Sara Simon and her daughter, Natasha, were taken by Draken’s sweet nature when they visited the CNYSPCA in November 2022. 

The black pittie mix, who the family later discovered with great humor was also 1% chihuahua, arrived at the CNYSPCA as a stray about six weeks prior, emaciated at only 57 pounds with fleas and ticks all over his body. Simon previously adopted two cats, Drizzle and Rain, from the shelter in February 2021 and brought Natasha, a new college graduate, back to adopt her first dog. After growing up with animal adoptions, and learning about irresponsible breeding, she wanted to find a home for a shelter pet.  

Draken (pronounced Draw-ken, and formerly named Hudson) went with Natasha to Albany, but the adjustment for all was difficult. Draken dealt with separation anxiety, and wasn’t settling in well. The family discussed their options, and ultimately decided at first that Natasha would leave Draken with her mom in Syracuse, and take the cats to Albany. Simon’s partner, Mitch, had recently had surgery and could be home to ease Draken’s transition. 

“It’s one of those situations when a family’s ready to adopt you have to be able to expect that it’s not going to go smoothly,” Simon said. “And what’s the family plan to try and make it successful?” 

Simon had challenging dogs before in her life, and wanted Draken to be a success story. She could see the promise in him, and they continued working with a local trainer on his reactivity and anxiousness. 

“We felt like he deserved a chance,” Simon said. “We could see his potential and we wanted to give it our all.” 

Draken was always a willing learner, quickly picking up on commands. Mitch works with him on off-leash training around the neighborhood and taught the now 6-year-old mix “talking buttons” he uses for “outside” and “play.” They’re working on adding “food” and “treats.” Draken has a few doggie friends with whom he can play, counts a tortoise as his housemate, and sees Natasha often after she and the cats moved back into their own space downstairs.  

“It’s been just years now of consistency and him being able to trust,” Simon said. “It’s been all three of us kind of pitching in in different ways, and we all have our different relationships [with him], but he’s just such a good boy. So smart.” 

Draken, she said, “has been able to meet his potential.” With a routine in place that includes background music of classic or jazz, he has no issue when his family leaves the house. Mitch gives him a “high-five” and the more common see-you-soon treat. 

It took Draken a little longer to feel safe and settle in with his forever family. Nearly four years later, he’s right at home lounging with his newly retired mom, ready for sweet snuggles, while the coffee perks each morning.

Linda Stewart wasn’t sure she was ready for another dog so soon. She also wasn’t sure she could stand not having a dog in the house any longer. 

In September 2025, she visited the CNYSPCA intending to foster. Elvis, a brindle hound who paced his kennel, caught her eye. She felt he was a little bit different from the rest, the way many adopters do when their forever pal crosses their path, and Stewart wanted her daughter to meet him. But the shelter was closed by the time her work shift ended. They went to Dinosaur Bar-B-Que instead, where Stewart was already telling her daughter maybe she shouldn’t go through with it. 

Once the waiter led them to their table, Stewart took a brief glance around the room. Tacked to the top of the post directly in front of her was a Tennessee license plate. It read, “1-Elvis.” 

“I don’t know if there’s any more of those signs around, but I don’t think so,” Stewart said. “I sat there the whole time and I’m like, ‘We have to get him. It’s telling us.’” 

Elvis, who now goes by Kapa (Kaw-pa), walked into her house as if he had “lived there forever,” Stewart said, and loves every human he meets. He is Stewart’s seventh shelter dog overall, and her second from the CNYSPCA. Shortly after moving back to Syracuse in 2015, she brought home her dog Koa the day after Christmas. He spent seven months at the shelter and a decade making memories with the Stewarts. Three weeks after he died, she met Kapa at the shelter.  

“I felt kind of bad,” she said. “You can’t replace your dog, but you want the company and the companionship of a dog. I just decided to go, and I saw this guy.” 

Kapa takes trips to Long Island with her to visit family, something all of her dogs have done. He’s highly trainable and loves people, though she’s adjusting to life with a hound. His DNA test came back 35% pitbull mix and 65% Redbone Coonhound. And 100% good boy. 

“Dogs are nothing like what they are in the [shelter],” Stewart said. “People don’t realize that. I’ve had seven shelter dogs, and all of them were the best dogs ever.”

Sophie Cowburn, Zachary Blaszak and Petey, their first-ever dog, literally skipped to their car once the formalities were finished in June 2026.

It was the type of deeply emotional scene that leads staff and volunteers to stop what they’re doing and beam with pride from afar. Particularly for a pup like Petey (named Patches at the shelter), who spent nearly a year at the CNYSPCA and became a doggie-day-out favorite. He is a calm, gentle soul with a deep appreciation for cuddles and a penchant for the slower moments in life.

“I knew immediately when I saw his picture and his little adoption paragraph, that’s it, he’s the one,” Cowburn said. 

She and Blaszak long discussed adopting a dog. But they didn’t want to do it “just for the sake” of doing it. Then Blaszak scanned a random CNYSPCA QR code at his place of work, and up popped a PDF describing Petey. He sent it to Cowburn. 

“Oops,” he wrote in the accompanying text. “My finger slipped, and I opened his adoption page.” 

Cowburn immediately called the CNYSPCA, set up a meet-and-greet, and the three fell in love. Petey was the right fit for their lifestyle, and Cowburn felt confident in the information the shelter provided or was upfront about not knowing, such as his compatibility with children or dogs.  

Petey settled into his new home with as much aplomb as they skipped out of the shelter. Cowburn is taken with how he sticks his nose in little leaves to sniff the air. And they were enthralled watching him spend his first Father’s Day playing around with two-legged and four-legged family members alike. 

“If I could, I would take home all of them,” Cowburn said. “But you can’t do that. You gotta just try to find the best match you can. And I have nothing but wonderful things to say about [the CNYSPCA] and about him. He’s so healthy. He’s happy. Everything was perfect. I couldn't have asked for anything better.”