Darbster’s weekly feature highlights rescue dogs and cats that have been overlooked in New Hampshire animal shelters.

🐶 Dog of the Week: Sunny

Potty-trained, crate-trained, and already mastering commands like sit, paw, and stay, he’s practically ready to teach his own obedience class.

At night, he’s the ultimate cuddle buddy, snoozing like a champ. Honestly, if sleeping soundly was a sport, he’d have a gold medal by now.

Sunny is looking for an active home where he can be the sunshine in your day, whether he’s your one-and-only or sharing the fun with another playful pup.

Ready to let some extra rays of happiness into your life? Adopt Sunny—he promises to fill your days with tail wags, laughs, and love (and maybe steal a sock or two for fun)!

😺 Cat of the Week: Jewel

Sure, she already plays a lot. Jewel currently lives in a cat shelter, and when volunteers stop by, she is more than ready for playtime. Toy balls, feathery things, or just a stray paperclip on the floor… doesn’t matter, it’s all fun for Jewel.

And this year is Jewel’s year.

If she’s lucky, she’ll find the purrfect family—and a home with a lot more space than she has at the shelter, where she can spread out and chase things all over the house.

Jewel doesn’t mind if she gains a new cat sibling or two—in fact, she’d love to have someone to play with. Her shelter roommate has been lots of fun to hang out with.

Can you help Jewel achieve her New Year’s resolution? Stop by Darbster Kitty on the west side to play with her—and maybe even take her home.

😻 Happy Tails: Sapphire

Last year, Sapphire was surrendered to Darbster because she kept…um…piddling inside the house.

It might be easy to judge the folks that had to let her go, but from Sapphire’s perspective, this is a tale of fate.

Only a few days after Sapphire had to rejoin the shelter system, Darbster brought her to an adoption event at the Petco store in Hooksett.

Simultaneously, Hooksett resident Neil Berube left the house to do some Christmas shopping. His first stop would be Kohl’s—next to Petco—to find a Christmas gift for his wife.

When Neil noticed signs for an adoption event, he decided to “just take a look” before beginning his holiday shopping. The Berube Family had lost their beloved yorkie about a year prior, and they’d been searching for the perfect new playmate for Riley, their Jack Russell Terrier, ever since.

Neil had developed a list of traits he was looking for in their next family member. They wanted a dog who could keep up with Riley, wasn’t too young, but not too old, and would be gentle with the kids.

And as he walked into Petco—just to take a look!—he saw Sapphire.

Right away, he knew he had found a very special dog. Sapphire was about the same size as Riley, and she was sweet and gentle with every Petco shopper she met. Her magical eyes looked like marbles—each one half blue, half brown.

After observing for a while, Neil called his wife, Emily. Not doubting his seriousness, the whole family arrived in short order. The kids played with Sapphire, and Emily agreed that there was something very special about this dog. Within an hour, their adoption application was submitted.

Today, after Sapphire’s first Christmas in New Hampshire—and the first with her new family—the Berube Family has only good news to share.

“We’ve had her three weeks, but it feels like she’s always been a part of our family,” said Emily, a teacher at Bow Elementary.

“We were not actively looking for a new dog, but she just so clearly belonged with us,” said Emily, adding that they “feel so honored to have brought her home.”

Additionally, the Berube Family reports that the ‘piddling problem’ is no more. According to Emily, “She’s already overcome the house training challenges she was facing.”

And as for Riley? He loves her. They’ve become best friends—cuddling, playing, and getting the zoomies together. Sapphire loves fetch and belly rubs, and she sleeps in bed with her 7-year-old human every night.

Sapphire is also a secret genius—the Berubes have taught her to sit, stay, come, lay down, and shake. It’s as if Sapphire has bloomed in the sunshine of the Berube Family. Congrats, Sapphire!

Author’s note: As of publishing, it is still unknown whether Neil ever found that gift for his wife.

❤️ Volunteer Spotlight: Stef

Manchester native Stef knows the importance of contributing to her community.

An animal lover, she’s gone above and beyond to ensure that incoming rescue animals feel at home in the Granite State.

When Darbster needed volunteers to help out on Thanksgiving, Stef and her teenage daughters showed up to help out.

And a month later, when Darbster needed help on Christmas Day, Stef and her family made time again, sacrificing part of a holiday—and a day off!—to walk dogs, play fetch, and cuddle with kittens.

Stef also got her employer involved with Darbster—Granite State Credit Union recently selected Darbster as their nonprofit partner. They donated funds, collected supplies, and helped spread the word about rescue animals looking for furever homes.

By setting an example for her children (and for anyone else paying attention), Stef lives her values to the greatest extent possible. Thank you for all you do, Stef!

🗓️ Upcoming Events

☕️ Dog Meet + Greet | Nashua

💕 Volunteer Opportunities

Darbster is a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit that relies heavily on volunteers for many reasons, but especially because volunteers help socialize animals that might have a ruff backstory. By showing our rescue dogs and cats that they can trust strangers and that they will be safe—even during new experiences—their chances of adoption increase greatly. Volunteers are always welcome at any of Darbster’s three locations, and a few of our most pressing needs are highlighted below. If you have not volunteered with Darbster before, you can learn more about volunteering here.

😻 Seeking crazy cat ladies (and lads)

🚙 Humans needed for Canine Quests

About Darbster: Established in 2009, Darbster Rescue is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit working to reduce the number of animals euthanized in the Southern United States. Darbster identifies adoptable animals in “kill shelters” and transports them up to New Hampshire to find their happy fur-ever homes. Both cats and dogs are available, and Darbster operates three no-kill adoption facilities in the Granite State—two in Manchester and one in Chichester. Learn more about Darbster here. Readers can connect with Darbster Doggy on Facebook or Instagram, Darbster Kitty on Facebook or Instagram, and Darbster’s Mall of NH location on Facebook or Instagram. Additionally, tax-deductible donations are warmly accepted