ASPCA Success Story of the Week

One very recent success story keeps taking wonderful plot twists—after being rescued this month from a Tennessee puppy mill, Boston terrier mix Yoder found love with first-time adopter Cindy Stout. “Thank goodness Yoder was transferred to the Charleston Animal Society here in South Carolina. It was love at first sight. He looked up at me with his innocent eyes and barked something akin to, ‘Pick me, pick me!’” recalls Cindy.

It’s been two weeks since Yoder officially joined the Stout family, and so far it’s been fun for everyone. “It’s hard to believe he went through life in a puppy mill,” Cindy says. “He does like to walk on the coffee table and run around the house—though he’s learning what ‘No’ means—but for the first time in his life, he has his freedom. It’s amazing to see.”

Sweet and goofy, this peppy pooch keeps the Stouts laughing. “Yoder is a little clown!” Cindy says. “He likes to run off with the TV remote and one day even brought me the cordless phone. He doesn't chew on either of them. I think he’s just trying to get us to play with him.” The newcomer has also made friends with the family’s 15-year-old pug, Angel. “Yoder likes to sit on her head and she just gives him a little nip—they get along great.”

Though Yoder is beginning to understand commands, when it comes to kisses, “No” isn’t in his vocabulary. “If you’re near Yoder, you’re going to get slobbered on,” Cindy says, laughing. “At night he sleeps on our pillows or right up against us. He also has really affectionate puppy dog eyes, but he doesn't have to do much—we’re already head over heels in love.”