On Tuesday I got to meet a group of four dogs, just brought over from a shelter in Lebanon. They have been in shelters most of their lives, and due to the abundance of dogs in the shelter that they came from, and the lack of funding, they were skinny and scruffy, although taken care of to the best of the wonderful volunteers' ability.
Now these dogs are learning how to live in Canada in houses, and are surprisingly sweet, social and smart!
Welcome to Canada, Mum, Lexie, River and Otis!!
Visit
www.hopefulhearts.ca for contact and adoption information. Doggie profiles will be up soon!
Mum:
UPDATE: Read Mum's story on NBC!
The Daily Nightly - MSNBC.com
Mum has been through a lot in life, and somehow held on to some faith and trust in humans!! At some point, some cruel "person" cut off her ears and tried to feed them to her to make her "tough". Mum though, determined not to turn into the dog they wanted her to be, remained sweet and loving. She must have known Hopeful hearts would someday reward her for her sweetness :) Because of her fluffy, border collie fur, her owl-like tufts around whats left of her ears give her an extra endearing quality, instead of hindering her beauty! Anyone who brings home this sweet girl will be met daily by grateful, happy hugs and kisses!
River:
River was named "Goofy" before he came here, and we are beginning to learn why! River is a very social, friendly, happy-go-lucky guy! He wants to be in the middle of everything, with all eyes on him. He'll stick his face under your hand for pets, give you goofy kisses, and plop himself on your lap. This guy is just happy to be here! He's been in a shelter since a month of age, and is happy to be living in a loving, comfortable foster home. River is still learning to socialize with strange dogs, but is happy and friendly around the ones he knows. Humans are never a problem with River, however. He gladly sat as his foster mom picked a tick out of his skin, and just enjoyed getting any kind of touch by a human hand. I don't think it'll take long for him to learn that no one will hurt him, and he can trust the other dogs.
Lexie:
Lexie instantly melted my heart. She is a timid girl, and still quite frightened and cautious about her surroundings. However, as scared as she is, she trusts that she is in good hands now. Tail between her legs, she started off slinking low to the ground, through the vets office. She stood, quiet and patient as the vet poked and prodded at her, making sure everything was fine. As her surroundings became familiar, her tail started to come up, and she got curious enough to sniff around, put her chin up and perk her ears. While I was holding her leash, she came over to cuddle, gave me kisses, and put her head on my lap for pets. Other dogs were playing around, getting tangled in leashes and bumping into each other, and Lexie just didn't care. She stood amongst it, just taking everything in. She has especially attached herself to her foster brother, River, and will walk up and lick his goofy face! Lexie would love to have her own person to cuddle with her and pet her velvet ears.
Otis:
Otis is a walking smily face! He's a lanky, athletic looking greyhound mix, and although calm, does not spend much time lying around! He's a happy guy, and loves to be around people. He hangs out and takes in the atmosphere, without having to be right in the middle of it. Everything about him is full of character, from his long spindly legs, to the tiny scars on his head that give him a bit of machismo! He doesn't even seem to like being on the furniture, so his new parents can rest assured that the couch is all theirs! Otis is still learning that other male dogs will no longer be a threat to him, but is beginning to trust that his human will keep him safe.
Thank you to Hopeful Hearts, for giving ANY dog in need, a chance at a better life!!
Labels: Dog photos Ottawa Ontario, hopeful hearts ottawa, Lebanon, ottawa adoption, Ottawa Dog Photographer, Ottawa dog rescue, Ottawa pet photographer
