Pups For Vets stories - The Heffelfingers

We have lots of excellent clients at PRAH – so many people who come to us are kind, compassionate, and truly want to do right by their pets. One of the clients who comes to mind when I think of this type of truly good people, is the Heffelfinger Family. They are truly awesome people as well as being very dedicated pet parents, and Frank is also a veteran! And they have adopted their newest addition, Faye, from Harley’s Haven through our Pups for Vets program!! Faye joined their family with her furry siblings – Maggie and Murphy, and fit right in like she has always belonged!

Faye busted into Harley’s Haven in early 2018 as a young adult pitty/mix, and after a few months of being up for adoption – Frank and Renee met her at an event and fell in love. Fast-forward to the winter of 2019 where she got incredibly sick and was hospitalized while we tried to figure it out, and ended up diagnosing her with Addison’s disease – this is a hormonal condition where their body is not able to produce natural steroids, so they can go into a crisis with them being too low (often presenting as vomiting, diarrhea, weakness, lethargy). But luckily, we figured it out quickly, and got her started on treatment and she has been doing great now for almost 3 years with her diagnosis (and will live for many more!). I recently asked Frank if he wouldn’t mind sharing in his own words what it was like to adopt through our Pups for Vets program (where adoptions for veterans of this fine country are FREE thanks to a generous sponsorship from our awesome friends at Hair Studio 1208 in Quakertown!), and what it meant to their family, and below is what he said:

We want to thank the Pups for Vets program for bringing Faye to us.

At the moment we weren't looking for another dog. But a friend at work kept telling me about this little girl that was looking for a home. She kept showing us pictures and telling us that we needed to adopt her. Harley's Haven was having a fundraiser event at Free Will Brewery and Sammie (Faye's foster mom) was going to be bringing her there. Meeting her is all it took. She gave me a sweet little kiss and it was love at first sight. We spent some time with her there and decided we were going to give her a shot. After going through her two week foster-to-adopt (it wound up being only a couple of days before we knew she was staying lol) and a little house training troubles, she settled in and found her place in our pack with Maggie and Murphy. Now we can't imagine our house without her.

Faye was returned to Harley's Haven a couple of times because it wasn't the right fit. But I can't thank those homes enough for returning her. Because if they kept her then we wouldn't have found the perfect little nugget she is. She loves her brother and sister and they love her. She is a cuddle bug and love girl. Pups for Vets is a great part of Harley's Haven that brings these special dogs to vets that are looking to open their homes to these great dogs. Keep up the great work and thank you!

It's stories like this, and seeing families completed with the right furry addition that make all the stress and work of the rescue worth it….I’m so happy that they found one another, and that we get to be there for Faye’s whole journey with her family! Being able to sponsor adoptions for our veterans is just one small way we can give back to those who have given so much for our country!