Three years ago in this month of September, Poppyseed began her journey home.
Poppyseed, or “The Seed” as she’s also known, came to HHS from Fort Smith, Arkansas, and was only at the shelter a short time before being adopted. Unfortunately, during that time, it was discovered that she had a heartworm infection and would need serious treatment, including following her adoption.
As luck would have it, Nicole, a local sucker for black dogs, happened into HHS on a lark. Her cat recently passed away, and she wasn’t sure that she and her husband, Mike, were ready to add another animal just yet.
She would only “look.”
Well, it just so happened that that “look” was love at first sight, and that sight was Poppyseed. After a series of frantic phone calls, Poppyseed, Nicole, and Mike walked out of HHS and to their car. The honeymoon was already over, since The Seed refused to get in the car, and required assistance from staff to load her into their car.
Things did not improve when they arrived home, either. Poppyseed was terrified and confused, and, even though the couple had both owned many dogs previously, this was the first time they’d ever seen one experience such a visceral reaction. To complicate things further, Poppyseed soon made it clear that she would yell at any guest for the entire duration of their stay, so much work needed to be done as a family.
Trust is earned, not given, and gaining Poppyseed’s trust was a long but rewarding process. Slowly but surely, and through exponential amounts of cheese and peanut butter, Poppyseed came out of her shell. She became cuddlier, she learned to love her crate, and she stopped hating company as much.
Even though it’s been four years since finding her forever home, Poppyseed continues to grow and uncover new parts of her personality. She’s very vocal (“talky”), and will make her opinion known about a variety of topics. She also went from inconsolable at one new person at the house, to romping in the yard during a barbeque.
Most recently, Poppyseed took her first road trip and looks forward to many more adventures as a family.
Last modified: 10/27/2025
