Foster Homes Needed in Ontario & Steve

We really need some foster homes in Ontario. There are several dogs that need somewhere to go at the moment and we`re really short on foster homes to take them. Fostering can be a wonderful experience. You provide a short term home for a dog in need of assistance until a permanent home can be found. Dogs in need range from the young (1 year) to the old (10 years). Anyone interested in lending a hand, please email me at nuthatch@aztec-net.com

Steve

Steve is a 3 year old male, neutered GSP who came to me because he had been hit by a car and found on the side of the road. I am a veterinarian but I currently run a wildlife rehabilitation centre and don’t practice companion animal medicine on a regular basis. However, I was close by and I have a hospital at the centre so the rescuer brought the dog to me. His arm was broken so we plated it and he is now very mobile and ready to find a new home. We had actually found the owner but he didn’t want to pay for surgery. Fortunately, he was willing to surrender the dog to me rather than euthanize him. However, I currently have 4 dogs and hundreds of wild animals in rehab and don’t have the time or space for this dog. I thought I would be able to re-home him by the time his arm was completely mended but this has not turned out to be the case. I’m still trying but I wonder if you might know of someone who can give him a good home? I’m happy to keep him here until someone shows up. He’s a lovely dog and he gets along with all of the domestics in my house- dogs, cats, and even ferrets. He seems to have mild allergies which are controlled with Benadryl. I suspect it’s a reaction to the suture material so I don’t expect this to be an ongoing problem but I can’t be certain at this time. I wasn’t able to get a good vaccination history but the previous owner said he was up to date and I will vaccinate him before he leaves here.

Please let me know if you can help. You can contact me by email (cynthiapost@live.ca )or by phone at 905 936 3184.

Cynthia Post, DVM

Procyon Wildife Vet. and Rehab. Services

Hailey - GSP x GWP

Hailey is located in BC with the Dogwood Rescue. Inquiries should be sent to Lichen at dogwoodrescue@shaw.ca Here is what Hailey's current foster home has to say about her:

HAILEY NEEDS A QUIET, CALM, KIND HOME

Hailey, a sweet GSP/GWP X was sent to me from the Okanagan three weeks ago where OK Small Dog rescued her from the pound when her owners decided to leave her there because they would not or could not pay the fine. She was dirty, covered in feces and anxious.

Prior to these owners, Hailey had another very abusive owner who, even the last owners, said was very cruel, so much so, that she is fearful when someone pulls out a Kleenex or shakes a bag to open it. She has other "noise" fears. Apparently, the penultimate, really evil owner used to shoot a gun over her head constantly in order to train her to be a hunter. I suspect she was beaten - probably regularly. It is conceivable she had an antepenultimate owner - not much history is known about her.

When she arrived her eyes were "dead" and she was afraid of everyone and everything.
Over the three weeks, I have managed to get her to the stage where she wags her tail and does not quake with fear when someone reaches for her.

The past week, she is starting to be territorial. She is reactive (barks) when someone enters my study or startles her. She is fine with the other dogs in an open setting, with the exception of one Weim, who is a female the same age. Hailey is about 7 yr. They give each other "the eye" and I know fights are incipient.

She meets others well outside the home; she has not been reactive to dogs she has met on leash outside. She is active, healthy, and walks well on the leash - loves, loves, going for walks. She was fine on-leash at the park recently; I have not let her off-leash because I fear she might be a flight risk if she is frightened, even though she is pretty much my shadow.

She knows basic commands. She is gentle in taking treats, I can take items out of her mouth. She sleeps on the floor by the bed at night. She is completely house-trained. She is not a counter-surfer. I don't know how she would be with cats but she is, after all, a sporting dog. She does not appear to have separation anxiety but the past three weeks, there has always been someone here. Overall, she is a very loving, affectionate, easy-care dog. She needs a home with someone who can set boundaries, build her confidence and trust. I love this dog and wish I were in a position to be that person. As a rescuer, I cannot keep her although she has bonded quickly with me and has captured my heart.