Chapter 1
Nickie and Harley
Nickie
In the fall of 2005 my husband was working nights, and with having 2 young children at home, I didn't feel comfortable being home alone at night. We have both always loved dogs, so decided that was the best way to go. My mom told me how she had heard about this place called SOS. We could give an older dog a wonderful life for their remaining years, and in return, they would give us security, and of course love and laughter. We checked online and, after a few phone calls with Donna, the kids and I went out to her farm to meet some of the dogs. Nickie grabbed our attention right away. She was an 8 year old Shepard/Sheltie. After filling out some paperwork, and a home visit from Donna, I went to pick up Nickie in November. Nickie was an AMAZING dog! She was very sweet and protective. Even if there was a child around that wasn't one of ours, she kept an eye on them and made sure they were safe. I opened my dayhome in April 2006 and she loved all those children. Very patient, especially when the little ones pulled her long hair. She loved to go for walks at night, and LOVED the snow! In the fall of 2008 we noticed that she wasn't acting like herself, and took her to the vet for a checkup. We were told that she had cancer. We decided that, as long as she wasn't in pain, that we would do what we could for her. Sadly, she went downhill fast and we decided that we didn't want her to suffer any longer. It was the hardest decision we have ever made, and was a very long, painful day. We enjoyed every moment we had with her, and are so thankful that we were able to make her last few years wonderful ones.
We first took notice of Harley at the fall 2008 tradeshow, at the SOS booth. There was a picture of him and his brother, Rockey. It said that they needed to go together, and we couldn't take 2 dogs, so we tried to put him out of our minds. In November of 2008, we couldn't stand the 'empty' house anymore. Despite having 2 young children, and 2 cats, the house still felt like something was missing. Since we had been able to adopt such an amazing dog before, we looked at SOS's website. There was Harley on the website! He and his brother had been surrendered to the SPCA, and SOS had taken them in. I spoke with Donna, and she directed me to Ashley, Harley's foster mom. She said that she thought he would be best as an only dog, which was a good sign for us! We set up a time, and Ashley brought Harley to our house to see how he would react to the cats. Thankfully he was totally fine with them, after getting in a few good sniffs, and that was all we needed! We decided that night that Harley would be a great addition to our family. A few days later, Ashley dropped him off. That first night was sad, as he had attached himself to Ashley, and kept staring at the door, waiting for her to come back. Luckily, he took to us quickly as well. He indeed is best as an only dog, but he does get along with other dogs. He is the biggest suck you have ever met, and will be your friend forever if you scratch his neck or ears. He has become my shadow, and I can't imagine him not being around. He loves going for walks off leash, although sometimes he forgets he is a bit older and runs and runs and runs! We hope that he has a lot of years left in him, and will continue to enjoy every minute of his time with us.
We would highly recommend adopting from SOS to everyone! These dogs have AMAZING personalities and have so much love to give. We so appreciate the opportunity to have these dogs be apart of our lives. Thank you, SOS! Sincerely, Dyan
We first took notice of Harley at the fall 2008 tradeshow, at the SOS booth. There was a picture of him and his brother, Rockey. It said that they needed to go together, and we couldn't take 2 dogs, so we tried to put him out of our minds. In November of 2008, we couldn't stand the 'empty' house anymore. Despite having 2 young children, and 2 cats, the house still felt like something was missing. Since we had been able to adopt such an amazing dog before, we looked at SOS's website. There was Harley on the website! He and his brother had been surrendered to the SPCA, and SOS had taken them in. I spoke with Donna, and she directed me to Ashley, Harley's foster mom. She said that she thought he would be best as an only dog, which was a good sign for us! We set up a time, and Ashley brought Harley to our house to see how he would react to the cats. Thankfully he was totally fine with them, after getting in a few good sniffs, and that was all we needed! We decided that night that Harley would be a great addition to our family. A few days later, Ashley dropped him off. That first night was sad, as he had attached himself to Ashley, and kept staring at the door, waiting for her to come back. Luckily, he took to us quickly as well. He indeed is best as an only dog, but he does get along with other dogs. He is the biggest suck you have ever met, and will be your friend forever if you scratch his neck or ears. He has become my shadow, and I can't imagine him not being around. He loves going for walks off leash, although sometimes he forgets he is a bit older and runs and runs and runs! We hope that he has a lot of years left in him, and will continue to enjoy every minute of his time with us.
We would highly recommend adopting from SOS to everyone! These dogs have AMAZING personalities and have so much love to give. We so appreciate the opportunity to have these dogs be apart of our lives. Thank you, SOS! Sincerely, Dyan
Harley
Chapter 2
Antonia and Patch
I am a University student and the greatest gap in my life, along with spare time and money, was a dog. One day, I get a call. My mom, also with SOS, had an old dog named Patches who was a little cranky and a little sore, not a good mix around my infant nephew. She asked if I could take Patches. At the time, SOS dogs were retired from the pressure of adoption when they turn thirteen. They would be placed with a foster home that would care for them for the remainder of their lives. I would be Patch’s retirement home.
I had met Patch before and thought he was a bundle of nerves, overweight, and had bad knees. He was not the kind of friendly dog that raced to meet new people. I was worried he would never warm up to me and that my school schedule would make him feel abandoned but I said yes.
He was as chubby as I remembered. His knees shook with every step. His ears were always back along his neck and he was so nervous he refused to eat for days at a time. At first he couldn’t make it around the block on our works.
I am a walker. I can easily walk for hours with no destination. I finally had a dog but he watched me like I was a bigger, meaner dog. He couldn’t go that far?
Or could he…
That was two years ago. Those who knew him before wouldn’t recognize him now.
He’s lost most of his hearing and some of his vision but that doesn’t stop him from long walks. We even took up Geocaching, I get close to the cache and he finds it with his super nose. He’s trim and athletic. The vet is always amazed at his condition at nearly fifteen. His legs still bother him when the weather changes but that just means we can cuddle on the couch.
Best of all is he is now a totally secure dog. I am his person, this is his home, that is his leash, and these are his toys! His favorite game is searching, doesn’t matter what for. I hide treats and he tears apart my place finding them. I hide the blinky balls that light up, and he finds them, loses them, finds them, and shares them.
I may have only a few years with my Mr. Patch but they will be filled with a sweet, smart, happy dog that thinks I am the best head scratcher/food hider on the planet. Every day with him is a treasure and knowing that we will have fewer of them because of his age does not diminish their quality but make them all the more precious.
I had met Patch before and thought he was a bundle of nerves, overweight, and had bad knees. He was not the kind of friendly dog that raced to meet new people. I was worried he would never warm up to me and that my school schedule would make him feel abandoned but I said yes.
He was as chubby as I remembered. His knees shook with every step. His ears were always back along his neck and he was so nervous he refused to eat for days at a time. At first he couldn’t make it around the block on our works.
I am a walker. I can easily walk for hours with no destination. I finally had a dog but he watched me like I was a bigger, meaner dog. He couldn’t go that far?
Or could he…
That was two years ago. Those who knew him before wouldn’t recognize him now.
He’s lost most of his hearing and some of his vision but that doesn’t stop him from long walks. We even took up Geocaching, I get close to the cache and he finds it with his super nose. He’s trim and athletic. The vet is always amazed at his condition at nearly fifteen. His legs still bother him when the weather changes but that just means we can cuddle on the couch.
Best of all is he is now a totally secure dog. I am his person, this is his home, that is his leash, and these are his toys! His favorite game is searching, doesn’t matter what for. I hide treats and he tears apart my place finding them. I hide the blinky balls that light up, and he finds them, loses them, finds them, and shares them.
I may have only a few years with my Mr. Patch but they will be filled with a sweet, smart, happy dog that thinks I am the best head scratcher/food hider on the planet. Every day with him is a treasure and knowing that we will have fewer of them because of his age does not diminish their quality but make them all the more precious.
Chapter 3
Mona
Meet Mona. She came to us in sad shape. She had a huge fatty growth, about 8 lbs worth, at the base of her tail that needed surgery to remove. Mona stayed with us for some time as she recovered, lost weight and gained a new outlook on life. She was adopted in summer 2011. A year later, her new family shared their delight with us......
Today we are celebrating Mona's 12th birthday! Our plans include a long walk around the ravine behind our house, lots of cuddles, a gift from the children and a peanut and bacon cake we made last night from our doggy birthday book. Mona is still asleep now-- she loves to sleep late and is often the last one to wake up in our house!
I can't tell you how much we enjoy having Mona with us. She is a wonderful dog and is very affectionate and smart, and we especially love her long hairy ears and her moans when she is happy. We have had a great summer with her. She went up to Grande Cache, Grande Prairie and Beaverlodge with us camping in August, and we have made lots of road trips and hikes. She loves car rides and walks! She gets along well with our other dogs, Thumper and Tabitha. I don't know if I told you both, but we got Mona after our little dog Tabitha was lost in Banff. 4 days after Mona arrived at our house, Tabitha was found at the Water Treatment Centre in Banff. Now, we are a happy family with 3 senior dogs and 2 children. Life doesn't get better than this! Thank you for bringing Mona in our life, Renate, Chris, Benjamin, and Isabella
Today we are celebrating Mona's 12th birthday! Our plans include a long walk around the ravine behind our house, lots of cuddles, a gift from the children and a peanut and bacon cake we made last night from our doggy birthday book. Mona is still asleep now-- she loves to sleep late and is often the last one to wake up in our house!
I can't tell you how much we enjoy having Mona with us. She is a wonderful dog and is very affectionate and smart, and we especially love her long hairy ears and her moans when she is happy. We have had a great summer with her. She went up to Grande Cache, Grande Prairie and Beaverlodge with us camping in August, and we have made lots of road trips and hikes. She loves car rides and walks! She gets along well with our other dogs, Thumper and Tabitha. I don't know if I told you both, but we got Mona after our little dog Tabitha was lost in Banff. 4 days after Mona arrived at our house, Tabitha was found at the Water Treatment Centre in Banff. Now, we are a happy family with 3 senior dogs and 2 children. Life doesn't get better than this! Thank you for bringing Mona in our life, Renate, Chris, Benjamin, and Isabella
Chapter 4
Roger
Just wanted to let you all know how happy we are with Roger the Westie. He is such a good little old man and so quirky and fun. He makes our home complete. Thanks for helping us to find him.
Neil and Jan, Saskatoon
Neil and Jan, Saskatoon
Chapter 5
Huff
Hi, my name is Huff and I came to live with the Forster’s in December 2011. My new dad and sister picked me up at Donna’s after a long drive from High River. It was all so new to me and I really did not know what to expect. Dad came over and introduced himself, and made me feel more comfortable. Then I went for a walk with him, Donna and Pickle (my new sister). Pickle was a big help, and assured me that I was going to live in a really good home where I would be loved and treated better than I could ever imagine. It didn’t take me long to find out that they had really comfortable furniture !!
Being a gentleman I am always willing to share with my sister.
Not long after I arrived they put out a tree up in the basement. I thought that it was for me, but Pickle quickly explained that it wasn’t a doggie litter box ~ rather it was a Christmas tree. Soon there were all kids of presents under it, including a pile for all the pets – what a place !!
The cats are pretty cool, especially the big one in the photo , His name is Kaos and he actually thinks that he is a little dog !! The little one behind on the fireplace is Ginny, and I have to confess that sometimes we play chase around the house & occasionally get scolded. Pickle and I get to go to the park at least once a day. I even have boots to wear when it is snowing, so that my feet do not get cold.
The cats are pretty cool, especially the big one in the photo , His name is Kaos and he actually thinks that he is a little dog !! The little one behind on the fireplace is Ginny, and I have to confess that sometimes we play chase around the house & occasionally get scolded. Pickle and I get to go to the park at least once a day. I even have boots to wear when it is snowing, so that my feet do not get cold.
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We love winter, but summer is our favorite because we get to go to the dog park and play in the creek when it is hot.
When it is really hot, mom and dad take me to the salon for a haircut. It feels really good and everyone thinks I am a puppy !!
We even got to go camping to the Cypress Hills this summer ….. what a big adventure !! Here is a photo of Pickle and I in the truck going to the campsite !!
I am now getting ready for my second Christmas here. What a cool place, and what super parents. Thank-you for looking after me and helping to find me such a wonderful forever home. MERRY CHRISTMAS ~ Huff ……….. and extended family J
