Your adopted pet will give you so much more love than you ever thought they could.
Kailyn Boyd of Atlanta, Ga., had always wanted a dog. All she needed was to get her parents on board.
Luckily for Kailyn, 12, convincing her family to get a canine companion wasn’t too hard of a task. The Boyds hadn’t owned a pet before, but they knew that their two girls — Kailyn and her sister Sabrina — had been hoping to add a dog to their home for years. They also thought the girls were finally old enough to help take care of a furry sibling.
Now that they were ready to look, the Boyd family knew that adopting a pet was important to them.
“There are so many dogs that need a good home and have so much love to give to a good family,” Kailyn said.
Below, follow Kailyn and the Boyd family on their adoption adventure, from their initial search to soaking up all the sweet moments.
The
journey
begins
Once they decided they were ready to adopt, Kailyn and her father Matt scoured the internet looking for the perfect companion to bring home. When they came across Spot, a 1.5 year old chihuahua-terrier mix, on Petfinder, an adoption website, it was love at first sight.
“She was the perfect sized dog for our family, and just the right age,” Matt said.
The whole family was on board. The next step? Going to cuddle Spot in person.
To meet their potential new pup, the Boyd family ventured out to the Atlanta Humane Society, a shelter that’s almost 150 years old — one of the oldest charities in Atlanta. They played with a few other dogs while they were there, but Matt says that Spot stood out from the start.
“She was very friendly with the kids,” he said.
And once Kailyn laid eyes on Spot in person, she knew she’d found her forever friend, especially when her cuddles helped soothe Spot during the thunderstorm booming outside.
And once Kailyn laid eyes on Spot in person, she knew she’d found her forever friend, especially when her cuddles helped soothe Spot during the thunderstorm booming outside.
Their hearts full, the Boyds decided they wanted to bring Spot home that same day. The staff at AHS showed Kailyn and Sabrina how to handle her leash and set the family up with a collar, a kennel, and food bowls and nutritious dog food from Purina, which provides food and litter for all of the pets at AHS to keep them healthy and happy as they await their forever families. Spot hopped in the car, curled up on Matt’s lap and set off for her new home.
Spot’s nerves shone through in the first few days in her new home. She spent a lot of time clinging to Kailyn’s mother, but she slowly warmed up to the others.
Once Spot adjusted to her surroundings, she quickly settled in as one of the family. She waited patiently each day for the girls to return home from school, eager to greet them as they walked through the door.
One of Spot’s favorite places to spend time was on the couch, giving out plenty of snuggles - but she also loved exploring the big outdoors. Running in the Boyds’ half-acre yard, especially scampering after squirrels, became one of her favorite activities.
“She has never really gotten the hang of fetch,” Matt said, “but she likes to chase things.”
The Boyds also found that with Spot being mostly housebroken when they adopted her, and because she was free to wander their fenced-in yard, accidents were few and far between.
Out in the neighborhood, Spot loved taking in the world around her. She delighted in her walks through the park, and her excitement brought renewed energy to everyone who crossed her path.
Keeping Spot healthy from the inside out was also important to the Boyds, especially when it came to feeding her nutritious pet food. The Atlanta Humane Society had started Spot on a healthy diet of Purina ONE SmartBlend Chicken & Rice Formula Natural Adult Dog Food, which she still eats today.
“Purina dog food really helps Spot be happy and healthy, and it makes her have playful energy during the day,” Kailyn said.
While eating and exploring outside ranked high on Spot’s new hobby list, she also loved being inside with her family — especially when Kailyn read books out loud to her, which she did frequently.
“I’m pretty sure Spot’s heard the entire Harry Potter series,” Matt said with a laugh.
Spot has made me a better person. She’s someone to talk to when I don't have anyone else to talk to.
“Purina dog food really helps Spot be happy and healthy, and it makes her have playful energy during the day,” Kailyn said.
While eating and exploring outside ranked high on Spot’s new hobby list, she also loved being inside with her family — especially when Kailyn read books out loud to her, which she did frequently.
“I’m pretty sure Spot’s heard the entire Harry Potter series,” Matt said with a laugh
After a year, Spot had become more than just a pet to the Boyds — she was a true member of the family. She spent every night snuggled in bed with Kailyn and moved everyone with her sense for sniffing out who needed comforting.
“Spot has this ability at the house that when somebody is sick or not feeling well or upset, she'll just go sit with them,” Matt said. “She works very hard to make sure everybody's happy.”
And Kailyn said that Spot’s presence has made an even longer-lasting impact on who she is.
“Spot has made me a better person,” she said. “She’s someone to talk to when I don't have anyone else to talk to. She's good company when I need her.”
Kailyn wanted the world to know about Spot’s adoption and the deeply special bond they had developed. A budding artist who was quickly taking after her graphic designer father, she had started sketching scenes from her life with her furry friend. As part of her Silver Award project with her Girl Scouts troop, Kailyn turned the sketches into a book, called A Spot to Call Home, to raise awareness about adopting from shelters. She’s donating half of the proceeds to the Atlanta Humane Society.
With everything she’s gained from adopting her best friend, Kailyn encourages other families to adopt so they can experience some of the same love and devotion that she’s received from Spot. Shelter pets may be a little skittish at first, she said, but give them a chance to warm up to their new home.
“Be patient and your new adopted pet will give you so much more love than you ever thought they could,” she said.