Several months ago the animal shelter received a call from a dog rescue group in Bellingham, asking if they could take in a shy Papillion dog in desperate need of a home. They explained that Juliette had been rescued from a less-than-reputable dog breeder who had kept her in an outdoor pen, on a cold concrete floor with no bedding for over six years; using her to produce litter after litter of puppies.

Shelter Manager, Jan Murphy says, “We knew we wanted to help this dog, so we traveled to Whatcom County to meet Juliette and bring her back to the island.” What they found when they arrived was a little dog who had basically shut down; both emotionally and physically. Murphy said, “It was difficult to make eye contact with her and she was unresponsive to affection. She trembled and tensed when anyone approached her. She was clearly in pain when she tried to walk.” After seeing a veterinarian, animal shelter staff learned that Juliette, at only six years of age, had severe early onset arthritis due to her previous living conditions. They knew a very special home would need to be found for Juliette – with someone who could help to rehabilitate her soul as well as her body. Happily, Diane and Glen Kaufman of Friday Harbor heard about Juliette’s story and stepped in to help. They adopted Juliette and took her home to begin the long process of bringing this sad little dog back to life.

Today Juliette is well on her way to living the kind of life every dog dreams of. She regularly goes to water therapy at Paws in the Water, which has dramatically helped her arthritis and enables her to run and play. She has even made friends with other dogs and has many new human friends as well. She takes walks with Diane and Glen and now knows how to ask for affection. Diane tells us, “Each day I hold her in my lap and she seems relaxed and contented. There are also many in our family who adore her and give her gentle attention.”

The Animal Protection Society of Friday Harbor takes great pride in being able to match pets to caring homes like the one provided for Juliette by the Kaufmans.

APS-FH Board President Julie Corey says, “For every lost soul that finds its way here to our shelter, we know there is a caring person or family out there for them. It’s just a matter of making the right match.”