The moment we met Gonzo, we felt that it was his ears that helped spring him out of jail at one of the most overcrowded shelters in the DC area. Having spent almost two months with him, we were all the more convinced that the magnetism of his ears is so strong that they have the capacity to save more dogs than just himself. And now? Well, now we have proof.

We first met T through her inquiry about adopting Gonzo. Her family is perfect. Two boys, one young, one older, a big fenced yard, nice flexible schedules, another dog — a lab — who loves to play. T is absolutely charming, and was equally charmed by Gonzo through his bio and his blog. Because of the young age of one of her children, her application was not a match (Gonzo is a bit nippy with toys and is not allowed to go to a family with kids under 4ish). Sad to be losing a great potential adopter, I emailed her right away, offering to suggest a few dogs at local shelters who met her general criteria (smallish pit bull type, dog- and cat-friendly, young, and cute ears — a la Gonzo — if possible). After all, spring is the season of dogs being put to sleep in huge numbers, so it’s also the best time to adopt.

Much to my delight, T responded to my offer. I rushed to get in touch with friends at our local shelter, MCHS, who immediately recommended a sweet, young, timid pit bull girl named Precious. She even has cute, perky ears! Precious had been a shelter favorite because of her dainty, gentle nature and adorable, petite features, but as many pit bulls do, she kept getting overlooked. Unfortunately, her initial shelter photo kind of made her look like a haggard old lady:

Still, at my determined insistence, T agreed to make the long haul up to MCHS (30 miles is far for the DC area!) to meet her that week. And wouldn’t you know, it was love. They loved Precious’ temperament, her sweet eyes, her gentle nature, and her fabulous bat ears. Over the next few days, another visit ensued with the rest of the family, including dog Gretzky, a home interview, and a spay surgery for Precious. She was adopted!

No glamour shots of Precious (now Luna!) are available yet, but these show off her cuteness just a tad bit better. Check out those Gonz-esque ears!

During the application process, we got a very nice note from T about her experience working with us and with MCHS on the adoption. We were thrilled to hear about T’s great experience, and wanted to pass this along as an important reminder to our friends who are on the front lines of animal welfare work– whether in shelters, at rescues, or elsewhere. A bit of kindness and a willingness to treat every person as an individual just as you would treat every animal — can make all the difference.

“And any lingering twinge over the “Gonzo app” is negated by all the positives that came out of the situation. (Hopefully) A sweet angel of a dog is getting a forever home she might not have gotten otherwise, and in the process ya’ll (You, Bobbi and Dave)  may help a couple OTHER dogs find their forever homes as a result.

I know a few people who want to adopt a dog, but who’ve found the online adoption process to be rather daunting and overwhelming (all those dogs, and they all sound/look equally as adorable, but it’s not the same as meeting the dog in person)  and I’ve shared with them my experiences this far, and how helpful and supportive you all have been and they’re looking into adoption via MCHS and other local shelters in the coming weeks.

So if it all works out maybe a few more doggies with find forever homes that wouldn’t have if everything had gone perfectly and smoothly with the Gonzo adoption. Win!”

So Precious/Luna: congratulations on your beautiful new life, and Gonzo: your ears’ altruism clearly knows no bounds!

*Gonzo has technically been saving lives only since 2010, when he saved his own life, via his ears, at the shelter. But six months ago in human years is four years ago in dog years . . . right?