By Jarissa Aquinde, Positively Woof Rescue and Adoption Story Editor
Poppy found her furever mom, Grace, through Judy, a friend of Grace’s mother. Judy regularly takes in dogs from local shelters in Tuscon and other Southern Arizona towns, and houses them until she can find them good homes. Judy is not part of an official rescue, but does the work of one! There are, on average, about 20 dogs living in her house, waiting for their forever families.
When Judy saved Poppy from the shelter, it was because the shelter was very overcrowded, and because Poppy was a senior pup, she was one of the first in line to be put to sleep. A shelter worker who knew Judy helped get Poppy to her, essentially smuggling her out of the shelter.

Poppy lived with Judy for a few months. Then, Grace met her and fell in love immediately! Grace knows nothing about Poppy’s past, but she suspects she belonged to an older person who passed away. Poppy is incredibly sweet, a cuddle bug, and eager to please, but was not spayed and didn’t know basic commands. Poppy was the name she supposedly had before being rescued, but she hardly seemed to respond to it.
Now, Poppy is happy in her forever home, which consists of her mom, her mom’s boyfriend, and her new brother, Wallace (a Chihuahua/Scottish Terrier mix), who was adopted from
Tucson Cause for Canines. Poppy’s favorite things are treats, walks, and cuddling up under blankets and in your lap. Poppy and her family also currently live with two friends who have two pit bull mixes, and all four dogs get along really well!

Grace works at two different breweries in downtown Tucson –
Public Brewhouse and
Borderlands Brewery. Both are dog friendly and Poppy often accompanies her mom to work. Many of the regular customers know and love Poppy! A few months ago, Grace started taking pictures of her with the beers, and she started Facebook page and later an Instagram account for these photos. The Instagram has really taken off, she has over 2400 followers and gains more and more each day!


is the award-winning coauthor of Training the Best Dog Ever, which became a #1 best seller in dog training on Amazon Kindle. He is Leader of the Pack at Positively Woof, which helps shelter dogs get adopted by making videos and raises awareness and funds. Larry is an award-winning dog filmmaker and has been a frequent contributor to the American Animal Hospital Association and Dog Fancy magazine.
View all articles by Larry Kay