Hello to everyone at the Humane Society,

We adopted Ella about 2 1/2 months ago and we want to let you know that she has settled in beautifully. She has taken over the house and our hearts! Even my husband, who has always been a dog person, has fallen under her spell!!

At almost 9 months old, Ella is still very much a kitten and has plenty of psycho-kitty moments, rolling around on the couch chasing her tail, leaping about and tearing around the house, in and out of rooms, over and under furniture, up and down the stairs! We have plenty of laughs watching her antics! But she hasn’t been at all destructive, sticking to her scratching posts to satisfy her clawing urges. She did climb into a couple of floor plants but putting chunks of lemon on the soil discouraged her from trying again!

She has plenty of toys to keep her entertained - one of her early favourites was a pen! – but her lasting favourite is still the multi-coloured scrunchy ball that she brought home from the Humane Society. She carries it all over the house so you never know where it is going to turn up. She also has a ‘kitty mansion’ to climb and play on and she spends a lot of time sitting on the perch looking out the window watching the birds and the squirrels. She has also claimed a spot on the couch and stares down anyone who dares to sit there when she is ready for a nap!

In her quiet times Ella is very affectionate, stretching out and rolling onto her back to have her tummy and chin rubbed, and pushing her face into your hand to be petted, purring at top volume the whole time. She is a delightful and loving little thing and we can’t imagine not having her in our lives. We are very happy that we found her…thank you for letting us make a home for her. I hope you enjoy the pictures.

Sincerely,
The Steinbergs

Dear THS,

About a month ago we adopted Eleanor from you, a husky/lab mix transferred to you with her puppies from a Quebec shelter. We now call her Ellie, and boy is she the sweetest dog ever! She has completed our family and settled in quite well. She’s trusting that she’s safe, and has really bonded with our kids and is very protective of them! She’s learning how to play and really loving her new home. We’re very happy we’re able to give her a forever home.

Love,

The Lysters

Dear THS,

In November 2011 my parents adopted Gracie, a beautiful Shepherd mix. I was with them at the Humane Society when they picked her up - being that she was to be the family dog (despite no longer living at home I head to the house for family dinners every Sunday) I wanted to be part of the adoption process.

When we picked her up she was sweet, docile, quiet and submissive. I slept at my parents place that week as she acclimated to her new surroundings - I could tell my father, a dog lover through and through, was slightly disappointed that she didn’t bark at doorbells, readily jump up and play, run around and demonstrate the feral friskiness and dominant personality he generally likes in dogs. A dog’s dog. My mother on the other hand, was looking for a quiet, lethargic dog who was easily manageable - Gracie appeared to be just that. She was sweet but I could tell - she wasn’t exactly what my father was looking for.

He was wrong.

Let me tell you about Gracie now. After a couple months of getting used to her new home this is the report I got from my father when I asked how he felt about having her: “I’m crazy about that dog.”

She’s brilliant (I swear she can probably do algebra), she’s assertive, she has a confident personality that straddles between snuggly/affectionate and wild/playful. She operates at 100mph at all times. She’s everything my father wanted in a dog and more. Not a visit goes by where I don’t get a report about all the fantastic things Gracie did that week. And it’s not just my parents - the neighbourhood has fallen in love with her as well.

We’re a family who likes when dogs act like dogs. Barking at doorbells, running around chasing things, wrestling and eager to play - Gracie is all that. She always had it in her - she just needed time to figure her new home out.

For my brothers and I - well, Sundays at my parents house is now 5% parent visiting and 95% playing with the dog. I’ve even taken her for weekends to hang out at my place.

She’s a perfect dog and I think our feelings are demonstrated by the fact that she makes up about half of my instagram pictures.

And while she isn’t the quiet, docile, low-energy dog my mother thought she was - my mother can’t help but be taken by Gracie’s amazing personality and affectionate nature. I can’t imagine the house without her.

JP

Just wanted to let you know that three weeks in Cooper is now completely at home. His favourite spot is on the window seat staring at all the birds in the trees but after that it is covering my hand as I type on the computer.

He never stops purring unless he wants to talk instead. He is great. Thanks for rescuing him so that we could have this opportunity to have him as apart of our family

Lynn and Bob

My sister saw Chewie on the THS website a went to see him as soon as he was cleared for adoption with me in tow. As I am a pro dog groomer with 26 years dog behaviour training and I can read dogs very well and she wanted me to ok him before she took him home.

We saw him that Saturday and he was a sweet 3 legged pup with tons of energy, needing hands on work. He was great and good with their other dog and cats. Sadly, a week ago he was playing with his new best friend in the house and his other front leg snapped with no reason they knew of because all he was doing was jumping and playing. The vet said it may have been cracked at the elbow. Now after surgery Chewie has pins in his 1 good front leg and is happy to be home. His best friend Link was sad and depressed until he came home after surgery. Soon he will have his hair cut again after his healing time. First pic is him on nieces lap on way home and second is after his surgery .

Melissa

Dear THS gang,

I adopted little Pixel 3 weeks ago and I wanted to give you an update! At first he was really nervous, under weight and not eating, but he’s come along way very quickly. Now he enjoys: a healthy diet, running around after invisible things, siting on laps, battling his pink feather boa, trying to fit into small spaces, arguing with birds through the window, and sleeping under the covers at night. He is a really lovely cat and a hell of a character. Thanks for helping me find my furry little friend!

Keep up the good work.

Love,
Emily & Pixel

On April 26 we will have had Basil for one (mostly) happy year. You – at the THS – will remember him as “Taz”. We changed to “Baz” then evolved to Basil and he seems very happy to go through his new life as a Basil. In tender moments we call him Basil Fawlty!

We were warned that Basil was an anxious and fearful dog and soon discovered that he did not know what balls, sticks and toys were for. He still does not ‘get’ balls and toys, but I am happy to say he is now a big calm, anxiety-free guy.

There have been hiccups along the way – for all his size (108 pounds now) – Basil is rather a delicate ‘little’ flower health-wise. The biggest hurdle was Basil’s social skills, or lack thereof. His constant manic lunging at other dogs when on walks was physically and mentally exhausting. Walks in town resembled military stealth manoeuvres in enemy territory and we were constantly scouting deserted country roads for his exercise. Local training sessions were useless, Basil’s complete preoccupation with the other dogs precluded any academic achievements. We have learned many lessons since he came into our lives: do not take ‘expert’ opinion verbatim: do not assume that trainers who deal solely with purebred show-dogs understand the needs and behaviours of six year old shelter dogs: doggie interaction on-leash or through a fence/gate/cage is not indicative of how your dog will socialize in a natural setting.

The first breakthrough came when we enrolled Basil into Canine Campus in Markham – a daycare program playgroup two half-days a week. Kim Merendino, the brilliant owner/manager diagnosed a ‘greeting’ problem among other things and through her wise and kind treatment has helped make Basil a good citizen. Yet, we were still looking over our shoulders on walks and still afraid to venture into the world of leash-free dog parks. The second breakthrough came when we met Graham Horne, a certified canine specialist and owner of LOOSE LEASHED, who assessed Basil and subsequently met us at the leash-free dog park. Supported by Graham’s experience and insight, we joyfully watched our dog play with other dogs for the first time. We would never have given Basil up, but were almost resigned to a cloistered and limited life for us with our dog.

In closing, I want to not only thank the THS and Aleesia Cosentino for giving us Basil, but also to tell all of you out there who have adopted a dog and are having difficulties – Do Not Give Up and Get The Right Help!

Gerry and Ron Pierce
Markham

Good afternoon,

I adopted “Numida” who is now called Mavis and I wanted to share how well she has been adjusting to her new home.

She has settled in very nicely, and to my shock only hid under the bed for the first 3 hours upon arriving home. After her initial shyness, she jumped right on my bed and demanded to be cuddled.

She’s the perfect cat, and I’m so thankful to all of the Humane Society staff and dedicated volunteers for everything. This was my first time ever adopting an animal from the Humane Society and I now believe there is no better way.

Thanks again, and please find attached some photos of Mavis in all her glory. As you can tell, she is pretty used to getting her photo taken by now!

Kirstin

I remember the car ride to The Toronto Humane Society, I was thinking what new pet we should get, I really wanted a rabbit so I thought of getting a rabbit. When we got there I was looking at the rabbits when I turned around and and I saw these two cute, little, and fluffy guinea pigs. I got so excited and asked so many questions I could off blown the roof. As soon as my mom said we can adopt them my brother helped me load everything in the truck. We all love our piggies so much even our dog, River loves them. I would like to thank Kimberly Booker for all her help and support, I asked her so many questions and she answered all of them with respect and kindness. You Kimberly are the best person in the world next to my mom and dad.

Thanks for everything THS, I love you!

Taylor Doria Age:14
And the piggies
Hestia and Bryn

To The Wonderful Staff at the THS,

I know it’s only been 3 days since we adopted “Avery” the Cane Corso/Mastif mix but we absolutely love her! We changed her name to Reina, because she’s our little queen.

She is adjusting well to her new home; each day she is less and less nervous and tries to explore the house. She is very intelligent, when we are in the basement, she goes directly to the walk out door when ever she has to go to the washroom. She hasn’t quite done that with the front door but all in due time.

She’s eating, going to the washroom and sleeping well. She absolutely loves her new bed and we haven’t had to utilize any of those suggested techniques to get her to go into the crate. She automatically goes in on her own accord. She’s only crated or locked in at evening time.

Fortunately I have a job where she is able to come with me to work everyday so today is her first day at work. She did well on the car ride and she is currently sleeping in her bed.

I have attached some photos and we will continue to do so. She is a great addition to our family and we absolutely love her!

Thanks again,
The Clarke Family