The CHS team would like to stop and say an important thank you this week to our volunteers and foster parents in acknowledgement of National Volunteer Week.

Last year, our volunteers committed over 12,000 hours as foster parents and over 30,000 volunteer hours to supporting our mission: to help as many animals as we can. They do this through various roles that directly support the care of our animals; visiting with the animals to decrease stress and help with socialization skills, supporting our veterinary staff with daily tasks, sorting our donations, cleaning and folding laundry, doing dishes, assisting with various administrative tasks, assisting our Behaviour team with obedience classes, lending a hand for special events and the list goes on!

Our volunteers are critical to our operations and this week, we are pausing to say thank you. Thank you for everything that you go over and above to do for our animals. It is greatly appreciated.

- The CHS Staff  

If you are interested in volunteering with The Calgary Humane Society, please click here to see when positions become available.

Good morning CHS fans! Dare we say that spring has finally made a (tiny) appearance this morning? We sure hope so! We have some great adoption number to share with you today – 58 critters were adopted by loving families last week!

Highlights include: Igor, Peter Pan, Rick + Duke and Zenie the cats, Tova (YEAH!) and Satchamo the dogs, and Sprite and Buster the rabbits.

Adoption Breakdown: 38 cats, 13 dogs, one fish, three hamsters and three rabbits.

Good morning CHS fans! We’ve got some great adoption numbers to help cheer you up this snowy Monday morning. 54 animals were adopted last week!

Highlights include Martin, Oryx, Ruby and JD the cats, Rogan and Molly the dogs, Clementine, Twiggy and Flossy the rabbits.

Adoption Breakdown: three birds, 30 cats, two degus, 11 dogs, two guinea pigs, two hamsters, one tarantula, three rabbits.

Good morning! We have some great adoption numbers to help you forget this silly snow – 42 animals found their forever homes last week!

Highlights include Oprah Whiskers, Klinda, Mila and Panthera the cats, Dodge, (pictured), Budette, Little Sis and Norma Rae the dogs and Cream and Bluebell the rabbits.

Adoption Breakdown: two birds, 21 cats, 13 dogs, two guinea pigs, one mouse and three rabbits.

A reminder that we are closed tomorrow for staff training. We will be open regular hours on Wednesday though and we apologize for any inconvenience this may cause.

"I adopted Miss Sammy in the middle of January. As soon as I saw her I knew she was something special. Her little body was literally shaking with excitement as she watched me and my boyfriend on the other side of the glass. It wasn't until he whispered in my ear "it says something is wrong with her" that I realized that Miss Sammy did indeed have a special condition called Cerebellar Hypoplasia. We spoke with a couple of the wonderful staff members and they were able to explain that it was a condition which had affected her cerebellum and made her twitch and shake, but did not affect her neurologically. She simply over-exaggerated her steps, and would sometimes dip her nose into the water dish too far (causing some wet sneezes). We had a visit with her and we were smitten (picture included).  I did a ton of research on the condition and Sammy has a very mild case. She  twitches more when she is very excited, eating, or when she has just woken up. It almost makes her that much more loveable.

We were warned she was a little bit timid, but this little orange cat has been off and running since the day I brought her home!  She loves to greet us at the door and stays to visit with anyone who comes over to the house. Her motor skills improve everyday. The first time she was able to get to the top level of her scratching post we had a celebration!  She loves to play and has found her voice. She has a very soft feminine meow which she now uses often to help get us out of bed in the morning to feed her!

The humane society is a wonderful spot. I know from her notes that one of the vets took her home to foster her, as they were trying to determine why she was twitching. I just want to say thank you for all of the hard work and integrity you all put into making the lives of animals better. I know that my life is better with Sammy, and hope to open my home and heart to more fury creatures in the future!"

Happy Easter CHS fans! We hope you all had a lovely long weekend (or are still enjoying it!) 35 animals found their forever homes last weekend, which is quite good considering we were closed on Friday.

Some highlights include Sunny D and Fuchsia the cats, Lola, Archie (pictured), Betty and Baby the dogs and Dot the rabbit.

Adoption Breakdown: one bird, 19 cats, 11 dogs and four rabbits.

Good morning CHS fans! We hope you all had a very wonderful weekend. 54 animals found their forever homes this past week, a nice increase from the past couple of months.

Highlights include: Caspian, Stubby (pictured), Herald, Gerard and Zeus the cats, Bella, Zazu and Marley the dogs and Miffy the rabbit.

Adoption breakdown: 34 cats, 17 dogs, one hamster, one rabbit and one snake.

Just a reminder that we will have holiday hours for Easter weekend:
Friday: Closed
Saturday 10 am – 5 pm (regular hours)
Sunday: 12 pm – 5 pm  

Good morning CHS fans! We hope you all enjoyed your snowy weekend! 41 animals were adopted to loving families last week :)

Highlights include Charles, Mozzy, Juniper and Sandy the cats, Tennessee the dog, and Abracadabra, Boogie Bear and Torchy the rabbits!

Adoption Breakdown: 27 cats, five dogs, three guinea pigs, two hamsters and four rabbits.

Good morning CHS fans! Hopefully you all had a great weekend :)

33 animals found their forever homes last week, awesome! Highlights include Sizzle (in photograph), Barley, Tootsie and Delilah the dogs, Samara + Steve and Cassie the cats, Bongo the rabbit and several of our feathered friends.

Adoption Breakdown: four birds, 19 cats, nine dogs and one rabbit.

Maxx, is a Chihuahua Toy-fox terrier cross who is now 6 years old. We adopted  him at the end of summer 2012 after our move here to Calgary. Ever since we got him he has been inseparable from his family. Going on hiking trips, traveling to Ontario twice and going for numerous car rides around Calgary.  Recently he has enjoyed going to dog parks and socializing, which is a big improvement from when we first got him. When he was first adopted  he did not socialize well with other animals. Maxx loves to run around and play in the snow, and chase the occasional bunny, deer or squirrel. Now he is a spoiled dog at home with many treats, a nice bed and more toys than he knows what to do with.  A night he sleeps in a bed with someone, sleeping under the sheets, and will wait close to the door until you get home. He has fit in perfectly with our family and we could't ask for a more perfect dog. 

She is....the most interesting cat in the world.

Meet MJ! This feisty girl is a three year-old is looking her forever home. And she won't accept anything less because she is, the most interesting cat in the world. Obviously.

MJ takes her playtime very seriously and can get a bit overexcited, especially with toys. Due to her excitement level, MJ is looking for an adult-only home with people who can help teach her a gentler style of play.

Here is what MJ has to say about herself:

“I’m a sensitive girl with an independent spirit that just wants a quiet home environment where I can enjoy watching the world go by. I’d especially like a warm and sunny spot, maybe with a good view of the trees so I can see birds and squirrels to entertain me! I’m still learning to trust and I’m a little wary of pets, but I have discovered that a little cheek scratch isn’t a bad thing at all! I definitely have a mind of my own, though, and this means I need to be with adults who will be patient with me as I adjust to my new life and the love you want to give me. Will you give this beautiful girl a chance? You won’t regret it!”

She's a really great girl and is just waiting for someone to fall in love with her - is that you? Visit MJ today or learn more here.

An adorable update on Edith the hedgehog!

"My family and I adopted Edith, our hedgehog, from the Calgary Humane Society. She was shy when we first took her home, but with patience, love and treats, she is becoming a wonderful little creature, and it;s only been a week! She makes us laugh, and is a very curious little girl!

I am really glad that we were able to rescue an animal, who needed a home. Adopting from the Calgary Humane Society was very gratifying. We were able to open up a spot for another animal in search of their forever home, just like Edith was. The staff was very helpful and it was an overall wonderful experience! Thank you CHS!"

Hello CHS fans! We hope you and all your pets are safe and sound after yesterday’s snow storm! Wowza! 47 animals were able to find their forever homes last week and we couldn’t be happier for them.

Highlights include Oreo, Penny, Betty and Molson the cats, Rogan (pictured), Martha, Ranger and Willie the dogs and Dixie + Pixie the bunny sisters!

Adoption Breakdown: two birds, 24 cats, 12 dogs, three guinea pigs, one hedgehog, four rabbits and one tarantula.

We have a cute pooch for our Friday feature animal - everyone say hello to Emily!

Emily is a two year-old German Shepherd cross who came to the CHS as an owner surrender. Emily is a gentle soul who would do best in a quieter family setting. Small kids are a bit overwhelming for her, so if you have kids, she would prefer them to be of the teenage demographic. Emily loves getting her exercise, so daily walks are a must for this pooch!

Emily has not had much training and will greatly benefit from "Polite Pooches" class. Here, she will bond with her new family, learn new skills and gain confidence.

What Emily lacks in size (she is only 15 kg!) she makes up in personality! Sweet, loyal and very smart.

Have you been looking for a dog like Emily to join your family? Visit her at the shelter today or click here for more information.

"I just wanted to take a moment to say thank you for all you do! Monday was our girl Mia's 1st birthday and it's been 5 and a half months since we got her from you and we couldn't be more grateful for the addition to our family!

She absolutely has made herself at home since moving in and she is such a joy to have as part of the household! You guys do such incredible work for all of the animals in your care and it does not go unnoticed, so thank you so much for taking care of Mia until we got to bring her home."

Meet Sizzle! Now, we normally only post one photo when we feature an adorable adoptable, but we couldn't resist more for fun-loving Sizzle! He just LOVES to play fetch! We would recommend his future family buy a Chuck-It (or six) because your arm will definitely tire out before Sizzle will!

Here is what Sizzle (a one year-old Lab X) has to say about himself:

"Hi there, my name is Sizzle. I am very high energy, so I would do best in an adult-only home. My paw-fect family will be active and structured. This means daily walks – no slacking. Us Border Collies are a special breed – know your facts about me please, so there are fewer surprises down the road. You know what my favorite thing in the whole, wide world is? Playing ball! I could seriously do it ALL DAY LONG! My manners need a little refresher course, so you and I get to attend ‘Polite Pooches’ together. How delightful! I am ready to start our journey together, so please come soon! Woof!"

While handsome in his photos, you really need to take the time to meet Sizzle in person to get the full effect - he is an awesome dog! Are you the lucky family who will get to call Sizzle their own? Visit him today!

Good morning CHS fans! We hope you all had great weekend. 53 animals found their forever homes last week, a great feat considering we were closed to observe holiday Monday. We heart Calgarians!

Highlights include Taz (YAY!), Sasha and Ronny the cats, Doug, Ben, and Annie the dogs and Bumble Bee the rabbit. Adoption Breakdown: one bird, 28 cats, 21 dogs, one guinea pigs and two rabbits.

Happy National Cupcake Day! We are excited to celebrate here at the shelter and will be hosting a cupcake-by-donation event from 3 p.m. to 8 p.m. We hope to see you there!

Brutus is one fantastic dog,  when we got him he was so scared all the time hiding under the bed with the slightest noise and not playing just sitting on couch most of the day. Well now what a different story! He never hides under the bed and is very playful, loves his new squeaky toy.  He had a bit of a bad tummy at first, but now he is used to the yummy food I make the dogs and he is good. Loves a good walk and stays right at my heel the whole walk. His wonderful, easy-going personality is just shining through. Brutus put on the charm right out of the chute and he has won our hearts – we are so glad we took the little fellow home. Although he had all but 2 teeth removed he can still chew a big beef bone with the rest of them.

Happy Monday morning CHS fans! 53 animals found their forever homes last week and we couldn’t be happier! Several of the adoptees were long-term animals and we are so happy to see them go. Some highlights include cats Lennon (pictured above), JD, Posie, Strawberry, Esme, Talon and Penny, Toto the dog and rabbits Anastasia and Jackpot.

Adoption Breakdown: 37 cats, five dogs, two guinea pigs, three hamsters and six rabbits.

Have a fabulous week!

We are loving the awesome signage the Youth Ambassador kids are making for us these days! We never thought of marketing cats as purry animals you don't have to walk - its genius!

Good morning CHS fans! We hope you all had a great weekend and enjoyed the beautiful weather! 45 animals were adopted last week and now have families of their own :)

Some highlights include handsome Rocky the dog (pictured), Heart + George the cats, Glitter the cat, Tiger the cat, Poppins the cat and Felix the rabbit!

Adoptions Breakdown: one bird, 36 cats, four dogs and four rabbits.

Calgary Humane's Mingling Mutts: Paw-fect Matches Since 1922.

Is Tova your match? Visit her today at the shelter today or call 403-205-4455 for more information.

Tova's Profile Age: 7 years Sex: Spayed Female Species: Dog Breed: German Shepherd X Color: Grey & White

January 31, 2013 -- For the second time in two weeks, thieves attempted to steal a Calgary Humane Society (CHS) dog bank from a local business.

Yesterday afternoon at approximately 2 p.m., a man walked into the Joey’s Only in Southtrail Crossing, picked up the 40 pound dog bank and ran out the door. A Joey’s Only server chased the thief down the sidewalk, where he eventually drop...ped the bank and ran away on foot.

Last week, the dog bank in Cora’s in Southtrail Crossing was stolen and eventually found a couple days later in the nearby The Keg’s dumpster. The dog bank had been smashed and all the money removed.

“It is very disappointing to be dealing with the theft of our dog banks,” said CHS spokesperson Christy Thompson.

“Every dollar collected in our dog banks was donated by caring Calgarians who wanted to see their money help the homeless animals in Calgary. It is very disheartening that these dogs banks are being targeted by thieves.”

If you have any information concerning the theft of either dog bank, please contact the CHS at 403-205-4455.

Pictured is CHS spokesperson Christy Thompson and August, a three month-old Pitbull who is currently in foster with a CHS foster family. 

Good morning! We have a very sweet senior name to share today. Meet Sasha! She is an 8 year-old girl with gorgeous long tortoiseshell fur that she loves to have petted. Sasha is a quiet soul and would be great for a family who is looking for a laid-back and mature cat to adopt. A real doll!

Here is what Sasha has to say about herself:

Have you ever done a good deed for somebody and felt really good about yourself? You'll have that same feeling when you take me home with you. You see, I'm a shy kind of lady that could use some good old fashioned TLC. I'd like to find a home where I can build my confidence with some people who will be gentle and kind. I'd like to take our new friendship slow, but don't worry, it won't take me long to come around. As soon as I see that you're there to care for and love me, I'll melt in your arms. Please consider taking me home, I deserve a second chance.

Interested in meeting Sasha? Drop by the shelter today – Sasha will be waiting!

"After my mom and I lost our beloved cat, Cuddles, on Dec. 12, 2011, we were finally ready to bring a new family member home a year later. We saw Trillium on your Facebook page as a featured pet, and knew she was something special. It so happened that Trilli came into our lives on 12-12-12, and the adoption papers were signed around 12pm. From the moment I coaxed her out of her home at Calgary Humane for some pets, and she bumped noses with me, I was in love. She has been an incredible addition to our home!

Trilli adores playtime (she has a basket full of little balls and toys she loves to chase around the house), and especially enjoys tearing into stuffies. She loves to watch the birds outside the window from her scratching post, and will make little chirping sounds when she wants to catch them. She loves to be cuddled and brushed, and after a good brushing she sleeps for hours! (We think she enjoys the massage action!) she has a little bed in the hallway, as we sleep with our doors closed, and before bedtime, she makes her rounds around the house, checking under my mom's bed to make sure there aren't any "monsters"! She makes sure her bowl is always filled, and loves eating her organic, raw coconut oil (we will be transitioning her to a raw food diet soon). We couldn't have gotten a more perfect kitty for us, and we are happy to say we will be giving her a companion soon, most likely from Calgary Humane. We want to say thank you from the bottom of our hearts for our gorgeous girl, and thank you to her foster homes for taking such wonderful care of her and her kittens while she waited for us, her forever home! :)"

One of our amazing Kitty Karma volunteers during his shift last night! Our volunteers are the BEST!

"This is of Dallas. He was the greatest dog that ever lived. I brought him home as a foster from the CHS on March 17 1996. He was 4 months old and he had been at the Shelter for 3 weeks. He came in as a stray & nobody ever came looking for him. He stayed with me for 11 years. Some might call that a foster fail, but there was no failure in that at all. I could go on & on about the things I learned from him, but I'm sure all dog lovers have a similar list. Just let it be said, I miss him dearly. RIP my Dalai Llama...I miss you."

Good morning Calgary Humane fans! We hope you all had a great weekend! Last week 67 animals found their forever homes and we couldn’t be happier!

Highlights include Austin the cat, Mindy the cat, Valerie the cat, Clyde the cat (Facebook feature animal from a couple weeks back), Neffy the cat,  Jasper the dog, Blizzard the guinea pig and Mr. Toad, the toad (we’re creative with names, we know)

Adoption Breakdown: four birds, 46 cats, 15 dogs, one guinea pig and one toad.

An awesome update on our Featured Pet a couple weeks back - Meeka, now Whiskey! How fun does this family look!?

"Good Morning, well after having Whiskey (Meeka) home for only one week she has settled in with her new family. Here is a typical breakfast at our house. 3 out of the 5 dogs (Whiskey, Calli and Tigger) are from the Calgary Humane Society."

Good morning! We hope everyone was able to stay nice and warm this snowy weekend. If not, we have something to warm your hearts – 69 animals found their forever homes last week! Some highlights include Magg the cat, Baby Girl the cat, Moxie the cat, Sarge the dog (pictured above), Quinn the dog and Baxter the bun!

Adoption Breakdown: one bird, 42 cats, 19 dogs (lots of pups), five fish and three buns. Have a great week!

"I adopted Jasper 4 years ago from the Calgary Humane Society.  I had a miniature Schnauzer growing up and when I saw Jasper's photo I knew I had to see him. The Calgary Humane Society did a fantastic job preparing me  as Jasper was a reactive dog. We've done lots of classes and they've paid off. Jasper & I have come such a long ways & I'm proud that Jasper is now a "PALS" dog.  We visit a Longterm Care Centre and Jasper brings such joy to the residents!"

Good morning CHS fans! We hope you all had a wonderful weekend! 84 animals were adopted last week and will be starting off 2013 in their forever homes!

A huge thank-you to everyone who shared Meeka’s story last Friday – she was adopted the very next day! You guys play a huge part in marketing these animals – a like, a comment and a share go a VERY long way! Other highlights include Taj the cat, Oasis the cat (pictured) and Buttercup the dog.

Adoption Breakdown: two birds, 70 cats and 12 dogs.

Have you met Meeka?

Meeka is an awesome one year-old Australian Cattle Dog X German Shepherd looking for a great home! She’s one of those dogs that make us scratch our heads here at the shelter and wonder: “Why the heck is she still here? She’s AWESOME!”

And here is why she is awesome:

Meeka is crate trained, housebroken, will whine and stand by the door when she needs to go out. She is protective, shy, quiet, playful, active and gentle. She knows sit, down, stay, fetch, shake a paw, go pee and comes when called. She was fostered with children aged 14 and 17 and was great with them. She is very active, a silent companion, cuddly/affectionate, gentle, obedient, protective, loyal, loves to play, trusting, super sweet, likes to play peek-a-boo and loves to kiss you.

Phewf!Ssee we told she was awesome! Meeka is also very great with other dogs and would love to have a doggy brother or sister.

Learn more about this sweet girl here or visit her today!

I've attached a photo of two of our pets that we got from the Calgary Humane Society.  Bruno, our third cat did not feel like joining the picture, but he is doing well.
 
Goblin has been diagnosed with a mild case of asthma.  When we got him from the Humane Society we knew  he had a history of wheezing, but we never thought it would be asthma.  We have made box fan air cleaners in our house and it has made a huge difference.  Now we don't have a wheezy kitty.  When he decided to bring home Grissom (our first dog), we thought Goblin would be scared of him, but as you can see they are fast friends.
 
When we adopted Grissom we knew that he had several food allergies.  He was always itchy, so we made the decision to try raw food with him.  He is like a new dog!  His energy is so much higher than before.  Friends who met him when he was on kibble can't believe he is the same dog.  He loved the polite pooches class.  He has an amazing talent for showing off.  When we are home alone trying to practice with him he gets stubborn and won't listen, but at the park or vet he behaves so well and we pretend his listens all the time.  He was the perfect dog for us to have for our first dog.  I'm so glad we chose to adopt a senior dog!
 
Bruno was in at least one other shelter before showing up at the Humane Society at two years old.  Adopting Goblin was the best thing we could have done for him.  We suspect he was taken from his mom and litter mates too soon, as he has very poor manners.  Having an older cat to teach him what was and was not acceptable has made a huge difference in him.  He isn't a big fan of Grissom, and just ignores him, but he loves our friends chocolate lab.  He is part Snowshoe, and apparently siamese type cats like him can be picky about who their friends are.  He likes Goblin, but he is younger and wants to spend too much time playing and tends to play too rough.
 
I am very thankful to everyone at the Humane Society for taking such good care of our boys before we took them home.  They have found their forever homes.

Welcome to 2013! We hope everyone and their pets had a very happy holiday season. We have some great adoption numbers to brighten to back-to-routine haze, 93 animals were adopted last week!

Highlights include Fargo the dogs, Quincy the rabbit, Dotty the cat, Pea Nutty the cat (pictured above), Bear the dog and Kira the dog. Thank-you to all adopters who decided to end 2012 with addition of a furry friend!

Adoption Breakdown: 14 dogs, one guinea pig, one bird, three rabbits, four hamsters, one lizard and 70 cats.

Thank-you for your continued support! We are very excited for 2013 and we cannot wait to share it with you!

Guess who got adopted yesterday? This guy did! Congrats to Carter and his new family!

There were actually 12 adoptions yesterday! Thank-you to all the caring Calgarians opening their homes to our wonderful animals during the holidays!

Happy Monday! 71 animals found their forever homes last week and will spending the holidays with their new family’s! Some highlights include Trillium the cat, Boots the cat, Popidum the cat, River the cat (in picture) and cat sisters Cleo + Phantom!

Adoption Breakdown: six dogs, four degus, two hedgehogs and 59 cats.

Our Stuff a Pooch Pad progress after just 5 days! AWESOME! We are going to have some very happy animals on Christmas morning :)

Good morning! 76 animals were adopted last week and will spend Christmas with their new families – delightful!

Highlights include Blackie (the handsome boy pictured), Marsha the cat (a Facebook feature animal from a couple weeks back), Farley the cat, Thomas the cat and the Saint Bernard brothers Mozart and Chopin. It was an awesome week!

Adoption breakdown: 10 dogs, one guinea pig, two rabbits, five birds, one toad, two mice, two degu and 53 cats.

Thanks to everyone who came down to the shelter for the Christmas party for the Animals on Saturday! We will have a total amount raised for you later in the day, so please stay tuned. We will also let you know when you can expect your Santa photos. Have a great Monday!

Introducing the Patient Paws!

We are so excited to launch this adoption initiative here at CHS and we have hopes it will help our animals find their forever families faster!

Through the Patient Paws program, long-term shelter dogs and cats will now be available through adoption by donation! You choose the adoption fee*!

Whether it’s due to looks, size, age or personality, some dogs and cats stay in the shelter longer than others, but with the Patient Paws program we hope to change that.

How do you know which animals are Patient Paws? On the website, they have “I am a Patient Paws dog/cat” at the end of their bio. At the shelter, you will find a yellow heart paw on their kennel. Please click here for more details on the Patient Paws program or come down to the shelter and talk to one of our Adoption staff members.

*Minimum adoption by donation amount is $50. Required Behaviour classes and medical work not included*

Happy Monday! We have some great adoption numbers to cheer you up with chilly morning – 74 animals found their forever homes! Highlights include Trinket the dog (pictured), Jack + Emma the cats from the Calgary Cat Clinic and July, Lynx and Austin the cats! These guys were all longterm animals, so it great that will be spending Christmas with their new families!

Adoption Breakdown: 57 cats, eight dogs, three rabbits, three birds, one snake, one guinea pig and one lizard.

We couldn’t resist sharing this pair of brothers with you…meet Mozart and Chopin! We rarely get Saint Bernard’s and these two have quickly become staff and volunteer favorites!

These three year-old Saint Bernard boys have a tall order - they looking for a home together and we’re hoping you might be their new family!

They have great temperaments and would fit well into a family. If you can handle the slobber because we’re not going to try and sugarcoat it. There’s a lot.

“Hi! We’re Mozart and Chopin! We’re a pair of handsome Saint Bernard’s looking for a home. Together. We know, we know – it’s a tall order. The two of us together are a whole lot of dog size wise. But we really enjoy one another’s company and would love to find a family together! We are looking for an experienced family who can provide us with an active and structured lifestyle. Have kids? Make sure they are dog savvy – we are pretty big and sometimes forget our size! We can’t wait to attend “Polite Pooches” with our new family and learns lots of new skills and manners! Please consider adding us to your family. We’re going to take up a lot of space in your home and your heart!”

Visit these boys today at out shelter or check out for more information.

"Adopted December 1, 2001…Has it really been 11 years since this gray and white ball of fur came into my world? 

I vividly remember visiting with her and her brother at the CHS’s previous facility.  Their story: Abandoned kittens, so thin they needed to be fostered for a time to prepare them for the adoption world.  Her brother was the quiet one.  She was personality-plus.  Regrettably, we could only adopt one.  We went with personality-plus. 

It took a few days to settle on a name for her…with her coloring and the sound she made whenever she jumped down from a session of counter-surfing, “Thumper” just seemed to fit.  Rambunctious, frenetic, playfully destructive, she got into everything.  I began to think English was her second language because “No” seemed to her to mean “Go right ahead, my darling”.  Through it all, she wrapped me firmly around her paw.  I’ve often wondered how her brother made out, and I am profoundly grateful for the foster parents that facilitated Thumper and her brother’s return to good health. 

She has, most definitely, grown up to be her own cat, she has purred me through more than a few life changes, and she survived her own emergency surgery when 18 inches of ribbon “went down the wrong way”.  She sheds at will, plays a bit rough, doesn’t allow dogs of any kind in her world, makes her voice heard, demands breakfast at 5 a.m.,  lunch at 11 a.m., and treats at 6 p.m. (who needs a watch?)  She sleeps on my head for days when we’ve been apart. 

Dislikes include Mr. Vacuum, Mr. Snow Blower, and rides in the car.  Loves include her bed by the fireplace, her bed on the living room couch, her Dad’s dining room chair, my pillow, her Dad’s pillow, the entire couch in the den, her bed in the den, the computer desk, her quiet spot in the closet, the foot of the bed…really, the whole house is hers; she pretty much runs things around here.  Not bad for an abandoned, malnourished kitten who began life on the streets and looked like she would never grow into her ears. 

Thank you to CHS and your foster families, from Thumper and all of us."

Everyone say hello to Tenna! This sweet 4 year-old boy came to the shelter as an owner surrender due to extremely unfortunate family circumstances. He was extremely loved and cherished in his old home and it shows - this is one AWESOME cat! He unfortunately contracted URV in the shelter, so has spent some time in foster. While trying to come up with the best words to describe this boy, we stumbled upon the notes from his foster parents and they couldn't describe this boy better!

Interested in adopting? Click here for more info!

"We adopted these two amazing little guys in January 2011 so it's coming up on their two year anniversary AND Birthdays :) A little more background on them was that when we first decided to adopt, it was because we wanted to fill the emptiness in losing our previous kitty to diabetes about a year earlier - not as a replacement. pets can never be replaced. We had felt that it was time to give our love to a deserving and abandoned or forgotten cat.

When we decided to finally go down (after several visits and discussions about the benefits - or potential liabilities - of one kitty or two) we found these two happy little boys. Higgs fell asleep on Cheryl's shoulder which was beyond adorable, and I was busy with playing with a bunch of the others. The saddest thing we could have seen was when Boson's little sister was adopted out of the room. Boson kept jumping into the cat-carrier to be with her and every time the Humane Society worker took Boson out of the carrier and turned around he'd jump right back in until she finally closed it up and took her out. It was the most heart-wrenching thing I've ever seen, and I knew when looking at this sad and lonely little guy that we HAD to take them both.

After much MUCH discussion, and about 5 trips outside to discuss/debate even further AND compounded by the fact that so many people in line were aware of what we were discussing - I have never seen so many people whip out their handhelds to show us pictures of their multi-cat families...this is all well and good EXCEPT that when they were trying to extol the virtues of having several cats, they tried (and god bless 'em they wanted to make it sound so delightful) but failed when saying things like "Just look at these two, after only a year and a half they can stand being in the same room together" or "They hardly EVER fight anymore".

The difference was that Higgs and Boson were so close in age, and had already spent several weeks together at the Humane Society (not to mention the foster parents whom we are so deeply grateful for!) so right from the start they were best of friends. We were so fortunate to watch them grow into their own personalities and become such a huge part of our family over the years.

We hope their pictures, and story will inspire more people to take the plunge and adopt two (or MORE) cats when they decide to find that special little fluff-ball to share their love and lives with."

So we know it's Tuesday and we know we normally don't tell you about ever animal that has been adopted, but big boy Raider was adopted yesterday and we're pretty excited about that!

Congrats to Raider and his new family! We hope you have a cat scratching post just like the one in the photo - that's Raiders favorite hangout!

This may just be too much cuteness to handle – it may cause a cuteness overload. Just look at their widdle faces!!!

Meet Daisy, a black and white Netherland Dwarf cross, and Dandelion, a furry tan Lionhead! These girls came to the shelter together as owner surrenders, so we would really love to find them a family who can adopt them as a pair! They are still young (estimate around a year) and are really quite bonded. They love to interact and are quite affectionate towards each other – we’ve even caught them grooming one another! They’re social, happy and fun-loving. They would make a great addition to any family.

Think you could give Daisy and Dandelion everything they’re hoping for? Visit them today!

Good morning! We have some fabulous adoption number to share with you today – 87 animals found their forever homes last week! Yes! Some highlights include the cutie in the photo, Spencer the cat, Patches the dog (he was featured in our dog boots ad a couple weeks back) Fantasia the dog, Thumper the rabbit, Nora Jean the cat, Stitches the cat and Morris the cat.

Adoption Breakdown: 13 dogs, 68 cats, three rabbits and three birds.

Meet Marsha! Our unofficial, official Manx kitty!

"Marsha, Marsha, Marsha. That’s right, it’s all about Marsha! I’ve had a bit of rough go, so I think I deserve a bit of attention and TLC. I came to the CHS as a stray with a severe tail injury and while they tried to save it, I am now officially an unofficial Manx kitty. Meaning I have no tail! I don’t really mind though – my little stub is kind of cute! I’m looking for a safe and loving home where I can settle in for the next 15 years or so and become the Queen of castle. I’m a bit overwhelmed by the commotion of the shelter, so a calm and quiet home would be best for me. I do love pets and loves though and will show you how affectionate I am with head butts and tiny meows. Can you believe I haven’t been adopted yet? I guess I was just waiting for you to find me."

Can you offer this sweet girl the life of luxery she deserves? Visit her today!

If you see an animal in distress in Calgary, please call 403-205-4455 to file a report.

I just wanted to send an update and a few pictures of Benny and Dante.  

Benny was our first dog.  She was born at CHS and we took her home as a puppy.  It was nice being able to train her and raise her.  6 months later, we decided to add a second dog to our home and thought about adopting an older dog.  We were nervous about not knowing the history of an older dog or if there would be problems, but we decided to look.  We found Dante at CHS who was a 4 1/2 year old Saint Bernard x Rottweiler and fell in love with him.  We visited Dante 3 times, and while he was very affectionate toward my husband and I, Benny and Dante did not take to eachother and Dante showed aggression toward other dogs.  It was recommended that he wasn't the right fit for our house.  But we were sure he was the right dog for us, and we knew he and Benny would come together.  It took some time, and some work, but Dante has come such a long way and he has made a perfect addition to our family.  He loves us so much, and Benny and Dante are best friends!  He allows other dogs into our home and has made great friends with some neighbours'' dogs.  We're thankful every day that we found them both.  I hope more people will consider adopting an older dog and putting in that little extra care when needed.

Thank-you for all the wonderful things you do to help animals who need a little extra love!

Have you met Zeus! Let us introduce you: Zeus, future family, future family, Zeus.

This stunning year-old black Pit Bull cross boy was found as a stray back in October. It appears he has had very little training so far, but is smart and eager to learn. His family will definitely need to commit to putting some serious time and effort into this boy. Daily exercise will do this boy a world of wonder as he’s got lots of energy to burn!

Here is what Zeus has to say about himself:

“Hey there! I’m Zeus! Did you happen to be looking for a big goofy boy to add to your family? You’re in luck! I’m big and goofy! I am looking for an experienced family who can provide me with an active and structured lifestyle. I am going to need a lot of exercise, so couch potatoes need not apply! Please understand that I am a very excitable and need to really work on my manners, so I may not be the best dog for a family with small children or other animals. I want you allllll to myself! “Polite Pooches” will help with my manners and teach me lots of cool skills! I sure hope you’re interested – if you are, you know where to find me!”

Can you offer Zeus the kind of lifestyle he needs? Visit him today!

We are BEYOND excited to share last week’s adoption numbers with you! Are you ready for this? 111 animals were adopted! Amazing! Thank-you to everyone who opened their homes and hearts one of our lovely animals. We appreciate it and so do they!

Some highlights include Riley the cat (in photograph) who had been at the shelter since April, Essie the cat, Tristan the cat and bonded Persian pair, Pricilla + Thor.

Adoption Breakdown: 90 cats (YES!), six dogs, three rabbits, one bird, four guinea pigs, two fish, two hedgehogs and three chinchillas.

Did you take home one of the 111 animals adopted last week? Feel free to let us know how they’re doing!

Have a great week everyone!

Our next Foster Orientation is Thursday November 22nd at 7p.m. 

To register contact Kaytlyn Mackenzie, Volunteer Resources Liaison at kaytlyn.mackenzie@calgaryhumane.ca.

Visit www.calgaryhumane.ca/foster

Everyone say hello to handsome Carter! Doesn't he just have the sweetest face? And he's got a sweet personality to back it up!

Carter was found as a stray and was brought to the shelter in August. To help him gain weight, he spent some time in foster where we found out loads of info about him! Fostering is so great for the animals, especially when the animal was found as a stray. 

Office cat Gary finally doing a little bit of work - guarding the mail boxes. Between cat naps that is...

Riley has been at the shelter since April and is really hoping this is his week! He’s hanging out in one of our Kitty Kabins, so if you come down to the shelter, be sure you give this guy a quick hello – he’ll say hi right back to you! If you’re looking to adopt, consider Riley. He’s one patient kitty cat!

Good morning! 66 animals found their way into forever homes last week with quite a few longtermers included in that number! Highlights include Lady, Kratos and Keisha the dogs, Carl and Mojo the rabbits, Pumpkin, Foxy, and Tarzan the cats. It was great to see some of our longtermers go home this week!

Adoption breakdown: 46 cats, one degu, 11 dogs, one guinea pig, one hamster, five rabbits and one snake.

Have a fabulous day! We are open our regular hours today, noon to 5 pm.

Kittens are hilarious and we think you probably should adopt one. Take Houbert and his photo bombing brother Jordan for example – why wouldn’t you want this amount of cuteness in your house! Due to a warm summer and fall weather, we still have plenty of adorable babies available for adoption.

Happy Monday! 61 animas found their forever homes last week - yahoo! Highlights include Bentley the dog (pictured), Buzz the cat (Facebook feature animal from last week) and Hulk the cat. We also had 6 guinea pigs get adopted, yay!

Adoption breakdown: one bird, 61 cats, eight dogs, six guinea pigs and one snake.

Cocktails for Critters was on Friday and was a great success! We will have a total amount raised for you guys in the next couple of days :) Have a great week!

I'm not a bad dog, I just react differently than most. Those who have reactive dogs know what a struggle a simple task walking your dog can be. Please give reactive dogs the space they need for everyone's safety.

Well, two outta three ain't bad! There always seem to be one in the bunch :)

Meet Rosalee , Paulo + Cecelia (left to right)! They are a trio of sibling bunnies looking for homes! They were found as strays and are still getting used to people. They are quite friendly though and are quick to warm up if given the time.

They are almost three months old and do not need to be adopted together – they just enjoy being out together for playtime.

Meet Guinea brothers Tito + Tyler! We have several Guinea's available for adoption and let us tell, they are CUTE!

A handsome boy to brighten your snowy day! Buzz is available for adoption and would love to go home today. He said he would take his snuggling duties very seriously in light of this wintery weather :)

Happy Monday! We have some great adoption numbers to cheer you up this snowy morning – 84 animals were adopted last week!

We had quite a few long-termers adopted including Handsome Hansen (in photo), Pekoe the cat, Shawnee the cat, Olympia the cat, Jasmine the dog, Magic the cat (Facebook feature animal from last week) and Abigail the rabbit!

Adoption breakdown: two birds,68 cats, nine dogs and five rabbits Have a fabulous week everyone!

Gary started a trend at the office (scroll down to see our office cat sporting a bow tie yesterday) Now everyone wants to wear the snazzy green bow ties for our models at Cocktails for Critters!

Great news for a Friday morning: 18 animals were adopted yesterday! WOW! Highlights include the cutie in the photo Jasmine who had been waiting several months to find a family.

Adoption breakdown: three dogs, 14 cats and one rabbit.

Cats in bow ties never get old. Have you bought your tickets for Cocktails for Critters yet? Check out some of the great items in our silent auction and what celebs will be in this year's People + Pooch fashion show. Read more here.

Such a beautiful story! This is the sort of home we hope all our animals are adopted into!

"My name is Christopher, and I wanted to share with you a success story about a cat's long and happy life after being adopted by myself and my family. Daisy was a scared, two year old cat that we adopted from the Humane society in early 1996. We wanted a kitten, but the moment Daisy saw us she reached her little paws through the caged and demanded that we pay attention to her. My mother picked her up from the cage, and Daisy just wouldn't let go! We knew that we had to take her home. Daisy had a rough start to life. The human society knew that she had previously belonged to someone, because she came to the humane society spayed. However, she had been abandoned in a garbage can. Daisy deserved a forever home.

Daisy was immediately attached to me. She was a tuxedo cat, so naturally she was a little lady unto herself. Over time, she had a sister and a brother cat join the family too! Daisy took very good care of her little sister, Isabelle. Isabelle was a scared little girl. Daisy's brother, Simba, is a rambunctious fellow who brought masculine kitty energy to Daisy's life. All three were adopted from the Calgary Human Society.

In 2000 we moved abroad, and Daisy stayed home with relatives while we settled in our new home. Unfortunately, Isabelle, who was born with feline lukemia, passed away at the age of four. While it is sad that Daisy and Isabelle never got to see each other again, it is a good thing because Daisy would have taken care of Isabelle when she was sick and she could have been infected. Daisy would have made a wonderful mother.

Daisy loved living abroad where she could spend all day outside in the sun. At heart, she was an indoor cat and never strayed from the backyard. When we moved back to Canada in 2002, Daisy got a new brother, this time a standard poodle. She didn't like him one bit. So, she stayed close to me whenever she could, be it from sitting on my lap while I studied to cuddling with me on the sofa watching TV. She was always such a great hostess, too. Whenever we had guests, she would always politely greet them. She could win over everyone, including people who didn't like kids. In 2010 Daisy and I made the big move to Toronto. We moved into a glass condo with lots of sunshine. Daisy loved the sun. These were her golden years. She could spend all day laying out in the sun. In the mornings, she would wait for the sun to come out so she could bake. When it wasn't sunny, Daisy would be disappointed.

Unfortunately, at the ripe old age of 18, Daisy was diagnosed with squamous cell carcinoma of the mouth. The veterinarian told me that she had about one month to live. Daisy fought hard. She was such a brave kitty and I am so inspired by her bravery. The cancer was so terrible to her, it literally destroyed her mouth. Daisy lived almost four months past the diagnosis. She passed away peacefully and naturally on September 25, 2012 in the presence of her daddy number two. Daisy was lucky to have a second daddy join her life for her last two years in Toronto. She loved us both very dearly. She was survived by her brothers Simba and Duke, and her two daddies and the rest of her loving human family. She remained a happy and polite little lady until the end. She will always be my angel baby of God. Thank you, Calgary Humane Society for taking care of her in her time of need and connecting this incredible creature with my family."

Let's just get all the cheesy jokes out of the way now: Do you believe in Magic? Because I haven't heard that one a million times.

Now let's get down to business. I'm Magic and I'm ready to find a home today. I'm 12 years, but you wouldn't know it right away. I'm still very active, fun-loving and enjoy a good play session when the fancy strikes me.

What's unique about you ask? I give hugs, the best hugs! I'll stand up on my hind legs and beg you to pick me up. Then I'll wrap my furry little paws around your neck and snuggle in. I have no problem staying her for a couple minutes. Or hours - whatever. I'm also a bit hefty, so it's a good workout too!

I live in Mewtopia and have made some real good buddies. I would be more than happy to head to a home with other animals.

You really need to meet me to see just how loveable I am. I bet I'll see YOU today!

"I’ve been meaning to send you an update about Walter for a while now. My boyfriend and I excitedly brought Walter home on October 30, 2010. We had thought long and hard about getting a dog, and this one seemed like a good fit. And his face on your website was irresistable. From the first day, he was undoubtedly‘ours’ and couldn’t get close enough, which was just fine. He wanted to snuggle in bed with usat night– ok! He wanted to climb on our lapsand cuddleon the couch– ok!In the two years that we’ve had him, we have adored this dog and appreciated how sweet-natured he is.Walter (our‘son’) has the loveliest personality– he absolutely radiates happiness. 

Even though he is about 11 years old now, he is incredibly athletic and can leap about four feet straight up in the air when he sees a rabbit or squirrel that looks particularly enticing.He is very active and loves ourdailylong walks and chasing flies/balls/birds that fly overhead in the backyard.He is aging quite gracefully!

Thank you so much for taking care of him before he was ours, and thank you for all that you do for so many animals. Walter made us a family, and we couldn’t be happier with ourhandsome prince!"

Reason 17 that you should adopt Lady. Who doesn't want a fluffy dog?!

Follow us on Instagram @calgaryhumane 

"We adopted Tito a little over a month ago and he's doing fantastic, wanted to share this awesome photo with you guys! :)"

We adopted our wonderful boy Zeus (you guys referred to him as Tosh which quickly got confusing as my husbands name is also Tosh) back in February and he instantly became a major part of our family. Zeus is as playful today as we was the day we brought him home and now that he is almost as big as his two sisters, he has no problem keeping up to them. Everyone in the house knows when Zeus wants to play as he emits a high-pitched whine/bark/cry until someone agrees to play or wrestle with him. We thank you from the bottom of our hearts for the wonderful work that you do. We recently purchased a new home with a huge yard specifically for the dogs! They are our babies after all. Our new-to-us home has evidence of mice so you might see us in there soon looking for a kitty!

Happy Monday! We are happy to tell you that 77 animals found forever homes last week. Pretty great considering we were closed for holiday Monday. Some highlights include Morris the dog (in photo) bonded bunny pair Toby + Sparkle and Mixxy the cat!

Boston Pizza Shawnessy held their ‘2nd Annual Walk with Her’ which took place on a beautiful Sunday September 16th and was well attended.  The 5k walk was in memory of Brett Jillian Haskell who passed away April 15, 2010.  All proceeds were donated to the Calgary Humane Society and the event raised $4500.

"We lost our precious kitty, Nina, in December 2011.  We had been fostering kitties from the Humane Society so we continued fostering after Nina passed away.  We couldn't wait to get into the Humane Society when it opened after New Years to see who we could take home with us - as we all know, the home is so empty without at least one little tiny heartbeat to fill it up.  The foster coordinator said that she had a couple of sister kitties who had been adopted but brought back because of house soiling issues.  We said, sure we'll take them home with us.  We found our little Tessie and Trixie's cage in holding and loaded them up into the kitty carrier and took them home with us.  As it turns out they had purrfect potty manners.  We decided that if they were good car travellers we would adopt them.  We did the test drive to Canmore and again they were purrfect travellers.  Needless to say, we adopted our girls on Friday, January 13th - turned out to be a lucky day for us, and the kitties!

Since then, we've had many trips to Canmore and even took them RVing for 10 days this past August - as you can see by the pictures, again, they are purrfect RVers.

P.S. we continue to foster kitties from the Humane Society.

We are excited to tell you our adoption number from last week – 77 animals found families! We are still going strong with kitten adoptions (don’t worry, there are still plenty left if you’re interested in adopting!) and are finding many dogs forever homes. Two long-term buns, Twinkletoes (featured on here last Friday) and Mojo, also were adopted!

Adoption breakdown: one bird, 57 cats, 12 dogs, two fish, two guinea pigs and three rabbits.

"Keeda has settled into her new home as if she was always here. The first day she came to us, we took her to meet her new vet at the Calgary North Veterinary Hospital and worked out a plan to help her lose some weight. When we weighed her, she came in a whopping 8.32 kg and it was suggested that she should weigh 6 kg so, as you are probably aware, there is some work to do. With that in mind, Keeda has special food and a ball that she rolls around the floor in order to get it. Keeda has worked this out and has no trouble getting what she needs from her ball everyday.

While we know this is a long process, we are delighted to report that her rotundness is noticeably disappearing. She doesn’t look quite so bloated anymore and appears to be moving around more easily. In fact, my husband discovered, to his surprise, that she can jump more than 2.5 feet onto our bed! Keeda wanted to sleep with us one night so she jumped up and curled up with him. While we would prefer if she chose one of the two beds we have made for her, and she usually does, we figured she needed the company that night. Speaking of beds, Keeda quickly found the best cat spot in the house, on the bottom shelf of a sofa table behind our couch. It is tucked away like a layer and the nearby vents keep it at a comfortable temperature. She likes it so much that we decided to put a bed there for her and if we can’t find her, that is where she will be. Of course, we don’t have to look for her because she always comes when we call.

We are both very pleased that we made the choice to adopt Keeda and every day that we spend with her leaves us in dismay as to why her previous owner thought she was a problem. She is social and easy going, greeting everyone who comes to the door. She is not easily frightened although she did move with purpose to her layer when the neighbour’s dog came to visit."

You know what’s going to make Monday a bit more bearable today? The news that 97 animals found their forever homes last week – WOWZA!

Highlights include Kahlua (pictured), Ozzy the cat and everyone’s favorite old couple – Jeff and Jeanette! Adoption Breakdown: four birds, 73 cats. 11 dogs, three fish, two guinea pigs, one hamster, one hedgehog and two rabbits.

Happy Monday! It was a great adoptions week down at the shelter – 83 animals found their forever homes! Highlights include the cute bun in the photos (Bambi!), Maple the cat and lots of dogs!

Adoption breakdown: one bird, 64 cats, 11 dogs, one guinea pig, one hedgehog and five rabbits.

I adopted Marbles from the CHS 2 years ago, and he has become an ENOURMOUS and wonderful cat, he doesn't fit on his castle anymore. Thought I'd share these before and after photos of Marbles and my 12 year old cat Frosty. Marbles took a very strong liking to my senior cat, and when its feeding time he runs around looking for Frosty so that they can eat together!

"Hannah belongs to the Kids for Animals Club at the Humane Society, and this weekend ran a Lemonade stand to raise money. She'll be dropping off $44.50 on her next KFAC meeting!"

On September 4^th 2012 we sadly had to put Billy down due to some medical issues he was having, he was at the ripe old age of 13.

We adopted Billy on July 21^st 2010 at the age of 11. We had gone to the humane society to look at the dogs just to see what was there and fell in love with him at first sight. All you seen was this big head, these big bushy legs, and this big ball of fur at the tip of his tail, the rest of his body had been shaved (he had been given a lion cut) which we later found out was because he had been involved in a hoarding situation and had been matted everywhere. After thinking about it for a few days we decided that we just had to go back and adopt him. Billy came home with us that night and became a wonderful part of our family. Because of the way he looked when we adopted him he got the nickname of Billy the bear because he looked like a little bear with his big bushy legs and head. We soon found out after adopting him that he had probably never really been in a car because he would plant himself on the ground each time we would try to get him in the car but with some practice and by showing him his ball the first several times he eventually learned how to get in and out of the car, and quickly figured out that going in the car could mean a visit to grandmas. We also found that he had a hard time going up and down stairs so we basically had to teach him how to go up and down the stairs, we would use yam fries to get him to go up and down the stairs by getting him to slowly follow it step by step and then rewarding him with the fry after he had made it all the way which he really liked.

When we adopted him we found out that he would need some major dental work done and that he would need to have a lump biopsied and removed from his leg, so a month after adopting him he returned to the shelter to have his surgery. They removed a plum sixed tumor from his back leg which we later found out was cancerous (stage 2 soft tissue sarcoma) but he did not need chemo or any other treatments, and they removed and fixed several of his teeth. Because of the teeth that were removed he always looked like he was smiling, because he had no upper canines and his lower canines pushed up into his lip.

Shortly after adopting him he developed a cough and after several early morning vet visits he was diagnosed with some form of bronchitis which we were told he would have for the rest of his life, and was put on a medication to prevent him from having episodes which always seemed to happen between 1 and 3 in the morning. For awhile we were at the vet almost every month with him and the staff at the front desk fell in love with him, they would always say hi and give him treats and even sit on the floor and pet him.

Billy lived with 4 cats that he loved and they loved him back. He had many doggy cousins and friends who would come over and play, and he loved going over to grandma’s house because grandma has good cookies and plays ball with me. He loved to play all the time with anything he could find but his favorite toys were his balls and his hedge hogs, in fact he had 5 hedge hogs all of which he loved to play and sleep with.

Back in October of last year we found out that Billy had another lump after taking him to the vet to have something else looked at and further examination showed that it was probably cancerous. We decided not to do surgery because it would have done him more harm and decided to just let him live out his life. Even with all of his health problems Billy took part in the dog jog this year and managed to complete the entire 2.5k walk, we were so proud of him that after the walk we took him to Peters Drive-in for an ice cream cone which he really enjoyed.

The kids at the day home next door loved him and would say hi to him everytime he was outside in his yard. For Halloween he dressed up as a devil for the first year we had him and as a frog last year, he even went next door dressed as the frog and delivered treats to the kids at the day home. Each time the doorbell would ring on Halloween night he would run to the top of the stairs with a toy thinking that it was someone to play with. Billy had a slight fear of rain and hated thunderstorms but he absolutely loved playing in the snow. He loved to roll in it, catch it in the air and eat it; he would go out the patio doors and onto the deck and would eat snow all the way down the stairs and into his yard.

About a month ago he start to have some problems walking and the vets kept telling us that it was just arthritis (previous x-rays had shown the start of arthritis) and old age but after things continued to get worse more x-rays were done we found out that he had something wrong with his spine. The bones on his back at one section were overgrowing causing him pain and problems with his mobility. The vet said that things would go downhill over time either quickly or slowly and that there was nothing that could really be done. Surgery was not an option and medications would only help of a little while. On Sunday we took him to the vet because he was getting worse and was having a really hard time going up and down the stairs (that night he had fell down almost half of them) and really just walking around the house was getting hard for him to do. The vet told us that things were going downhill fast and that things would only get worse. We spent 3 hours there that night because several emergencies came in while we were there, the girls at the front desk loved him and even brought him a big warm blanket for him to lie on as we waited for the vet to come in and one of them even came and sat on the floor with him for awhile. We went home that night and discussed things and decided that the best thing for him would be to put him down because we did not want him to suffer. So on Monday most of the family came over to say goodbye to him as they all loved him and thought he was a great dog. The next day we made the appointment to have him put to sleep, it was the hardest decision of our lives but we knew it was best for him.

We were able to celebrate 2 great Christmas’s together, and back in July of this year we celebrated his 13^th birthday and the fact that he had been with us for 2 wonderful years. Billy was a big part of our family and we miss him a lot. All of the cats miss him especially the youngest one because they were good friends, every time Billy would have one of his coughing episodes he would come running to the rescue. We know that he is in a better place now and that he is probably running free and having fun playing with hedge hogs and that we will eventually see him again. We are so happy that Billy was able to be a wonderful part of our family, we will always love him and he will always be in our hearts. We love you Bear.

“Jennifurr is doing very well! I have changed her name to Honey. She seems happy and busy! She has lots of toys to play with and jumps quite high! She will jump up on a chair I have in the "rabbit" room and sit there for a bit enjoying the view! I also adopted Checkers, now called Lettuce.  They are great companions for each other! They are always together, snuggling, eating, running around, wherever one is, the other is right there too! It's very heartwarming to see! I'm very happy with my little friends!”

Morris and two members of the Calgary Humane Behaviour department headed out for a training session in the sunshine!

He's available for adoption, so check him out here.

Hi!  It's me, Daisy … although you might remember me as Oryx.  Mom thinks I'm pretty as a daisy so she changed my name.  Mom was so heartbroken after losing her sweet kitty Jazz at the age of 18 years (who was also adopted from the Calgary Humane Society when she was 6 months old) but in February 2012 I pounced my way into her heart to make it all better.  And I sure do pounce a lot!  Mom says I have two speeds:  0 and 100, and she never knows when I'm going to go from one to the other.  She says my silliness makes her laugh and smile a lot and she really loves it when I do calm down enough to snuggle with her … but then I'm up and bouncing around again.  I'm so grateful that the Humane Society could take care of me for awhile until my new Mom came to give me a forever home and gave me a chance to help ease her pain and sadness at the loss of Jazz.

Here are some pictures of me so you can see how happy I am in my new home.  One of the pictures shows me dictating this letter to Mom so she can type it on her laptop computer (I don't type so good).  I have lots of toys to play with but one of my favourite things is an empty tissue box which I like to dive head first into – that usually makes Mom crack up with laughter.

Life is good.

Lots of love, Daisy

Tito and Muttley enjoying a morning play session! They LOVE hanging out together and get some great exercise and socialization!

Both are available for adoption - learn more about Tito (A16388985) and Muttley (A16935773 ) here.

Have you got some extra space and love to give? Ever consider fostering?

The next Foster Orientation is Wednesday September 19th at 7p.m. to register contact Kaytlyn Mackenzie, Volunteer Resources Liaison at kaytlyn.mackenzie@calgaryhumane.ca.

“I just wanted to give you an update on just how AWESOME Timone is doing. He has settled in SUPER well. He got to go to the river the first day we had him and he just LOVED that. He is not so sure of the running water, and still went in, but he LOVES the still water. He pounces through it to try and catch rocks that we throw too far for him to get. GREAT exercise!!!

He has learned how to not jump up...took him only 1.5 days to learn that. He has learned how to go into his crate on his own and he learned that in about 15 minutes. He consistently goes in when asked.

He has learned how to stay...that one was a little tougher and he is still learning it but he has great success with it this far!!

He has gone to the dog park twice now and just LOVES meeting new dogs. He doesn’t behave rudely when he meets them. He is WAY better in neutral territory and with an exercised mind. We took him to visit our first dog friend (Brutus-St. Bernard) outside of Zoey and he was nervous about it because the dog is WAY bigger than him and wouldn’t stop following him. LOL!!! He will come around though ( I mean Brutus).

He sure loves his Mama. He won’t go anywhere without me; meaning if we are at the dog park he stays close to me or in the house if someone else calls him upstairs he won’t go unless I go too. He doesn’t show separation anxiety if I do leave him though. Maybe because I am the one teaching him; just gotta help him trust the other members of the house. It is the Weimaraner in him. Loyalty!! LOL!!  He is always wanting love from Kenny though and hasn’t shown an ounce of aggression toward any men we have come across. He barks and wants to meet them....and once he does meet them he’s happy go lucky and quiet.

He is slowly changing food over to Acana grain free (Zoey eats this too). Something I learned about a Weimaraner is that they are a lot like ADHD children(I have one), refined grains and sugar are not good for their behaviour. Interesting I thought. He is also eating his food out of a puzzle toy everyday to stimulate his mind. He loves it!!

All in all...he is a wonderful dog!! Any other folks who may have been interested in him and passed...they lost out BIGTIME!!! He only needed some minor fine tuning...he IS only a baby after-all.

He is so cuddly, and he LOVES to be touched...he is always wanting us to touch him. He likes his face pet and I kiss his temples and he closes his eyes.

There are no jealousy issues between him and Zoey. There also have been no dominance issues between them. It couldn’t have been a better fit.

Thank you so much for connecting our hearts....cuz MAN do we love him!!! He is AWESOME!!!”

"I wanted to give you an update on Meg (formerly Meggy), adopted in May 2011. Meg loves her new home, and I have noticed many changes in her from the cat I brought home last May. When I first got Meg, she’d take off and hide under the bed whenever I’d move toward her. Now, when people come over, Meg is out showing them what a sweet and loving girl she is. Her favourite things to do are curl up on ... the couch with me for a Netflix marathon, and keep me company while I work on my computer.

As I’m typing this, she is snoozing next to me on the desk. Her favourite toy is the laser pointer mouse, all I have to do is shake the keychain and she comes running. She is exactly what I was looking for in an adult cat, she is still very playful but I don’t have to worry about her getting into mischief while I’m at work. At bedtime we snuggle and then she sleeps contently at my feet. I can’t imagine my life without her; she is family now. Thank you Calgary Humane Society!"

“We are thrilled with the results of our adoption of Viola.  We have actually changed her name and she is responding well to "Rylee".  She is adjusting beautifully and we see progress every day.  You wouldn't know she is a Fearful Fido.  I sometimes believe it was the environment (no offense) of being secluded and having many people coming and going that made her so fearful. 

Once at our home it only took a few days and she has taken claim to the entire house (exception of the basement - this seems to terrify her). As you can see by the pictures she is happy inside and out and has been socialized to other dogs big and small.  Also included is a couple of pictures of her and her new best friend a doberman "Izzy".  They run and run at the dog park, shows good manners to other dogs and Rylee always comes back to me should I get out of her site.  

She has no issue of going into the vehicle as she is now realizing that the dog park is on the other end of the car ride.  She is starting to get playful and gets bursts of "Crazy Dog" energy and runs laps in the yard tossing the odd stuffed toy her and there. She is however showing some separation anxiety from myself when I leave but I am leaving her for longer and longer periods to show her I will "Always" return. 

She is livin’ the life with a family full of attention, daily walks, bones and has several beds and toys around the house.  We love our new addition and couldn't be more pleased.

Keep on doing the work you are doing.”

A great update on a staff favorite one year later! She came to the shelter a very fearful little girl and still left with a shy nature, but with big hopes for a loving and safe future!

“My name is Maggie and I’m a 9 year old Jack Russell terrier.  I was brought to the Calgary Humane Society from Didsbury in May 2011.  I was very scared and have an old injury to my front leg that never healed prop...erly, but the nice people there took very good care of me while we waited for me to find a home.  A short time later, these nice people came to visit with me.  I was still very scared and didn’t want to get too close to them, but I let them pet me a little and it felt really good so I decided they were okay.  All of a sudden, I was getting into a car with them and going to a strange new home where there were three other 4-legged animals.  I had a lot of fear inside because of some old baggage, so I was not very comfortable in this new home. 

The 4-legged creatures were smelling me trying to let me know they were the boss, and these people kept trying to get me to come and see them when all I wanted to do was be by myself.   My new family consists of my dad, my mom, my human sister Jaylene and the cats –Frankie, Fiona and Fineas.  I could see how badly my family wanted me to be comfortable, but I just couldn’t let my guard down.  I would run and hide whenever anybody came near me, happy just to watch from a distance.  There is one cat, Frankie, who insisted on helping me make the transition to my new home.  He would come over and rub all over me purring up a storm and even tried to cuddle with me if you can believe it!  He wouldn’t take my hints of pushing him away; every time I turned around, he was there.  

Finally, I gave in a little and let him sit next to me and we soon became friends. In the meantime, my mom and dad were trying to help me adjust to my new home as well.  They would speak softly to me and let me be alone as much as I needed.  They introduced a routine to me, which really helped.  I get to go for a walk in the neighbourhood every day and it is what I most look forward to.  I get to smell all the smells and even play a little; this is where the happy-go-lucky girl inside me comes out.   After a year, I thought I would update you on my progress.  I’m happy to say that I could not have found a better home.  My mom is a total push over and even lets me get into her lap; I get as many cuddles as I need from her and there are always words of encouragement to hear. 

My dad is a big softie and is very proud of the progress I’ve made.  I wait by the door for him to get home from work with my tail wagging in anticipation; I know my walk is coming shortly after that too.  My sister Jaylene still moves a little too quickly for me, so I like to keep a little distance between us, but one of these days she’ll slow down and we’ll be buddies.  The cats have all welcomed me and we live harmoniously—each having our own spot in the bed to sleep and all the attention we could ask for.  

Frankie continues trying to cuddle and clean me, but when no one’s looking, I let him get away with it.   I still have some old issues that we work on every day, but I can’t think of a better place to do that than here.  Thank you to the Humane Society for taking such good care of me and for helping me to find my new family, I couldn’t be happier.”

A quick update from two long-term shelter cats - Ginger and Lou! Thanks so much for opening your hearts to them, not many people would take on a pair of senior cats!

"Lou and Ginger are doing great. They've gained a bit of weight since we adopted them but they're looking healthy and are as energetic and loving as ever. Ginger loves to sleep under blankets."

"Sean and Fergus have been together now for about four months.  We adopted Sean and year ago and Fergus about four months ago.  They are extremely close and happy together.  We couldn’t be more pleased."

A great update on Daisy - a sweet little gal adopted one year ago!

"Just thought I would send in a little update of Daisy on her birthday! Daisy is doing great, she's really warming up to people and loves making new human friends. We've been working on her fear of other dogs for some time and as of this week she has been able to pretty comfortably, play with the neighbor dogs and her new best f...riend Cooper. Next stop on her journey will be the dog park so this little tornado on paws can really release her energy! It has really been such a blessing having Daisy in our lives. Who knew she would be such a great snuggle buddy or alarm clock? We look forward to many more happy healthy years with our little girl, and many more adventures ! Thanks to the SPCA for bringing our best friend into our lives! There isn't a better foot warmer anywhere :P"

“I moved from southern Ontario to Calgary in 1996 in a work related move. In 2000, I returned to Ontario settling in Kitchener, where I am retired and still live. 

While we lived in Calgary, my youngest daughter had a boyfriend and in approximately 1997, he adopted a cat from the Calgary Humane Society. This all grey, neutered male cat lived with him until late 1998, when this boyfriend unexpect...edly had to move home, because his parents were selling the house he was renting from them, and living in. We were asked by my daughter and him if we would take their cat because his parents would not let him bring it home with him.  We accepted, although we had a cat and a dog already.

That cat outlived the other cat and the dog, and almost immediately after his arrival, he and I developed a special bond.  I retired two years ago, and that cat became ill at about the same time. Following his illness which we found out was a stroke and coincidental thyroid problems, I had to administer liquid medicine to him 3 times a day, and a thyroid pill once a day.   This became a daily ritual for me, along with many other things that this unique feline used to do.

He would follow me around the house much  like a dog, and "talk" to me  whenever he could. He didn't necessarily want anything, he just liked to be vocal.  He would usually head for my lap as soon as I sat anywhere. This cat has been declining over the last few weeks and today, after extensive x rays, my vet determined that he was suffering from a large tumor which was causing his lungs to be compressed.  I made the very difficult choice to euthanize him, and to end his discomfort, and spare him the difficulty of surgeries for an animal of his advanced years, that would likely only prolong his life by a short time.

That cat which you adopted out many many years ago, and ended up with us has given me  more joy than I could express in words.  I wanted to tell you, because I think you should know of at least a few stories that have a happy ending,  although there are no doubt very many I imagine that you don't hear about them. I will miss that cat terribly. I've added a photo of him taken in January of this year.. I know that might seem silly but it seemed an appropriate ending to my story. 

We believe that this cat named "Tonka" was close to 20 years old. I've added a couple of photos of Tonka in his younger years as well, this is how I want to remember him.   You can see how large he was in the couch photo.  Prior to his passing, he had lost a fair bit of weight, and had weakness in his rear legs, so when he stood up, he was sloping downward quite a bit, a real "old man".  The house sure seems empty today without him.”

Proof that not all dogs grow into their ears! Haha. Such a great update from a family willing to literally drive across the country for their dog – we are super happy Duke ended up with such an amazing family!

“I adopted Duke from the Calgary Humane Society in January 2010. He was only 5 months old and was the cutest puppy ever. Duke had a rough start to his life but when he came home with me he... soon learned about love, and what is really is to be part of a family. He was very scared of men for the first year that I had him, but now he is comfortable around anyone. We moved from Calgary in July 2010, we were unable to get Duke on a flight, there was no way I was leaving him behind and so we drove across Canada to Newfoundland. Duke is now living in Labrador City, where he enjoys playing with other dogs, going for walks, playing in the snow, and at almost 3 years old, still chases his tail. He is very high energy, there isn't a dog at the dog park here that can keep up to him running. My husband and I recently had a baby and Duke just loves her, he is very protective of her. I could not ask for a better dog, he is obedient, loyal, playful, loving and amazing in every way. Thank you CHS for rescuing him and giving us the chance to give him a great life.”

"Zen stole my heart instantly when we brought her home as our foster dog in the summer of 2010. Although she wasn’t in great condition when we got her, she was the perfect dog in my mind: always ready for a cuddle, very well behaved and the best little companion for my family and I. However, ...after a lot of thinking we decided it wasn’t realistic to keep her, so after her foster stay was over we had to return her to the CHS. After a week of experiencing what I am convinced was heartbreak, I made a quick decision. I raced back to the CHS to adopt her as soon as she moved to adoptions. That was the best decision I ever made, and Zen has become the center of my world. She has nestled her way into everyone’s hearts and anyone who meets her falls in love with her. It is interesting to see how well she lives up to her name! She has this sense of calmness about her and you can almost feel how kind-hearted she is.        

I am a student out in Ontario, so naturally I decided that Zen would travel with me to school and then return back to Calgary with me during my breaks. It worked perfectly, as Zen had no problem traveling and ended up making a home with me there and even developed a special bond with one of my roommates. My first year with Zen was hard as I was going through a stressful time. Zen was there by my side the whole time offering love, support and companionship. She made everything so much easier for me, and I have many happy memories with her. About 8 months ago, she was diagnosed with a heart condition and the prognosis was not good. I refused to believe this, and did everything humanly possible to beat the odds. Zen has been a fighter and is still here, 8 months later. I look up to her and her will to fight this disease. She is full of life, and still loves every moment of it. In the back of my mind, I know that her disease is progressing and that we may have some difficult moments to face in the near future. But for now, I am determined to give her the best life possible and return the love, support and companionship that she gave me when I went through a hard time. I believe that this is how I can repay her, though I doubt it will ever measure up to what she has done for me. Thank-you CHS for saving my beautiful girl, and taking such good care of her during her stay there. I am happy to say I do not regret being a “foster fail” and adopting her, even though I know she will be in my life for a short time. She has taught me so many valuable life lessons and I will treasure them forever. Thanks again CHS!"

Dublin was adopted almost two years ago and is doing amazing! He was very kennel stressed here at the shelter and was quite the handful. But as Dublin and his mom have proven, there is nothing a little love, exercise and patience can't help :)

"Dublin is all settled in at our new place in Squamish. He is getting to enjoy lots of off leash time on the trails, accompanied by his best buddy Tommy. H...e has made quite a few other doggie friends, but his favourites seem to be the other Jack Russell terriers. I think it's because they all want to race around like he does, with not so much physical wrestling. He is a much calmer dog than nearly 2 years ago, obedient although cheeky til the end, and loves life to be one big party. He is such a high energy little guy, still with a scrappy attitude. Love him to pieces, he is so much fun."

"I just wanted to share an update on our little Kirby! My husband and I came home one night, about 1 am, last january. There was this small kitty,that was no more then 2 months old, sleeping on the front step mat, trying to keep warm (it was about -25b that night). As we walked up the front step, we must have scared him off, and he ran away. we w...ent in the house and about 5 minutes later my husband went outside and sure enough, this little kitty was baxck on the mat. The opening door scared him off again, but this time, he ran into the car engine! Long story short, we spent about 45 minutes fishing this scared, cold kitty out of the car. When we finally did, we took him inside, gave him some food and water. The following day, my dad and I brough him to CHS. The wonderful staff there were so good with this baby kitty. She asked me if after the 3 day holding, if we would adopt him. I couldn't say no. No one came forward looking for him, so one week later he was back in our house, with the name Kirby.

Now Kirby is one fat happy kitty, who surprisingly, loves his canine bother and sister. He is quite a charachter, when the camera is out., quite the poser this one is! He will also always let you know he's around when he's hungry! Kirby is such a chatterbox! We could not imagine our house without our little kitty, and love him very much! He was not with you guys for very long, but I still consider CHS to be a huge part of Kirby's story! Thank you guys for taking care of him while he was there!!"

We received some very sad news yesterday afternoon: Scooby, a nine year-old Great Dane adopted from us in December had passed away. Scooby was loved by many staff and volunteers and found an amazing home for his short time left on earth. From the bottom of our hearts we thank the family that adopted Scooby and showed him love and compassion during his last months. More people like Scooby’s parents are needed on this earth.

From Scooby’s dad: “Back in late 2011 my wife and I adopted a Great Dane named Scooby.  He was a grand old gentleman of a dog and we loved him dearly in the short time we had him in our lives.  2:00 a.m. this morning at C.A.R.E animal hospital, Scooby was put down after we discovered he was suffering from prostate cancer that had spread to his bladder and beyond.  We are very sad and miss him so.  We first saw Scooby on your website and it was love at first sight.  I don't know if you and your staff remember Scooby (don’t worry – we did remember dear Scooby!) but I thought you would want to know that after several moves and disruption in his life, Scooby found is forever home with us.  

From Scooby’s mom: “We're sad to inform you that we had to let Scooby go.  He had a huge prostate tumor that had eroded through his urethra.  So, instead of extreme measures, we were able to spend some time with him and he passed away on a couch, high on morphine at the CARE centre, which isn't a too bad way to go for a dog.  As far as we can tell, yesterday was really the only day he showed real signs of discomfort and any difficulty peeing.  Where as the day before, he still had his appetite and excitement for his walks.  At least his last meal was a beef bone treat, which he knawed on while basking in the glorious sun, and spent almost the whole afternoon in the backyard enjoying the record temperatures.  Though we had him only for a few months, they were packed with adventure, and often we forgot he was a senior dog.  Scooby had a lot of energy for a 9 year old.  He loved romping off leash in Nose Hill and snow shoeing with us in Kananaskis.  He rarely was left home alone, and spent more than his share of time on the couch or in bed with us....which made us wish for a king size bed.  We'll miss him, even the very loud snoring.  We're glad we were able to find him though the Humane Society, just wish it was for a little bit longer.”

RIP Scooby.

“Babette is doing great. I have changed her name to Luna. She settled right in on her first night and I was happy to see she didn't mind our dogs smelling around her cage. She has actually become quite used to them and goes right... up to smell them too. She is particularly getting along well with our Italian Greyhound (Carmella) who hangs out with her under supervision. If they are not smelling each other and playing they are happy to leave each other be. I have really noticed her fully settling in this past week. Although she is still not quite a fan of being held she loves to be pet and toss toys back and forth. I really can't wait to see her personality grow even more. I did take advantage of the vet exam especially due to Luna's circumstance of missing her two front paws. She checked out fine. Although when I was clipping Luna's nails for the first time I noticed that she is also missing 2 nails on her back right paw and the other 2 are deformed, but as you guys know none of that bothers her. Luna has filled the perfect place in my home and heart! Thank you guys for finding her and keeping her safe until I found her!”

On February 9^th this cute little kitty followed me home.  It was cold that night so I scooped him up and brought him inside.  My friend and I drove to the 24 hr vet clinic to ensure he was ok.  Since he wasn’t chipped or tattooed they surrendered him to the Calgary Humane Society.  I’ve always thought of myself as only  a “dog person”, but this little guy stole my heart.  After his 10 day hold, I adopted him on February 22^nd.  I believe you gave him the name Lenox, however I have called him Spencer.

Spencer is the sweetest, happiest character who likes to snuggle under the covers and get into general kitteny mischief.  He also loves my dog Quincy, everyone I know is amazed at how quickly they became friends.  Thank you for taking such good care of him during the 10 days you had him, and for putting up with the crazy lady (me) who called every single day to check to see if he was ok.  I now cannot imagine being without him.

"My husband and I adopted Puppet (formerly Brodie) from the Calgary Humane Society in 2002 when she was just over a year old.  Puppet had had three previous homes in her short life and was a scared, skinny, shy, skittish girl when I brought her home.  I had never had a dog before and we quickly bonded to each other as we were both nervous and unsure of how this relationship would work.  In a matter of weeks she had filled out physically and her true wonderful personality began to shine through.  I thought I was adopting Puppet to rescue her but I soon realized that it was our lives that were immeasurably improved by her addition to our family.

Over that past ten years Puppet has been the joy of our lives and was loved and adored by our extended family and friends.  Her entire life was devoted to making us happy in whatever way she could.  If you were sick she would cuddle up quietly and keep you warm.  If you were excited she would jump around with you.  If you were sad she would lick your face and try to engage you in a game of tug or fetch.  She loved hiking, swimming and chasing gophers; but she was happiest snuggled between her human parents on the couch watching tv.  Having her 'pack' together was all she ever wanted.

Our precious sweet girl passed away on February 29.  Holding her in her final moments broke my heart, until the very end her concern was for me.  She licked the tears from my hands as I stroked her face and whispered to her how much we loved her.  We are devastated by the loss of our best friend but I comforted by the fact that she lived a great life, full of fun and the devoted love of her human family.

I am eternally grateful for the devotion of the Calgary Humane Society.  Puppet had been rescued once and surrendered twice before we adopted her.  The amazing care givers at the CHS recognized her for the wonderful dog she was and encouraged us to take on a challenge that changed our lives forever."

Adopted from us in April 2009, this happy tail shows what a little bit of work and a whole lot of love with do for a high energy Labradoodle!

"Nearly four years ago we lost our Rescue Bearded Collie Ringo. We were left with a hole in our hearts arriving home everyday with out a wagging tail. After searching for a rescue dog to help ease our pain I came across a black golden doodle on the Calgary Humane Society website. Since I was at work that day my folks went to pre-screen and meet her. Well they were told she is a lot of work. Her story made "Marley and Me" stories sound tame. But one meeting with this high energy girl made us realize that we were up for the task. She was as loveable as she was excited. Her name when we adopted her was Molly but we wanted something that paid tribute to our last dog that was named after the Beatles Ringo Starr. She also looked very presidential like Bo so we decided on a combo of Eleanor Rigby and Eleanor Rosevelt - "Ellie" for short.

A GREAT update from Rufus, a giant lovebug adopted from us way back in 2000! Have a story you want to share? Email it to happy.tails@calgaryhumane.ca.

"I had been looking for a second dog for a while, but hadn't been able to convince my husband that our big boy Theo needed a friend. In early October of 2000 we were out running errands and I suggested we drop by the Humane Society 'just to look'. Rufus (Tiger at the shelter), a 2-3 year old St. Bernard mix was in the very first cage we looked at and the minute I saw his big sad eyes I knew! He had been surrendered earlier that week because he had been running away from his previous owners acreage. When we took him out for a visit and he just buried his head in our laps for love. He got along great with other dog, so we adopted Rufus that same day.

He had more energy than we had anticipated, so not long after we adopted him I signed up for agility. He has been a 120lb. handful to say the least, but well worth it! Now 11.5 years later he is much much slower and his legs don't work the way they used to, but he still gets a huge smile whenever we go to the dog park. He has outlived Theo by 3+ years, and currently lives with 2 younger dogs and two cats. We don't know how much longer he has but we feel privileged every day we have now."

Who doesn't  love an adorable black Lab? Wally came to the CHS in February of 2011 as an owner surrender. He was adopted shortly after his move to the adoption floor, which wasn't surprising considering his fun-loving personality. When you're looking for your next pet, please take a second look at black animals - they may not be as flashy as their counterparts, but they usually have the personality to make up for it!

"I Adopted Wally from you around 11 months ago. I wanted to let you know that he is the best thing that has ever happened to me!  When I first brought Wally home ( we kept his name the same as it suited him!) I introduced him to my brothers dog Sole! I am happy to say their first meeting went very well and they are now the best of friends!

Wally has done a lot of growing up since I first got him. He enjoys his daily runs and walks, and in the summer even enjoyed swimming for the first time!! He loves to go fishing with me and pretty much goes everywhere with me. He is a spoiled dog who enjoys a lot of attention! You have given me a friend for life and I could not be happier. Here are a few photos of Wally! Enjoy!"

A great way to end the week - we converted a dog person into a dog AND cat person! Happy Friday :)

"One day last year, I came into the Calgary Humane Society with my boyfriend at the time, who was looking to adopt a kitten for himself.  We found a litter of adorable little kittens and were able to go in and see them.  My friend found his favorite immediately and was sitting there enjoying his new friend's company (Mook's brother Bandit - aka Timothy (shown in the photo)).  As I sat on the floor and watched my then-boyfriend play with his kitten-to-be, a tiny orange kitten slowly yawned and stood up from his perch on the other side of the room.  He very sleepily made his way over to my lap and, without any hesitation, sat on my lap and wrapped his little paws around my finger and fall back to sleep.  My friend turns to me and says: "What a mook!".  Having never owned a cat, I had no intention of adopting one that day.  Needless to say, I walked out that day with my little Mook and never looked back.  

Mook has been such an incredible joy to me.  He's truly unique.  He runs to the door when I get home and can't wait to see me.  His favorite thing in the world is to walk on top of me, all the way up to my face, as I am laying down and very ungracefully "flop" onto his back and get his belly rubbed.  He is a major licker and loves to lick my face any chance he gets.  Absolutely everyone who meets Mook loves him immediately... even those who aren't cat fans.  I can't tell you enough how much I love my little guy.  

Mook is such a social cat that I couldn't bare to have him living by himself all day when I was at work, so he has since gotten a new companion, Tosh.  They are amazing friends and both so wonderful.  

I walked into the Calgary Humane Society one day as a dog-person and I left with the greatest cat in the whole world.  I can't thank you enough for such an incredible gift - I can't imagine my life without him!!"

Here is a great update from a very much loved foremer resident named Murphy. He has been featured on the blog before, but we couldn't resist letting everyone know how he was doing after one year with his forever family. We don't care if your pet was adopted one day ago or one year ago, we love to hear how they are doing!

"Dear CHS staff,

Here's proof that we are enjoying life with our big Murphy and I think we can guarantee that he feels the same.  He is socializing well at the off leash park and still loves to chase a ball endlessly.

Thanks again for the time you invested in him while he was in your care ... we will continue to do the same for him."

As the Creative Media Specialist at the CHS, I get the pleasure of collecting stories for the blog and sharing them with all of you. I have a story of my own to share and I figured the one year anniversary of our adoption would be a great fit :) Please enjoy!

"This is the story of me and Charlie. Me being the Creative Media Specialist here at the CHS and Charlie being the 100 pound German shepherd cross who won my heart. It has been exactly one year since I adopted Charlie and my life has changed for the better.

Charlie came to the shelter as a transfer from the City of Calgary (or the pound as many people call it). I like to think that at one time, Charlie had a loving home. Sometime to walk him, to feed him, to train him, to love him. From what I can deduce, Charlie was re-homed by his initial family to someone else in the city. That new family obviously was not quite as interested in him as his first.

Dogs come to the CHS several ways: owner surrender, transfer in, seized, abandoned or found as a stray outside city limits. All dogs found within city limits as strays go to the City of Calgary. If the dog has ID, it is returned to the owner once all fees are paid. Charlie was found as a stray in the city and he had ID. His family obviously just decided they didn’t want him anymore so they didn’t claim him. They just left him.

Charlie sat at the city for months. Other than his size, Charlie is fairly non-descript. Black coat, small ears, pink snow nose and a curled-up tail. I guess no one found him appealing enough. But what he lacked in looks, he made up in personality. He is a people person! In an effort to find him a home he deserved, Charlie was transferred to the CHS. Charlie still waited.

Charlie waited for five months to be exact. For five long months (that added to however many he lived at the city) Charlie waited for me to fall in love with him. When Charlie was first transferred to the CHS, I still rented an apartment. There was a strict two pet policy and I already had a cat and a dog. Plus, there was no way my landlord would allow a dog of that size. A house was on our horizon, but houses don’t appear overnight.

The staff took care of not only his basic needs, but also ensured he stayed sane. Shelters do the best they can, but the best place for a dog is in a home - period. They fed him, cleaned him, exercised him and above all, loved him. If not for some very dedicated CHS staff, Charlie would not have kept his upbeat and affectionate personality. Charlie was a lover.

I took Charlie home (in our new house!) for a ‘sleep-over’ in the days between Christmas and New Years in 2010. His extended stay at the shelter and pound had made Charlie somewhat aggressive to other animals, so he needed to go to a home where it would be just him and people. So I sent my little dog off to my moms and my cat got the run of the basement for Charlie’s stay. I was just trying to give Charlie a break from shelter life. He wasn’t supposed to stay.

Charlie wasn’t supposed to fit into my home or my lifestyle. He wasn’t supposed to walk in, look around, stretch out on a dog bed and sleep for hours. He wasn’t supposed to get along with my cat (Shamus made a daring escape on the second day of Charlie’s sleepover and after one swat from the cat, the hierarchy was set. Charlie was at the bottom). Charlie wasn’t supposed to be great on walks. He wasn’t supposed to win my fiancée and I’s heart. He wasn’t supposed too. But he did.

He also wasn’t supposed to stay. He did anyways.

We officially made Charlie ours on January 3, 2011 and we haven’t looked back since. It’s not to say we haven’t had some issues. Being a German shepherd, Charlie is a very protective of our home and has some issues with barking at passerby’s. He’s barky in the car (I think he has anxiety about being abandoned again. I wish he knew he’s not going anywhere) While Charlie has great people skills, he has terrible dog skills.

I compare Charlie to being that awkward kid on the playground. You know the boy that wants to be friends with the other kids, but isn’t sure how, so he pulls the girls hair and is loud and obnoxious but is really a sweetheart on the inside? That’s Charlie. Off-leash parks are off-limits are that reason. Luckily my parents have a farm just outside of Calgary, so we take him there every day for his exercise. He runs around the farm with two other German shepherds, four Chihuahua and his sister Maui, a tiny Cavalier cross.

At home, Charlie is a great dog. He lives happily with Maui and Shamus. Thankfully Charlie understands he is at the bottom of the totem pole and lets Maui and Shamus rule the roost.  

We found out at his last vet visit that he has bad knees and that require $6,000 surgery one day. It’s the kind of surgery that would put Charlie on bed rest for one month and require us to carry him around. That’s a bridge we will cross when we get there. Right now we are focusing on keeping Charlie well exercised and light on his feet. I have already decided that for Charlie, the most important thing is quality over quantity.

Charlie has changed my life. He has taught me patience and understanding. He has shown me an unwavering love and devotion I have never seen from a dog. Charlie is seven, which is not very old, but for his size he is an old man.

We knew we wanted to get another dog once we moved into a house, but Charlie wasn’t exactly what we were looking for. He was too big, too loud and too overbearing. But somehow we made it work and in the process, we made a family. Next time you’re looking to expand your family, remember to keep an open mind. You might not want that big/small/yappy/black/white/old/young dog, but that exact dog might be just the one you need. That dog might be just the dog that needs you."

The CHS would like to wish all it's adopter, supporters, donors and volunteers a very Happy Holiday season! 2011 was filled many many successes and we look forward to the new year. 2012 will bring us even more animas that need help and we welcome the challenge!

Thank-you Sylvester for the great holiday photo! He was adopted from us in 2010 and now calls the Bow-Crest Care Centre his home.

A great update on a sweet bun to start off your week!

I am loving life with my newly adopted bunny. I have changed her name from "Foxy La Rue" to "Bunnerkins". I have attached a picture of the adorable Lady Bunnerkins to this email.

Bunnerkins has gradually been introduced to all the rooms of the house and has now become a full house bunny. We have also worked on litter box training and now she can roam free all hours of the day and night without worrying about accidents. She is so smart and I am looking forward to further training with her.

Bunnerkins is very curious and sensitive; more and more of her personality comes out everyday. I am overjoyed to have her in my life and I am very happy that she was adopted rather than bought at a pet store.

Thank you for providing the wonderful services that rescued Bunnerkins from the cold and gave me the opportunity to fill her life with love.

A good laugh for a snowy Monday morning! Cats in sinks are always a crowd-pleaser.

"Hey there,

 I just wanted to write in and again thank everyone at the Calgary Humane Society for our two wonderful boys!

 We first adopted Brew (the orange one) in January of this year.  It took only moments for us to fall in love with him… regardless of his mischevious tendencies.   We first had a taste of what Brew was capable of on the second day after his adoption.  I had gone grocery shopping and unloaded all of my loop on to the kitchen floor as I usually do to unpack everything.  Having never had a cat before, I wasn’t aware at the time that this was a terrible idea.  After everything was put away, I noticed that a warehouse package of hamburger was missing.  I checked my receipt, searched the car and the freezer to see where I had misplaced it… but found nothing.  Figuring I had left it at the grocery store I stopped searching and went to find Brew.

 As I walked into the living room I was not prepared for the mayhem I was about to observe.  Brew had clearly sniffed out the hamburger early on and dragged it into the living room for an all you can eat hamburger buffet.  There was hamburger everywhere… on his face, in his fur and paws and smeared into the carpet.  After cleaning him off and trying to stifle my laughter I realized that Brew had managed to scarf down half of the package of hamburger which was probably twice his size… I watched him carefully that night but thankfully he showed no ill effects from his gorging.

 We had Brew for about 4 months before we decided he was in desperate need of a companion… and although I have never had a cat before, I am convinced that Brew is blessed with some kind of super intelligence as within those 4 months Brew managed to:

-Learn how to open our  refrigerator and freezer and empty their contents on to the floor then proceed to eat half a pack of frozen salmon while we are at work

-Learn how to open his food cupboard that has a baby lock on it and spill the contents of all his food bags onto the floor at 5am on a Sunday morning

-Learn how to use furniture as deadly hiding places and jump out at me while I am half asleep in the morning

-Learn how to open cupboard doors, nuzzle the lid off the butter and lick it… (we don’t know how long he did this for before we caught him)

Now, taking all that into consideration, our decision to adopt another cat was not an easy one.  A companion would either calm Brew down, or we would end up with double the trouble.  Thankfully when we did decide to adopt and brought home Dublin, the outcome could not have been better.  Brew and Dublin were best friends from the start and the two of them became totally inseparable.

They spend their days cuddling, playing, cleaning each other and staring out our large bay window and though we do come home from time to time to find the garbage tipped over, we wouldn’t trade them for the world.

Thank you for our boys"

A sweet update on a sweet lop bunny named Mallow! You can't see it in the photos, but Mallow has the most gorgeous blue eyes. Its no wonder she was adopted within a week of being available for adoption! Mallow was a shy girl and it sounds like she has found the perfect family to become a confident and happy bunny!

"Things with Quinn are going well, though we did rename her Mallow (as she really does look like a marshmallow). She's adjusting slowly (she's a very timid bunny), but is slowly getting used to her new home. Behavior wise, things are coming along slowly. We have her about 75% litter trained, and she's not having any destructive tenancies.

She is pretty mopey most of the time, but she's slowly getting used to us. We've been offering her free run of the apartment for the last couple days, however she's been unwilling to go more than a few feet from her cage. I do think though that over time she's going to settle in and become a little more outgoing, and we were aware this would be a slow process when we adopted her. In terms of getting along with the cat, they seem to be doing quite well. No fighting or anything as of yet, because it would appear our last rabbit put a healthy fear of bunnies into our cat.

   Anyways, the only thing I really wanted to say about our experience adopting is that we're always shocked at how excellent your adoption councilors are to deal with. We took several weeks to make our choice and were down there every couple days, visiting multiple times with many different rabbits until we found the right one. Everyone we spoke to was extremely pleasant and enthusiastic about helping us."

Sorry for the short hiatus! We've got some great stories coming up and to start it off, we have Cedric! Happy Monday!

"When we first met Cedric, James and I were a little nervous. We were told he was emotionally distant and showed no real interest in well, anything. It wasn't until we finally got in the room, and he laid across my lap, snuggling into me, that I knew he was the dog for us. Cedric definitely picked us, and our lives have been significantly better for it.

It's now been about a year since we took him home and we haven't looked back since.  It took some time for our cat Waldorf to get used to the new addition to our family but they are now great friends, playing and chasing each other daily followed of course by naps on the couch. Cedric is the best dog we could ever ask for. He's sweet, cuddly and all round goofy.

Whenever we go out we are constantly asked about him, he's a little head turner for sure. We are so very thankful to the CHS for all the hard work that gets put into each adoption. The staff were amazing and I cannot imagine life with our Cedric in it. Thank you CHS."

Snuggling cats are the cutest! Check out Theodore (the orange guy) and Athena (the black girl). What a great update!

We just recently adopted Felicity from the society last month and thought we would send you an update. Felicity, now know as Athena is doing very well, she settled in with our family quite quickly and is not nearly as shy as when we first brought her home.

She has become a good companion to our other cat Theodore, who we adopted from the society last October. At first Theo did not seem to keen on having to share his home with another cat but has realized it is actually quite a bit of fun.

Athena also does not seem to mind our dog, Cayley, whom we also rescued although she is a little hyper for Athena some times. Most of the time you will find Athena lounging in the sun or in her favourite chair.We are so glad that we were able to give Athena the home she deserves.

Thank you to everyone at the Calgary Humane Society for what you do and how you give that second chance to so many deserving animals.

Charlie never actually made it up to the Adoptions floor, so you won't recognize him. He was adopted by his foster family and has fit in fabulously. We can't blame them for adding him to their family - how would you resist his rock star hair-do?

Charlie came to the Calgary Humane Society at the beginning of March 2011 after being surrendered to the Wheatland County authorities.  His right hind leg had been badly broken long before and was not treated so all the bones had fused making the leg immobile.  There was no information left about him, not even his name or what had happened to the leg. The CHS vets ran tests to see how well his body would cope with an amputation and after nearly a month at the shelter the surgery was done.  I had been working with this guy since the day after he came in so when he needed foster after his amputation I gladly volunteered!  I had brought our other dog in to meet Charlie to make sure they would get along and as luck would have it, they did!

The first couple of days in a new place were a bit of an adjustment for Charlie, especially with that giant cone on. During the second night he decided he had had enough and broke the cone right off and carefully and cleanly removed all the stitches from his leg.  That meant another trip back to CHS to be stitched back up and another few days back in his kennel to make sure he didn’t do it again!  He behaved himself after that and it wasn’t long before we were thinking of adopting Charlie.  Once the amputation site was healed and he was given the all clear from the vets, we took him right up to adoptions to complete the paperwork. 

The missing leg doesn’t slow him down at all. He and our other dog Dalia love to run and play in the yard and at the offleash dog park.  While he loves to play, by far Charlie’s favourite thing to do is cuddle. There’s no seat too small for him to squeeze onto!  Thanks to the amazing animal health and animal care teams for all the care they gave to this guy so we could get our Charlie!

Who says you should stop at one? Meet Weebles, Poe and Sierra: three former residents of the CHS all adopted in the last couple of years!

"We have adopted 3 pets from CHS over the years, and these are some of the pictures  of our little buddies!

The first cat my husband adopted a few years ago. Her name is Weebles (the flame point cat) and she is brain damaged so she is deaf, cross-eyed and wobbly when she walks.

She purrs like a little engine when you pet her and loves playing in boxes of all shapes and sizes (as you can see).

The second cat we adopted together. Her name is Poe (formerly Cassie - the black and white cat) and she has a huge personality. She loves her kitty condo, playing with toys mousies, chasing lasers and giving cuddles and little kisses to everyone (including her vet!).

Our final family member is Sierra (formerly Pretty). She is a pitbull-lab cross. She loves going for walks, playing tug and just being around people (and if she gets petted it's even better!). She is working on sit, down and come and is getting better at not jumping up when excited. She needs work on her manners with other dogs and we're looking forward to starting polite pooches this week! We're slowly working on introductions between the cats and dog, and it's been slow going but we know it will be worth it once everyone learns how to get along.

Thank you for everything you do for all the homeless animals of Calgary and for taking care of our friends until we met them!"

A great update from Molly, adopted in 2010!

"Just wanted to say thank-you! I was just on your website and noticed you had some photos up adopted cats up so I thought I'd send along an update on Molly.

I got my cat Molly (formerly Miribelle) from the CHS in June, 2010 and she is a little spitfire. She cracks us up on a daily basis with her energy and we love her more than anything! I am not too sure of her story before us or how she arrived at the shelter but I know she was brought into the shelter as a stray with her kittens.

Here are some pics of her in action. She is all black so she doesnt photograph that great. :)

 Also, my parents got their 2 cats from the CHS 15 and 17 years ago and although they have slowed down a little in their old age they are both still going strong!"

How cute is this little girl?! A great way to start off your Tuesday!

"Just a note to tell you how much we LOVE our Miikka and how well she is doing. She has been with us for almost two years and made herself right at home the day she arrived!

As soon as she arrived home she started putting on weight, and then a little too much! She is currently on a diet to get back to a svelte 7 lbs. (she's a tiny girl) All her hair grew back well and she is as cute as can be!

She is a sweet, loving girl with the best personality! We catch her sleeping on her back with her feet in the air a lot, and her favorite thing in the world is dropping small objects off tables to see them fall to the floor! She loves to play fetch too! She is a wonderful girl with zero issues and the most adaptable cat we've ever known.

She is a very happy girl now and getting used to the puppy that came home a few months ago.
 
So thank you for keeping her for us, our home wouldn't be complete without her!"

A Happy Tails story that began in 1998 and is still on-going today! Happy Monday!

"It is amazing how a pet can change your life! The day after Wrigley was rescued from the Calgary Humane Society, September 17, 1998, I purchased a camera. I spent the next few days photographing her, which led to a career in photography. I was so proud of her I wanted to make a decal for my car, this led to the start up of my online pet decal company Sticky Pets in 2002.

Sticky Pets has become so success full that is now my only income. We have sold decals to every corner of the globe, including countries like Réunion which I have never heard of before. Wrigley's photographs and decals have also helped pet rescues across the globe with fundraising.

In 1998, Wrigley was found eating garbage in an alley along the streets of Calgary, Alberta, Canada. She now spends her weekends hiking the Rocky Mountains, and Kayaking the lakes and rivers around Alberta.  I encourage you all to contact your local SPCA before purchasing a pet, you never know what treasures you will find."

In early 2011, a very pregnant Siberian husky showed up at our doors. Mukuluk as she was affectionately named was sent quickly to foster where she later gave birth to seven gorgeous puppies. They grew up in foster and learned all the necessary skills to become great dogs. When they finally came back to the shelter at 8 weeks, they literally flew off the shelves- no one could resist their adorable faces and personalities!

Here is a great update on Asa!

"Hello there;

I thought I would send in a little note about one of the “famous” Siberian husky pups that found themselves at the Humane Society in May 2011. 

We were lucky enough to be introduced to Asa the very day he and his siblings were put into adoptions.  Oh my, they were all so cute!!  It was Asa’s feet that got us.  They were so big!  Then we noticed his face.  My friend put it best when she said “He has the look of; don’t mess with me bucko”.  Of course he is not a tough guy at all, he is quite the opposite.

Having 2 cats in the house, we were a little worried on how they would welcome the little guy.  And even though they haven’t become best of friends, they cohabitate quite nicely.  Asa has brought joy and life to our home.  He is full of energy, really full of energy, ok he is at times over the top with energy.  He definitely keeps us on our toes and helps maintains the smiles on our faces.  We are all impatiently waiting on the snow, we cannot wait to see what fun he will have.

Asa and our family would like to thank the Calgary Humane Society for helping us complete our fur family.

Thanks again for doing wonderful things for our fur friends!"

I've been meaning to write to you for some time now to share an extraordinary story with you about a dog we adopted from the Calgary Humane Society in the early Fall of 2001 at the age of nine.  Her name is Kelly, and at the end of this month she will be 19 years old.  We think the oldest dog recorded was 21, so she's not far off!

When we saw Kelly in her kennel at the Humane Society 10 years ago, we noticed people walking past her kennel and they would note how cute she was, but she was an older dog which likely meant to them, more vet bills.  My husband and I felt a tug at our heartstrings and asked to meet her.  Kelly was placed in a room with us and she was a playful dog, running after the small ball that we tossed.  That was it, the deal was sealed and we started the adoption process.  We thought, if we could give her a "couple more" good years, then it would be worth it.  Little did we know that she would live to see her 19th birthday!  In celebration of this amazing milestone, we are holding a family BBQ where our guest of honor will enjoy her favorite food - filet steak.  Kelly has brought us such joy through the years and has been referred to as our daughter's "dog-sister" on more than one occasion.

I have attached a recent photo of Kelly and as you can tell, she still looks like a puppy!  Here's to older dogs!! 

Lovely photographs of Serenity - a dog who ended up at the CHS after her owners could not afford to pay their medical bills. The CHS took her in, fixed her all up and she found her forever home, complete with a doggy sister, quickly! Happy Friday!

An awesome update about Quinn (he is the hnadsome brown tabby) and his new sister Layla (she is tha cat

 with gorgeous black coat)! Sounds like they are two peas in a pod. Quinn was such a lovebug while in the shelter, so it is great to see him doing well in his forever home.

"Quinn has settled in great! The Friday evening that he came home, I put him in the spare room. He 'chirped' with our current cat Layla, all evening under the door. So Saturday morning, I wedged the door open so they could see and smell each other. They approached each other immediately and sniffed and watched, but there was no hissing at all! So 5 minutes later I decided to try opening the door. They've been inseparable since.

As one of the other adoption ladies said, Layla would follow him around and she's continued to do that. They often sleep together. Layla lets Quinn explore something new and then she'll come check it out (she's a very shy cat) He's got a wonderful calm personality and loves his cuddles and tummy rubs.

We're in the middle of painting our house so when we're settled again I'll try and forward some photos of him and his new best friend."

A great update from Monty - this former stray has come a long way and is now happily in his forever home!

"Hi it's me Monty (Formerly Chester),

My family adopted me almost a year ago and I just wanted to let you know how I am doing. 

I love my new forever home :o). I live with my parents and the baby. I also have my sister Maggie (she's in the pictures with me), we love to run, play and snuggle too. There are 2 cats I live with too, Monkey and Mojo, and we all great along very well.

I get walks all the time and I have a yard that me and my sister run around and play in. My parents taught me how to shake a paw and I get cookies when I do, I love cookies. I love to play fetch and tug o'war. I have my own doggie bed that I sleep on at night too. My parents say i'm a very gentle boy and my mom calls me cute face all the time. I love being outside and playing and I get lots of snuggles and love from my parents. I can walk great on a leash now and I can go off leash now and I listen very well. I know all my commands like sit, down, stay etc. I have all kinds of cousin dogs and friend dogs that I play and run with when I go camping. I like the water and get to go swimming sometimes when we are camping, I love camping! My parents are very proud of me and all the things I have learned, and my sister Maggie taught me lots of the doggie stuff.

I want to say thank you for helping me and finding me my forever home. My parents love me very much, I know cause they tell me all the time :o)

Love, Monty."

Photo of adorable cats and ktitens - what better way to start of your Friday?!

Anya

Cleo

Elliot

Gus

Max and Eddie

Mocha

Sophia

Stanley

Timmy

William

Toby’s mom Honey was found as a stray west of Calgary. Upon realizing Honey was pregnant, she was sent to foster where she gave birth to Toby and his four adorable siblings. They spent the first eight weeks of  their lives in foster learning all the important things – playing, loving, socializing, etc. 

Little Toby didn’t last very long on the adoptions floor and was scooped up quickly by a wonderful family! The first photo is of Toby in the shelter – the last two were sent in by his family. What a handsome boy he has grown up to be!

"Thought you might like to see how Toby is coming along now.  At six months he weighed 23.5K.  He is changing colour with his adult coat coming in.  He was jet black with the odd white patch when I got him and now he is coming in brown and white - especially white feathers on the rear end and a lot of white on his muzzle.  He loves people and has a number of playmates at the off-leash area here in Cochrane."

Thunderpaw and his eight siblings were found living under a deck in a small town north of Calgary. One of town's peace officers was luckily able to capture them all and bring them into the CHS for some food, water and love.

With his fun-loving personality and round face, Thunderpaw did not last long on the adoptions floor. Here is a quick email from Thunderpaw - from the first couple sentences you would swear he was a dog! Happy Monday!

"Hello,

I’m ThunderPaw and I love my home with Chris, Breanna, Lukas, Bonnie and Don. They are so nice to me they take me for walks and they let me destroy stuffies.

I love when they play string and ball or pom pom. They take me to the park every week and they let me run I love running. I love when at night I go on their beds and cuddle with them. They feed me the delicious Science Diet.

My name was Albert but they changed it to ThunderPaw and i like that name better because it suits me better."

Couscous is one of the many cats who has spent time in a CHS foster home. She came into the shelter in April with a couple of kittens who needed to be weaned before they could up to our adoption floor. In foster, Couscous and her babies were cared for very well – daily feedings (Couscous was a stray, so her meals were most likely sporadic), lots of love and most importantly, they spent time around people.

Couscous and her kittens moved up to adoptions and the babies quickly found forever home. Couscous took a bit longer, but found a family. Fostering is a very important part of the CHS and if you are interested in joining our foster program, please contact nhowell@calgaryhumane.ca. Lots of animals need fostering and for various lengths of time. Fostering is a great way to help out an animal without making a lifetime commitment.

Here is an update on Couscous!

"Couscous (formerly known as Chloe) is doing very well. She is playful, eats and drinks well, uses her litter box and only once in a while scratches something she isn't supposed to scratch. It didn't take her that long to get used to our dog and our dog is very relaxed about the new addition. She even lets Couscous drink from her water bowl.

The only one quite upset about another female in the house was our bunny. The first nights he was making a lot of noise in his cage, kicking his hind legs against it. But he has calmed down.

We have attached some photos - enjoy!"

Found as a stray, Kota came to the CHS with no history. But he did come to us with an infectious smile, happy-go-lucky personality and affectionate mannerisms. He didn't last on the adoption floor long and now calls an acerage his home - lucky dog!

Kota (formally known as Austin) is doing unbelievably well. First day I got him I kept him on the leash. Second day he was off leash and he has been ever since. He is completely attached to my hip and never lets me out of his sight.

He’s fantastic with the horses, he’s super friendly and gets loads of attention from all the people and he’s even made several new doggy friends.
 
Kota now lets me touch his tail and his paws without any fuss. He still shows no food aggression and actually hasn't shown any aggression at all towards anything. I have yet to hear him bark! He’s still a bit porky but he’s losing weight quite fast since all he does is run around all day.

He’s perfect on the leash and never pulls. We go on two 30min walks a day. Kota has fun entertaining himself when the farriers are here doing the horses feet, he'll take the hoof clippings and bury them in various places around the property.. I've lost count on how many I’ve found.
 
I could not be happier with him, he is literally the perfect dog and I don't think he could be any happier either. His tail is constantly wagging (I’m not kidding) and he’s just the happiest and friendliest dog I’ve ever seen.
 
I’ve attached some pictures of when him and I went swimming (we have a large pond on the property that is swimmable)
 
Kota is currently asleep on the couch next to me, but I’m sure if he could he would say hi! Next time I come get dog food, I’ll bring him for a visit

How cute is this dog?! Lexi was surrendered to the CHS because she was not getting along with the family's child. Luckily for Lexi, she quickly found a couple who did not have children and were willing to work with her. Sounds like she is living the life now - enjoy!

"Where to begin on updating you on Lexi?  While it has only been three weeks since we adopted her, she has brought my fiancé and me a huge amount of joy.  When Lexi first arrived at our home we were quite nervous not quite knowing if she would like us and if she would adjust to her new environment.  There really was no reason for us to be concerned, within a few minutes of having arrived home she seemed comfortable and at ease. 

Since her arrival she has made many furry friends at the dog park (including a pug named Junior who seems quite smitten with her), gone for hikes in the Rockies, rafted down the Bow River and recently went on her first road trip. We were quite the proud parents when the vet told us she was one of the most well behaved dogs she had seen in a while.  She is now on a monthly de-worming program (we camp and hike quite a bit so we want to keep her as healthy as possible) and she is also now getting her teeth brushed everyday!

She recently also completely her first day of school (Polite Pooches) and at least we think she did super well.  We have been clicker training her for about 2 weeks now with some success - recall is really her biggest issue, but we are slowly training her.

I have attached a few pictures of Lexi to this email (first one of a sleepy puppy in the car after a hike and the second one of her wanting the peanut butter Kong I made her).  We cannot thank-you enough for the work that you all do at the Calgary Humane Society.  Lexi is our first adopted furry child and we could not be more happy, so thank-you, thank-you, thank-you!"

The shelter environment is overwhelming for many animals – too many noises, smells and commotions. They can act out in many ways: some shut down and become very quiet and shy. Others go the other way completely and are very excitable and aroused. That is one of the reasons that when you meet a dog at the CHS, we need you to visit for at least 30 minutes. This allows the dog some time to become comfortable with you and let some of their personality shine through.

Here is an update on Fin – a scared little fellow who luckily found someone who was willing to overlook his shyness and give him a second chance at a forever home.

“I adopted my Bichon Shitzu cross from the Humane Society in June 2010. I just wanted to let you guys know that he is the most wonderful dog in the whole world. Words can't even describe my love for him.

When I first got him, he was a very shy boy and the behavior team suggested in his assessment that he would be unable to form bonds. When I first met him the kennel I was skeptical as he was more concentrated on other dogs than myself.

But after a half an hour of spending time with him, he finally came to me and I thought I would take a chance. That warm summer day in June I promised Fin, that I would never leave him. We both left in my small car together.

One year later, he now rules my house. He sleeps in my bed, shares my treats, and licks my tears away.

He is the best thing that has ever happened in my life. I shared with you some pictures of my "lil scared Finnegan" as a story of hope. Fin is so wonderful.

Thank you for all the hard work you do. As a social worker I can completely respect your line of work.”

A lovely update from a puppy named Sunny! I wonder if she'll ever grow into those ears?!

Even after the first day we brought Sunny home she’s always making us laugh. Pretty much running and chewing on anything in sight are her favorite things! At first she didn’t like walks, but when she realized all the places she could go she’ll never stop. Her pink ball is by far her favorite chew toy, even though she has about twenty more.

Surprisingly she gets along extremely well with our Hedgehog, Harley. After some practice she got used to car rides and was easily house trained. She recently just went on her first camping trip to Wilderness Village and we had troubles getting her in the car to take her home!

Sunny is always digging, playing, sniffing, and pouncing! She loves anyone who comes to the house and gives her attention and cookies. Although we don’t have any other dogs, when we’re out and about her wagging tail is always welcoming to other pooches we meet. It’s very safe to say Sunny loves her home and her family – we never really understood the saying “Follows you around like a puppy” until she became a part of our family.

Here is an update on Peter – the dog who can execute the most paw-fect play bow! Just look at that form! Enjoy!

“Peter is doing amazing. He had no problem coming home, and he and Hazel (our other Berner) seemed to remember each other and hit it off right away. He was a little anxious the first night but made it through it eventually.

Right from that first night Peter's been such a wonderful boy. He's found a few places in the front of the house where he's comfortable and will take a nap. He no longer is anxious when we are out of his sight. He is a total rascal with his sister when they are out in the yard playing, but very caring and attentive when they are in the house together. There is no aggression when eating or taking water together, and Hazel has actively decided to hang out with Peter wherever he is rather than go into the part of the house where we currently don't let Peter go.

He's even learning to walk nicely on a leash. While we have a ways to go with some politeness training, Peter is super smart and willing to learn and I'm sure we'll have that done in no time. We are looking forward to starting our Polite Pooches class in a couple of weeks. For the time being we are just enjoying having him around and making him a part of the family.”

How cute is Ivy?! A very happy story to start off your week!

“I changed her name to Ivy Belladonna. She is probably the cutest cat I have ever met. She's an AMAZING cuddler and can be handled for a very long time without complaints (she's usually very content being rolled around and held all different ways :). She's great around company, but almost always comes and sleeps with me rather than the strangers (which is more than okay by me!).

She lets me know when she is hungry, which is quite often. She's gained weight but she was sooo tiny and stressed out before that I think it's a good thing. She stopped shedding clumps of hair too, so I think that she has settled in just fine. I'm pretty sure she's younger than the predicted 3 years. The other vet guessed that she was 1.5 years, and I think this is a lot more accurate as she is very kitten-like and can eat a TON of food for her size without being overweight.

I've attached numerous photos. I take at least a photo a day of her. She has a wave-style scratching board she loves (and will never scratch our furniture), a pretty safety collar with gold tag for when she's going outside the house on a trip, and an enclosed cat box with a door that I never even had to show her how to use. She's great. She's even good with my boyfriend's dog which we were never going to expose her to, but she doesn't even seem to mind the medium-large blue healer he is. He likes her though, he likes to lick her head and sniff her a lot.

She's great in the car, and I have a leash now so I can take her for walks or adventures to the park. I've already walked her around the block once. Going between my boyfriend's and my house doesn't even phase her. When she originally got to his place she explored a bit then plunked herself on his bed and had a nap. I'm really glad we can have both animals in the same vehicle in case we both go away somewhere together.

I always put her needs first. Even if I had kids they'd be next in line AFTER Ivy Haha. She's a doll!”

In May, the CHS seized 30+ pit bulls from a Calgary home and Mya was one of them. Once settled into shelter life, many of the pit bulls excelled in our care. They were sweet, kind and fabulous ambassadors for their breed. Most were untrained, but had an eagerness to learn – it seemed their whole purpose in life was to please people.

Mya was probably the prettiest of the girl – she has a gorgeous grey and orange brindle coat and sparkly eyes. She was gentle, yet spunky and you knew she was very smart. The first photo at right is was taken in shelter – this girl had an infectious smile!

Here is an update on Mya – it might bring a tear to your eye, it sure did here at the CHS!

"Mya is doing extraordinarily well. She has blended in well with our existing pack which includes both our dogs and of course our boys. Mya and I walk twice daily and use that opportunity to train and develop a healthy working relationship.

 She is a very calm dog, very passionate and still. She definitely came to us with some baggage, which she is so desperately trying to leave behind. She can be very fearful of noises, quick movements and children. During her time in our home Mya has learnt to walk so graciously on lead, to sit and patiently wait. She mastered feeding time within the pack really politely as she was a little hungry when she came to us and a little food dominant. She does however really love to play, but motivating our older dogs can be quite the chore and we are working on her manners to ask nicely.

Our greatest achievement was her learning how to share toys and especially bones. She truly loves our dogs, and turns to them for comfort, direction and support. Harley and Oscar have become such a great support to her and have assisted with her training. They are both patient with her. Mya's love for our boys is so delicate, gentle and passionate. She loves them so differently and lovingly, she feels they have always been hers to play with politely and love deeply.

Someone once said you don’t get the dog you want, but you get the dog you need. We went into this year long search and venture to support the Calgary Humane Society (have adopted from you now twice successfully) and 'save' one of the pitbulls seized. Well we can honestly say that Mya has been our savior, not only to our family and friends but to the grace and the lovely breed.

 We will continue to provide updates, thanks for all your do, thanks for your support and most importantly from our family to yours, thanks for allowing us the grace to have Mya become a part of a very special family."

Sorry for the extra-long hiatus from the blog – everyone needs a vacation now and then! There will be many wonderful stories in upcoming weeks, so be sure to check daily. There will be updates on a couple of the seized pit bulls as well as a few of our long-term cats!

Energy level is one reason people often shy away from older cats, but seniors often have just as much spunk as the younger felines! But instead of ALWAYS having energy, senior cats also know the importance of napping. Meet Captain Cat – an 11 year-old boy who was surrendered to the CHS. Luckily for the Captain, his future parents came to the CHS looking for a senior cat to add to their family. Kittens are cute and all, but don’t overlook a senior cat during your next visit – they often have as much energy, just in smaller doses.

 “We were looking for an older cat that would be mellower than a young one.  When we first met Captain Cat, he leapt up on Brian with little coaxing and cuddled.  After a bit, Brian said, “Go see Joni” and he just jumped off and up onto my lap.  He looked at me, placed both front ‘arms’ on my chest and laid his head down by my heart.  We were smitten! 

He settled in quickly and has found several favourite spots.  The best thing about him is that he can take as much cuddling as I can give – which is a lot!  He actually reaches up with both front legs to be picked up if you put him down too soon.  Like a toddler.  We just love him!  He’s pretty spry and funny for an 11-year old!  We get him chasing and hunting things throughout the house in the evening and can tire him out so we all get a good night’s sleep.

He’s friendly and loving to everyone else, too, which is a real bonus - we were hoping for a cat that didn’t run and hide when company came over.  My favourite picture is attached.  We had a friend over and while chatting around the kitchen table, The Captain didn’t want to be left out of the attention, so he jumped on my lap.  I corralled him with my arm and he decided that was a nice place to relax and had a nap for about an hour – what a cuddlebug.

 We are so happy with him.  Thanks very much to the Humane Society and the wonderful work that you do.  The entire experience has been great!”

The happy tail of a staff favourite - Andre! There was a lot of this boy to love - he was big in size and big in heart. Glad to hear he and his new bbf are doing well.

When my 16 year old cat passed away last March, I believed it would be a long time before I’d be ready to bring another one home.  Bingley (my 5 year old boy) seemed to do well as a single cat at first, but over time his behaviour started to change.  After two months, I started to think that maybe it was time to get him a companion.  I wasn't sure if I was ready, but I decided Bingley's needs were more important.

The day I went to CHS, I had a list of 5 or 6 cats I was interested in meeting.  The first two were very sweet, but I just didn’t feel an immediate connection.  And then, I met Fergus (CHS name - Andre).  I was initially drawn to Fergus through the CHS website description – which told of his desire to lay where he could feel a person's heartbeat.  I thought he must be incredibly gentle and sweet – a perfect little companion.  When I picked him up he rubbed his head under my chin and settled right into my arms, purring the entire time.  The bond was immediate and I knew he was the cat for me.  He is not so little, though.  A trip to the vet confirmed that he is every bit as big as Bingley at 14.5 lbs.  A big boy!

At home with Bingley, there was a period of adjustment.  Bingley is an extremely mellow cat - a P.A.L.S. volunteer who loves all animals and people equally.  I knew he would accept Fergus, though it did ruffle his feathers a bit at first!  Laid back he may be, but Bingley is still boss!  He took great pains to establish just which cat is king in this household, especially when Fergus tried to interrupt Mom time.  Luckily, Fergus is an easy going cat, too!  He accepted the pecking order pretty easily, and when chased to his safe room, would quickly venture out again - no stress, no fuss.  I actually believe there were times when he would look at Bingley and think, "What's your deal, dude?  I'm cool."

It really did not take them long to develop a tolerance for each other.  After a week of supervised meetings, they were able to roam freely about the house together.  Only a few days after that, they began to play.  Bingley is definitely the rowdier of the two, but Fergus has adjusted to his rough style of play and becomes bolder every day.  There are no more scuffles - no hissing at all.  They share the house with ease ... wrestling frequently, chasing each other, sharing the bed at night (each in his chosen spot).  Fergus even washes Bingley from time to time, and Bingley doesn't seem to mind.  I wouldn't be at all surprised if one of these days I find them cuddled up together.

I cannot say enough good things about Fergus – I just love his cuddly, gentle nature.  He's a darling, and is proving a wonderful companion for Bingley (who is back to his old self again). I've attached some photos of Fergus and Bingley.  I hope you enjoy them.  Thanks so much to everyone at CHS who cared for Fergus, and thanks for all the work you do to help animals in need.  You do a fantastic job!"

This is almost too much cuteness to handle....

Happy Wednesday! A great day to get you through hump day - enjoy!

"Suzuki has adapted to our home quite quickly. We have renamed her Sophie.

The first night we let her out of her safe room and she stretched right out on our bed as if to say 'AHHHHHH, a bed'!

Sophie gets along great with our male cat, Marty. They chase each other around the house and call each other. Sophie's abnormal leg does not hold her back at all - she zips around with no problem and climbs up the 5 foot cat perch. Marty is the shy guy and Sophie is definitely in charge but is still gentle. She seems to be more of a kitten than Marty who is 2 1/2 years old.

We love her to bits! She follows me around whenever I go to another room. We had three different types of cat food for a few days (we had another visiting cat) and she ate all three. (ps she was fine with the visiting cat) She is very smart and we have learned her rules quite quickly!

Bill and I are very impressed with the Calgary Humane Society's facility and the care and information during the adoption process."

A great way to start off your work week - how could you not call in love with those rather large ears?! Here is the story of Gadget.

"Sweetness" was a very appropriate name for a very sweet and loving puppy who very quickly wormed her way into our hearts, even before we adopted her.  However, her natural, extremely inquisitive nature and puppy klutziness quickly led us to her new and well accepted name of "Gadget". (short for "Inspector Gadget")  Within 2 days she was coming to her name.

Her quickness of understanding has also led to her responding to many other "commands", as well as adopting our place and her "kennel" (crate) and each of us with joy and enthusiasm.  On May 4, we visited the vet for her complimentary checkup where her good looks and personality quickly also won the hearts of the veterinary staff.

This is our fourth adopted dog, and by far the easiest one to get to know and the smartest, quickest, most easily accepted and accepting ever.  Thank you so much for helping us to get together.

A fabulous Happy Tail to end off a rainy week! Looking to adopt an animal to make your own Happy Tail with? Come down to the CHS today for our Pawjama Midnight Madness apartment - from 11 a.m. to midnight the first 55 cats over the age of 7 months are available for a reduced adoption fee of $75!

I remember the day we went to the Humane Society to pick out our kittens. On that particular day there weren't a lot of kittens to choose from, but I had it in my head to get one boy and one girl. There was one room with about 10 kittens mostly little girls, and one room with exactly what I was looking for: one very scared little boy named Ziggy, and one very friendly little girl named Zara. It really was Jipsy, so sealed the deal.

Despite all she had been through, she was still so friendly, and loved attention. She was rolling around on the floor, and rubbing her face on everything, which she still does. Jasper on the other hand was so scared, he didn't want to leave his shelf on the wall, where he felt safe. I knew right then that they would be perfect, although it would take time for them to feel secure.

So we drew up the papers, and picked them up a few days later. Their names were already pre-determined to be Jasper and Jipsy, which seemed to suite them quite nicely. I remember the day we brought them home, and the first few weeks, how scared they were. Although they do still get scared when they hear strange noises, they are so much better now.

They get all the love and attention they deserve, and then some. Both of them are quite needy, but it’s understandable coming from a hoarders home, where they might not have gotten any attention at all.

They are my shadows, wherever I go they always follow. Their favourite spot is my bed, right beside me. They are definitely very spoiled kitties, and I’m so very glad I adopted them. A house is not a home, without a cat! or two !

Thank you so much, life would be so boring without them!

Who says an age difference means you can't be the best of friends?! Here is a great update for Brie and Domino - both former CHS residents!

Here are some pictures of Domino (former Professor Kissy) and Brie. Brie was from the Humane Society as well and she is with us for a little over a year now. Domino and Brie are getting along very well. They chase each other through the house -- they both love their catnip-bath and are always hanging out together.

We were uncertain if Brie would accept another cat in the house as she had no experience with other cats. She has been taken away from her mom way too early and is missing a lot of the normal cat behavior. The first few days there was quite some hissing going on (Brie) and she was confused, but after three days it got better.

Domino was tired of staying alone in his room and pushed to get out and explore the rest of his new home. So we let him out to roam the new territory and to meet Brie. We had a very close eye on them both, ready to jump in in case they would get into a scrap. But to our surprise we all managed to have a smooth and friendly transition.

They are both best friends now. Brie is learning from Domino and in return she is keeping him young. He is 11 and she's 2 but they both race through the house like crazy. They are quite the team too, especially when it comes to terrorizing us at night when they think it's time to get fed. :-)
 
All together we can say that we love to have Domino and Brie with us. It is awesome to come home in the afternoon and have them sitting at the stairs to say hello. Thank you guys for bringing Domino into our life. You are doing an awesome job!!

A fabulous adoption update two years later!

I would like to tell you about the wonderful dog our family adopted from you two years ago.

Exactly two years ago today we adopted Bailey, a miniature schnauzer, from the Humane Society.  This little dog was very scared, her head was very matted and she looked like she had not been brushed for a very long time.  She was recovering from surgery and seemed very sad and confused.  But there was the sparkle in her eyes that caught our attention most so we decided to adopt her. 

I can now report that Bailey is a wonderful addition to our family.  She is very healthy, loves to play and is full of energy.  She loves long walks and car rides.  Her silvery coat glistens, especially when she is outside in the sun.  She loves her morning walks and won't eat breakfast until we have gone for a walk.  After breakfast she grabs one of her toys and won't leave us alone until we have played together.  She is a wonderful guard dog.  She dislikes anyone wearing a uniform and our poor letter carrier is afraid of her even though they have never been close together. 

Bailey enjoys life to the fullest.  She especially enjoys our fenced in back yard with its many shade trees.  She has her own dog car seat which is raised so she can see everything when we go for a drive and she is safe because she can't be thrown around in the event of any sudden stops.  She is friendly toward most people we meet.  She is not a dog park dog so we avoid these places.  When we leave to run erands, she can hear us from at least one block away and is usually at the window when we arrive home.  She has never chewed any furniture, shoes or anything except her toys and has never damaged anything in our house or yard except her toys.  We have never had to reprimand her for anything.  Her wonderful personality and unpredictable antics make us laugh.  It is hard to understand how dull life was before we got Bailey.

We often wonder how a wonderful little dog like this with no collar, no chip, no tattoo or no other form of identification could have ended up as a stray near Spruce Meadows.  Your vet and her own vet estimated her age at about two years when we adopted her. 

Keep up your great work and thank you for letting this wonderful little dog become a part of our family.

Bauer came to the Calgary Humane as an owner surrender. His previous owner stated he had no time for the nine year-old dog and that Bauer had bad separation anxiety. The older dog quickly became a staff favourite – he used to spend his days in the Animal Health and Animal Health office – Bauer was a sweetheart. He got upset when he was left alone and simply wanted a home where he could be with his people all day – he sure loved people!

Bauer found his paw-fect match a couple days after moving into adoptions. I could say more about the story, but this update says it all. Many staff shed a tear or two after reading this one, so thank-you to everyone who sends us updates. These animals mean so much to us and it makes the hard days easier when we get to hear how they are doing and how much they mean to you. Please keep them coming! 

"Bauer is doing very well and I love him dearly because he is such a sweetheart.  I think Bauer is a very kind dog and has adjusted to living with me at my house very well indeed.  I think he knew that he as home the first night.  I had a friend come over an hold his leash because I didn't want him to run away while I was unloading my car.  My friend said that every time I walked by Bauer would wag his tail so that is a good sign.

I do have some photos of him because I have bombarded my sister with Bauer pictures so I will send those along to you as well.  Bauer has a dog friend in town as well because we go walking every afternoon with my friend Rick and his dog Chip.  Bauer and Chip get along very well.  All my neighbours came over and met Bauer as well and they all like him.

I keep a fairly close eye on him and he also likes to keep a fairly close eye on me.  We usually going walking four or five times a day and at least one car ride as well.  He really likes riding in the vehicle.  There is a slough nearby that we drive to and then walk along the grassy path. 

I took Bauer in for his vet checkup and I asked if they had something for his hips so I got dog treat medication that I give him twice a day, usually one after each of the first two walks.  I will keep him on the Science Diet food as he seems very healthy.  The vet also said that it was a good dog food..

I do let him up on the easy chair and also let him sleep on my bed whenever he wants as well.  Maybe I shouldn't but I do love to cuddle with him twice a day and tell him how much I love him as I pet and massage is shoulders and hips.  He seems to really enjoy our cuddle moments.  He seems to be walking really well and gets lots of easy exercise.

He had a really bad nightmare the first night but since then he seems okay.  He either sleeps on the bed with me or on the floor on his doggy bed beside my bed.  He also has cushions and a doggy bed in the back seat of my Mustang as well.  Plus I bought another doggy bed for the garage when we hang out in there.  I want him to be as confortable as possible and am making plans to fence off my backyard so he can run around a bit but he doesn't like to leave me out of his sight for very long.  Its funny - as soon as I put on my boston Bruin's jersey he knows that it is time for a walk.

I've wanted a dog all my life and can't believe that after waiting 58 years I got the perfect dog. 

He is just resting easy on the floor right now so all is well.

After I read Bauer's profile and took a look at him through his kennel window I knew I had to take him home if only to look after him.  But I really didn't think that I would get such a wonderful dog and companion and he is so well trained.  I just can't believe that someone would just let Bauer go."

So we seem to have a trend her at the CHS of giving female Basset Hounds masculine names. A couple weeks ago we had Logan and now meet Homer! There’s more photos than text with this story, but who can resist pictures of a smiley Basset frolicking in the grass?! Happy Monday everyone – hopefully you and all your four-legged friends can enjoy the beautiful weather coming our way as much as Miss. Homer surely will be!

Homer is doing great and I am so happy she is a part of our family now.  She acted like she had been with us her entire life from the moment she walked through the door.  We started taking her for numerous small walks each day which tired her out so she slept a lot in the beginning. 

She now loves her walks -- which have gotten a bit longer -- and she especially loves the field.  She runs a bit now, loves to visit with the other dogs, roll around in the grass, and plays with her leash when leaving the field.  She also loves car rides!  One of my cats has befriended Homer and they sleep beside each other now and then.

I took her to the vet at the beginning of April. As of that day, she had lost 2.2 kg since we brought her home.  She is going back at the end of the month for a follow-up and I am positive she has lost a lot more.  We upped her food portion last week because she is so much more active every day and therefore hungrier.  

Homer smiles almost constantly now and she is a wonderful girl.  We love her very much!

McDreamy (now Toka) got his name because he came to the CHS as a stray around Valentine’s Day. We often try to name animals based on the season – I could say it is for a specific reason, but it’s mostly because it is cute.

Toka caught a kitty cold and got to spend some time in foster – he came back healthy and refreshed and found his family shortly after. Here is how he is doing!

“We changed his name to Toka! (an album from one of our favourite bands) He learned his name in half a day! He is such a cutie! It took him about a week to figure out that he is here forever and all the cat stuff here is his.  His favourite toys would have to be a string, and the laser pointer.  We started feeding him raw food and he LOVES it! Nothing stays on his plate longer than 10 seconds!  I did take him to my vet a day after I got him to make sure he wasn't hurting himself by licking his "wound" from being neutered.  The vet said he looks really good and he is so calm for a stray.  Toka likes cuddling......he is usually curled up on one of us! We are both really happy that we adopted him! - Toka is probably really happy we did too! I could talk about him forever!!”

Buck was surrendered with his brother Ranger due to very sad circumstances. Their dad lost his job and they were living in a car. Luckily, their dad made the responsible choice to surrender the boys in hopes they would find a better life.

Like many young, high energy  dogs, Buck did not do well in a shelter. All the new people, loud noises and lack of routine overwhelmed Buck and he just wasn’t himself. Luckily for this young boy, CHS breed rescue was asked to find Buck a placement in a quieter and smaller shelter. He was transferred to the Brooks Animal Protection Services (BAPS) and is thriving! He is available for adoption through BAPS and is excelling in the smaller environment.

Below is an update on Buck and from the looks of it, he is back to his happy-go-lucky self! For more information on Buck, please visit http://bapsociety.blogspot.com/2011/04/meet-buck-our-one-year-old.html
for more information.

A big thanks to CHS breed rescue and BAPS for giving this boy a second chance at happiness!

“Buck has settled in fine! I decided to house him in our empty Cat Isolation room. He never growled or hesitated to say hi to any of the staff. He even jumped up to give gentle hugs, gave everyone ton of kisses and was very gentle and loving. He was out in our yard running and playing - boy does he love toys!

He ate a small supper and then plopped down on his bed and passed out. I went and snuggled with him and had a small, unintentional nap (oops!). He's a great guy.

He gets along wonderfully with other dogs - male and female! He can be kind of a flirt and loves to snuggle. He also loves all people and cats, too!

He's very goofy and LOVES to play fetch! He'll amble on over, grab the ball and drop it gently in your lap. He does love to play tug-o-war too, but if you say "Leave it" he'll immediately drop the toy and look at you for further command.Buck has been with us for a week now and has made great progress - He's very outgoing and loves to explore! It's hard to believe he was so shy only a week ago."

An update on sweet Bella! She was surrendered in November of 2010 because her family says she was a little too rambunctious with their children. A typical Lab, Bella was playful and happy and just needed the right kind of family. Being a black Lab (we receive dozens and dozens of these a year), Bella sat on the adoptions floor for months.

She became a staff favourite and you could often find her out in the runs playing fetch with members of the adoptions team. She was a little overweight, so five or six fetches was enough for her. Bella would then promptly drop at your feet and roll over for a belly scratch. That girl LOVED her belly scratches!

Luckily for a Bella, her paw-fect family finally showed up in March. Her family had older children who lived out East and because Belle had a YouTube video, the children were able to see Bella from across the country! How cool is that?!

As you can see from her update photos, Bella still loves belly rubs. Here is how she is doing.

Belle( is now Bella) is doing really well. Her and Cookie have negotiated friendship and couch positions. Bella sleeps on the floor by my side at night - sometimes on the bed too. She loves our big back yard and deck as well as the Big walks to the dog social dog run. She has the run of the house and is a good dog. Bella has already dropped 1 Kg from the daily exercise. She has stopped with the nervous big pees and now sits in the back seat of the car quite happily.

She knows that she is loved and is a perfect fit for us.

A wonderful story to warm your hearts on this snowy spring day!

"To all the wonderful people at the Calgary Humane Society,

I wanted to let people know the wonderful story about the kitten I adopted from the humane society because it is proof that sometimes animals just need to find the right home. I visited the humane society in November and visited with many kittens and came back with my family in the evening and we felt that Rita was a good choice for us. We were warned that she was found as a stray in Strathmore and was still semi-feral. The wording in the initial evaluation was that she was "semi-feral and not affilliative" that the adopters should have "realistic expectations." We were somewhat worried but were excited to bring Rita home.

The first couple of weeks were a bit rough as our older cat Angel and Rita were getting acquainted with each other, and Rita getting acquainted to living in a house. Well after that the only worries we had was how she would wake us up in the morning. We have discovered that Rita has the sweetest personality, and absolutely LOVES people. At night both Angel and Rita sleep in my room, and Rita always curls up on top of me purring away. She loves to sit on my lap and just relax while I'm on my computer. As well if I'm at work and not around to give her attention she knows that the rest of my family are there for her and she takes full advantage of it. She loves my little sister's room, and if I'm working later in the evening I know she's curled up on my parents bed. As well she has figured out where the best sun spots are in the house and will move accordingly.

Rita and Angel have become like sisters, they love cuddling with each other, but as siblings do, they can often be found rough housing throughout the house. Rita has been an influence on Angel, not necessarily good or bad, just an influence, and at Christmas this year there was one day when we discovered both of the cats hiding amongst the branches of the christmas tree. They have also started taking care of each other as multiple times we have found Rita giving Angel a bath, or Angel giving Rita a bath, although it did take a while to get a picture because whenever we tried to get one, we came back and they'd stop because it seemed they didn't want us to have the proof.

Rita loves hiding in bags, or tunnelling wherever she can. Loves playing with anything small that she finds on the floor, especially elastics, and overall is an amazing kitten.

Attached are pictures of Rita (who is the orange and white tabby) and Angel (the black and brown shorthair). As you can tell Rita is quite comfortable being a house cat.

We went through a couple of rough weeks, but after that we couldn't imagine living without Rita. She has been a wonderful addition to our family and we are looking forward to the many years of wonderful times with her.

As a family we want to say thank you to all the wonderful staff who took care of Rita while she was at the humane society, and also the ones who helped us find Rita. We still constantly laugh at the fact that she was at one point semi-feral because she may have started out that way but once she found out what life is like in a home, she's decided that she likes that better.

Again great thanks to everyone there!"

Tucker came to the CHS in January of 2011. He was surrendered due what the owner perceived to be aggression towards other animals. It turns out that Tucker would get really aroused around other dogs and his play could turn very rough, very quickly. Our behaviour team worked with him and Tucker began to make slow progress. Our dedicated Outreach Adoptions counsellor was asked to find Tucker a placement through breed rescue.

Breed rescue is often asked to help with animals who do not do well in a shelter environment. These animals often shut down in the shelter and find their surroundings overwhelming. The decision of which animals go to breed rescue are made on a case by case basis. Our Outreach Adoptions coordinator works with other local rescue groups to find them a suitable home or foster. Hundreds of our animals are transferred out year through breed rescue.

Tucker and his new family were united through our breed rescue program. From the looks of it, Tucker couldn’t be happier. Thank-you to his new family and to our Outreach Adoptions counsellor for helping Tucker find his forever family.

"We brought Tucker, a Yellow Lab, to his forever home on March 5, 2011 -- we kept his name as that was the only thing that was familiar to him.  He has become best friends with our Golden

Retreiver Happy Jack who is 5 days older than Tucker. Where there is one of them the other is not far behind.

Tucker is a loving boy, when we first brought him home he was unsure how to relax or play with toys.  Jack loves his toys and often Tucker watched Jack play catch or just play with one of his many stuff animals. Now 5 weeks later Tucker will initiate play and they love to chase each other at the dog parks or just roll around with each other in the back yard. Tucker loves his Kongs and bully sticks, he goes to daycare twice a week and has become quite sociable with other dogs and people. He is still unsure of swimming but has gone a couple of times at the local dog pool. We have enrolled them in agility, and he did great for his first time, and really seemed to enjoy himself. 

Tucker has been a great addition to our family and we can't be happier that he is here. "

Such a great thing to find on a Friday morning - another update on the lovely Murphy! We love nothing more than keeping in touch with our adopters and hearing how happy they are with their awesome additions.

Happy Friday!

"Dear CHS Caregivers,

In some ways it is hard to believe that Murphy has already been with us for 3 months and in others it feels so natural that it’s like he should have always been here.

I’m attaching some of the newer photos of our big boy.  My favourite is the one where none of his paws are actually making contact with the ground.  Murphy was “flying” after being confined to the yard for 2 or 3 days in the midst of that extreme cold we had back in Feb/Mar.  The smile on his face and the sheer contentment in his romping through an off leash space are typical of his response to a taste of freedom.  Our “field of dreams” is also currently home to hundreds of whistling gophers which means the entertainment awaits Murphy’s arrival; no need to take along a dog toy to toss when there are all those holes to investigate.  The abundance of snow was never a problem for Murphy either; in fact it was just another form of entertainment.  He loved the “snow mountain” that accumulated against our back fence.  Hiding his toys and watching him sniff and dig them out with energy and enthusiasm was always a great distraction.

Murphy continues to have that amazing temperament and spirit that many of you at CHS helped him to hold onto during his months in your care.

Spring break gave us a few brief opportunities to enjoy a patch of sunlight on the deck together and we are looking forward to all the other shared activities yet to come.

L, G, and Murphy"

Many people with older cats are often worried that adding a new feline will disrupt the household and upset the long-term residents. It is totally doable and just takes some time and patience. Here is the great story of Suki and Oscar - they still have their tiffs, but are slowly getting used to one another. Also, doesn't Suki have the best annoyed expression?! So funny.

"I just had to let you know how happy we are that we adopted Suki -- we kept her orginal name because it suits her so well -- our beautiful nine-year-old kitty.  We've had her for four months now and she has settled in very well.  The day we decided to adopt her, I had no intention of getting another cat (our precious Felix had recently passed away and we also have a 17 year old cat, Oscar).  I had agreed to take my daughter to the Humane Society "just to look..."  When we went into the room with Suki, she came and snuggled on my lap.  We stayed like that for almost half an hour and I was hooked.  I had a hard time letting her go back to her cage.  We went back that evening with my husband and we picked her up the next day.

She is very affectionate.  She loves to cuddle & hide under blankets.  She has the most precious meow, especially in the morning at breakfast time.  She wears pretty pink soft-claws now (to prevent her from destroying the carpet on our stairs) as she refused to use any kind of scratching post. She adjusted to them right away - I highly recommend them! 

We integrated Suki & Oscar slowly; they have a strange relationship!  They can hang out together without any problems - I've even seen Oscar wash her but five minutes later they'll be slapping each other.  We'll separate them for a bit and then they're fine with each other again. 

We hope to have Suki for a very long time."

Those of you who regularly check out our website will remember Rosco. He came to the CHS in November of 2009 from another rescue organization in B.C. Rosco was a sweet dog who needed time to warm up to new people and was quite fearful of men. Over the next couple months, many people visited with Rosco, but he never found the right fit. Luckily for Rosco, one of the CHS stressbusters (volunteers who come spend time in the kennels with the dogs) was slowly falling in love with his serious personality and sweet smile. He has been with his new mom for just over a year now – here is an update.

"I am always smiling around Rosco - he is not your average dog and I absolutely love him with all my heart. I knew he had some behaviour concerns and an unknown past and that life for him maybe hadn’t been too easy before… it could be a challenge to get on the right track but I was ready and we’re making it happen, sometimes slowly but we’re getting there. This isn’t the story of the dog that comes home and adjusts perfectly right away, but I’m grateful for every moment he has been part of my life and he and our family are truly living happily ever after!

Rosco is a serious dog, sometimes reserved and nervous, even after a year with us; but we’ve had lots of wonderful experiences so far which have helped Rosco to grow and gain confidence; the best of which have been between Rosco and his new brother Oliver. They have taught each other a lot about enjoying life, playing, listening and being a dog. My Rosco is quite the snow puppy and this winter he is having the time of his life. I watch as Rosco and Ollie tear up the yard and run up to me occasionally, tongues hanging out, joy in their eyes, snow covering their faces before they play bow and tear off again playing, digging and chasing each other in the snow.

I’ve always felt as though Rosco picked me. I don’t know why or how and I never thought I’d have a big dog but here we are. There are so many wonderful, daily life things that make him such a special addition to the family… every morning Rosco will wait patiently in his crate until I turn on the light and the minute I do, he’s at my bed side wagging his tail, ready with kisses, excited to get up and start the day. When I am sick, he refuses to leave my side.  He cannot understand the bath tub to save himself, he looks at it with this painfully cute, confused and concerned expression, “surely the ‘tub of death’ will swallow me whole, wont it?’ He loves to sneak his toys outside and play with them in the snow; we somehow find his stuffed babies and other toys out there daily. I was trying to teach him to lay down and we started working on it at dinner time using some techniques we learned at puppy school. Once he got it, he spent the first few days eating every meal in a lie down position even though I told him it was okay to stand up.

Rosco is doing great, he has overcome a lot and is very very smart. He is a sweet soul with a huge heart, he is gentle and loving, he is protective and faithful. I feel like the luckiest human! I know Rosco’s life is a bit more managed than most dogs but he has given back to our family more than we could have ever imagined. Thank you so much to the amazing team at the Calgary Humane Society for giving Rosco a second chance to have a happy life and for all your continued care and support. I can’t believe how amazing life has been since bringing Rosco home and I couldn’t be more excited for all the years to come!

~Rosco’s Mom"

A sweet update on Lance the cat - a big 'ol ball of love!

I adopted Lance the cat this past August, and I just wanted to let you know how truly happy he has made me! After a week or so, he warmed right up to me, and made himself quite at home in my apartment.

He's a cuddly old boy, who has the most bizarre yet hilarious personality that I just cant get enough of! I wanted to thank-you for all your hard work and thank you again for bringing little Lancey into my life!

A wonderful adoption update for two very special cats - Shiney (now Sophie) and Marmalade (now Howl)!

"We very nearly did not adopt Shiny last June. A volunteer had assured us that she was "sweet", but I wasn't quite buying it. She looked grouchy and half-wild in her little pen, with one blind eye, greasy and scruffy fur, and a comically shaved belly that showed some painfully swollen mammaries.

Apparently she had been brought in with sixteen other intact cats from someone's barn. I assumed that the volunteer was just trying to get rid of a grumpy, unadoptable cat, but I agreed to take a look at her anyways. Well, in the meeting room, she jumped straight into my lap and meowed sadly the whole time. My heart broke instantly. She was so small and thin, and seemed like she needed so much love. The adoption coordinator seemed relieved that we had decided to take her, but there was no way that we could leave without her.

And she has been doing great these last few months. She is a very special, singular cat and we were lucky to take her home. She has a quiet, proud personality, and yet is very affectionate in her special cat way, following us from room to room and curling up in laps. She sleeps the entire night at the foot of our bed. She is an absolute darling.

I've included a photo of her the day we brought her home, and one I took just last week: as you can see, she is looking great as well! She very quickly went up to a healthy weight. Her information indicated that she was a medium-haired cat, so we had no idea that she would grow out such long, soft, beautiful fur!! Our friends and family all comment that she hardly looks like the same cat anymore.

Her paperwork included a note from her foster family that indicated she had been such a good momma cat with her kittens that she needed a home that would give her the love that she deserved. I wish her foster family could see her now, and see how good she looks, and know that she is most definitely a happy, spoiled kitty.

Several weeks later we came back to adopt a friend, and picked out Marmalade. We were told that he had been previously adopted and then returned shortly after. I can't understand this at all, because he is a perfect cat, absolutely: playful, friendly, often mischievous, always happy, always purring, just a great big sweet tom cat who doesn't get upset about anything, and even patiently endures claw-trimming.

He also turned out to be a wonderful mouser, and caught four mice in as many weeks in our house. We haven't seen any mice since; perhaps he scared them all away.

The two cats needed a bit of an adjustment period to play nice together, and I'm not sure that they'll ever be best friends... they're more like naughty siblings, sometimes playing together and sometimes getting on each other's nerves. Still, they do play and keep each other occupied, which was the whole point, so all is good.

Adopting these cats has been such a rewarding experience for our family. Thank you for the work you do."

Many people do not realize the work that our Animal Care (AC) team puts into the dogs you see on the adoptions floor. They don’t just clean and feed them, the love them, teach them and help many gain the confidence they lack. Many of the dogs you see on the adoption floor are happy and healthy because of our dedicated AC team. They are an incredible bunch. Muggs came to the shelter under very sad circumstance. He was fearful, scared and very shy. The poor boy didn’t know the meaning of being a dog. Our AC team took this boy under their wing and helped him gain the confidence necessary for a happy life. Each day they tirelessly and patiently worked with this boy, so that he could begin to trust people again. We were a little sad to see him go, but so happy that he found such a GREAT family. Here is an update.

“Thank you, thank you, thank you!!! Our boy Muggs has found his forever home and all of us could not be happier or more content. As soon as Muggsie came home, he transformed from the scared boy who was so vocal and nervous into the happy and loving pup he was not allowed to be in his former life.

Muggs loves to play ball, seeks the sun spots to lie in during the day and has found his favourite place to sleep at night – between the pillows on the bed.

He is gentle, calm and so loving- he even gives kisses. Muggsie hasn’t met his brother (Sirius) and sister (Nova) from Palm Springs in person yet but they can’t wait to play together.

Again, thank you for looking after him until we found each other and we’ll see you soon in our Fearful Fido classes.”

Samson and his sister Delilah were surrendered to the CHS in March of 2010. They had spent most of their lives chained to an outside dog house. Samson was a scared fellow and needed some major TLC to come out of his shell. He was quickly adopted - here is how he is doing!

I adopted Samson a year ago and I couldn’t be happier. When I first saw Samson he was missing large sections of hair, had chronic ear infections, and was incredibly scared of squeaky toys and other loud sudden noises. His previous owner had chained him to a dog house for the first two years with little human interaction, which explains why he was so eager to meet people and other animals.

He was a very quiet boy because unfortunately he had been de-barked. Most people would think that he would be too much to handle but I couldn’t resist. After a few minutes of playing with Samson I was hooked, his excitement was infectious and all he wanted to do was show me as much affection as he could. That night I went home and couldn’t stop thinking about him, I adopted him the next day.

Shortly after bringing him home I realized that everything was so foreign to him and that he must have never seen the inside of a house before, the TV and stairs were his two biggest fears. He explored everything with puppy like enthusiasm and his eagerness to please made it easy to train him.

Now he is a happy and healthy pup. He has made many other dog friends and is an incredibly gentle and lovable addition to my home. Thank you CHS for all the hard work you do, without it I wouldn’t have found Samson!

Oscar came to the CHS in October of 2010. He had been found running loose and was a very frightened little pug. Vets realized this little guy was blind and possbily deaf. He also made the typical Pug noises - a lot! Little oscar would need an experienced owner who could love him just as he was - this old boy wasn't changing! Luckily for Oscar, he found the paw-fect family that included an understand mom and a fun-loving Pug sister named Twiggy.

Here is how he is doing:

"First thank you for all the good work you do.

I adopted Oscar on Halloween of last year. He was a very thin, shy and deaf Pug. He spend the first couple of days not sure of his surroundings and was very nervous scratching and licking everything.

He has since gained enough weight that you can no longer see his ribs. He loves to sit on my lap and cuddle under the covers. He plays with his sister (Twiggy) and is looking forward to being able to spend more time outside. His eyes are much better and while he will never see as well as he might have he has no trouble seeing me getting his dinner and treats ready. He has even changed color and is now more tan than he is black.

Thanks again for bring in so much joy to me and Twiggy."

Who doesn't love a good cat in the hat photo? Especially when it comes with a great update!

"Sylvester has been with us one year and we cannot believe how perfect he is for our care centre.  The residents, staff and families love him. He has two rabbits that he is friends with and he ignores the birds. He visits residents in the evening and they are so excited by his visits. You could not have recommended a better cat.  We all love him!  This is his picture from St. Patrick day.

Thank you so much."

Little Scout came to the CHS in January of 2011. We get many dogs her age, but Scout was different – this little pooch would smile at you! It was hard to catch on camera (a futile attempt at right), but was very cute. She did it when she was nervous and could easily be mistaken as teeth baring. This adorable little pooch quickly found a family – big dog brother included! From the photos, it looks like Scout couldn’t be happier. Here is an update!

"Scout is fitting in wonderfully! She plays with her big brother constantly, and loves to snuggle whenever she gets a chance. We take her and her brother to the dog park each day, and she is learning that other dogs can be really friendly.

Her recall is already impressive, she doesn't pull much on her leash, and she has had no accidents since her first week...she sleeps through the night without whining. She even found my glove and brought it to me when I lost it at the park, which kind of weirded me out...a Lassie in the making. Haha! But she is basically a dream dog.

I've included some photos, her tail is always wagging - she is loving life! (She is the smaller dog in the photos)

Thank you so much for the work that you do and allowing Scout to have a chance at a happy life!"

Here at the CHS we see a lot of cute things: puppies, kittens – the whole works! But you would be hard pressed to find a cuter pair of senior dogs like Crimson and Baby. They were adopted together and have found their forever home. Here is how they were doing. I have also included a photo (right) of the two of them when they were in shelter – just look at those faces!

"All is well on the Crimson and Baby home front. They have settled in very well, are very well behaved and very loving. I have a big open space behind my house that they love to run and play in, and obediently come back when I call.

We had our first trip to an off-leash park (Spruce Meadows) and they were excellent, no problems with other dogs.

Crimson and I are attending the Fearful Dog classes at CHS on Wednesdays, so they are getting some separation time, and seem to be coping okay with that.

As you can see by the photos they love the snow, and love to play with each other. We have compromised on the couch, but that is the only place they are allowed up on, and no damage has occurred at all. When I have guests they stay right off the couch.

I am really happy they came into my life and thank you for all your assistance."

Logan, a very sweet Basset Hound, was found as a stray in January of 2011. She was loving, affectionate and well-mannered, so it was hard to believe there was no one to claim her. Logan moved up to the adoption floor and was quickly scooped up by her forever family. With her sweet demenour, it is no surprise that Logan has bonded quickly with the children in the family and 'mothers' them.

Here is a fabulous update from Logan the Basset and her family!

Our family had been wanting to get a dog for the past 2 years.  Why wait so long?  Well, we had two small children and just could not agree on the type of dog. I had been visiting the Humane Society website and others ALOT. 

I finally, finally got my loving husband to agree to visit the shelter in January.  There were two dogs we were interested in...one of them was Logan. I knew I had him (my husband that is). One look at that Basset Hound was all it took.

So, we brought our pound hound home. We had to keep her name as Logan only because our two year old couldn't and wouldn't accept anything else. So, Logan it is!  It suits her just fine.She has settled in really well.  She treats the kids like her puppies. And when they have a bath, Logan tries to get in with them. She has such a sweet temperament. We couldn't have asked for a better dog.

 Thank you to everyone at the Humane Society for making the adoption process so easy and for taking care of our cuddly hush puppy.

You know the Lays chip commerical that says that you can't just have one? Well, here at the CHS, that also rings true. Here is a great story from a repeat adopter!

"We adopted Piper (formerly known as Cranberry) on December 18/10. I fell in love with the Thanksgiving litter as they were well known as, when I first saw their pictures on the website. We had many different names for her as she was always full of energy, so the name Piper came from hyper Piper and it stuck. My boyfriend and I had adopted a cat Dexter (formerly Sonny) last Feb 10’.

We got Dexter for our cat Meiko so she would have someone to play with during the day so she wasn’t left alone. With Meiko being a Siamese cat she is very careful of whom she lets near her family and her stuff.  Well we can’t say Meiko was full of joy when we brought Dexter home, but it didn’t take her long to show him who was the boss.  The difference in weight between them always worried me as Dexter likes to play a little rough (Dexter being 14lb and Meiko being 7lb) I always thought she would get hurt, but let’s just say she knew how to hold her own.

These two have becoming great friends and you can often find them snuggling or Meiko cleaning Dexter’s head. With the love that had grown between the four of us, it was time to add one more to our growing family. Piper was the runt of the liter and was the last one of the liter to go to a good home since she was a little rough/bossy/& liked to bite. When we saw her in person we knew she was going to be coming home with us. We had a visit with her and from the first time she gave us kisses, I wasn’t going to leave her.

She has gotten into the routine that our house has, she loves the snow!! You can throw/kick snow for her and she pounce around to find it and you can do that for a long time. We are slowly working on her not chasing the cats, since she still thinks they are toys. She is adjusting very well and has become just as big part as the cats have in our lives. Meiko and Dexter are taking their time getting use to her; we are doing everything to introduce them slowly. Let’s just say Mieko and Dexter didn’t really like when she would lick them, they would give her the stink eye.

Her name suits her well, she isn’t bossy with us anymore, she still bites the odd time but we always make a loud noise and she realizes that she has hurt us. She still plays rough, which is slowly going away with her puppy classes that she goes to at the CHS. Each day they grow and they get a long a little more and we want to say thank you. All of you do such an amazing job with all the animals that come in and both of the animals that we have gotten from you guys are very happy and loved every day with individual time that we spend with them each.

Thank you again for all the hard work that you guys do for each of the animals and the services that you provide as well!"

Meiko (Siamese - 6 years old in October), Dexter (Brown Tabby - 2 years old July), Piper (1 year in October)

 Found this sweet email from Chica - a cutie we adopted back in the summer!

“Hi Everyone,
Do you remember me? It’s Chica! I miss you all lots, so I thought I would drop you a line and let you know how I am doing. I have this great place I am now living with a very big backyard and lots of places to dig. My people don’t like it too much when I dig, but they don’t get mad.

My people are great, they play with me lots. Especially with my favourite toy, the “BALL” – oh how I love the BALL. I am not as bad as I used to be - I can leave the BALL when someone tells me to, it’s hard but I can do it.

I have a backpack of my very own that I get to where sometimes, lots and lots of toys and sometimes I watch TV (one of my favourite shows is the Dog Whisperer).

I get to go to the off leash parks too, where I can run and run and run and run and hang out with lots of furry friends too. We all like to chase each other around our people – it’s so much fun. Oh ya that big hill we climb up too, they call it “Nose Hill Park” – I really like that place too.

I have even been going to doggie daycare – a place called “Dogaholics” – I have lots of friends there and the people are lots of fun too. They took a picture of me at Dogaholics when I won the jumping contest. They keep telling me that it wasn’t a contest, they were just throwing a toy for us to play with – but you will see from the picture, I clearly won (it's the top left hand corner of all the pictures-look closely and see how high I can jump).

I really like to jump that’s why my people tell me they are taking me to learn agility this year. I am not sure what it is yet, but I think it will be fun. I will get back to you and let you know how it goes.

I have included lots of pictures for you to look at.

Maybe I will come back and visit you all soon.

Miss you – love Chica”

Sometimes we go into situations thinking we know exactly what we want, but our hearts choose otherwise - this is an often occurrence at the CHS! People come in all the time wanting to see a specific animal, but go home with a different one and sometimes whole different species!

Here is the story of Sonny!

Two years ago I logged on to the Calgary Humane Society website looking to adopt a dog. Little did I know that it would be a much smaller and quieter ball of fur that would pick me. I came across Sonny’s picture and just couldn’t stop going back to look at her. I even saved the picture on my computer and showed my husband when he woke up that morning.

Years ago I worked with a gentleman that had a free-range house rabbit and hung out with him like a cat and was fully litter trained. I always thought it was great, but my husband wouldn’t have it. The conversation that morning started with “I know we were talking about a dog….but look at this face…” and ended with “…well we can go and meet her if you want” (My husband was humoring me).

We went in to meet Sonny on Sunday. I spent an hour with her in my lap while I gave her love. The next day I went to work; at about 10 am I went to my boss and said “I can’t be here. I have to go get a bunny.” All I could think about was bringing her home.

That day I went to fill out all the paperwork and was lucky enough to bring her home later that week. She now has free run of the house, lives in a 16 square foot dog run in my kitchen and is fully able to jump out if she wanted to; doesn’t chew anything that doesn’t belong to her and she litter trained the same day I brought her home.

She has been the love of our lives ever since and is now known as “Goober” and “Princess Fuzzybottom”. There are not enough thanks that animal lovers can give to the staff and volunteers of the Calgary Humane Society as well as Bylaw Services. Thank you for completing families all over Calgary!

Blue Lady was found on a southern Alberta highway. After witnessing her almost be hit by muliple cars, a kind motorist stopped to pick her up. They stopped at several cars, but no one knew who the dog was. Blue Lady was then brought to the CHS where she quickly found her forever home. A big thanks to the people who stopped and took the time to get this girl to us - the CHS, Blue Lady and her new family are very grateful!

"To the wonderful personnel at the CHS,

We just wanted to let everyone know that the lovely Blue Lady (who now answers to Lucy, though she remains the Blue Lady) is happy and healthy and is thriving in her new life with us. We cannot even remember life without her -- she is a pure sweetheart, and even our cat Oscar was won over within hours of her arrival!

She is gentle, calm and affectionate, but loves to romp it up a bit during her walks. We thank you for the wonderful care she received, and look forward to showing her off again when she begins Polite Pooches later this month."