Edison originally came to PAWS Chicago when he was just 3 months old, and he was a favorite from the very start—his massive smile won us over immediately. Over the next 2 years, Edison was adopted and returned twice because his owners faced unforeseen and devastating hardship. Thankfully, Edison was never alone because PAWS was there.  

We welcomed this sweet boy back with open arms each time and promised to find his person. During our search, trainers and fosters worked closely with Edison to help overcome his fear of strangers. Slowly and surely, our team gained his trust and helped him build confidence.  

When Edison finally met Clint Gonsowski, he was more than ready for the home he deserved.  

Clint didn’t come to PAWS intending to adopt. He was dropping off an annual donation of dog and cat food collected by the employees at his work. “Unfortunately, a month prior to this event, I lost my 2 beautiful pitties, Mandy and Cashew, to illness. I told my wife, Meagan, I wasn’t sure if I was ready for a new adoption, but I’d look.” 

After handing over their generous donations, Clint went to see the dogs at PAWS. “That's when I discovered Edison. Edison reminded me so much of our late and great Cashew that I had to meet him. I had my wife on FaceTime as we did the meet and greet, and I fell in love with Edison.” 

Their connection was immediate: “Edison’s kindness and his playfulness, along with his one blue eye and one green eye, got me. Right away, he grabbed his favorite crab toy and brought it to me to play, and I knew he was mine,” says Clint.  

Now happily adopted, Edison has a new name—Johnny Utah Gonsowski, aka Utah. He also has three new feline siblings named Linus, Squirrel, and April. It took about a month for the cats to get used to him, but “Now they love him, and they all sleep together on the same couch,” says Clint.  

When he’s not napping on the sofa, Clint says, “Utah's favorite activities are running around the yard at a high rate of speed, tug-of-war with his favorite alligator stuffed animal, and teasing his cat brother and sisters.”  

Clint says he loves Utah’s companionship the most, proudly stating that he’s “Daddy’s boy” and “He loves guy time. Whether it's watching movies on the couch or if I'm lifting weights in my home gym or a home project, he is there with me.”  

PAWS is so grateful to be a part of Clint and Edison’s story. And Clint is just as grateful for the chance to adopt. He says, “Thank you PAWS for the wonderful setup you have for the animals and making sure they find good homes. And thank you for caring for Edison, as he was destined to be our family dog.”