Happy Tails

Val and Winnie

	Val and Winnie

I had two dogs, Mollie and Harley and was thinking of adopting a third. My sister told me about the Toronto Humane Society website, and I decided to check it out. I saw Valerie's picture and read her story. It broke my heart to learn that she had been adopted and returned four times. Twice she was returned for excessive barking due to separation anxiety. I knew that would not be an issue with us though, as we (my parents, brother and I) live in the country so there are no neighbours to worry about and my mom does not work so Val would have a human with her most of the time.

I went to meet Val and I fell in love with her right away. I was very surprised to see how little she is - she looked so big in her picture (maybe it was just her big, sad eyes). She certainly did have a big bark though! I went back a few days later with Mollie and Harley, to make sure that they all got along. Everything seemed okay (all dogs take a little time to get used to each other), so we got ready to take little Val home. Then, in the hallway, I saw Winnie. She was a big (quite fat, actually) dog whose owners had surrendered her after 8 years as they were moving and could not take her with them. She had gotten to be so fat because they had fed her table scraps all of the time instead of quality dog food and she had a thyroid problem, so it really wasn't her fault that she was so big. I could not do anything about Winnie that day, so we went home and got Valerie all settled in. There were a few issues between Mollie and Valerie for a few days - they just had to work out who was the "alpha" dog - I had to teach them that I was the boss. After a couple of minor skirmishes, they started to become great friends.

I could not forget about Winnie though. She was an older dog with a weight problem and some health issues, and I was afraid she may not get adopted for a long time. It must be so hard for dogs who have had a home and a family for so many years to be suddenly be in a shelter, with unfamiliar people and animals, and smells and noises all of the time. I decided I could not let Winnie grow old in the shelter. We decided to add a fourth dog to the family and we made the trip back into Toronto to fill out the application and bring Winnie home. There were a few days that all of the dogs were working out the "pecking order", but since then they have all become the best of friends. Valerie has found a forever home (we would NEVER EVER consider taking our little Val back to the Humane Society - she may pace and bark quite loudly at times but it is nothing compared to the love she gives us) and Winnie has room to run for exercise (to hopefully lose a few pounds!) and we are happy to say that her liver enzymne levels have stabalized. She loves to play tug-o-war with us and the other dogs. And she loves to bark at and chase the kitties (although they don't like it very much at all). Val likes the kitties though and always greets them with a sniff and a smile. They love to play with their toys and love their snacks, and like to sit on the couches with grammy when she watches her afternoon shows.

They get very excited when we take all four for their walks down the road and when they go out to the backyard to play. Winnie likes to roll onto her back on the grass and then Mollie and Winnie chase noises into the forest. Valerie and Harley pass the time playing fetch with their many tennis balls. Each dog is so special to me in their own way and they are all waiting at the door when I come home from work. Aside from losing more room on my bed at night with the addition of each dog (they have their own beds but of course like the big bed best!) I have not one complaint! We could not imagine our lives without all seven of them - Mollie, Harley, Val, Winnie and the kitties (Daisy, Sweetie and Little Cow), and thank the Toronto Humane Society for allowing us to bring Val and Winnie into our home and into our lives.

Liz Featherstone.

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