Success Stories
When you hear the term “Humane Society” it is often associated with a negative connotation. Although there is a lot of sadness and cruelty surrounding the animals that end up at a Humane Society, there are also a lot of positive aspects that need to be highlighted.
Countless animals come into the Oakville & District Humane Society on a daily basis. Some of the animals get claimed by their owners while others remain behind for us to find them homes. Our adoption department spends a lot of time and energy matching our animals to the appropriate home. A lot of people come in to adopt animals on impulse, not always considering the animal’s medical, training and behavioural needs. We want to ensure the best possible match so that both the animal and the new owner have a successful partnership for many years to come.
Below you will find successful adoption stories. Our staff and volunteers get emotionally attached to these animals, and to hear about the animal’s new home makes our job all the more worth while. We would like to share these stories with you.
Taz
Hello dear friends at Oakville & Distrcit Humane Society!
Remember me? I am Taz, a border collie obsessed with tennis balls. I was adopted by my new family in April 2008. One day, Sanja and Toni walked through the shelter door asking to meet Taz. Me. Why me, well they wanted to adopt a border collie and one day Toni started a search on the Internet and soon found posting about me on the OHS web page. Twenty minutes later they were at OHS, looking to meet ME. I did not know that they filled application to adopt me right away after their first visit! Obviously I impressed them immediately! Nine days later, I left the OHS and went home with them! Everything was perfect.
They prepared everything for me prior my arrival: a new comfy bed, yummy treats, lot of squeaky toys and even more tennis balls. Yay! Simba, my new brother was also there. Now when I look back to the past seven months, I could not be happier. I have a great family, a lot of fun and play times, long walks, car rides to a dog park, funny trips to the lake, and specialactivities to keep me busy. They say that I am well behaved, adorable, handsome, very smart and also pretty spoiled dog now. I like cuddling and comfy naps, hide and seek game, learning new tricks, fetching tennis balls, chewing on raw hides and chicken jerky, and the most of all I love fetching my red kong frisbee. I wanted to thank you for all the care you gave me while at the OHS and also to thank you for finding my new forever family. Yay!
Love, Taz
Mogli
It has been nothing but happy endings for Mogli who was adopted from us in October of last year. Mogli had been with us for quite some time and when his forever family took him home we were so excited! They have nothing but good things to report and they just adore him! He has already completed training school and passed with flying colours! Mogli feels very lucky to have ended up with such a great family and wants to thank all his shelter friends for taking such great care of him! Mogli is smiling from ear to ear with JOY!
Otis the Cat (formerly known as Memphis)
Otis is one lucky cat. He had such a difficult start to his life, and ended up growing up at the Oakville Humane Society until he was adopted at the age of three. None of the volunteers or shelter workers wanted to give up on Otis, and every one had faith that the perfect home would come along. His new family describes his story best. Below you can read about a loving family who opened their hearts to a sweet little cat in need.
Otis' Story
Over the course of about 8 months I had been visiting the Oakville Humane Society’s web site and noticed a little black cat for adoption. I read the write-up on him and saw that he had been brought in as a tiny kitten with leg problems and cataracts on his eyes, and that now he was nearly three years old. He had literally grown up in the Humane Society. It appeared that his legs had been successfully operated on, however he still had the cataracts.
He was very cute, from his photo, and I was surprised that he was still there every time I visited the site. I put in a call to the adoption centre about him and was told that he had some serious behavioral problems. He was very excitable and constantly bit the volunteers. He had not been socialized with other cats, (I have others), and was barely sociable with people.
Well, that sort of closed the issue for me as I couldn’t disrupt my household as my cats are a little older and set in their ways, but I just couldn’t stop thinking about this cat. I thought that with all of his problems he would never get a home and would live his whole life in an institution. I spoke with my husband and we agreed to at least have a look at this little fellow.
My husband went down to the Oakville Humane Society and was introduced to Otis (then known as “Memphis”). The first thing Otis did was sit in his arms for a minute or two and then he proceeded to bite him on the hands and arms and drew blood. That evening when I got home from work, he told me of his experience, showed me some deep cuts, and said that he was very apprehensive about bringing such a wild cat into our home. I agreed, but also agreed to go and meet this crazy cat myself the next day.
Well, as apprehensive as we were, we went in to the adoption area and I saw Otis for the first time. He was a very handsome boy! I knew within seconds that he was coming home with me. I am a firm believer that behavior can be changed with patience, care and love, and I knew that we were up for the challenge… it was not the first time we faced a seemingly impossible task with a new cat.
It has been two months since Otis came into our lives and it has been so rewarding. Yes, we had to be very patient, but within the first three weeks we had trained him not to bite, though he still has his moments, but they are not very frequent. To socialize him with the other cats, we purchased a rabbit hutch and a little mat and set it up in our family room, where we spend most of our time with the cats. We sat him in there so that he could watch how we interact with cats and he could see how he is supposed to behave. This worked wonders for Otis… so much so that over the last three weeks we have trained him to a harness and rope that we tie to the door and he only needs the rabbit hutch for “time-outs” when he becomes aggressive to the other cats, which is becoming less and less frequent.
Otis has proven to be a very affectionate fellow who loves to please. He eats his dinner with the other cats now, spends time wandering around the house unsupervised for longer and longer intervals, and is delighted by the fact that we have put a stake in the middle of the back yard and tie his harness to a rope so he can sit on the grass and get fresh air. Chasing squirrels has become a favorite pastime. (Of course he is always supervised)
I am not sure why the Oakville Humane Society invested so much time and money in Otis, but I am sure glad they did. He is a wonderful addition to our family and is getting better every day. We hope to have his cataracts operated on within the next couple of months and suspect that that will bring about even more positive changes in him.
Our many thanks to the Oakville Humane Society for the years of enjoyment and love we have experienced through the four cats we have adopted from them. Otis is fitting in beautifully and we look forward to many more years of mutual love and companionship with him. In particular, we would like to thank Denise, one of the volunteers at OHS, who spent many hours of caring and love on Otis every day… I would hate to think what he would have been like if not for her!
Cathy Reed & Patrick Gallagher
Otis Update:
It's been about a year and a half since Otis has been a part of the family and every time we think that he has just fit in perfectly, he gets even better! We have other cats and they all have accepted him as part of the family too. He is a real little spark plug and keeps everyone on their toes, which is great considering that they are all quite a bit older that Otis. He has really calmed down himself and spends much of the day lounging around on our bed or in a big easy chair in the family room. At other times he is busy playing with his toys or wrestling with his favorite playmates, Simon and Munchkin. He goes out into our enclosed backyard and will spend hours just gazing up at our bird feeders or hiding in the bushes watching squirrels. He tried to catch one once and it turned around and slapped him three or four times across the head so he never tries to get close anymore! His life has a fixed routine and he likes it that way. He eats well, is good and active and as healthy as can be. His behavior problem is a distant memory… what a cuddly little fellow he is now. We are so glad we "took the plunge" and brought him into our lives. Though I love to watch the antics of little kittens, I have found it so rewarding adopting older cats with problems and making their lives better. They show their gratitude in so many ways and enrich our lives immeasurably. Otis is an example of what patience and love can do. What a little gem!
Cathy Reed & Patrick Gallagher
Dakota's Story
Dakota originally came into the shelter as a stray. We knew from the first day that we met him that he was a pretty cool dog. The staff quickly became attached, and the volunteers declared Dakota as their favourite dog in the adoption room. We adopted him to a family who had some property north of Oakville. It appeared to be a very good home for Dakota. Several months later we received a phone call from a shelter telling us that they picked up a big German Shepherd cross running at large, and he appeared to be from our shelter. We quickly went to pick up Dakota so that he would be safely back at our shelter. We called the family who adopted Dakota to tell them that we had the dog, but their number was no longer in service. It appeared that they moved away and abandoned Dakota in the country.
Dakota went back up for adoption and didn't seem any worse for wear. We knew that the next family who took Dakota had to be exceptional. We didn't want to make the same mistake twice. Then one day, a wonderful couple came into adopt Dakota, and they were perfect. We knew that this time, Dakota would have a home for life.
Here's a letter we recently received from Dakota;
Dear friends at the Oakville Humane Society,
It's your pal Dakota. I wanted to thank you all for taking such good care of me when I was with you! Although I miss you a lot, I don't want you to worry. Since leaving the shelter 2 months ago with Kristin & Chris, I have been having a really good time. Not only do I take Chris & Kristen on walks, but I give them plenty of exercise throwing sticks. Once I've got the stick, I let them chase me and try to take my stick away. More often than not, I'm too fast for them.
I don't just limit Chris & Kristin to throwing sticks. I also have a ducky that I like to squeek, a Kong for them to throw, some balls, and a tug-of-war rope.
Well, thanks once again for all your love and the care that you gave me at the Oakville Humane Society.
I just wanted you to know that I'm doing just fine with my new friends, Kristen & Chris.
Love, Dakota
When you hear the term “Humane Society” it is often associated with a negative connotation. Although there is a lot of sadness and cruelty surrounding the animals that end up at a Humane Society, there are also a lot of positive aspects that need to be highlighted.
Countless animals come into the Oakville & District Humane Society on a daily basis. Some of the animals get claimed by their owners while others remain behind for us to find them homes. Our adoption department spends a lot of time and energy matching our animals to the appropriate home. A lot of people come in to adopt animals on impulse, not always considering the animal’s medical, training and behavioural needs. We want to ensure the best possible match so that both the animal and the new owner have a successful partnership for many years to come.
Below you will find successful adoption stories. Our staff and volunteers get emotionally attached to these animals, and to hear about the animal’s new home makes our job all the more worth while. We would like to share these stories with you.
Taz
Hello dear friends at Oakville & Distrcit Humane Society!
Remember me? I am Taz, a border collie obsessed with tennis balls. I was adopted by my new family in April 2008. One day, Sanja and Toni walked through the shelter door asking to meet Taz. Me. Why me, well they wanted to adopt a border collie and one day Toni started a search on the Internet and soon found posting about me on the OHS web page. Twenty minutes later they were at OHS, looking to meet ME. I did not know that they filled application to adopt me right away after their first visit! Obviously I impressed them immediately! Nine days later, I left the OHS and went home with them! Everything was perfect.
They prepared everything for me prior my arrival: a new comfy bed, yummy treats, lot of squeaky toys and even more tennis balls. Yay! Simba, my new brother was also there. Now when I look back to the past seven months, I could not be happier. I have a great family, a lot of fun and play times, long walks, car rides to a dog park, funny trips to the lake, and specialactivities to keep me busy. They say that I am well behaved, adorable, handsome, very smart and also pretty spoiled dog now. I like cuddling and comfy naps, hide and seek game, learning new tricks, fetching tennis balls, chewing on raw hides and chicken jerky, and the most of all I love fetching my red kong frisbee. I wanted to thank you for all the care you gave me while at the OHS and also to thank you for finding my new forever family. Yay!
Love, Taz
Mogli
It has been nothing but happy endings for Mogli who was adopted from us in October of last year. Mogli had been with us for quite some time and when his forever family took him home we were so excited! They have nothing but good things to report and they just adore him! He has already completed training school and passed with flying colours! Mogli feels very lucky to have ended up with such a great family and wants to thank all his shelter friends for taking such great care of him! Mogli is smiling from ear to ear with JOY!
Otis the Cat (formerly known as Memphis)
Otis is one lucky cat. He had such a difficult start to his life, and ended up growing up at the Oakville Humane Society until he was adopted at the age of three. None of the volunteers or shelter workers wanted to give up on Otis, and every one had faith that the perfect home would come along. His new family describes his story best. Below you can read about a loving family who opened their hearts to a sweet little cat in need.
Otis' Story
Over the course of about 8 months I had been visiting the Oakville Humane Society’s web site and noticed a little black cat for adoption. I read the write-up on him and saw that he had been brought in as a tiny kitten with leg problems and cataracts on his eyes, and that now he was nearly three years old. He had literally grown up in the Humane Society. It appeared that his legs had been successfully operated on, however he still had the cataracts.He was very cute, from his photo, and I was surprised that he was still there every time I visited the site. I put in a call to the adoption centre about him and was told that he had some serious behavioral problems. He was very excitable and constantly bit the volunteers. He had not been socialized with other cats, (I have others), and was barely sociable with people.
Well, that sort of closed the issue for me as I couldn’t disrupt my household as my cats are a little older and set in their ways, but I just couldn’t stop thinking about this cat. I thought that with all of his problems he would never get a home and would live his whole life in an institution. I spoke with my husband and we agreed to at least have a look at this little fellow.
My husband went down to the Oakville Humane Society and was introduced to Otis (then known as “Memphis”). The first thing Otis did was sit in his arms for a minute or two and then he proceeded to bite him on the hands and arms and drew blood. That evening when I got home from work, he told me of his experience, showed me some deep cuts, and said that he was very apprehensive about bringing such a wild cat into our home. I agreed, but also agreed to go and meet this crazy cat myself the next day.
Well, as apprehensive as we were, we went in to the adoption area and I saw Otis for the first time. He was a very handsome boy! I knew within seconds that he was coming home with me. I am a firm believer that behavior can be changed with patience, care and love, and I knew that we were up for the challenge… it was not the first time we faced a seemingly impossible task with a new cat.
It has been two months since Otis came into our lives and it has been so rewarding. Yes, we had to be very patient, but within the first three weeks we had trained him not to bite, though he still has his moments, but they are not very frequent. To socialize him with the other cats, we purchased a rabbit hutch and a little mat and set it up in our family room, where we spend most of our time with the cats. We sat him in there so that he could watch how we interact with cats and he could see how he is supposed to behave. This worked wonders for Otis… so much so that over the last three weeks we have trained him to a harness and rope that we tie to the door and he only needs the rabbit hutch for “time-outs” when he becomes aggressive to the other cats, which is becoming less and less frequent.
Otis has proven to be a very affectionate fellow who loves to please. He eats his dinner with the other cats now, spends time wandering around the house unsupervised for longer and longer intervals, and is delighted by the fact that we have put a stake in the middle of the back yard and tie his harness to a rope so he can sit on the grass and get fresh air. Chasing squirrels has become a favorite pastime. (Of course he is always supervised)
I am not sure why the Oakville Humane Society invested so much time and money in Otis, but I am sure glad they did. He is a wonderful addition to our family and is getting better every day. We hope to have his cataracts operated on within the next couple of months and suspect that that will bring about even more positive changes in him.
Our many thanks to the Oakville Humane Society for the years of enjoyment and love we have experienced through the four cats we have adopted from them. Otis is fitting in beautifully and we look forward to many more years of mutual love and companionship with him. In particular, we would like to thank Denise, one of the volunteers at OHS, who spent many hours of caring and love on Otis every day… I would hate to think what he would have been like if not for her!
Cathy Reed & Patrick Gallagher
Otis Update:
It's been about a year and a half since Otis has been a part of the family and every time we think that he has just fit in perfectly, he gets even better! We have other cats and they all have accepted him as part of the family too. He is a real little spark plug and keeps everyone on their toes, which is great considering that they are all quite a bit older that Otis. He has really calmed down himself and spends much of the day lounging around on our bed or in a big easy chair in the family room. At other times he is busy playing with his toys or wrestling with his favorite playmates, Simon and Munchkin. He goes out into our enclosed backyard and will spend hours just gazing up at our bird feeders or hiding in the bushes watching squirrels. He tried to catch one once and it turned around and slapped him three or four times across the head so he never tries to get close anymore! His life has a fixed routine and he likes it that way. He eats well, is good and active and as healthy as can be. His behavior problem is a distant memory… what a cuddly little fellow he is now. We are so glad we "took the plunge" and brought him into our lives. Though I love to watch the antics of little kittens, I have found it so rewarding adopting older cats with problems and making their lives better. They show their gratitude in so many ways and enrich our lives immeasurably. Otis is an example of what patience and love can do. What a little gem!
Cathy Reed & Patrick Gallagher
Dakota's Story
Dakota originally came into the shelter as a stray. We knew from the first day that we met him that he was a pretty cool dog. The staff quickly became attached, and the volunteers declared Dakota as their favourite dog in the adoption room. We adopted him to a family who had some property north of Oakville. It appeared to be a very good home for Dakota. Several months later we received a phone call from a shelter telling us that they picked up a big German Shepherd cross running at large, and he appeared to be from our shelter. We quickly went to pick up Dakota so that he would be safely back at our shelter. We called the family who adopted Dakota to tell them that we had the dog, but their number was no longer in service. It appeared that they moved away and abandoned Dakota in the country.
Dakota went back up for adoption and didn't seem any worse for wear. We knew that the next family who took Dakota had to be exceptional. We didn't want to make the same mistake twice. Then one day, a wonderful couple came into adopt Dakota, and they were perfect. We knew that this time, Dakota would have a home for life.
Here's a letter we recently received from Dakota;
Dear friends at the Oakville Humane Society,
It's your pal Dakota. I wanted to thank you all for taking such good care of me when I was with you! Although I miss you a lot, I don't want you to worry. Since leaving the shelter 2 months ago with Kristin & Chris, I have been having a really good time. Not only do I take Chris & Kristen on walks, but I give them plenty of exercise throwing sticks. Once I've got the stick, I let them chase me and try to take my stick away. More often than not, I'm too fast for them.
I don't just limit Chris & Kristin to throwing sticks. I also have a ducky that I like to squeek, a Kong for them to throw, some balls, and a tug-of-war rope.
Well, thanks once again for all your love and the care that you gave me at the Oakville Humane Society.
I just wanted you to know that I'm doing just fine with my new friends, Kristen & Chris.
Love, Dakota
