Page 39 - South Mississippi Living - July, 2024

HAPPY TAILS FROM HSSM ADOPT, DON’T SHOP. photos by
Madeline Simpson
Sometimes an animal just knows the exact perfect place to run so they can find the ideal human companion. That’s the case with Alaska, an energetic mixed-breed white dog with large black spots, big ears, and the sweetest face.
Alaska lived north of Interstate 10 in Gulfport and moonlighted as a canine escape artist. Each time she wiggled free, she cut a path straight to the M2 Media Corp. office in Gulfport, the parent company of South Mississippi Living magazine.
And she crossed the hustle and bustle of I-10 to get to the building on Intraplex Parkway.
Exhausted, thirsty, and with a wagging tail, she met all of the animal lovers in the M2 Media Corp. family. Alaska was treated to tasty snacks, cool drinks of water, and lots of head scratches. The entire office fell in love with her, especially Graphic Designer Brian Treadaway.
“She was just so friendly and playful,” Treadaway said. “We gave her a tennis ball and she would throw it up and then chase it. She captured everybody’s heart in the office.”
Animal control was called, and it turned out Alaska was microchipped, so she was reunited with her owner. However, six months later, the car-darting pooch again showed up on the office doorstep. She again weaved in and out of vehicles on I-10 to get back to where she captured so many hearts on her first trip.
Naturally, everyone was concerned for her safety since she was running for miles and crossing a hectic interstate, so Treadaway and his wife, Karen reached out to the Humane Society of South Mississippi to inquire about adoption procedures. They learned if the owners did not reclaim Alaska after a week, they could adopt Alaska and make her part of their family.
She was handed over to animal control for a second time and on the last possible day to reclaim Alaska, the owners took her home north of I-10.
Alaska with owners, Brian and Karen Treadaway.
“We were kind of heartbroken because she’s just so awesome,” Treadaway said. But a few months later, Alaska was back, and this time it was to stay. The owners
chose not to reclaim Alaska and she is now part of the Treadaway family happily living with her canine siblings Dempsey and
Sadie.
And now that Alaska has been officially adopted
by the Treadaways, she has not returned to her Houdini hound schemes.
Not even once.
M2 Media Corp. Team Members: Missy Descher,
Madeline Simpson, Brian Treadaway,
Lori Beth Susman, Kelsey Sunderman-Foster and Michael Sunderman.
2615 25TH AVE., GULFPORT 228.863.3354 INFO@HSSM.ORG
TUESDAY-FRIDAY: 10 A.M. - 5 P.M. SATURDAY 10 A.M. - 4 P.M.
SOUTH MISSISSIPPI Living | www.smliving.net
July 2024 | 39