Success Stories

Hank (adopted 01/2020)

It's been exactly 1 year since we got our dog Hank through Mo-Kan Border Collie Rescue. So much has changed since then, and I wanted to post a little insight so anyone who sees this post can relate, or understand.

Our first dog, Benny, was purchased from a breeder in Minnesota. Benny has been in the hands of humans, and surrounded by love since the day he was brought into this world. We know his birthdate, received daily pictures to watch him change and grow, and the moment he was able to be away from his mother, we were his new "parents." And since that day, we have been his provider and knows he will get food, shelter, toys, treats, snuggles, and all the attention a dog would ever dream of getting. He instantly trusted us, because he was never given a reason not to.

When we were looking to add another dog to our family so Benny could have a best friend, I searched on Google to see if there were any available dogs in the Iowa area. What came up, was Mo-Kan Rescue with pictures of dogs of all ages, and the stories that people posted after adding that dog to their family. A picture of "Hank" was posted, with a long post stating "Hank has been moved twice in his 13 months of life. At first he lived in a home setting and then moved to a farm where he lived outside only on a chain." It hit me at that moment when I read that text that this dog deserved a good home, and our house could be that home for him.

We moved on with the adoption process, and we had no idea what to expect. Would he like us? Would we like him? Would him and Benny get along and enjoy each others company? What was his personality going to be like? What if he doesn't like his new home?

We don't know very much about Hanks past, but we can tell you when we first got him, a bowl was still a scary concept to him. He would not drink water unless it was a puddle outside, or eventually poured on the ground. He would not eat food for days, and would only eat if food spilled on the floor. We found out that if we put it on the floor, he's more comfortable eating that way. The word "No" scared him, he would flinch and hide somewhere in our house. The concept of going potty outside was still confusing to him. The sight of our old toothless cat would make him cry and crawl into someone's lap for protection. Seeing an animal on television would cause him to bark and growl in anger. It occurred to me that this dog had not been shown love since the day he was born like our other dog was. He didn't come to us for pets, treats, or snuggles because he didn't trust us, yet. Why would he? He was more comfortable being outside, because that's what he was used to.

However, slowly but surely... Hank started to open up. About 2 months in, he started drinking water from a bowl. About 3 months in, he stopped crying when the cat would come into the room. He stopped flinching when we reached for the remote, and over time he learned that he could come to us for belly rubs, kisses, and that he was going to eat food. And although it sounds insane, I'm certain that Hank is grateful for those things. He's grateful for hugs, belly rubs and snuggles. He'll even put his paw up to ask for more when we stop for a second. He doesn't pull away like Benny does when we smother him with love, because Benny has expected that since the day we got him, whereas we had to earn Hanks trust. And for some reason, the day that he came to us expecting love was more rewarding than anything I can think of. It has taken almost the entire year for him to open up, and every time he does something new it's exciting and feels like an accomplishment on our end instead of his.

Because of those things, I wanted to thank Mo-Kan for every person that fosters a dog (Like Laurie) and brings dogs into their home for a period of time until a potential adopter like myself is able to take them to their permanent home. To the person that runs this Facebook so people can share their happy updates, and the website that brought Hank into our home: thank you.

Adopting Hank has been the most fulfilling and rewarding things we have ever been able to do. We may not know Hanks birthday, but we know his "Gotcha day!" And for those reasons and little accomplishments each day, we celebrate.