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Here's one I missed posting last week and then when he got into adoption, he lasted all of ten minutes and was whisked away home.

Good on ya, Dexter.





A big thanks to all you wonderful people who donated to Cini's surgery. She's been recovering well but is still on a limited walk schedule. Of course when I take her out, try as I might, there is no way on earth she's going to walk along nicely after being couped up all day.


It's still going to be a few weeks yet before she's fully healed so it's likely she'll be put into foster care (already got someone lined up from what I hear) instead of having her spend the whole time in the shelter.




Update (12-04-05): A total of $640 was raised for Cini's operation. Thanks again to all who contributed to making her life so much better.



Jessy would've been adopted out weeks ago I'm sure because she's such a people friendly dog but unfortunately she's got a low grade case of heartworm and can't go anywhere permanently until her meds are finished. That means another 3 - 4 weeks of waiting around.

So, instead of keeping her in a cage at the shelter, Toronto Animal Services South is looking for someone who might be interested in fostering her for a month or so. The bad news is she's not good with cats nor, perhaps, small dogs but the good news is she's pretty wonderful with people. She is friendly, yet respectful and well mannered, a real joy to have around. Jessy actually reminds me of my long time ago dog, Sheba, and there was a moment when I thought about fostering her myself but my house is in such huge disarray right now, it would be a disaster.

Anyway, if you're thinking you might be able to help out for a few weeks, please call TAS-S at 416 338 6668.






Whiskey is a slow pokey little Shih Tzu Poodle mix who needs some TLC and a good grooming wouldn't hurt either to reveal the sparkle in his eyes. Whiskey's got something called luxating patellas, which sounds like the name of a circus troupe - Ladies and Gentlemen, may I present to you the daredevil, high-flying Luxating Patellas!!! - but which is actually something to do with wonky knees. So Whiskey isn't going to be winning any races, but really, if you want him to go fast, just take him in your car and drive.




The best way to check on the adoption status of this dog (and other dogs and cats and other small domestic animals) is to visit Toronto Animal Services adoption website or call 416 338 6668 for the Toronto Animal Services South shelter. If the dog is no longer on the TAS adoption website, it's probably because it's been adopted already.



Tinkerbella is a midget Beagle. Everyone outside who stops to say hello to her thinks she's a pup and I say, No, she's full grown, and they say, No, I don't think so, and I say, Yeah, I'm pretty sure she's full grown, and they say, No, she's not big enough, and I say, No, she's about as big as she's going to get, and they say, Can't be more than six months old, and then I point out the sagging teats and say, She's just finished nursing a litter of puppies so I'm pretty sure she's full grown, and then they say, OMIGAWD is she ever TINY! What a cutiepie! and then someone else comes up and says, Is she a puppy? and the people who I've just been talking to say, No, she's full grown, and the new people say, No, I don't think so, and round it goes.



A lot of times, Beagles aren't recommended for condos or apartment dwellers because they can be a bit vocal but Tinkerbella, aside from being very tiny, is also very quiet so if you live in close proximity to your neighbours and your walls are semi-transparent, Tinkerbella might still be the dog for you.

The best way to check on the adoption status of this dog (and other dogs and cats and other small domestic animals) is to visit Toronto Animal Services adoption website or call 416 338 6668 for the Toronto Animal Services South shelter. If the dog is no longer on the TAS adoption website, it's probably because it's been adopted already.



Jimmy has got a huge crush on one of the staffers at TAS and every time we walk by her, he's beside himself trying to get over to her to say hello and get her attention. It's quite embarrassing for him, really, how he fawns over her, and if I were to give him some advice, I'd tell him to play a little hard to get but I doubt he'd listen. He's not the type for mixed messages. Being a German Shepherd, he's an honest, loyal to the bone type of dog and you get that sense from him the instant you meet him.

I'm not sure what Jimmy's background is, how he ended up at Toronto Animal Services, but given how attached I know he must've been to his previous owner, it must be especially hard for him being abandoned. Let's hope his new owner appreciates the amazing dog and companion Jimmy will be.





The best way to check on the adoption status of this dog (and other dogs and cats and other small domestic animals) is to visit Toronto Animal Services adoption website or call 416 338 6668 for the Toronto Animal Services South shelter. If the dog is no longer on the TAS adoption website, it's probably because it's been adopted already.



Molly really didn't like the camera:


It took a while and quite a few cookies before she calmed down enough to let me take some photos of her and then she turned out to be a pretty photogenic model.




The best way to check on the adoption status of this dog (and other dogs and cats and other small domestic animals) is to visit Toronto Animal Services adoption website or call 416 338 6668 for the Toronto Animal Services South shelter. If the dog is no longer on the TAS adoption website, it's probably because it's been adopted already.



Look who's going to last about 10 seconds in adoption before someone takes him home which is good because he's been at Toronto Animal Services South too many weeks now getting over kennel cough.

He may look cute here but wait til you see him in real life. I couldn't capture it with the camera but he does that thing some dogs do where when they see you approaching, they give a coy sideways glance with just a hint of a goofy, pulled back lip smile accompanied by a sitting shuffle towards you. Someone should come up with a name for that technique because it's a heart melter and if you could teach every pound dog to do that, there would be no more pound dogs.




The best way to check on the adoption status of this dog (and other dogs and cats and other small domestic animals) is to visit Toronto Animal Services adoption website or call 416 338 6668 for the Toronto Animal Services South shelter. If the dog is no longer on the TAS adoption website, it's probably because it's been adopted already.




Someone's not paying attention out there. There's been a gorgeous Black Labrador Retriever mix puppy up for adoption at Toronto Animal Services South all weekend and no one has taken him home yet.

He's five months old, totally friendly, curious and full of pep. There were crowds of children gathered around him all wanting to pet him and he loved every second of it, trying to kiss each kid and making them all scream and giggle with delight.

Judging by his big bear feet, this guy is going to be a big dog which just means there'll be more to hug.

Let's see if we can get him out of here before the end of the week.



The best way to check on the adoption status of this dog (and other dogs and cats and other small domestic animals) is to visit Toronto Animal Services adoption website or call 416 338 6668 for the Toronto Animal Services South shelter. If the dog is no longer on the TAS adoption website, it's probably because it's been adopted already.



This guy is the brother to yesterday's posted pound dog. Both these guys were adopted yesterday at the TAS South adopt-a-thon held at Pet Uno.




His new owner has named him Jasper and has already sent in a photo:


This is Jasper! We adopted him yesterday from TAS & couldn't be happier with him.



Look who's available for adoption at the TAS Adopt-a-thon at Pet Uno, 675 College St (647-727-0758), today, Mar 17 (10-6) and tomorrow, Mar 18 (11-5).

This tyke is originally from Quebec but would now like a home in Toronto because his job prospects are better here. His skills include being happy, playing, cuddling, attracting attention from strangers. Will work for a minimum wage of food, shelter, belly rubs and good long walks.

His brother is also available (I'll try and get his photos up later).




Better rush.

The best way to check on the adoption status of this dog (and other dogs and cats and other small domestic animals) is to visit Toronto Animal Services adoption website or call 416 338 6668 for the Toronto Animal Services South shelter. If the dog is no longer on the TAS adoption website, it's probably because it's been adopted already.



For the longest time, I thought they were called Burmese Mountain Dogs and I was like, "I didn't know know there were mountains in Burma," and then I did some research and realized there actually are mountains in Burma and so I was sure that was where the dogs came from - like they used to belong to monks or something. And one time someone said, "I think it's Bernese, not Burmese," and I was like, "No way. The Burmese Mountain Dog originated from the monks in the mountains of Burma," and my friend's like, "You mean monks as in Shangri-La monks?" and I'm like, "Yeah, that sounds about right."

This is why I probably shouldn't have children.




Or the dog may just be from Quebec.

Not up for adoption just yet, but soon will be.

The best way to check on the adoption status of this dog (and other dogs and cats and other small domestic animals) is to visit Toronto Animal Services adoption website or call 416 338 6668 for the Toronto Animal Services South shelter. If the dog is no longer on the TAS adoption website, it's probably because it's been adopted already.




Boomer is a young German Shepherd mix who did a big boom boom as we were crossing the road. Luckily, there were no cars but there were lots of children with their parents walking around because there was a bicycle show or something going on and they were all pointing and stating the obvious: "Hey that doggy's going poop in the middle of the road," followed by "GROSSSSSS!" or "YUUUUCH!" or as one child said, "That's scary!"

Other than being a expert at drawing unnecessary attention to himself and the person walking him, Boomer is a very friendly, outgoing dog with, apparently, no sense of shame - which I suppose is good to a certain extent since some people are way too uptight these days.



The best way to check on the adoption status of this dog (and other dogs and cats and other small domestic animals) is to visit Toronto Animal Services adoption website or call 416 338 6668 for the Toronto Animal Services South shelter. If the dog is no longer on the TAS adoption website, it's probably because it's been adopted already.



Downward dog ...



Upward dog ...


Ashton tries to live in accordance with dharma in order to achieve moksha but he still gives in to the temptation of cookies and chasing the occasional squirrel.


Ashton practices Ashtonga style yoga and will soon be available for consultations and private classes.


The best way to check on the adoption status of this dog (and other dogs and cats and other small domestic animals) is to visit Toronto Animal Services adoption website or call 416 338 6668 for the Toronto Animal Services South shelter.



Hank was at TAS South last year for a couple of months at least and barely a person looked his way even though he was a dignified dog with great presence. It was one of those sad situations where everyone at TAS was hoping daily that someone, anyone would show him some interest. Eventually, it was decided to try him out up at TAS North and soon enough he was adopted out. I've always wondered where he ended up and who the lucky person was who saw Hank for the gentleman he truly was.

A fantastic update:


I wanted to drop a line and a few photos in thanks for the gift of Hank. My boy.

I came into the TAS facility back in December looking for a friend. I had seen Hank on the front page of your website one day and decided to at least meet the dog behind the sad eyes – when I arrived at TAS I was greeted warmly and the staff were really kind and professional.

When Hank came trotting out into the yard area he wouldn’t look at me. It was pretty funny actually and after getting to know him I now know this is his style when he meets new people. J

After 20 minutes together he finally came and said hello - 30 minutes later we were in the car on the way home.

I wanted to say to you all at TAS that you are doing a great, wonderful and noble thing in caring for these beautiful animals. Hank and I are best friends - like we’ve known each other for years – it’s as if I raised him from a pup. He’s my boy and I’m his number one.

He’s become the official mascot of my company – even has a place on our employees staff page as “Head of Security” J

He spends his days amongst kids and actors, artists and musicians. He lives in a lofty studio in downtown Toronto, plays in numerous parks and has lots of other furry pals – he even has a couple of new girlfriends! Hank is on a partially raw meat/veg diet and gets lots of love and kisses everyday.

At night he has his own bed in my quarters but usually I awake with him sprawled out beside me snoring away as usual. He’s a very happy and loved dog indeed.

Thank you so much for caring for him when I was not in his life. He came to me weeks after the loss of my mother – truthfully I believe he’s a gift from her.

Please know - The care and dedication you gave to Hank in his hours of need truly paid off not only in his well being but you have helped warm and rekindle the love in my heart.

God bless you all – what a difference you are making each and every day in so many lives.






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A request

The reason for this blog is to help get specific dogs adopted from TAS but equally important is to try to normalize the idea of shelter dogs being just as good and just as desirable as any other dogs including those which are regularly merchandised by backyard breeders, puppy millers and those few remaining pet store owners who still feel a need to sell live animals. The single greatest stigma shelter animals still face is the belief that shelter animals are substandard animals. Anyone who has had enough experience with shelter animals knows this is untrue but the general public hasn't had the same experiences you've had. They see a nice dog photo in a glossy magazine and too many of them would never think of associating that dog with a dog from a shelter. After all, no one abandons perfectly good dogs, right? Unfortunately, as we all know, perfectly good dogs are abandoned all the time.

The public still too often associates shelter dogs with images of beat up, sick, dirty, severely traumatized animals and while we definitely sometimes see victims such as these, they are certainly not the majority and, regardless, even the most abused animals can very often be saved and made whole again.

Pound Dogs sometimes discusses the sad histories some of the dogs have suffered. For the most part, though, it tries to present the dogs not as victims but as great potential family members. The goal is to raise the profiles of animals in adoption centers so that a potential pet owner sees them as the best choice, not just as the charity choice.

So, here's the favour I'm asking. Whenever you see a dog picture on these pages you think is decent enough, I'd like you to consider sharing it on Facebook or any other social media sites you're using (I know many of you do this already and thank you for that). And when you share it, please mention that the dog in the photo is a shelter dog like so many other shelter dogs waiting for a home. If we can get even five percent of the pet buying public to see shelter dogs differently, to see how beautiful they are and how wonderful they are, and to consider shelter dogs as their first choice for a new family member, we can end the suffering of homeless pets in this country.
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