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From a volunteer at TAS West, a profile of Winston:



My Name is Winston! I have been here at TAS-West since December. I am a 1 year old, neutered, Portuguese Podengo. I bet you're wondering what that is, well, let me tell you. The Portuguese Podengo is a breed from the Azores, and originally we were used for hunting. What's really unique about me is I am a Hound that follows both my eyes and nose. That means I'm really smart! The staff here at the shelter say I am about 10kg/22lbs. I think I am a perfect size, not too big and not too small. I won't grow much more; maybe just fill out a tiny bit. If you are thinking I'm too cute to pass up, remember I am by nature and instinct a hunter. So when something catches my attention I will probably bark! I'm really young though, so you should be able to train me to not do that or channel my energy into a dog sport!

Along with training, I'm going to need someone who can teach me the rules and etiquette for housebreaking. I'm going to need an owner who is patient, calm and persistent so I can learn properly. I would do best in a family with an active lifestyle, but I don't think letting me run off leash is a good idea as I am very fast and will likely follow my nose! There is a lady that has come to visit me 3 times since I got here, she even took my picture for me. She always tells me how handsome I am and what a good boy I am. I'm a really happy guy, I love giving kisses and dance around when I get excited. A few people have come to check me out, but I'm still here waiting for my perfect match. All I want to do is share all this love I have inside with a family to love me forever! I can't wait for you to meet me, I'm at Toronto Animal Services - West... See you soon!

The best way to check on the adoption status of Winston (and other dogs and cats and other small domestic animals) is to visit Toronto Animal Services adoption website or call (416) 338-6271 for the Toronto Animal Services West shelter. If Winston is no longer on the TAS adoption website, it's probably because he's been adopted already.



4 Comments to “Winston - Portuguese Podengo Mix”

  1. BoomerKid says:

    HAHA..that is one 'eager beaver' dog..he looks more than ready to be trained!!...

  2. Anonymous says:

    looks so happy and eager to learn to be a really "good dog"

  3. Anonymous says:

    What an adorable puppy who is ready to take on the world. Whoever adopts him will be happy to have done so what a cities.

  4. Anonymous says:

    He got adopted I'm so happy for him may his new family love him and take good care of him. The staff and volunteers will miss him big time but they too are happy for him.

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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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