Update 2 on Smiley (now Pochi)

My name is Catherine and my partner Nathan and I adopted a dog from Toronto Animal Services on July 25th. At that time she was named Smiley and was one of a number of dogs rescued from Serbia - she was the one with the severely broken leg and limp. You gave me your e-mail address at that time and requested an update; so here it is!

Pochi (her new name) has adjusted beautifully to living in our apartment. She is just as loving and gentle as she was the first time we met her. We love taking her for walks and playing with her. Pochi recently finished an obedience training course and now knows how to sit, stay, lie down etc. She is still a bit nervous around other dogs, but we hope that with patience and time she will get better socialized. She bonded to us very quickly and had us wrapped around her paw in no time. We decided before we brought her home that she would not be allowed up on the couch - now it's her favorite place to snooze and have puppy dreams.

An initial exam with the vet went well. We put her on a diet to help fatten her up, but she will always have to stay slim to reduce the stress on her joints. Thanks to you and the staff at Animal Services we were able to obtain x-rays from the people who originally rescued Pochi in Serbia! We became friends with people halfway around the world who were overjoyed to find that she had been adopted. She is truly a special animal to have touched so many lives. We are so grateful to the many people who were responsible for caring for her and giving her a chance at life when her prognosis did not look good. This, of course, includes you. The work that you and the staff at Animal Services have done, and continue to do is so, so important. Thank you so much for looking after all the poor wayward souls that come to you and making their lives better! Words can't express how grateful we are.

Happy Thanksgiving,

Catherine

P.S. Attached are some photos of Pochi enjoying her new home.