Happy Tails – adoption stories

Winnie: My Valentine’s Day Miracle

I met Winnie on Valentine’s Day and adopted her the next morning…I was grieving the loss of my dog and having grown up with cats, thought maybe it was time to have that kind of relationship in my life again. The very first night she laid across my heart and fell asleep, not realising how much she was healing me.

Arya: A True Survivor

I adopted Arya almost 4 years ago. She had the roughest start in life but is honestly the sweetest wee cat I ever met. She has a younger brother now – Marshall – who she adores & I feel has made her life complete. She’s exquisitely beautiful & has modelled for Black Hawk pet foods. As a result of previous injuries Arya recently had to have her teeth removed from the top left hand side of her mouth. She’s recovered well but has now lost her sight. Despite these challenges, Arya is stoic, loves sitting on the couch with mum, washing Marshall, snuggling under mum’s armpit in bed, finding the sun or eating her favourite chicken topper on her dinner. Arya is a true survivor.

Squid: The Unexpected Gift

Squid (previously Ellie) fell into our family unexpectedly in June of 2024 when my partner decided to bring her home spontaneously. She is such a wonderful best friend and I can’t be more thankful for the surprise I got that day. Squid has truely been one of the best, and yet most chaotic, family member ever.

Buddy: Our Perfect Match

We had been looking for a Labrador for a while, and finally found Buddy, and we couldn’t be happier. He is such a sweet boy and loves to accompany us on all of our adventures. Thank you Animal Welfare League for my little best friend.

Lamar: Living His Best Doggo Life

Lamar was adopted last April by my partner Liam and I. He’s gone from roaming the streets to being the most spoilt dog we know!

Lamar gets chicken and veggies cooked for him every week to go with his dry food. His parents both do multiple 50 minute round trips a week to take him to the 5HA dog park and the dog beach.

Sergeant Tia: The Greatest Gift

On 4 June 2015, I adopted a beautiful calico cat from your Ipswich Adoption Centre. She came to me under the name Tortilla, which I shortened to Tia at the time. She was later promoted to her full and very serious title: Sarge (Sergeant Tia Fluffybutt Campbell, First of Her Regiment).

Sarge was the absolute love of my life. She was the gentlest, sweetest soul, endlessly affectionate and wonderfully kind. She loved to snooze either on me or pressed right up against me, as close as physically possible. She adored little kisses on her head and would rub her face against mine to give kisses back. She loved rolling around in the sunshine and would continue rolling for as long as I cheered her on with “wowwww, good rolling, very nice!”

She had the softest, whitest and warmest tummy that she on rare occasions would grant me the honour of touching it, albeit very briefly.

She didn’t just change my life, she changed my partner’s too. He had never owned a cat before and had only ever been a dog person. Sarge converted him completely into a cat dad. He adored her, would have done absolutely anything for her, and he misses her just as deeply as I do.

Sadly, I lost my beautiful girl on 5 December 2025 after a very short and aggressive battle with oral squamous cell carcinoma. Even with a large growth on her lower mandible, she never stopped being the most loving, affectionate, gentle angel. Her sweetness never faded for a moment.

I wanted you to know that because of you, I was given ten extraordinary years with a cat who changed my life completely. Thank you for bringing Sarge into our world and trusting me with her. Those ten years were the greatest privilege of my life, and I will be forever grateful.