The Andersons brought supplies to the Hancock Animal Shelter and brought home a beloved new family member - Otis.
- story by Denise Jacobs 
Otis in 2012, grinning on his "freedom ride" with his new family. He's been a beloved member of the Anderson family for the past six years.
“That was it,” Anderson says.
That wasn’t quite it. The family brought “Ox,” now Otis Kevin, home on trial. As Anderson explains, you have to put a lot of thought into adopting a dog. “When we got Otis, we had another dog at home. We had to make sure that Otis would be OK with Lucy, our border-collie mix before we could keep him. You make a commitment, and we had made a commitment to Lucy; she would be the one that stayed.” As it turned out, Otis Kevin - Otis after a favorite football player and Kevin after the cumbersome, lumbering Kevin of The Office fame - was perfect. “Sweet,” “laid back,” “gentle,” and “quiet” are the words Anderson uses to describe Otis. He loves children and car rides but is afraid of hissing cats, thunder, and the vacuum cleaner. 
He’s a good eater. When the family adopted the boxer/mastiff mix in July of 2013, he weighed 75 pounds. Shelter staff, who estimated Otis to be about three-years-old, had found him walking the streets, much too skinny for his size.
He was chipped, but when shelter volunteers called the number, they found it was disconnected. Someone at the shelter recognized Otis and thought he had belonged to someone who had given him to a friend who apparently had not taken care of the dog. Six years later, the full story will probably never be known. Meanwhile, Otis seems to have reached his full weight at a short and stocky 85 pounds. 
In total, the Andersons have three dogs and six cats. They foster kittens. Otis loves the kittens and licks them until they are drenched, but if the kittens hiss at Otis, he and his tongue step back until the next litter arrives.
The cats exercise a certain dominion over Otis. If, for example, a cat gets in Otis’ bed, Otis finds another place to sleep. He is so big, he should be the alpha, but Anderson says, “He’s not pushy at all. He just goes with whatever.” By the way, the family fosters kittens instead of dogs because of a family tendency to adopt the dogs they foster. While the family won’t admit to any of Otis’ faults, he does have his quirks. For one thing, he’s a pre-cycler. Otis enjoys pulling cardboard from the family’s recycling basket and tearing it to shreds. For another, he’s a little on the lazy side. Rather than trouble himself to rise in greeting when Shannon walks into a room, Otis prefers to pretend he doesn’t see her - but his wagging tail tells another story. 
The Andersons recommend adopting shelter animals because they are so happy to have been adopted and to be loved. She does recommend taking your time when making the decision to adopt, however, and she discourages the giving of shelter animals as gifts.
So, until you’ve made the decision to adopt, it might be a good idea to avoid looking at too many Facebook photos of dogs. No, seriously, look! We have followed this article with a few adorable pictures of pets awaiting homes as of this writing. You can also check out the Facebook page of the Hancock County Animal Shelter for the latest adoptables! Hancock County Adoptables
The dogs below are available at the Hancock County Animal Shelter as of January 2, 2019. Call the shelter at (228) 466-4516 for availability.
Roxy
ROXY was initially slated for transport via our Rescue Transport Program; however, she was "bumped" last minute due to circumstances beyond our control. So, rather than finding her forever home in snowy Maine, she'll be looking for true love right here in humid subtropical South Mississippi!
This 11-month-old Border Collie mix puppy is super smart and loves to give sweet kisses. In addition, she is great with children. She is crate-trained and almost completely house trained. She does require additional leash/harness training; she does pull at first because she is so very excited to join her human on walks. But, once in full stride, she relaxes and is a great walking partner. Roxy would be an ideal companion for an active single person/couple, or retirees. She would love to join in your many adventures. She would also be very happy to join a family with children, especially ones looking for a BFF. A home with a securely fenced backyard is a plus, as she loves the outdoors... just as much as snuggling and cuddling on the sofa. We learned a lot of info from Roxy's former owner, who sadly had to part with her beloved dog due to a serious of unfortunate events. Unfortunately, Roxy is not acclimating to shelter life, which is very stressful, especially for owner-surrendered dogs, who are accustomed to living in a home environment. She is exhibiting kennel aggression, and dominance over smaller dogs. So, at this time, we are recommending that Roxy join a home with dogs her own size, or be the only pet. Absolutely NO cats! We hope she'll find her forever home soon before anxiety and stress take their toll on her well-being. ? *Roxy's adoption fee has been generously sponsored by Robby Lumpkin and his family. ? She has been wormed, is up-to-date on vaccines, microchipped, and upon adoption, she'll receive a free vet check with one of our participating veterinarians. An approved adoption application always applies! Roxy is light heartworm positive, but she is currently on a monthly flea/heartworm preventaive and is doing great. River
RIVER was rescued by a Good Samaritan, who found this sweet boy in dire straits. He seemed to have been attacked by another dog and was suffering with infected wounds. But, just look at this handsome boy now!
Thanks to our dedicated vet Dr. Ladnier and her wonderful staff at River Bend Veterinary Hospital in Diamondhead, River is all healed up and looking for his "someone special" or forever family. This two-year-old Hound mix has a most soulful face, but he's far from a "serious" dog. In fact, he is all about the TOYS!! He's a goofy, playful boy, who can almost always been seen carrying one of his many toys around the exercise yard. River is friendly and welcoming of other friendly dogs, but we are not sure how he feels about cats. He is kennel trained, and may even be house trained. We'll be updating River's post next week once we learn more about him. Please call Denise at 985-285-2244 to arrange a meet-n-greet with this sweet-natured boy. ? *River's adoption fee is $37.50, which includes worming, neutering, vaccines, microchip, and a free vet check with one of our participating veterinarians. Approved adoption application applies! River is heartworm negative. Yazoo
This frosted face fella is YAZOO, a 5+ year-old Black-Mouth Cur/Labrador Retriever mix, who has given us all a reason to smile since meeting him. He is so adorable, so eager to make friends and please us... he just wants to be in the company of kind people, who show him affection and attention.
Sadly, no collar, no microchip, no calls! So, we are now seeking a true forever home for this sweet boy. He seems almost relieved to be with us, so perhaps he has been straying for some time. He has those eyes that look right into your heart and make you want to reassure him that there's a happy ending/new beginning awaiting him. ❤ And, we are committed to finding Yazoo that loving home that he deserves. He is friendly with the other dogs in his living area, and he wags his tail enthusiastically whenever kiddos approach his kennel. We think this mature boy make a loyal companion for a single person/couple, or active retirees. Once we observe Yazoo more so with children, we'll update his profile. Please consider opening your home and heart this precious soul. ? ❤ *Yazoo's adoption fee is $50 (senior 5+ yrs old), which includes worming, neutering, vaccines, microchip, and a free vet check with one of our participating veterinarians. An approved adoption application always applies! Clancy
Look at those big, brown eyes and loveable expression! CLANCY never meets a stranger...he literally loves everyone he meets! He is still searching for his forever family, so please come by and meet this wonderful dog! Please read on...
This innately sweet boy is CLANCY, a three-year-old Treeing Walker Hound mix, who has been on quite a journey over the past several months. He was found in a local junk yard with a severely broken leg, and unable to move. Thanks to our wonderful vet Dr. Ladnier and her dedicated staff, Clancy's leg was splinted and saved from amputation. He is now all healed up and looking forward to finding his forever family. He has the most affable personality... loving other dogs and people with equal fervor. He is a hound dog, after all, which if you have experience with the breed, you know what sweethearts they are! ❤ Clancy would do best in a home with a privacy fence, as he has been known to jump and climb a chain link fence. While he enjoys the outdoors (it's Hound thing!), he is equally happy chillin' on the sofa with the "fam." He gives great hugs, and is a very affectionate fella. He really likes going for walks and playing with other dogs, so he would thrive in a home with existing family pets. Clancy is great with kiddos of all ages and would be a trusted family dog, or he is most definitely BFF material for a single person/couple or active retirees. He is almost completely house-trained, but may need additional reinforcement once in his new home. This brave fella is so deserving of a loving forever family! *Clancy's adoption fee is sponsored by Jordan Fisher Morris and Friends of the Animal Shelter in Hancock County. An approved adoption application still applies. He is neutered, wormed, up-to-date on vaccines, microchipped, and receives a free vet check with one of our participating veterinarians. Clancy is heartworm positive, but is currently on a monthly hearyworm/flea preventative and doing great. Can't adopt but want to help?
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