Dogs, like many other animals, need a forever home to feel happy. Living in an animal shelter doesn’t provide them with the love and attention they need, especially with such a strong pack instinct.
For Cosmo, a 130-pound St. Bernard, the animal shelter was home. After he was abandoned by the person who bred him as a puppy, Cosmo spent years at the Hearts United for Animals shelter. It was a space too small for him, and without a family that he could call his own.
Cosmo desperately needed a home and a family.
He made friends with staff members and soaked up all the attention he could. Still, it wasn’t a good place for a dog to live long-term, and Cosmo needed a forever home.
There are all sorts of things he didn’t understand: how to climb up stairs, how to eat treats, and others that most animals raised in a home know naturally.
At last, a woman named Jayne saw his image online and knew they were meant to be together.
Even though Jayne lived in New York and Cosmo’s animal shelter was in Nebraska, she was determined to adopt him and bring him home. Jayne flew to Nebraska and rented a car to help drive her and her new pup back to New York.
Their first meeting went well, and Jayne’s heart was captured. She was more determined than ever to bring him home with her where he would get lots of love — even if it was almost 1,500 miles away!
“I don’t know if Cosmo has any understanding of what’s happening but I think he understands there’s a human here who wants to give him some love and he’s pretty happy about it,” said Jayne.
The drive from Nebraska to New York was long.
For Cosmo and Jayne, they took the road trip of a lifetime. Cosmo was well-behaved during the trip, watching the view through the window. At times, he seemed somewhat unsettled being in a strange place, but he stayed calm.
The best part was when Cosmo and Jayne got to their own home. Jayne has two children and two other dogs, as well as a giant rabbit, so there were plenty of new friends for Cosmo to get to know.
When Cosmo arrived at his new home, he got to sniff around, meeting his two new canine friends, Poppy and Grendel.
He wandered around the house and finally laid down on the kitchen floor. That’s when Jayne’s son Owen came in to meet him.
Immediately, Cosmo melted onto the floor, exposing his belly and grinning big. He had a similar reaction to meeting Jayne’s daughter, Alice. The kids looked absolutely thrilled to meet their new dog, and Cosmo was obviously putty in their hands.
“I was nervous about Cosmo meeting the kids,” said Jayne.
“He’s never really had a close relationship with humans but you can tell that he loves the kids.”
Within a few days of living with Jayne and her family, Cosmo was romping and playing in the yard with the other dogs. He had learned to get into the car and was becoming accustomed to all the joys of living in a home with people: food on the table, and water in the toilet, among other things.
He loves to snuggle with his human family and Jayne says that he and their dog Poppy have become best friends.
They love to run and wrestle together. This is a totally new experience for Cosmo.
“We want him to have fun, feel like life is an adventure but also feel very safe and loved,” said Jayne. “And I don’t think he’s had the chance to feel any of those things in his life so far.”
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