Remembering Porter
Porter McGinnis Laffey Shaulis
Porter was born to a litter of 5 on Mother's Day in 2010. He, his mom, and siblings were abandoned in an RV, where they were found by a park ranger and surrendered to Friends of Homeless Animals of Rhode Island. The pups were fostered in upstate NY. They named him Charley.
A little-known fact is that we originally applied for one of his littermates. She was already taken by the time the rescue contacted us, and when Sam showed Nathan that photo of Porter in the sink above, he immediately teared up and said, “That’s my dog.” It was meant to be.
His foster mom was scheduled to be in Pittsburgh for Anthrocon, so we met up and brought him home on June 25, 2025. He was 7 weeks old and weighed in at a whopping 3.6lbs at his first visit to Point Breeze Veterinary Clinic.
As he got older, his energy level was wild. It seemed like he never actually got tired out, no matter how much we played with him and took him for walks. He was only ever spent after romping with other dogs. So obviously, in 2012, we adopted his baby sister Jeanie. She was born on May 9, 2012, giving her his exact birthday 2 years later. So again, it was meant to be.
At first, we weren’t sure he recognized her as another dog. Once he did, he was incredibly gentle with her tiny frame, allowing her to win wrestling matches. Then about when she turned 9 months old, the gloves came off, and they seamlessly transitioned into a classic big brother, little sister dynamic – loving, annoying, and jealousy all included.
Some of our favorite memories:
The way he would stomp his paw, wiggle his butt, or emit a low groan to remind you he was there and had demands.
He would always start bouncing off the walls whenever we started to pack. Whether he was coming with us or not, the reaction was always the same.
The time he saw a dog running across the TV screen and ran across the room, only to be super confused and disappointed when the dog was not there.
Some of the things we’re missing most:
His silly crooked tail
When he would snuggle perfectly with Jeanie and use her as a pillow.
His funny and loud snorrzles
His sparkly caramel colored eyes
How much he got into it when we would pet his ears or scritch him between his eyes.
His absolutely perfect head tilt
His love of licking the bottom of the yogurt bowl and getting yogurt all over his head.
Resting his softball head on our feet
How very seriously he took his job as sous chef and cleanup crew in the kitchen.
Life according to Porter:
Grandmas are the best
Don’t mess with my sister
Take your time getting comfortable. Flop that blanket this way and that for hours if you have to. It’s worth getting it right.
Food is life
Do not let hoomans think it’s ok to joke about eating your ears. It’s NOT ok.
Bark at capitalism whenever you feel like it
Don’t believe the hoomans when they say they have to work to feed us. That cabinet by the door magically creates food.
Hang out on the edges. Of furniture, stairs, anything.
Where are the treats?
