A Dog's Best Friend

And the winner is...

2008-03-03T09:09:00.000-08:00

EVERYONE!

So, I never got a list of donaters back from A Place to Bark and I'm leaving for India in a couple of hours so I decided to split the $200 prize between Sophie's Dog Adoption and A Rotta Love Plus.

When I get back in a couple of months we can hopefully have a proper raffle.

Take care everyone!

Love

Steph

Scott's first post!

2008-02-10T12:12:00.000-08:00

It has been quite awhile since we started this blog and I have been so busy and lazy that I haven't even made one post. But since Gracie just got her foster bunny she pushed me to make a post about him.

Once I can edit videos there will be more to come. I'm also accepting names for the Rabbit since Gracie can't really convey her ideas to me (well I'm just too stupid to understand what she's saying). In the meantime Viper asked me to post some of his favourite pics for everyone to see. So here they are in no specific order:

Viper was pretty tired after celebrating his first Christmas

(he hates religion but likes the food and gifts)

Gracie fits into my vest better than I do

Gracie passed out with her favourite ball

Viper getting some love from my sister Christie

I think I was interrupting something

Can you spot Viper in this pile of dirty clothes?

A Place to Bark Challenge Update

2008-02-04T10:02:00.000-08:00

So, A Place to Bark rocked the $50,000 challenge but unfortunately was 200 donations short of the unofficial top four by the

time the contest closed. So the prize money won't go to them. Tears.

But, I'm happy to report that everyone at APTB is still in good spirits and are so touched that people all over the world (even from Montreal!!) cared enough about the lives of the animals they rescue to donate to the cause. You guys rule! And overall they raised nearly $80,000 through individual donations like yours and a matching grant from the Zoline Foundation. That is going to be a tremendous help to the animals!

In other good news, 11th Hour Rescue in New Jersey was in the top 4! So at least one animal rescue group will get the moola. 11th Hour rescues tons of pitties, yay!

Huge thanks to everyone who donated and worked hard to win Bernie the grant money by spreading the word! It really meant a lot to me that you guys donated your time and resources to the cause. You're all so lovely!

As for the winner of our own little $200 grant, well, we don't know who it is yet! We still have to get the list of donaters from Bernie and I know things are off the wall for her right now. But, once we get the list, Mona (my Minnesota foster dog. Ugh, she is so cute, I can't stand it!!) and I will be holding a drawing and we'll let you know!

Thanks again guys. You're the BEST!

(Above: Ice, a new intake. Just the gentlest and sweetest young dog I've met!)

I'm So Sorry (A Minnesota Post)

2008-01-30T09:25:00.000-08:00

I know that postings have been infrequent and the updates... well I'll be the first to admit they've been pathetic, BUT I have an excuse: I'm not even in Canada anymore!

Now I'm back in my home state, Minnesota. Most likely for the next year or so. And even though I grew up here, I'm feeling a little bit like a fish out of water.

For one thing everyone here is really, really nice. Like when I'm walking down the street people make eye contact, smile and exchange pleasantries with me! And they don't even ask me for money afterwards. Weird, huh? Or in the grocery store if they reach in front of me to grab a can of beans they always say they are "so sorry". Not even just a mumbled sorry, they are emphatically so sorry. And I think they mean it!

In fact, my fellow Minnesotans seem to be sorry for everything they do that might be the slightest inconvenience to others. If I ever have to take a step back so people can walk through I'm hit with a barrage of "I'm so sorry"s. Or if I get into one of those awkward little 'you move to the left, I move to the left' dances when passing someone in the hall the person is usually so sorry you'd think they had ripped my first born from my arms and devoured it in front of me.

I don't know. All this sorry business is freaking me out. I think I miss the asshole-yness of Montreal already!

But, when in Rome, do as the Romans.

So I offer you, my dear blog readers, a sincere and heartfelt apology for being so sporadic with postings and updates this month.

Hopefully I'll be able to update about Sophie's Dog Adoption's new intakes (look to the right to see all the new cuties!), successful adoptions and all the other stories that go along with rescue work much more often.

In the mean time I hope you'll know that I'm so, so sorry!

WIN $200 FOR SOPHIE'S DOG ADOPTION!!!

2008-01-29T19:27:00.000-08:00

(Or any other animal rescue group of your choice!)

A Place to Bark is a Tennesse rescue that is this close to winning a $50,000 grant from Network For Good and Parade Magazine.

The grant is rewarded to the four charities that get the most people to donate through their Six Degree badges. The goal is to get the most people to donate, not to necessarily raise the most money.

So in the spirit of helping A Place to Bark reach their goal and helping local rescue efforts I'm offering a $200.00 raffle prize.

To win the $200 bucks for Sophie's Dog Adoption make a $10 tax-deductible donation to A Place to Bark through their Six Degrees badge above.

Simply enter "Longfellow Donation" in the "Donation or Gift" line. When the challenge is over on Thursday I'll draw from all those who entered the raffle and make a $200 donation to the animal charity of your choice in your name.

So please, help two amazing rescues out by throwing $10 dollars towards A Place to Bark and win $200 for Sophie's Dog Adoption!!!

Spread the word to your friends and family because you can only enter once, but they can enter the raffle and donate the winnings to SDA too!

The contest runs until 3:00PM EST Thursday January 31st!

Bakesale for Sophie's Dog Adoption!

2008-01-16T09:04:00.000-08:00

While our friends over at A Place to Bark are competing for the big bucks, we here at Sophie's Dog Adoption are going back to our humble bakesale fundraising roots!

So come support local efforts to ease the suffering of homeless and unwanted dogs and satisfy your sweet tooth at the same time!

Lots of yummy treats! Many decadent, delicious vegan options!

SATURDAY JANUARY 26th & SUNDAY JANUARY 27th

11AM-5PM

Naturalanimal & Pawtisserie

4932B Sheerbrooke Street West.

Westmount

We still need people to donate homebaked goods! Contact me if you can help!

Helping Our Friends! Make $10 become $50,000!

2008-01-13T09:04:00.000-08:00

Today I was going to write about the burnout, frustration and depression that can come with dog rescue and that I've been feeling lately, when I logged onto A Place To Bark and became so inspired and hopeful I remembered just why it is that I love rescue work!

A Place to Bark...and Meow has been a huge inspiration to me. Bernie is a truly tireless and selfless servant to others and has found a way to rescue over 500 dogs a year by herself!

And now, we have the chance to win her rescue and all of the homeless dogs in her area $50,000!!!

Here's how it works:
A Place to Bark is a registered charity with a Six Degrees Badge, which people can make donations through. The four charity badges with the most unique donations (meaning the most individuals donating) through America's Giving Challenge will get $50,000 for their cause.

America's Giving Challenge runs only until January 31st.

A Place to Bark's Giving Badge

Donate:
Please donate by clicking on the link to the badge above to make a $10 tax deductible donation. Once you click on the badge, you'll have a bunch of options on how to pay including through PayPal. But, in order to get the grand moola you have to make the donation through the Six Degrees Charity Badge.

We need the most people possible to each donate $10 to A Place to Bark. In order to win the grant we need to have the most amount of donors, not necessarily the amount of money donated.

It gets better:
All donations made to A Place to Bark's Six Degrees Badge, will be matched by the "Zoline Foundation" up to $25,000.00!!! So your 10 bucks automatically becomes 20 dollars that goes straight towards rescuing dogs! All donations up to June 1st will be counted for the matching donation from the Zoline Foundation.

We're So Close:
I just checked the Top Ten Badges page and despite starting 3 weeks into the competition, A Place to Bark is now number 6! They only need to rise 2 spots to receive a $50,000 grant! Help make it a reality! Your $10 tax-deductible donation will immediately become a $20 matched donation. Plus if we get enough people, we could help earn all of the dogs at A Place To Bark $50,000.

Sometimes rescuing dogs from heinous, horrible, near death situations can wear you down. I've been lucky enough to have a fellow rescuer to turn to in those times. Her wisdom, her love and her kindness have always helped me see through my own hardships to the real struggle those who can't defend themselves have.

Now I have an opportunity to help Bernie help more homeless dogs! I hope you'll make a donation. And maybe next year, when Sophie's Dog Adoption is a registered charity, we'll have a shot at that $50,000!

Meet: Two Very Lucky SDA alums

2008-01-01T22:58:00.000-08:00

I received this absolutely brilliant photo and caption from one of our very dedicated adoptive families. I know the feeling guys. Keep up the good work!

"Maya (chin in Ben’s hand) listens carefully to instructions that she will forget immediately, while Demon waits to eat the book."

2008: The Year of the Dog

2008-01-01T12:13:00.000-08:00

Admittedly, 2008 is not the official year of the dog. But for all of us here at Sophie's Dog Adoption we've got big plans for Montreal dogs in the New Year.

We will be not only working to better serve the dogs and families that come through our rescue, but we'll be working hard to help ensure greater safety for all the dogs in Montreal.

What's on the docket:

Education, education, EDUCATION
As a tiny grassroots rescue with incredibly limited resources we can only help the tiniest fraction of the dogs in need. In 2008 we estimate that we will place 80-100 dogs with their forever homes. But so many more will die needlessly because of widespread overpopulation and an attitude of "disposablity" when it comes to companion animals.

Our hope is to start and implement an educational program in order to prevent the proliferation of pets, encourage people to work with their dogs instead of giving up on them and to make people aware of the commitments of dog ownership before they take on a dog.

We'll be tackling issues like spay and neuter, positive training and companion animal care.

Registered Charity Status
For 2008 we are keeping our fingers crossed that our application for Registered Charity Status will be approved!

With the ability to solicit tax refundable donations we hope to have more resources to draw from with the ultimate goal of creating broader outreach and education efforts.

Adoption Pamphlet
This is a little something I've been working on: an adoption pamphlet that each adoptive family will receive before or during their adoption. It's full of great information for first time and seasoned dog owners alike and covers everything from when to feed your dog to preventing and correcting problem behavior.

I'm so grateful to everyone who has helped me with this project, especially Alex my positive dog training guru!

Hopefully we'll have the pamphlet available on the website for general use as well! Keep your eyes out, it should be done within the month!

Spay & Neuter Programs
This is a long term goal, but Montreal desperately needs an affordable spay and neuter program and Sophie's Dog Adoption wants to help provide it!

It will take a lot of logistical work and relationship building, but if we can help 10 people spay their dogs in 2008- that could mean 60 less dogs searching for homes in 2009!

Affordable and accessible sterilization is the only way to curb companion animal overpopulation and end the needless deaths and sufferings.

So Happy New Year everyone! Here is to the Year of the Dog and all the positive changes our best friends deserve!

Gracie's (Foster)Homecoming

2007-12-28T23:04:00.001-08:00

While Scott and I went back to our respective family homes for a little holiday cheer, Gracie, our only remaining foster dog had to check in to puppy prison.

Poor girl spent almost a week at a boarding facility. But, don't those puppy eyes fool you. She was at a reputable kennel where she got lots of daily walks, play time and a good dose of lovin'.

Still, there's nothing like (foster)home... well, except that (forever)home she's looking for!

Welcome back Gracie! We missed you.

(Isn't this picture hilarious? After giving us lots of calming signals for a behavior she hadn't seen from Scott before, Gracie gave up, crawled under the blankets and promptly fell asleep cuddling Scott in a rather creative and calming way. See why we missed her so much?!)

Angie Wiggle-Butt Finds a Great Home!

2007-12-26T11:36:00.000-08:00

When a foster dog is adopted I go through this insane flurry of emotions. Firstly, I'm dance-around-the-house-with-the-puppy-in-my-arms thrilled. All of my foster dogs have had heinous pasts of abuse and neglect. Knowing that they are officially retiring into the good life, that they'll have love, comfort and respect for the rest of their lives, that there will always be enough food, it makes me cry with relief. And dance a little too.

But, ensuring this future for them, also means gracefully bowing out. And when you've shared so much with them, including watching their transformation into delightful canine citizens, it can be so hard. And of course you worry about them, no matter how great of a home they're going to.

When they go, you miss them and their antics.

And, if you're me, you cry.

But, soon enough, another needy dog, with her own sordid past is looking to you for guidance, love and assurance; You're busy with a new set of training obstacles and you always have the wonderful updates from the adoptive families to look forward to.

Someone once told me that the best and worst part of fostering is letting your dog go to their adoptive family. Dropping Angie off with her amazing new family was so hard and so wonderful. But, knowing her wiggly-butt is safe for the rest of her life means I can start rescuing someone else.

The Adventures of Gingy-Poo

2007-12-23T19:21:00.000-08:00

Our very own little Ginger has become an expert blogger!

In her profile this reigning canine queen tells us:

"I also spend lots of time on my dad’s laps when he is on his computer and
he spends a shit load of time in front of his computer, so I just look and
learn. Whenever he leaves me on his chair to protect his computers (since I’ll
attack anyone I don’t know, and even the ones I know but don’t like) I jump on
his desk and start blogging away when no one is looking."

Check out her hilarious take on life with her human Rick, stealing food, dealing with all her foster buddies and occassionally snacking on all the people she doesn't like here.

Santa and his Mutts help Sophie's Dog Adoption!

2007-12-22T09:58:00.000-08:00

Despite the most insane snowstorm ever, Santa showed up last weekend to help Sophie's Dog Adoption raise some much needed funds! What a trooper!

HUGE thanks go out to everyone who braved the North Pole-esque storm to get their best friends in for some face time with the big jolly guy.

Over the two days we raised a kick-ass $230 bucks, every penny of which will help pay off our vet bills! Thanks again guys, we couldn't rescue a single dog without you!

Check out all the cuties below. I hope they get everything on their wish lists this year!

Gracie & Angie respond to PETA's dangerous anti-dog remarks

2007-12-12T22:50:00.000-08:00

After sitting on the news that PETA's leader Ingrid Newkirk had publicly denounced all pit bulls as dangerous, unworthy of rescue resources and better off dead for a good week or so, Scott and I decided it was time to round up the girls and have a little talk.

At first they were all like PETA what? Ingrid who? We don't care...

Just give us that damn cookie we see in your hand!

Wait, she means me?

But then the bad news sunk in.

You see both Angie and Gracie are rescued pit bulls. And if Ingrid had her way, instead of playing at the park, charming everyone in the neighborhood and just being great dogs, both of our girls would be dead.

So, Scott sat down with the girls and explained that while it's hard being a pit bull (and a pit bull advocate) in today's hysterical society, it wasn't the girls' fault that PETA was letting their ignorant leader make dangerous and untruthful anti-dog remarks.

Still, knowing that the head honcho at the world's best known animal rights group wants you, an animal, dead for absolutely no real reason can make you feel pretty low.

So the girls rolled around with some ideas...

And even consulted honorary pit bull member, Viper.

Because three heads are better than two.

And they all decided to just laugh it off.

Because acting this good and looking this darn cute in their winter apparel will have Ingrid eating her words in no time!

Viper goes punk

2007-12-12T22:30:00.001-08:00

It's amazing the human behaviors dogs will tolerate, isn't it?

The last week has been relatively quiet. While there are quite a few new pups with us at Sophie's Dog Adoption and quite a few of our veterans have gone to live with their new forever families, I've been a hermit and have only heard about the new developments second hand.

For the most part I've been spending my times with Viper and our foster girls, sleeping in, playing at the park, going for walks and learning new tricks.

And sometimes I give Viper makeovers. I just can't help myself.

Bah humbug!

2007-12-09T17:57:00.000-08:00

Interested in helping local homeless animals during the season of giving and getting?

Here is a list the amazing people over at BAD RAP put together for helping sheltered Pit Bulls.

Ways to Help Sheltered Pit bulls:
1. Volunteer to help local spay/neuter efforts.
2. Supply hand-outs to help educate the public about pit bulls.
3. Volunteer to help update a shelter's website.
4. Donate a Karunda bed so dogs can sleep better.
5. Donate tuff toys like large kong balls.
6. Volunteer to walk dogs that are waiting for homes.

The adorable guy decked out in lights is BAD RAP's very own Gunther.

Take an amble over to BAD RAP's blog and read all about when the leader of PETA not only implied that all Pit Bulls are lethal, but also dissed Gunther's very cute sweater.

Pet Portraits with Santa to benefit Sophie's Dog Adoption!

2007-12-07T17:17:00.001-08:00

Bring any and all of your pets in for a fun photo session with Santa!
Beautiful pictures ready for the holidays.
All proceeds to benefit the homeless dogs of Sophie’s Dog Adoption!

Saturday December 15th & Sunday December 16th
12:00PM-4:00PM
Naturalanimal & Pawtisserie
4932B Sherbrooke Street W., Westmount

Hope to see you and your best friend there!

Sunny the Survivor meets a speeding car

2007-12-04T15:07:00.001-08:00

Can you imagine surviving two wars, the bombing of your home, cancer, chemotherapy, a move halfway around the world and then being hit by a car?! Poor Sunny, he must think he's a cat with 9 lives!

I was at home bloating Angie's already big head, telling her how she's most assuredly the cutest little munchkin in the whole world when the phone rang. Scott answered and it was just immediately one of those TV moments where everything sort of fades away and all you can hear is a racing pulse. It was like I knew something was seriously wrong, I just didn't know what.

It was Sunny's foster family calling as they rushed him to the emergency clinic on the south shore letting Scott know that Sunny had been hit by car, that he badly injured and could we please come meet them?

Sunny was checked into the emergency clinic where they checked for internal bleeding, punctured lungs, breaks and bruises. Sunny had a broken leg, a fractured chest and air pockets building in his lungs. They immediately stabilized him and put him on heavy-duty painkillers, but we'd have to wait until the surgeon came in on Monday before we'd know the full prognosis.

The severity of the break in Sunny's leg and chest was greater than we first anticipated. In fact, his leg wasn't so much broken as shattered into tiny pieces. Setting the break would be impossible without surgery. And even then his leg would still need an external stabilizer.

Oh, and the surgery would cost more than $5,000.

At Sophie's Dog Adoption our adoption fee is $275, which just barely covers the costs of a routine health screening, sterilization and vaccination. It does not leave us much financial room for medical emergencies of this caliber.

But, of course, there was no way we weren't going to help Sunny fully recover and find that forever family we promised him. The vet was so surprised and pleased that a rescue would choose to save the dog and take on the expense that he even donated 3 of his 5 hours of labor for free!

So after a very grueling surgery Sunny emerged: part dog, part machine (Just kidding Sunny, you look good in metallic!)

There is still extensive rehabilitation, physiotherapy and hydrotherapy for Sunny to go through. He can only take a brief 5 minute walk a day. No stairs. No chasing his beloved squirrel friends. Just lots of cuddle time on the couch, which I'm sure he's managing just fine :)

So the good news is, Sunny the Survivor is on his way to a full recovery. The bad news, we're desperately trying to pay off his $5,000 bill. So keep your eye out for some fun and hopefully fruitful Sophie's Dog Adoption fundraisers. Anyone care for a vegan cupcake?!

And if you'd like to make a contribution towards Sunny's medical expense or to help any of the dogs we currently have in the rescue please contact Sophie directly. Every donation of any size helps and is so appreciated! Or, if you'd like to help us with fundraising activities let me know!

Meet: Gracie an Ontarian Outlaw

2007-11-30T08:38:00.000-08:00

In 2005 the Ontario legislature passed Bill 132 effectively banning Pit Bull breeds from the province.

Essentially, Bill132 was enacted in the hopes of permanently eliminating Pit Bull breeds from all of Ontario. And if it goes unchallenged, that could be a likely result. Pit Bulls are no longer allowed to be breed or imported. Any Pit Bulls that were not registered before Bill 132 was enacted are subject to seizure and destruction. Anything resembling a Pit Bull in shelters is immediately killed.

Bill 132 was heavily pushed by Attorney General Michael Bryant who capitalized on a high profile dog attack to create a frenzied hysteria around Pit Bulls. Calling all Pit Bulls "four-legged assault weapons" Bryant moved the focus of dog attacks from irresponsible and dangerous owners to a specific breed.

Bill 132 was passed out of ignorance and fear. And its results are deadly. Gracie was just barely rescued from an Animal Control facility where she was scheduled to be killed because she was an unregistered, and thus illegal, Pit Bull.

Bill 132 will be a failure because it is an attempt to protect the public from dangerous dogs that doesn't even take into consideration the temperament, history or disposition of an individual dog. Rather it judges a dog singularly on its physical features, on its physical Pit Bull-ness.

And Gracie looks very much like a Pit Bull because she is, in fact, a Pit Bull. But, she isn't what the Attorney General or the Ontario legislature would lead you to believe. She isn't vicious, unpredictable, or dangerous.

Rather, like every other Pit Bull I've fostered, she is incredibly loving and affectionate. She is all smiles and butt wiggles. She loves to rest her head on your lap and stare up at you. She's well mannered in the house, hasn't destroyed a thing, likes to chill in her crate and is so smart with her new obedience lessons!

She lives peacefully with Angelina and Viper. Though she is scared of Viper and Angie seems to think we brought Gracie home to be her new play toy! They love to run, romp and wrestle with each other at the park. And Angie has already taught Gracie her super stealth sneak-up-on-the-bed-while-they're-sleeping moves, so there is even less room on the bed when I wake up in the mornings.

Gracie has a very calm presence, but she has a sadness to her as well. She doesn't understand toys or playing. She's head shy and cowers when you raise your hand to pet her. She's scared of loud voices. But, we're glad she's here with us where we can shower her in toys, bones and treats, desensitize her to touch and provide a stable and secure home for her.

Gracie is looking for her loving forever home. Check out her Petfinder profile and contact Sophie if you're interested in showing Gracie the good life outside of Ontario!

The Name Game

2007-11-24T08:00:00.001-08:00

A lot of times we have to name the dogs that come into our rescue.

Sometimes it's because they don't have a name, sometimes they don't respond to the name they were given, sometimes when they've been abused we worry that they have bad associations with their previous name and, to be honest, on occasion the names they come with are just terrible.

But, our collective creative juices have been running low lately and it would be nice to have a stash of names to choose from when a dog ends up at our door.

We need your help!

Help us come up with original names for our rescues! Tell us your favorite dog names and what kind of dog you imagine with that name! What about your own companion animal? How did you choose their name? Was it a name you've always loved or did your pet's personality dictate its name?

Azalee pictured above was adopted today and given a new name... Maggie! It fits her don't you think?

Meet: Three Puppymill Victims

2007-11-23T11:40:00.000-08:00

These three babies were rescued from a puppymill by Rosie's Animal Adoption, a Montreal grassroots rescue group.

As a result of inbreeding these puppies were all born with severe and dangerous genetic defects. In order to keep costs low and profits high, puppymills and backyard breeders mate parents with offspring and siblings with siblings, with disastrous health results.

Because of the extent of their health problems the rescue and veterinarians decided a humane option would be to euthanize the puppies. As the rescue said, "no animal should be brought into this world in such a horrible state that euthanasia be his or her best option".

Read the tragedy of these three Golden angels at here.

Please never buy an animal online, from a pet store or person claiming to be a breeder. Spread the word about puppymills and backyard breeders. And remember these three puppies, who were born into the world as prisoners of greed and ultimately died for the dollar.

Meet: Angelina of the Terrible Teens

2007-11-23T11:07:00.000-08:00

I was tempted to post all the adorable pictures of Angelina I could find and leave it at that. But, I fear that such high levels of cuteness could be seriously detrimental to humans.

So, instead of just oogling little Miss Angie in a dreamlike trance, as I'm apt to do, I'll share some of my experiences with adolescent rescue dogs.

Angie was 9 months old when she was dumped. She was at the beginning of her adolescent phase, which in dogs is from around 8 months to when they reach a little over a year.

And just like human teenagers, doggy teenagers can be a nightmare! They are stubborn, defiant, and enjoy not only testing boundaries, but seeing you pull out your hair when they do! They are in this totally awkward growth period where their antics aren't as easily excused because of their sweet puppy faces. And all of a sudden these teenagers have needs they didn't seem to have before. They need lots of exercise, attention, and consistent training.

So, when people get a puppy and they survive the months of housetraining, teething, puppy destruction and crate training, they expect to finally have a harmonious and easy life with their dog. And for about a month they do. Then their dogs become teenagers and the obedience training is out the window, the garbage is spread all over the house, and the humans are easily frustrated.

A lot of times, they dump their dogs, seeing them as hopeless causes, perpetual pains-in-the-ass. In fact, this is the most common age for a dog to end up at a shelter or a rescue.

But, the reality is, just like the peeing-all-over-the-house stage of puppyhood, this defiant and stubborn stage is just a phase that will pass. And when people consistently reward their dog for the behaviours they want (lying in their bed, calmly asking for attention, politely playing) and ignore the other hair-pulling, teeth gritting behaviours the dog will grow up into a well rounded and well behaved companion.

So if your dog is a teenager, or getting there, be prepared to hide your shoes and socks, lock the garbage cabinet, and spend a lot of time outside exercising. Oh and you might want to brush up on your deep breathing!

You and your dog will get through this. I promise! And when you do you'll have that balanced, harmonious and rewarding relationship you hoped for. Consistent training, keeping your cool when your dog does something you see as naughty, and keeping your dog mentally and physically exercised are key.

So count to five, take a deep breath and work on keeping your relationship with your dog a loving and strong one.

Enjoy your dog for everything she is right now, because you might even miss her crazy antics when she grows out of them. Oh, and be thankful your dog isn't a human- you'll only have to deal with this for a couple months instead of a couple YEARS!

This post is a big shout-out to my mom and dad, who unfortunately decided to have a me instead of a dog and had to suffer through many years of door slamming, screaming fights, sneaking out and all those other lovely typical teenager behaviours. Admit it, you miss it a little....kidding!

Welcome to the foster family!

2007-11-19T15:34:00.000-08:00

Yikes! After a brief lull in activity at Sophie's Dog Adoption, it looks like we're back to the usual manic-dog-rescue-state. We've had some serious medical emergencies, dogs in need of immediate rescue and placement, a rescue trip to Ontario, all the regular vet appointments, food deliveries, foster shuffling and incoming inquiries, plus the Jolie-Pitt puppies went to their new foster homes!

Brad's bachelor pad.

I was really apprehensive about dropping the puppies off with their new fosters. I envisioned watery puppy eyes begging me not to leave them, little cries of abandonment and clinging claws. Wow, I couldn't have been more off base! Once the puppies saw the houses full of people to play and cuddle them they were totally like, uhhh yeah, see ya later whats-your-name. I couldn't be happier knowing that they are getting individual attention, love, training and play time in their great new foster homes!

Shiloh our superstar rocking out with her new foster family

All of the puppy's foster homes are new to Sophie's Dog Adoption, so I want to give them a HUGE welcome and THANK YOU! You guys totally rock!

Baby Z with her crew. Ummm.... swoon!

We are always in need of foster homes! Without our amazing and generous volunteer fosters we couldn't save a single dog, much less over a hundred annually. Each home is a saved life. So please get in contact with us if you want to help a rescue pup! You'll be rewarded with that special kind of love only a saved dog can give.

These wonderful guys are all still in need of foster homes:

Check Sophie's Dog Adoption or Our Petfinder Page for contact information!

Happy Tails: Sierra

2007-11-18T08:43:00.000-08:00

Petfinder is the main tool we use for advertising dogs, so it was very cool to log on today and see one of our success stories on the home page!

Sierra was one of our underdogs who stuck it out with us for an entire year, but she is proof that there is a great home out there for every dog.

Thanks to Sierra's adopter Maxime for sending in his Happy Tail!

Go check out our cover girl for yourself! And while you're there feel free to browse the over 260,000 rescue animals looking for their very own happy tails.

Meet: A Rockstar & A Colorful Candy

2007-11-13T19:23:00.001-08:00

OZZY

Ozzy came to us skittish, timid and visibly afraid. He was very head and hand shy, obviously the result of physical abuse. After a couple of days at Sophie's Dog Adoption he is the fun loving, curious and cuddly 10 month old he should be!

A true rockstar this little Pekingese/Chihuahua mix!

SKITTLES

Another youngin', Skittles was found dumped by the side of a busy road. This trusting, loving and affectionate 1 year old Schnauzer/Poodle mix was no match for speeding traffic. Luckily someone spotted him and now he's with Sophie's.

Just like Ozzy, Skittles is relaxing, decompressing and starting to overwrite memories of abuse and neglect with more recent memories of the walks around the park, cuddling and meeting friendly new faces!

Welcome Ozzy and Skittles!

Let the fun begin!

Our Underdogs!

2007-11-10T21:30:00.000-08:00

Meet Sophie's Next Top Models!

Yesterday, Erika and I brought two of our Lebanese pooches to spend some time in front of the camera with Jaime and Fern.

Fern writes an article in the The Westmount Independent called "The Underdogs", where hard-to-place pets from a variety of shelters and rescues in Montreal are given a chance at the limelight.

Each article tells a little bit about the dog and their history and is accompanied by a beautiful picture. Jaime takes all of the pictures (email her to get your own pooch in front of the camera!)

The newspaper has a crazy circulation, something like 10,000 people get a copy each week! So it is great exposure for our dogs.

Jaime and Fern are totally rad! They are such caring and kind people who do amazing work for the rescue dogs who really are the worst off.

Yendi, a senior dog, has already been placed in an amazing home thanks to these beautiful pictures!

Puppies and goofy Labs are relatively easy to place, people are ready to welcome them into their lives. But, for the breeds that are discriminated against, dogs with disabilities, seniors, dog who have behavioural issues as a result of abuse and dogs who need ongoing medical care, finding great homes can be harder.

Harley, a deaf English Bulldog has found her forever home!

Jaime and Fern are helping to make it that much easier!

Sunny

Loving, affectionate, loyal, charming and perfectly well-behaved. The only thing he loves as much as people is chasing squirrels in the park!

Bodi

Adorable, cuddly, well behaved, inquisitive and spunky. Bodi is loving his new dog friends and human friends, oh and exploring the city!Freckles

So cute, gentle, and curious. She loves exploring in the woods all by herself and making humans laugh out loud with her funny expressions and actions! Oh, and she'll jump in the air for a piece of her favorite vegan cake!

If you're interested in having beautiful pictures of your own canine companions taken contact Jaime. Erika and Mylo had their"family photos" taken with Jaime and they are amazing! Erika is sending them out as Christmas cards! I hope I'm on her mailing list!

Meet: Milou the Minature Poodle!

2007-11-09T19:07:00.000-08:00

Meet Milou! He's a dignified, mature and delightfully inquisitive little man.

And he was very nearly put down.

Milou was rescued from a local kill shelter. We were given mere hours to arrange for his survival. Otherwise, they were sorry, but "it would be too late".

Apparently Milou was dumped at the kill shelter by his owners for unstated reasons and subsequently failed the very fickle 'adoptability evaluation'.

At kill shelters all dogs are given an evaluation upon arrival. Dogs are screened for 'unadoptable personality traits' and are given a series of tests. The dog is rated from 1 to 10 on each test and the scores of each test are added up.

Based on this score it is decided whether a dog should live or die.

The test seems designed to make it easy for dogs to end up dead. It is highly subjective. It is unrealistic in terms of both the environment it is given in and the set up of each test. And the 1 to 10 rating system means you're damned if you do and damned if you don't.

In a typical test, a dog has just been brought into the facility. She has lost her familiar surroundings, humans and stability. She is in a concrete warehouse that is loud and filthy. She is housed in close proximity to unknown dogs, who she is unable to see or socialize with. She is only taken out of her very small cage once a day so that it can be hosed down. She doesn't know if it's night or day; there is no natural light and the artificial lights are kept on 24 hours.

Then, one day, she's taken out and brought to a room with a strange human. The human is acting extremely. She's sticking plastic hands in the dog's face and food. Poking her in the body. Shouting at her. Then the human flips completely and starts baby talking her and gently petting her. Then just as quickly she starts pulling on the dog's ears and tail. Throwing toys in her face and pretend crying. All in less than 10 minutes, then it is done.

How would your dog react to this stressful situation?

How would you react to this?

Would you be your normal self?

The test sets a dog up for failure and doesn't give an accurate picture of a dog's temperament and personality. The exact thing the test was set up to do.

So Milou failed the test, like the majority of the dogs do.

But luckily he passed the Sophie's Dog adoption evaluation:

Is he a dog: check!

Is he abandoned, homeless or unwanted: check!

Does he deserve a second chance? Of course! They all do!

Milou is in fact a great dog. He knows all of the french commands, even "dance"! He is quiet and clean in the house. He likes other dogs. Walks very well on the leash. And is an amazing companion.

He greets you at the door and couldn't be happier to see you! He is content and dreamy while sleeping by your side or on your lap. And he'll walk loyally by your side for the rest of your life.

Milou has suffered abuse and is being gently desensitized so that he isn't afraid to let go of his resources or perceived comfort.

He's doing so great and is becoming more and more comfortable with his new life.

Thank goodness he got this second chance.

Meet: Three Death-Row Pardons!

2007-11-06T18:44:00.000-08:00

At Sophie's Dog Adoption we rescue dogs from a variety of situations. Many come to us as forfeits, abandoned by the families they have loved and lived with for years.

Some are found as strays, wandering city streets, usually emaciated, extremely dirty and infested with fleas.

And others are taken off of death-row.

Yesterday Sophie got a call from her contact at a kill shelter about 2 dogs slated for destruction.

Neither had behavioural issues or severe health issues and, in fact, both had passed the adoption evaluation with flying colors. Still, these perfectably adoptable dogs were going to be killed.

The reason they were going to die: one has an ear infection and the other has a small rash on his rear leg. Both of these are easily treatable conditions that won't cost more than $25 to cure.

It's hard to imagine having so little value for life. An ear infection- kill the dog. A rash- kill the dog. Nervous- kill the dog. Doesn't want to play- kill the dog. Over the age of 7- kill the dog.

And while we can't ever save all the dogs that are on death row, hell we can hardly make a dent in the number that will die this week, today we welcomed three new friends into the rescue and out of harms way.

YOGI

Yogi is two year old Bernese Mountain Dog/Golden Retriever mix.

He's lively, playful and likes to think he's a little lapdog.

We spent some time running after tennis balls together...

but then Yogi thought it'd be more fun if I gave him a bellyrub!

KAHLUA

Kahlua is a nine-month old Shepherd/Lab mix. As a puppy, he was adopted out from the shelter. The he came back. He'd already been there a month before we got him, so he's spent a lot of his life behind the shelter bars.

Now he's ready for the good life- outdoor smells and sounds, playing and wrestling with new dog friends and the comfort of sleeping in a home and not on a feces covered concrete floor.

LEXISLexis, a 7 year old Pomeranian, was a last minute rescue. Sophie's shelter contact pointed her out as we were leaving. She had been up for adoption, but was scheduled to be killed because she hadn't been chosen fast enough.

When we got her to the car she was so timid and afraid she was shaking, but when the boys went in to see the vet she started climbing all around the car, exploring everywhere, searching for treats and jumping up to the look out the windows!

It's amazing how quickly dogs pick up on their new found safety and come out of their shells.

So we went with the intention of rescuing one dog and instead busted out of there with three! As thrilled as I am that we helped who we could, my heart stays with those we couldn't.

The needless deaths will continue on tomorrow and next week and for the rest of the year. Millions will die every year until we start taking responsibility for pet populations and sterilizing all companion animals.

Because most dogs born this year will end up here. With no one to rescue them.

I'm so sorry.

Meet: The Jolie-Pitt Puppies!

2007-11-05T20:27:00.000-08:00

Meet the six little dudes we've been fostering for the last six weeks! Scott was here from the moment of their birth and I really hope he gets an opportunity to share his experiences. I know there were about three weeks of no-sleep before I even got into town. Can you imagine?!

And while now they sleep through the night, they still cause plenty of other trouble now that they're up and able to run, climb, chew and bark. They keep us on our toes, to say the least!

The puppies were born to Angelina, a petite Pit Bull mix who is very affectionate, incredibly bright, a super athlete and a total cuddlebug!

We don't know what the male was, and we won't have a better idea until the puppies are around 5 months and start growing out of their generic puppy faces and bodies.

Either way they have a mother with a wonderful disposition and temperament!

Oh and they're named after Angelina Jolie-Pitt's kids. Scott always wanted to name a Pit Bull "Brad". Brad Pit. So with a mommy named Angelina it seemed a natural progression. Plus, they already did the hard work of coming up with original names!

The puppies are on our petfinder site now (http://www.sophie.petfinder.com/) and will be ready to be adopted when they are 8 weeks old.

So without much further ado, I'm pleased to introduce the little devils that keep our house full of lively energy, laughter and moments of utter awe! Oh, and poop. They keep our house full of lots and lots of poop.

Shiloh

Shiloh is pretty much the cutest puppy ever. And I'm completely unbiased, so you can trust me on this one. She was born all white and now she has fawn eye patches and patterning on her back. She's a quick learner like her momma. Scott has even started basic training with her! Yeah, she's good looking and smart. Some girls have all the luck...

ZaharaShe is such a doll! She's a curious and clever kitty who always seems to wriggle herself through any barrier, no matter how sound, to get to the human on the other side. Then she's content to sit on your lap and chew anything dangling from your person! Oh and her puppy eyes, boy does she flaunt them!

PaxI know you're not supposed to have favorites, but I'll be honest Pax is totally my homeboy. We're pretty much inseparable. Sometimes when he sneaks out of the puppy room, I pretend I don't notice, and then I start running back and forth in the apartment while he chases me! He's totally loving and affectionate like his momma, plus he's got this wild, adventurous, have-no-fear side. Oh and when he eats his belly gets fat and I call him Pax the Pumpkin. Sigh.

Maddox Maddox is the little baby of the bunch. She's so loving and cuddly. I sense she's going to be very human oriented and get a lot of joy from being close to her human companion. She's the quietest of the bunch as she searches out our dirty socks to give us as gifts! How thoughtful! She likes to climb all the way up your shirt to give you kisses. I've yet to meet someone who can resist her and her subdued antics!

Brad Pitt Brad Pitt is a stud. He's so fun and outgoing and adventurous. He was the first to crawl then walk then run and now climb. He leads the rest of the pack into the new and unknown parts of the house. He's usually the first to poop there too. Like I said, trail blazer. He's going to be a very entertaining and engaging young man when he grows up.

Jennifer AnistonYeah, so maybe you were wondering what we were going to call the last puppy since Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt only have four kids. Well, officially, we're calling her Angelina, as in Angelina Junior. But one day I jokingly said we should name her Jennifer Aniston and it stuck! Plus, our vet tech laughed so hard and said "Oh my god that's so cruel!" so that pretty much sealed the deal. Heck, I love this puppy so much, maybe it will even rub off on the real Jennifer Aniston, who I've vehemently been opposed to since, well, since forever.

This Jennifer Aniston is outgoing and a total goof. She's Brad Pitt's female counterpart. They rule the roost together!

So those are the Pitts! Stay tuned for more adventures with our celebrity house crashers!

Lunchtime!!!!

2007-10-31T19:50:00.000-07:00

This week I got to spend a some time with my little brother, Nick. Nick lives and goes to school here in Montreal too, but with all the dog madness lately it sometimes feels like we still live 2,000 miles apart.

Viper and our foster dogs all love Nick. He's been so kind to dogsit for us a couple times and now whenever he comes over it's all tail wags and wiggly butts.

So, the other day Scott, Nick and I (aww it feels like the old days!) headed down to our old stomping ground near Verdun to visit Coquette et Finegueule an independent pet supply store and canine cafe!

Coquette et Finegueule is one of several amazing pet supply stores in Montreal that supplies Sophie's Dog Adoption with quality dog food and treats for all of our rescues.

It's one of our group's mandates to provide all dogs in our care with quality food that truly meets their nutritional and health requirements. Without the incredibly generous support of these stores I don't think we could afford to do it.

So, I just wanted to publicly thank Coquette et Finegueule as well as Little Bear, Le Reveil du Maitre and Naturalanimal & Pawtisserie for their donations and commitment to companion animal health!

Thanks again from all the people and all the dogs at Sophie's Dog Adoption!

Sleepyheads

2007-10-31T19:45:00.000-07:00

Angelina, Viper and I sleep in after staying up late and spooking ourselves silly watching season 2 of "Lost".

But, seriously, who are the others???

Paper Pushers

2007-10-31T18:33:00.000-07:00

Remember in my first post when I said that most times when you work in dog rescue your plans for the day are out the window before the day even begins? Well sometimes your entire week is like that!

Last Tuesday Scott and I were going to take advantage of the lovely, rainy day and stay inside completing some paperwork. Instead we spent it running dogs to the vet, to the spay/neuter clinic, to foster homes and picking up a sweet little dog off of death row. Then we played food delivery drivers, bike messengers, professional dog walkers and mediators.

And only now, a week and a day later have we been able to sit down, breathe and tackle the paper work that has morphed from a pile of seemingly benign forms into a blood-sucking monster encased in a manila folder, ready to strike the moment we open it! I guess my high school teachers were right, procrastination only makes a task more difficult.

But, I'm really, really, really excited to say that today we finished the forms and tomorrow we will send off Sophie's Dog Adoption's application for official Registered Charity status!!!!!

The application takes over our lives!

Becoming a Registered Charity would mean two legal & financial things for Sophie's; First, as an organization we can issue tax receipt for individual and business donations and second, as a group we don't have to pay income tax.

Consulting our team of advisors. Clockwise from top: Ginger, me, Taco, Sophie, Tyson, Angelina, Julius and Viper

While these two things are of huge consequence for us, especially since money is always short in the rescue world, the thing I'm thrilled about is that the process of filling out the application made us look at and verbalize our goals and objectives as an organization. We also got the chance to think, as a group of volunteers, about the long term role of Sophie's Dog Adoption in relieving the suffering and proliferation of homeless and unwanted dogs in Montreal.

Tyson wants a cuddle-time clause!

When we were talking as a group the ideas were flying off the walls! There is so much we all want to do to improve not only the lives of the individual dogs we are able to rescue, but to improve the lives and wellbeing of all dogs in Montreal.

And it's amazing to think that if our application is approved and we gain Registered Charity status we can move towards becoming more secure financially and then branching out to do this kind of outreach and education. Especially around the issue of sterilization.

All there is left to do is wait...

So cross your fingers and hopefully in 6-9 months we'll all be celebrating this new phase of Sophie's Dog Adoption!

Manic Monday!

2007-10-23T11:51:00.000-07:00

After spending Sunday climbing the mountain, enjoying the beautiful (and warm!) fall weather and recooperating with our foster dog and Viper it was time to get back action!

After morning walks, feedings and a little bit of romping Scott and I split up and tackled our different tasks. Sophie and I were off to the South Shore to pick up three dogs who had just arrived from Lebanon.

Having survived the two wars and the bombing of the dog shelter I imagine the 14 hour plane ride and then week long journey up from the states were nothing. But, all three still seemed happy to be out of crates and exploring this strange new place.

I'm just glad they came on an unusually warm fall day to help ease the transition to the land of snow and ice!

This is Leslie:

She is shy, but alert and curious. Just a bit unsure perhaps. But then who wouldn't be after being shipped half way around the world?!

She is great with other dogs, but had the misfortune of growing up in a shelter, so we don't know how she'll behave in a house. Right now she's being kennelled in Laval. We hope to get her into a foster home soon! Contact me if you want to help!

This little guy is Bodi:

What an absolute delight! He seems to be a Teckel, Corgi mix. And I must admit his good looks have me smitten. Nothing seems to phase this little guy. He sat contently on my lap the whole car ride and then had a great time checking out the dog park and Parc Lafontaine. He's looking for a temporary place to crash too!

And this handsome man is Sunny:

Sooo affectionate and loving! He loves to be petted and reassurred. He had fun learning about squirrels and pigeons at the park.

He was scared of other dogs at the run, but after circling the area a couple of times together he seemed more confident and started having some fun! Those eyes could melt any heart!
Scott spent his morning with Tiny on the mountain, where they both had a great time. So great that Scott brought the rest of the dogs up there later and Viper scaled all the way to the summit! We'll have to put a little "Viper-man" flag up there now.

Tiny is a young Great Dane who came off of death row at a high-kill shelter here in Montreal. He's pretty excited to be out of dangers way and he's definitely seizing this new life! He's a HUGE puppy and like all puppies is getting himself into plenty of trouble with us humans.

He's great with other dogs (even blue ones) and loves the dog run.
And leaning up against you to get your attention. Which is so cute, if you can stay upright :)

After the all the busy running around Scott and I got home and were so tired we could barely hold a conversation and had to work pretty hard not to fight with each other. After some food and a "no more dog talk" rule we fell asleep to the sound of rain.

A rainy day after a manic Monday. What could be a better excuse for staying in doors and doing all the paper work we're behind on?

Meet Viper: Scott's Best Friend!

2007-10-20T10:10:00.000-07:00

Scott and I have fostered a lot of dogs and a lot of times we fall head over heels in love with them. Sometimes we even talk about adopting them ourselves. We've never decided to adopt because we always end up finding homes the dogs love just as much as us and adopting would mean one less space for foster dogs in need.

That was until we met Viper Benjamin!

Viper came to Sophie's Dog Adoption in late July. A woman who knew Sophie had decided to buy a Maltese advertised online.

When she phoned to enquire about the dog the "breeder" told her that she was getting rid of all of her Malteses, including the bitches and studs, because she was going to start breeding Chihuahuas. She told her that she could sell the now popular Chihuahua puppies for $1,600 compared to the $650 she was currently getting for the Maltese puppies.

So this breeder offered the woman a "2 for 1" special and the woman brought the "freebie" to Sophie's Dog Adoption.

This is what Viper looked like when he showed up. He absolutely reeked. This nauseating smell was emanating from his mouth and was made all the worse by the smell of the cheap perfume the "breeder" doused him in before dumping him.

His coat was rust colored from compulsive licking. And worse than any of these superficial things, was the utter lifelessness in Viper.

For the first few days he didn't move. He had no reaction to light or sound: loud music, whistling, city traffic, fireworks, nothing made him look up. The only time he reacted to people was when they would touch his mouth. And he'd snap at them.

As we became more and more worried that he had neurological problems Viper made his first move towards the food bowl and we began to measure his progress in inches and then steps and then one night he crossed the entire kitchen. The first time he wagged his tail we all cried and hearing him bark the first time had us talking for weeks!

After being fixed and having 16 rotten teeth pulled, Viper came to stay with us as a foster. We massaged his legs daily hoping to make them more pliable and his gait less jilted. Scott was, of course, immediately in love and after a month of watching Viper's transformation into a content, comfortable and "real" dog Scott decided to finalize the adoption.

Now he's the resident pup in our place and welcomes all of the foster dogs to our home.

Viper is still progressing and developing, he walks further everyday, smiles more, has started playing with toys, cuddling with humans and making dog friends. These normal dog activities are milestones for Viper because he spent those first 5 years of his life in a cage, never exposed to sunlight and only had human contact when he was moved around for breeding.

Viper is one of the hundreds of thousands of invisible faces that make up the sick reality of backyard breeders and puppy mills. The cute puppies you see advertised online and in pet stores come from these horribly abused animals who don't have enough room to move, who have legs so atrophied they can barely walk, who piss and shit where they eat, who never see daylight or other dogs or caring humans, who are in such ill health they can't walk or chew food, who have to have 16 rotten teeth pulled from their heads.

Please never buy a puppy from a backyard breeder or a pet store.

Viper is one of the minority of breeder dogs who will get a chance at a real life. And he's learning all about the world and finding some tings he really loves, like:

Going for walks around the neighborhood:

Sleeping in his bed (and sometimes even sharing it):

Dogs that look like him (hi Dude! How is your new home??):
Being petted on the head:
and, of course, Scott, his beloved:

Welcome to a Dog's Best Friend!

2007-10-19T13:35:00.000-07:00

I've wanted to blog about all the amazing dog rescue work that goes on here in Montreal for a long time. But, as anyone who has a dog, much less rescues dogs, could tell you: sometimes it's hard enough just keeping up with the day to day stuff.

In our rescue we are constantly in a state of emergency. It's a life or death business. And that means that the plans for the day usually go out the window by 9A.M. when you find out there is a dog on death row or a forfeit at the front door or a sick rescue who needs medical attention.

But, as trying as it can be, it is also joyous, enlightening and often hilarious work. So I want to share our stories- the good and the bad, to offer them as support to the thousands of other people out there working for animals. And to showcase our rescue dogs and share their stories because they are the reason we dedicate our free time to hanging at the dog park, driving back and forth from the vet and, of course, cleaning up a lot of poop!