. If I hadn’t been there, I wouldn’t have met my new Mom & Dad who are the coolest!

Purrs And Paws,

Benjamin

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Adopted: June 25th, 2007 - Beau (formerly Toby) and Adopted (?) - Dude

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Hi, my name is Marisa and I am sending you some pictures of our “kids” 2 of which were rescued from Jersey Shore Animal Center. In the first picture is our Rat Terriers, Sadie (white one) and Beau (black one) AKA Toby, my husband and I saw Beau (Toby) on the petfinder website 2 years this time of year and I called about him and the girls down in the office already had all his adoption paperwork ready for me to sign since we had a rat terrier already that we saved we adopted our big guy Dude, who is pictured in the next clip, years prior from JSAC.

The funny thing is Dude and Beau are the best of friends; Beau follows him around like the annoying little brother, stands on him, swats him in the face, and chase each other in the yard for hours! Sadie is the princess of the house she rules both especially Dude and he doesn’t really appreciate a 13lb Rat Terrier dominating him but he does. People don’t realize what great animals you find in shelters, although not easy sometimes, these animals go through heck, and they just need some time and a caring and patient heart to make excellent family members!!

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Adopted: April 10th, 2009 - Star

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I adopted Star April 10, 2009.  I am attaching photos showing her with Molly, who I also adopted from JSAC in 1998 and has given me so many wonderful years.  Sadly, Molly has cancer, which causes her to have seizures and I will soon have to say 'goodbye' to her.   When I saw Star on your website--I thought this would be the perfect dog for my situation, but was unsure if it was the right thing to do while Molly was not feeling so well.  I brought Molly up to meet Star to see how it would go.  Needless to say it went very well and Star came home with us!  She has fit in to my home very well.  She understands that Molly is old and sick and quietly sits back and allows Molly to be number one for everything.  Molly has had a couple of seizures since Star has come home and Star sits back quietly and shows so much concern and is there to comfort Molly when it is over.  Star is also great with my 90 year old mother.  My mother simply loves her!  Star also loves all the kitties in the house.  I most recently brought home a kitten to foster and have learned that Star is fantastic with the kitten.  The kitten climbs all over her and Star just loves the attention!  She is a great foster mom.  Star loves going for car rides and long walks.  She is doing wonderful and we love her to death!  Thank you for allowing me to give another great dog a forever home!

  Ruth D.

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Adopted: October 2002 - Daisy

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Attached are pictures taken today of Daisy. She was adopted in October, 2002 and we moved from Point Pleasant in February, 2004. Daisy is alive and well in Cape Coral, Florida. She loves to spend time on the lanai lying by the pool and has many dog friends, especially Dixie and Hunter the Airedales, next door, with whom she runs the fence. She is the social butterfly of the local dog world.

Daisy has become Aunt Daisy to my two grandchildren, Anthony 6 years and Anna 11 months. They live close by and she is always excited for their arrival. They stay over some nights and she is exhausted when they leave as she is their shadow the entire time they are here watching them closely. She sits at the edge of the pool even though she is not partial to swimming herself to be assured they are OK.

We do quite a bit of entertaining, especially for large groups. Everyone welcomes her to the parties as her social graces are always in place.

To say that she is a happy and healthy (albeit allergies notorious to the Westie breed) is an understatement. Just wanted to send our hellos and let you know she is an integral part of the family and is spoiled rotten. She gets special Daisy (roast chicken, potatoes and peas and carrots, as well as yogurt) dinners made especially with her allergies in mind. We are mindful of the extreme heat of summer and she has adapted to staying in air-conditioning during the hot days. We have experienced many hurricanes, including Charlie the first year here, and she understands the “rains are coming you need to go out” and does it willingly. It is amazing to me how much she understands and responds.

Daisy loves riding in the convertible with the top down and fur flying. She is harnessed in the front seat and is happy to interact with people at traffic lights.

Well, we send our best from Southwest Florida and thank you for her rescue so she could join our family.

Pat F.

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Adopted: April 24th, 2009 - Olive (formerly Georgia)