Love at first sight: How Tara met the ‘paw-fect’ puppy on her first day
Program Trainer Tara Walsh commenced with HPHH in August 2022. On her first day at the Hunter Valley Animal Facility and Rehoming Centre (HVAFARC), she met a German Shepherd cross Great Dane puppy named Frappe.
Given that her favourite breed of dogs are German Shepherds and Great Danes, he was literally the 'paw-fect' fit for her.
“I fell in love instantly and wanted to foster him, but my partner said no,” Tara says.
“He had the most perfect personality, and I felt an instant connection to him. I actually cried on my way to drop him off to the shelter after a session because I wanted to take him home so badly!”
Frappe attended multiple HPHH sessions in the following weeks, and his beautiful character continued to reveal itself. Tara says she was ‘smitten’ from the moment she met him, already coming up with another name for him: Yo-Yo.
Her love for Frappe was well-known around the shelter. In an act that ‘sealed the deal’, HVAFARC changed his name tag to say ‘Yo-Yo’ and put Tara’s phone number on the back along with the words “call mum”.
After a month of ‘constantly nagging’ her partner, they decided to foster Yo-Yo. When Tara met Yo-Yo, they had just started fostering another puppy, and it took some time to be ready to welcome another ‘fur-riend’.
“My partner agreed to foster him for 2 weeks to give him a break from the shelter and some socialisation,” Tara says.
“During this time, I brought him to an Explore session, and he created an incredible bond with one of the participants, who even gave an interview about him.”
Tara had a feeling Yo-Yo would be what they call a ‘foster fail’, given the fact that she loved him from the moment she met him, but she needed her partner to be on board about officially making Yo-Yo a part of their pack.
“After 10 months of fostering and not a single adoption application, we decided to adopt Yo-Yo, and I’m pleased to say he is officially mine!” Tara says.
“I am so grateful for my role at HPHH for introducing me to the most perfect dog I can imagine, and so incredibly grateful for HVAFARC for rescuing him and countless other animals to help them find their perfect forever homes.”