Romeo - German Shepherd Dog

Romeo jumps, puts his paws up on the desk at front reception. "He needs surgery on his elbows, might be thousands of dollars. Who's gonna want to take on that responsibility?" someone tells me. But I don't see it, not yet. He's a big fellow and right now he's just happy to be out of his kennel and visiting his friends behind the desk on his way outside.

The sun's been trying to make an impression all morning. I can feel the warmth of it trying to fight back the chill of the wind. Romeo doesn't care to express any thoughts on such nuances. He just wants to greet everyone we pass so he pulls toward them. Not well trained, this guy, and it wouldn't have taken much, him being a Shepherd, if only his previous owner had bothered. Romeo pulls and people back off. All they see is a big dog straining on its leash trying to get to them. Who can blame the nervous ones?

I take him to a shaded area amongst some pines. I take his photo. He's almost two but he's got the one ear up, one ear down look of a pup. I wonder if he'll get a chance to see both his ears fully upright.

On the way back, he starts to limp. He's on pain meds but even this short walk was too much for him. He still pulls, though, trying to make new friends with passers-by. People, with their wishful weather thinking and thus under dressed for the day, pull their thin jackets and sweaters tighter around themselves against these late winter winds. I look up and the clouds are winning the day. Romeo and I walk back into the shelter.

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.