January 28, 2012

Hi,

I would like to share the story of Sheldon, who was a stewardship cat from the Toronto Humane Society. We saw him on the website. He was 14 years old and already had been returned twice. We thought that Shelon deserved a good home for his final years. He was a funny looking little character, very thin, curled lip and liked to nip. When he came home with us he settled in quickly and it was like he had always been there.

He loved to talk to us and was extremely social. We grew to love him very quickly and I think he loved us too. He put a bit of weight on and was very healthy. He loved to go for car rides and would come and pick me up from work. We had him for almost five years.

Last Fri. Jan 20, Sheldon past away in his 19th year. It was his kidneys. My husband and I haven't been the same since. We knew this day would come, but it still a terrible loss. We would encourage anyone who is considering adopting a geriatric companion not to hesitate. The love they have to give makes every moment special. Thank you for letting me share our story of a very special boy, Sheldon.

Lisa McPhee

January 23, 2012

Dear Shyla,

You have been with me through thick and thin. You were always there for me when I needed a shoulder to cry on. Shyla was my first pet dog and the best jack russel ever! Back in 2000 my house was broken into and robbed when no one was home. We kept Shyla in the laundry room while we were out so she didn't chew the furniture. Because Shyla was in the house, she was in guard of the laundry room when it got broken into. She scared the theives from even coming close to that room! She was a great guard dog and an awesome friend.

When we moved out she was passed onto my grandmother who needed some help around the house. Shyla took care of any mice problems :) and was great scaring away the mail man who brought unwanted flyers! Shyla was a great partner to my grandmother and to everyone in the family. She was a very happy dog until she got cancer in 2009. There was no way we could save her, God was determined to take her from us. :(

Now she is away from the pain and suffering and watching over us. You will never be forgotten.

I love you, rest in peace my angel!

January 18, 2012

"In Memory of Jake"

It was spring, 8 years ago, when my mom Lois, and brother Art adopted "Jake"(a beautiful border collie)from the Toronto Humain Society. Jake was already 8 years old at the time. After a bit of research we learned that he had lived as a pet of a mentally handicapped couple in northern Ontarion, and was often forgotten outside, in all types of weather conditions.

I can remember when they first met Jake, they both fell in love with him. It was at that point that Jake's life changed and so did Art and Lois'. For 8 years, Jake was a great companion. From his walks with Art, and his vocals in letting the neighbours and other dogs know he was "in the hood', to bolting around the backyard to investigate who was passing by our house. In the night, Jake would sleep beside Lois' bed and protect her as she slept. It was quite comical to see Jake walk circles around the kitchen table, and practice his herding talents. He would howl if they went out shopping without taking him. He was a beautiful companion, friend, and protector.

In December 2011, Jake was diagnosed as having 2 tumors , one on his liver, the other his spleen. The diagnosis came a few days before Christmas. On December 30th, 2011, Jake herded the invisible sheep around the kitchen table one more time.

I have no doubt that he is herding God's sheep up in Heaven, and doing a great job of it!

God Bless You Jake! We Love You Always!
Mom, Art, Fred xo

January 11, 2012

Dear Toronto Humane Society,

On August 9, 2000, my husband and I adopted an adorable male, brown tabby cat from your rescue. We named him 'Maximus', Max for short, and he instantly became the centre of our world. Over the course of Max's 11 and a half year life we got married, bought our first house, added a dog to our family, moved to a new house and had our daughter. As Max was a huge part of our life and family, he was very much a part of all these experiences which greatly enriched our life. Our Max was quite a character, known and loved my many, with a larger than life personality. He was a cat like no other and we loved him dearly.

In early December our Max became very ill with pancreatic problems. Our amazing vet, Dr Greg Usher, did everything he could but our poor boy deteriorated quickly and heartbreakingly, he was unable to make our Max well. So on January 2nd, 2012 after several heartwrenching weeks of watching our poor Max suffer greatly, we did the kindest, most humane thing we could do for him. With Max wrapped in a blanket in my arms with my husband by my side, Dr Usher put our boy to rest.

We miss our Max more than words can describe, our house feels empty without him. His memories will always live on with us and we thank you for so greatly enriching our life with this sweet soul.

With much gratitude, Noelle, John and Victoria Hiscox

December 1, 2011

I adopted Milo from the THS over 12 years ago. He was abandoned and abused, not to mentioned terrified of men. After watching the THS advertisement one early Sunday morning we saw Milo. His name at the time was Chucky, given by staff there. We fell in love, rushed over and stood in line for 3.5 hours to ensure he was coming home with us.

It took some work and a lot of love, but MILO became a confident and happy little boy. Living with his new family and fellow sister, another dog we own by the name of Cloe. He lived to a ripe old age of 14.5, only to lose his battle with cushings disease and seizures. To this day I miss him dearly, and so does Cloe. His ashes, his plaque and photo adorn our fireplace mantel, but he will always be in our hearts.

Milo is proof that adoptive dogs can be amazing, loving pets. They just need some love that they didn't get before.

MILO – SEPT 1996 – APRIL 2011

R.I.P. my dearest little boy
Elle

November 3, 2011

This is a letter to my dear dog Lucy, whom I adopted from THS on July 16th, 1998. She was a great dog, and here is my letter to her (photo attached).

Dear Lucy,

You have been my friend for over 13 years.

You have been my faithful companion through most of my adult life. You have licked away my tears through broken relationships, lost loves, and the deaths of my mother and grandfather. You were here the day I found out I was pregnant, and the day that I brought Victoria home from the hospital. You were with me on my wedding day.

We drove across Canada together for 13 days and stayed at some pretty shoddy hotels and motels along the way. But we did it together. I still can't believe we made it alive. Those roads in Ontario were so terrible in the rain!

You taught me what true friendship really means. You taught me how to love. You are the reason that I became a vegetarian. You are gone now, up to heaven with all the other good dogs.

I was expecting some sort of closure but I guess that will only come in time. Your eyes were open and you still looked like herself. But there was no heartbeat, and no breathing. I miss you, Moosey...

I came home to a quiet house this afternoon. There is no more Lucy barking. I always cursed that bark of yours, but now I miss it, strangely enough. I tried my best to give you a good life, B, and I can only hope that your last moments were free of pain and that you know your mommy was with you till the end. You were my lifelong friend.

I will miss you.

Our long summer days at the doggie beach in Vancouver, when you and Winston played in the sand and dipped your paws into the Pacific ocean. You were the best dog a girl could have ever asked for.

I loved you from the moment I heard you panting in your cage at the Humane Society in Toronto, way back in 1998 when I first adopted you on that hot, humid day. I remember buying you a hot dog and a bottle of Evian. I said, "welcome to the good life, DOG!!" And it was you and I from that moment on.

You changed me in so many profound ways. Mostly in teaching me to live more in the moment and what it meant to unconditionally love another being. I was so very proud of you when we went to dog obedience camp and you won the prize for "most improved dog". You passed the CKC Good Neighbour test too!

And then you went on to become a St. John Ambulance registered therapy dog. From a dog wandering High Park to a therapy dog. "You go girl!", I said. You were a good girl. You sometimes drove me crazy when you would not pee in -20 temperatures during snowstorms in Toronto back in the day. I am surprised you survived through my 20's with all my shananigans! And then there was that time that the German Shepherd bit you at the park and left his teeth marks in your neck.

You chased that black cat on Sammon Ave. and I remember running down the road with my pajamas on. What a sight that must have been. We found you though, barking at "RIMBO" in a yard a few doors down. I was so upset that day....I thought I had lost you.

We've been through a lot, you and I. 13 years is a hell of a long time. The trip from Virginia when Tiffy pooped on you as you shared a dog crate and we had to stop and wipe you off. HAH! Poppy never thought we'd make it back to Toronto alive, but we all did just fine!

You enjoyed the days we spent at the dog park in Norfolk. And the hot summers in Toronto, when you dug holes and buried yourself in the sand at the beaches so you would be able to cool off. I thought that was awesome.

You so loved to go down the slides with me. People must have thought I was crazy going down slides with a little lapdog. HAHA. And you stole poppy's heart the moment he met you. You stole so many hearts over the years, Lucy. Most of all, mine...

But you are the only one that ever bit me. And over a dog treat. Of course. And I've groomed a hundred dogs or more! And you snored so loudly that I had to wear earplugs all of these years. HAHA. You and your pug nose.

Do you remember the time that you literally stopped traffic? You were wearing your faux fur leopard print jacket and the school kids made such a fuss that the driver had to stop the bus and say hello to us. You loved to prance around in that jacket! You looked so cute doing it, too!

And you were there with me on that fateful day when we met Chloe and daddy. Of course we didn't know then that he and I would get married and live happily every after! But our mutual love of dogs enabled us to come together, so thank you for that, too! If it were not for you, I wouldn't have ever met him! Amazing.

Oh my....so many years of memories. So many ups and downs together. The day I lost my job and was terrified of what would become of us. And then, miraculously, three weeks later when I got my way better job. You did a very enthusiastic high five when I told you the news.

I just want you to know, Lucy, that you meant and will always mean everything to me. I know that since the baby was born that I have not given you the love you so so deserved.

We didn't have the time that I would have liked to have in your golden years. I am sorry for not being there for you 100% this last 19 months. All this 'mommy to a human baby' stuff has been hard on your mommy. You were so easy to take care of compared to a human baby!!!

But I did my best to love you in the many years that we had together. I am so so sorry for having to do this to you, my best friend. I love you.
Now and forevermore.

Mommy

November 2, 2011

Dear Staff and Volunteers at the Toronto Humane Society,

Let me formerly introduce you to our baby girl, Chelsea. Don't be fooled though, our "baby girl" has been just that - for 16 beautifully long years. I remember the day I met my lifelong sister, as clearly as if it were yesterday. It was a beautiful October weekend in Toronto; the air was crisp and the leaves had begun to change. At the time, I was an 8 year old little girl; who had never had a pet before. At the time, my brother was 3 years old and my parents were ready to teach us about responsibility and love.

Unbeknownst to any of us, we would find SO much more in our baby girl. I will never forget the first time I met Chelsea - her name at the time, was Rita. I am a big believer, especially after that day, that "you just know" when you meet the right animal for you. "Rita" was very subdued - she wasn't like all the other dogs. I distinctly remember how loud the room was, filled with dogs who needed a home - they definitely made themselves known! "Rita", however, was different. The moment we laid eyes on each other - I knew she would become my lifelong friend. She immediately perked up, and began licking our hands and faces - we just, knew. Our family was now proud owners of a beautiful baby girl, that we named - Chelsea.

I'm not going to lie, those first years were filled with chewing up converters, tearing apart our couch - she was a big teether! Chels loved spreading out in the grass, rubbing her head against the ground, but most of all - she LOVED to suntan! She, very fast, became part of our family - a love unlike nothing any of us had ever felt before. Her early years were spent "seeing the world", and enjoying every minute of it! Every summer, our family would travel up North with Chels, and do week-long camping trips. Boy - did she ever love those! Our family grew accustomed to dinnertime with Chels, which almost always ended up in "someone" feeding her under the table! As she got older, she became our beautiful princess. It was no longer "us taking care of her", she - really, took care of us. Every night before dinner, when my mom and dad would call the kids to the table, they would always remember to call Chels too (hehe).

When I say she was a part of the family - you have no idea. She lit up our life, unlike anything either of us had ever experienced. Her life was beautiful; with a huge backyard in the country, and 2 long walks a day - she had it made! I consider our family, so unbelievably blessed, for having met Chelsea - I can't imagine my life without her.

Unfortunately, though, on October 4th 2011; our biggest fear became reality. After months of prolonging the inevitable - it became apparent that Chelsea was no longer, Chelsea. With my dad holding her face, and rubbing her ears (as he's always done, to comfort her) - she went to sleep, one final time. Losing my baby girl has been one of the hardest things my family and I, have ever had to endure. To some, she might have just been "a dog" but to us, she was family - she was our everything. Chelsea now rests downstairs, in a beautiful doubled picture frame; one side holds her ashes, in a velvet bag - which rests behind a photo of her. The other side, holds a beautiful coloured imprint of her paw, set in stone.

Although we miss her terribly, we are forever grateful for the beautiful memories we have made throughout the years. We are looking forward to the day, when we may be reunited with our baby girl, one last time.

Huge thanks go out to the Toronto Humane Society, for allowing our family the opportunity to find love. We gave Chelsea, 16 beautiful years of love and happiness - we would not have wanted it, any other way. We are so proud to have been able to give our Chelsea girl, the opportunity at a FANTASTIC life! I can finally say, our life has been made complete. Never again, will we go anywhere, other than - the Toronto Humane Society; to adopt a pet.

Lots of love,

The Bartolacs

October 14, 2011

I never thought I would become so attached to a pet but what they say is true, "A dog is a man's best friend".

In June 2010, Roscoe, a three month old English Bulldog came into my life. As he walked around my home familiarizing himself with the new surroundings (peeing on my furniture) I knew that I was ready to take on the responsibility of owning a dog.

His adorable wrinkled face, giant sized paws and body much to small for his head, he had won me over. "I'll take him" He approached slowly and cautiously toward me. "Daddy?" I couldn't help myself to do nothing but give him kisses on his head. "Yes, I'm your new daddy"

As he licked my face the hours passed by, I knew this was a special bond. As the weeks passed Roscoe grew larger and larger. We would often go to the park or on walks where Roscoe would attract everyone in sight. People would often stop their cars to comment. One time a TTC driver stopped her bus and asked if I could bring Roscoe aboard. He proceeded to lick her face as the riders waited patiently. At 8 months he was 45 lbs an healthy as could be. Within the year of having him we visited numerous festivals from Italian Festival, Taste of Danforth, Woofstock and Oktoberfest to name a few. He was my little sidekick and life was good.

At one year and a half and weighing 65lbs Roscoe injured his leg after chasing a ball in the park. I decided to get surgery done to repair a torn cruciate ligament. The surgery was a success and Roscoe was on his way to recovery. After several weeks my family who supported me so much during this ordeal noticed a little bump on Roscoe's hip. After numerous hospital visits and weeks admitted they discovered the bump that once was small grew larger and was a cancerous tumor. I couldn't believe what I heard. A puppy at one and a half years old with cancer. As I wiped away the tears the reality sank in and two options were given to me. You have to understand at this moment Roscoe's leg is double the size of his other leg and for the last five days on two pain killers he was in enormous amounts of pain.

The options were:
A. Amputate his leg/hip and start chemotherapy which was a 25% success rate or
B. Have him put down

The decision was difficult and took so much out of me that till this day I am still sad and regret it but I knew that at the time it was the only way to take the pain away. I chose B and lost my best friend.

Oct 13, 2010 was the saddest day of my life. I will always remember you Roscoe the time we had. I miss you so much. You will always be my little boy.

Lino

August 18, 2011

On February 10, 1998, I was blessed with a staggering gift, in the form of a small stray dog that I was allowed to adopt from the Toronto Humane Society. That day was one of the luckiest of my life.

In those days, adoptable dogs were posted on a recorded phone message that was updated each day around 10AM. I phoned regularly to see if there were any small dogs available. One day, they mentioned a male dachshund, and I left work, and ran over to River Street. My first view of Spencer was of a little dog cowering in the back of a very large cage, barking at me. I was a little worried about how he'd act with my other dog Rebecca, but from the first moment they got along famously. She was probably the only dog he didn't greet with a snarl.

Spencer never did believe in making a good first impression. But 10 minutes after he'd bark at a stranger, I'd look over to see him happily settled in their lap, whether they liked it or not.

He was truly a wonderful friend. When it was within his power, he was never more than a few feet away from me. He utterly and completely stole my heart. After 13 1/2 short years beside me, my beautiful little buddy died on June 28th after a difficult struggle with renal disease.

While I selfishly think of him as my dog, Spencer got to be a part of two families, with Darren and I on evenings and weekends, and ‘dog-sitters' David and Brian on weekdays - and, of course, Rebecca 24/7. The years that he shared with our families were something for which we will be eternally grateful, and a large piece of each of our hearts will always be with him.

John

July 22, 2011

We brought Billy into our family when I was 8 years old. When we agreed on him at the Humane Society, he was a one year old frisky little cat, who clawed at me through the cage as I waited by while my mom signed the adoption papers.

Billy became part of our family immediately, and he was a great sport in games that my brother and I would make him play.

As an integral part of our family, Billy moved with us to NY, then with my brother to Montreal. He lived in more places that even I did as a human!

Everyone that met him adored him. He let kids torture him, he let adults pet him, and everybody, even non-cat people, fell in love with the little prince that he was.

Billy would sleep in between my brother and my room, every night, making us both believe that we were his favourite-I still don't know how he managed, but every night he slept with both of us, in both of our rooms.

He died at the age of 14 and although it has been 2 years since his death, I still think of him and miss him. He was an amazing addition to our family and really truly brought us a great deal of happiness. RIP

Billy the cat.

July 22, 2011

July 1997 about 2 years after putting our previous pure breed tri-collie down after 13 yrs, as a family that there was something missing. We decided to visit the THS for the first time. We gathered up the three kids and headed down to the shelter from Pickering. We looked through the kennel where the dogs are kept and didn't see anything or so we thought. My husband was going to leave…I told him he couldn't drag us down there and leave without a new pet. The kids would be devastated. We looked again and found a tri-colour, part hound, part collie, part Australian cattle dog. He was a stray. He was hyper and was barking at us as to say pick me, pick me! So we did and he has been a part of our lives for 13+ years.

He started having difficulties over the past few months with what we thought were tremors or seizures whereby he would collapse on the floor, plus he was dribbling pee. On July 18th he had three seizures within 5 minutes. Then six more before 2 pm. My husband took him to the vet and they observed him as well as did 3 ECG's in various positions. It showed he had a secondary blockage in the heart and the blood was not getting to his brain which was causing fainting spells as we were told. They tried Atropine to see if they could regulate the heart but they couldn't. It was determined he needed a pacemaker.

We picked him up from the vet and he kept having the fainting spells. He started loosing control of his hips and shaking. We decided as a family this was not they way we wanted him to live if he even survived. On July 18, 2011 we took him to the Whitby emergency clinic and said goodbye to Harley. He was part of the family and will be extremely missed by all of us, but forever in out hearts. RIP our little buddy! Your not in pain anymore. Thank you THS for giving us joy in our family for the past 13+ years.

Respectfully yours,

Cheryl A. Craig

July 19, 2011

In July of 1998, at the young age of 5 years old, my parents brought me and my 2 brothers to THS to pick out a dog. My father really had in his mind that he wanted a collie, and when he didn't find one, he was going to leave. As I circled the dog adoption centre, this one particular dog stood out in my mind. Every time I stood in front of his cage, he would whimper and just look at me with his sad eyes, and the moment we continued, he'd begin to bark and scratch the inside of the cage. As crazy as he seemed, I told my father that I liked him and that he was the one. Not wanting to disappoint me, my father agreed and he soon became our dog.

At 6 months old, Harley was adopted into our family. He was part collie, part hound, and part australian cattle dog, and he was crazy! As soon as we brought him home, he ate both my moms and my favourite pair of sandals, knocked over our plants in the house, and barked at everything and everyone. My dad was definitely having second thoughts, but I told him that he was perfect and nothing a little bit of training couldn't fix. Harley was the best dog a family could ask for.

On July 18th 2011, Harley began experiencing some troubles. We rushed him to the local vet, and we were told he had a second degree blockage to his heart. Either he would need surgery to implant a pace maker, or we would have to put him down. At 13 years of age, as a family, we decided that it would be best to put Harley down. He suffered a lot in the last few hours of his life, and as I held him when he was being put to sleep, I knew that it would be hard to love another dog as much as I loved Harley again. I laid with him after he passed, not wanting to leave because he had been my best friend for my entire life. I know he is in a much better place now, but I would do anything to re-live those 13 years with my Harley again.

The Craig family would like to thank THS for giving us our Harley, we had a lot of great years with him and we are very blessed that we were able to find a dog like him. You saved his life and we took him and gave him the best life he could possibly have.

Thank you THS, sincerely,
The Craig Family.

June 23, 2011

I recently posted an in memory for my cats Molly & Gypsy, but as I was doing that I was taking care of my babygirl Fluffy. We got her from THS in may 2004 shortly after Molly passed away, just to see if it would help heal us a bit and give our cat Gypsy another friend so she wouldn't feel so lonely. She was only a couple of months old when we got her, and little did we find out after that she was epileptic, and she had seizures from the crinkling of plastic, and the ringing of bells. She was a sweet girl, but had some moments when she wouldn't act like herself and she would try to attack our other cat. But she didn't know she was doing that. She loved to cuddle up with you, and make you feel better when you were sad. I lost a bestfriend, in april and she was there for me through the entire time.

This morning (June 23, 2011) at around 7am she passed away, I don't know what the cause was
or how she got sick in the first place, but she's in a much better place. I promised her the entire night that I stayed up with her, that she was going to feel better soon. And I kissed her, and repeatedly told her I love her so much, and that I would give her the world. Many thanks to the THS for giving us this beautiful cat, and our beautiful previous cats.

One day I'll be with her again, and I promise then everything will be perfect. Her name from the THS was Lila, but we couldn't decide what to call her, because she had socks/boots so we called her Soxy, Boots and then Fluffy.

I love her more than anything in the world, and once again I thank the THS for her.

- Katie H.

June 23, 2011

We got Gypsy, from the THS about 14 years ago when she was little with her sister Molly, who passed away in 2004 from lung cancer and was my bestfriend. Gypsy became apart of our family, and became a bestfriend to my sister. We never really let her outside, unless we were there watching her , but even then she'd get scared and run inside. She was a house cat and a loveable one at that. She loved to curl up on my sisters head, and she'd watch movies, and curl up beside you if you were ever sad. She was a great friend to talk to because she always listened, and she always wanted attention.

So when you'd either be playing a game, or just on the internet she'd paw at you just to let you know she wants attention. Over the years her breathing started to change, and by this february she started to get sick. The day before she passed away, we knew something was wrong. She wasn't acting the same, she wasn't eating, or drinking. And she wasn't really using the bathroom either. The next day we called the vet because she went into hiding and she knew something was going to happen because she wouldnt come out and she kept meowing. We brought her downstairs, and the vet gave her a needle, to try and calm her down, but she had a heart attack right in front of us.

She is truly missed, and forever will be, but she will always be loved. Noone will ever be able to replace her. Kelly & all of us miss you so much baby girl Rest in peace now.

Gypsy(black) :1999 - February 20 , 2011
Molly ( grey) : 1999 - May 2004

Love the Hall family

June 10, 2011

On an early November day 2008, my husband walked into the THS on River and saw a little cocker spaniel named Thomasina. She had been living at THS for 4 months and no one wanted her. She hadn't been trimmed in quite some time and she came with thyroid and bladder issues. It was an instant connection between her and my husband as he sat in a little room with her. He called me at work and said "I have found a cocker spaniel for you. Go to the THS website and look at her picture". One look and I knew she was for us.

We had her hair done, changed her name to Shelby, and bought her some clothes. She joined our Bernese, Colton, and even though she was only 32 pounds to his 125, she was the boss of the house. We did everything on Shelby's schedule. She was spunky and strong to the very end. A very classy lady who loved her pink polo shirt, dresses, many sweaters and jackets and above all, her collar which she proudly wore in the last minutes of her life. Nothing was better than laying in bed with her Daddy watching Lady and the Tramp, her favorite movie. She loved her family and would do anything for us, but she loved her daddy most of all. He saved her and brought her into our family.

Our little girl, our little princess Shelby, passed away last Sunday.

No one quite knew her age. We think she was 9 or 10 when we got her, which would put her at 12 or 13. She lived as a true princess these last 3 years and though we miss her more than words can possibly say, we wouldn't trade a minute of our time with her. We feel honored to have given her such a good life and hopefully the best years of her life.

We love you Shelby,

Mommy, Daddy, Quinlan, Carleton, Colton and Lily

May 21, 2011

I got Bella from the THS on November 29th 2002. I had been in Toronto for just over a year and was living alone in my first real apartment and I decided to look for a pet of my own. I was looking for a one or two year old cat. I looked at all the cats and found Bella who had been named Cinderella. She was the age I was looking for at 1 and a half years old. She was a small cat and a little thin. She was lying on her side with her paw stretched out and when I came up to talk to her she responded by trying to touch me by putting her paw through the bars. She had a beautiful face and I read that she was affectionate. There were other sheets on the pad but I didn't look at them, I had decided this was my cat.

While waiting for my interview I decided to change her name to Bella because she was beautiful and it ended the same as Cinderella. In the interview I found out that this cat had been at the THS for over 4 months. She had been returned twice for different reasons and had been with a foster family. This made me want her even more. I took her home and Bella was my constant companion for 8 and 1/2 years. I met my husband, got married and moved three times with her. My husband and her became fast friends. She was the most affectionate, playful and good natured animal I have ever known.

Bella died yesterday of advanced cancer of the stomach and liver. She showed no symptoms and was eating, jumping,running up her scratching post and sleeping on our laps at night right up until her last day. Yesterday morning we woke up unexpectedly and shockingly to a very sick cat. I took her to the vet and she continued to deteriorate during the exam and after confirmation by an x-ray the vet knew why she was shutting down. Bella died at the vet's office. While we are dealing with our grief we do have some comfort knowing that she didn't suffer very long and that we had so many years with her.

Carrie and Dave

May 14, 2011

In July, 2004, I responded to a THS "adopt a cat" campaign and adopted Missy, although I already had a cat at home and hadn't intended to get another. Missy was 13 years old and had been surrendered because a family member developed asthma. She was a gorgeous black cat with green eyes and a sweet temperament. After a short adjustment period, Missy became a playful, affectionate companion for me and my other cat, Samantha, also black with green eyes. Missy, the larger and older of the two, would groom Samantha as if they were mother cat and kitten. I was privileged to have Missy with me for six and a half years. In her last couple of years, she lost most of her sight to detached retinas, as a result of high blood pressure. We got the blood pressure under control and Missy adapted well to her reduced vision, confidently finding her way around the apartment and onto my bed and her favourite chair.

Missy reached the age of 20 in early April, 2011. She had an excellent appetite and was in good shape for her age. Her final illness overtook her suddenly, and there was only one right choice for her. She was gently helped out of her life - licking the veterinarian's fingers as she prepared to give the injection - on April 21. I miss her, and so does Samantha. My thanks to Dr. Vihos and all the veterinarians and staff at Downtown Animal Hospital for loving care of Missy and kind support at the end.

April 30, 2011

We got Coby at the Toronto Humane Society on December 27, 2005. She was 5 1/2 years old. She seemed very sad all alone in her cage. We could clearly see that she had been a mother, and would of had to give away her pups. She had also been adopted once before and returned to THS. We just had to bring her home with us. Once we got her in the car she must have given us a thousand kisses. She was so thankful to be going home with us. Coby was always a very affectionate, loyal and loving dog. She loved children, going for walks everyday, playing with her toys, table scraps and getting lots of treats. She especially loved resting in her own bed.

Sadly, on April 18, 2011 she passed away just one week before her 11th Birthday. She was a very good dog. We are so glad we were able to adopt Coby and have her in our lives. We are sad, crying and missing her very much. She was a big part of our lives and we think of her everyday. We will always, always love Coby.

Larry & Doreen.

April 27, 2011

My cat 'Frosty' or (Winter) as he was called passed away on April 21st, at seven years of age. It was unexpected, even he had been sick a few times with an infection in his mouth and teeth. The vets couldn't figure out what was wrong. He was feeling better even the day before, he was rolling around, jumping on the couch and eating heartily.

He had been adopted by my niece in 2009, and I agreed to look after him. He had been abused and I told him that he'd be safe with me. I accomplished that for two years and he trusted me and I was very happy. It took him awhile to come out of his hiding spots, I didn't push him. He loved to lie under the chair, so it was more like a tent. He would stare at his girlfriend 'Snowflake', a stuffed white cat, in which is still there.

I say a prayer every night, telling him that I love and miss him, and that he will not be forgotton. I'm sure another cat will come into my life and I will give them the best that I can.

Good night 'My little man', Susie loves you.

Thank you.
Susan Fadden (Cat volunteer)

April 21, 2011

I got Billy from the THS at Christmas, 2005. He had been at the shelter for 4 months, and I suspect no one wanted him for two reasons: 1.) he was a little stand-offish, and, 2.) some people have a ridiculous superstition of black cats. He died today because he was hit by a car. Thankfully, he died instantly. I am going to miss him, terribly. I know some of you may be saying that it was my own fault for letting him out, and rest assured, I do feel guilty. but I also know that he had a very good life with me for 6 years.

Although I got him for my son that Christmas of 2005, he really was my cat. He only ever showed affection to me. I have read that some persian cats are like that, and Billy had a lot of persian in him. Billy was also blessed at Saint-Simon-the Apostle's Anglican Church on Bloor St., and somehow that makes me feel a little bit better , that somehow God knows what a great cat he was and that he is in whatever heaven there is for cats.

Billy, Glenna

On October 4th, 1997 we went down to the THS on River Street with friends so "they" could look for a dog to adopt. Little did my husband and I know that is was "us" who would be coming home with a forever pet of our own.

As we went from one dog to another trying to help our friends find their forever pet, my husband noticed this little puppy who wasn't that little in a cage by herself. He went over to read what was written about her. She was a husky/shepherd mix that was 3 months old. She had one blue eye and one brown eye. And her ears were bigger than her whole head.

We read the name on the card and it said her name was "Casey". We thought this was a sign because our Orange Male Tabby was named KC. My husband wanted to find out more about her and have us spend some time in the meeting room with her.

Right then and there we decided to adopt her. And it was the best decision we ever made. Since we already had a KC in the family ... we offically changed her name to Karly.

She was truly one of the most affectionate pets I've ever known. All she wanted was love and she gave it unconditionally. She never liked to see us leave but greeted us with such enthusiasm when we came home. Karly had the run of the house. She slept with us every night. She loved to snuggle on the couch but also loved lying in front of the fire place or at the front door when the sunshine came through. She loved being outside in the sunshine. We would take her up north during the summer on the boat. She loved the fresh air. She had no time to nap during those fun summer days because she never wanted to miss someone walking by or watching the kids play.

On December 6th, 2010 we said goodbye to our precious baby girl Karly. She was such a ray of sunshine in our lives. Even as she was slowly going to a better place free of pain, she managed to give her Mom one last kiss. It was so hard to let her go. She was a huge part of our family. We still look for her in all her favourite spots. Her presence is sorely missed. We think about her everyday.

As much as we would love to have another dog in our home, part of us feels this was Karly's home. But then we think about giving another dog a forever home. We have been looking on the THS website and even came down recently to show the kids where we got Karly from. Perhaps this is not the right time because we are still grieving Karly. We hope that one day we will find another dog from THS just as precious as Karly but in their own special way.

Shari and Family

February 9, 2011

On her information sheet at the Toronto Humane Society, Cheyenne was reported to be found in Scarborough in the middle of winter bearing a tag with her name and birthday. When I first met her in the adoption center there, she had been "in residence" for a few months. She seemed sad and only looked up at me once, then turned away. When I asked the adoption attendants about Cheyenne they refused. Apparently she had been a barky dog in the shelter and would look out our apartment window and bark at everyone on the street. I countered by pointing that I had a deck on the front of my apartment 30 feet by about 9 feet deep. They were satisfied with that answer and let me take her home. She spent many hours each warm day on that deck and never barked, even though she had a great view of the Withrow Dog Park. She had a lot of amazing qualities that didn't show up at the shelter. When I brought her home her ears were perpetually down and her back slightly hunched. The first time she stood at the edge of Withrow Park, her back straightened and her ears went up...they never went down again.

She had been obviously hurt in her previous home and remained slightly anxious all her life. But you could not ask for a better behaved dog in the house. Outside was different and it took some time to train her in obedience in that context. She needed to learn that disobedience would not result in physical punishment. My daughter and I worked with her gently to develop a trusting relationship that was also firm in its expectations for good dog behaviour.

The evening I brought her home it was raining and our first bonding experience was her receiving a gentle towel rub and that always remained a pleasant experience for us both. Over the years I kept my pledge of exercising and socializing her. I fed her the best foods I could afford/available and she became a real member of the family and popular dog in the neighbourhood for her great social zeal and her notoriously clever/mischievious side.

In time we moved to a few different homes. I married a man with two cats. Cheyenne with a trainer's help lived with them, without incident...one of the cats, in their last week of life, even went and lay on Cheyenne's bed for comfort and company...Several years ago, my husband and I moved to the Ottawa region, living first in Ottawa and then moving to a rural home. In Ottawa we resided near the RCMP stables and we would visit there every evening to "helloooo" the horses in the paddocks. Last year we bought the house we now live in in a rural location near Ottawa...by this time Cheyenne, at 17 was diagnosed with arthritis and we started on a course of pain relief and natural joint support supplements. In our new home Cheyenne has had the freedom to roam leashless/fenceless--something she always loved-exploring! Because of the arthritis she wasn't able to get very far but loved to do a little wandering and then would return and sit on the lawn in the shade and just enjoy the view.

We made her comfortable with special foods, a princess pile of cushions and blankets next to a source of heat. Over the passed several months, she began to decline in other ways. Recently she began to have pain that the medicam and natural anti inflammatories were not helping. She could no longer eat standing up and was being fed softened food at her bed. She needed frequent breaks outside, but desired to come back in right away. Not like her at all...because she loved the winter. For a few weeks simple walks down the road and back had become too much. I felt she had been suffering for a long time and despite her obvious alertness and will to live, her suffering was on the verge of become morbid. I made the decision that it was time to let her die. Yesterday we took her to our veteranarian and I sat with her at face level and looked into her eyes as the vet administered the euthanization fluid...Right before she died, she lifted her muzzle up through the vallium fog, opened her right eye wide and looked at me. To the end, she displayed an amazingly powerful spirit. A real character we all loved and cherished. Cheyenne had turned 18 this passed December 16th.

She had not been my first choice at the shelter, but if I had it to do over again I wouldn't have it any other way. I am grateful for the life she shared with us and for her constant companionship. I am grateful to the Humane Society for having a place I could share her long story. She outlived all her early friends but continued to make new ones, even in these last few months.

November 29, 2010

My family adopted "Maggy" just over 7 years ago from the THS. We first saw her online and noticed she had been at the shelter for some time. We knew instantly that we wanted her. She was 5 years old and looked like she had been through a lot in her short life. She was scared of just about everything and everyone but as soon as she started warming up to her new family her true princess personality started to shine through.

She became a protector to her new brother "Montana" and a princess to her human sisters and parents. She found out that she loved to tan outside on sunny days and dig up gardens. Maggy loves to be comfortable she would give us her sad eyes and instantly we would find our self's inviting her up on to the couch for some love. She also loved to eat she would always be ready come breakfast and dinner. She quickly came accustom to the 2 milk bones on her bed before sleep time. Maggy would sometimes try and be sneaking and go on her bed during the day expecting to receive a treat... and it usually worked. Maggy has been nothing but an angel to our family and to everyone that has met her. She loves playing with kids and keeping you company during all naps. We couldn't have asked for a better dog and just wish we could have had her for longer.

The last 6 months were tough on Maggy and we found she was in pain and slowly getting worse. We were forced to make a tough choice but we knew what was best for her. We are so thankful for her and we think about her everyday and love her and miss her so much.

Thanks THS for giving us our princess

Lindsay and Family

November 13, 2010

My roommate adopted "Colin" in September of 1995 from River Street THS, to be the buddy to her Cocker Spaniel (he didn't like being alone when we were at work and needed a non-dog to keep him from barking). A beautiful grey DSH, he was about 8 months old, and from the notes on his file, he loved being brushed. Well, that was very true. Buddy, as he was renamed, was also a very friendly, social guy – and he chose me to be his caregiver & lifelong companion.

He tolerated my moves, other pets that roommates had, and was the best buddy around. He had his fun side (chasing and fetching paper balls, having tummy rubs, loving catnip, lying in the perfect sunbeam, and watching the world go by) and his frisky side (knocking over a fully decorated Christmas tree, "playing" with the toilet paper roll and spreading it all over the house, trying to eat a cricket then leaving the remains on the carpet for me as a gift). He always met me at the front door when I came home, would always be there an afternoon nap and became a best furry friend to my partner when he came into my life.

The past month or so, Buddy became tired; he has a seizure on Thanksgiving and then stopped eating. We brought him to our vet and after tests, diagnoses (renal failure, pancreatitis, diverticulosis) and medication, on Sunday November 7th he suffered major breathing issues. On the 8th, Buddy said it was his time to go. Our thanks to Dr. Mitelman & Kingston Road Animal Hospital, for being there for Buddy at the end and to the THS for bringing Buddy into my life. He will always have a very special place in our hearts, and is sorely missed.

August 26, 2010

In late July 2007 we adopted Cookie from the River Street shelter. Cookie had been a stray and was an older dog - estimated at 11 but our vet thought she was older. She came with some pre-established medical problems. As our mission is to give older animals a chance, Cookie was introduced to our other dog and the rest was history. As two moderately dominant females, they had a few spats but worked things out themselves and became friends. We changed Cookie's name as we didn't want every dog in the neighbourhood coming when we called her. Over the years, eyes and ears diminished and Cushings disease surfaced, but we all soldiered on. On August 20th, we lost our beautiful girl and are all coming to grips with life without our resident comic. Thank you, THS, for giving older animals the chance at a comfortable and peaceful retirement. Some day we will be back.

-Judy