Who knew you could find your next best friend by chance?   Luke, a senior dog, was relinquished to the shelter after his owner passed away.  He was having a very hard time adjusting to his new life, so staff members took him home every night.   Sydney was surrendered to the shelter with her kitten siblings, but was never adopted and grew up in the shelter.  Shelter life was all she had ever known.   

Baywater Animal Rescue's Thanksgiving Sleepover Event allowed people from the community to come into the shelter to give lucky pets a shelter break during the long holiday weekend.  It was the first time we had ever tried it and we had people lining up outside before we even opened, to choose their weekend guest.  The Leiker Family came in with the idea of just giving one lucky dog and one lucky cat a shelter break for the weekend.  They looked at all the dogs, but Luke's sad eyes and gentle way really captured their hearts.  They chose Sydney because they knew she had been at the shelter for most of her life, and they wanted her to experience life in a home.   

Little did they know that Luke and Sydney would become inseparable in just a few hours.  They sent us the most adorable photos of the snuggled duo.    When the time came to bring the pets back to the shelter....they just couldn't bring themselves to separate them.   Luke and Sydney will remain together, living their days in a home, surrounded by a loving family.  

If you would like to participate in a Sleepover, please read more about the program here.  You are welcome to stop by and choose a lucky pet to take home for a few days, to give them a shelter break.  Take lots of pictures, write down all the wonderful things about that pet, and we will use that information to help the pet find his or her forever home.   The pets are waiting:  JUST ADD LOVE!   Or, in this case, add DOUBLE the LOVE!