An April Update

Well almost! Remember April?

A while back we requested donations for a very sick, overweight dachshund named April. The response was overwhelming.

When April came into rescue her teeth were in very poor shape, and she needed weeks of antibiotic therapy to clear up the infection before we could even begin to look at the dental work needed. Even then because she was also diagnosed with a 4th degree heart murmur we weren't sure she was healthy enough to be sedated to have the surgery which meant more bloodwork and testing was required. On top of it all we had to put April on a strict diet to get the weight off and lessen the stress on her heart. All of this was adding up to an enormous amount that our fledgling rescue could not support. Without your donations none of this would have been possible.

We were very lucky that one of the veterinarian technicians working with April offered to foster and monitor her progress in preparation for the surgery. It has been a long battle but but we are happy to report that April is a new women! She is down to 16 pounds, cleared the infection, and has had her teeth fixed. Her energy level and mobility have increased by leaps and bounds. The best news is that her foster home told us they love and adore her and requested she be a forever member of their family!

We appreciate all the emails, calls and adoption applications for April. It is heartwarming to say the least. A lot of rescue is dealing with the negative, and it can be frustrating. It is such an uplifting experience to be a part of something so great, and gives all the volunteers a much needed moral boost to continue.

So without further anticipation............April!

Doesn't she look great!! The vet said she could lose maybe 1 or 2 more pounds, but who couldn't? We are so happy for April, and her new family and wish them all the best.

For more information on this dog, please contact the Windy City Canine Rescue at info@windycityrescue.com or by calling 403-359-3139.

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Our adoption fee allows us to provide the basics for the dogs in our care, but we are always encountering additional expenses (dental work, medicine for illnesses, etc.). If you would like to help dogs like this one, but aren't looking to adopt one at this time, please consider a donation. Thank you.

Ruby {Spaniel Cross} - ADOPTED

Ruby is a 6 year old spaniel cross that has spent the last few weeks wandering the streets in Brooks. It's hard to believe that her family isn't out looking for her, as it's obvious that she worked very hard to fit into the house-life. Ruby is perfectly housetrained, and even knows a few tricks ('dance' is one we've just discovered!) 

She is a bit bigger than a lap dog, but she prefers to lay on the floor, anyway, as long as she's in the same room as you. She won't jump up on the furniture unless she's invited, and she will sleep in her crate with the door open, and not get up at all. As long as she is near someone, she seems perfectly content. 

The first night she arrived, she went for a walk with her foster mom and dog, and was off leash without any concern of her running away!

She would be great in any family, I think, as she is very quiet (she has not barked even once yet), and very easy going. She gets along with other dogs, but has no interest in playing with squeakies or stuffies, and would prefer a treat over a toy.

Ruby is an absolute doll, and any family would be lucky to have her. It's so sad that someone would have let this little angel get away!

For more information on this dog, please contact the Windy City Canine Rescue at info@windycityrescue.com or by calling 403-359-3139.

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Our adoption fee allows us to provide the basics for the dogs in our care, but we are always encountering additional expenses (dental work, medicine for illnesses, etc.).  If you would like to help dogs like this one, but aren't looking to adopt one at this time, please consider a donation.  Thank you.

Diego {Chihuahua Cross} - ADOPTION PENDING

Meet Diego! He is a 3 year old Chihuahua who was surrendered to us due to allergies.

He is good with people, kids, dogs and cats. He is also housetrained, likes to fetch (but tires out quickly) and LOVES to go on walks, even in the colder weather.

He also doesn't get into mischief if he's left loose in the house, although he is also fine being left in a crate both during the day or at night.

As you can see by his size, Diego is a little bit smitten with food. He knows the sound of the fridge opening and will stick his head right in. We have placed him on a diet already and he should be looking trim and fit in no time.

Diego is not a high energy dog but does like to play and would be a great walking companion for someone who was looking to get more exercise and maybe even shed a few pounds alongside him.  Everyone needs a diet buddy!

For more information on Diego, please contact the Windy City Canine Rescue at info@windycityrescue.com or by calling 403-359-3139.

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Our adoption fee allows us to provide the basics for the dogs in our care, but we are always encountering additional expenses (dental work, medicine for illnesses, etc.).  If you would like to help dogs like this one, but aren't looking to adopt one at this time, please consider a donation.  Thank you.

Updates!

My mom always talks about the "Ides of March", something about people going crazy during March because of the moon. I'm a bit more of a scientific gal myself and think it might have to do with the lack of sun for the last 5 months, depletion of vitamin D and inactivity. There is actually a disorder labelled SAD, seasonal affective disorder. People can buy medical lights to help with the depression. But I digress.

Rescue is also tough throughout the winter months, and this winter has been especially long and cold. I don't blame anyone, I mean who wants another reason to have to go outside in -40C weather?! But we did get a glimpse of spring and it was wonderful! We even had a few adoptions! I'm hoping the warmer weather will get some of our long term residents moving so here is some insight into what they have been doing during their winters!

Finn

Finn was going to be euthanised due to lack of space at a shelter. He was originally seized due to inadequate shelter/care. It doesn't seem as though he has been abused, but certainly was left alone a lot, and likely outdoors mostly.

He is very happy, outgoing and friendly. He is silly, likes toys, and bones, and is pretty active.

When we first got him he had no idea about house manners, people or dog manners. But after several weeks with his fabulous foster dad Finn has grown leaps and bounds. Our foster home coordinator had a visit with Finn and reported "I love him! He is so fluffy and upbeat"

He follows his foster dad around and is pretty much in love with him. Finn has learned to stay, sit and shake a paw and he will be meeting new dogs this weekend.  

If people meet him they will love him immediately. He seems to just want to please. He of course is still learning to be a good dog in the house in terms of not barreling around, but he will get there!

Marley

If you are interested in this girl I would get your application in ASAP because her foster mom might not be able to let her go!

They just got back from a week long road trip and she was a breeze from start to finish. They stayed with friends and their rowdy Wheaton Terrier and the big dogs rough and tumbled to their hearts content. Then they spent the week with her brother his two dogs - including Chip, our former Windy City boy - and she was so gentle with the little guys. She wasn't strange about any of the new people, places or dogs.

She is AMAZING off leash now. They went to two busy dog parks in Calgary, and she would do big wide circles and come back to check in every 30 seconds or so. She's so athletic, her foster mom is still in awe when she runs flat out...she looks like a greyhound. She's fast!

Her leash manners are slowly getting better too! She's got a halt on sometimes, but even without, once she settles into a walk, she's pretty calm.

Piper

Piper continues to wait for a home and is still her fun loving crazy self. Her foster mom took her to a fun match and reports that she did great with all the other dogs and chaos. She was even entered in a rally novice course and did fairly well without much training! Poor Piper has been in rescue too long for such a great girl.

Miss Lily

Lily is making new strides everyday! She is a very quirky girl, she is learning to express herself wiggling on her back and making noise. She is trusting people more and finding out that we are not scary and mean, a big feat for a shelter dog. She is playing with other dogs at the dog park and is very respectful. Her foster home is doing a fabulous job with her and she more then ready to find her forever home.

Those are our dogs! They have been preparing for their new homes during this long, cold winter! I can't thank our foster homes enough for working with these dogs and helping them be happy and adoptable. So get out your runners, and windbreakers and let's bid winter adios! And getting out in the sun is a lot cheaper then buying the fake kind, and with a lifelong friend by your side, a lot more fun!

For more information on this dog, please contact the Windy City Canine Rescue at info@windycityrescue.com or by calling 403-359-3139.

_____________________________________________

Our adoption fee allows us to provide the basics for the dogs in our care, but we are always encountering additional expenses (dental work, medicine for illnesses, etc.). If you would like to help dogs like this one, but aren't looking to adopt one at this time, please consider a donation. Thank you.

Charlie - ADOPTED

Meet Charlie! He was found on the side of a country road by friends of mine a few weeks ago when it was in the -40's. Thinking there was no way he was alive they kept driving, however they only got a short way down the road when they turned around to make sure. To their horror Charlie was still alive, it took some effort getting him off the road as he was literally frozen to the ground.

After rushing him to the vet Charlie got a clean bill of health, besides the obvious neglect. They have spent the last several weeks looking for his owner and working with him. If someone owned Charlie at one point they are not looking for him anymore. However, with some TLC he has gained weight, and learned how to be a house dog.

They think Charlie is a border collie/lab cross about a year old. He is house trained and quickly learns to follow commands. He has been around children and other dogs and has shown no issues. They have yet to hear him bark! He is a happy go lucky guy who just wants to be loved.Unfortunely they have two dogs of their own and cannot keep Charlie, so he is looking for his forever home where he can live for the future and forget the past!

Charlie is a courtesy posting. If you are interested in adopting him please contact Christine at 403-795-9283 or email at christinespiers@hotmail.com

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Our adoption fee allows us to provide the basics for the dogs in our care, but we are always encountering additional expenses (dental work, medicine for illnesses, etc.). If you would like to help dogs like this one, but aren't looking to adopt one at this time, please consider a donation. Thank you.

Pepper {Scottish Terrier} - Adopted

Pepper is a 1 year old Scottish Terrier.  Her owners were moving to a country where not only was there a very long flight, but a very long quarantine period.  They decided that would not be in Pepper's best interest and regretfully surrendered her to us.

She is amazingly trained.  She knows sit, down, shake a paw, play dead and roll over.  And she will do these with the promise of just a toy as a reward.  She does need a little help with "come", but I found a squeaky toy does wonders!

This is her version of "Dead". :)

She is great with kids and was raised with children (ages 2 - 9).  She is good with other dogs and loves to play.  She is OK with cats but needs to be with dog savy ones that won't run as she will chase them.

She is crate trained and will only play with toys given to her, but she has been known to destroy a toy or two.  She loves her kongs though!

She is a very active dog and is trained to run on a treadmill. She used to run every morning while her owners made breakfast and would hop off herself when she'd had enough.

She was a little unsure of the camera but you'd never know it.  Toys and fun are the way to this little girl's heart.

For more information on Pepper, please contact the Windy City Canine Rescue at info@windycityrescue.com or by calling 403-359-3139.

_____________________________________________

Our adoption fee allows us to provide the basics for the dogs in our care, but we are always encountering additional expenses (dental work, medicine for illnesses, etc.).  If you would like to help dogs like this one, but aren't looking to adopt one at this time, please consider a donation.  Thank you.

Mr. Goofy - ADOPTED

We told you Paden was a goofy guy, so in case you didn't believe us, we'd thought we'd provide you with some evidence....

For more information on Paden, please contact the Windy City Canine Rescue at info@windycityrescue.com or by calling 403-359-3139.

_____________________________________________

Our adoption fee allows us to provide the basics for the dogs in our care, but we are always encountering additional expenses (dental work, medicine for illnesses, etc.).  If you would like to help dogs like this one, but aren't looking to adopt one at this time, please consider a donation.  Thank you.

Happy Tail

If you are an avid reader of our blog, and of course you are, you might have noticed that one of our original intakes has vanished from the adoptee's list. We are very excited to announce that after almost a full year in rescue Mya has been adopted!

Mya came into rescue when we first started. We didn't exactly receive all the information on her before she was dropped off, but the original owners had driven a long way, and it was us or the shelter where we knew she would be euthanized. We were given a muzzle and a very under socialized, intact, large black dog. It was going to be a long haul.

Mya is an example of a dog who was not exposed to new people, situations, or interactions. She was basically left in the backyard. Dogs are social animals, not only do they want to be a part of our

lives, if they aren't included they can become very reactive. Puppies especially should be exposed to as many new people, animals, sites, and smells as possible so nothing is new and scary later on. We have had dogs come in terrified of doorways, carpet, vaccums, men, women, children, you name it, all because they've never experienced it before.

We couldn't have asked for a better foster home then the one Mya had. She was placed with an experienced dog handler who worked on Mya's issues everyday. It was

a long process but Mya was improving slowly. However, we can't expect our foster homes to keep dogs forever, and we had many discussions regarding Mya. Sometimes we trade dogs with other rescues to give them exposure to a different population base if we see no interest in our area. And in the begining we had to really ask ourselves if Mya was adoptable at all.

A week ago we got the best possible outcome for Mya, her foster home wanted to adopt her! Mya now is a happy and much more well adjusted dog. You might have seen her skijoring video's, which i

s an event full of other dogs, and people and she is doing awesome! We love happy endings and wish Mya and her new family all the best.

For more information on this dog, please contact the Windy City Canine Rescue at info@windycityrescue.com or

by calling 403-359-3139.

_____________________________________________

Our adoption fee allows us to provide the basics for the dogs in our care, but we are always encountering additional expenses (dental work, medicine for illnesses, etc.). If you would like to help dogs like this one, but aren't looking to adopt one at this time, please consider a donation. Thank you.

Finn {Border Collie/Samoyed cross}

Finn is a 2 year old Border Collie/Samoyed cross.  Or at least that is our best guess!  He is about 50 lbs and 23 inches high, just to give you an idea as to how big he is.

Finn is very happy, outgoing and friendly.  He LOVES toys and is a super silly guy.

We think he spent most of his life outside so he doesn't really understand house manners but we have already started working on that and in a few short days he has already come a long way.  

We aren't sure how he will be with kids yet so we'll get that tested shortly, but his is very good with other dogs (even small ones) and while he is interested in cats, he leaves them alone.  

Finn will need a fair amount of exercise as he is a young, active dog, but he isn't an "energizer bunny" kind of dog.  If you are looking for a dog that is up for anything, Finn may be the guy for you!

For more information on this dog, please contact the Windy City Canine Rescue at info@windycityrescue.com or by calling 403-359-3139.

_____________________________________________

Our adoption fee allows us to provide the basics for the dogs in our care, but we are always encountering additional expenses (dental work, medicine for illnesses, etc.).  If you would like to help dogs like this one, but aren't looking to adopt one at this time, please consider a donation.  Thank you.

Paden {Chocolate Lab} - ADOPTED

Paden is a 4 year old chocolate lab.  He is friendly with EVERYONE - adults, kids, dogs and cats.  He hasn't met a living being he hasn't loved.

Get used to seeing the chuck-it bumper in Paden's mouth through out this post.  He really didn't want to part with it.

Paden is very obedient (unless of course you are trying to get him to give up his new toy!) and knows lots of tricks.

Paden has hip dysplasia but it doesn't slow him down.  He loves to go for long walks but even more he loves to swim.  His hip condition has so far been treated merely with a good diet and exercise and we are going to start him on some supplements as well that will help keep him healthy.  

Paden is the kind of guy that you fall in love with the moment you meet him.  He'll make you laugh every day (you should see his bucking bronco routine) and he is always ready for whatever you want to do.

Paden would fit in well with almost any family.  Have young rambunctious kids? Paden will love them.  Have ornery cats?  Paden will be fine with them.  Have other dogs? Paden will play with them.  Enjoy camping, hiking, fishing, or hunting? Paden will stay by your side and keep you company. 

Have an orange chuck-it bumper toy?  Paden will love you forever.

If you'd like to meet Paden, please contact the Windy City Canine Rescue at info@windycityrescue.com or by calling 403-359-3139.

_____________________________________________

Our adoption fee allows us to provide the basics for the dogs in our care, but we are always encountering additional expenses (dental work, medicine for illnesses, etc.).  If you would like to help dogs like this one, but aren't looking to adopt one at this time, please consider a donation.  Thank you.