Minnie spent her whole life in someone's backyard. No wonder her coat is as thick as it is and no wonder she can do with some TLC. I'm told her hind end, through neglect or genetics, is a bit weak although she seemed fine on the walk beside me. Perhaps because of that, Minnie is a pretty relaxed Husky. She was a bit camera shy and would back away but her love of affection got the better of her and she kept coming in for ear scratches.

Bella's got that tough dog look down pat but the only thing remotely dangerous about her is the drool that comes flying off her flappy lips when she shakes her head. She's a snuggler and cuddler with people and seems to like other dogs as well.

Donovan is on a mission to track down whatever scents cross his nose - which means he pulls. And he's strong. Maybe in his past life he was a tractor trailer. He's very happy, though, and attentive to food so with a modicum of training, someone's going to get a beautiful dog with a lot of positive energy.

Rupert trots along on his big feet and squats for a pee on the grass just outside the door. He's still a youngster and hasn't learned to lift his leg yet. We go another few steps when a bus passes by and Rupert looks uncertain then sits. A truck goes by in the other direction and now Rupert looks at me with his big brown eyes and I know he's not going to take another step further. I take some photos then we head back to the entrance and Rupert is pulling to get back inside, although when he sees another dog, his curiousity gets the better of him and he stops to check out the other one. Inside, I let go of the leash and Rupert runs from one staffer to another, greeting each with happy paws and puppy slobber.

I was sent a recent photo of Foxy, now Maya, and wanted to share. Just check out how good she looks now versus when she first came into Toronto Animal Services.

Before:

Can't imagine why someone would dump Mulroney in a stranger's backyard, him being such a sweet dog. He might already be more than two years old but he's still got the personality of a pup. Oh look, a stick. Must make friends with it now. Oh look, a person. Must be best pal immediately. Only thing he didn't like, in fact veered away from and eyed suspiciously, was some Toronto Maple Leafs trailer parked by the shelter. Read into that what you want.

Magic greets me at her kennel door with a wagging tail and a wet nose through the wire mesh. The notes say she is prone to submissive peeing but I don't see any of that. Outside, she is friendly with everyone she meets and loves hanging around other dogs. I had Simone with me and introduced the two of them, just cuz, but Simone was like, "Get that blustery thing away from me," which is typical of Simone but Magic was not at all offended and continued to be friendly as friendly can be.

Chip is a skinny puppy who would prefer to be held under your jacket on days with anywhere near a temperature of less than balmy. At one point on our walk, he got spooked and managed to escape his harness and was about to run away from the scary noise but then perhaps realized I was the key to getting back inside the warm shelter so he stuck around. Plus I had snacks.

He's also a kisser so watch out for that.

This girl won't last long given the explosive popularity of Game of Thrones -- she's a dead ringer for a dire-wolf. Good news for you though, she's perfect sized for the city and your Ikea throne. Think of it, instead, of having no connection to this fantasy land (which, in reality is you sitting there with your Doritos stained pj's, shoving donuts down your face while you chuff at the red wedding, pretending it's the Doritos dust in your eyes and that you're not crying).

You could be taking your majestic dire-wolf-dog to the park to look for any Drogo look-a-likes. Watching her trot through the grounds reminded me of dense swarthy forests -- Celtic flutes softly playing in the background. But, she's too sweet for GoT; not enough drama with her story line. They'd probably write her out since she's not sleeping with her brother and her darkest side probably consists of food creeping. Let's hope she gets to be a kept lady of a castle; with those baby blue eyes you'd be lucky to adopt her and get to be her keeper.

- Rachael

Kane is a bit of a tank but a very happy tank. Here's his bio from Rachael:

I spot Kane, he spots me -- the corners of his mouth draw up into a goofy grin that stays firmly planted on his face the entire time. He looks so damn happy he's almost smug. Jeez, it doesn't take a lot to please this guy. The theme music looping in his head is definitely Pharell's "Happiness". From the moment I grab him to the moment I say goodbye, this guy is believing that happiness is a truth. If he had hands, he'd be clapping. His wiggle even looks like some kind of uncoordinated-shuffle-happy-dance. Maybe it's the spring and the sun that's put everything in a good mood, but I have a feeling this is all him. Sweet man.