If a car can do this in the summer:



Why would anyone want to leave their dog in there?

A couple of photos from the owners of Tinkerbella (now Kenley). I think the first one says it all.

Trembling Joey.



Trembling Li'l Eve.



Trembling Miss June.



What has to be done to a dog, a usually joyous creature with vitality enough to dispel even grey clouds over our heads, to make it behave like this?

These three, TAS will try to save and they will hopefully one day soon overcome their fears of the world but think of the thousands in Ontario alone who will never be saved from spending every moment of their lives existing, but not living, in small, putrid cages, to be forced to breed until something inside them busts or if they survive the cycles until they are dry and can no longer produce, then they are relieved of their duties with a gunshot.

The next time someone mentions buying a possible puppy mill dog or a dog from some random, discount breeder and what harm could there be in getting a dog for a "bargain" off of Kijiji, let them know this is what they might be leaving behind.

Please remind people to adopt, don't shop and if they have to shop, then shop ethically and that means doing proper due diligence, asking the right questions.

These three were rescued by Kismutt and are available for adoption through Toronto Animal Services. Besides Miss June missing a foot - which doesn't stop her from walking around, albeit slowly and sometimes with a limp - Li'l Eve will be going into surgery to have some mammary lumps removed and all her teeth pulled out because they are all rotted away beyond usefulness. A wonderful individual has made a donation to cover the cost of the surgery.

As of right now, Joey and Miss June are available for adoption. Li'l Eve will hopefully be available in a week or so. All three of these dogs are slowly but surely coming out of their shells. They will require patient, calm home environments to help them adjust to their new lives. If you meet them, you'll see they are obviously hoping and searching for love and human companionship. They just need someone to show them that's possible.

The best way to check on the adoption status of these dogs (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 a dog is no longer on the TAS adoption website, it's probably because it's been adopted already.

I mentioned last week here and here that Toronto Animal Services South would shortly be getting some puppy mill Poodles. Three of them arrived and I met them for the first time last Saturday.

All three were cuddled and shaking in their shared doggy bed in the corner of their kennel. I spent some time with them in there, letting them get accustomed to me and a couple of them even approached for a few licks on the hand only to scurry back to their corner whenever I moved.

Once I figured they weren't as petrified of me, I picked up the biggest one - a male - and carried him outside as none of them were going to walk on their own. I put him on the grass and he took a couple of steps which I thought was a good sign and then he stopped and trembled.

It wasn't a cold day but he trembled. He trembled at the grass underfoot. He trembled at the people walking around. He trembled at the open space. He trembled at whatever dangers he thought would descend upon him. It was too overwhelming so I snapped a few quick photos and carried him back inside.

Like Ghost, Gwen is also a big bear pup. I was fooled by her size into forgetting that puppies have sharp little teeth. When I fed her cookies, she'd enthusiastically engulf my fingers and her clumsy teeth would scrape across my skin. Ouch.

Also like Ghost, Gwen has some very noticeable ears. They're super fuzz flaps and along with her bouffant hairdo, they are about the softest things you'll ever touch which is good because after being crunched on, my fingers needed something a bit less stabby.

Gwen as well will need an owner experienced with big dogs since at Four months old, she's almost already a big dog.

Two apparently unrelated five month old, huge German Shepherd pups were rescued and transported from Montreal last week. Here's Ghost with his amazing blue eye and those inverse coloured ears. It's like some scientist intentionally gene spliced this guy to stand out in a crowd. Ghost is four or five months old and already around forty pounds which means he's probably going to grow to the size of a two bedroom condo in downtown Toronto. He does what most high energy puppies at his age do but already being as heavy as many adult dogs means he can be a handful so he'll have to go to someone who can immediately start training and socializing him.

At first I wasn't sure what he was doing so I leaned over to see what all the fuss was about. Arnie was pogo jumping by my side as we walked. As soon as I reached out to him, he grabbed my left arm with his front paws and held on as tight as he could. He hung on so tight, he could almost stay hanging on even when I started to stand. Apparently, Arnie had developed a romantic attachment to my left arm. Not my right arm, not my left or right leg but specifically my left arm. Poor Arnie - hanging on to my arm in almost mid-air, only one back foot on the ground, trying to get enough leverage to hump but instead it just looked like his hind quarters were twitching a bit. So, Arnie is a lonely pervy weirdo little guy but otherwise quite sweet. And if my left arm had a brain of its own, who knows, it may have said yes to a date.

This tiny little Chihuahua is a bit too skinny but I'm pretty sure whoever adopts him is going to be fattening him up with lots of snacks because who can resist those Hollywood eyes? He's quiet and small and thus an ideal condo/apartment dog.

Remember Jessy? She's the dog who needed a foster while she underwent heartworm treatment. Well, thanks to all of you who shared her info, someone stepped forward a few weeks ago to give her a home for the duration. As it turns out, the treatment is going to take longer than expected, at least a couple more months, so it's a very good thing she didn't have to spend all that time at the pound.

She did, however, spend a few days at the pound while her foster family was out of town and I got to spend some time with her and take a few photos. She's such a great dog, this one. I hear she can be picky with her dog companions but with people, she's a real sweetheart.

Here's hoping her heartworm treatment is trouble free.

Small dog alert. I think this guy weighs all of five pounds. He's so tiny he can crawl under the space between his kennel door and the floor. He's so tiny you could probably make a doggie bed for him out of your shoe. He's so tiny you might confuse him with a slipper. He's so tiny that when the wind blows, he flies up like a kite at the end of the leash. He's so tiny he walks between the raindrops and doesn't even get wet. Maybe I'm exaggerating a bit. But I'm not exaggerating when I say he's also so so sweet. I'm guessing he won't last the day in adoption so if you know someone who's looking for a handful of happiness, let the person know soon.