I just noticed the Pound Dogs Facebook page has hit over 2000 likes. That's barely a drop in the social networking bucket compared to the forty five million likes Bieber has but still, I feel I should have given the 2000th liker a pair of concert tickets to some Eighties band's reunion tour or a chance to win something in some mega cash jackpot but alas, while I may be able to imitate a spray-on tan DJ voice, I'm not a commercial friendly radio station. Perhaps I could offer some kisses from my dog Simone or some friendly crotch punches from Smitten instead?

Now some of you who have recently liked the page may be wondering if the term "crotch punches" is officially sanctioned by Toronto Animal Services and I can say that I'm pretty sure it most definitely is not. The Facebook page and this blog is run by me, a volunteer at TAS, and they are not official TAS anything though I do try to be as accurate as possible with regards to information pertaining to TAS animals. As such, all the opinions here and there are mine and not those of TAS or anyone associated with TAS - except by sheer coincidence - and that's why I can use words like "crotch punches" and not have to get a signed release from a squadron of lawyers who I'm sure would be tsk tsking at me a lot.

All this to say that what you read here may and will be opinionated and may and will contain foul language and may and will contain bad attitudes towards evil doers and criminals and dangerously ignorant stupitards.

More than that, though, and more importantly than that, we'll also be celebrating the happier tales of those animals who find loving homes with the help of those people who go out of their way to be decent and generous and kind towards animals who would otherwise be hopelessly abandoned.

I think a lot of people, at least the long term rescuers, are involved in animal welfare volunteering because they are driven to it, like a compulsion. I mean, it certainly isn't for the pay (which is zero, or less, in case you're wondering). Especially now, as we live our lives further and further removed from warm blooded life by our walls of cool electronica, there is a powerful pull to reconnect with things untarnished by technology, to reconnect with our good selves. Working with animals in an environment of compassion answers that pull.

A lazy ass cynic who does nothing for anyone or anything might thus say, aha, so it's all just more self-gratification disguised as compassion, to which I'd say, yes, maybe, but you're still a dick. To recast any and all acts of altruism as selfishness is only self-justification for douchebags to continue being douchebags.

Compassion is compassion and it is not diminished simply because it makes one feel good. In fact, it should make one feel good. If acts of compassion made a person feel bad, I'd say that person is pretty fucken defective and should consider not propagating his/her genes for the sake of the planet please.

Not everyone is or wants to be a hardcore rescuer, of course. Some get involved occasionally when there is room in their lives. Some are only tangentially involved in animal welfare drawn in by sympathy to all the sad faces on the cute puppies and kittens and bunnies. That's all cool. In fact, it doesn't really matter why you're here. It just matters that you are here. Whether you just like the pictures or you're only involved in dog rescue or if you are an all creatures rescuer or if you're trying to reduce the suffering of factory farm animals or if you're a habitat preservationist or a vet who does pro-bono work (nudge nudge) it's all taking steps in the right direction and that's the best anyone can do - take a step in the right direction.

Thank you all for taking an interest in helping the homeless animals at Toronto Animal Services South get adopted. The more of us there are, the more animals are saved.

And thank you, Stu, over at Facebook, for donating Facebook space to promote awareness of TAS.

(From Laura, TAS South volunteer with small domestics.)

Abeline is currently, of all the animals at the shelter, the longest resident. She has been waiting for a home longer than any cat, dog or small animal.

She was rescued from a hoarder back in October 2011, along with a large number of other rabbits. They had all been kept in tiny, cramped cages their entire lives without any exercise. Because of this, many of them showed territorial behaviour and were very protective of their space. Abeline was one of the ones who showed territorial behaviour. Initially, I thought she was a bit of a twit, to be honest. But I took her into foster care because the shelter was too full at the time, and soon realized I was wrong. In a home environment, Abie blossomed. She turned out to be a confident, outgoing girl who would just melt if you petted her on the head. She's very independent and likes to do her own thing, but she comes to you in her time.



When she went back to the shelter, she had settled down quite a bit. With regular exercise, her territorial behaviour fades away and now it's mostly gone. She's been held back, though, because she doesn't make a great first impression. With people she knows, she is affectionate and friendly. But with strangers, she's wary and may grunt or run away. It makes it hard for people to pick her when they come in to adopt. It's frustrating, because we've seen how great she can be in a home with a family she knows.

We've taken her to events, taken her on Animal House Calls and featured her on the Facebook page, but she just can't seem to catch a break. She's a real character and would do fantastic in a home where she could be penned or live free-range. She just needs someone to bond with her and see her real personality.

(From Laura, a volunteer with TAS-South's small domestics) Circe has not had an easy life. I first met her in the back room at the shelter, where she was standing guard over her seven newborn kits, skinny and scared out of her mind.

She'd been abandoned to the wild when she got pregnant, and had given birth underneath a porch. After spending a week begging for food from neighbours, TAS was called in and the family was taken to the shelter. She was very underweight, but somehow she had managed to keep all seven of her kits fat and healthy and safe.



I took the group home for foster so that she could raise her little ones in a safe place. She was shy, but gentle, and we managed to become friends over the next few months. Once they were old enough, they all got fixed and headed back to the shelter.

The others were slowly adopted, until Circe was left along with the runt of the litter, her son Zeus. Zeus had always been the shyest of the litter, and very attached to his mom. By the time they were the last ones left, it was clear they would have to go as a pair.



Finally, they were adopted. I thought that was the end of it, until last month, when a very familiar looking pair showed up in the room. Zeus was huge now, but Circe recognized me and ran up to greet me the same way she always had. It turned out that they had been returned, after six months. The person who adopted them had not been able to care properly for herself, let alone two rabbits. When the owner got to the point where personal problems were too much, Circe and Zeus found themselves back at the shelter.

I can't imagine how Circe felt, scared and protecting her son in the shelter again, right back where she started. She remains a sweet, gentle, quiet girl, while Zeus remains a big wimp. Unsurprisingly, he is incredibly attached to his mom - she has, after all, been the only constant in his young life. He still tries to hide underneath her, despite being bigger than her (you can see him trying to hide behind her in some of the photos, he's the black/grey one).





Zeus gets extremely anxious when he can't see her, so they can never be separated. Both are easy to handle, and while they're shy, they're very gentle and enjoy being petted and brushed.

A bonded pair is never easy to adopt out, especially when they're large and shy. They're too big for cages so they will need to live free-range or in an xpen.

Circe and Zeus are probably going to sit in the shelter for months again, but hopefully by spreading the word, we can help prevent that. I really love these two and honestly, if I didn't already have a pair, I would take them home myself.

Every Easter, gobs of stupid people go out and buy bunnies and chinchillas and such from pet stores in order to elicit a few squeals of delight from their own easily distracted offspring. A month later, the squealing has completely dried up and the critter is permanently relegated to its cage. When the smell from the cage gets too much because the parents have been too preoccupied with their lifestyle to do any cleaning, they decide to go for a drive to some quiet location where they dump the animal.

In the morning, the parents tell the offspring the pet has run away or some such bullshit and their superb lives go on without a thought ever again for the critter.

The critter's life goes on as well, at least for a bit. It's never spent any time fending for itself outdoors so it'll likely get run over or preyed on or just die of thirst or starvation. However, if it's lucky, extremely lucky, as in winning the jackpot in a major lottery lucky, it gets found by some compassionate soul who takes it home and saves its life.

The small domestics room at Toronto Animal Services is still overcrowded from post Easter animal abandonments so the next few posts here will be featuring some of those who are quietly waiting for a home. All the photos and descriptions are from Laura who is a most excellent volunteer working with the small domestics.

She's not as bitchy nor sarcastic as I am.

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Sir Nigel is a black chinchilla who arrived at the shelter about two weeks ago. He had been left on a street corner in his cage. It was over 40 degrees outside with the humidex. Nigel was found sitting on bare wire, with no hay and a little cup of birdseed for food. The water bottle was at the top of the cage, and by the time he was taken to TAS, he was too weak to reach it

When he arrived at the shelter, he was half dead and James and I weren't sure he was even going to survive. Chinchillas are not meant for heat, and they can die of heat stroke very easily. I put a bowl of water in for him and he just fell into it, he was so desperate for water. We gave him hay, a toy, proper food, and a dustbath, and moved him into the back where it was cooler.

This first photo is him when he first arrived:

I next saw Nigel four days later, and the change was amazing. He'd bounced back with no problems, and with a few good dustbaths and proper nutrition, he had turned out very handsome indeed.





Nigel is also the biggest sweetheart ever. Most chinchillas are very skittish, but you can pick up and hold Nigel no problem. He likes being scratched on the head and back, and he runs up to you as soon as you open the cage door. He's lovely, and I just can't imagine how anyone could bear to leave him outside in the heat like that

The problem we have now is that chinchillas are very difficult to adopt out. They have long life-spans and need specialized care, so they really need the right family. We're contacting rescues but they're all quite full, so hopefully more exposure will bring some chinchilla-lovers out of the woodwork! He's a gentle, sweet boy and he's just beautiful - he really deserves a good home after all he's been through.




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.

(More catching-up on previously adopted dogs. Melody was adopted out last week on her first day in adoption at TAS South).

Melody is a very people focused dog. It's like you are the honey and she is the bee. You are the North Pole; she is the compass needle. You are the fridge; she is the fridge magnet. You are Angry Birds; she is a six year old child with iPad induced OCD/ADHD. You are the sun; she is the earth. You are the earth; she is the moon. You are the moon; she is your moon orbiting rocket ship looking for a place to land.

From the owners of Buddy, now called Kona.

We are doing fantastic and absolutely love him. I attached an updated photo with him and his play friend. Kona is adjusting to city life and is getting obedience lessons. He's getting used to being on a leash and has learned sit and down. His favorite things are playing with other dogs, chasing squirrels, and playing tug. Thank you for helping us bring such a wonderful friend home. He is the perfect addition to our family!

It's natural for most people to look out for their own first. I'm no different. My concern is always greatest for the dogs I've met at TAS South. I don't always pay attention to the dogs at the other city shelters but every so often one catches my eye.

In Mr. Big's case, I don't think I noticed him at first, no more than any of the other homeless pets scattered around Toronto waiting for their turn to be found and hopefully loved. He was just another dog at TAS West, a dog I'd probably never meet - though somewhere in the recesses of my mind, some internal accountant was thinking: He's kinda big. I wonder if he's going to have a hard time getting adopted.

Then the second month came and I was still seeing his photo on the adoption page. There were days when he was the only dog up for adoption at West, after all the others had been adopted. And my inner accountant was thinking, Well, he's not really my concern. At least they have larger runs at West.

Then the third month came. If Mr. Big were at TAS South and I were more emotionally invested in him, I would've been pretty concerned about him at this point. I looked at his photo and tried to see what he was about. He was a handsome boy. He was healthy. He was housebroken. He was a big energetic dog, good with people, not so good with other dogs. Typical of a lot of dogs I know. Typical of dogs I've owned. A good dog. A decent dog but still there, at the shelter at the end of the month.

The fourth month came and I was checking his profile every day now. Still there.

One day I got an email asking if I could do a post on Mr. Big. Of course, sure.

So, it's Canada Day and I'm hanging out with Mr. Big. He's been brought to TAS South for a bit. The day is hot, especially down by the parking lots where the asphalt throws the heat back in amplified waves. Mr. Big can't stop panting. I bring him onto the grass where it's a bit cooler and we walk towards the shaded spot for his photos.

We pass crowds of people going to the CHIN picnic. It's funny how certain people react to certain dogs. Mr. Big gets lots of admiring glances and comments from the young men in the crowd. Some even reach out and give him a pat as we pass by and I've never seen that male age group ever display any kind of affection for a dog I've taken on a walk.

At the photo location, I take out my camera and sit down beside Mr. Big. He's not sure about the camera but I call him over and he shuffles up beside me and licks my face. Over and over he licks my face with that big drooly tongue of his and then he looks at me like he's laughing.

I take some photos but even in the shade it's too hot for him and the crowds are too distracting.

After a few minutes, we head back.

Inside, I sit with him for a bit in the meet and greet room and as a reward, I get three more face washes. I sit in the room with him for a few minutes more and then take him out and return him to Tracy who had brought him over from TAS West.

There aren't a lot of dogs who can stay couped up at a shelter for months and not develop some sort of physical or mental ailment. That Mr. Big seems to be doing okay only goes to show the strength of his spirit and constitution. But doing okay doesn't mean doing well. It's time we found Mr. Big a home.





More info on Mr. Big can be found here or by calling TAS West at (416) 338-6271.

Ritchie's favourite thing is to cuddle up to you and stare at you with his one (and only) big eyeball. The other one had to be removed by TAS because Ritchie's previous owners didn't look after him properly and let his eye get ulcerated and blind.

So, now he reminds me of a teddy bear with one eye pulled off by some child or pup. If he were mine, I'd put an eyepatch on him and call him my One Eyed Cutty. Arrr.

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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.

Finally, lives they can call their own. Some photos from their new owners.

Miss June who is now called Misha:

Li'l Eve was adopted by the vet who cleaned her teeth and removed her tumours.

From Tyler's owner:

I've been meaning to write you for awhile to tell you about life with our little boy who we named "Tyler Jackson Lang".

When we went to TAS South, we were actually planning to get Milo (the little beagle who had been brought back because the owners were going on vacation http://iwantapounddog.blogspot.ca/2012/03/returned.html - even though the person I spoke with thought he wouldn't like cats) but when we got there he was jumping and leaping and yelling, and I thought "My god, the cats will hate HIM." But Tyler was in the cage next to him and when I bent down to say "hi" I fell deeply in love. :) (My spouse said it was totally mutual.)

We spent some time in the get-to-know-you-room, and Tyler and I were convinced, but she was less so. I suggested she take him for a walk solo and when she got back, she said "Okay."

He was kind of mess - smelly, with a matted coat, tiny skinny little chicken ribs and issues with both of his back legs - but after a visit to the vet (who assured us his legs wouldn't need surgery although we were totally prepared to do so) so we brought him home, and let the introduction to the cats begin.

These days he runs the NASCAR track that happens every morning (he tears along the hall and the cats run beside, in front or leap over him according to their own wishes), shares their toys (although he hasn't yet learned to share his!) and curls up with them on our bed, or on the floor in a little grouping of pet beds. He loves to sit in front of the aquariums and watch the fish (sometimes barking at them) and loves to watch National Geographic Wild.

He's a very active boy, always wanting to wrestle and play and ever willing to go for hours-long walks, and is loving and affectionate and a joy to have.

He's put on just the right amount of weight, and with regular baths and trims of his unruly hair, he charms the world.

But he's ours, and we love him.

Thanks TAS for all the great work you do, and for introducing us to the wonderful little boy.