Couple’s plan to adopt one dog changes with a bark

Excitement filled the car as Cindy and Jeff Fronk began the three-hour drive to the Best Friends office in Houston. They had set out on a journey to meet Tator (formerly known as Biscuit), a delightfully scruffy pup whose mesmerizing eyes and spunky personality leapt off the page of his online adoption profile.

One way Best Friends is helping shelters reach no-kill is by taking in and placing their pets in new homes. And last year, the country saw the sharpest drop in dogs and cats killed in shelters since 2020. That progress didn’t happen by chance. It happened because animal lovers — like Cindy and Jeff — agreed that pets don’t belong in shelters; they belong at home.

Though Cindy and Jeff were eager to bring home a new dog to join their existing canine brood of three, their hearts were still healing from the recent loss of their beloved dog Baxtor. Yet, when the couple noticed Tator happened to have Baxtor’s same shade of dusty orange fur, they couldn’t help but feel like it was a match meant to be. Little did they know, another match was in their future, too.

When they met Tator in person, Cindy instantly felt a connection. “I knew Tator was meant to be ours when I saw all the love on my husband’s face,” she says.

It didn't take long for Cindy and Jeff to decide to make Tator’s adoption official. The couple’s search for their newest family member was over — or so they thought.

Just as everyone turned toward the front desk to sign the adoption papers, Cindy heard a bark that was impossible to ignore. She asked whether she could meet the source of the tender “woof.” It was Bailey, a 7-year-old speckly dog, who was determined to make sure Cindy and Jeff knew they were forgetting someone.

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“His bark tugged at my heart, says Cindy.

Cindy and Jeff asked to meet Bailey, and he happily went right up to them. His body appeared relaxed and elated all at once. His eyes seemed to say, “Pick me.”

Hearing Bailey’s message loud and clear, Cindy and Jeff asked Best Friends staff to draw up the paperwork to adopt both the dogs who so quickly stole their hearts.

Today, Tator and Bailey are part of a lively household — with Cindy, Jeff, and their three other dogs. The couple’s son has affectionately nicknamed Tator “Sock Monkey.” It was first intended to highlight his exceptionally long legs, but Tator now has a much more fitting reason for his new moniker: The little guy is absolutely obsessed with socks.

Cindy laughs as she explains, “If you sit down to put on shoes and reach for your socks, the socks are gone and Tator’s on the go.”

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When he’s not being a sock bandit, Tator sometimes puts on his sheriff’s hat to monitor the goings-on of the household. If he doesn’t agree with something his canine siblings are doing, he’s sure to let Cindy know. “He actually bawls like a baby, throwing the loudest tantrum,” says Cindy with a smile.

Tator is simply happy being the life of the party.

As for Bailey, he formed an important bond with Jeff almost immediately after arriving home. His caring instincts kicked in right away. At first, Cindy assumed Bailey was just exceptionally affectionate toward Jeff, but she would soon discover he had a good reason for clinging to her husband’s side.

Not long after the two dogs joined the family, Jeff began experiencing some health challenges. Bailey appeared to have a keen sense of concern when Jeff didn’t feel well. He took it upon himself to guard Jeff’s every move — all day, every day.

“Bailey has become the support dog we didn’t even know we needed,” says Cindy.

Cindy is beyond grateful she listened — both to the pull of Tator’s adoption profile and to Bailey’s bark that called her over.

For this family, what started as a simple road trip to visit one dog became something far greater: two dogs arriving exactly when and where they were needed most with people who love them.

Our goal at Best Friends is to support all animal shelters in the U.S. in reaching no-kill. No-kill means saving every dog and cat in a shelter who can be saved, accounting for community safety and good quality of life for pets. 

Shelter staff can’t do it alone. Saving animals in shelters is everyone’s responsibility, and it takes support and participation from the community. No-kill is possible when we work together thoughtfully, honestly, and collaboratively.