Rescue Success!

What a busy year. In addition to boarding 6 dogs this summer, running the dog rescue, tending the gardens & the farm, riding and training the horses and mini donkeys, plus the care and attention to my parrots and iguana, I have found time to successfully place 6 dogs into homes so far this year. 

Douglas, a light brown deer headed gangsta looking taco bell type Chihuahua, who was surrendered to me this spring, found a new home and a new name, Mr. Pink! It's perfect, he IS the dog version of Steve Buscemi. His new home is amazing, and there is nothing better than seeing him thrive. I honestly thought Douglas wouldn't find a home, as he just wasn't as cute as most chi's, but I had forgotten that there are people out there like me where cute comes in all shapes and sizes, and Doug, aka Mr. Pink has found his place of love in this world.

Hobbs, a tiny male white and beige coloured apple headed Chihuahua, now more appropriately named Rico by his new owner, also found a great new home. He came from some pretty dodgy circumstances, he was rescued by a woman who had noticed his owner kept him crated 24/7, and made him use his crate as a litter box. She convinced his owner to surrender him, and the next day I took him in. We worked out his house training issues due to the neglect he suffered and I was going to keep him, but he was just too darn cute to keep. In fact, it was hard picking the right home for him, but the one I did is a complete winner. He is currently thriving in obedience and going to Mighty Mutts, he is happy, loved immensely, and in a well adjusted home and is still cute as a button.

Smurfy, a Lhasa Apso I took in last year, was surrendered to the McDonald Family Rescue and he had a lot of issues, and due to the health of one of the owners of the rescue, we took him in. I like giving dogs that most people would euthanize due to behaviour problems and teach them how to be a social dog, my pack is invaluable in helping rehabilitate these types of dogs. Smurfy had a lot of fear aggression, and a couple of health issues that needed sorting out, but after a year here at the farm, he was ready for his new home. He is with a lovely couple who adore him, he has only gotten better and better, no regression into his old behaviours at all.

Mikey, a red Miniature Pinscher cross, hit the jackpot this year when a  friend of mine took him for a couple of days this spring to work on some training, and it turned into forever. He was abandoned by a trucker from Ontario to a woman who worked with my husband. This trucker was supposed to come back in a month to get him, but instead he quit answering her phone calls. This woman was not allowed to even own a dog under her lease so we took him in. Mikey is one of the most perfectly behaved dogs I have ever rescued. He was already house trained, no anxiety, social, friendly, great with kids, not overly yappy, just a snuggly little dude. Needless to say, when my friend asked if she could keep him, I was thrilled. He has learned a myriad of new tricks and I don't think I could have found a better home for him anywhere.

Wally, a huge, sweet male St. Bernard got his dream home with a lovely family on a farm. Wally was surrendered to us a couple of years ago, when he was 8 months old, he was the "boyfriend gets girlfriend a cute puppy for a Christmas surprise" without any research into the breed at all. He had zero vet care or training when he was surrendered to us, but he took to his training easy peasy, and was adoptable soon after. With bigger dogs that need a lot of care - grooming, training, etc... finding the "right" home for him was not easy. We were patient and it paid off tenfold. After just a week with his new family, his new "dad" was taking him to work everyday, and they are thrilled to have such a huge and sweet dog to take care of, and to have him take care of them too.

Maggie, a female St. Bernard that was surrendered to us by a puppy broker I have developed a somewhat "cordial" relationship with, at least cordial enough where I get a call if there is a dog where it will be euthanized after not selling at a pet store. She was just under 5 months old when she came to the farm, and we found her a forever home this year after her being here for just over 2 years. Maggie is not a huge St. Bernard, but her heart sure is. There was nothing more that she loved than belly rubs and giving kisses. She would run up to me full tilt then flop on her back, ready for love! She had a few issues getting along with one other female dog here, and once that issue was worked out we eventually found her a great home, a farm that is a lot like ours, sans the dog rescue... lots of room to roam and run, plus their property is sheep fenced and far away from any busy roads. She is happy and healthy with her new family, living the good life she should have had to begin with as a puppy instead of living in a pet store for 2 months, not ever even seeing grass in her life until I was thankfully able to save her from being euthanized or sent to a puppy mill and living in horrid conditions producing unwanted puppies.

I have only had one placement of two dogs to one home that I had to take back. This person misrepresented herself, and thankfully the dogs are now back in my care. In all the dogs I have placed over the years, thankfully that is only the second time ever it has happened, from over 30 adoptions.

Sidenote: all of the above dogs were NOT spayed or neutered when they came here, but they were before they left for their new homes. Sadly that is the norm regardless of the age of the dog. If there is one thing in this world I wish everyone would do, is to have their pets fixed as soon as their vet recommends it. Not only does it curtail certain unwanted behaviours, it stops the endless cycle of unwanted puppies born each year that keep people like me working day and night in order to "right" the wrongs perpetrated on these animals by others in the name of the almighty dollar.