Welcome to Friends of Donovan

Donovan's Story


Donovan was found in Southern California outside of Donovan State Prison. He was a dirty, scruffy, flea ridden puppy found by the guards and brought inside the prison where he was cared for by the prisoners, who made a make-shift home for him out of a cardboard box.

Obviously, a puppy can't stay in a prison so our sister-in-law, who works at the prison, decided to bring him by our house to see if we wanted him. As cute and as cuddly as he was - and as much as our kids wanted him - I made the decision to not keep him.

The very next morning I called my wife from work and made a puppy whining sound over the phone. In other words, GET THAT PUPPY BACK! My dad had never allowed me to have a dog when I was growing up and I realized that I didn't want to be the same way toward my own children.

After tracking down the shelter he'd been left in, my wife phoned and said "We want him!". While waiting for his shots, neutering and microchip tagging, we visited him even though we couldn't take him home. We wanted him to know he had a home to come home to.

That Tuesday in March when we picked him up, wrapped in a towel and no bigger than a loaf of bread, my wife cradled him in her arms all the way home.

Raising a puppy can present many trials and tribulations, but we were truly blessed with one of God's most amazing animals. Donovan grew up to be a very sweet, smart, lovable, loyal, funny great friend. Not just a dog. Not just a companion. But a great friend!