Bono and Mulder originally came to us in 2017. They had no socialization with people and were basically feral.
The pair was fortunate to be championed by an incredible team of volunteers who dedicated countless hours to their rehabilitation.
Both dogs worked with our behavioral team for months in 2017 and they even got adopted (separately). Unfortunately, they were each soon returned to the shelter for being overwhelmingly afraid of the world.
Once they had both experienced unsuccessful adoptions, we determined it would be best to keep them together in the future, and we also decided we needed to find a place we could send them in hopes they would be able to provide more resources to help with their specific behavioral issues. So, in September 2017, we sent them off to a rescue.
After about a year with the rescue, they had not been adopted, and we learned their behavior had not much improved. In addition, their quality of life was decreasing as well. By this time, our behavior team was even stronger than it had been previously, and again we made a decision for Bono + Mulder: it was time for them to return to HSSPV.
The boys returned to the shelter in late October of 2018. We were excited to see their goofy wiggle butts, though we were puzzled about what to do with them next. We wondered, how could we provide them with the happiest possible outcome for their lives? Though they were great dogs, they would require extensive patience and understanding. They still displayed a great deal of fear towards most things and usually needed to be walked with two leashes because they posed a flight risk. For a long time, we considered sending them to a sanctuary for dogs. We were certain about one thing: if they were going to get adopted, it was going to take a very special family.
There were a handful of volunteers who really stepped up to the plate when it came to helping with Bono + Mulder. This group made sure the boys were well exercised each day, but more importantly, they made sure the pair received enrichment and love. Long walks and exciting outings to help with socialization were frequent. Many even brought the boys to their homes. They dedicated hundreds of hours of their lives to saving Bono’s + Mulder’s.

Meanwhile, we had managed to get the boys on a waiting list for a dog sanctuary. Several months passed while we waited, but we continued to feel like this was their best option.
Then we met Fred.
Fred had stopped by the shelter on several occasions looking for a dog. He was a very quiet and easygoing man. He mentioned he had an interest in cattledogs. Several people suggested he might be a good fit for Bono + Mulder. At first, he wasn’t sure about the idea of bringing two dogs home at one time, so we didn’t want to push it on him. But after visiting multiple times and getting to know them, he realized they were a special duo. He decided to make it official and brought them home on August 24th.
That day was a very emotional one for our team at HSSPV. We had waited for so long to see these boys go to a home filled with love and peace! We knew that they had found that with Fred. Many people even thought that Fred’s personality was similar to theirs. Before sending them home, our team barraged Fred with questions about his plans for them and advice for their care. Bono + Mulder are now happily living out their lives as Fred’s faithful companions.