Toronto Animal Services South dog photos June 12

Willy - Poodle

unnamed Schnauzer

Lucy - Jack Russell Terrier Chihuahua cross

Daisy - Border Collie

Brett - Cocker Spaniel

For adoption information on these and other dogs (and cats and other animals), please visit Toronto Animal Services.

TAS South dogs in review May 27

Scrappy's kind of a dumb name for a dog hoping to get adopted so I hope someone changes it because Scrappy isn't scrappy at all. This Cocker Spaniel is super friendly, at least with people, and didn't seem to have any problems with the couple of dogs we passed on our walk.

Scrappy - Cocker Spaniel

Six months old and all the way from Portugal, Poncha is an amiable Chow Chow who, I'm told, has a bit of a bark which is why her owner gave her up after moving into a condo.

Poncha - Chow Chow

Hugo will make an ideal family dog. I have no doubt he'll be quickly adopted if he isn't already.

Hugo - German Shepherd cross

For adoption information on these and other dogs (and cats and other animals), please visit Toronto Animal Services.

Yet unnamed Cocker Spaniel

A little taste of summer today and this round belly guy was making the most of it, rolling in the grass, snorting the dandelions.


For adoption information on this portly Cocker Spaniel and other dogs (and cats and other animals), please visit Toronto Animal Services.

Friday review, Jan. 22

Lots of new dogs this week.

Sheba

Ramone is a super nice black Labrador Retriever who seems to have been abused in the past. He's extremely sensitive to hands being raised and immediately backs away and cowers and then looks for reassurance. I hear, though, that he's going to end up in a fantastic new home so I hope whatever bad memories still haunt him will soon fade away.

Ramone

These next three Labs are happy dogs without a care and the two black ones especially are really robust and beautiful examples of the breed.

Dickie

Buddy

Boone

Bobby

Ida is a serene and elegant Husky. She's got a sense of royalty about her. I love her white mask.

Ida

Sam

Update on Bobby here.

Update on Dickie here.

For adoption information on these and other dogs (and cats and other animals), please visit Toronto Animal Services.

The eyes have it

When I dropped into Toronto Animal Services yesterday at noon, it was supposed to be just to say hello to Big George to see how he was doing but as I walked by the white board with the list of all the dogs that needed walking, I noticed that only half of them had been attended to.

The staff take out all the dogs in the morning for a quick washroom break but that's not a real walk, not in my book anymore. Five minutes doesn't cut it and the dogs really deserve and need the time they get with the volunteers walking them. Yesterday, though, the volunteer who was supposed to be there hadn't arrived yet.

I'm not at all putting any blame on the volunteer. After all who knows what might have happened. Sickness. Car broken down. Who knows, but regardless, the result was that half the dogs in the shelter had been stuck in their kennels all morning.

So, instead of spending time with George, I started taking out dogs. I do this quite often, fill in when someone's away or there's too many dogs, and it's never a big deal but yesterday, walking by all the dogs in their kennels who hadn't been out yet, I felt kind of depressed by it all. I think it may have been because one of the first dogs I passed was Spencer, a Doberman who reminded me of my own Rocky. Spencer was there by the front of his kennel, not making a peep but looking like he was trying very hard to be noticed with his perfectly well behaved sit. Something about his silence got to me. He was being a very good dog, not barking, not making a fuss, looking me in the eyes, doing all the right things so that I would choose him to take out.

And yet I did not.


And then I passed by Dalton ...


... and Sandy ...


... and Lady ...


... and Paddy ...


... and I get to the end of the kennel and take out two dogs who get along really well with each other to walk them at the same time - more efficient that way. And then I have to walk by all these other dogs again who are now thoroughly disappointed.

The photos I take for the adoption website all show the dogs outside, generally happy and alert and pretty full of life but in reality, they spend almost all their time here in their kennels waiting to be noticed, for that glance from a person, a touch, some attention, a few moments when they can feel wanted, included. Sure, it's not a big deal in the grand scheme of things, them missing out on a walk or missing out on some playtime, but denying them any of these few, small enough pleasures they get during their sometimes long stay at TAS just seems wrong.

It all comes down to this. TAS needs more volunteers. They've got a full schedule of volunteers and there is pretty well a volunteer coming in every open hour of every day but that's in the ideal case with no one being sick or late or whatever. And also, sometimes, there are more dogs than one volunteer can handle in the time they're there. So, I'm trying to talk TAS into doubling up their volunteer numbers or even tripling. This way, if someone can't make it, there'll hopefully still be at least one or two other people showing up.

Also, TAS South is getting more dogs now. The rescue work has really increased and that means more dogs to walk so more volunteers only makes sense. All the dogs need more people time.

So, for your consideration: If you've ever felt like getting hands-on involved and have thought about doing some volunteering, this would be a great time to do it. Come visit TAS South, check the place out, fill out a volunteer application form. They'll explain the volunteering process to you - sometimes they make a big deal of it but it's all pretty informal once you get started. Afterward, it's sometimes a little frustrating waiting for the bureaucracy to get to responding to the volunteer requests but I've been told that someone is going through all the applications right now. And even if you apply and don't make it this time, which would be nonsensical, TAS will have your name on file for the next round.

Hope to see you round there sometime.

Toronto Animal Services South, 7 days/week, 10:30 am - 6:30 pm
140 Princes' Blvd. (Horse Palace, Exhibition Place)

This is the south shelter number: 416 338 6668. If you call this number and get a machine, just hang up and try again later otherwise you might end up waiting on hold for a week or so.

This is the main TAS number if you're interested in one of the other shelters (but I don't know what they're like at all with respect to volunteers): 416 338 7297

Update on Ozzie

Well, just some photos actually, with Ozzie looking pretty comfy in his new pad.





I figured all the Cocker Spaniels were going to go fast but was still pleasantly surprised at just how quickly they were snatched up. I think most of them only lasted a couple of days on the adoption floor with one slow poke maybe lasting a week.

Update on Ryley

Ryley's one of the six Cocker Spaniels that arrived at Toronto Animal Services just a little over a week ago. There are only two left (one still awaiting neutering) and I doubt they'll last much longer.

From Ryley's new owner:

Here is a picture of Ryley. He is fitting in really well, you would think that he had been with us since he was a pup.

I see that his brother has also been adopted, I hope they have a same luck as us.

Nice view, Ryley. I got to get me adopted one of these days.

Can I get a half dozen of those, please?

These Cocker Spaniels just arrived today at Toronto Animal Services and while I don't know if they're siblings, their happy personalities certainly came from the same stock. Okay, the black one isn't sporting a big goofy smile but you need someone to play the straight guy, right? No worries, though. He's laughing on the inside.

addendum (09-04-06): These guys are actually from a Cocker Spaniel rescue that needed some help due to health issues with the owners. One has already been taken in by a local rescue and the rest will be up for adoption at TAS.







Update here and here.

's wonderful

They came in fast and furious last week and while I haven't had a chance to meet every last one of them, these guys and gals I did meet and they are wonderful each and every one. All have good people skills and are pretty dog friendly and as far as I could tell, seem housebroken (but you'll have to check on that). This is going to be the best graduating class yet.

Mika

Bonnie

Pico

Sandy

Hank (the Tank)

Unnamed Lhasa Apso

Unnamed Boxer

Reba

S, M, L

There's quite the mix of dogs at Toronto Animal Services right now - all sizes and from all over.

This little poodle comes all the way from Nunavut via Montreal. I'm not sure what the story is but I bet Toffee is glad to be here in balmy Toronto rather than up north for the winter. This pooch is more suited for riding on a sled than pulling one.


This gentle and loving, mid-sized black Cocker Spaniel came from the Montreal SPCA. Charlene's travel mate, a golden Cocker Spaniel, was snatched up in no time. While waiting for her chance at a new home, blood started showing up in her urine so some tests are being run. Hopefully, everything'll be alright and Charlene will make it onto the adoption floor again before too long.


Vadar is a large local boy. This beautiful brindled Mastiff was found wandering the streets of Parkdale and remains unclaimed after more than a week so he is now up for adoption. He's a super affectionate dog who would love to crawl into someone's lap if he could but since he's 80 pounds (my estimate) and should be 20 pounds heavier, that might be hard to do.

I think Vadar should get a name change. The name's too menacing and a dog that looks the way he does has enough stereotyping problems to overcome. So, any suggestions?

I've met such a vast assortment of dogs in my time at TAS, that it amazes me anyone would still make pet store or backyard breeder purchases before checking out what's available in the shelters or rescues. Ill-informed buyers, I suppose, and of course that's partially our fault for not getting the word out better.

Here's to getting the word out.

French connection 2

Five more from the Quebec puppy mill bust last week. All young, all instinctively joyous when people approach, though God knows why after what people have put them through.

One beagle is calm, gentle.

The other is kinetic until I pay attention to it and then it melts and all is well.

One Cocker Spaniel is playful.

The other one is quiet but determined to be near a person, to approach and seek comfort from anyone who passes by.

Then there is the Shitzu who is like a silly little toy, legs moving so fast they look like a blur but still only barely keeping up to my walking pace.

I wonder if the people who will eventually come and take these dogs home will know what they have saved them from?

James from Toronto Animal Services was up in Montreal over the weekend to check out some of the other dogs taken from the seizures. He immediately noticed the big dogs, the Great Danes, Mastiffs, Labs, Irish Setters but there were also lots of little lap dogs, lots of everything, Boxers, Pit Bulls. Even with all the fostering help various rescues and shelters have been offering, the Montreal SPCA still has over 400 dogs under its care at the moment (this includes about 100 dogs which were there even before the puppy mill seizures).

The illicit dog trade in Quebec is completely out of control. Attempts to curb it have been muddled by the usual folly of human politics combined with lack of will. Here's an article in The Toronto Star about that sad state of affairs.

Addendum: Here's the video report hosted by The Globe and Mail. (When I tried it, it was loading up pretty slow).