We adopted the RIGHT dog!
…but first we adopted the WRONG dog!

We made the family decision to get a dog after losing both of our greyhounds last year. I began visiting shelters and surfing the web to try to find the right match. The first time I walked into a shelter I knew the task would be difficult! It was overwhelming, and I found the shelter staff too busy to spend time giving me the attention that I needed. Even when I saw a dog that I thought I might like, I just didn’t feel confident.

Well, one evening my husband and I met a dog that we liked. We brought our daughter the next day to meet her and decided to take her home. My last words to the shelter manager (in whose home the dog had been living) before making the decision were “are there any concerns you have about this dog with our family?”

Within two hours of having this dog at our house, it became clear to me we had a BIG problem. She was snarling and snapping at our 9-year old. NOT OK!

Enter Kari Bastyr. I found Kari in an internet search after the sleepless night I spent with the first dog. She was the voice of reason, letting me know that my gut feeling that we should not keep dog #1 was right. I felt so much better not having to make that decision without help! But this was traumatic for the whole family.

I asked Kari if she would help us. She recommended trying breed rescues which I began to pursue, and I also kept visiting the shelter. A couple of doggies seemed like they might be right. We hired Kari to come to the shelter with us to help us decide if one of them might be a good choice. I felt so much better knowing that a professional was meeting these dogs. She did some tests and observed them with us. She helped us understand the differences between them and told us what she thought about their personalities.

We found the right dog and Kari helped us choose her with confidence! I would probably never adopt a dog again without help from a professional. We love Josey!

Thank you Kari!