Winners from the 2024 Remember Me Thursday contest!

First Place Winner – Morgan, benefiting Adopt A Husky Minnesota

Morgan is 9 years old. She came to Adopt A Husky Minnesota about 6 years ago or so. She was in tough shape and missing an eye. She eventually got adopted. To no fault of her own she was returned back to foster care. This is when she had cataract surgery in her one good eye. Unfortunately, she then got SARDS and lost her sight. She then became my foster and has been with me and a year. She now is my love and she will live with me for the rest of her life. I lost my father to suicide in 2021, since then I’ve lost 4 of our huskies. Without Morgan I would be totally lost. She has taught me to slow down and smell the flowers. Morgan is such a happy girl, and goes just about everywhere with me. She’s has taught me that when life throws us curves and during tough times, there’s still happiness. She pushes through challenges and is always happy to learn new things. Morgan uses a doggie door, steps and navigates the yard and house like she can see. She loves going for walks and meeting new friends. If you saw her walking down the sidewalk you wouldn’t be able to tell she was blind. Morgan is such an inspiration and everyone who meets her falls in love instantly. She has taught me it’s okay to open my heart and love no matter the hard of a situation I might be in.

Second Place Winner – Lola, benefiting Frankie’s Furry Friends

My husband, Carl and I started adopting special needs and senior dogs years ago. I had somehow talked him into adopting one more. While we were picking that dog up, Lola was handed to me. She was so tiny, weighing one pound and only had two legs. I instantly fell in love but we already had five 2 legged dogs at home. I said I would foster her but by the time I got home, I knew she was meant to be mine.

I love all my dogs and they’re each special in their own way but Lola is a little golden nugget of joy and determination. She doesn’t let her size or disability get in her way, hopping throughout our home and even going up steps to get on the couch. She has a feisty attitude and we are constantly cracking up at how she bosses everyone around even our 60lb coonhound. Anyone who meets Lola is astonished at her strength and how happy she is despite how small and only having two legs.

Lola amazes me everyday. When I’m feeling down or discouraged, just watching her changes my entire mood. She encourages me to be grateful and to do good. Not to let anything stand in my way.

Lola is truly special and I hope she’ll be an inspiration for many to come.

Third Place Winner – Teva, benefiting Whitman County Humane Society

I remember the first time I saw her. I was driving through our little college town and there she was – a blue Heeler (Australian Cattledog) wearing a fluorescent “ADOPT ME” vest. She was being walked by a shelter volunteer. I swerved in behind them, jumped out, and shouted, “OK!”. The volunteer was confused. “OK, what?” “OK, I will adopt her!” I was just coming out of the darkest 2 years of my life. My marriage had ended. I moved to a small apartment (“no pets allowed”). It was the right thing to do, but heartbreaking. It was also the first time since graduating vet school (25 years) that I was dog-less. That felt like another giant gaping hole at a time when a dog would have made such a difference. The shelter had named her Hannah. She and her sister had lived feral outside a small farming community for 2 years before they were captured. They originally tried to adopt them out together; now it was just Hannah. We had a few arranged “doggy dates.” I submitted an application and was interviewed. By then, I was smitten. Coming home, it was rough for a while. 2 e-readers were destroyed one day when I left her alone. But she got better and better, loved me as much as I loved her, and began to fill that hole in my heart. We changed her name to Teva, a name that gave her a fresh start and reminded me of floating rivers. We hiked hundreds of miles. We crossed the country twice, once to Boston for my cancer treatment. Teva is 16-years-old now and can’t do the long hikes anymore. The clock is ticking, but she’s healthy and happy. Rescue Dog? Yep. We rescued each other. And not a Heeler, but a HEALER.

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