Porter
The adoption of Porter on Friday December 6th was easily one of our most celebrated adoptions of 2024. So, it’s appropriate to make him our first success story of the new year.

Porter is a tan German Shepherd Mix who came to Mission Viejo Animal Services as a stray back in April 2024. Due to Porter jumping and barking at anyone who passed his kennel most found him to be initially intimidating. Once staff got him out of the kennel though we found out he was a total love bug, laying on laps, or just wanting to play. Staff and volunteers alike easily fell in love with him, as well as all of the four-legged playmates we introduced him to. Despite all we knew about his behavior outside of the kennel his less than stellar in kennel behavior resulted in not one single application in seven months.
After over 200 days in the shelter, we started pushing Porter in a letter writing campaign and on social media. He didn't deserve to live in a kennel that he so obviously disliked. Volunteers wrote letters of recommendation. And by the start of December he had multiple apps, meet and greets, and then on December 6th our sweet boy found his forever home.
Less than 10 days later his new family wrote us and sent pictures of how Porter was fitting into his new home. To say there were a few tears from staff and volunteers is an understatement. Please enjoy some of their kind words below:
“The best part of adopting Porter is who Porter already is!
It's so clear that all the time y'all spent with him in the office, on walks, and in cars eating lunches really helped him stay connected to living with people and being polite and social without becoming timid or less than his exuberant, goofy self.
The bottom line is that Porter is a joy. In fact, with every day that passes we are more and more convinced - he is the dog we didn't know we needed.

There have been a few times in the last 10 days that people have recognized Porter or realized who he was after they learned we'd only recently adopted him. They were genuinely and obviously so glad to see him and to see him doing well. To see him as finally part of a family.
But with every day that goes by it seems more like we are the lucky ones…We are lucky that all the people who cared for and loved on Porter for eight months were willing to do that FOR US. You see, we didn't know that we needed our next dog yet, let alone that he was waiting for us not even 5 miles away.
We love Porter so much. He feels like the missing piece. Thank you from the bottom of our hearts for taking such good care of him for us for so long. And especially for keeping watch over him and loving him until we realized he was ours and we were his.”

