Sam, Leo, and Simba
Hi everyone! We're Leo and Simba, and boy, do we have an amazing story to tell! We started our lives as tiny bottle babies, needing round-the-clock care from the wonderful folks at Animal Rescue of the Rockies. They kept us warm, fed us every few hours, and taught us how to be proper kitties. But that was just the beginning of our adventure!
Leo here! When we were big enough, Black Ops Rescue helped us find our forever family. The moment Army veteran Sam, his wife, and their two daughters walked in to meet us, we knew we had hit the jackpot! The girls' eyes lit up when they saw us, and we made sure to show off our best wrestling moves – it's our specialty, you know!
Simba taking over now! That's right, bro! We love nothing more than our epic wrestling matches. One minute we're napping peacefully, and the next minute – BAM! – we're tumbling across the floor in a furry ball of fun. Our new family thinks we're hilarious, especially when we zoom around the house like tiny tigers!
Leo again! The girls are the best playmates ever. They have these awesome wand toys that make us jump and flip, and they never get tired of watching us chase each other around. And Sam? He's the perfect dad. Even though he pretends to be all serious, we've caught him smiling at our silly antics more than once!
Both of us now! At night, after we've worn ourselves out with wrestling and playing, we love to cuddle up with our family. Sometimes we snuggle with the girls during storytime, and other times we curl up with Sam and his wife while they watch TV. We may have started life as tiny bottle babies, but now we're living large with the perfect family!
We're so grateful that Animal Rescue of the Rockies saved us, and that Black Ops Rescue helped us find our forever home. Now we get to be brothers, best friends, and beloved family members all at once!
Purrs and playful pounces, Leo & Simba (The Dynamic Duo)
P.S. Excuse us, but we just spotted each other's tails, and you know what that means... WRESTLING TIME!
Janet and Juniper
Hi, my name is Juniper! I’m what’s called a “tuxedo” cat and as you can see, I’m a very handsome fellow. I’m here to tell you about my adoption to retired Navy Captain Janet—she’s my new Mom!! You might notice from the picture that I adore her. It’s a mutual admiration society of two. She lets me sleep on the pillow next to her and feeds me Churu cat treats: my favorite! She’s told me that I’m loving and gentle and we have a lot of fun together. I love it when she brushes me (yes, cats like that too!) We play together so we get a lot of exercise. We also have “cuddle time” which Mom says is very calming for her. I heard her talking to someone from Black Ops Rescue on her “phone thing” and she said being together with me has helped her physical, emotional and mental health and improved her social life. Friends who visit are my Aunt and Uncle! She called me a “JOY”, but she is the one who has put so much JOY in my life! We are a bonded pair!!
Christian and Huan
Christian, who served in the Army for four years, was looking for a big dog to be a companion and buddy. He lives an outdoorsy lifestyle with plenty of farm animals and some wild critters like bears and coyotes in the area. Black Ops Rescue found a great prospect pup (Husky mix) who had been transferred from Friends of Roswell Animals in NM to Good Dog Rescue, Ft Lupton, CO! Looks like the trip from NM was very worthwhile. Christian reports that Huan is “so perfect” and the “best dog” he’s ever had! They are very bonded and Huan gets along well with Christian’s girlfriend’s cat! They are very funny together. They have recently moved to Texas, and everyone is getting along famously. Christian says Huan is very tuned in to him and has changed his life “monumentally.” That makes BOR very happy!
Jordan and Dune
Jordan is a former Army combat engineer. He asked Black Ops Rescue to find him a “buddy” and companion for hikes, camping and all-around good times! Jordan is very active, so he needed a pal to match his energy. Enter Dune, a Malinois/Dutch Shepherd pup mix just waiting for someone to have fun with. Despite Dune’s reputation in the shelter for being a “counter surfer” Jordan reports Dune is very well behaved at home and in public. He’s adjusted very well, even when left alone with counter “temptations”. Jordan reports that having Dune in his life has improved his physical, emotional and social well-being. At just six months old, Dune looks to have found the perfect match for a very long and happy relationship!
Walt, Merry and Dani
Walt is a 21-year Navy veteran who was looking for a young dog for fun and companionship. He wanted to add to his already busy pack that included five dogs, four cats, two birds, horses, chickens, ducks and goats! His critters are family! BOR found a pair of fun dogs for him: Merry and Dani, both 5 months old, came from our partners at the Brush Animal Shelter. Walt didn’t want to split the sisters up and decided to give them both a home. He says these 2 loveable pups are sweet and affectionate. They have already greatly improved his life, despite learning some bad habits from their new dog siblings and barking at the chickens—well who can blame them for that? It sure looks like the newly-expanded family is getting along quite well. (Shout out to Tack the Chihuahua keeping watch!)
Anthony and Koda
Anthony contacted Black Ops Rescue looking for a buddy and an activity partner. As a Marine veteran, he is well acquainted with exercise and enjoys hiking, biking and long walks. He was looking for a lively partner to keep up with him. Working with our partners at Colorado Herding Dog Rescue we thought Koda, a young border collie/retriever mix, would be a good match—we were right! Anthony has already started using the BOR-supplied trainer to help curb some of Koda’s energy (he loves counter-surfing for food) and training is progressing well. Anthony says Koda has improved his life appreciably and we’re sure Koda would say the same about Anthony.
Lewis and Ranger
Lewis is a Army veteran who served on 2 deployments as an infantryman during his 4 year enlistment. He was looking for a dog to provide emotional support and an opportunity to bond as he had with his previous German Shepherd. His current pack of two are more “mom-oriented” and like to hang with his wife. Enter Ranger--a gorgeous shepherd mix with just the right energy. Lewis describes Ranger as sweet, loyal and loving. Lewis has taken advantage of the training Black Ops Rescue offers with adoptions and is working toward certifying Ranger as his emotional support animal. He states Ranger has greatly improved his life and they have already established a strong bond.
Rich and Mr. Bill
Air Force veteran Rich is the live-in caregiver for 82 year old, Doris. Their beloved cat (and Cat Care Society alumni) Emma passed last year and they felt it was time to open their hearts and home to another feline friend. They reached out to Black Ops Rescue to help find the perfect pet and we knew we would find him at Cat Care Society. Mr. Bill, formerly known as Hedwig fit their bill perfectly. Within 5 minutes of being home, he was loving on Rich and Doris. They are in love!
Mr. Bill is now spending his days snuggling on Doris's lap, lolling in his window seat, and playing with Rich. We could not have hoped for a better match—truly a Christmas miracle. Rich says, “Thank you my friends for making my life worth something more than before…”
Matt and Spike II
Air Force and Army veteran and Purple Heart recipient, Matt reached out to Black Ops Rescue shortly after his beloved small dog Spike passed away. He and his wife Donalynn were heartbroken and wanted a new puppy to "make them a family again".
Despite the currently high population at shelters and rescues, small dog puppies are often hard to find. Enter our amazing partners at Whimpers to Wags Rescue. They had recently rescued a mama dog and puppies from a hoarding situation in Kansas. Chihuahua mix Dino, now Spike II, even looked a bit like his namesake. We like to think he was watching out for his humans from above.
Matt, Donalynn, and Spike II are now a family again. From hoarding and homeless, with a little help from above and Black Ops Rescue, to now a beloved family member, Spike II is a very lucky pup!
Bradley, Mr. Moochie, and Miz B
Referred by his VA caseworker, Navy veteran Bradley came to Black Ops Rescue hoping to adopt not just 1 but 2 kittens. A committed pet guardian, Bradley even spent some time homeless when he couldn't find housing that would accept his 2 cattle dogs. He chose to live on the streets rather than give up his beloved pets. The dogs passed a few years ago and Bradley now has stable housing. He knew it was time to open his home and heart to some new babies.
Enter Mr. Moochie and Miz B. Rescued by our partners at Feline Friends of Lola's, these adorable siblings were the perfect match for Bradley. Mr. Moochie is sweet, cuddly, and adorably clumsy and tailless black Miz B is what we affectionally call a "spicy" kitten. She has very strong opinions and runs the show. She will even try to knock Bradley's phone out of his hand if she wants his attention! Together, they keep Bradley entertained and knowing he is loved. He even says Mr. Moochie and Miz B have taken his depression away. We could not have hoped for a better outcome.
Kevin and Charlie
Our first cat match! Navy veteran Kevin already had a mug that said “Cat Guy” when he found Black Ops Rescue—he just needed the cat. But not just any cat! Kevin wanted a cat that could be an emotional support and go on adventures with him like a dog might. Confident cat Charlie was his perfect match.
Surrendered to our partner MaxFund No-Kill Animal Shelter and Adoption Center, 6 month old flamepoint Charlie displays many of the Siamese characteristics: vocal, deeply attuned to his person, and VERY outgoing. As soon as he turned those sky blue eyes on Kevin, the deal was sealed. Charlie even gives hugs and kisses!
Charlie has learned to walk on a harness, ride in a backpack, and is even learning to assist Kevin with delivering Meals on Wheels. Keep paying it forward, Kevin and Charlie!
David and Socks
Good things come to those who wait. Rescued by our partners at Whimpers to Wags, Socks spent almost a year in foster care waiting for her person to come along. And though her foster parents were amazing, she still needed her own human and her own forever home.
Marine Corps veteran David came to Black Ops looking for a dog for companionship and to encourage him to be more active. Like many of our veterans, David sometimes struggles with PTSD and knew the unconditional love of a dog was good medicine.
A true velcro dog, Socks loves to be with David and follows him everywhere. And David, a former "no dogs on the furniture" kind of guy, now has a dog that even sleeps in bed with him 😉.
Thank you to our partners at Whimpers to Wags Rescue for not giving up on Socks until Black Ops and David found her.
Benji and Seiri
Army National Guard veteran Benji came to Black Ops looking for a young dog that had the potential to be a future service dog. As a disabled veteran, Benji has some physical challenges and sometimes struggles with PTSD. A lifelong animal lover, he shares his home with 3 cats and a leopard gecko. And now with Seiri 🙂.
Seiri and her siblings were transferred to our partners at #LongmontHumaneSociety from a rescue in New Mexico. Seiri had one of the worst cases of giardia we had ever seen and Black Ops was very concerned. Luckily, some antibiotics and probiotics resolved the giardia and she was soon ready to go to her veteran. We specifically chose her over her littermates for her confident outgoing nature, motivation to work for treats, and high degree of trainability. As an 8 week old puppy she learned sit in 1 afternoon!
Benji and Seiri have been together for 3 months now and she is growing like a weed. She likes to play at the dog park and with her cat siblings and is just a happy go lucky dog. Benji reports that she has helped him feel more secure and open up more to people as she wants to meet everyone. We are proud to honor Benji's service and excited to see what the future holds for this dynamic duo!
Daniel, Malia, and Ojo
Cheers to our first active-duty adoption! Lieutenant Colonel Daniel and his wife Major Malia reached out to us when they were ready to add a big dog into the family. As well as wanting a companion themselves, their son Robbie is on the spectrum and they believed growing up with a dog would help him blossom. Plus, the dog would need to get along with the 2 family cats and keep bears out of the garage.
It was a bit of a tall order, but Black Ops was up to the challenge. We decided a Great Pyrenees might be the perfect fit--only to have one magically appear at one of our partner shelters Longmont Humane. At 10 months old and 75 lbs, her former owner had realized she was in over her head and surrendered her to the shelter. Because she had been crated much of the time, she had some initial issues with housetraining, but her foster parents got her on track. Thank you, foster parents!
Now named Ojo (Japanese for princess), this big girl is loving life with her new people. She loves all people and dogs that she meets. She enjoys exploring her mountain backyard, trying to play with her cat siblings, and snuggling with Robbie. Daniel and Malia report that walking Ojo has strengthened their bond with each other as well as Ojo.
We are proud to honor Daniel and Malia's service by making this match.
CJ and Gertie
Army veteran CJ came to us after losing her service dog and wanting to fill that dog-shaped hole in her life. Due to her service-related injuries, CJ uses an electric wheelchair. But she doesn't let that stop her! Her chair is basically the wheelchair version of a Jeep and she is having a custom-built RV so that she can travel the country. Her focus is on all the things she can do and she wanted a sidekick for her adventures.
Enter Gertie! Surrendered to Longmont Humane when her owner's cancer returned, this young Doodle was just what CJ was looking for. Non-shedding, the perfect height to walk beside the chair, and with the same adventurous spirit, they are truly a perfect match. We hope that Gertie's former person has some peace in knowing that Gertie is in a loving new home.
We are honored to make this match and wish CJ and Gertie much love and excitement on their journey and journeys together!
Richard and Piper
Army veteran Richard met us at an VFW event and let us know that he was wanting a new buddy. He had a very specific type in mind: small dog but not "yappy", affectionate, good with other dogs and, most importantly, big pointy ears!
Enter Piper. Piper came to us from our partners at The Good Dog Rescue after he had lost his home in New Mexico. Loving and playful, we knew they would be the right match. Although he was a little shy at first, Richard now reports that Piper loves his yard, sleeps in bed with him, and especially loves going RV camping. And as you can see, he more than satisfied the big pointy ears criteria!
We wish Richard and Piper many happy and adventure-filled years together.
Matt and Eileen
“C’mon Eileen, oh I swear (what he means), at this moment, you mean everything…”
Army medic veteran Matt reached out to Black Ops Rescue a few months after losing his best friend, Lucy. Broken-hearted, he was hoping for a new buddy that would continue in Lucy’s pawsteps–accompanying him on hiking adventures, sleeping in bed with him, and spending lots of time in Colorado’s great outdoors.
At 3 weeks old, Eileen was found in a box on the side of the road with her 2 siblings. A good Samaritan brought her to our partners at Longmont Humane Society where she was fostered until she was old enough to go home to Matt.
At about 6 weeks old, Eileen’s right eye changed to blue–just like Lucy’s eyes had been! We like to think Lucy had a hand in helping us make this match. Like Matt, Eileen is a survivor. We wish them many years and adventures together. “Too-ra-loo-ra, Too-ra-loo-rye-ay…”
