From Cruetly to Boujee: Adopting our Puppy from the Humane Society of North Texas

Introducing the 14th member of the Pope Pack – Suede! We had no plans to get another dog, but a series of serendipitous events brought us together, and I quickly realized we needed her as much as she needed us right now.

On January 19th I volunteered with the Humane Society of North Texas to document the Wings of Rescue flight transporting 180 strays and owner surrenders from California shelters to make space for pets misplaced by the tragic wildfires. In the process, I followed HSNT on Instagram. Just 9 days later, they shared a photo of a baby blue Great Dane who had been confiscated as part of a cruelty investigation. The next morning I drove to Ft Worth to meet her at an adoption event – a week shy of 10 years after we adopted our first Great Dane, Ellie, who we lost in September.

Her shelter name was North. We toyed with a handful of names – Sadie, London, Valentina, Pippa – before my assistant brilliantly suggested Suede for “blue suede shoes” and the feel of her fur. She was confiscated by HSNT along with her parents and three littermates from deplorable conditions and has scars on the backs of her legs. She was so scared and skinny.

Luckily, all it took was a good night’s sleep in a bundle of blankets in our bedroom for Suede to feel like a new dog. She didn’t make a peep the whole night, then woke up ready to take on the world. I expected it would take some time for her to trust humans again and come out of her shell, but the sweet girl closed that chapter of her life and never looked back.

Since she had no body fat to keep her warm (and because all of my dogs grow too big to play dress up with them for long), I grabbed some fuzzy pajamas and red a “heart breaker” hoodie.

Just two weeks later I am happy to say Suede is thriving. She has grown over three inches and gained 13 pounds. She loves sunbathing, snuggling with the other dogs, tv time on the couch, and shoes. Our 10-year old deaf Great Dane, Hudson, has claimed her as his own and it’s adorable watching the two of them parade around together.

Welcome home, my funny Valentine.

Looking to add to your furry family? The Humane Society of North Texas has dogs, cats, livestock, and other small animals. Adoption events are held at multiple Petco and Petsmart locations as well as their Keller and Fort Worth adoption centers. Check out their site for a list of available pets at hsnt.org.