Walker

Earlier this year, our family unexpectedly lost our black lab/boxer mix, Maximus, at 11 years old. He was my first “adult” dog — we grew up together. Through moves, meeting my husband, adding more animals, and even welcoming our human baby… Maximus was my shadow.

When we lost him, I knew in my heart that another lab needed to be part of our family. My husband was hesitant, not wanting to feel like we were replacing Maximus — but grief has a way of guiding us. As a former kitten foster and previous HSNT adopter, I knew I wanted to rescue again.

I was scrolling through the HSNT adoptable pets one night and saw Walker (formerly Rajim). For days I kept coming back to his profile… praying, thinking, feeling. I asked around, talked with fosters, and waited.

And then one day my husband said, “Okay.”

My son and I were in the parking lot 10 minutes before opening, ready to bring our boy home. And since the moment he walked through our door, we’ve known — Maximus sent him. 

Walker is the sweetest, so smart, and already learning his manners. We can’t wait to see what the future looks like with our new best friend.