Happy Tails

I'm very happy to have Chester as part of the family. He's only been with me just over 5 weeks, but I feel like he's been here forever :)

He has a lovely disposition and is getting along with his sister, Daisy, really well! I'm actually surprised at how accepting Daisy is of him. I was worried about the transition, but it has been very smooth. He loves belly rubs and just being close to people. He's met a few people outside of the family and has been wonderful with all of them.

Chester has some challenges, with incomplete cataracts in both eyes so we are exploring our options with the vet to make him more comfortable. He is making progress every day and learning to move around with confidence!

He's not able to go down steps, but is making progress going up steps (deck steps and inside the house). He is learning to navigate around the house pretty well. I make sure to have the stairs blocked off as he's not always aware when he's close to the edge. No falls so far!

He's finding his voice - loves to bark when he's outside or when he hears birds or other animals. Also, now that the snow has melted, he loves to kick up the grass and dirt, it's so funny to watch him!

He loves his new food. He has a hard time eating anything crunchy, so he is responding well to soft homemade food (chicken/beef and veggies, cooked). According to the vet, he will need a few more teeth extracted (his incisor teeth were removed prior to his adoption) in the coming months. I'm working on brushing his teeth! He's actually responding well to that, doesn't give me too much trouble :) The vet said he had a cleaning recently, so that was good news!

Here are some pictures of him. He was groomed his first week, so he looks quite different with short hair!

Joey and Kelly are doing fantastic! They are settling in very nicely in their new home. They love riding in the car, the off leash park and just hanging out in the backyard. They are meeting lots of doggie friends are not as anxious as they were when I first adopted them. They are such good buddies and I can't imagine them being apart from each. I work from home so they spend a lot of time with me. Can't wait to get them out hiking in the mountains this summer! As you can see from one of the photos they have also bonded with the cat.

I adopted Daisy 7 months ago. She was a very anxious dog from the beginning and didn't trust men or children. In new situations, Daisy would tremble and shake, although she was always a sweetheart and was not an aggressive dog. I first met Daisy 6 weeks before I brought her home, and over the course of those 6 weeks she and I built a relationship at her foster mom's home. The day I brought her home she never looked back. She has been getting stronger and more confident every day. Although she still gets scared inside elevators and on the c-train, and has trouble letting anyone but me groom her, overall she's very curious about people and especially children. She loves to be outside and roll around in the grass, so we go for three walks a day. All the neighbours know her - if anyone tries to pet her she's flighty (although when they have their back turned she'll follow them to get a whiff of their scent)! Other dogs bring out the puppy in her, she loves to bounce up to the neighbourhood dogs and challenge them to a race around the block. She always wins. Daisy also has a mischievous side to her that comes out at home. She likes to zoom around the house and over the furniture, steal all my socks and hoard them under my bed, and leave me bones and snacks under my blankets. 

I'm really happy Daisy chose me to come home with. She's made my life a lot brighter. She has a lot of love to give and is happy and at peace now.

I've attached some pictures of Daisy the first day I brought her home to now.

Take care,

Shainur

Oliver (formerly Sparkie) found me in April last year. He brought with him joy, happiness, laughter and smiles. He has made my house a home.  Little Mutts made this process so easy. 

I adopted Tika (formerly Violet) on May 18, 2017. She’s from California, she was on the streets with her puppies when you guys found her. Tika was spayed and sent straight to Calgary. Naturally, she was a bit out of sorts from all that. Her foster mum was so great and encouraging. Even though Tika wouldn’t come near me at first, her foster mum assured me she just takes a bit of time to warm up. It was about 6 hours after she got to my house before she curled up on my lap and it was an instant connection. She has done well in the snow, she doesn’t really like her jacket. As soon as I take her jacket off, she rips around the house, it's really funny. I absolutely adore her, and I love her so much! She has so much personality (as you can see from our pictures). She definitely loves to snuggle, and sleep under the covers. She is really good with other dogs, and she loves cats. She knows a lot of tricks now, she has recently learnt how to roll over without any help from me. I’m a proud mummy! Thank you so much Little Mutts Rescue for everything you do and for giving me Tika.

"Rescue dogs aren't broken, they've simply experienced more life than other dogs. If they were human, we would call them wise. They would be the ones with tales to tell and stories to write, the ones dealt a bad hand who responded with courage. Don't pity a rescue dog. Adopt one. And be proud to have their greatness by your side" Quote unknown

Life certainly gets away from you once in a while as I have been meaning to write to you and give you an update on Cali...

She is the most amazing little girl and we are absolutely over the moon! She and her new sister Maddy are inseparable, although Cali most certainly wears the pants in the relationship :-) Cali is slowly learning to play with toys (watching her sister has helped I think), and her new favourite game is fetch. Housetraining is coming along nicely and for the most part we are now accident-free.

She just had her third trip to Shampooch and the gals there were thoroughly impressed with how far she's come, she didn't even try to nibble in protest this time!! Although Cali can still be somewhat apprehensive of new people, she pops out of her shell very quickly now, especially if she knows she'll get some snuggles.

She is definitely a California Girl and is not terribly impressed with the cold. Her favourite thing is to snuggle up under the nearest blanket she can find or under the covers in bed, as well as her new heated pet bed that Santa got her for Christmas. Although, once the boots and coat are on, she also LOVES tunnelling in the snow as long as she can come running back into the warm as soon as she starts getting a wee bit chilly.

Cali's nickname is "my little lamb" and I keep saying I'm going to change my name to Mary, as she will follow me wherever I go. She is also incredibly smart and seems to understand every single word I say, training has been a breeze. She is absolutely the most loving, sweet, adorable little one, we love her so much, and we can't thank you enough for bringing her into our lives. I have attached a few more recent photos of Cali, isn't she just the cutest?!

Even my extended family is smitten with her. So much so that my Mom has decided she would also like to adopt another fur baby! She currently has a little man named "Scruff" (a Yorkie) and would love to give him a new brother or sister. Scruff is an awesome little dude who spends a ton of time at our house hanging with Cali and Maddy. I know she's been looking for a little while now but believe she also submitted an application to you guys today for Kona? My Mom is retired and is the softest, kindest person you will ever meet, and is also the one who gave me my passion for dogs, as we always had them in our lives from the day I was born (she's a sucker for a broken wing and would always take in anything with a heartbeat lol). I just wanted to give a personal recommendation for Cyndy Hogbin, even though I am sure you have many solid applications, as a viable applicant for Kona or another little furbaby as they become available for adoption.

Anyway, enough rambling from me for now. Thank you once again for all that you do for these beautiful souls. It is unfortunate that rescue is even a "thing" as none of them ever deserve the hand they were dealt, but without people like you, there wouldn't be second chances, and for that I am eternally grateful. We are all truly blessed to have ever experienced the unconditional love of an animal. If you ever want to stop by, our door is always open.

Sincerely,
Jane and Cali