Charlie’s Adventures

In the spring of 2018, a dog named Charlie came to the Upper Valley Humane Society. He was surrendered to UVHS because he had a habit of escaping—he liked to be on the move! At UVHS, each animal has a loving place to stay for however long it takes to find their home.

For Charlie, that took over 7 months.

Although all of the staff immediately fell in love with him, he was a large dog with a lot of energy. He also had to be the only animal in his new home. Charlie required someone special—someone who would understand his need to be on the move. While most dogs would be content with soft beds and fun toys, Charlie’s habit of escaping showed that he craved more—a life of adventure!

And did he ever find it!

“So, Charlie and I have traveled around the country and continue to do so. Charlie is absolutely amazing. He is (outside of his issues with other dogs and small animals) just a perfect companion. He is very well behaved and I know someone loved him before and invested time in training him. I am a very lucky person to have him.”

In just their first month together, the two traveled across the country and back! Charlie got to see the sites as they trucked through North Carolina, Montana, California, and Georgia! Buckled up on a comfy bed in the passenger seat, he seemed to be enjoying his new life of adventure!

Everyone at UVHS was thrilled to hear how well Charlie was doing and told Aaron as much. The sense of excitement hadn’t truly waned yet when Aaron sent another email a month later!

“I am thrilled that you are thrilled. I took far too many pictures this past month and I couldn’t decide on just three but also didn’t want to send the whole album. 

February for Charlie and I started with a whimper as our truck had broken down in North Carolina. We spent the whole week in a hotel. We got back on the road for two weeks and broke down again in Ohio. This time for 4 days. But I got a brand new truck for our troubles and got back on the road.

We went as far south as Jacksonville, FL with temperatures at 90 degrees and as far north as Lebanon, NH. We traveled as far west as Green River, Wyoming and even made it up to Eau Claire, Wisconsin!”

All of the traveling that Charlie has experienced so far has certainly satisfied his need to be on the move! No more escape attempts! Charlie and Aaron both got the perfect gift to start the New Year—a best bud and travel companion!

Their story is a shining example of UVHS’ mission: to inspire compassion for all living creatures and strengthen the bond between animals and the people they love; to help build a community in which all pets are loved. Because each animal at UVHS has a place to stay for as long as it takes to be adopted, some are here for many months. But the long wait is worth it when they leave UVHS with their new, loving family.