Barn Buddy Sponsorship Don't Forget Valentine's Day

The Barn Buddy sponsorship program gives you the satisfaction of giving a unique gift, while knowing you are helping care for rescued horses and farm animals at Longmeadow Rescue Ranch.

For your sponsorship we will deliver a Barn Buddy Membership package to anyone on your gift list within the U.S. and, not to worry…we’ll do the feeding and clean-up!

In recognition of your donation, you will receive:

• A certificate of sponsorship
• A biography and color photo of your Barn Buddy
• An opportunity to visit and groom your Barn Buddy at Longmeadow Rescue Ranch in Union, Missouri

Sponsor a Barn Buddy for your Valentine!

These items and many more can be found at our Humane Society of Missouri gift shops.
Click here for HSMO gift shop locations.  

Remember: Each time you shop, you are helping homeless animals find new, forever, loving homes!

This is a story about the way training can shape the relationship between a dog and owner.

In October 2007, 22 pit bulls and one beagle were rescued from a fighting ring in Stoddard County, Missouri.  These dogs had been physically and behaviorally neglected and some had participated in fights.  However, when tested, none of the dogs were aggressive with people.  Among the group of animals was a mother dog with six 2-3 week old puppies. 

The puppies spent several months growing up at the Humane Society until it was decided to place them into temporary foster homes for socialization.  One puppy, a small black female named Crystal, was placed into the home of Humane Society of Missouri Behavior and Training Supervisor, Lorraine Martinez.  Crystal attended puppy kindergarten classes and become a permanent fixture in the Training Department.  When the time arrived to return the puppies for adoption, Lorraine had fallen in love with Crystal, and could not part with her. Crystal had a new home.

In the year they were together Crystal and Lorraine became an inseparable team.  They worked well together and their relationship grew stronger.  Eventually, Crystal began to show signs of maturing, yet she still occasionally demonstrated that impish nature we had all come to expect by stealing someone’s unattended lunch from a desktop, or raiding an overlooked trash can.

This past week an unexpected illness took Crystal from Lorraine and out of our lives prematurely.  We are all very sad, yet often cannot avoid the frequent smiles that appear when reminiscing about the antics of this silly little dog.

We also remember the lessons we learned from Crystal; lessons that included the importance of patience, consistency and perseverance in creating a great family pet. The ability to witness Crystal and Lorraine’s journey helped us all become better trainers.  We are forever grateful to both of them.

For more information about creating a bond with your pet or attending one of our many training classes visit hsmo.org/pettraining.