Imagine my surprise when I saw Quinn’s adoption photo on the internet Sunday! Why surprised? Let me tell you.

Quinn has defied the odds. They say timing is everything and this has sure proven to be true for this little shaggy boy.

ACT has a close working relationship with the small shelter in Reedley, California. When I was called about a small dog in the shelter who couldn’t walk I didn’t think twice about having him dropped at our veterinarian’s office. I was heading out of town and didn’t have a chance to meet him but the Animal Control Officer was happy to transport him. His name would be Quinn.

I received a call later that day regarding Quinn and the news was not good. This little guy had a badly shattered pelvis. He was likely hit by a car and left on the street to fend for himself. He did not have use of his back legs. Euthanasia was something that was talked about.

I happened to be at U.C. Davis with another dog when the call came in. I was able to get his x-rays reviewed by one of their specialists. She felt we should give him a chance to heal. Pelvis fractures will often heal on their own without surgery or intervention she relayed to me. We decided to give him that chance.

It took months for Quinn to regain his mobility. During his recovery we found him to be quite a grumpy guy. He often threatened to bite staff and didn’t really get along with other dogs. He was very trying in a shelter environment. Quinn spent 334 days at our Sofia Center learning to trust. We saw something special in him. Thankfully one of our foster mom’s saw the same.

Rhonda is a wonderful foster mom. She offered to take Quinn home. Rhonda immediately saw the good in him. Quinn was on his best behavior and fit right in to her household which honestly, was a bit of a surprise. Rhonda became his advocate. This is the magic of foster homes. The one on one attention he received and the observations in a home setting were invaluable and the key to his future.

After just 30 days in foster care Quinn found a home of his own. In a few days Quinn will go home to his new mom. Incredibly the day he goes home is exactly one year after he was rescued by ACT.

Quinn has beaten all the odds. He had an animal control officer willing to find him help; he had a rescue group willing to help and stand by him; he had a foster mom willing to take a chance and take him home; and he has an adopter willing to adopt a once broken little dog.

We love our adoption photos and our happy endings but these happy endings don’t “just happen.” It takes a dedicated team of caring people. This is the beauty of what we do.