The Humane Society of the New Braunfels Area (HSNBA) provides a very valuable service to our community by providing food, shelter, and attention to lost, missing, and abandoned pets while the animals wait for their owners to find them or for someone to adopt them. There are so many great, smart, lovable, affectionate animals at the HSNBA that need a home, and I hope you will consider adopting or fostering. Here is my story about my experiences with HSNBA:
In 2012, my wife and I lost the dog that I had adopted in 1998 after having her for 14 wonderful years. It took a few months to grieve, but once we were ready for another dog in our lives we went to the HSNBA to look for a new family member. Hope, as she had been named by the HSNBA staff, immediately stood out to us and had an amazingly loving personality. We adopted Hope in 2012 and she was the most loyal and affectionate dog we could have ever hoped for. Hope went to work with me and greeted clients. We even had clients that would stop by the office just to see Hope and give her a treat. She would bring calm to clients who were going through difficult situations and played with children while their parents dealt with their legal needs. Hope aged gracefully but began slowing down a few years ago. Our walks got shorter, she didn’t move as quickly, and her vision deteriorated in the last few years as she aged. Sadly, earlier this year, she became very ill very quickly and she passed away. She lived a long, happy 12 years with us (we were not sure how old she was when we adopted her, so we don’t know exactly how old she was when she passed). We will always love and miss Hope.
It took a few months of grieving again after we lost Hope, but my wife and I were finally ready to adopt again, so we went back to HSNBA looking for a new family member in April. I had actually gone to the HSNBA facility one day and saw several dogs that had the temperament that I was looking for, but one of the staff members mentioned that there was a dog they wanted me to meet. However, when I asked where the dog was, they said the dog was at an adoption event at City Hall. I called my wife and she met me at City Hall where we first met Essie. Although she had a bit of a past, we fell in love with her right away and signed the adoption paperwork on the spot. Essie has warmed up to us and we are in love again with our new furry family member. Essie and I take a long walk every morning and she goes to work with me to greet clients. Her favorite time of the day is when we go home and spend 30 minutes each evening playing fetch with her favorite squeaking balls. Essie is an amazing dog and we are so happy to have her in our family.
I mentioned that Essie had a bit of a past. She had been dumped on the east side of I-35 and she roamed from Aggie Industrial Park to Walmart scavenging as a feral dog. An angel who loves dogs was patient enough to try to save Essie was finally able to trap her on a rainy day. This angel worked with HSNBA to make sure Essie had shots, was spayed, and then fostered Essie until we adopted her. This angel just happened to be a dog trainer, so she worked on breaking Essie of her feral ways and to train her on some basic commands. This angel saved Essie’s life and ensured that she found a good home. This is just one story out of many stories of the wonderful and dedicated people working to save animals and the great animals who need homes.
There are plenty of great pure-bred animals and I do not want to degrade any of them or the breeders who breed them. However, if you want a furry family member who will be the most loving and loyal companion, there are many wonderful animals who are just waiting for a home. Please, I hope you will consider saving a life and giving a home to a wonderful pet who is just waiting for you at the HSNBA. Drop by my office if you want to say hi to Essie, she loves treats!
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Mayor Neal Linnartz