Jax's Success Story

Jax with his adopter, Caitlin.

“I just loved him from the moment I saw him.” As soon as Caitlin saw Jax’s picture on social media, she knew she wanted to give him the healthy, happy home he deserved. To ease her family into the idea, she began fostering him in December, and it wasn’t long before everyone fell in love and agreed that he should be a permanent member of the family. Even their English Mastiff, Alice, who is not aggressive but is easily jealous, got along with Jax immediately, so Caitlin and her family took that as a great sign. “He didn’t even care that he was somewhere new,” says Caitlin, remembering when they first brought Jax home. “He acted like he had been there forever.”

Jax was found in an abandoned factory in downtown Toronto, tied to a shopping cart. He was severely underweight and ate what was available to him at the time: garbage. When he arrived to CCR, he was put on a medical hold for a couple of months because the tips of his ears bled quite frequently, most likely due to frost bite from the cold winter months outside and the lack of body fat to keep him warm. “He wasn’t in pain, but they would bleed a lot,” said Caitlin, CCR volunteer and Jax’s adoption mom. He was put on steroid medication to help clot the blood and stop the bleeding.

He used to bark at the neighbours and dart to the door whenever he heard commotion outside, but he is no longer on high alert after having settled in over the past few months. He used to be desperate for food but now that he knows it will always be available to him, he’s evidently more at ease.

Caitlin loves seeing dogs thrive in their new homes, so it’s especially rewarding to know that she could provide that sanctuary for a dog who hadn’t had that comfort before. “They finally understand that not everyone in the world is going to hurt them or starve them.”

Caitlin says Jax’s personality continues to shine brighter as time passes. He loves food, toys, running around the backyard and going on adventures, but he does not like water. He sleeps in Caitlin’s bed, but every morning he will go room to room and greet Caitlin’s parents and her sisters.

Some habits die hard, and Caitlin says Jax does get into the garbage sometimes, but they bought him a lot of interactive dog toys to keep him occupied and steer him away from getting into trouble. He’s a very neat boy, and once he’s done with his toys, he will put them back where he found them. She says he’s a crazy, funny dog and brings a smile to everyone.

Caitlin says while some rescue organizations tend to mislead people, CCR is always up front with potential fosters and adoption parents about a dog’s challenges. They are very thorough with their medical procedures, and instead of trying to find the perfect dog for a person, they aim to find the perfect person for the dog.

We’re so grateful for Caitlin’s contribution to the organization, and so happy that Jax has found his furever home with her.

Cash's Success Story

Jason and Julie were involved with a chihuahua rescue organization before they began fostering dogs with Coveted Canines Rescue. Once their chihuahuas began to age they started fostering Norman, a street dog from the Cayman Islands. They soon felt he was a great fit for their family and adopted him in August 2019. By the following summer they also welcomed Cash into their home, a Beagle-Dalmatian cross who was surrendered by his previous owner because they couldn’t manage his high level of energy.  

Jason describes Norman as the more easy going of the two, equally content whether taking a nap on the couch or going out for walks. Cash, on the other hand, can be a handful but as a family, they do their best to release as much of his energy as they can. Despite their differences, they tend to balance each other out, and Cash learns a lot from Norman. Jason says when dogs have a companion during the day, their behaviour and mental health are much better than when they’re alone and restless, and he also emphasizes how important it is for a family’s lifestyle to match a dog’s energy level.  

When it comes to training, Jason says he likes to guide them and explore with them. On their first day with Norman, Julie and Jason could count his ribs and hear his teeth chattering, so it’s been extremely rewarding to watch him transition into a healthy, beautiful, vibrant dog. He is self assertive and loves everybody, and can’t resist when Cash wants to play, despite being the calmer of the two dogs. “They started wrestling their first day together and have been wrestling ever since.” According to Jason, Cash lives by his own rules. He paces around the house, barks too loud, and shreds up his toys, but has also grown from being submissive to confident through consistent training and becoming more in tune with his family. 

Working with dogs who come from a rescue organization may prove to be challenging but being able to devote extra love and attention to them will contribute to their success in their new homes. Jason has always been a dog person and feels like his two daughters benefit from having pets, as they learn about nature, empathy and responsibility. “Animals are amazing things to have in your house and your kids’ lives… it’s so tragic what some of these animals go through.” Some dogs become hard coded to behave a certain way but having a loving family to work through those challenges can make all the difference in these dogs’ lives.

Dot's Success Story

When Tara began her medical retirement, she knew she wanted to fill her days volunteering for a meaningful cause. After deciding she wanted to become a foster parent of dogs, a friend of a friend who volunteers for Coveted Canines Rescue got her in touch with the organization.

Tara began the application process in November after a fall left her bed ridden with a broken collar bone, so that once the plate was removed and she gained back some mobility, she would be ready to welcome a dog into her home. About two weeks after her plate came out, she felt ready, and once Tara saw Dot’s bio, she knew that she had to act fast. She feels that when some dogs are left in a shelter for too long, they can end up being unadoptable because they become terrified beyond repair. Tara is a huge fan of American bulldogs, so Dot’s breed was a bonus for her. The love of Tara’s life was her bulldog, Daisy, who passed away suddenly about 5 years ago, and she knew once her heart healed that she would welcome another dog into her home. 

Tara didn’t initially plan on adopting Dot. In fact, she signed a contract with Coveted Canines stating that she wouldn’t adopt any of the first three dogs she fostered. As time passed and the coronavirus showed no signs of slowing, Tara knew Dot thought she was in her forever home, and that they would both be heartbroken if they were to part. “Dot and I fell madly in love with each other,” said Tara. “She’s a mama’s girl, no doubt.” So after about a month and a half of fostering Dot, Tara reached out to the Coveted Canines team and asked for permission to adopt her. 

Tara believes that Dot was bred to breed. When her previous owner brought Dot into a shelter, she claimed that Dot was a stray while calling her by name. Despite being a young dog, about two years old, she had no fur left on her elbows, so Tara believes that she spent most of her life laying on concrete. Tara said, “She was so broken… Whatever happened in her life was awful and we had our doubts that she would ever be able to trust anybody. I don’t think she even knew how to love.” As soon as Dot stopped nursing her litter of puppies, Dot’s owner gave her up to the shelter. 

When Tara and her partner, Patrick, first met her, Dot was terrified. She was shaking to the point where Tara thought she would give herself a heart attack, she wouldn’t look at anyone, and she wedged herself in the furthest corner of the backseat of their car on their drive home. Tara said she started doubting herself and whether this arrangement would work. It was about a 15-minute drive back to their house, and Tara reached her hand towards the back seat as a comforting gesture. Despite her fear, Dot licked her arm a few times before they arrived home. She was terrified when Tara took her on a walk, and very unsure of everything once she was brought inside. She wouldn’t eat treats, and when Tara tried to urge Dot up onto her designated spot on the couch, she acted like she had never been in a home before. After a few hours, she began to slowly explore her new home and reluctantly began accepting treats.  

One day when Tara went downstairs to do some laundry, she heard a yelp from Dot and remembered she had never been left alone before. Tara provided Dot with a crate so she would have a safe, comfortable space to go when she was left alone, but Dot refused to enter it. Tara never forced her, but placed treats in the back of the crate to try and lure her in. Tara said she had never seen a dog crane its neck so far, trying to grab the treats without stepping a foot inside the crate. Tara realized they would have to train her to be okay at home alone without the help of a crate, so they slowly began to leave her on her own for short, 20-minute intervals. Now, a couple months later, Tara says Dot has been left home for about 4 hours on her own, and comfortably naps on her spot on the couch. They haven’t left her alone for a full 8-hour day yet, but she has made a tremendous amount of progress in a short amount of time.  

After being with Tara and Patrick for a few months, Dot has improved drastically in many ways but still has her quirks and fears. She is scared of loud noises and sudden movements and will sometimes startle herself awake when she farts. If Dot is caught off guard and sees another person she will bark, and when she encountered other dogs while on her leash, she would lunge and try to scare them. Tara has been communicating with CCR’s trainer, Dan, and he has encouraged her to reward Dot for good behaviour. Now, Dot is given treats for acknowledging other dogs she sees without getting stressed or showing aggression. Eventually Dan will bring his own dog for a visit so that Dot can continue to improve her social skills with other dogs.  

Dot is now allowed off her leash to chase her ball, and she stays near Tara and Patrick. For a while Dot was anxious about car rides so Tara would sit in the back seat with her, but now Dot leaps into the car on her own. Because of their frequent drives to fun destinations, Dot knows most car rides have an amazing outcome. 

Tara, Patrick and Dot have been social distancing so they anticipate socializing Dot with people will be a challenge. They visit Tara’s family for social distancing walks, and after the fourth occasion, Dot was tugging on her leash, wanting to greet and get close to Tara’s family members. Tara feels reassured that Dot is gradually coming around to face her challenges and fears. 

They are patient with Dot and take their time teaching her without expecting immediate results. “We’ve seen so much change in her already,” says Tara. Initially, Tara doubted herself and thought “who am I to make this dog feel comfortable.” Patrick believes that all the dogs that Tara cares for end up well behaved because of how well she teaches them. She spends a lot of time at home, so she tries to include Dot in everything she does. “She let’s me do anything to her,” says Tara. “Even when she feels compromised, she goes with the flow and is 100% trusting of me.” Tara still wants to foster, but not until Dot is fully comfortable in her new home and around other dogs. 

The most rewarding part for Tara is beginning and ending each day with a genuinely happy, loving and caring dog after doubting whether Dot would ever be able to trust anyone. They have seen so many improvements in the few months that they have been together, and Dot now has a proper home where she is shown unconditional love and affection. “We forgot what our lives looked like without her.” 

Johny's Success Story

Johny has come a long way from when he was found wandering the streets in downtown Toronto to now, living with his loving adoption parents, Elinor and Darel. The couple fostered three dogs before Johny; Leo, Tina and Jerry. Before they got Johny, they fostered and then adopted Jerry, a schnauzer, from Coveted Canines Rescue. Because he was a senior dog with some health issues, Elinor and Darel felt like Jerry wouldn’t have been adopted if it weren’t for them. They say he was a gentle trooper who made everyone fall in love with him. A day before his one-year adoption anniversary Jerry passed away, but Elinor and Darel knew it wouldn’t be long before they welcomed another dog into their lives once they gave their hearts some time to heal.  

Darel and Elinor’s previous dog, Jerry.

When their current dog, Johny, first arrived into their home he was extremely energetic but soon calmed down once he got used to his new environment. It took some time for Johny to trust Elinor and Darel. They’ve been working together to learn Johny’s preferences and boundaries and feel like sometimes they’re the ones being trained. Johny used to flinch when they would try to touch him and wouldn’t listen very well, and though he’s still adjusting to his new home and parents, Elinor and Darel have built up the trust between them and now Johny makes himself at home. 

Johny watching TV like a prairie dog.

He loves going for walks, taking naps, and splaying out in the middle of the bed with his feet sticking up in the air. Darel says he’s a play maniac. He whines when he wants to play as if he’s trying to talk and will sometimes stand on his hind legs like a prairie dog when watching TV. He’ll run around like crazy when he gets wet and loves meeting new people and other dogs. 

Johny enjoying his happily ever after in his furever home.

Elinor says one of the most rewarding parts about adopting a rescue dog is that you get a companion and unconditional love, plus her and Darel love coming home to the pitter-patter of feet again. She says having Jerry was one of the best things in their lives, and now Johny brings them the same kind of happiness. 

Darel and Elinor with Jerry.

Darel says “These guys didn’t have the right chance at life, so adopting is something that helps give them that chance. Rescue dogs seem very grateful. They know that stuff happened to them, but now this is the place for them.” Elinor and Darel feel like Johny will eventually benefit from a canine sibling, and they’ve told Nancy they’re open to fostering another dog in the future. Elinor says, “Every morning when I leave the house, I tell Jerry to look after his little brother.”