webshelter

[webshelter]

[Prince]

This sweet puppy was in and out of the shelter real quick- as puppies often are. It was such a beautiful day and [Prince] happened to be good on harness. Good is a bit lax when you're talking about puppies, mind you. There was definitely still some leash tug-of-war and barking at passing dogs. We found a nice green spot in the college lot and enjoyed some sun time, chewing on sticks.

[webshelter]

[Mack and Ginger]

I'm bracketing [Mack and Ginger]'s names because honestly I'm only 90% sure this was actually their names. These pups came as a pair and had to go as a pair. This was right around when it snowed this winter and I tried to walk them one by one and it was a howling fest. They could not be separated. So off I went, walking the both of them together while they weaved and tangled me up in their leashes. They were funny, though, sniffing and bounding through the snow.

They were adopted the same day I met them. A teen and his parents came in looking for a dog. Something about [Mack and Ginger] spoke to them. That boy spent a solid hour in that kennel playing with them, cuddling with them. He really seemed to connect with those dogs and they with him. It's definitely what you love to see. And so that family came in for one dog and left with two. I know those pups are living their best life.

[webshelter]

Mick

Mick is a sweet boy going through a tough time. He's a big fella and gets upset seeing people walk past while he's stuck all alone in his kennel. He barked non stop when I saw him. Once I sat with him in his kennel, though, he quieted right down. I can't sit with him forever. When I leave the kennel, he's back to his loudly anxious self. That's not exactly appealing to a potential adopter. He's in foster now and hasn't been returned from that foster which is a good sign he's probably doing a lot better in an actual home environment. He's really just so sweet and he needs someone who understands him and is willing to give him the time and space to really be a dog. He's been under the shelter's care for so long and it's time for him to go home.

[webshelter]

Luigi

Luigi came to the shelter as part of a litter of pups. He was the last one to go. He stayed in the shelter a tad bit longer than most pups would. I reckon it's because of his breed and because he showed plenty of signs that he'd be a big boy. He was oh so very cuddly and quite well behaved on leash for a puppy. I was very happy when he was finally adopted!

[webshelter]

Dahlia

Sister 2 out of 2! Dahlia is Daphne's jealous sister. If you're sitting with Daphne, Dahlia howls and howls for attention. She also came down to the shelter with Daphne when they were found on a property in northern BC. Dahlia is very kissy and cuddly. She did chew on my Croc jibbits and my nametag which isn't my favourite but she was easily redirected. She's definitely a lot louder, jumpier, and crazier than her sister. I could kinda see where her jealousy stems from, though, as I sat with her. Lots of people went up to her sister but no one came up to the kennel to see Dahlia. Part of it could have been because I was in there but that doesn't usually stop people. There's definitely statistics out there about how black dogs and cats stay in the shelter the longest. I hope that doesn't come true for Dahlia.

Update: She was actually adopted the next day!

[webshelter]

Daphne

Sister 1 out of 2! Daphne came to the shelter after she and her sister were found wandering around on a property in northern BC. She is a huge puppy but she is gentle. I took her for a short walk because she was crying at the front of her kennel. She'd hop up and put her paws on my shoulder and technically I shouldn't be allowing this behaviour but she is so elegant and soft when she does it that I can't help but pet her before I tell her to hop off. She is just so super soft. She didn't pull at all on our walk, even when she saw some very interesting crows. A couple dogs walked by and I had her sit and wait for them to pass. She was attentive but quiet and didn't react. She decided she wanted to head back to the shelter afterwards, which is something I very rarely see.

So many people came up to see her. I hope someone falls in love with her and takes her home.

[webshelter]

Rosie

This girl is just unbelievable. I got to meet her after she was transfered to our location from Quesnel. The second I got into her kennel, I was met with kisses. When I kneeled down, she sat herself right in my lap. She is so quiet, gentle, soft, and cuddly. She's good with other dogs, good with cats, and she's good with kids. She's a dream dog. I'm sure she'll find home soon.

[webshelter]

Maggie Moo

One of the hardest things about volunteering in the shelter is some dogs are there for so long you can't help but get attached and the day comes soon enough when they go home and you'll never see them again.

Maggie was one of these dogs. When she first came in, she wasn't put up for adoption right away. She struggled physically with severe skin issues on her face, especially her nose, and behaviourally with resource guarding and reactivity. Maggie was in the shelter for a long, long while. At one point, she got into a foster home but she was back not too long after. The foster had struggled with managing those resource guarding issues.

At this time, we didn't have many dogs in the shelter and she also had to go pee every hour due to the steroids for her skin. Sundays, the day when I volunteer, are also the slowest so I spent a lot of one-on-one time with Maggie. If I wasn't walking with her, which she used to be really into but once the steroids got heavier was not so enticing, I was sitting with her in her kennel. She would cuddle right up to me and I'd just stay there petting her and petting her. The staff would joke that I was her person. Every time I came in and saw her there looking up at me from her kennel wagging her tail I felt the twang in my heart, wishing I could take her home with me.

She was there for so damn long and had so many failed meets that I was sure that she'd be a forever resident. With her being older, having her health and behaviour problems, and usually being pretty meh about meeting new people I started to think there was no hope. I'm ashamed to say that it really didn't bother me. In my head, she was my dog away from home. One day, I came to the shelter and she was gone. After weeks and weeks, she finally found a home.

Every time I go to the shelter, I miss her.

[webshelter]

Violet

When Violet first came in she was only a handful of months old. She was still so tiny and bouncy. All I knew- and still know- about her history is that it was difficult and that she if I remember correctly was living on the street. I had no doubt she'd be a success story; she's a puppy, she's a goldie, and she's so stinking cute. On my first walk with her, she carried the squeaky plush around with her the whole time. She was also trying to eat literally everything which included a poop that I had to pry from her mouth.

When she was adopted, I was relieved. Firstly because I'm always relieved to see a dog go home but secondly because I was not looking forward to more poo prying adventures.

A few weeks later a golden retriever puppy showed up in the shelter. She was larger, her fur was slightly darker. When I read Violet on the sheet on the kennel clipboard I thought surely it could not be the same Violet. She recognized me. It was her. Her adoption situation didn't work out so she ended up back in the shelter. In this time away she had developed some unruly behaviours. She got mouthy and pulled so strong on the leash that she was pretty impossible to control. I don't know if something happened to her during her time away or if she was just frustrated to be back in the shelter.

Still, she was adorable. Many people saw her on the website and came in to see her but the meets never went well. She barked when people passed by the kennel door. Eventually she started to show aggression. Aggression for a shelter dog is a death sentence. Any signs of aggression are signs of public risk and lead to a euthanization. This is the very reason that when we have a puppy that chews on your hands, pulls your pant legs, and teeths on your shoes we are warned to not describe it as biting on our volunteer reports but rather as mouthing. It seemed for Violet, though, it went past mouthing. This was so soon after we had lost Maverick and another dog that I had not met. A dark cloud loomed in the shelter's atmosphere and we all grieved for this sweet dog who was otherwise exactly what adopters would normally be looking for but was dealt a bad hand in life.

[webshelter]

Maverick

The first dog I fell in love with at the shelter.

He was so sweet. He covered me in drooly kisses the first moment I met him.

Unfortunately he was a little excited and nervous around strangers. And after a long time of not finding a home, ultimately that was what lead to him being euthanized because he was considered a public safety risk.

Every day I saw him, I wished I could take him home. I was torn apart when he was put down. I couldn’t stand the idea that this sweet old boy could be forgotten- that he wouldn’t even have an opportunity to fade in to memory if no one had that memory to hold.

He motivated to start my collection of shelter dogs, so that there would forever be a place for them to live whether they got adopted or otherwise.