ARF Dogs and Cats!

Pet of the Week, Oliver!

2012-02-14T08:58:00.000-08:00

Photo courtesy of Theresa Swain.

This is Oliver and he's just lookin' for somebody to love! So, I figured he'd be a perfect post for the international day of love!

He's an adorable, intelligent regular ol' black dog, but don't let that fool you – he's the coolest!

Oliver loves people to death! He also LOVES toys, any kind of toy! He loves to play! Through guidance and supervision he is also learning very quickly what is an appropriate chew toy and what is not. He is also learning some tricks and has recently mastered sit and shake-a-paw. He is crate trained and will sleep in his crate all night long and he is also house trained! He is still working on his leash walking, but that's OK, he's just a little guy.

Oliver also loves to eat! Eat his dinner, work for treats – it doesn't matter, food is awesome in his book! Which is awesome for whoever adopts him because we all know a food motivated dog is a wonder to train!

Oliver is a very high-energy, fun-loving pup who loves to play with dogs and humans a like. Seriously, he gets along with everyone! He enjoys going for multiple walks per day and playtime with his people. He is great with all kinds of other dogs, but should likely go to a home with older children as he can be rambunctious and we'd worry he could knock over small children. He would likely be an ideal match for a very active home or someone who would like to try out some dog sports.

You really need to see this little guy in person because he really is absolutely ADORABLE! And so sweet, just like Valentine's Day candy. :)

Check our website on Friday afternoons to see when his next appearance at PetSmart will be or, if you just can't wait to be his forever home, fill out an application today!

Pet of the Week, Molly!

2012-01-31T11:35:00.000-08:00

HI! I'm Molly. I was brought to ARF in November, I am somewhere between 1 and 2 years old and a dainty little thing. I have red and blonde hair and I am pretty shy. All this new attention and love is very different for me but my foster home says I am coming along very nicely.

There are 2 other dogs in my foster home, a big puppy and a small 3 year old dog and I play with both of them whenever I get bored. If they do not want to play then I will quietly amuse myself with the nearest. Sometimes I mistake a shoe for a toy but thats just because I never lived in a house before, it hasn't happened in a while though, so don't worry!

During the day I used to hang out in a crate while my foster parents were at work but it really stressed me out. My foster parents just started trusting me out of my kennel during the day and so far so good. They did a good job "puppy proofing" the house and I've been a good girl. I might bark during the day but that is because I miss my people so much. Other than that I never bark, and am generally calm and quiet. I say generally because sometimes my foster brother and I play and wrestle. We love playing tug o' war!

When my people come home I am the most excited out of all the dogs. I am so happy that I run around like I am on fire! When they get the chance to greet me I sit down and relax rather quickly and go back to my calm relaxed persona while soaking up all the love. I spend most of my days laying on a comfy dog bed and observing what is going on around me. I like to stay out of the way until I decide I am not getting enough love. That's when I will attempt to climb on the couch next to my people and gently hit them in the arm with my paw. When they leave the room I tend to follow them out of curiosity.

When it comes to traveling I am wonderful on-leash. I am not however, wonderful in the car. I am just not used to them and I am not a bad girl at all; I just tremble and pace. With every car ride I get a little bit better and am just starting to realize that if I lay down everything is pretty nice.

I have not been around a whole lot of children other than the few at petsmart. I have been around plenty of dogs though, mainly ones quite a bit larger than myself. I do get scared when new dogs don't give me my space, and lift my lip to let them know. That is normally settled pretty quick though and I've always made friends with the dogs I meet. I am house-trained and learn a lot from the dogs I live with, like sit and shake a paw. My foster parents are helping me build my confidence and trust in people. I never thought I would be the kind of dog who closes her eyes and has her belly rubbed by someone!

I feel I have tons of love to give, and I just need someone to be patient and caring. Come see me at PetSmart on Saturdays between 1 and 3, but remember this is a new environment for a girl like me and it can be stressful.

Below is some additional information provided by Molly's foster home:

When Molly first came into foster care no one could pet her, she would just tremble and turn her head away and it took about two weeks of living in a home before her tail came out from between her legs.

Now, Molly wants to be with people. She will go outside to do her business and then she'll come right back in. She is not really dog focused, though she loves living with her foster brothers and has learned much from them, she mainly wants attention from her people. She is also one of the sweetest dogs and is very quiet and relaxed around the house. She also LOVES her bully sticks!

Molly will need a home that is willing to give her the time and patience she needs to become a wonderful companion. She is almost there, but still can by shy/stressed out in new situations.

If you think Molly is the pooch for you, fill out an application today!

Pet of the Week, Zoey!

2012-01-17T10:23:00.000-08:00

Please meet Miss Zoey! She has been with ARF since November, we first got her puppies and then we were able to bring her in as well. This one was a long time coming! We've rescued several of her litters actually, but were never able to get her.

Now that she's been brought into ARF's fold, she's had some pretty serious adjusting to do. She's three years old (approximately) and had never lived indoors, though had been around humans. Because she has had exposure to people, she's not really scared. She is a little bit quiet around strangers, but she's never shown any fear. She had never been in a car or in an urban area, never slept in a crate, played with toys or been on a leash. I can only imagine how hard it is to transition from being a stray, to living in a home in a busy city! She's handled this all like a champ, too!

The first thing Zoey realized that she liked was human attention. She also bonded really fast with her foster home. At first, she didn't like sharing human attention with her foster brothers, probably because she had never experienced something so great. After a couple of months in foster care, Zoey has no more issues sharing attention. She's also learned to love going for car rides. Car rides mean that she gets to spend time with her humans!

I guess it's pretty evident that Zoey loves attention, she's also very gentle with children. Zoey loves going for walks – it's her favourite time of day – and she is also very well behaved at the off leash park. She's not into fetch, but will chase dogs (without harassing them) who are playing fetch. She also really enjoys spending time outside and playing with other dogs.

Zoey doesn't have any problems being on her own, she is comfortable sleeping in her crate all night and is no problem when her foster parents are at work all day. She will also quietly play with her toys when they are busy.

Because of all the new things Zoey has had to learn, she's a little behind on her obedience, but that's ok. She's done wonderfully with all the new things we've asked her to try. She will sit before she gets her dinner and is learning lay down and shake-a-paw right now.

Zoey is probably one of the most versatile dogs we've had in a while, there is a good chance she'd fit into just about any home. She's mellow and gentle, so would be OK in a home with kids, she likes being outside, so an active family would be OK too. She's experienced living with other dogs, but is also fine on her own. She's would be classified as a medium sized dog, so quite possibly, the perfect size! Zoey would make an excellent companion for just about anyone!

If you think you're the perfect home for this wonderful dog, please fill out an adoption application for her! Or come visit her at PetSmart by Chinook Mall. She's there all the time!

Pet of the Week, Roxy!

2011-12-14T08:40:00.000-08:00

This is Roxy. She has been with ARF since she was a wee pup and is the last of her litter to get adopted. Again, not really sure why. She is about 7 months old and all legs!

Roxy is a really sweet pup and pretty laid back. She does like to take a little time to check out a situation with other dogs around, but usually gets right into things a loves to run and play.

She is crate trained, house trained, knows how to sit, lay down and is working on high five, her recall is also very good for a young pup. She is very well behaved in the house and doesn't get into any trouble. She is occupied with a bison bone, very easily.

Roxy is very affectionate and loves to snuggle and give kisses. Sometimes when she meets new people, she gets a little bit excited and will try to jump. Since she is such a tall girl, this can be frightening for some. However, her foster home is working on this with her and is really normal 7-month-old puppy behaviour. Some basic obedience classes at dogma or Sit Happens! once she's adopted would likely do wonders for this!

Roxy is currently spending some time in a home with an 11 year old girl and she follows her around and loves spending time with her. Roxy would likely do well in a home of any sort, though she is used to always having other dogs in the home, she might prefer that her forever home has another dog, but that isn't a deal breaker if she finds the perfect home who will continue to let her socialize with other dogs and people. She even gets on well with small dogs!

If you think you have the perfect home for this long legged beauty, fill out an application for her today! She's pretty awesome! The application can be found here.

Pet of the Week, Missy!

2011-12-06T10:41:00.000-08:00

Photo courtesy of Theresa Swain.

This is Missy, previously called Epitome. She's been in ARF's care for a very, very long time, so obviously, we want to find her a forever home!

Missy is a domestic short hair who is absolutely striking. She has beautiful markings with white toes and a white belly. Not to mention her gorgeous eyes!

When Missy first came into foster care, she was fearful of people, but that seems to have long since vanished. I met her at the adopt-a-thon ARF just hosted and she didn't seem to be phased by people. Though, I could tell she'd rather be at home, she seemed to be alright.

Missy loves attention and will roll over for belly rubs and she loves to have her ears massaged. She has a great appetite and loves treats and toys. She also has a very quiet/soft meow. She does adapt quickly and well to new situations, but she would likely do better in a quieter home.

We are currently testing her with other felines, but as of right now we don't know how she is with other cats. Once we find out, we'll let you know!

Meanwhile, if you're interested in meeting or adopting Missy, please, fill out an application for her here!

Pet of the Week, Mikayla!

2011-11-15T15:46:00.000-08:00

Meet Mikayla!

She is a sweet young pup looking for the right home. She can be a little bit shy; it took her a few days to get comfortable in her new foster home. She is nervous around too much commotion and would likely do better in a quieter home. Perhaps a home with no young children. Though, she is fine around kids; she even went with her foster dad to visit a class room of grade 6 students and did really well. She laid beside them waiting for attention, but if they got too rambunctious, she'd retreat under a desk until they calmed down.

Mikayla is a very relaxed, calm pup who loves getting attention, she enjoys going for walks and jogs and is definitely not concerned with the noises and commotion outside when on a walk. She enjoys playing chase with the other dogs in her house and loves to run around the yard with a toy in her mouth. Again, while she's fine with other dogs, really rambunctious ones will intimidate her, and it does take her a little bit of time to get comfortable with new dogs. She really does love to play, but she just seems to be overly cautious and needs the time to get used to them before she plays.

Mikayla is a very smart puppy who is quick to pick up new tricks. She knows shake-a-paw, sit, down and is doing very well with come and stay. She's never had an accident in the house and is eager to please.

Mikayla is currently taking some puppy classes and is a little bit nervous, but her foster home says they can see her confidence level building with each session.

Mikayla is looking for a quieter home with someone who has the time and patience needed to let blossom into a wonderful adult dog. She is a great little pup with a lot of potential, so all she needs is someone to gently show her the way!

If you are the one Mikayla is looking for, don't hesitate, fill out an application today!

Pet of the Week, Jinx!

2011-10-12T10:18:00.000-07:00

Meet Ms. Jinx! She is about a year and a half old and she has been with us since she was a wee kitten. We're not really sure why. She has the most unique markings I've seen in a cat... grey with peach highlights and quite the personality!

Jinx and her sister Tabitha were featured back in January. You can read that here.

But there are some additional things Jinx would like you to know about her! She adjusts well to a home with other cats and her foster mom thinks she'd likely be OK with a cat savvy dog as well!

She loves to play with tin foil balls, she will even fetch and bring it back! She likes to steal pens and place them in new locations; for safe keeping of course and she loves most of all, to hunt flies and bugs.

Jinx also enjoys watching birds through the window, rolling in cat nip, watching T.V. with you and shredded cheese! Wait... a cat who fetches and likes cheese? Weird, sounds like a dog... or if she really is a cat, perhaps a cat that will learn tricks for some bits of cheese?

Jinx loves attention and has a lot of energy, so she would likely do great in a home with kids and other animals. If you think this delightful, mischievous kitten would be a great addition to your home, please fill out an application for her today! You won't be disappointed!

Pet of the Week, Kaiah!

2011-10-05T11:05:00.000-07:00

This is Kaiah (in the background) at an adopt-a-thon ARF was just at! She's been pet of the week before and you can read her previous entry here. She's made a lot of improvements and is still looking for her forever home. She's not a very big dog and would fit into just about any kind of home!

Kaiah is a very happy dog who loves unconditionally. She is always smiling and happy and loves to greet her people when they get home from work! She is a huge cuddle-bug and loves to jump up on the bed looking for belly rubs during her morning stretches.

At night, after her walks, Kaiah, loves to curl up on the couch while everyone is winding down. She loves going for walks and is great on the leash now; she even gets excited when the leash comes out now! When she goes to the off-leash parks, she must go meet all the dogs and is very polite. She also loves to chase other dogs who are playing games. She's not huge into fetch yet, but loves to play tug, so she probably could learn fetch too and I'm sure she will, in time. Before, she was leary of new dogs, but this seems to have disappeared after a lot of good experiences, and she is also starting to be more comfortable around strangers too!

Sometimes though, Kaiah needs her own space and she can be a little bit sensitive about her feet being touched, so she probably shouldn't go to a home with small children, but older children who will treat her respectfully and understand that sometimes dogs need their own space too, would be just fine.

Kaiah's foster home says she's got a ton of personality and overall one of the happiest dogs she's ever met, so if you're looking for a happy, loving pooch, Kaiah's waiting for you! Just fill out an application!

Toby needs your help!

2011-09-27T12:22:00.000-07:00

Toby joined ARF's fold with nine other puppies on Wednesday, September 21st. They all came to us from Hobbema, critically underweight, terrified and full of mange.

Unfortunately for Toby, he also has a crushed paw. While it has already started healing, he has some pretty bad muscle atrophy in his shoulder. Because dogs put most of their weight on their front legs, ARF is going to try and save Toby's injured leg by using laser acupuncture and water therapy. Because he is using the leg a little bit now, we have hope that the extra therapy will allow him to remain four legged. If this is not successful, it will have to be amputated.

Because Toby has mange and is also underweight, he has a long road ahead of him. He is fed every few hours and has gained a pound in one week. He will require extensive treatments for the mange and needs to improve in general health before the acupuncture and water therapy for his leg can begin.

Aside from his poor health and injuries, he is a smart, loving puppy, who will no doubt make a wonderful companion even if he is three-legged by the time he's ready for adoption!

You can help. ARF does everything it can to help a dog or cat once rescued. We expect that Toby's vet bills will be costly. He will likely be a frequent visitor, so the health care could add up to a few thousand dollars, depending on his ability to recover well. If we need to amputate later, the costs will be even higher. This cost will not be picked up by Toby's adoptive family, but will be paid by ARF. ARF is a registered charity, staffed almost entirely by volunteers, and reliant on donations. You can help Toby, and other dogs and cats like him, by donating here. Toby's story is just one of hundreds. Thank you from the bottom of Toby's heart.

Foster Homes; Our Life Line.

2011-09-08T11:43:00.000-07:00

Right now, ARF is in desperate need of foster homes. Our organization is run on volunteer power and this includes foster homes. They literally are our life line. We do not have a shelter facility where we can permanently or temporarily house the dogs and cats that we rescue and with limited foster homes available, we are almost always at or over capacity.

Photo by Theresa Swain

Soon, fall will be upon us and it will inevitably be followed by winter. Puppies and kittens are born throughout the year of course, but we all know the conditions that Alberta's fall and winter weather can bring us; though we are comforted by the safety and shelter of our homes. You can read my blog entry here, about some puppies ARF rescued last November when temperatures plummeted to more than 30 below.

Unfortunately, there are a lot of misconceptions about fostering, some of them good, some of them bad. I've written many blog posts on that topic too! Links can be found here and here.

When you open your home to a foster animal, you are truly saving a life. Fall and winter are hardest on us and the animals. Knowing that we absolutely can not leave them behind in freezing weather puts a huge strain on the resources we have. That is why it is so important to get more foster homes; the more we have, the more animals we can save! The dogs that come into our system are not wild or dangerous; at most, they are scared and hungry. Typically, they adapt to regular feeding, a warm bed and someone to love very quickly. They are eager to learn manners, house training and tricks and are generally a joy to have around.

The most difficult part of fostering probably is when they find their forever homes, I'm not going to lie. I've had some foster dogs who still hold a special place in my heart and probably always will. But when you see them with the family that they were meant to be with, you know it's right and somehow that makes giving them up OK. There is also some work involved, like house training, teaching some basic manners, sometimes even teaching them how to play, but the rest is pure joy!

If you, a friend or family member are available for the next 6 months to open your home to an unwanted dog, I urge you to fill out our foster home application. Ideal homes would have a stay at home parent or someone who works part time, works from home or is retired. Foster homes do need to have a safe and secure yard with a minimum 4ft fence. People who are able to take a dog to work with them will also be taken into consideration. ARF provides all the food, crates, supplies, medical care and support needed, all you need to do is share your home and your heart. We also ask that foster homes believe in and promote our training philosophy, which can be found here.

If you can make a 6 month commitment and live in the Greater Calgary Area, please complete our foster home application here: http://www.arf.ab.ca/help/foster.shtml

Note: ARF does not allow fostering with the intent to adopt during the first 6 months.

Pet of the Week, Tabitha!

2011-08-30T08:01:00.000-07:00

Here is Tabitha! I've featured her once before, quite a while ago, so here is an update.

She is an adorable, 1 year old blonde with yellow eyes. She is quite petite and very active!

Tabitha is well behaved, uses a scratching post, does not jump on cupboards, loves treats and is a most excellent fly catcher!

She loves her foster brother and would do best in a home where there are other pets or people home with her most of the time. There are no dogs in her current foster home, but she has lived with dogs and she does accept them.

Tabitha does have a problem with her vocal cords though and sometimes a flap sticks and she sounds like she is struggling to breathe. She does know how to get herself back on track though, by rolling on her back and stretching. There is a chance she could develop pneumonia if the condition gets worse, but with a dedicated family with a watchful eye, she should be just fine. She just sounds funny.

Tabitha would make a great addition to any family, all she asks for in return is love.

If you think you'd like to add this dainty feline to your family, fill out an application for her today!

Pet of the Week, Barney!

2011-08-24T10:57:00.000-07:00

I am featuring Barny again. He's about 10 months old now and still hasn't found his forever home. He's a medium sized dog with medium length, lab-type fur and he is a great dog!

Barney bonds incredibly well with other dogs and people, but he does get sad when his foster brothers are not around, so it is a must that he goes to a home with at least one other dog. But I personally think he'd be the best second addition! He truly loves every person and dog to the full extent of his little puppy heart.

Barney responds to his name very well, always looking to you when you call him. He also loves to cuddle and be close to his people. Barney also loves to play! He event gets his stoic foster brother Faelen running laps around the house. It really is the funniest thing, I've seen them in action and could not believe that Barney had Faelen acting like a puppy himself! So, if you have a dog, who maybe needs a little extra exercise, Barney would be perfect to get him/her active! Don't worry though, he's not crazy over-active, he's happy to cuddle or hang out too!

Barney also LOVES water, he'd be a great swimming companion too! Oh yeah, and he always has a smile on his face!

I think that's about all for right now, but I'm very surprised that this little fellow hasn't found his home yet. We know you're out there! If you're interested in Barney, come visit him at the Chinook PetSmart on Saturdays between 1 & 3. He's there every time! Or, just fill out an application for him now!

Pet of the Week, Rain!

2011-08-10T08:59:00.000-07:00

Yes, Rain is our pet of the week again. Unfortunately, she's still with us, but we've been experiencing great success with hard-to-place dogs recently, so I thought I'd re-post her.

You can read what I previously posted about here here. And not much has changed. Rain is a very sweet, affectionate dog who would do incredibly well in a quiet home with someone who is home the majority of the time.

Recently, Rain was moved to another foster home because her original foster home had a baby and I was lucky to touch base with the 'stand-in' foster home to find out how she handled the transition.

For the first couple of days Rain was skittish and startled easily, trying to adjust to the new routine and new neighbourhood sounds. She would watch her foster parents from a distance, observing these new people and their routine. Within the first week, she had settled and was right at home.

At first, she would get upset when her foster mom had to leave for work, but she quickly realized that the sound of the garage door opening was her coming back home. She would spend her days with her foster mom's brother.

In the new foster home, Rain remained very polite, curious about dinner time and human food, but always listened when she was told that was not for her. She is also very good on leash. She's not totally comfortable when other dogs are barking at her from behind a fence, so she tries to move to your other side to have a human 'buffer' between her and the barking dog. She is of course, still interested when she sees cats, squirrels and rabbits and gets very excited, wanting to chase, but if you tell her to never-mind the animals, she gladly will.

Rain will sleep in a crate at night, but she does like to be loose, sleeping in the hallway or bedroom floor, she likes to be able to poke her nose into your room to make sure you're still there. This is probably a side effect of her insecurities and is actually quite endearing if you ask me!

Rain still had some separation anxiety, but it's different than most would think. She's OK for about 30-45 minutes, then she starts looking for her people. Typically, she'll find her bones, rawhide or other miscellaneous items and move them around the house. She doesn't seem destructive, but just re-arranges things a little bit. She should still go to a home with someone around the majority of the time because she's clearly stressed when she's alone. We still think that she'd also be better in a home without children or other pets, though she's fine with other dogs in a neutral setting.

ARF is committed to working with Rain and her new family to ensure the transition period goes smoothly because we really do think she's an awesome dog who truly deserves that second chance at happiness!

If you are interested in Rain, please visit her at the Chinook PetSmart on Saturdays or fill out an application for her!

Pet of the Week, Kaiah

2011-08-02T15:10:00.000-07:00

Well, this is Kaiah. She is about 10/11 months old and a total (itty-bitty) sweet heart!

When she first came to her foster home she was very scared and cautious; she wouldn't walk in from of her foster parents for about 3 or 4 days. Within the first week though, she was acting like a crazy puppy and was/is super happy about everything!

Kaiah is a very playful young dog, she'll even entertain her self, but be careful because she has a tendency to think everything is a toy, even the couch cushion. She loves to play tug-of-war with the other dogs in her house, she loves to be chased by other dogs and she also loves to run with the dogs who are playing fetch. She doesn't fetch yet, but that doesn't stop her from running like she does!

She is getting better with training, but she does need to focus a bit more. Kaiah is a very smart dog, just young and distractable! She has mastered shake-a-paw and I bet you it's the best hand shake you'll ever get! Kaiah also loves belly rubs. Loves them! She enjoys going to doggy daycare, is great in the car, tries her hardest to snuggle and sleep in the big bed, but will go to her crate when she's told. She doesn't fuss at all in her crate and will sleep all night in there.

Kaiah can be a little bit wary of new people, but it doesn't usually take her very long to warm up and ask for those belly rubs she likes so much! She hasn't been around many children, but would likely be OK with older kids who understand she's a little bit shy at first. She also jumps a little when she's over-excited, but her foster home is working on that with her and she should learn good manners pretty quickly.

At first Kaiah wouldn't even walk on a leash, but now she's gaining confidence and is doing much better. She would definitely benefit from the basic obedience classes ARF offers with a dog adoption. It will help boost her confidence even more and help her bond with her new family!

If you think Kaiah is the perfect pooch for you, fill out an application! She such a sweet wonderful pup!

Oh, and she also wanted me to tell you that tripe is her favourite treat/food!

Pet(s) of the Week – It's a family affair!

2011-07-20T15:15:00.000-07:00

Yep, that's right! This week, I'm featuring an entire family of cats. They are all new rescues... just been fixed and should be posted on the website any day now. In the mean time; this is what I know of them.

The Kittens and Mamma Cat! Sorry the photos are blurry.

When they first came into foster care, they were very shy and frightened of their foster mom (who's a super hero, I think... fostering/kitty sitting like 16 cats the last time I talked to her), and their environment. They all got their very own room so that they could get used to their new surroundings and have some quiet while they recovered from their spay/neuter surgeries. As the days progress, I'm told they are coming out of their shells and are starting to play and explore the house.

Mamma Cat is very quiet, but she loves to be held, petted and spoken too. She would likely do well in any home environment as she is quite confident and loving.

The Black Kitties seem to take after their mom as they really like to spoken to and petted. The Black & White Kitties though, are a little more reserved and are just starting to respond to people talking to them. Now they do come when you talk to them, but it took them a little bit longer to get used to people.

Playtime for The Kittens is so much fun for them! They love toys, chasing each other and playing with human fingers. There are even a couple who really enjoy getting belly rubs!

If you are interested in adopting any of these super cute kitties... please, fill out an application!

Pet of the Week, Asia!

2011-07-12T11:00:00.000-07:00

Meet Asia, she is a sweet, calm puppy, that no one has been interested in yet. She is the last one of her litter and quite possibly, the pick of the litter!

She is extremely smart and eager to please and her foster home tells me she has a really fun personality and is a very entertaining addition to their household. She's quite well behaved indoors and is totally happy to play with toys by herself or with another puppy. She really enjoys bringing all her toys outside, then hauling them back in, one at a time!

Asia loves to snuggle with kids and her tail never stops wagging. It wags so much in fact, that her entire little body wiggles. She also loves to play in water, loves hikes, leash walks or runs at the park and she will play fetch with a ball for hours!

Her best feature though? Well, it's all in the ears! They haven't quite figured out which way they are going to point or flop and they are absolutely adorable!

Asia can be a bit shy at first, but it doesn't really take her long to ask for a belly rub. She's also a little bit intimidated by large or hyper dogs. These really are small things that can be worked on through puppy school (which we offer with the adoption of an ARF dog by the way!).

She does need the security of someone being around most of the time, so her ideal family would be an active family with someone home during the day. If you think you're the perfect home for her, why don't you fill out an application before its too late!

Pet of the Week, Missy!

2011-07-05T10:25:00.000-07:00

This is Missy and she's a wonderful dog! Honestly, I am totally not sure why she isn't adopted yet. I have no idea! Someone is missing out on one great dog!

She's about 6 months old and is crate trained; sleeping about 8 or 9 hours and fully house broken. Missy is incredibly social, she loves other dogs, strangers, kids, you name it! She's eager to make new friends everyday!

Missy is a petite little thing, weighing only about 35lbs, so she's not likely going to be a very large girl when grown. She is also very smart, she knows sit, shake a paw and down and is currently working on other tricks. She loves learning and seems relatively fearless, she's not afraid of automatic doors or vacuums, which are big ones for most dogs. Missy would be a great agility, walking, jogging or hiking partner, but she can also entertain herself with toys if needed. Missy also loves to blow bubbles in water. How cute is that?!

If you are looking for an active, intelligent dog to join your family, fill out an application for Missy!

Pet of the Week, Pecano!

2011-06-29T10:42:00.000-07:00

This is Pecano! She's our Pet of the Week and she is looking for her forever home.

She does have some requests, but I think they are feasible. Pecano has requested that her forever home has treats (and lots of them!), time for cuddles, a nice sunny spot in the house for her to nap and of course, someone who will love her.

Pecano is a friendly, sweet and affectionate cat. Her favourite place to be is in the sun spot on the floor throughout the afternoon, lazily watching the day go by. She loves to hang out and to always know what's going on, she also loves the quiet comfort of a cuddle. However, her the highlight of her day is treat time! She would give up her sun spot anytime for the chance to get a few treats!

Pecano has been with ARF for a long time and has spent the last year and a half she's spent with another adult cat. It took her sometime to adjust, but with time, she warmed up to the idea and made a new kitty friend. She would be able to go to a home with another cat, but potential adopters should know it will take some time and patience for her to make another feline friend. She has been around older children and she absolutely adores them, so if your family is looking to add another member, Pecano is one kitty you've got to meet!

All she's asking for is a forever home she can call her own, full of love and treats! Fill out an application for Pecano! You don't want to miss out on this purr-fect feline!

Pet of the Week, Faelen!

2011-06-21T08:40:00.000-07:00

Faelen and ARF dog Izzy hanging out!

The handsome Faelen is Pet of the Week again. We would really love to see this guy find his forever home. It’s been a while since he was featured, so let me tell you what’s new!

Faelen graduated Basic Obedience class at Dogma Training & Pet Services with flying colours and is currently taking their Resolving Reactivity class for reactive dogs (and is doing well!). He’s a smart guy with tons of talent! He knows sit, down, shake, wave, sit pretty, leave it, has excellent focus and is learning how to spin. He learns really quickly and it took him about an hour to master sit pretty. If he’s not quite sure what you’re asking him to do, he will default back to shake a paw until it’s clear what you want from him, then it’s smooth sailing!

Faelen also has a favourite toy… his foster home has 3 of the same stuffed squeaky toys that are different colours; Faelens favourite is the yellow one! If his foster mom accidentally puts it in the x-pen for one of the other dogs, he will run in and take it out before anyone else can touch it! He is also a bit of a toy hog. Sometimes he’ll gather all the toys and if someone takes one, he’ll run up to them and steal it back and put it right back in the pile.

Faelen also gets into the wrestling kind of mood and he’s extremely vocal when he plays. The majority of the time he is pretty calm and likes to laze around the house, but every once in a while he’ll get super excited about something and pounce on and wrestle with his foster brother Barney. He also likes to chase his foster brothers around the house in a mad dash!

He is also super cuddly, just like a big teddy bear! He doesn’t jump up or bark or run around when you get home from work, he will just come up to you with his ears back and squinty eyes waiting for some love and attention. He also likes to sit as close as possible to you on the couch, even if there’s only half a foot of room left, you better believe he’s going to squish in there. If he gets too hot, he’ll hang out on his doggy bed.

Faelen isn’t quite crate trained, when he was first brought into foster care, he did not like it one bit. Now he eats his dinner in his crate and if he wants some quite time, he will go in and relax, so he’s making great progress there! Because he can jump a 6ft fence with no problems, his foster home puts him on a tie-out in the back yard when they take him outside, but most of the time he just lounges on the deck, soaking up the sun and watching his foster brothers play.

Faelen absolutely HATES getting dirty! He will walk around mud puddles in parking lots and on sidewalks and he’s not a fan of going outside in the rain. When his foster brothers play in the mud, he will stay as far away from them as possible so he doesn’t get dirty. He also loves to be groomed. He would enjoy being brushed all day long! It must feel super good!

Faelen chilling with resident dog Charlie!

Faelen also loves all people, so meeting strangers is never a problem; he is an excellent leash walker, and his only real issue is other dogs. If he’s introduced to a new dog properly he’s usually ok with them, but he typically doesn’t care for boisterous, young dogs. He would do well in a home that had a calm, quiet dog that gave him his “space”. Faelen can be quite intimidating to people because he’s such a confident dog and a little bit hard to read, but once you spend time with him, earn his trust and create a bond, he is the most amazing dog!

Faelen needs to go to a home with no kids under 12 and no small animals (including dogs and cats) and his ideal home would have some dog experience.

With that being said, I will leave you with a qote from his foster mom. “It’s pretty hard to put into words just how awesome of a dog he really is, but he’s the coolest ever, and he really deserves a home that sees how brilliant he is”.

If you would like more information on Faelen check out ARF's website or come visit him at PetSmart!

Rescue Myths

2011-06-15T12:39:00.000-07:00

This post is the personal opinion of the blog owner and does not reflect any opinion by the Animal Rescue Foundation (ARF) of Alberta.

Frequently, I hear different myths or stereotypes about rescue dogs that are usually not all true. This topic has been on my mind more lately because of the debate surrounding whether or not retail pet sales should be banned in Calgary (For more info see Actions Speak Louder Calgary). I keep hearing all these reasons why people don't want a rescue. Below, I've posted the top 5 myths I've come across and my personal explanations for them in hopes that someone will read this and re-think rescue.

Myth 1: All rescue dogs have been abused.
This is a big one and it isn't always true; it's an unfair assumption on our part. Most of the dogs I've come across have been strays. Some may have been neglected or not always treated with compassion, but they haven't been beaten and tortured, they're usually just really hungry. Truth is, if you've seen a skittish dog in a shelter there is a good chance he was under socialized and relinquished to the shelter for one of many reasons (lack of funds, housing, new baby, new boyfriend/girlfriend, not enough time etc., etc.).

Most puppies are found living in sheds or under stairways.

For example: ARF's dogs mostly come from First Nations communities and rural areas around Southern Alberta and many people just assume they were abused because of where they came from. This assumption is usually pretty far from the truth and a pretty terrible one at that. It is more likely that the mom was semi-feral or stray and the puppies just happened to be curious or hungry enough to approach someone for food. Rescuers would then catch them, bring them to the vet to be vaccinated and spayed/neutered and put up for adoption; all the while socializing the heck out of these puppies. Depending on their age, they may have missed out on some very important socialization windows and rescuers will have to work a little harder. If the mom was, in fact, semi-feral (which most of them are darn close to), these puppies would have been kept far away from people and just not properly exposed to them, therefore giving them no impression of humans. If they haven't been handled by or even seen a person by the time they are 6 weeks old, there is a good chance they will be quite nervous and shy. Typically, this obstacle is easily overcome when the dogs get into foster homes. They are socialized with adults, children, other dogs etc. and the foster homes always make sure potential adopters know what kind of personality the dogs have, so if a family isn't exactly sure of how to handle a shy dog, they will match them with a dog that is more suitable to their experience and comfort level.

Myth 2: All rescue dogs have behaviour problems.
No, they don't all have behaviour problems; see Myth 1. There is a difference between a dog who needs some training and a dog who has serious behavioural problems and most dogs need training!

Again, dogs are usually surrendered to shelters for a myriad of reasons; lack of money or a major lifestyle change are the top reasons. Sometimes previous owners have not invested a lot of time into their dogs... especially if they are between puppy-hood and 1.5 years old. The most common issues you will find in a shelter/rescue dog are simple things that some training and patience will overcome. Things like walking properly on a leash, house manners and basic obedience are easily solved with positive reinforcement training. Taking a training class with your new dog is probably one of the best ways to form a relationship with them; besides, all dogs need training, no matter where you get them from.

Rescues are a little different and it usually depends on where the rescue receives their dogs from. Some breed-specific rescues do take owner surrenders and others, like ARF, take in stray and abandoned animals. Generally speaking, those stray dogs seldom have any house manners or basic training and the foster homes are well equipped to start the dog off on the right foot. They work on house & crate training and basic obedience so that the dog has some sort of foundation for the adoptive family to start with. Occasionally, there are behaviour problems like, reactivity and fearfulness but those dogs are placed with foster homes that know how to work with these issues and ARF has CPDT-KA trainers willing to work with the dogs and their foster homes. Not to mention one of the most beautiful things about a rescue with foster homes is that they know their dogs well. Potential adopters are not matched up with a dog that is outside of their skill/comfort level.

Soon after rescue, it was evident Kya had separation anxiety. She was
placed in an experienced foster home and she found a wonderful
family that could accommodate her special needs.

In my time involved with rescue, I have seen few serious behaviour issues that would deem a dog un-adoptable. I'm not saying rescue dogs never have behaviour issues, some do, but any dog from any source has the same potential, at least a good rescue will tell you up front what they know about the dogs in their system. That's more than you'll get from a back yard breeder who just want's to make some money off you.

Myth 3: Rescue/Shelter dogs are all mutts.
Again, not really that true. There are so many breed specific rescues in Alberta, it's not even funny! If you are looking for a specific breed you can start with the Calgary Humane Society or the City of Calgary Animal & Bylaw Services. About 20-30% of owner surrendered dogs are pure bred. There are also a number of small breed rescues that frequently have small, pure bred dogs of various types. You can also use Google to your advantage. In your search bar type the following: (breed) rescue, Calgary (if you were looking for a Great Dane, you would type: great dane rescue, Calgary).


Commercial breeders (puppy mills) supply pet stores with dogs, they also sell through online classified sites. Many dogs from these locations are sick, malnourished and have myriad of genetic health issues. Breeding females are kept until they can no longer produce puppies, then, they are thrown away like trash.

If you really need to have a pure breed dog, do your research and please, please find a reputable breeder. Chances are the folks selling dogs on Kijiji are not reputable and neither are pet stores or their suppliers! Here is a really good article on finding a reputable breeder.

I would like to note that it should be harder to get a dog from a good breeder than it is to get one from a good rescue!

Myth 4: It's so hard to adopt a rescue dog.
OK, so this isn't a myth, but more of a complaint. It should be hard to adopt a dog or any animal for that matter. Pets are a lifetime commitment. I'm talking 10-15 years here, not the lifespan of a purse. Rescues and shelters should have the animal as their number one priority. These animals have been let down and abandoned once already, it doesn't need to happen a second or third time. But this brings us back up to Myth 3; it should be just as hard to get a dog from a reputable breeder. If you can walk into a breeder's home or pet store and go home in 20 minutes with a pet, you shouldn't be getting one from that source. Period.

It doesn't get any cuter than this!
Rescue pup photo by: Theresa Swain

Myth 5: Rescues/shelters never have puppies.
What? LOL! Rescues and shelters always have puppies! I know ARF does. Shelters usually do too, sometimes you just have to go down to the facility and look for yourself. Frequently these places don't have enough staff or volunteers to keep their websites current.

I really hope this post has helped shed some light on common rescue myths. It is estimated that 4-5 million dogs and cats are euthanized in U.S. shelters every year. There are no statistic for Canadian shelters (that I could find anyway), so I'm going to assume our number is not far behind. Many of these animals are fully adoptable, friendly, wonderful, loving animals that simply ran out of time. It's heartbreaking to know that this is an issue we (as human beings) can have a huge impact on, yet do little about it. If you are interested in adopting your next four legged family member, check out this page, it's a huge listing of rescue organizations and shelters in Canada.

No matter where you get a pet from, make sure you do your research; a good breeder or a good rescue should have tons of questions for you and you should feel comfortable talking to them about their animals. Analyze your lifestyle and your activity level, your dog knowledge and training skills. You should have a good idea what kind of dog you would be compatible with before entering into the adoption process. A good rescue with knowledgeable foster homes won't pair you up with a dog that is outside of your skill/comfort level.

And, if you've made it this far... thank-you for reading my incredibly long-winded post. Feel free to share it with anyone. Adopt, don't shop!

Pet of the Week, Tabitha!

2011-06-14T08:47:00.000-07:00

Meet Tabitha! She is a very sweet and precious girl, who is still awaiting a special family to scoop her up and make her a part of their family. Tabitha came to ARF as a kitten, over a year ago, because she’s a year old now, less adopters will notice her. She’s hopeful though, and knows it only takes one person to fall in love and give her the family she deserves.

Tabitha would like to tell you a little bit about herself...

When my foster mom comes home I am the first one to greet her and of course I know that there is some lovin in it for me too. I am very gentle when playing and love to give little nibbles on my foster mom’s arm, which she thinks it’s cute. I have made friends very easily with the other cats in my foster home and am trying to make friends with the 2 resident dogs. I haven't had a lot of experience with dogs but I think I can do it. I have a raspy sound when I breathe as the flaps in the back of my throat don't close properly and when I purr my foster mom says I remind her of doves. Due to this condition I may be at a slight risk of getting aspiration pneumonia, but with some antibiotics I will be good as new. I have a lot of love to give and await my forever family.

If you think this sweet little feline could be a great addition to your family, fill out an application for her today! She's been waiting...

Pet of the Week, Raider!

2011-06-07T12:50:00.000-07:00

This is Raider! He is 4 years old (and about 90lbs) and has been returned to ARF through no fault of his own. He has only been back in our system for a short while, so this is what we know about him so far.

He is fully house trained, crate trained and knows sit, down, stay, come, shake a paw, high five, give kisses and chill. When you tell Raider to 'chill', he knows that he is going to be left alone and it's time to just hang out. He does stay home alone when is foster parents are gone to work and he does not mind one bit. He also waits patiently for your to dry him off from a walk in the rain and will sit patiently at the door until he's invited to go outside.

A few of Raider's true loves include: his harness, games of tug, ear and bum scratches, water, sun bathing on the deck, being groomed, car rides, his big pillow, red peppers, carrots and snap peas. He also enjoys playing with his people... he will be sure to bring you a toy when he wants to play, or he might even offer you a play bow!

Raider is also not a big barker. He will alert when someone comes in the house or will bark very quietly when outside on the deck and he sees someone walk by, but he responds when his foster home tells him it's OK. I guess you could call Raider a gentle giant, at 90lbs, his foster home says he seems to tip-toe around the house and has an incredibly gentle mouth when taking food from you. He's also very quiet and calm in the house.

Though you can tell Raider was very much loved, the last few months have been unstable for him and he is definitely insecure. He's also a little shy and leery of men. He's warming up to his foster dad though, and is really bonding with the adult daughter of his foster parents, so all hope isn't lost! Raider also shows some reactivity on-leash to other dogs and moving objects, which his foster home is diligently working on and and seeing vast improvements already. He is also quite fearful of young children moving quickly. He is adjusting to a 4 year old, but it's probably best if there are no young children in his forever home.

Because Raider is insecure, he needs to go to a home that he can depend on. Someone with dog experience, some knowledge of positive reinforcement training and some patience to help him over-come his insecurities and fears. Really, this guy has all the building blocks in place, he just needs someone he can depend on to show him the world isn't as bad as it seems! If you think you're the right fit, please, fill out an application for him! I haven't met him, but he sounds like he's a pretty nice fella!

Pet of the Week, Buddy!

2011-05-31T20:21:00.000-07:00

Hi, my name is Buddy. I'm a lady's man and a guy’s guy. I’m up for a tussle or chase with the guy cats in the house but I love to curl up with the girl cats when it’s nap time. I get along well with all the cats in the house, although the girls sometimes think I’m a bit too pushy.

You won’t often hear me because I’m a quiet guy. You’ll know I’m around because I’ll lean against your legs to be petted or jump up on your lap for some cuddle time. There’s a great three-level tower here and although I love the top level, I’ve come to realize that it’s safer to take the middle level – the top level is always very popular, and sometimes gets crowded. The good thing is that my foster mom can easily see me on this level when she’s walking by so I score lots of attention.

I’m a bit shy around strangers when they come to the house, but I won’t be too far away in case treats are offered. When a treat is tossed I’ll chase it down or knock it out of the air – none of the cats or kittens can beat me; although they never stop trying. I have very good manners and will sit on command for a treat or dinner.

I would like to have another cat to play with as I think I might be lonely without feline companionship, unless my person liked to play with me.

I arrived at my foster home about 3 years ago when I was just a little kitten but I know that the right person is out there and when they meet me, they will see the potential even if I may be somewhat wary of them at first. I’ve heard that it feels wonderful to have a shy cat in the house and be patient enough to have it come to trust and love you.

If you think you have room in your home for this wonderful feline, please, don't hesitate to fill out an adoption application!

Pet of the Week, Cubby!

2011-05-24T10:05:00.000-07:00

This is Cubby, he is about 9 months old and was picked up as a stray. He's not very big right now and I don't think he'll turn out terribly huge, but you never know. He was found wandering in the middle of the road and when the van stopped for him, he came over and got in right away. He was very nervous the first couple of days he was in foster care and he made sure he stayed close to his foster mom. She noticed that he was very excited to have fresh water and regular food, so he was likely on his own for a while.

It's obvious this little guy hasn't had much time spent on him regarding training, but he is very smart and super eager to learn. He picked up sit very quickly and I started working with him on down at PetSmart last Saturday. He also had no problem giving me direct eye contact when waiting for instruction, but he's easily distracted; as would any young dog be in a busy pet store. He also seems to understand the has to do his business outside, he's doing incredibly well with crate training and so far, is staying off the furniture unless he's asked to come up. He also sits nicely while he's waiting for his dinner.

Cubby is very happy, very smart, very confident and full of energy. He's interested in anyone who will give him attention, honestly, the whole 3 hours I was with him, he never stopped wagging his tail for one minute! While Cubby is great with kids, it's probably best he doesn't go to a home with very young children as he's quite boisterous and easily excited and could knock them over, otherwise, he'd make a great companion for any active family!

Cubby's foster mom says he loves playing fetch, but needs some practice as he tends to get over excited after a little while and won't let go of the ball. He also likes to stop every few throws to ask for a belly rub, which has got to be the CUTEST thing I've ever heard! This would also work out to your advantage as you could use the belly rubs as a calming effect to keep him from getting over stimulated while playing!

I am also told that he's very affectionate, loves to snuggle & get belly rubs and is a pretty easy dog to have around, he also loves to just hang out and chew on some bones. His foster mom is taking him to the 'MORE to love' classes at Sit Happens!; these classes are specially designed for foster dogs to make them more adoptable or to learn basic manners etc. This combined with the training classes we offer with an adoption are sure to make Cubby the best family companion ever!

So, if you're in the market for a super smart, active young dog, look no further and fill out an application for Cubby! He's a pretty cool dude!

Pet of the Week, Izzy!

2011-05-18T10:18:00.000-07:00

So, Izzy is our pet of the week. She's another new rescue, but she's kind of had a rough couple of weeks and she'd like to share her story with you.

Hi! My name is Izzy. I’ve had a really hard life, but I still have so much love to give. If you have a minute, I would like to tell you my story.

About a year ago, I was born to a family that loved me so much because I was cute and cuddly. They gave my sister to ARF because she wasn’t as nice looking as I was, but my family let ARF spay me as soon as I was old enough. As I grew bigger my family spent less and less time with me. I had to live outside with my mom and friends and we had to snuggle to stay warm. The winter was so cold and we had no food.

A few weeks ago, my family decided that they no longer wanted my mom or I anymore. They said we were killing calves. They didn’t have any proof and I tried to tell them it was coyotes or cougars, but they wouldn’t believe me. So, they took us to the shelter. First, my family told them we were strays but then changed their story and told the shelter workers that they didn’t want us anymore because we were killing calves. The young girl who loved me so much when I was little started to cry, so my they decided to keep my mom and they took her home with them. I’ve been wondering what I did wrong, I was always happy to see them; wagging my tail non-stop, jumping and getting excited every time I saw them. I just can’t understand why they turned and left me behind.

When my family left me, I was brought to the back of the shelter and put in a run. I stayed in my run for a week, waiting and waiting for someone to come. What I didn’t know was that the shelter workers called a lady named Julie from ARF. ARF had no room, but the workers told Julie I would pass all the tests I needed to pass to become adoptable. They said I was such a nice girl.

Another week went by and I was still sitting and waiting. The shelter called ARF again and told them my time was running out. ARF was still full, but Julie asked how I did on all the tests I was supposed to have. The shelter workers told Julie that I didn’t have any tests because of my history. Even though she told them a week ago I wasn’t killing calves, she told them again, figuring they would believe ARF over my former family. Well, they didn’t believe her and not even five minutes after Julie got off the phone with the shelter; she got another call from them, telling her I was going to be euthanized. I don’t know what that is, but I have a feeling it wasn’t good because Julie told them she would be at the shelter within the hour to get me. The shelter workers were so happy that I was being picked up by ARF because they also knew something bad was going to happen to me.

When Julie came to my run to get me, I was so happy to see her. I didn’t even know her, but I knew everything was going to be OK from then on! She brought me to a really neat place called a foster home and they have kids and a lot of other dogs. I really like it here. Julie and my foster mom brought me on my first leash walk too. I saw other dogs, kids and grown-ups and even though I was a little bit nervous, I handled it great! I know now, that someone will adopt me and love me the way I was loved when I was a puppy. Is that someone you?

If you think Izzy would be the perfect addition to your family, please fill out an application for her! She's new, but she seems like a wonderful dog and a great family companion.

Pet of the Week, Buddy!

2011-05-10T13:20:00.000-07:00

This is Buddy, I think he looks like a relative of Benji, though I doubt he is. He's pretty new to the ARF fold and it's kind of out of the ordinary for me to post a dog who's just been rescued. But he is an adult and adults are always harder to place than puppies.

~~Benji~~ Buddy is about a year and a half old and is likely the sweetest, happiest dog on the face of this planet! He is excellent with strangers, kids and other dogs, he's even let puppies climb all over him while sun bathing and whenever he meets someone he leans right in and puts all his weight on them for a good snuggle.

After being in foster care for less than a week, Buddy is house trained and starting to learn sit, tricks and verbal commands are totally foreign to him still, so he'll need a bit of work. He is also working on crate training and will cry for a little bit, but then he falls a sleep and you won't hear another peep out of him until morning! Buddy loves chewing on bones and sitting with his foster brother, watching the neighbourhood through the window.

Right now, Buddy is a little bit timid and is scared by loud noises and swift movements. As a former foster home, I can tell you that the adjustment period can be a little bit unnerving for some of these dogs. Most of them have never been in a house or in a busy community. Many sounds that we hear and disregard every second are completely new and totally unknown to them. It doesn't usually take long for most dogs to figure out the sounds of city life and they quickly adjust. I'm thinking this will be the same for Buddy.

If you're looking for an adorable, shaggy dude to join your family, fill out an application for Buddy! I'm positive this one isn't going to last long!

Pet of the Week, Barney!

2011-05-04T11:02:00.000-07:00

This is Barney. He is 5 1/2 months old and he is a great little pup with so much to offer. He is very happy and loves to play with other dogs and really enjoys meeting new friends of the human variety too!

Barney loves to play with balls and soft toys, he walks very well on leash, comes when called and goes to his kennel when he is tired. Barney knows how to sit politely while waiting for dinner and getting his leash clipped on too. He is house trained, and is actually really well behaved in the house at all times.

He likes to sit on his human's feet when they watch T.V. and he loves being outside! He would be an excellent match for a family who spends a lot of time out doors! He can be a little bit shy at first, so he would also do better in a home with another dog.

If you think this cute little fellow would make a great second addition to your canine family, please fill out an application for him today! A fellow like this won't last long!

Pet of the Week, Cricket!

2011-04-26T10:37:00.000-07:00

It's been a while since Cricket was pet of the week and she's done a lot of growing up since then. She is pretty much full grown at 70 lbs, so she is a big girl, but she's all heart. She also has these huge brown eyes that are so expressive and full of love, she is incredibly good natured and has the sweetest disposition. I have spent a lot of time with Cricket, as I'm friends with her foster mom (thanks to ARF!), and I really do think she is a great dog. She's so happy, loving and sincere and I truly believe, whoever adopts her, is going to get a wonderful, dedicated companion out of her!

Cricket is such a people-pleaser, she tries really hard with her obedience and she just wants to do the right thing, all the time. She knows her basic commands and is fully house trained. She sleeps all night in her crate, in fact, her foster home tried to let her sleep in the bedroom, but Cricket wanted to sleep in her crate. She also spends the day in her crate when no one is home, without any issues.

Cricket is fine meeting strangers and kids and she is good with other dogs once she meets them. She can be a little awkward and will bark if she's leashed, but she lives in a house with 2 other dogs and is wonderful at the off-leash park. She is working on meeting new dogs on leash and it will only be a matter of time before she perfects that too. Cricket is also great with cats! Surprisingly, she's very comfortable around them. I would still caution that interactions with cats were supervised, just because she's so big, but when she was at our last adopt-a-thon, she went to the 'cat corner' and totally relaxed and hung out with all the kitties, the entire time she was there.

Cricket also has a great recall and loves going to the off leash park. She loves to run and play, but she's very attentive and will come the second you call her. She loves being outside and her favourite toys are balls and kongs, she also loves car rides! Actually, there really isn't much that she doesn't love about life! She's such a happy dog.

Cricket will be a great family pet for people who want an indoor and outdoor companion and she would do well in a home with other dogs or on her own.

Why is she still with ARF? She just is waiting for the right family. Now that she's outgrowing her puppy phase, she just really needs her forever home! If you think you could be her forever home, fill out an application today! You'll be glad you did!

Special needs Sim-Sim is looking for help!

2011-04-20T18:35:00.000-07:00

Sim-Sim is an ARF success story in the making. This little orange tabby has faced amazing challenges in his short life, but through it all, he's maintained a sweet disposition and faith in humanity. With your help, we can bring Sim-Sim the rest of the way to a happy, healthy life in a forever home.

Sim-Sim thought he'd found his forever family when he was adopted, but things changed when his family moved and Sim-Sim was returned to ARF. When he first arrived in his new foster home, he was underweight and timid; terrified of a world that had treated him so harshly. He only crept out of his kitty condo under the cover of darkness to eat, drink and use the litterbox. Under the loving, patient care of his foster family, Sim-Sim began to come out of the shell he'd built up to protect himself. Slowly, he began to rebuild his trust in humans and other cats; learning to play with his fellow foster cats and even seeking out a cozy spot in bed with his foster mom and dad at night. Today, Sim-Sim is gaining weight and he's even learned to play like a kitten; something he missed out on in his first two years of life. He's a wonderful example of the difference a loving family can make in the life of an animal.

However, Sim-Sim is not out of the woods yet. His medical needs, which seem to indicate Irritable Bowel Syndrome, are currently being monitored under the watchful eye of a veterinarian. He is being treated with steroids to increase his strength and reduce inflammation. He will need a carefully-monitored diet to ensure he stays healthy and may need medication in the future. Sim-Sim has also developed a habit of urinating outside his litterbox, probably the result of not having a clean place to eliminate. This can be frustrating, but with patience and persistence, Sim-Sim can be trained to use a litterbox just like any other cat. ARF can provide all the support and information needed to help Sim-Sim achieve this – we just need one special person to reach out a helping hand.

Don't let this be the end of Sim-Sim's story. If you can provide the extra-special place that Sim-Sim needs, whether as an adoptive home or a foster family, please apply today. Help Sim-Sim finally find the loving home he's been waiting for – it only takes one person to make a difference.

For more information on fostering through our Cat Program please email us at fostering.cats@arf.ab.ca or, if you think you can provide Sim-Sim with the forever home he needs, please fill out an application!

Pet of the Week, Patches!

2011-04-19T10:19:00.000-07:00

This is Patches. He is about 5/6 months old and is a very bright, playful puppy. He has a ton of energy and loves to play with adult dogs. He's a bit too exuberant for the young pups though. Because of his energy level and exuberance, he likely won't be a good match for a home with cats or very young children, older kids would be just fine.

Patches is one fiery little pup; he has no fear, is super confident and full of adventure. He is also really eager to please and super food motivated. Sometimes he has a hard time dealing with his frustration level, especially when he's really excited and not allowed to do something. But some time and consistent (positive) training will do wonders for this young fellow.

Patches also loves going to the dog park. He thinks it's the greatest thing. He truly loves to run with and chase other dogs and his park time is the highlight of his day! He is very friendly with all he meets and he comes running back full speed when he is called. Actually, it seems that he runs everywhere he goes, so that he can be sure that he does not miss out on anything! Because he is so active, he's not the most cuddly of pups, but he sure makes up for it in personality!

Patches also learns very quickly, moving into a new foster home, he was comfortable and confident in no time. The doggy door and house rules were picked up quickly and most things seem to come very easy for him. Can you say 'Smarty Pants'?! He is also fully house trained and crate trained. He knows sit and lay down and the last time I checked he was working on shake a paw. When he is learning, he gives excellent attention (direct, steady eye contact); like a Jedi, he tries to will those treats right out of your hands and into his mouth!

If you are looking for a fiery young pup to add to your home, Patches is the pooch for you! He has an incredible zest for life and will make a perfect addition to any active home. Fill out an application for him today!

Pet of the Week, Rain!

2011-04-12T13:45:00.000-07:00

Yes, we're featuring Rain again! A recycled post helped Maddie get adopted, so maybe it will work with Rain too?

Rain is an incredibly sweet dog who is full of love and life. She loves nothing more in this world than her people.

Rain is about 3 years old and is an excellent companion. She walks well on leash and is gaining confidence every day. At first strange noises and objects would make her nervous, but she is improving greatly. She is also incredibly smart. This combined with her desire to please everyone, makes her a dream to train. She catches on to all sorts of tricks really quickly and would likely excel at a sport like agility. She loves following instructions!

She is also starting to improve with meeting strangers. People still have to understand that she is somewhat fearful of new people and to be slow and quiet. She is still not super comfortable with people reaching out over her head to giver her a pat, but will accept a chest scratch and some treats, no problem. It really doesn't taker her long to warm up to strangers at all and soon enough, she will be offering tricks and rolling over for belly rubs!

Rain really likes to be given rawhide chews, but when someone gives her one, she doesn't chew it. Instead she becomes fixated on finding the best place in the house to hide it. She'll take about 15 minutes and go from room to room, investigating and trying to find the ideal hiding spot. After she's looked in every corner, behind every piece of furniture, under every throw pillow, under every pile of clothes and yes, between the bed sheets she'll finally decide on a spot to 'bury it'. She even goes through all the burying motions even when there's no dirt. Before her foster home figured out she was doing this, they were quite confused a couple times to find rawhide bones in the bed! Watching her go through this process is very cute and funny.

She will also howl like a wolf after she's heard sirens. She'll listen intently while the sirens are going, then once they've stopped, she'll start howling in response. Her foster home said it's been quite funny a few times when they were walking down the street, with her howling away!

She really likes to be given a stuffed Kong or a bone (of course). And, it should be emphasized that once she's comfortable with someone, she is extremely affectionate, and loves to snuggle, give kisses and roll over for belly rubs.

She is very well behaved and clean in the house, although she is a bit of a counter surfer if presented with the opportunity, but who wouldn't! Her forever home will just have to remember to put things away properly, but any dog will counter surf if given the opportunity!

This sweet dog (and she really is) needs to go to a home that is able to deal with her anxieties and insecurities. She does have separation anxiety, but there are lots of things that can be done to help separation anxiety. She does quite well when left in the car, so weather permitting, this is an ok, but not ideal option. There are also a lot of resources like this book that can teach her forever home how to help her with this issue. She also does well at doggie daycare, which is an excellent option, especially while she's settling into her new home. The staff at dogma Training & Pet Services know her well and know to keep her out of larger play groups where she can get overwhelmed. They also know who her best buddies are! Her foster home is working with her on the separation anxiety, but sometimes it can take a while and her forever home should be willing to continue working with her after they've adopted her.

Because she is nervous, she will have to go to a home without children, loud noises and sudden movements spook her. She still gets possessive in her home environment and will have to be an only pet.

In order for her to succeed, we'd like to see her with a confident handler who knows how to positively deal with her nervousness and fears. ARF is committed to working with her adoptive home after she's been adopted because she's such a special dog and I think we've all fallen for her!

If you are interested in Rain, fill out an application today!

Running with your pet can keep you motivated and healthy!

2011-04-06T09:26:00.000-07:00

ARF rescues stray and abandoned dogs and cats from rural areas and First Nations communities and places them in loving permanent homes while providing programs to reduce pet over-population. Many of our animals are rescued with medical conditions and require special care due to malnutrition, injury or disease. They all receive the necessary treatment and recover in the safety of a foster home before meeting their forever families.

It is widely known that having a companion animal in your home has many health benefits. Typically, dog owners have lower blood pressure, lower cholesterol, they live longer, have higher survival rates after serious illness and are generally happier compared to non-dog owners, so it’s not surprising that owning a dog, especially an active one, can provide you with a great source of inspiration and motivation. Needless to say, it’s not a shock to find out that we have some former ARF dogs helping their new owners train for various races in the Scotiabank Calgary Marathon on May 29th.

First I found Dawn. She is a volunteer with ARF and has just recently rescued her second ARF dog. She will be running the Centaur Subaru Half Marathon and by run day, this will be her 3rd half marathon this year. Her first ARF dog, Lacey (at left), came into ARF’s care under a year old, severely emaciated and with a litter of pups. Lacey and her pups were cared for and she was nursed back to health by her foster home. Dawn originally went to visit one of Lacey’s puppies and was playing with puppy Bently when Lacey came up to her, gave her a kiss and pressed her forhead against Dawn’s; they went home and filled out an application for Lacey that night.

With recent addition, Bumper (below), it was a little different. Bumper was also picked up by ARF as a stray. This poor little guy had been hit by a car, possibly several times. Lucky for him, he had no serious injuries, just strains and bruises. Dawn came to an ARF adopt-a-thon looking for more information on fostering dogs, with a long-term goal of finding a suitable companion for Lacey. Bumper and Lacey got along well when they met, so it was decided that Dawn would foster Bumper. It became apparent quickly that Bumper was going to be their next addition; they couldn’t bear to think about someone else adopting him, so they signed his adoption papers right away!

Dawn has been running more or less since she was in elementary school, but after graduating from high-school she stopped. Lately, she has been suffering from back and neck injuries as well as Endometriosis. Staying home in bed due to pain was not a life she wanted to live, so last year, she started to run again.

Like most people, Dawn enjoys running with her dogs. The dogs don’t care about pace or mileage and they remind her to enjoy what she’s out there for and sometimes, it’s really nice to run just for the sake of running. She says that they are her biggest motivation. Especially on days it’s really hard to get out. But with two sets of big brown eyes staring at her, it’s almost impossible to say no. They also encourage her to try new things; the different experiences running on pathways and hilly parks keep the dogs learning and keep her body in tip-top shape.

Not only is running with your dogs beneficial to you, but it’s also beneficial to them. Lacey has severe separation anxiety and Dawn finds that Lacey tends to have better days on run days. It has also helped Bumper with his fear of traffic. As noted above, he was hit by a car and since developed a fear of cars. Since he started running with Dawn, she has seen his confidence around moving traffic improve and he is getting better every day. The runs are great for the dogs because they get to work together and learn new things, like how to run with a coupler attaching the two leashes. At first it was very confusing for them, but they soon got it figured out and were running perfectly side-by-side.

Next I found Karen and Oliver (at left). Oliver is helping Karen train for the Jugo Juice 10K on May 29th. Karen adopted Oliver about a year ago. Oliver and his sister (Stella, below) came to ARF as an abandoned litter and the day Karen met him, she fell in love straight away. He is smart, cute, quirky and fun. What more could she want? He settled in to their home with two cats almost immediately and they haven’t looked back. Karen started running in the fall of 2010 and this will be her first official 10K race. She started running with friends for general fitness and loves the early morning experience along the river pathways.

Oliver only runs with her once per week because he is still growing, but she enjoys the runs she has with him immensely. She feels safer having him around and he has learned quickly how to keep pace and remain at her side when they are out and he loves the outdoors and physical activity. He is still a puppy though and occasionally gets distracted by a rabbit, but that is to be expected and he’s learning. She also believes running and working as a team strengthens their relationship. Because Oliver is such an active dog, taking him to different places keeps Karen on her toes. They enjoy running in and around Edworthy Park, but they also run the Douglas Fir Trail, so they are constantly changing up their terrain and running hills and rocky areas as well as paved pathways.

There are quite a few other ARF dogs that train with their owners and we always hear inspiring stories from our adopters. There is no doubt about it, rescue dogs truly know when they’ve found their forever home.

If you would like more information on how your two feet can help four paws visit our website at www .arf .ab .ca or recruit your friends to run for ARF's Rescue Runners or donate online!

Pet of the Week, Maddie! (Again)

2011-04-05T08:23:00.000-07:00

So, Maddie has been with us for a while now. She's a great dog and I don't know why she isn't adopted. All of her pups have been adopted into great, loving homes, so now it's her turn!

I'm pretty much recycling the old post I did because it describes her wonderfully. I have updated a little bit of info and I have more pictures for you!

Maddie joined ARF at the end of December with a litter of 5 puppies and she is about 2 years old. When she was rescued, she had a terrible coat, she was very, very skinny and full of worms. She had gained a lot of weight back and her coat is in great condition. Since she's about 2, she's fully grown and stands just above my knees (I'm about 5'5"), so she's not a very big dog at all.

Maddie currently lives in a home with 6 other dogs of all different sizes and personalities and she gets along with everyone extremely well. She can be a little bit uneasy when she first meets new dogs, but after a few minutes they are best of friends!

Maddie also loves, loves, loves playing. She would do really well in a home with another active dog who also enjoys playing. She'd do equally well in a home as an only dog as long as her new family was active and did a lot of activities with her. Her foster mom thinks that she would make an excellent running buddy or agility dog. Maddie would make a great family dog, but because she is so high energy, she should probably go to a home with older children.

When Maddie came into foster care, she did not know much about house training or a crate. She easily figured both of these things out though and is more than happy to spend time in her crate with a good bone to chew on. She even walks well on a leash! Maddie is also highly food motivated, making training a relatively easy process.

Maddie is an incredibly happy dog who truly loves her new life. She loves all people and and especially loves cuddling. Her foster mom says she is the best cuddler in the world!

If you are interested in adding a smart, playful, wonderful dog to your family, think of Maddie. She is a gem! You can fill out your application here!

Pet of the Week, Ollie!

2011-03-28T13:50:00.000-07:00

Meet Olivier (Ollie for short). He's one awesome pup! I've spent some time with him, so I know.

To be honest with you, I'm not really sure why he's still with ARF. Sometimes he's kind of 'bark-y' at PetSmart, so I understand that's a little off-putting. He just does it because he's bored. He wants to do something and everything that is going on outside his x-pen likely seems WAY more interesting than what's going on inside the x-pen.

Ollie was one of the '30 Below Pups', so he's been around for a while. All of his siblings have been adopted, so he's the last one. I figure, someone is saving the best for last. This little guy is SMART and eager to please, he's highly food motivated and loves to learn. What more could you want?!

Ollie's foster home says that he is a good dog who plays hard and sleeps like a brick. Not bad for a pup. He gets a long with other dogs and doesn't mind cats. He's pretty relaxed in the house and has been caught napping on the couch when no one is looking.

Ollie is so crate trained, that when his foster mom puts her coat on, he goes running into his crate! How awesome is that? He is also house trained (will bark to be let out), comes for a whistle and he knows sit, shake a paw and down. He loves to play with toys and play out in the snow. Hopefully he likes playing in mud or grass just as much, because the snow isn't going to stick around for much longer (I hope!). He also likes to hide things in his crate, so if anything ever goes missing, that's where you should look!

Ollie is generally a pretty calm little fellow, except when he meets new people. He can get a little bit excited, but I think that's part of being a puppy. Some work on basic manners should help considerably with that one. Like I said before, he's smart. It doesn't seem to take him very long to figure things out!

So, if you're in the market for a smart, eager to please little fuzz ball, please fill out an application for Ollie. He's pretty cool and I doubt you'll be disappointed!

Pet of the Week, Polly!

2011-03-22T13:49:00.000-07:00

Meet Miss Polly.

Polly is a sweet girl who thrives on routine and loves to snuggle. She's also pretty good at entertaining her self if need be, she will throw toys in the air and then chase them. She also likes to play fetch. She does like to rough house with other dogs and play hard, but she needs to be introduced to them properly. Polly gets nervous when she meets new dogs, so taking some extra time to socialize her and bring her to training classes will be highly beneficial to her adoptive home.

Polly is house trained and will even ring a bell when she needs to go outside, she loves car rides and is fully crate trained; meaning she will sleep in her crate all night or go in it when you aren't home. She walks ok on leash, but is better with a harness. Again, this is something time and positive reinforcement training will help.

Polly greatly enjoys her evening walk and bird watching out the window.

Polly is incredibly smart and is highly food motivated, she knows sit, down, off and leave it and of course ringing a bell to go out! Because she is bright and easily trained, she has such great potential. Now all she needs is her forever home! Is that you? Fill out an application for her today!

Pet of the Week, Jaeger!

2011-03-15T11:02:00.000-07:00

This is Jaeger! If you look up FUN in the dictionary, I'm pretty sure you will see his picture. His foster mom says he's quite the character... full of charm, and irresistibly handsome.

He loves to play with kids and other dogs and he has a lot of energy. He likes to go for walks, play fetch, got to the park and would likely make a great running partner.

Jaeger really likes to learn new things and is doing pretty good with shake-a-paw, he also knows sit and lay down and is doing really well with his recall, even when the dogs next door are barking at him through the fence. Plus he sleeps all night in is crate and is fully house trained!

Jaeger will make an excellent companion for anyone, he is a sweet, loving, food motivated boy and he's always eager to please or get some attention!

If you think you'd like to add Jaeger to your family, don't hesitate! Fill out an application right away, he can't wait to meet you!

Pet of the Week, Tia!

2011-03-09T08:22:00.000-08:00

This is Tia! She is a radiant beauty with very distinctive markings. Tia is a medium-haired tortoise shell (black, charcoal and orange fur). She’s got a fluffy coat, but she’s really only an itty bitty thing. She’s looking for a home where she’ll be the centre of attention as she loves her people (and other cats)! If she had a middle name, it would be affection. She’ll adjust easily to a new home and would quite enjoy the company of another kitty. She has bonded well with the other cats in her foster home and will curl up beside them and give them a little massage.

Tia is the only cat available with ARF right now that has longer fur. It’s super soft and fluffy and she likes to be brushed. She’ll need regular grooming to keep it from getting tangled, but we know she’s worth it!

Tia has been around just about everything – she’s lived with lots of other cats and kittens, she currently lives with dogs, and she lives with a toddler. All she needs now is a forever home! If you think Tia would be the purrrfect addition to your family, fill out an application for her now!

Pet of the Week, Maddie!

2011-02-23T08:21:00.000-08:00

This is Maddie. She joined ARF at the end of December with a litter of 5 puppies and she is about 2 years old. When she was rescued, she had a terrible coat, she was very, very skinny and full of worms. We're happy to report that she's coming along health-wise she is gaining weight and her coat is improving with proper nutrition. She is still a dainty little thing and likely won't be a very big dog.
Maddie currently lives in a home with 6 other dogs of all different sizes and personalities and she gets along with everyone extremely well. She can be a little bit grumbly when she first meets new dogs, but after a few minutes they are best of friends!

Maddie also loves, loves, loves playing. She would do really well in a home with another active dog who also enjoys playing. She'd do equally well in a home as an only dog as long as her new family was active and did a lot of activities with her. Her foster mom thinks that she would make an excellent running buddy or agility dog. Maddie would make a great family dog, but because she is so high energy, she should probably go to a home with older children.

When Maddie came into foster care, she did not know much about house training or a crate. She easily figured both of these things out though and is more than happy to spend time in her crate with a good bone to chew on. She even walks well on a leash! Maddie is also highly food motivated, making training a relatively easy process.

Maddie is an incredibly happy dog who truly loves her new life. She loves all people and and especially loves cuddling. Her foster mom says she is the best cuddler in the world!

If you are interested in adding a smart, playful, wonderful dog to your family, think of Maddie. She is a gem! You can fill out your application here!

Pet of the Week, Faelen

2011-02-15T10:04:00.000-08:00

Well, this is Faelen and he is one magnificent dog! He was rescued November 23rd, 2010 with some of the 30 Below pups and he's about a year and a half old. He was found running stray along the side of the highway. No doubt, not the greatest place to be hanging out. He was with another adult dog, they were both quite malnourished and their chances for surviving the winter were slim, so ARF took them in.

When Faelen got to his foster home, his coat was dull, matted and full of burrs. He was in terrible shape. After hours of grooming and some time on a good diet his coat has turned into quite a specimen! Now he's a striking brindle with a coat so silky and soft, you just can't help snuggling in to it. Which is just fine by him, as he loves attention from his humans.

Faelen likes to be treated like the king that he thinks he is. He loves to get pets, be snuggled and get all kinds of attention, he will even sit for hours for grooming. He also loves playing with squeaky balls. He will lay with it or talk to you with it in his mouth too. Yes, Faelen likes to talk! When he's excited or happy he will give you low little growls to let you know he's happy about something. His foster mom thinks it's quite unique... which suits him perfectly! He also loves men, he's a real "man's dog". He will also be totally devoted to someone he trusts and respects, he seems like a very loyal dog, right down to the bone.

Faelen is an incredibly athletic dog who would likely do extremely well in a home that loves outdoor activities. Things like hiking and snowshoeing are right up his alley; he thoroughly enjoys being outside. He is also quite intelligent. He's mastered sit, down, shake a paw and wave, he's very polite and does not jump up and he's also quite well behaved when left alone in the house. No getting into trouble for this cool guy. Unfortunately, because of his intelligence and athletic ability, Faelen can clear a 6 foot fence with no problems, so he should definitely not be left unattended outside, even for bathroom breaks. His foster home figures that once he's accustomed and settled into his forever home, this behaviour will likely stop. He was a stray for quite a while, so it's understandable that it might take some time for him to forget his free spirits. Fortunately, he is great on leash so a couple of leashed walks per day should suite his needs just fine. Below is a short little video of him playing in a fresh snowbank.

Faelen is a bit of a lone wolf, so to speak. He's not too interested in other dogs, although he lives in a house with many foster brothers and sisters and he will sit by and watch their antics, he doesn't like it when they don't respect his space. He will even play, but it has to be on his terms and when he's done, he's done. His ideal home would likely be a home without other dogs or young children, but he would be ok in a home with another dog who respected his wishes and did not pester him. Faelen's forever home should be experienced with dogs and be willing to work with him to continue the socialization process.

If you think you're the perfect home for this handsome fellow, please fill out an application for him, he can't wait to meet you!

Pet of the Week, Angel

2011-02-08T11:50:00.000-08:00

Angel is a one year-old calico beauty. She looks like someone took a paint brush and dabbed different colours all over her little kitty frame. She looks quiet and calm in her photos, and she loves to curl up with her foster mom, but she’s a little bit of beauty and a little bit of curious mischief all rolled into one! She shows affection to her foster mom by giving her little nudges and head butts of love (kitty hugs!) She also makes these little grunting noises when she’s happy.

Angel is an easy-going cat who does well with other feline companions and children.

Angel has been with ARF for quite a while and we’re not sure why. She’s a striking beauty with a fun-loving side. She’s hoping to find her forever home soon!

If you think this gorgeous calico would make a wonderful addition to your family, don't hesitate, fill out an application for her today!

Pet of the Week, Mike!

2011-02-01T12:15:00.000-08:00

Hey there, I'm Mike! I was rescued quite a while ago with my siblings and I'm the last one left. I don't know why though; I'm a great guy. I'm about 6 months old and super awesome! I know my name and am very responsive to it, I am house trained and I will go to bed in my crate when my foster mom taps the top of it. No fuss here!

I like to follow my foster mom around the house (I even learned how to jump the baby gate, just to follow her) and I am very affectionate. I love to cuddle so much, that when I'm sitting next to you, I have to be touching you! I'm an overgrown lap dog!

I'm a pretty mellow dude too. I am calm in the house and I am very good at meeting new dogs an puppies. I don't get overly excited and I am very polite. I am also quite passive with other dogs. If they want the toy I am playing with, I usually let them have it. I'm just that laid back and relaxed! Even though I'm very well behaved, I like to romp around at the dog park. That's a lot of fun! I also like to play with squeaky toys. Those are super cool! Yup, mellow and playful – that's me!

My foster mom has taught me my name, how to sit and lay down so far. I'm pretty smart, so I should pick up most other things pretty quickly. But for now, I'd mostly like to find my forever home. They are taking a while to find me, but when they do I know it will be great! Do you think you could be my forever home? You should fill out an application for me, so we can get to know each other!

Hugs & cuddles, Mikey!

Pet of the Week, Finnigan!

2011-01-25T19:29:00.000-08:00

Meet Finnigan!

Finnigan is 100% love & cuddles and he's looking for a human cuddlebug to grow old with. He lives with two big ARF dogs and 3 other cats and gets along just fine. He isn't bothered by the dogs at all. He's super confident and settled quickly into his new home, so his adjustment to his forever home should be pretty seamless. Finnigan is nearly always purring and following his human friends around. He LOVES human companionship, possibly more than cat companionship so he'd do well as an only cat, or as a second or third cat. He's Mr. Personality and sure to make someone very, very happy and to make someone feel very, very loved. He likes to sleep in bed with you, sometimes right up on your pillow. He's also recently discovered the faucet, so when he gets a chance, he asks his mom to turn it on.

You can also follow Finnigan (or Finn-Finn) on his blog:
http://www.havenfordogs.blogspot.com
Or fill out an application for him today!

Pet of the Week, Ella!

2011-01-18T15:29:00.000-08:00

Hello Everyone!

You may have seen my picture on the ARF website for a while now. That's because I was rescued all the way back in February of 2010. Why are you just reading more about me now? Well, because it's taken me quite a while to get where I am today. I was rescued as what they call a feral dog, meaning, I was likely born as a stray and never had any (or very little) human interaction until I was rescued.

I remember my first day in my new foster home – First, I remember it was warm, but second, I remember that none of my favorite hiding spots were there. So I tried really hard to find new ones. The best place I found was under the deck outside. My foster parents would come out in the rain to try to get me to come inside. I didn't want to come, but they insisted. Once I was inside, it was nice to be warm and dry. Now, all they have to do is open the door and I'll come running!

The next thing I remember is all the yummy treats my foster parents tried to give me. I was really scared and though the treats smelled very good – I didn't know why they wanted to give them to me, so I stayed put. I wouldn't even come out of my crate when they held steak out for me! It was especially hard not to take it, but I was too scared. Now, when the treats come out – I'm first in line.

Then the spring and summer came. What? A leash? You want to drag me around with that thing? Again, this was something new for me, so even the best treats they could find would not get me to move. Now, I still don't really like the leash, but I have had some walks around the neighborhood. I started by walking around on the deck and the backyard. When my big day came to go out the front door, it took 20 minutes to get me there. I still get scared and try to hide when I see the leash, but I'm getting better!

I've had a few trips on Saturday's to PetSmart to visit with some of my ARF cousins. The first trip was really hard. Being around lots of people was ok (I like people!), it was the automatic doors that were really loud and spooked me. Each time I go, it gets a little easier.

So, as you can see, I have come a long, long way since the day I was rescued. I am very much looking forward to the day I find my forever home. I will need a very special family to live with. I see myself living with a family that definitely has at least one other dog – I love to play and run around with the dogs in my foster home and they help me feel more comfortable in my surroundings. Older kids are nice too, but little children move to quickly and sometimes scare me. Since I don't know if I will ever actually like going for walks, a big back yard where I can run would be terrific! And you have to like giving scratches. Once I get to know you, I will come for rubs and scratches all the time and I love hugs too! Of course, my new family will have to understand that I'm not used to a lot of things and even though I've come such a long way, I have lots of work left to do. Some one who has experience with dogs like me would be wonderful, but someone who is compassionate and willing to work with me and learn together would be wonderful too. Is that someone you? If so, fill out an application for me today!

Oh, I should also mention that I think I'm a bit of a celebrity! Yup, I have my very own Facebook Page. My foster family posts pictures (with some videos coming soon) and will share more stories about me. If you would like to follow my journey, please "like" my Facebook page and tell all of your friends to visit my page as well.

Hope to see you around!
Ella

Pet of the Week, Jinx (and her sister Tabitha)!

2011-01-11T13:20:00.000-08:00

Meet Jinx. She is a friendly little nine-month-old kitten that loves to cuddle, play and watch TV. She can be a little shy around strangers but warms up quickly. Her favorite spot in the house for a nap or just hanging out is her foster mom's lap. She is very quiet and obedient and responds immediately to a gentle 'no' if she's getting into mischief. She does not jump up on counters or 'knead' and almost always comes when called. Yes, she is a cat! Jinx is a very sweet girl that deserves a home of her own.

Some of her favorite hobbies are eating, playing with toys she can chase and wrestling with her sister, Tabitha. Jinx would do well on her own, but she'd also love to share a home with her sister. Tabitha has some medical conditions and will require a special home so we understand that this might not be possible.

Tabitha, Jinx's sister is an orange tabby. You may have noticed that she is not on our website. Tabitha has a strange condition with her throat that makes her purr sound really raspy. We're not sure about her adoptability as she will always be at risk for developing aspiration pneumonia.

We are currently looking for a vet home for her, but if you have the resources and time required to ensure her a happy, healthy life, let us know!

If you are interested in either of these special felines, please fill out an adoption application today!

Pet of the Week, Rain!

2011-01-04T18:42:00.000-08:00

So, you're probably thinking, "Hey, didn't ARF feature Rain in November?". We sure did and we're featuring her again! This is one sweet dog and we really, really want to find her that perfect forever home. If you or someone you know meets her criteria, please, fill out that application!

In the mean time, there are a few things she'd like us to update you on.

She really likes to be given rawhide chews, but when someone gives her one, she doesn't chew it. Instead she becomes fixated on finding the best place in the house to hide it. She'll take about 15 minutes and go from room to room, investigating and trying to find the ideal hiding spot. After she's looked in every corner, behind every piece of furniture, under every throw pillow, under every pile of clothes and yes, between the bed sheets she'll finally decide on a spot to 'bury it'. She even goes through all the burying motions even when there's no dirt. Before her foster home figured out she was doing this, they were quite confused a couple times to find rawhide bones in the bed! Watching her go through this process is very cute and funny.

She will also howl like a wolf after she's heard sirens. She'll listen intently while the sirens are going, then once they've stopped, she'll start howling in response. Her foster home said it's been quite funny a few times when they were walking down the street, with her howling away!

She really likes to be given a stuffed kong or a bone (of course). And, it should be emphasized that once she's comfortable with someone, she is extremely affectionate, and loves to snuggle, give kisses and roll over for belly rubs.

She is very well behaved and clean in the house, although she is a bit of a counter surfer if presented with the opportunity, but who wouldn't! Her forever home will just have to remember to put things away properly, but any dog will counter surf if given the opportunity!

This sweet dog (and she really is) needs to go to a home that is able to deal with her anxieties and insecurities. She does have separation anxiety, but there are lots of things that can be done to help separation anxiety. She does quite well when left in the car, so weather permitting, this is an ok, but not ideal option. There are also a lot of resources like this book that can teach her forever home how to help her with this issue. She also does well at doggie daycare, which is an excellent option, especially while she's settling into her new home. The staff at dogma Training & Pet Services know her well and know to keep her out of larger play groups where she can get overwhelmed. They also know who her best buddies are! Her foster home is working with her on the separation anxiety, but sometimes it can take a while and her forever home should be willing to continue working with her after they've adopted her.

Because she is nervous, she will have to go to a home without children, loud noises and sudden movements spook her. She still gets possessive in her home environment and will have to be an only pet. She is still nervous of strangers but, if she is introduced properly to new people, it only takes a few minutes for her to warm up, offer behaviours and give kisses.

In order for her to succeed, we'd like to see her with a confident handler who knows how to positively deal with her nervousness and fears. ARF is committed to working with her adoptive home after she's been adopted because she's such a special dog and I think we've all fallen for her!

If you are interested in Rain, fill out an application today!

Pet of the Week, Pita!

2010-12-21T13:02:00.000-08:00

Hey there! My name is Pita. I'm about 2 years old and I've been with ARF since I was a wee kitten. That's quite a while! Although I love my foster home, I would really, really LOVE to have my own forever home. That's why they talked me into telling you a little bit about my self. I hope it works!

What can I tell you? Hmm. Well, I like food, attention, laser pointers, food, all other toys, food & attention, other cats, most dogs, attention & food, cat nip, exploring and getting into mischief.

Oh, wait! Did I tell you I like food and attention? Those are my favorites!

What I don't like is not getting attention, no food and being alone and/or ignored by the other cats in the house.

I hope that doesn't make me sound high maintenance. 'Cause, I'm really not. I just like to cuddle and eat!

My foster mom would like you to know my nickname as well. She calls me Gigantor. I don't know why, I'm just a big healthy boy. The vet says I'm not overweight or anything, I just have a healthy appetite, but I probably shouldn't get any bigger. I don't think I'm that big though, most of the time I can still fit into the same places I used to when I was a kitten, it just takes a little longer to get in and out. I'm quite gentle too, except when I play. I kind of bite a little bit. I never bite to be mean or anything, only when I'm playing or being extremely affectionate, but sometimes my foster mom says it hurts. I also like to reach my face up to yours and nibble on your nose. My foster mom says that one feels funny! But I love to do it. It's how I show people I like them. Because I can get a little carried away, I probably shouldn't go to a home with very young children, but older kids who can learn to understand my behaviour would be just fine. I think kids are pretty interesting!

Actually, I think lots of things are pretty interesting. Other cats don't bother me one bit and I will frequently try to play with most cats I meet. I also like dogs, that's neat isn't it?! I try to play with them, but I don't really understand how they play. I went to PetSmart one Saturday and I was flattened by a puppy when I tried to play with it! So, now I'm a bit more cautious, but I'm still interested in them!

I also love people, strangers don't even bother me. If someone is sitting on the couch, you can bet I'll be up there looking for some cuddles and attention. I also like to sleep in the bed with my foster mom at night, snuggled up close. She tells me that maybe I'm a little confused... that I'm actually a cat and not a dog! But don't you worry, I'm all feline! Just an exceptionally outgoing and fun one!

What else can I tell you about me? Well, apparently, I'm quite vocal. I like to let people know when I think it's dinner time and I am also very good at letting you know when I'm unhappy about something too. I also like to greet my people at the door when they come home. I don't understand how other cats don't do this, this is how you get extra attention!

My foster mom would also like me to tell you that I should go to a home with other animals. It would also be cool if someone was home a lot. I don't do well on my own or if I'm left by myself for extremely long periods of time. I'm a very social kitty, so I need to be around people or other cats, or yes, even dogs.

Well, I think that's about it for now. I hope you're interested in meeting me! If you are, you should fill out an adoption application so we can get some cuddles in! I think I would be a great addition to your family!

I hope you all have a great holiday season!

Pita

Pet of the Week, Cricket!

2010-12-14T15:42:00.000-08:00

Hello everyone, my name is Cricket!

I am about 8 months old and all puppy! I'm a pretty big girl, but my foster mom says I'm all heart! She also says that I'm a 'people pleaser'. I hope that's good!

I am learning all kinds of things in my foster home. I know my name, how to sit, lie down, shake a paw and even leave it. That's a pretty big one for puppies, but I think I've got it nailed! I'm also excellent in my crate. I sleep in it all night without a peep and I nap the day away in it when my foster parents are at work. I am also learning that if I want something, I have to sit and wait politely for it. I've been told that because I'm so big, it is very important that I have manners, I don't want to knock anyone over you know!

I love Kongs! Do you know what those are? They are toys that humans put treats in for me to get out. They are one of my favorites and when my foster mom stuffs one with a milk bone, I am busy for hours! Hmm... What else do I like? Well, I love to cuddle. I would easily spend the day on the couch or in bed with someone if they let me. I really like to be with people and get attention. It's so nice! I also like to watch T.V. and sometimes when there are interesting things or sounds on it, I cock my head from side to side trying to figure it out. My foster mom says it's really cute! I also love playing with my foster sister and going to daycare. I really like meeting the new dogs and finding new playmates. I just have to be introduced to them properly. Sometimes when I'm in a really high stress environment (like PetSmart) I get kind of growly with new dogs. I think that's because there is so much going on and I'm over stimulated, because I do just fine at daycare! Did I mention that I love to play! Sometimes when I'm tired, but I still want to play, my foster mom says I will fall a sleep sitting up. I don't believe her though... how do you fall a sleep sitting up?

My foster mom also says I do a whole bunch of really cute things like, sometimes when I'm sleeping, and I'm very comfortable, I moan a little bit. I also like to eat laying on the floor with my food dish between my front paws. Hey, who can blame me? I'm very tall! It's way easier that way!

I think that's about it though. I'm a pretty nice pup, I just need someone who is willing to train me a little and add a loving companion to their home! Do you think that's you? I think so. Why don't you fill out an application for me today and we can meet!

Hope to talk to you soon!
Cricket

Update: The '30 below' pups are thriving

2010-12-09T15:52:00.000-08:00

So, the last couple of weeks have been incredibly busy. ARF is at capacity. We have been for a while now, but it seems that much harder to think about in the winter. There is just something about knowing unwanted animals are out there succumbing to the elements.

The pups in the ‘30 below zero’ post are doing well for the most part. We only lost one, but they were all in really bad shape and very, very young. Probably about 4 weeks old. Being born in harsh conditions to mothers who can not feed them properly due to their own lack of nutrition does not give anyone a good start in life. I was incredibly happy the other day when I received an email from the holding area that has these pups. Our holding areas keep pups that are too young for adoption; sometimes keeping multiple litters of pups at a time. This, to me, is incredible! When I was fostering, I was the one who only wanted adult dogs because I knew that puppies would be way too much work for my liking. Plus, I only wanted one dog at a time. Never mind multiple litters! These particular pups have been a bit of work and for that; I commend the couple who is ‘holding’ them. Now let me tell you a little bit about what’s been going on.

The first four that came in, the week before it got really cold, were quite scared when they arrived. Due to some extra nurturing and attention, they have warmed right up to us ‘two leggers’ and love cuddling. These pups are doing quite well. The last of this litter came in a week later. He was the one found with his two siblings who had perished. This little fellow was incredibly dehydrated and ended up back at the vet for subcutaneous fluids. Thankfully, this is all he needed and he has bounced back incredibly well.

The puppies from under the staircase have had it a little harder unfortunately. There were eight in total. The first three that were rescued right away and the last five rescued the next day, spent four days at the vet. Of this group, one didn’t make it. They were extremely malnourished, so getting their weight up has been a top priority. One female, though small for her age, loves to eat and play! Two of the brothers had a harder time and at one point, the smaller of the two had stopped eating, so he was rushed back to the vet. It was found that his sugar and protein levels were very low and he was diagnosed with coccidia, so it’s highly likely that the rest of the pups had it too. They’ve all been treated for this parasite since, just to be safe. This guy had to stay at the vet for another three days, receiving fluids and at one point even plasma. He’s still tiny, but since returning home, he has grown from about 2 lbs, to 2 ½ lbs and has filled out and also enjoys eating! A good sign, I’d say. The other brother wasn’t as keen on eating, but was eager to take goat’s milk from a bottle. He was then convinced to eat some soft food mixed with goat’s milk and corn syrup. In the last 8 days, he has gone from 2.9 to 4lbs.

The three struggling were the smallest ones rescued first (from under the stairs), and right now, they are sharing a bathroom with their very own heater, to keep them extra safe from the bigger pups and to ensure they stay extra warm. The holding area is very relived to tell me that they are eating well now and no longer look emaciated. These guys have been keeping her busy with feedings every 3 or 4 hours (around the clock!), but now that they are starting to fill out, she’s trying to stretch their meals further apart and add in some softened kibble and canned puppy food. The other nine puppies are all sharing the kitchen and they get along with each other very well!

To keep everything straight, we have the white and white/tan pups from under the stairs and then all the black ones and one dark brown pup (way in the back) from the other litter. Three of the pups from under the stairs are not shown in this photo.

And, just in time for this blog post, I was emailed some information from the foster home that has the two older dogs who were found running along the side of the highway. So this really does get to be a happy ending!

Faelen (the brown dog) and Hannah (the black dog) were obviously thin when the came in, but Faelen had thorns stuck into his skin and his fur was dirty and matted. We can only imagine the pain and discomfort he was in. His foster mom says he was so grateful for a bath and grooming to get all the mats and thorns out. She said he lay for over 3 hours while she brushed him. When she stopped, he would put his paw on her as if to say, “Please don’t stop” and rolled onto his belly for more. Apparently, Hannah loves people to death and her tail never stops wagging. They both mentioned that they would like a forever home for the holidays!

The foster home also included quite the testimonial of which I’m going to quote from. “Every pup and dog that comes into a foster home usually transforms so quickly. They all have different personalities but all are obviously so grateful for the simplest things we foster homes offer; a warm home, regular meals and of course the most important ingredient; love. When our foster dogs leave with their new families we know they’re finally getting the love, care and the good life they deserve after the hardship they’ve endured. It’s so obvious to see that’s all they’ve ever wanted and helping them find this is a feeling that I’ve never experienced before.”

I can attest to this. As a former foster home for adult dogs, I was lucky and got a couple really easy dogs. One was even adopted in less than 2 weeks. But, I also had a few of those dogs who really needed to learn what love was. It was so heartbreaking to see a dog; man’s best friend, so frightened of man that his skin flinched when I touched him and he started salivating (from fear) when I got too close. It almost broke my heart. Seriously, once he figured us out though, wow! What a transformation I saw. It was tremendous.

I know that a lot of people have reservations about fostering. One of the most common things I hear is; “I’d love to foster, but I’d probably keep them all”. Believe me, you won’t! For many reasons, not every dog is going to be your type of dog for one. I had a couple whom I cared for and was saddened when they left, but I knew in my heart, they weren’t a good fit for my home. The most important reason for me, and for many other foster homes I talk to, is that for every dog you adopt out, you get to save another life. Literally, when you have room in your home for one more dog, one more dog gets to come in doors from the freezing cold and have a chance at a better life.

If you would like more information on fostering, volunteering or donating, visit our website at www.arf.ab.ca. You can also come visit us every Saturday at the Chinook PetSmart between 1 and 3 pm. Check out some of our dogs and talk to our many dedicated volunteers about the different positions available through our organization. You can definitely get a first hand view of how wonderful this organization truly is. Hopefully, I will see you there!

p.s. December 11^th & 12^th we are having a Holiday Adopt-a-thon and Blow-out sale from noon until 4pm at the Chinook PetSmart location. We are hoping to get some of our puppies into forever homes before our adoption freeze starts on December 20^th and clear out some of our logo items so that we can start with fresh new stock in the New Year. Some kittens will be at PetSmart on December 11^th and then on December 12^th there will be a Cat Adopt-a-thon at the Copperfield Tail Blazers location from 1-3 pm.

And, here's some ridiculous cuteness courtesy of Theresa Swain. Enjoy!

Pet of the Week, Huebert

2010-12-07T10:53:00.000-08:00

My name is Huebert and I am named after my foster dad’s granddad. I feel like that is a lot of responsibility! Maybe that is why I am a little shy? Nah, it took me a week, but I think I got the humans all figured out – they think I’m cute and soft so they like to hold me and play with my feet. They think it’s cool that I have an extra toe on all my feet, which is odd because THEY all have five fingers and toes. I’ll take it though, it gets me cuddles. Oh – and if I purr… they never put me down!

When the humans aren’t around I really like to follow their kitten around the house. He teaches me things, like where all the good toys are, the warmest spots to nap and, my favourite, the squeaky mouse that hangs off the door! I can never get enough of that!

My siblings and I were all rescued from southern Alberta just before it got cold, and boy are we thankful! It is much warmer in the houses here, than it was there. Both my sisters got adopted (I am not sure why, I am much cuter) so it’s just my brother and I left to find our forever homes.

Oh, I was at Petsmart this past Saturday with the dogs! They were pretty big, and kept barking but I wasn’t scared, not one bit! One even licked my face! It was wet and a little smelly, but I didn’t get upset or anything – I think sloppy doggy kisses are something I could get used to.

If you're interested in meeting me, please fill out an adoption application today!

Hugs, Huebert!

Pet of the Week, Rain

2010-11-30T13:09:00.000-08:00

Hello, my name is Rain and I am ARF's Pet of the Week.

I am a very sweet girl looking for my forever home, but it's very important that you know a few things about me!

I am about 3 years old and my favorite thing to do is accompany my foster mom on walks around the neighbourhood. I walk really well on the leash... well, except when I see rabbits or squirrels. Then, I can barely contain myself! I want to chase them so bad - but, I'm not allowed too. I know that. They are just so tempting though! I used to be quite skittish, but with every walk I am getting more and more comfortable with everything going on around me. People often comment on how gorgeous I am, but new people scare me. There are a few things that strangers can do to help me be more comfortable with them though. You can hold out treats, crouch down to my level and look away, opposed to leaning over me and looking me directly in the eyes. I also prefer to be scratched under the chin instead of patted on the head. Don't be worried too much though, if I meet you the right way, I will be your best friend in minutes, kisses and all!

Right now, I live in a calm, quiet home and as a result, I am a calm, quiet girl. I am also very well behaved! I sleep in my crate all night and I am fully house trained. I also give my humans their space while they are eating at the table. Although, I do like to be 'underfoot' when my foster mom is in the kitchen (you never know when something tasty might get dropped) but if she tells me 'out', I listen. My favorite spot in the house is the couch. If I can curl up on the couch while you are working, watching TV, cooking or doing your chores, I'm as happy as a clam! I am also always up for some cuddling and belly rubs!

Don't let all this good behaviour fool you though, I'm not lazy! I am an active girl with lots of energy. Someone who will be active with me would be perfect! I'd be a good companion for someone who walks, runs or hikes. You name it, I'm sure I'll love it! My foster mom says I'd also be a good companion for someone who is interested in agility. Apparently, I can jump like a deer! I'm really smart too! I listen and follow instructions very well and I can sit, lie down, shake-a-paw, high-five, catch treats mid-air and all that fun stuff! I am very food and handler oriented, and I love to please! These qualities would make me an excellent agility or rally-o prospect!

More recently, I have been going to doggy daycare twice a week to help me with my insecurities. I have a couple of best buddies there and I have so much fun playing with them! The staff keeps me out of the larger playgroups though, because I have a tendency to get overwhelmed if there is too much going on around me.

While I am good with my playmates at daycare and other dogs in a neutral setting, I can become possessive in a home with other animals, so ARF thinks it would be best if I went to a home as an only pet. I would also like to go to a home without children, I am too nervous and I get startled quite easily by loud noises, fast movements and unpredictable surroundings. I think I would do best with a confident handler who knows how to deal positively with my fears and nervousness. ARF also said they are committed to continuing their work with me even after I get adopted because they know how special I am!

Are you that special person? If you think you have what it takes to help me become more confident and trusting, I would like to meet you! Why don't you fill out an application today?

Hope to see you soon,

Rain

When it's 30 below zero.

2010-11-25T15:23:00.000-08:00

Warning: there is a graphic image in this post, viewer discretion is advised.

Tuesday, November 23rd marked the coldest day of the year (so far) in Calgary. Official reports are mixed, but it was at least -30. It was also rumored that we were, at one point, the 2nd coldest spot on the planet. Inside the city limits, the temperature is always warmer. There are buildings and vehicles that emit exhaust and block wind keeping the city temperature a tad higher. Outside the city limits though, that is a different story. If you've ever been outside of our city you will know that we live in the prairies. There are vast expanses of land and the eye can see for miles. No buildings, few trees and the wind here can slice through you like a hot knife through butter. The -30 temperatures out in rural areas can be more unbearable and people can die of exposure within minutes. Inside the city, Calgarians were staying indoors as much as possible and definitely bundling up when they went outside. I'm sure most of us were quite careful with our dogs, taking them out only if needed. I know my two were less than impressed and could only handle about 10 minutes of outdoor play before their feet got too cold and full of icy snowballs (which are quite painful).

So, what happens to stray dogs when it's this cold? Well, simply put, they die. Our city is bordered on the east and west by two massive First Nations Communities, where ARF gets most of their dogs, puppies, kittens and cats from. We do travel further in all directions if need be, but this is where the majority of our animals come from. Typically speaking, most dogs are not spayed/neutered and left to run at will. The majority of them are strays and have to forage for food and seek their own shelter. The stray dogs breed at will and usually have litters of pups under someones steps or in a shed, anywhere they can find some sort of shelter. The mothers are usually too malnourished to properly feed their young, giving the pups a lower chance of survival.

Last week, ARF's Dog Program Coordinator, Julie Felber, went out to find puppies. It was already starting to get cold on top of all the snow we were getting, and she knew that if there were any new litters they weren't going last much longer. She did come across one litter of 3-4 week old puppies. They were cold and scared, and she did catch 4 of them, but the other 3 got away from her and hid somewhere.

On Tuesday when temperatures plummeted and Calgarians were warm and snug, Julie and another Volunteer headed out into the freezing weather to see if they could find more puppies. They happened upon another litter of 3-4 week old puppies living underneath a cement slab staircase. They grabbed the 3 smallest and weakest puppies because they were easy to catch. Unfortunately, the 5 remaining pups were hiding in a tiny hole too far back for any arms to reach. They tried digging them out and bribing them with canned dog food, but their efforts were in vain as the ground was frozen solid and covered in ice. They soon realized the 3 pups they already rescued needed to be seen by a veterinarian immediately in order to survive, so they left the rest of the litter and rushed the little ones to a nearby animal hospital. On their way to the hospital they spotted two adult dogs running along the side of the highway. When they pulled over to leave food for them, they realized that these two were also strays and extremely malnourished. They likely wouldn't make it through the winter. Fortunately, one of them was smart enough to know a good thing when he saw it and he hopped right into the van! The other dog soon followed suit. Once they dropped everyone off at the vet they had to try again for the remaining pups.

These are the two dogs that were running along the highway, now safe and sound.

On their way back to check on the pups under the stairs, Julie and her trusty sidekick decided to stop by the place where the 3 remaining pups from last week were hiding, hoping to find them and rescue them too. Unfortunately, 2 of them did not make it and were laying nearby, frozen. The one surviving pup was in bad shape, so they got him into the van and tried warming him up as quickly as possible. The volunteer took him home with her that evening, waking up every 3 hours to feed him canned mush and to brainstorm ideas on how they could get the other 5 puppies that were living under the stairs. All she could think about were her own dogs who didn't even want to go outdoors to pee, never mind the 4 week old puppies out in the cold, all alone.

These are the two that didn't make it.

The only plan they could come up with was to try and fish the puppies out of their hole with butterfly nets. So, they went and purchased some nets on Wednesday and off they went. When they arrived at the location, the puppies were outside but once they saw the van, they started to run back towards their hole. The volunteer couldn't bear the thought of having to leave these guys again, so she jumped out of the van, while it was still in motion (please don't try this at home) and rushed to the stairs. She was able to push them out of the way and grab the smallest ones, blocking the hole with her body. One puppy managed to escape, but he was quickly found hiding under a nearby tarp. All five of the puppies were immediately brought to the same hospital as their siblings and are being fed goat's milk until they can get on solid food.

The puppies that were rescued in this two day span were very lucky. They will receive medical attention, be spayed/neutered as soon as they are old enough and will be placed in loving forever homes.

The seasons in Alberta can be incredibly unforgiving to animals out in the elements, especially if they are left to fend for themselves. In the summer, our temperatures can soar into the +40's and in the winters they can plummet as low as -40 (not including the wind chill). Julie is faced with rescue challenges like this on a regular basis and she is frequently looking death straight in the eyes. We are currently at capacity and have been for months now. Yet, when she sees a dog who is going to die, she's not thinking about what foster home can take it, she's think about a life she can save. This is true dedication and compassion and I know it is not a job most of us would ever be able to do.

This fellow was the remaining dog from the first litter partially rescued last week.

He's now snug as a bug in a rug!

The winter months are quite possibly harder for the stray animals out there and we can only save as many as we have room for, but you can help more dogs and cats have the same happy ending. Consider fostering a dog or cat to help our at-capacity foster system to take more animals in from the cold. To find out more about fostering, click here. If you are not able to help out by fostering, you can still help ARF dogs and cats by donating or volunteering.

Alternatively, we are raising funds to purchase/build our very own facility for emergency situations like this. Learn more about how you can have an impact on the lives of many animals through our "Pad for Paws" campaign.

Please, stay warm and give your pets a nice pat on the head for me!

Pet of the Week, Harley

2010-11-23T10:22:00.000-08:00

Hi my name is Harley and I’ve never met a meal I didn’t like. I’m a big guy with a little voice. I like to horse around with my brother and the other males in the house, bu the girl kitties don't seem to appreciate a good wrestle like the boys do.

I am about 2 1/2 years old and I have been with ARF for quite a while now. I'd really like to find that forever home they keep talking about. I hear they are great. But people always seem to overlook the black cats. It's unfortunate I say, 'cause I'm a pretty cool black cat.

I love to hang out on top of the cat tower to survey all that is mine, but I also love to be in my foster mom's lap. I love to cuddle and I’m a roller, which means that I’ll roll around and around on your lap to make sure that you can pet every single inch of me. I really like that!

I’m a bit shy around people that I don’t know but my love of affection and my curiosity overrides the shyness in short order. I've never been around dogs, so I don't know how I'd feel about them, same as kids. We could always try kids, if they aren't too rough though. I would also be fine as an only pet as long as I get lots of affection from my owner(s).

Like what you see? Why don't you fill out an adoption application for me so we can meet?!

Hope to see you soon,

Harley

Pet of the Week, Bella!

2010-11-17T15:54:00.000-08:00

Hi! My name is Bella and I've been with ARF for quite a while now. I'm about 6 months old and incredibly ready for my forever home. Don't get me wrong, I love my foster home, but it would be nice to have a family of my very own.

I like to play with other dogs, big or small. I am very gentle with little dogs and children. Some dogs are nervous around kids, but not me!

I have learned how to walk nicely on leash when it's just me and my foster mom, but I still need a little work when other dogs are involved. I get a little bit excited and try to walk as fast as the big dogs. That's ok though, I'm still a puppy I have lots of time to learn! I am also pretty good at the off-leash park. I know my name and always come running when my foster mom calls me!

My foster home rewards me with treats for good behaviour and I love food! I like to eat regular food of course, but I'm not fussy and will eat fruits and vegetables too! I also like relaxing with a big ol' soup bone to chew on. Those are the best!

My foster home has worked with me on some obedience, so I know how to sit and lay down. I also love my crate. I will sleep in my crate all night long. Sometimes I will even nap in it during the day!

I think I would enjoy finding an active family to call my own. Someone who likes outdoor activities, walking and camping. I think all those things would be fantastic as I'm a pretty energetic young girl. I am also pretty flexible with your lifestyle too. Other dogs are just fine, but you don't have to have them, same as kids. I would do wonderful in a home with or without kids.

I think that's about it... oh, yeah! I forgot to tell you! All this snow we just got is awesome! I love snow!

So, if you think you're interested in finding out more about me, I'd love to meet you! I'm at PetSmart by Chinook Mall almost every Saturday between 1 &3 pm. Check the ARF website on Friday's to see if I'll be there! Or you can go ahead and fill out an application now. I'd be fine with that too.

Hopefully we'll meet soon!

Bella

Pet of the Week, Billie!

2010-11-11T09:49:00.000-08:00

Hello Everyone! My name is Billie and I get to be Pet of the Week! I'm just over a year old, so that means I'm fully grown at about 50lbs. I think that I'm the perfect size. Not too big, not too small... just right!

What can I tell you about me? Well, I'm great with other dogs and I'm very social. Apparently, the ladies really like me... What can I say? I'm super handsome aren't I?! *wink, wink*

I'm also very friendly with you two legged types, I really like men and boys, but I'm cool with everyone.

I'm also fairly high energy and I love to go for walks and I'm learning how to play fetch, but, I don't get carried away indoors. I like to settle down with pig ears and bones filled with peanut butter just fine. I also think I'm a bit of a lap dog and am totally cool with curling up (on top of you) watching T.V. and getting in a good snuggle. My foster home say's I'm a pretty laid back dog, but am really eager to please and am ready and willing to go whenever you are. I'd likely do incredibly well in a home that is active outdoors, that likes to hike or some other fun activities, but I'm not hyper, so I have no problem chilling out when you want me to.

I'm great in the car and I am incredibly well behaved in the house. I can be left alone and I do not chew on stuff that's not mine. I am also fully house trained, of course. I am very respectful of my manners and if I'm doing something I'm not supposed to be doing, all you have to do is say my name to redirect me. Apparently this is all good stuff as I don't have much experience living in a house, so I'm really happy to know that I'm a good boy. Oh, and I'm cool with the resident cats, so I would likely be more than fine with your cats too!

I guess that's about it... I think I would enjoy having a family of my own, so if you're interested, either come meet me at PetSmart (by Chinook Mall on Saturday's between 1 & 3) or fill out an application today!

Hope to see you soon!

Billie

Pet of the Week

2010-11-02T10:10:00.000-07:00

Hi, My name is Gypsy. I’ve been in foster care with ARF for a little while now, so they thought it would be nice if I introduced myself and let you know what I’m like. I’m about 3 years old and I had moved into a garage so I could have a litter of kittens. The people let me live there for a little while, but then I had to go. ARF took me in and found out that I really like people! I love to cuddle and get attention from people and I’m very inquisitive. I’m not afraid of new people coming into the house and after I satisfy my curiosity about them, I usually just curl up for a nap.

I love to play with bags; plastic, paper, it doesn’t matter. I love to jump into them and see what’s inside! I also like to burrow under newspaper, but my favorite toy is one of those circular tracks that has a ball inside… man, I could bat that thing around all day long!

I get along with other cats and kittens, no problems there, but I don’t know how I feel about dogs.

Well, that’s about it. If you think you have room for a beautiful and affectionate feline like me, fill out an application for me today! I hope to see you soon!

Love Gypsy

Pet of the Week!

2010-10-26T08:06:00.000-07:00

Hello, My name is Blackie (formerly known as Omar) and I am proud to announce that I am ARF’s first “Pet of the Week!” Exciting isn’t it?!

This is me when I was just a puppy!

I was told that I should give you all a little bit of background on me, so here goes!

This was me a few months ago!

I am about 6 months old and I have been with ARF since May. They rescued me with some of my siblings, but they've all been adopted. I am really smart, learning sit, down and shake a paw really fast and I was also told that I am the world champion at loose leash walking! I guess that is a pretty big thing since dogs my age tend to be a little bit rambunctious. I also love to play with other puppies and I am very polite. I have great doggie manners! I am in a home with 5 other dogs and I know to wait my turn when it’s feeding time and I also take treats very gently. I am also very sweet and I love to cuddle and have my belly rubbed!

My foster home says that I am an agile, high-energy dog and they think I would excel at agility training…. I don’t know what that is, but it sounds fun! I am also pretty good at my recall. I still need a little bit of work in new environments. I guess they call that “proofing”. When I’m in new places or there are new dogs around, I forget sometimes because I’m really excited. Who can blame me though… I’m still just a puppy! I guess I will need a little work with socialization and new environments so that I don’t get overly excited, but that’s ok. I’m ready and willing to work on this with my forever home! Plus, ARF told me that they offer 6 weeks of obedience training with an adoption and that it would give me and my new home and excellent opportunity to bond and learn, so I think that would be super! If you’re interested in learning more about me (because I’m really awesome!), watch ARF’s website to see when I will be at PetsMart or just bite the bullet and fill out one of their adoption forms! You won’t be disappointed!

Lots of kisses,

Omar

This was me just a few weeks ago!

Photos By, Theresa Swain

A day in the life of...

2010-10-02T21:29:00.000-07:00

At the end of May, I spent a day out at Siksika Nation helping with the Deslorelin project.

Deslorelin is a hormone implant that is injected into a female dog (like a vaccination) and can prevent pregnancy for up to 18 months. It is still being tested and monitored, but these are our findings so far.

Marley (above) was implanted a while ago and still no puppies.

Generally speaking, dogs that are born strays or that live in/around First Nations Communities or other rural areas have very short lives. This also applies to the 'street dogs' of places like (but not limited to) Mexico and Nicaragua. They live approximately 2-3 years. They die from disease, predators, getting hit by vehicles and by human hand. The first year of a dogs life is incredibly hard. If they are lucky to make it out of puppy-hood they face another few years of scavenging for food, territorial disputes with other dogs, preventable sickness and hiding from predators. The females have litter after litter because they are never spayed. It's a never ending cycle.

Frequently, a few local organizations have spay and neuter clinics every spring and summer (it's too hard and too cold to operate these during the winter months).* These clinics are enormous to take on. You have to get a vet who is willing to shut down their practice and/or donate their weekend, you have to find volunteers with appropriate skill sets and vehicles that can carry a couple of large dog crates, you have to advertise in the community, arrange a drop off and pick up location, transport scared animals to a vet, perform invasive surgery and hope that the owner will care for the animal when you bring him home. And that's just the short list. A spay surgery cost anywhere from $200 - $700 dollars and these surgeries a hefty cost for any non-profit to put forward.

Enter Deslorelin. One injection costs approximately $50 and lasts almost as long at the expected life span of one of these dogs. It also only takes 3-4 people (including one qualified vet). The dogs are all photographed and recorded, then monitored for pregnancy and are re-injected at or around the 18 month mark. The project all started with 15 females. There is an older post about it and a link to the original newspaper article. The initial project was so successful, that we've done another 50 females since then. We are noticing a drop in the amount of puppies we're rescuing and residents of the First Nations communities we're working with are becoming more open to the idea each time we visit.

My day started at the community centre out in Gleichen, Alberta. ARF's dog program coordinator had put up posters earlier that week telling residents that we'd be there doing free implanting on female dogs. Siksika is 160,000 acres of land, so we were hoping that the posters and word of mouth would help out and cut down on travel time/distance. It did not. The first little while was quite slow, I think we did one dog right away because we saw her walking with her owner down the street near the community center. Then, we waited and talked to a few people and decided to just drive around. We had a resident of Siksika working with us that day and she offered to stay at the community centre and call us if anyone showed up, which was a godsend. We decided to just stay around Gleichen because if we got too far away, it would take us too long to get back. Almost every house we drove past had a dog or dogs hanging out in front. Quite often there was also a litter of puppies not to far away as well. Dogs were missing sections fur (mange?), they were under weight, incredibly suspicious of humans, some were quite territorial with other dogs and some were visibly injured.

These dogs were hanging out around a burger shack, waiting for scraps. They did not want to approach us though.

Some dogs were just roaming and most were suspicious. The one below wouldn't come any where near us, I zoomed in as much as my camera would allow. It circled the area until we were far enough away. Then it came in for food we left on the ground for some of the other dogs.

The light coloured dog in the background was injected and we left food behind for them.

Wakkie (?) was injected and we took her pup into our care. She was adopted very quickly!

We stopped at every house that had a dog out front to see if we could implant their females. Often, there was no answer at the door. Those we did talk to were incredibly grateful for the service and we're hoping that these folks will talk and get more people to change their minds. That would be wonderful!

We got 3 or 4 out of this litter.

Whenever we stopped at a house with a mom and pups, if we were allowed to inject the female, we always asked about the puppies. Do they have homes? Do you want to keep them? etc. More often than not we were able to take the females.

We also got this one that is looking up.

We explained to the owners that we'd take them into Calgary, clean them up, alter and vaccinate them and find them great homes. That day, we got 10 puppies on top of the 30 we already had in the system. With the lack of foster homes, this is a tough decision to make, knowing they could have a much better fate. So, we take the dogs and deal with the foster home shortage later. Luckily, we have a few holding areas that are willing to take under age puppies, usually multiple litters and nurse them until they are old enough to be spayed/neutered and put up for adoption. That's when we need the foster homes!

*More recently, a MASH type spay/neuter clinic has been held on site at the Blood Reserve in a community centre. A place where the animals can be housed, altered and vaccinated without having to be transported by strangers [us], left alone and then transported again after invasive surgery. This is still an enormous undertaking, but way less stressful to the animal. You can read more here.

Scotiabank Calgary Marathon

2010-06-07T15:48:00.000-07:00

So, I'm a little late on the update, but Sunday, May 31st was the Scotiabank Calgary Marathon. This year they had a Group Charity Challenge joining forces with 19 charities and allowing runners to 'run for a cause'. It was a huge success raising over $250,000. ARF was invited to be a charity and we also sponsored an aid station. ARF put together a team and called them the "Rescue Runners". We had a few participants in the half marathon and 10k, but to our surprise, we found many other individuals running for us in different events. It was very, very exciting! In total, I think ARF raised over $7,500, which is absolutely amazing.

We teamed up with MEOW for the aid station and our volunteers did a great job keeping the runners motivated and hydrated... we even had a mascot navigating them around the corner into our station. I was told this brought a few smiles to some weary runners faces!

All in all, it was a huge success. Thank you to everyone who ran for ARF and to all our volunteers at the aid station. We couldn't have done it without you!

Hopefully we'll be out to do it again next year!

Adopted!

2010-05-03T07:58:00.000-07:00

Well, it happened! Cash got adopted on Sunday to a wonderful family. His new foster home really, really like them and think it's going to be a great match! I am so happy for Cash, this family seems to 'get him' and that is awesome! I am so proud of Cash! He's a completely different dog than he was when he came to us in October.

Good luck little buddy! I will miss you!

Porcupine Quills and Deslorelin

2010-04-20T12:57:00.000-07:00

Medical Interventions
Frequently, some of the animals that come into our fold have medical conditions that need to be treated ASAP. We see everything from ring worm to wounds so bad, limbs have to be amputated. Granted a lot of these conditions can be treated with proper care and regular vetting, but that is generally not something these animals are privy to.

Not all of ARF's medical interventions are for the animals we rescue either. Sometimes dogs with owners need our help too. The young fellow below was found running at large on a nearby First Nations community. The quills had been embedded for a few days already and were starting to get infected. They were no doubt very, very painful. ARF's Dog Program Coordinator saw him and knew he needed help. She tracked down his owner and got permission for ARF to do the necessary treatment. He was brought to a local vet clinic where the porcupine quills were removed and he was neutered. He was returned to his owner the next day.

Deslorelin
ARF is incredibly proud to be apart of this pilot project on the Tsuu T'ina Nation that aims to cut down on the feral dog population. Semi-feral dogs are caught, implanted with this hormone, vaccinated and de-wormed. To date, there have been about 40 females implanted with this hormone. Read the story here.

These are some of the dogs we implanted in November/December of 2009. The photos were taken just the other day, when ARF's Dog Program coordinator was on a routine trip. She also left them some food.

The Winds of Change Are Blowing

2010-03-30T10:32:00.000-07:00

But change is good. Well, sometimes sad too. We're not fostering anymore because we adopted this guy...

Look familiar? That's right. It's Riley! He's all moved in, unpacked and full of TROUBLE!!! He transitioned into our home nicely, but I really forgot what it was like to have a 1 year old border collie in the house. That's ok, I've done it once, I can do it again. I have high hopes for this guy. We're going to try our hand at agility and maybe see how he feels about sheep.

Since we're not fostering right now, I've decided to keep this blog full of updates and info on ARF. More in-depth details to the events we're going to be at this summer and how the Capital Campaign is going. Maybe I'll even add in the occasional random puppy update.

What Happened to Cash??
Oh yeah. Well, he isn't adopted yet and we have no idea why. This dog is super great! He's come so far and is really excelling on leash and in new environments. He's still going to daycare everyday and is generally Mr. Happy-Go-Lucky. He was at the Adopt-a-thon and at PetExpo and neither events really made him bat an eye. Yes, he does need to go to a home with another dog... for now, as mulit-dog households seem to boost his confidence. But he's pretty darned perfect now and just needs someone with some extra patience! That's all!

His new foster home is keeping a blog, you can read it here.

Anyway, look forward to updates as to what's going on in the world of rescue! Hope to see you soon!

The PetsMart Adventure

2010-02-18T10:27:00.000-08:00

Every Saturday, between 1:00pm and 3:00 pm we showcase some of ARF's available dogs and puppies at the PetsMart by Chinook Mall. I decided that I would bring Cash in to see how he would do.

The first time I attempted this... in December I think, he escaped from my car and it was quite traumatic for both of us. Don't worry, he wasn't in harms way. I was still at home and he just ran into the neighbours back yard. Thank goodness they like dogs! We had to corral him into their house so I could get his leash and collar back on. Quite an adventure. Needless to say, that ended our car trips for quite a while. Since then he's been going to daycare and making tremendous progress with his leash issues. I will post more on that shortly.

For now, back to the PetsMart story!

So, I was a little uncertain, but sometimes you just "gotta suck it up!" I set it up so that our Dog Program Co-Ordinator met me with one of her confident dogs outside (Cyle). Since he's comfortable around other dogs, they went in first, Cash followed Cyle and I was behind giving Cash a little nudge when he needed it. I was very surprised. He was more distracted with everything that was going on around him than afraid. There were dogs and new smells all over the place. He did very good.

Once we got to where ARF sets up their booth, we got a volunteer to set up and x-pen for him. I got him in the pen with a puppy and took off his leash so he'd be more comfortable. I think it only took about 20 minutes for him to relax and start enjoying himself. It was really nice to see! He was very curious of all the new people coming to look at him, not to mention all the other dogs that were there! By the end of the visit, he was wagging his tail, playing with a puppy and doing simple behaviours for treats! Exiting the store to go back into the car was a breeze! I am so proud of this kid right now!

Thanks for taking the photos Morgan!

He will be at the Chinook PetsMart every week-end from now until he gets adopted for the added exposure and confidence building it will bring him. Hope to see you there!

The benefits of adopting an adult dog

2010-02-16T08:10:00.000-08:00

Don't worry, I have a Cash update coming and it's going to be a good one! In the mean time, I thought it would be useful to write about adopting a pet and the difference between adopting a puppy or an adult.

Why adopt
There are many reasons to adopt a dog or cat. The animals in the care of rescue organizations and shelters have been abandoned. Many have been strays their entire lives, having to fend for themselves, never knowing the true joy of human companionship. Even more have been the result of back yard breeders, irresponsible breeders, puppy mills or worse, people who just don't care to spay or neuter.
The puppies that come from BYB and puppy mills are often loved by a family for a year or so. Until they are no longer cute, no longer puppies and their family has lost interest or has to move. These dogs are then surrendered to shelters and rescue organizations. The rescues and shelters are then faced with the difficult task of re-homing an adult dog.
The puppies who come from people who don't care to spay or neuter are often left, as entire litters, in dumps, on the side of the road or, if they are lucky, at a local shelter in the dead of night. The parents won't be altered and will breed again and again resulting in more un-wanted puppies.
Approximately 60% of the dogs brought into shelters are euthanized either due to lack of space or lack or resources to handle even the smallest behavioural issues.
Adopting one of these dogs or puppies is truly saving a life. You are giving them a second chance. People often say that a rescued dog really knows it's been rescued.

Puppy vs. Adult
Puppies are cute as heck. They haven't had the time to learn bad habits or routines, they can integrate into your lifestyle easier, they are soft & cuddly and... they have puppy breath!
But, they are a lot more work. They require extensive training, there are hours of hard work to house train them, they teethe, they cry and they require a lot of attention.
Depending on your lifestyle, you may not have the time required to raise a puppy. Do you have a house full of kids? Work 10 - 12 hours a day? Like to run and hike in your spare time? Sometimes the answers to these questions are depressing to people who want a dog. Clearly, if you have 4 kids under 4, you might not have the time to add, essentially, another toddler to your household. If you work long hours you might not be able to get a good grasp on the house training and other training a puppy requires. If you are a competitive runner or an avid hiker, waiting for a puppy to physically mature might be too long to wait.
But, you've always had dogs and you miss having one in your life. You really want a companion. You really want your children to learn responsibility. What do you do?

Think about adopting an adult dog
Just because an adult dog is no longer a puppy, doesn't mean he doesn't have anything to offer. Sometimes people think that if you don't raise a dog from scratch, you will only have trouble. This couldn't be further from the truth! Of course, it might be easier to bond with a puppy, but there are some huge advantages to an older dog. They've settled down from their puppyhood and likely have more training. Adult dogs are also less likely to be super destructive and they have longer attention spans. Way easier to train! Their personalities are known. Some dogs are passive, some are high maintenance. An adult dogs personality is pretty much set, it is a "what you see is what you get" sort of deal. You will be able to get a better handle on how well he will fit into your household and if he will get along with any other pets you might have.
If you are a fairly active person, enjoying runs, hikes and other outdoor activities a young adult ( 1 or 2) with a fairly high drive would be a good option for you. By this time (between 12 and 18 months) the dogs growth plates have closed and it is safe to do high endurance/high impact sports. Plus, they will be able to keep up with you.
If you have a houseful of children, perhaps an older dog (3 or 4) with a mellow perspective on life and known history with children would make a good companion.
If you occasionally work long hours and were thinking maybe your dog could come to the office with you. You just want someone to "hang out" with and to "be there" for you. Perhaps a dog who is more mature (6+, depending on breed) and kind of a couch potato would be a good option.

The benefits of adopting from a rescue like ARF
While there are many different places to adopt an animal from, I think one of the best places is a rescue that has foster homes. Foster homes will be able to give the best, most accurate assessment on the animal you are looking at. They will be able to tell you how much training he has, how well he interacts with other animals and children. They will be able to tell you how he is with strangers or any other issues he may or may not have. They will also be able to let you know if the animal you are interested in will be a good match for your family. If he's not, there is a good chance they will know of another animal that would be.
Adopting from a reputable rescue also ensures the animal is up to date on all vaccinations and has had a medical assessment and is spayed or neutered and microchipped or tattooed.
Yes, the screening process seems kind of daunting, but they have the animals best interest to look out for. ARF does a lot of stuff that sets them apart from other rescues in the area. We really pride ourselves on this. We do periodic follow up calls on adoptees to make sure the animal is fitting into the new home nicely. This also provides the new forever home with an outlet incase they are having any difficulties with the transition period. ARF also provides 6 weeks of training at a CPDT certified training facility. (http://www.ccpdt.org) These 6 weeks come in the form of either puppy classes or basic obedience classes, depending on the age of dog adopted. This is a great opportunity for the dog and his new family to bond and learn how to better understand each other.

In conclusion
Enter the adoption process knowing what you can handle. Know what you have the time and patience for. Ask a lot of questions. Whatever dog you adopt, remember that you are saving a life.

Cash update. Sorry, no pictures.

2010-01-08T10:31:00.000-08:00

Since it's been a while I thought I would just write something quick. Hopefully with the nice weather this week-end, we'll get out and take some interesting photos of Cash to add.
Anyway, we're still working on walking on a leash (we had a rough week a few weeks ago and have since taken a few steps backwards). I've got some new tricks up my sleeve and will test them out on Saturday and see if we can't get him off the property.
Cash has made some great strides in the trust department though. It's hard sometimes to realize the progress he's made when he lives in our house with us, but when I look back to October I realize he is a completely different dog now. When we come home he's more than happy to see us, jumping up in a shy awkward manner, tail wagging the whole time. When we talk to him in our "happy" voices his ears fold back and that tail goes a mile a minute, he even does a little dance. It's very cute. He enjoys playing with us now and he even tries to entice us to play with him by walking up to us, toy in mouth, pushing it into our lap repeatedly.
He does incredibly well when strangers come over to visit. This was one thing I was really quite worried about since he's obviously got trust issues. But he's the first to investigate new people and say hello, he does not bark when the doorbell rings or when someone knocks on the door. He goes to check the sound out, but that's it. It's really nice to be able to greet guests with one less dog barking.
One new development too, Cash likes to go to his bed when we give him a treat. I don't know where/how this started, but in the last couple of weeks he's done it every time we give him something to chew on. I'm now putting it on cue so that he knows a command to go with the behaviour. I honestly think he was watching his foster sister (who always goes to our bed with a treat) and picked it up from her. He's a pretty clever fellow.
Anyway, that's it for now. Hopefully we'll have some good stories and more photos by the end of the week-end!

He's walking on a leash ladies and gentlemen!

2009-11-30T22:57:00.000-08:00

This guy is awesome!

So, we're going on two months that we've had Cash and let me tell you, it's been a trip! He's come along way, but still has some work cut out for him. He knows "sit", "down", hand targeting and we're working on "shake a paw". The best part though, the other day, he walked with me on a leash! I've been working really hard with him the last little while trying to get him comfortable with the whole "leash thing" and it's been interesting. Usually food motivated dogs are REALLY motivated by super yummy bits of meat or cheese, so that's what I was using. We had a little progress, but the other night, I just happened to have a milk bone in my pocket, so that's what I used. Next thing I know he's walking along side me, on leash, looking for that milk bone. You see, usually milk bones or other dry, bland treats really aren't that rewarding or high value and if you're working on a difficult task (for the dog), the higher the value the food (to them) the better. I guess I had his values mixed up... go figure!

Did you say you had a milkbone?

So anyway, we're going to continue working on the leash walking and hopefully I'll have him at a PetsMart showing sooner rather than later!
He's getting super comfortable here, running, playing, chewing everything, he loves chewing! He's letting his inner puppy out and it's so nice to see. Wait... did I just say it was nice to see him chewing on everything? Well, I guess I am. I mean, when he first came here he was so fearful, to see these typical young dog behaviours is really nice for a change. Don't worry, he's learning what's appropriate chewing material. Like I said before, he's pretty darned smart! But for reference, stuffed animals with 'squeakers' in them don't last very long at all! That squeaker must come out!
He has also turned into a high energy dog who would likely love to have a 'brother' or 'sister' to romp around with. I bet he could spend hours running, playing! Maybe even casual sports would be fun for him.
Even though he's had all these positive changes and a pretty big breakthrough, he still has his moments. He's still kinda leery of hands reaching out to him and quick movements towards him. He is doing much better, but these issues still remain, they also seem to be worse outside compared to inside. Likely because I've been doing most of the work with him indoors. Dogs don't generalize very well. But he's definitely lost his '3 foot rule' that's for sure. I figure with a little more super hard work on my part, he'll be in excellent shape in no time!

Adopt me please?

Update and a lot of progress

2009-11-14T16:56:00.000-08:00

We've had Cash for about a month and a half now and he never ceases to amaze me. His leg is getting better day by day and we can hardly notice the limp anymore. Occasionally it will show it's self, but not nearly as bad as it was. He's also becoming more and more out going every day! He's a lot more vocal then he previously was and is showing that he really does like affection. He will jump up on the couch or bed and lay on top of us for some attention. He LOVES to play too! He will run around the back yard with his toy or entice us or his foster sister to chase him. Being chased is his favorite thing! He's always the first dog in the house when we come indoors and is politely waiting for a treat. Sit is his new "default" behaviour and when he is waiting his turn for something, you don't even have to ask anymore. He's getting the hang of the day to day routine around here and knows when it's outside time, food time, bed time and play time. He's especially eager when it's feeding time!
I was really worried about Halloween and did not know how he was going to react to all the commotion. Again, he amazed us! He sat beside me at the door while we were waiting for kids and he was always right there to check them out (or their goodie bags) not showing an ounce of fear. Only if someone put their hand out to pet him, he'd lean back ever so slightly, but otherwise was pretty rock solid with the kids. All the squeals of excitement did not phase him one bit!
Cash's foster sister is dog-reactive and sometimes she can't control herself when he gets a little rambunctious and he takes her in stride like the best of them. I think he'd do well in a home with other dogs of any demeanor.
We are still working on him having his collar handled and trying to get a leash on him as these two things still seem to frighten him, but this will come in time as trust grows. He's a great dog with tons of personality and lots of smarts.

The new addition....

2009-10-16T20:32:00.000-07:00

His name is Cash. Very skinny, very scared and just enough curiosity.

He spent the first few days with us in that corner. He is a fearful dog, untrusting of people, but really curious of what we're doing so it didn't take him long to venture away from the corner. He wanted to be near us and see what we were doing but had to have a buffer zone. Either a piece of furniture or like 6 ft. We've narrowed that down to about 3 feet, but he still has issues when people come at him quickly or when you reach out towards him.
It took almost a week to get him outside to do his business. He is terrified of being on a leash...it's not the leash that bugs him so much, but the psychological pressure that he faces to come unwillingly towards people. I tried carrying him outside, but again that was too much pressure and he'd just shake and try to hide under or behind anything, getting as far away from me as possible. So, I decided to just wait it out and let him trust me. You can't gain an animals trust by forcing them to do something they are afraid of right?!
Now he comes in and out of the house almost better than my own dog, knows his name, learned a good sit (from 3 ft away), he is learning hand targeting, again, from an arms length away, but this will boost his confidence I think and he's very excited to see us when we come home! We are working on crate training right now, but I over did it the other night and shut the door to the crate while he was eating. He shut down, stopped eating and the second I opened the door he bolted. It took about an hour for him to even come near me again and another two days to eat his food remotely close to the crate. So we've started from square one and will proceed with great caution! I believe in time, he will no longer be afraid, but it will take some time and some work. He's such a smart dog though so I think one day, he'll just have a "light bulb" moment and understand that us "two-leggers" aren't so bad!

Look at that face!
Cash also has kind of a "bum" leg. It was fractured before we got him and had already started healing. Through some really good luck on his part, the bones are healing straight and he shouldn't have any joint issues. His right hind leg is slightly shorter then the others though, so he'll have a limp for the rest of his life. I don't think he really notices though, he races around here like crazy (think bambi on ice!) and frequently gets the "zoomies" outside!
See...

Lucy was Adopted September 25, 2009!

2009-09-16T18:13:00.000-07:00

And she likes to play with toys,

with other dogs,

and most of all, she loves belly rubs!

Turns out Lucy has quite the personality. She's still shy and sort of submissive, but in the sweetest possible way. All she wants is some one to pet her most of the time and when you walk near her she will lower her head and look up at you with those eyes, tiny little tail going a mile a minute....who's not going to pet a dog who does that! Maybe she's not submissive at all, but really has us figured out!

She still has a bit of puppy in her when she gets really excited and will try to chew on things, but so far, all I've had to do is take the item away or just give her a gentle "no". She also likes to howl when she's excited. It kind of sounds like a wind up Ewok. Very.Cute.

She does like to play, but I think she's still learning how and will sometimes second guess herself when trying to entice someone to play with her. She's not 100% certain of what to do with toys, but she tries and she has fun doing it. I guess that's all that matters!

Oh, and her ears are HUGE!

I love Lucy!

2009-09-12T19:51:00.000-07:00

So will you. She's so sweet and quiet. No doubt never been in a house before, she walks around tentatively still, but I'll give her a break. We got her Friday night. It was a rough couple of days for her, being rescued on Thursday, spayed on Friday and in a new home by supper time. She's been kinda under the weather due to the anesthetic, but we are starting to get little tail wags when we come into the room and she LOVES being pet. If you are sitting by her and stop, she'll inch forward just a bit to remind you that you stopped. She's around two years old and about 35lbs. She's just an itty bitty little thing. I'm sure she'll do good in any type of home and she seems to like kids too!

Hopefully I will have more exciting news in the next couple of days. We've got some leash training to do and some name recognition to work on, but most of all, she needs to know that us 'two leggers' are really great people! I don't think it will be hard though!

Adopted!

2009-09-07T09:04:00.001-07:00

It's official. Karma got adopted by a lovely young couple this week end. She will have a great life with lots of love and tons of outdoor activity!
I'm sure it will be only a matter of days before I get another dog, there are way too many out there that need homes.

Karma Update ~ Rocking PetSmart

2009-08-24T08:53:00.000-07:00

In the last week, Karma has come a long way. She is starting to pay more attention to her name and coming on her own when called (in the house). She also follows us everywhere! When she first came to my house she was pretty aloof to people in general. One of those "I can take you or leave you attitudes", so it's pretty nice to see.
We went for a jaunt around Carburn park the other day and let me tell you, when we get the excitement under control, she'll be a dream to have outside. She is very curious and wants to meet everyone and everything. She also LOVES playing in the river.

That is a picture of Karma, my mom and my dog sitting under a GIANT Ash tree. As you can see from the photo, there must have been something way more important on the path way. Her attention span for photographs is lacking!
Every Saturday ARF sets up a booth at the PetSmart by Chinook mall, so I thought I'd bring her in to see how she was with crowds. She was stellar! Of course, I had a bag full of treats, but sometimes, you gotta do what you gotta do! It wasn't a spectacularly busy day, but that was good for her. She'd goof around and roll on her back when people came to pet her...I'm sure she figured out if she acted goofy someone would give her a belly rub! She approached strangers looking for attention and was even curious about a puppy we had with us. She responded well to treats and me asking her for simple obedience behaviours when she got a little to carried away and was generally able to calm down pretty quickly. All in all, I think this girl just needs some focus and she'll be a great addition to any family!

Karma

2009-08-18T14:43:00.000-07:00

This was Karma when she was a puppy. She's now 2 and back in our system through no fault of her own! She's a great dog with lots of goofy energy and tons of love.

I am pretty sure she'd enjoy a hiking companion or someone who spends a lot of time outdoors. She has a great "off switch" in the house though and is fully house trained. She does not chew or get into mischief when she's left alone...which is more than we can say about our own dog!

Right now she has issues meeting other dogs on leash. Issues as in, she doesn't have a clue what to do and wants to meet other dogs SO BAD that she pulls and pulls right into their face! Talk about offensive! So, we're going to work on that. Otherwise she's fine with other dogs, even our resident dog-reactive dog. She is also supposed to be good with cats and children although I wouldn't recommend her going to a home with toddlers as she is quite a tall girl and can get kind of rambunctious!

Karma is also a bit nervous in new situations and gets scared when people rush toward her. I have been working with her to desensitize her to out stretched hands coming towards her and it seems to be working. With some good solid structure and consistency, I'm sure she'll have an amazing turn around in no time!

(Thanks Theresa for the puppy picture!)