Harper

Thanks to the dedicated ARF team, our family is now complete. We are a very complex family that had been waiting to take the plunge to adopt a puppy for quite some time. We lost our 14-year-old dog to cancer a few years ago (RIP Ranger.) My husband is a five-time combat Veteran that was wounded in Afghanistan. After extensive therapy he is doing well, however severe PTSD is something that he/we live with every day. After traumatic experiences in war, it is hard to love and lose someone that you love. We are a family of five, our youngest son has Down syndrome, so we knew that we needed a puppy that could grow and bond with him. We finally made the decision as a family that we were ready!

We looked online and the first dog my daughter found was Harper. I felt like it is crazy to get a dog from Mississippi, there must be a puppy that needs a home locally. We looked online, we visited shelters and just kept coming back to sweet Harper. I called to inquire and the team was so friendly and made the experience not seem as scary as I thought, it seemed crazy to commit to adopting a dog we have never met. ARF put me in touch with Harper’s foster mom in Mississippi, a 5-minute phone call later, we were in love! We had to wait a few weeks for her arrival, during that time we were in close contact with Harper’s foster mom receiving pictures and videos.

Finally, adoption day arrived! I remember arriving almost an hour early just waiting for them to unlock the doors, I was shaking with excitement. It was love at first sight! Harper settled in as if she belonged here all along. Unfortunately, a few days after being home Harper got ill. We brought her to the vet, the ARF family found out and reached out immediately. They were there for our family every step of the way supporting our family. We could not have gotten through this without them. We were told by several veterinarians that they have never seen an organization that follows up, supports and stays in contact with families the way that ARF did post – adoption.

Harper is now feeling better and making our hearts smile every day. She had great care in her foster home and she is so smart and affectionate. Harper is a forever member to our family; however, she has attached herself to my husband. It is beautiful to see my husband smile and make a connection with her. I feel as if she knows and understands that sixth sense they say animals have. Having her has helped my husband and family and for that we are forever grateful to ARF.

Stephanie Olson