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Lou - Black Labrador Retriever mix

Michelle and Margaret do a lot of work with IFAW (International Fund for Animal Welfare) and through them a lot of dogs are rescued from up north, transported and adopted out in Toronto by Toronto Animal Services.

On a recent transport, Lou was rescued from a place called Whapmagoostui which is some place in Quebec half way up to the arctic. Who doesn't want a dog from some place named Whapmagoostui? It's barely even on Google maps is how out of the way it is. No street view that's for sure.

Lou's a big boy and appears to be great with people and most other dogs (but maybe not so great at the vet's office, I'm told). He loves the outdoors and may actually prefer to sleep in the backyard on warmer nights.

Presently, Lou is being fostered by Margaret. Here she is describing him in the car:

I think you can tell Lou is a special guy. I think he is still figuring out the ways of the "south" so someone patient and kind is a must! He has always done as he pleased but was very loved by his owners. On the way home from TO he decided to lie on top of the wire crate which I have set up in my van and it started to buckle under his weight. There is a ton of room in the back of the van with blankets and toys, but I think he was getting bored so had to look out the window from a higher place. I opened the side windows a bit, even though it was poring rain, so he could focus on something and get air. That made him happy. My crate now has a bent roof.




Here's a short video of Lou walking in the woods with some human and dog friends:


If you're interested in Lou or have any questions about him, please contact Michelle at IFAW. She can be reached by email at: mcliffe@ifaw.org, or by phone at: 647 986 4329.

Tuesday, October 22, 2013 · [Print]

2 Comments to “Lou - Black Labrador Retriever mix”

  1. Kaylen says:
    October 22, 2013 at 1:16 PM

    He seems like a sweetheart. I picked up an old child booster seat to help my beagle see out the window.

  2. Anonymous says:
    October 22, 2013 at 4:03 PM

    What a handsome dog he is! Thanks to all the wonderful help form Michelle, Margaret, IFAW and you Fred I am sure he will find an owner who appreciates his style very soon. That walk in the woods looks like a doggy dream come true

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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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