Donner and his moms Alexis Martinez, left, and Chantal Hoag love spending time outdoors hiking and exploring. (Photo courtesy of Alexis Martinez)
BECKY ADAMIETZ-DEO | SPCA of Texas
RAdamietz-Deo@SPCA.org
Alexis Martinez made it clear to her girlfriend right off the bat: “I come with a dog, no matter what.” Her long-time partner, Chantal Hoang, was ready from the start.
Alexis grew up in a family that believes dogs are meant to be outside. But she didn’t understand, she didn’t agree. “It really made me want a dog more,” she says. “I wanted to show everyone how cool a dog could be.”
Alexis remembers playing in the backyard, as a child and watching her ball sail over the fence into a yard where two Rottweilers lived.
“I jumped back there and just picked up the ball and came back to my yard,” she smiles. “I never gave the dogs a second thought. I knew them through the fence, and we were friends.
So I just did it.”
Alexis’ mom just happened to be looking out the window at that exact moment. “She panicked,” Alexis remembers, “but she didn’t move because she didn’t want to freak the dogs out.”
Alexis happily admits that these days she knows her neighbors’ dogs before she knows her neighbors. She makes sure she and her “village” are well prepared before she brings a new pup into her home.
“I look at it like the way God made the world for us before he made us; he made humans last,” she explains. “I need to prepare a world for my pet and have everything ready before the animal joins my family.”
Alexis’ beloved dog of 11 years was near the end of his life when she and Chantal met. “She got to know him and understood how important he was in my life,” Alexis says. “I let her know that I come with a dog, regardless, and she was fine with it.”
It took Alexis a couple of years to grieve her lost pet and to reset. Then she happened to see Donner at an SPCA of Texas event. “I thought, he’s cute, but he is a little big,” she recalls. “It made me realize that I was ready for another dog.”
Alexis let Chantal know that she was thinking of getting one of the dogs she’d seen at the event. Chantal totally agreed.
“There was one pup that I was really interested in, but when we did the inside meet-and-greet at the Dallas Animal Care Center, we really weren’t vibing,” Alexis says. “I had narrowed the dog pool down to two that I wanted to meet outside the building.
“Donner was the one that paid attention to me. He came when I called him and played with me. He was absolutely responsive to me,” Alexis smiles.
Alexis still worried that Donner was too big, but before long, “I told myself that I was ready; that I have the yard, and he can go to daycare when I’m at work … Chantal could help keep him, or my sister would help.” (Alexis has a demanding job as an airplane mechanic, working several days on followed by nine consecutive days off.)
Donner’s adoption was finalized in February 2025, just more than a year ago.
Between Chantal, Alexis’ sister, friends and employees at Camp Bow Wow, Donner is well cared for every day of the week. “It has gotten to the point where they bicker among themselves about who gets to keep Donner when!” Alexis says. “He’s such a good boy, and he loves all of his caregivers.”
In addition to going almost everywhere with Alexis and Chantal, Donner also hunts with Alexis. “He knows the woods and is a good hunting buddy,” she says. “He chases rabbits and actually caught one recently, which took me by surprise.”
Alexis is appreciative of the way Donner has opened up her relationship with Chantal. And while they agree they don’t want children, Alexis says, “I think having a beloved pet adds that element of caring for something/someone that you love together, and that brings us closer. It adds a dynamic to a relationship that I think is positive.”
Chantal and Alexis discuss what Donner should eat, where he should stay when, his veterinary appointments and instructions, his exercise routines, and so much more.
Sharing this responsibility means even more to Alexis. “I love the fact that Chantal has never owned a dog, so I come as an experienced dog parent, and I’m able to help her learn about aspects of loving a pet,” she says, adding that it is endearing the way Chantal worries about Donner.
“She notices every bump and scratch, and together we decide they are probably nothing, and we will keep an eye on them. Chantal watched him moving and whimpering in his sleep and asked why. I smiled and let her know that he’s just sleeping like other dogs.”
Having volunteered with the SPCA of Texas in the past, Alexis has been through the training required to work with the shelter’s animals.
“The educational programs are wonderful,” she says. “It helped me learn proper leash etiquette and other significant things, but most importantly, the training taught me to teach Donner through praise — acknowledging good behavior and ignoring bad behavior.
“It has been fun teaching Chantal those same lessons and watching Donner respond so positively to both of us.”
Alexis and Chantal especially appreciate the SPCA of Texas employees following up to see how the adoption is going or if there is anything the organization can do to help the new family.
“I responded once about how Donner was eating his own feces and, right away, they sent me links and information to help the situation,” Alexis notes. “We did what they advised, and now Donner isn’t doing it anymore.
It really does take a village to create a strong family bond. Thanks to family members and friends — both old and new — Donner is living his best life and helping his moms do so, too.
Donner knew what he was doing when he chose his loving family!