Belle's owner contacted SJRAS when she was losing her home and was forced to leave the state. For Belle, this would be the second times he found herself homeless; the first being when her owner abandoned her in an apartment, where she was rescued by her current caregiver. Her owner followed our rehoming process, including bringing Belle into the shelter for an evaluation, where SJRAS staff was able to meet this lovely girl and get to know her. We knew from her listing that she had lived with children, dogs, and cats and was a very friendly girl. When her situation became an emergency and we fortunately had a kennel available, we were able to take Belle in for her safety because she had already been through our evaluation.

Belle did not do well in the shelter; faced with being homeless again and overwhelmed with the loud and scary shelter environment, she became reactive and she lashed out at the staff who was trying to help her. At a time when kennels are full, Belle's story could have ended very differently. Fortunately, since we had a complete history on her, as well direct experience with her due to our evaluation, we were able to find a rescue, Kizzy's Place, who was able to give Belle a chance. Once she left the shelter, she calmed down and was able to show her true colors.

Belle's story highlights the importance of our Home to Home process. Without having her complete history and the information from our evaluation, it would have been extremely difficult to find placement for her due to her reaction to the shelter. The shelter is a stressful environment and our Home to Home process gives animals the best chance for safe and happy placement.