December 30, 2011

Big 4 and AARCS Facebook Event

Starting today and for the month of January Big 4 Motors will donate $2 per like on their facebook page up to $1000!! Big 4 Motors is a support of AARCS and will be hosting a donation drive for AARCS sometime in 2012. Please help us raise funds for the Safe Haven project!
Go to: https://www.facebook.com/#!/Big4Motors

Details are below.

Big 4 and AARCS on Facebook

December 30, 2011

Big Shout out to Cambrian Heights School!!

The kids at Cambrian Heights, along with Irene Bodnar organized and accomplished an excellent donation drive for AARCS. They sold calendars and received donations of food, beds and other items for our rescues to the tune of $800!!!

Thank you so much to the great kids at Cambrian Heights and to Irene, thank you for organizing and talking with the kids about the importance of the humane treatment and rescue of animals.

Adopt don't shop!!

December 28, 2011

Merry Christmas from AARCS

2011 Has been an extremely successful year for AARCS.  We couldn't do what we do without our huge network of volunteers.   
For all of our volunteers who give so much of their time, and to our foster homes sharing Christmas with rescued dogs, THANK YOU and MERRY CHRISTMAS. 
We wish you a safe and happy holiday season and are looking forward to a successful 2012.

December 24, 2011

Update on Mrs. T now Abby

I thought I would share a photo of what Abby?s favourite thing to do now is.....I would say she is feeling rather comfortable in her new home( and our bed)!

Hope you and your family have a wonderful Christmas.

December 23, 2011

Update on Kristi

I adopted Cooper, formerly Kristi about a year ago, and wanted to let you know that she is perfectly healthy and happy in our home.

Her profile on AARCS site can be seen here:
http://albertaanimalrescuecrew.com/profile.php?id=975&sourcePage=previouslyAdopted&year=

December 23, 2011

Donate Before December 31st and Make Your Donation Go Further Last Updated: December 13th, 2011

Did you know you can help save a life and at the same time reduce your taxes? In Alberta, we have the highest tax credit (50%) for donations over the $200 threshold. Depending on your taxable income and the amount of your gift, these savings can be considerable and make your after tax donation go further for both you and the organization.
When you donate $200 and under, you can receive a tax credit of 25%. For example, your $100 donation actually cost you only $75 after tax.
It gets better!! When you donate over $200, you can receive a tax credit of %50 on the amount over $200. For example, your $500 donation actually only cost you $300!!
How about this one!! A $1,000 donation costs you only $550 after the tax credit is applied.

December 19, 2011

Update on Arden

Just wanted to share more photos of Arden. She's been growing like a weed and now weighs 62 pounds - her father must have been a big dog! Photos 103 and 108 were taken yesterday at the Dogma Christmas party. She has completed their Puppy Class and Puppy spirit class and we start the next level in January. We have also enjoyed the Saturday playtimes, which give her the chance to play with dogs her age and wear her out completely!

Arden has spent a few weeks this fall in Edmonton with our son Andrew and seems to enjoy university life. But we really miss her when she goes up there - even Kylie mopes when she's not around! The two dogs have become very close friends and I think the added activity at home is keeping Kylie young.

The boys come home on Tuesday and Wednesday and it will be Jim's first chance to meet Arden. He left for his summer internship in Europe the day we met Arden at your house and went directly back to Vancouver for law school after his job was over. We have been sending lots of photos to him over the 7 months he's been away! It will be wonderful to have everyone under one roof again!

December 13, 2011

Why Foster?

We are in desperate need for foster homes. Please check out this wonderful PSA by student Danielle Bourque, featuring AARCS volunteer Jennifer Gurnett on the need for foster homes.

If you are interested in fostering, please email foster@albertaanimalrescuecrew.com

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eiMacwzMk7E&sns=fb

December 13, 2011

Update on Gladys

I wanted to send an updated photo and tell her a big thank you. Gladys, now Macy was the puppy we adopted through your volunteer, Tami. She is a wonderful dog. We have Had some issues with reactivity, went to some classes and are working through it. I think she?s getting better every day.

December 2, 2011

Update on Eli

Eli is FANTASTIC and better than ever. He is just getting over a skin infection which they have been monitoring since we had him as apparently he is allergic to something in the air when the fall time starts. He is going tomorrow to get his picture with Santa. We are just heading out now to a doggy bakery where he will taste and design his birthday cake as he will be 3 years old on 24 dec, well 3 years since we had him.

November 30, 2011

Update on Ginger

Ginger, now Greta is doing extremely well! I couldn't be happier with her, she is just what I love in a dog. Harry loves her too, but I am the pack leader. I have to train Harry as well, you know how that is! She is coming so well on the off leash, even when she is playing with a dog and I want to continue the other way, I just call her and she comes tearing towards me. I often give her a treat when she comes to me but not always, just praise sometimes. Close to home, I put her back on the leash and practice our "close" and she is doing so well. She is so smart, she already knows when we tell her to go on her chair, the word "enough", of course she already knew sit and lie down. Her "stay" is coming very well.

When I leave for work I put her in the crate and sometimes she doesn't want to come as she knows (even though she loves her crate) so I started to leash her and take her to the crate. Then, I decided to ignore her, call her, walk away and then she comes running on her own. She does have her quirks, which endears me to her more. One day when I had visitors, she, I think, was feeling a little overwhelmed and something scared her. She promptly be-lined it to me on the couch, sat behind me with her front legs around my neck! We all had a good laugh. In the morning, Harry gets up first usually and lets her out for a pee, if the bedroom door is open, she comes up on the bed and starts pawing my head!

People at the off leash are so surprised that Greta is as good as she is at the off leash. Of course, they all think she is so pretty!

Seriously, Greta has already brought so much joy into our lives. Just now, Harry and I were outside in the backyard playing catch with her. She is finally bringing the ball to him, instead of me. I had her at the off leash as well after work but it gets dark so early.

She is so full of life and so grateful for her life with us, it seems. She rarely whines, she is as you said once, "a happy go lucky puppy!".

Thanks also for being such a good foster Mom for her as I know you taught her a lot and gave her a good start.

November 29, 2011

Tasha needs your help

Tasha had a very hard start at life and now needs surgery to repair her tiny little body. Please read the attached letter from Tasha's foster mom Heather.

If you can help Tasha please:
Donate online or mail a cheque:
AARCS, PO Box 99076, Calgary, AB T1Y 6M6 Download tasha--s-story.docx

November 24, 2011

Awesome Donation for AARCS from Shya

Thanks for all your hard work Alberta Animal Rescue Crew Society!! Download donation-from-shya-1-.doc

November 24, 2011

Update on Leo

Leo is doing great and he has fit into our family perfectly. He is a very active pup so we have a dog walker that comes a few times a week to help us keep him busy and playing while we are work. He?s almost finished puppy classes and is doing pretty good; sit and stay came pretty naturally to him and everything else will come with time. We are so happy to have him and couldn?t imagine a better addition to our little family. He gets along great with our other dog Kipper, he loves to cuddle and was pretty excited with this year?s first snow fall; we suspect winter will be his favorite season.

November 23, 2011

AARCS 2012 Calendars Are Here!!

The AARCS 2012 calendar is now available! 12 wonderful months of beautiful professionally done photographs of AARCS animals, out just in time to pick up those stocking stuffers for all your animal loving friends!
Cost is $10 each, and you can purchase calendars online in the AARCS store (shipping charges will apply), or at any of these fine locations (keep checking back as more locations will be added):

Tuscany Veterinary Hospital, 1058-11300 Tuscany Blvd. NW
Rascals Pet Supplies, 3804 Edmonton Trail Northeast
McKnight Veterinary Hospital, 34-5010 4 St NE
The Barking Lot, #710-22 Midlake Blvd. SE.
Sleep Rover, 99 Skyline Crescent NE
Fairplay Stores, 2604 Kensington Road Northwest
BowDog, 6909 Farrell Rd SE
Acadia Drive Animal Clinic, 7-816 Willow Park Dr. SE
Forest Lawn Veterinary Hospital, 2002 36 St SE
100 Acre Wood Pet Supplies, 3413 17th Ave SE
Harvest Hills Veterinary Clinic, 711-500 Country Hills Boulevard Northeast
Beddington Trail Animal Hospital, 5-176 Bedford Dr. NE
Big Hill Vet, Bay 3, 124 River Avenue - Cochrane
Marda Loop Vet, 4016 16 Street Southwest
Moksha Yoga South, 9152 Macleod Trail SE

We would like to take this time to send a HUGE thanks to Ryan of MDNT Studio (http://www.mdntstudio.com/) for working his magic on the calendar design, Print Three (http://www.printthree.ab.ca/) for doing such a wonderful job putting it together for us, and of course the AMAZING photographers for volunteering their time to make this calendar extra special!
more{elle} photography (http://www.moreellephotography.com/)
Sarah Clark's Photography (http://sarahclarksphotography.blogspot.com/)
Eyecatching Moments (http://www.eyecatchingmoments.com/)
Michelle Gschwender (http://www.mggd.ca/index.html)
Crystal Image Photography (http://www.crystal-image-photography.com/)
Blinking Cow Photography (http://www.blinkingcow.ca/index2.php#/home/)

A special thank you goes to AARCS volunteers Coreen Herring, Alison Schaeffer, and Jessica Cummings for coordinating photo sessions, delivering calendars, and ensuring this will be another successful fundraiser for AARCS!

November 23, 2011

Update on Aurora

I wanted to send you a quick update about Juno (Aurora), she is doing an amazing job of learning her manners! She is pretty good with going to the potty outside and has mastered sit. We are now working on stay-she is very smart and picks up very quickly.

She is going to meet our vet on Monday for a checkup and shots.

Everyone who has met her falls right in love with our gentle little pup. Our cats are still not really talking to us but are slowly coming around!

Here is a picture of her on her big pink bed. Thank you again to AARCS for allowing her to join our family!

November 20, 2011

Update on Maple & Willow

Thanks for taking the time to follow up with our two dogs!

I can?t believe it?s just 6 month since we adopted Maple and Willow! They are doing great and are a big part of our family. Both were very shy when we adopted them in May and it took us a while to get them used to us and the new environment. Bit by bit they became more confident and trust worthy. Taking them with us everywhere helped a lot, though we still work with Willow to get her over her anxiety to ride in the car. She doesn?t mind getting into the car but gets very ill and has to vomit. We got some medication from the veterinary, but still have the same problem. Maple loves to ride in the car and jumps in whenever she gets a chance.
This summer we took them to the mountains for hiking and to the lake for swimming. They love to swim! As well this fall they were my companion watching my sons football games. Both my daughters are missing the dogs terribly, having spent the summer with them and now being back at university or college without them. At the moment I?m taking the dogs every day after lunch for a walk, crossing a big wetland. You should see how they love to run on the ice and chase each other. My daughter Yasmine can?t wait to come home over Christmas break. She is planning to take her skates with her to the frozen lake to have fun with Willow and Maple. As soon as we will have more snow they will be my companion on my daily cross country skiing trips. Since the temperature changed, they spend more time in the house on their warm bed. We all think they would have been very unhappy living in the city, since they love to spend so much time outside, catching mice in our fields and playing all day long.
End of September I left for a trip to Africa. I was very concerned to leave the dogs behind, because they were mostly with me. I think it was great, now both dogs spend more time with the rest of the family. And guess what, spending so much time being active with Maple and Willow helped me to achieve climbing Kilimanjaro (5895m) in October successfully!!
?Men?s Best Friend keeps you happy and healthy!?

November 20, 2011

Update on Odie

Thanks for the followup we are loving Odie. He's just right for us. Had one vet trip for a bit of a bug, but antibiotics helped that. We are now signed up for Trupanion:)

Also we are considering a companion for Odie (housetrained but young). And small size (my daughter is gunning for a Chihuahua or something she can pickup (she's 7). If any come to mind, let us know! We'll be keeping an eye out as well.

November 17, 2011

Wine and Cheese Event

To all of those who attended and used their credit cards that evening the charge on your credit card will show up as Underground Clothing.

November 16, 2011

Update on Mackenzie

Thanks for following up with Mackenzie. Mackenzie brings lots of joy to our family. She's paper trained and she'll let us know when she needs to go outside to do her business. She's very intelligent and she loves to play and eat.

There was a time we need to bring her to the Vet due to eye infection and she was given a cone collar to wear for few days.

Overall, she is a healthy and happy dog.

November 16, 2011

Update on MacIntosh

MacIntosh, now Coco is doing great. It was a struggle at times at first as with any puppy, but he's a quick learner and as well behaved as can be expected at his age. The only behavioural issues we still have with him are him jumping up on people but he's getting better, and he also "mouths" arms and hands - never bites - but another habit we're trying to break.

Cheers, and thanks for checking in on Coco!

November 16, 2011

Update on Smoky

We adopted Smoky last year and since it is around the time of his birthday, I thought I would share a few pictures with you. He is doing great and now weighs about 90 pounds. He loves the water and is just generally a happy guy. We're so glad there was a foster mom like you to get him started in life!

November 6, 2011

Update on Rosie II

We just want to say Thank you for all you do. We adopted a dog from you last weekend October 29, 2011. Her AARCS name was Rosie II and the name she came with was Chela. We absolutely love her and her foster parents were AMAZING. We have had Chela a week and she fits right into our home and we love her. The information from the foster family was so useful and helpful for us. I just wanted to say thanks to you and her foster parents, Daniel and Miranda.

November 1, 2011

Violet celebrates her 90th birthday by doing what she loves best, saving lives.

On October 21st, Violet celebrated her 90th birthday by driving several hours to a First Nations community to rescue a mom and her 9 pups. Violet started volunteering for the Alberta Animal Rescue Crew Society at the tender age of 85. She leaves home as often as she can, at 5 a.m. with her daughter, Anna, to drive to rescue animals in need of help. This often represents a 12 hour day for Violet. Over the years, she has saved hundreds of animals.

For her Birthday she is asking you to help, please help support Violet?s and AARCS?s work by:

DONATING ? to support the hundreds of animals we rescue and spay/neuter every year. (AARCS has a strong spay/neuter program for animals on First Nations land.) Also, we are building a much needed in-take facility. It will be used to house animals until we can get them into foster homes. This building will result in the saving of many more lives.

ADOPTING ? If you are considering adopting a pet, please consider adopting one of our rescues. To adopt a rescue, saves two lives. The one that is adopted and another that has room to come in. We can only take in what we have room for.

FOSTERING ? Foster homes are so important to our program. We rely on our foster homes to care for our rescues until we find them a great home.

SPREAD THE WORD ? let others know about the work we are doing. Violet and the rescue crew can only rescue as many as we have room for. So please join us by supporting the work we do. Let?s keep Violet on the road, rescuing animals. Violet, you are an inspiration to many. Thank you for your selfless determination to save lives.

October 27, 2011

Teeth Whitening for Charity!

Have you always wanted to whiten your teeth? Here is your chance to and donate to a charity at the same time! On Nov 17th Welcome Smile is taking appointments to make "custom whitening trays" and donating all the proceeds to AARCS. If you drink coffee, tea, or redwine or smoke- this procedure is for you!!

It is an easy , painless appointment of getting impressions taken of your teeth (15 minutes). They then make trays that custom fit your teeth ( you can talk with them on) and in a week you can be lightening up your teeth! On Thur Nov 17th they are offering this procedure for $250 (regularly $375) and all of the amount goes to AARCS- and YOU also get a tax receipt for your donation. If you are interested please call the office of Dr Smith/Dr Boyko- 403-261-8855 or check out their website at www.welcomesmile.ca. Or if you feel your teeth are white enough please forward this on to any friends, family or coworkers that may be interested. Anyone is welcome!!

October 27, 2011

Update on Timothy and Darling

thought it was time for an update on Timmy and Darling (now Mutley and Lola). So after our dog Levi passed away in July, Mutley had some separation anxiety and started chewing when left alone, including remote controls and window trim. Now that we have a second dog in the house again, Mutley is fantastic. We?ve been giving the two dogs the run of the house and not a single thing has been chewed! He is absolutely smitten with Lola and is always bringing toys over to her bed for her. I?ve even caught them cuddling a few times. When they?re not sleeping they?re playing, but they?ve figured out that there?s way more room in the basement so they tend to take their wrestling matches downstairs (which is nice since they are 80 and 100+ lbs). As for Lola, she?s coming along great. She?s putting on weight and her coat is starting to get soft and shiny. She also found her bark, but restricts it to when there are deer in the backyard. She?s still very timid of doorways inside the house and doesn?t like the hallway, but we?re working on it. She?s a very smart and gentle girl! I?d like to DNA test her since I?m convinced that she?s part Doberman. She seems to be loving the BC life. She?s been on quite a few hikes, and while she likes to veer off into the bush to explore, she checks back regularly, and will stay by your side if you ask her to. I?ve attached a couple photos from on top of Spineback Ridge. Once photo is just Mutley and Lola, and the other is with their regular pack. Thanks for everything, and I will continue to support AARCS anyway I can.

October 22, 2011

Get your tickets to the Wine & Cheese

Don't forget to get your tickets for the 2nd Annual Wine & Cheese Event. Last year we sold out weeks ahead of time!

Please join us for a night of libations, music and tasty appetizers at the beautiful Gerry Thomas Art Gallery in the Beltline district. Come and meet some of our most famous rescue dogs and bid on one of a kind silent auction items! Tickets include one drink and appetizers for the evening. There will be wine tasting and live music to take in as well. Support our rescue efforts to save the lives of animals that can otherwise not help themselves.

Tickets available on our shop page for $50 or two for $80.
If you have items you wish to donate for the silent auction please email foster@albertaanimalrescuecrew.com.

October 20, 2011

Lost Dog - Help us find Gracie

Sadie Hawkins, now Gracie went missing from her home on Sunday. If you could look at the attached poster, it would be appreciated. Help us find her way back to her home.

Download lost-poster-2.docx

October 16, 2011

Update on Mr. Jigs

I just wanted to give an update to you about Mr. Jigs. He came into our lives about 3 weeks ago and it seems like he has always been here. The transition has gone extremely well and he fits like a glove. He only needed to be crated for the first few nights until I knew he would be ok and now he just plain sleeps around - any bed that will have him - usually mine. My kids adore him - as do I  - and he is starting to develop a friendship with our other dog and cat. It has moved past the toleration phase to "let's play a little".
 
We thank everybody involved with his rescue and foster. I have been in contact with Norma so she knows how well it is going. He is a true success story!

October 14, 2011

Update on MacKenzie

We adopted Mackenzie for almost 3 months. She's our sweetheart and she brings lots of joy to our family.
A BIG THANK to AARCS.

October 13, 2011

Update on Tiana

I just wanted to take a moment and tell you how Ruby (formally called Tiana) is doing. Ruby is still growing like a bad weed, she is going to be the size of a horse. My husband recently made her a fifty foot leash so she can let off some energy at the park near our house. She loves going there, we always bring a toy so she can play go fetch.
We recently had to have our beloved cat Felix put to sleep, due to complications with old age. Our other cat was having a hard time functioning without him, but Ruby seemed to sense this. Ruby has now made him a part of her and our Boston Terriers pack. It wonderful to watch the three of them rip threw the house playing.
We are thankful that we found Ruby at the Strathmore Pet Expo. She is a wonderful girl!

October 12, 2011

AARCS Intake Closed

AARCS is currently in a position that we cannot take in anymore animals until our current animals find new forever homes or we find more foster homes. We are over capacity and have made the hard decision to close intake until further notice. Our foster homes are taking 1, 2 or 3 dogs at a times without a break. These amazing volunteers are key to our operations, without them we cannot continue our life saving work and we know many are on the verge of burnout. We have over 140 animals in care of 67 active foster homes.

How You Can Help...

If not already, consider becoming a foster home... check out our foster page for more information and sign up today!

Adopt, Don't Shop. Encourage everyone you know to stop breeding and adopt a rescue animal, if we don't have what you are looking for check out our links page for many other rescues in the area. There are enough homeless animals to consider bringing more into this world.

Donate, we continue to raise funds to get our shelter 100% operational where we can properly house animals until foster space becomes available and to support our numerous pet-related programs.

October 9, 2011

Update on Paula

I would like to let you know that Paula now Haylee is FABULOUS! We live in Innisfail and participated in the Charity Dog Walk that was sponsored by Poplar Grove Vet Clinic. I was chatting with one of the AARCS girls at the tent and she remembered this batch of 16 puppies because they were named after AARCS? core group of volunteers. I just thought I would send an update but wasn?t exactly sure who I should send it to.

Haylee is now just over 13 months old and is a great dog! She goes to Doggie Door one day a week to play with her friends there and absolutely loves our nightly trips to the newly opened dog park in town. She loves to run and play hard with her friends Laddie, Abby, Houka, Lily, Chloe and Splash, just to name a few. We are no longer crating her during the day and she has free roam of the house while we are at work. She had one rough week where she chewed a few shoes, a plastic water bottle and dish, but has since settled and is doing extremely well.

We love her like crazy and thank AARCS for giving us the opportunity to adopt her.

October 4, 2011

Trap Neuter Release - Collaboratively Saving Lives

On Sept. 19-21, 2011, AARCS collaborated with Pound Rescue and Meow Foundation in a compassionate TNR solution for nearly 60 cats on an acreage. Through abandonment and recent litters, there was a population of cats that was 90% female. The numbers were escalating at a huge rate and together the groups realised that if we didn't provide help quickly, the 60 cats would turn into 300 cats!

Within no time at all, traps were gathered from every corner of the city, kennels stacked to the ceiling in many volunteer vehicles and we were off! Multiple trips were made back and forth to humanely capture all of the roaming cats and to ensure that everyone was treated medically and spayed/neutered. Each cat was vaccinated, dewormed, tattooed and spayed/neutered. The population is now stabilized through a humane TNR program and they can now live out their lives as happy, community feral cats.
Thank you to McKnight 24 Hour Veterinary Hospital and Centre Street Veterinary Clinic for their assistance in housing the cats for recovery until they could be returned home. If you would like to support AARCS spay/neuter program, please visit our donation page.

October 1, 2011

Jewel's Dramatic Rescue

We received an urgent call about a stray dog that was extremely emaciated, and suffering from a condition commonly referred to as mange. This is certainly not the first case of mange AARCS has dealt with but it is the worst case we have encountered. This dog was rushed to a 24 veterinary clinic in Calgary, where she is being treated and cared for by veterinarians. We are caring for approximately 140 animals in volunteer foster homes and have seen an increase in calls to assist with stray, injured, sick and abandoned animals. For the past year AARCS has been operating at capacity and we can only rescue what we have room for in our foster home network. We plan on opening a multi-functional facility to serve as both headquarter for the group and to provide a much needed quarantine and a temporary holding facility. This centre will serve as a hub in AARCS? efforts to rescue and provide sanctuary to the many homeless animals in Alberta such as Jewel, and to continue to serve our communities with essential pet-related programs.

It will take months and thousands of dollars to treat Jewel, but we believe that each dog deserves the chance to live and be loved. We hope that Jewel's rescues inspires you and others to help. With winter just around the corner, we worry about the many other homeless animals out there that need our help. AARCS relies on donations from the public to continue our life-saving work. Please, if you can, donate today so we can make our dreams of a shelter become a reality. Become a foster parent - fostering info. For more information on the shelter, please visit our Safe Haven tab.

September 21, 2011

Help Us Help Dylan

Dylan is an AARCS foster dog with only 3 legs. Sadly he broke his only other back leg while running at the dog park. It has been a long road for Dylan and foster mom Meaghan Ralston not being able to use his back end at all. He is recovering from surgery and we need to get him a live-long leg brace and would like to get him doing rehab swimming at Pawsitively Pooched. If you can help us by donating towards Dylan's recovery we would be forever grateful.

September 17, 2011

Update on Tonka

Tonka is doing amazing. He's fitting right in and learning the rules quite quickly. He's super smart and just a little stubborn. Probably from living on his own :) Our biggest challenge was getting him in our vehicles but after much struggle, begging (on my part), treats and probably a few tears...he just decided to get over it one day and jumped right in. Now he goes in to my Jeep no problem. He knows the word "Jeep" and when we are ready to leave the dog park I can tell him "find your Jeep" and he'll run right to it. We took him camping last weekend and are off again this weekend. He loves it and enjoys the outdoors. It took a bit but he's learned to love the water and we caught him last weekend just standing shoulder deep looking around. He stayed like that for about 10 mins...guess he wanted to cool off. He somehow hurt his tail while we were out and has been a great sport letting me doctor it all week. Everything from shaving the spot to soaking it, applying cream and a gauze wrap...which manages to stay on for about 10 minutes until he wags his tail so hard it goes flying off. He keeps us amused! He had his photo shoot with me a few weeks ago for the calendar and his picture has been sent off to the printer. Was quite fun for both of us.

Both Clayton and I are extremely happy to have him in our lives and we couldn't imagine it any other way. God bless all the AARCS staff and volunteers that made it possible to find him.

September 17, 2011

Update on Hamlet

Overall, we are thrilled to pieces with him! He is a very bright little guy with lots of personality! He fits in great with our lifestyle and has responded really well to obedience training (we did "Bright Puppy" class and are just finishing "Let's Go" classes through Sit Happens training). We couldn't be happier with our decision to adopt a rescue and we are very fond of AARCS and all that they do for animals. If we ever decide to get a second dog, we would definitely adopt through AARCS again.

September 17, 2011

Update on Casey

Casey has been a great addition to the family. We knew early on in fostering her that she was the perfect match for both us and our other dog Kyrus. She can be a clown for sure and is always finding interesting ways of keeping us entertained. We recently moved home to Newfoundland and have continued to take Casey everywhere we go! From Hikes in Gros Morne to showing her the ocean (she doesn't like the taste or the waves but she's getting used to it).

Casey has also surprised us with being great with kids. She loves to get hugs and plays gently enough even for the youngest and smallest, a bonus for sure.

Thanks for checking in with us. Take care and good luck to AARCS.

September 12, 2011

PLEDGE FORMS are available for the Charity Dog Walk

Poplar Grove Vet Services from Innisfail is hosting a Dog Walk and BBQ to benefit AARCS on September 18, 2011. Print your pledge form off our "Latest News" tab on our website and start collecting pledges!

Mark your calendar and get ready to come for a drive in the country and stroll around the lake. The walk is roughly a half hour walk and easily accessable with a stroller if you have small children to bring.

Bring your dog/s and join the staff of Poplar Grove Veterinary Services for a charity dog walk and $2 BBQ in honor of Alberta Animal Rescue Crew Society.

Date: Sept 18th, 2011
Time: 10:30am - 2:00pm
Location: Centennial Park/Napoleon lake picnic area, Innisfail Alberta

Registration starts at 10:30 am. Register for the walk and turn in your pledge sheets and enter to win some great prizes. *Please ensure all dogs are on a leash.
Fundraising BBQ starts at 12:00
Prizes for you pooch

Late pledges can be mailed directly to AARCS with cheques for the total amount along with the pledge form, please do not mail cash. Tax receipts are available for donations over $20.

Pledge forms can now be printed directly off our website by clicking on the download button at the top of this page or under the "Latest News" tab.

You can also pick up pledge forms at the following locations or email katie@albertaanimalrescuecrew.com to have one sent to you directly.

Poplar Grove Veterinary Services
4408-42 Ave
Innisfail AB
T4G 1P6
(403)227-4701

The Doggie Door
4932-49th St
Innisfail AB
T4G 1N2
(403)227-7250

Innisfail Veterinary Services
5239-50th St
Innisfail AB
T4G 1S1
(403)227-3535

Innisfail Boarding Kennels
5836-37th St
Innisfail AB
T4G 1S6
(403)227-6737

Kozy Kennels
RR#2, Stn main
Innisfail AB
T4G 1T7
(403)227-4346

Cedarwood Veterinary Hospital
#1, 7644 Gaetz Ave
Red Deer AB
T4P 2A8
(403)347-2676

Rimbey Veterinary Clinic
Box 389
4607-50th Ave
Rimbey AB
T0C 2J0
(403) 843-2234
Download aarcs-pledge-form.xlsx

September 7, 2011

Update on Ryder

This little man is now 35lbs, we think he really gets bathroom outside now, he is already out of the crate most of the time and he and Anna are the best of friends, an amazing extra. Ryder loved the farm and our in the stix camping site, he even gets that he really has no choice about getting those paws washed after crazy dirty play, he's not the happiest when getting bathed after our trips but hey work in progress, doesn't help that Anna hates it too... He just loves everyone still, and eats like well hmmmm a glutton I guess, trying to teach him to slow down, but he still sits nice for getting his food, we kept that up from your training... We are just loving him!!!

September 4, 2011

Update on Ruby

Ruby (Vicky) is one year old today and a whopping 49lbs! (She is not fat at all, just much larger than expected. She goes for a 1.5 to 2 hour walk every day). She has grown into her ears and loves her sister, despite the fact that she is a cat! Attached are some photos of her first day here (the cat got very close to her, so that was a good sign), sleeping on top of the couch with the cat, and all tuckered out after having a great romp at Nosehill Park.

September 3, 2011

Time for AARCS to find a home

If you haven?t noticed some changes to our website, please check out our new Safe Haven page. AARCS is excited to move forward to open a centralized multi-functional facility to provide safe haven, temporary placement and quarantine for rescued animals prior to entering foster homes. The facility will offer an essential temporary placement (anywhere from a few hours to several weeks) before placing the animal into our growing network of foster homes for rehabilitation, training, comfort and care while waiting for their forever adoptive home. The facility is not meant to be an open intake shelter for surrendered animals, but will provide:

Much needed space for emergency cases when no experienced foster home space is available
A bath and grooming area to rid animals of parasites (fleas, lice, ticks)
Allow quick intake of any returned animals or animals in emergency situations
The space would also be utilized for a holding area following a spay/neuter clinic
Additional storage, including heated storage
Administrative office, volunteer meeting areas
Cat adoption/quarantine room
It will NOT be a shelter where dogs stay through to adoption ? we firmly believe in the foster care network we have built.
AARCS needs help to successfully implement this plan and hope that you will join us in our fight to bring an end to animal homelessness in Alberta.

Become a Month Donor

Go to Canada Helps and easily set up a monthly donation and provide long-term funding for pennies a day.

Sponsorship Opportunities
Click here for our ?Wall of Support? for more information on how you can become a sponsor and be recognized for your commitment to this project.


Wish List

Make sure to check out our Wish List for general and construction wish list items.

September 2, 2011

Alberta Spay Neuter Task Force

If you've ever wondered how the spay and neuter clinics work. Check out this video. AARCS is a huge part of these operations providing many volunteers, equipment, financial support and taking in many of the surrendered animals.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PuzrQsBY50A

August 31, 2011

Update on Leo

Leo has grown almost twice the size since we adopted him a few months ago. He?s still a medium sized dog but has grown into his big paws and long legs and is now very stable when running and playing. He?s quite the happy puppy and has a very energetic and playful personality. Leo visits the dog park every day and has made a few great friendships with fellow pups; he has become very brave and is usually the first to come up and say hi. He is also a bit protective of his smaller sister Kipper and likes to make sure only he gets to pick on her. Leo has also been attending a puppy day care once a week and is learning to socialize properly with all sorts of different dogs. He is still a bit nervous when we leave but the trainers are working hard with him to get him out of his shell.

We have begun taking Leo to the river to teach him to swim and he absolutely loves jumping around in the water and chasing sticks. He is not a fan of swimming on his own yet, but that will come with time. Recently we went camping and for his first time, we were surprised to find out that he was more excited about sleeping in the tent or sitting in a chair by the camp fire, than he was to run around and explore like his sister. I suppose even dogs need a vacation to relax every now and again.

We are very happy with Leo as he continuously brings joy to our lives every day and we could not imagine life without him. We hope that everyone who adopts an AARCS animal can find the same love and fulfillment that we have found with him.

August 31, 2011

Update on Ringo

I promised you I would get back when I had a spectacular picture of Ringo to update you with. Well here is one with Him, our little o dog Maggie, and our two daughters Keeley and Elizabeth. This is out at my in laws ranch-we were having family photos done, and you can't tell but this was actually taken after disturbing his fun in the creek right behind them. lol. Turns out he is a HUGE water baby. Every time we go out there now we make it a point to stop at the creek or pond because he LOVES fetching out of the water (ball, stick, ect..). Or just splashing in and out while making huge laps around us. We've also discovered hes great around farm animals. Since we?re out there all the time it was important he become used to them. He doesn't even have a single fear around the horses or the cows, he makes friends where ever he goes. Everyday we're more and more thankful for him. He fits in to our family like hes been here for years. Thank you again, and we'll keep in touch with more updates!

August 31, 2011

Update on Eeyore

It was really funny how Dusty (was Eeyore) came to be in my life.. I volunteered for Aarcs for transport thinking that I was not ready for full time Dog parenting, but loving animals, this gave me a chance to interact.

I drove Eeyore to his Foster Family in Edmonton. He had my heart by the time we hit Red Deer. I met with his Foster Mom, and eventually made my way home.

Shannon kept me up to date with his progress. During this time I made numerous lists - pros and cons to having a dog.... The pros most definitely outweighed the cons cause I applied for adoption and 2 weeks after I dropped him off, I went to pick him up and bring him home.

He is now Dusty, is just 6 months old and is 54 lbs+. Listed as a medium, he has turned into a small hulk... He loves when he gets to go to Day care (once a rotation when I work night shift) and loves to go for walks.

I am happy to add some pictures... These are very recent - the first.. a happy sleepy puppy - can sleep anywhere.

Thanks for checking in, the only thing we really have left to is training (Obedience)... not easy when working a rotating shift.

August 31, 2011

Update on Dona

Wow Dona is doing great. It feels like she has always been here. Definitely fit right into our family. I don't have a lot of pictures of her because she runs away when you point the camera at he, funny she is afraid of it. We had a bit of trouble on our first visit to the lake, I guess she has never seen waves in water because she went absolutely crazy biting at the waves running back and for so badly I couldn't get control of her. We worked it out kept taking her to the water and even gave her some swimming lessons. She defiantly hated the water at first but loves it now. Thanks for contacting us and thanks for doing what you do otherwise we never would of found Dona.

August 31, 2011

Update on King Lear

We are very happy with King Lear Who is now CASH. He is getting big and is also very smart. We put him outside and when hes ready to come in if the doggie door isn?t open he opens it himself. He also helps himself to the dog treats by lifting the lid on the jar putting it on the counter and sticking his nose in the jar and grabs a treat, now we just need to teach him to put the lid back on the jar and get a treat for the other 2 dogs. He has become a huge part of our family . We really love him. I'm attaching a couple of my favorite pics i could send way more but i will control myself...lol

August 31, 2011

Update on Arden

Arden is a great puppy! She was 90% house-trained when we brought her home and quickly mastered the skill. She still sleeps in the crate when we aren't home and at night, but otherwise has free access to the entire house. She is very loving and is the only one who can make my son smile when his depression is at its worse (he suffers from a chronic pain condition and the depression accompanies it).

Our 11 year old dog, Kylie, initially mostly avoided Arden but she would always run into the room to keep her company if Arden was crying in her cage when we left the house. Now Kylie actually initiates play sessions with Arden and they are really funny. Arden knows that Kylie is in charge so she always rolls over and lets Kylie be the boss, even though she's now bigger than Kylie!

We attended the puppy classes at Dogma from the age of 15 weeks to 20 weeks and just had our second week of the Puppy spirit class on Monday night. Arden is really smart and catches on quickly. We had the special treat of meeting 2 of her siblings in puppy class - both Rue (now named Tuck) and Ajax (now named Abby) were there and the siblings got along very well. They were all quite shy at first but after a few weeks, they loved the play sessions with the other dogs. I have attached a photo of Arden and Tuck at puppy class as well as a few others of Arden on her own and with Kylie. She is growing like a weed and it's hard to believe that she's almost 6 weeks old. I periodically send Heather, her foster mom, an email with photos so she can see how much Arden has grown!

Thanks for all of AARCs great work in fostering Arden before she joined our family - it certainly made for a smooth transition for all of us!

August 31, 2011

Update on Rabbit

Rabbit now goes by the name lily and she is amazing. She is so smart as she knows how to heel, comes when she is called, knows how to sit, lie down, and shake a paw. She also took up house training very quickly (less than 2 weeks) and learned at an early age how to socialize with other dogs at the off leash park. She is full of love and gives kisses to everyone who comes near her. We love her so much and cannot see a life without her :).

August 30, 2011

Update on Beck

He's currently napping on the couch inside the trailer(enjoying the a/c) on his 2nd holiday adventure @ the lake & is looking forward to dinner (we have a steak for him too that he'll get about a tablespoon of every night -LOL!)
We just spent about a hour romping in the water with him so he's pretty tired but very happy :)!
He had a rough time with teething but is almost through (ice cubes worked wonders & we had to feed him gastro puppy for a bit as he couldn't chew his Hills Science) & he had a much happier truck ride this time (vet gave us a great new medication for his tummy -no side effects & it worked like a charm -poor little guy got carsick last time but traveled fine yesterday).
He's happy, healthy, beloved & growing like a weed - he was 44lbs @ his 5 month weigh in & standing tall ! Most of his shyness is long gone - he's still a bit timid around younger children but generally confidently greets everyone he can - human & canine alike.
ALL THREE of us (Dan, myself & Dexter)would like to thank you for finding & rescuing Dexter

August 28, 2011

Update on Minnie

Minnie (now Kiya) continues to do really well. We started taking her offleash after only a week, and even with minimal training she's great. She just naturally wants to please and be near you, so offleash training has been really easy. Her recall isn't 100% yet, but she always comes back eventually. If she's taking a really long time to come to me, I just run away from her, and that always gets her attention right away.

Surprisingly, she is a bit uneasy with dogs. I think she wants to get to know them, but is a little scared. She gets really excited when she sees them, but then when they come up to her, she'll give them a little growl. But then she continues sniffing them, and if they walk away she follows them. We've had her out a few times with our friend's german shepherd, who is very outgoing, and she's warmed up to him quite quickly. I'm hoping that he will set an example for her, and as she becomes more comfortable that she won't be scared of new dogs. She's already shown improvements with meeting new dogs in the short time that we've had her.

She's also getting along well with the cats. We had a couple of incidents with her growling and lunging at them when they came near her food, bed, or us, but she seems to be pretty much over that. She still doesn't like it when they come near her food, but we've been working on that with hand feeding and she seems to be getting better. I still keep an eye on her when she's eating, just to be safe. At least if it's only when she's eating that can be easily monitored.

She's also very content with going to the bathroom while on leash now. She was nervous about it the first few days, but she has no problems with it now. She knows her bathroom area, and always goes as soon as we go out. She's even marked her territory a few times, which I thought was a good sign that she feels comfortable there.

So overall, she's been a great addition to our family. She's very needy, she follows me everywhere in the house. She can be laying on the floor beside me, with my arm on her, and that won't be enough, she'll still nudge my hand for pets. It's very sweet, and I think she is slowly learning that we aren't going to be abandoning her. Right now she is having a nap on the patio, enjoying the sun. She really enjoys napping in the sun, and I think it's great that she's comfortable out there even though she's a few feet away from us inside.

She hasn't had any accidents in the house, and has been really good with chewing. She knows her toys very well, and while she has picked up the odd thing (like shoes) that she's not allowed to have, all I have to do is say "No" and she'll drop out. Once again, her desire to please has made this aspect of training very easy. Her separation anxiety is barely an issue. She's not left alone very often, and the first few times she was alone, it was only for a few minutes, then a few hours. She's been alone all day a couple of times, and all she's done is paw the front runner back. She's loose in the house, and is completley trustworthy.

Thank you very much for taking care of her until we found her. We'll make sure to send updates. I also have a few pics that I will send.

August 24, 2011

Update on Franklin and Church

Franklin and Church are doing really really well. Our third shredded couch went to the dump, and we have replaced it with 2 chairs for now, but nothing has been chewed on (other than their toys or bones) or has been out of place for 3 weeks now! Things are looking up. And though Church could still use a bit more confidence, he has improved a great deal and seems to get a bit better every day. I really do believe the Thundershirt did help him to 'break through' a bit of a hurdle, though he didn't even wear it for that many days. He seems to do so much better now, I don't think he has a big need for it anymore. So far so good anyway! They are such loving, loyal, friendly and gentle dogs, they are an absolute joy to be around.

August 16, 2011

Sponsorship Opportunities

Sponsor Construction
We are looking for companies or individuals to sponsor the construction for the Safe Haven Project. Any and all donations are greatly appreciated, both financial and in-kind. Please see our Safe Haven Page for our Wish List specific to the shelter. Help us reach our goal of $200,000 to make our dreams a reality.

Sponsor a Rescue
For $200 you can help rescue. Your donation will help cover supplies and fuel to rescue animals.

Sponsor an Animal
For $300, you can sponsor a dog to receive the medical treatment, including spay/neuter surgery, vaccinations, deworming and micro-chip.

Sponsor an Event

Help cover the costs for a fund-raising event, adopt-a-thon, poker tournament, yearly calendar, etc (amount vary).

Sponsor a Special Needs Animal
For $1500 you can help a special needs animal receive the life-saving veterinary care.

Sponsor a Spay/Neuter Clinic
For $2500 you can sponsor a spay/neuter clinic and help save the lives of hundreds of unborn puppies and kittens

Pledge Form

Help further, by collecting donations, request a pledge form and collect donations from friends, family co-workers, business.

For more information on sponsorship opportunities or to receive your pledge form, please contact Deanna Thompson at 403-869-4694 or email her at deanna@albertaanimalrescuecrew.com

August 15, 2011

Update on Sooke

Stella is doing great and we are so happy to have her in our home now! We have been taking her on lots of walks around our Inglewood neighborhood parks and she is really gotten quite comfortable in her new surroundings. There are several other dogs in our neighborhood that she has been meeting lately and everyone is getting along great! Stella has been doing quite well with her potty house training and kennel training too. She seems to be starting her chewing phase now which is to be expected and has already taken a pair of Yen's good sandals as a new chew toy. We have been spoiling her with lots of other doggy chew toys to try and keep her busy and away from the other shoes and furniture! Yen took Stella for her second set of shots last Thursday and the vet said she looks to be in good health. We hope to start looking into doggy training classes in the next couple weeks. If you have any good suggestions for obedience and skill training classes we would appreciate it and look into it.

August 15, 2011

Update on Tiana

Good day everyone,

I was just cuddling on the couch with Ruby (formerly Tiana) and realized that we haven't sent you an update in a few months. Ruby has continued to thrive and is still growing like a bad weed. Ruby at five months old has finally started to act like a puppy and is testing her limits. She attempted to eat a hole in our bedroom wall during a storm, likes to steal things from the counter and kitchen table. But my personal favorite is when she jumps up on the kitchen table and stands on it on all fours when she thinks that no one is watching (maybe she is trying to help set it). I must be honest it is sometimes hard to give her heck, because she is such ham.
Ruby still loves learning new things, loves her sister Jewel, and is a big lap dog. Our little Boston Terrier loves to curl up around our necks and chew on a bone, now Ruby tries to clumsily do the same thing. She still has not clued in that she is over forty pounds. LOL. Ruby loves going on our walks to the park, and loves to chase dragon flies in our backyard.
She has become very protective of us and our home, but listens well when we tell her that someone is a friend. Our vets offices favorite is that Ruby can be quite the barker, so we have taught her to use her inside voice. It is hilarious to hear the small noises coming from her. She has to be the happiest dog that I have ever met. She wakes up every morning, runs and gets her favorite toy and brings it to Tim or I. From that point on her bum is wiggling and her tail is going a million miles a minute all day long.
So where I can't claim that she is perfect, she has to be the easiest puppy that I have ever owned. If any of the wonderful AARCS volunteers that rescued her are ever in Strathmore, please feel free to come by and see her. She would love to give you a millions kisses for rescuing her.
Thank you again for all that you have done for Ruby and our family, and all of the other animals that you have found forever homes for.

August 15, 2011

Update on Coral

Princess is her real name. She is so life smart. She is all about energy that she feels. She would love to be a lap dog, but, at 80 lbs. not happening. :-)
Here are a few pics of her..She had nine puppies in her when she was spayed. Six broken teeth pulled and her torn ear sown...
After struggling all her life to survive, she will bury what she can't eat...
We Love her, she is family...

August 6, 2011

Update on Duncan

It?s been a long time since I?ve given you guys an update on Duncan now Oscar. He?s doing soooooooo good. He?s such a happy puppy. I even got a comment the other day by a stranger when I was walking him. He said ?whoa, you?ve got a real smiley one there!?

So, Oscar is 7 ½ months now. He finished his puppy classes at the beginning of June. We?re doing a new class with him starting on August 22nd. It?s more intense. It?s 3 nights a week for 10 weeks. If you want to check out what we?ll learn you can click this link http://www.clevercanines.ca/core.html.

He loves the dog park and he LOVES going in the water. Once he discovered he liked water, he has to stop at every puddle, take a little drink and walk in it. We took him camping for the July long weekend and he loved it (although I think he ingested way too many pine cones). I?m attaching a pic from one of our walks in Johnston Canyon.

Oh, I can also tell you that we feed him raw food. He really likes it!! Having said that, we haven?t found anything that he doesn?t like yet. He even likes sugarless vanilla gelato (see pic).

August 6, 2011

Update on Mufasa and Church

Thought I would send another update on the pups. Mufasa now Franklin has just turned 15 months and Church is about 11 months old now. Franklin is still as sweet and calm as ever, what a joy and what a treasure he is!
Church is just as sweet, has an equally big part of my heart, just more of a 'problem child' I guess. But you gotta love him.
He still suffers from separation anxiety, but towards the end of June had become a bit more calm and accepting of the routine of me going to work weekdays, coming home for lunch, and having to leave again for the afternoon. So our furniture got a bit of a break. Until then he had already demolished 2 couches, a coffee table, a bench, and anything he could reach on counter or table top. We learned quickly not to leave anything behind that he could reach.. but he kept on growing and kept on being able to reach more and more! Unfortunately also my new blackberry had not been safe and was reduced to many many small pieces... We had company coming over from Holland, so reluctantly put in the 3rd new couch (with the extra people we would need the sitting place for sure), and it all went well.
Company came, I had 3 weeks of holidays, the pups were happy as can be because they got to spend every day with us and camping in the forestry must have been their all time favorite I think! But alas, our company had to go back home, and I had to go back to work. The first morning back at work Church had worked himself into a frenzy and chewing on the new couch helped him calm his nerves am sure... What a mess. Had some tears in my eyes when I saw it for sure. I really hoped we were over that, but no, not quite. The following 2 days it was more of the same, more chewed up, stuffing ripped apart and spread on the floor from one end of the room to the other... It was discouraging. I then read about and searched for the Thundershirt (and found Tail Blazers carries all sizes). Tried it on Church, and what a transformation! He was much more relaxed, did not mind wearing it one bit, his fearful loud barking when someone comes to the door was reduced to a lazy 'woof' (if even that), and he did not frantically follow me each and every time I walked anywhere in the house only to plant himself on his butt right next to where ever I was. I actually had to keep going back to the living room to make sure he was really there because I could not believe he was not 'attached' to me. He still did a number on the couch the morning I left him with the shirt on, though not nearly as bad as previous days, but I think Franklin and Church must have been playing and I would think Franklin probably got a hold of the side of the shirt and ripped it loose. Unless it is snug around them it really doesn't do much.
Discouraged a bit again I left it off when I went to work the next day, but knock on wood, we have gone through 3 days straight without anything having been touched, chewed or out of place!
Keeping my fingers crossed that he is finally realizing again that I won't be gone forever, that I really do come back home every day for lunch and after work, and that life is good and no need to get upset about. Seriously, the problem chewing and anxiety is literally the ONLY thing we can complain about. We could not have more loving, loyal, sweet, friendly and beautiful dogs around!! I can not imagine life without either one of them!

August 3, 2011

Thank You Terry and Axel Jessop!!

We would like to thank Terri & Axel Jessop for donating $500 (matched by their employer Nexen) for a total of $1000 for their wedding. They would like to encourage others to do the same. As a mature couple and already having duplicates or even triplicates of things, they decided to donate to worthwhile cause and they chose US! Terry and Axel are proud parents of 2 rescue dogs! Thanks Terri & Axel!

August 3, 2011

Reggae - AARCS Forever Foster

Reggae was surrendered by his owners to AARCS at 10 years old due to his medical issues. Part of Reggae?s issues are that he does not always know when he has to go to the bathroom. We performed numerous tests and it seems that he has spinal issues that may have resolved if treated early, but it has been years and combined with his age, we did not feel it was safe to perform extensive back surgery. The risk of losing Reggae and potentially not fixing the issue were too high. Reggae has daily medication to reduce the incontinence, but it?s not curable so his foster mom has to follow him around after a drink with the mop to clean up the ?dribbles? but she says he worth it! (thank heavens for tile floors). Reggae is a happy senior dog! He loves exploring, going for VERY short walks, then finishing the walks in his stroller, meeting new people, and of course, sleep on the couch and snuggling with his foster family. We?re not sure how long Reggae might have left with us. His adoptability is low and we felt it would be stressful to move him again, so the Backer family have agreed to give Reggae a permanent spot in their home as an ?AARCS Forever Foster.? We would like to thank the Backer family for their commitment to Reggae and to AARCS. If you are out and about at one of the AARCS events, you?re likely to run into Reggae (in his stroller) & the Backer?s.

August 2, 2011

AARCS and Pound Rescue Wellness Clinic

AARCS and Pound Rescue teamed up to host a Wellness Clinic on Standoff First Nation July 17th - 20th. It was an action packed four days and it took a team of people to pull it off. As a result 81 animals were spayed or neutered, vaccinated and dewormed. 34 animals were surrendered and brought into our rescue programs.

To all the volunteers who assisted in transport, round up and discharge ? THANK YOU. We had 11 vehicles and 17 volunteers on Sunday for round up and transport back to Calgary and 9 vehicle and 10 volunteers for transport and discharge back to their respective homes. It was brutally long hot days in the beating sun rounding up the many cats and dogs. We are grateful for the time and energy you put into making this clinic so successful!

Thank you to the City of Calgary Animal Services for allowing us to house 15 animals at their shelter and to the staff for taking such great care of them and to The Alberta Spay and Neuter Task Force for the use of their equipment and supplies. Also, to BowDogs DayCare and Boarding for the use of their animal transport van.

Of course, a big thank you to the participating veterinary clinics, including Cambrian Veterinary Clinic, Centre Street Veterinary Clinic, Copperfield Veterinary Clinic, Marda Loop Veterinary Clinic, McKnight Veterinary Hospital, South Point Veterinary Clinic who preformed 81 surgeries in two days!

And finally, to our volunteers back home that managed operations, assisted in transporting, cleaning, and arranging foster homes for the surrendered animals.

Together we accomplished an amazing undertaking to help improve the lives of animals in rural Alberta as we pursue our goal to end the overpopulation of animals in our province.

August 2, 2011

AARCS and Pound Rescue Wellness Clinic

AARCS and Pound Rescue teamed up to host a Wellness Clinic on Standoff First Nation July 17th - 20th. It was an action packed four days and it took a team of people to pull it off. As a result 81 animals were spayed or neutered, vaccinated and dewormed. 34 animals were surrendered and brought into our rescue programs.

To all the volunteers who assisted in transport, round up and discharge ? THANK YOU. We had 11 vehicles and 17 volunteers on Sunday for round up and transport back to Calgary and 9 vehicle and 10 volunteers for transport and discharge back to their respective homes. It was brutally long hot days in the beating sun rounding up the many cats and dogs. We are grateful for the time and energy you put into making this clinic so successful!

Thank you to the City of Calgary Animal Services for allowing us to house 15 animals at their shelter and to the staff for taking such great care of them and to The Alberta Spay and Neuter Task Force for the use of their equipment and supplies. Also, to BowDogs DayCare and Boarding for the use of their animal transport van.

Of course, a big thank you to the participating veterinary clinics, including Cambrian Veterinary Clinic, Centre Street Veterinary Clinic, Copperfield Veterinary Clinic, Marda Loop Veterinary Clinic, McKnight Veterinary Hospital, South Point Veterinary Clinic who preformed 81 surgeries in two days!

And finally, to our volunteers back home that managed operations, assisted in transporting, cleaning, and arranging foster homes for the surrendered animals.

Together we accomplished an amazing undertaking to help improve the lives of animals in rural Alberta as we pursue our goal to end the overpopulation of animals in our province.

July 27, 2011

Thanks Brooklyn!!

AARCS would like to thank Brooklynn Dalby for asking all her friends and family to donate to AARCS in lieu of gifts for her 6th birthday party. What an amazing and thoughtful thing for a young child to do! She raised a total of $127. Thank you Brookie!

We?d also like to thank Loretta Lock for taking her foster puppies over to the Dalby family home and talking to the kids about AARCS and why it?s important to Adopt! Not Shop!

July 21, 2011

Update on Pudge

Just thought I'd give you an update on Pudge/Alaska. He's taking well to his new name. He's still transitioning and he has a harder time remembering his new name when there are new exciting things going on (ie we took them swimming on the weekend and he just went bananas! It was fun because there was no one else around, but I think I'll wait until he knows his name better to take him to a dog park, or swimming with lots of other dogs.

He's settled down into the routine of life very well here.
He doesn't whine or bark anymore when left in the yard alone (well, as long as Dakota is with him!) His anxiety is calming down a lot too and he's getting much better with the cats. He only occassionally chases them - right when he comes in the house he has to know where they are. But this second he's sniffing Lily's butt, so progress is being made. He's been putting on a little weight as well. I guess one or two walks a day doesn't equal the amount of excerise he got running around with the pack out at your place! He walks like a CHAMP on the leash. He walks along beside so well and almost never needs a
reminder of whose in charge!

We love him, and I think he is growing to love us too.

July 17, 2011

Update on Indie

Thank you so much for checking up on Indie (aka Puddin). We adopted Indie in Feb and couldnt be happier with our new addition. She is now 7 months old and 40lbsish with lots of extra skin we hope she grows in to. She has always been a very calm puppy, content as long as she is with us. She is our shadow and we have been working hard on leaving her as she was very fearful of being alone at first. She was quite vocal when left alone, but with much patience and consistency she can now be trusted to quietly roam the main floor when we are away. She also loves her weekly doggy daycare days, playdates with our nieces and nephews and her furry friends, and runs at the dog park (recall is 100%). She has also become quite the swimmer! She has completed puppy classes and a "Good Manners" class. We did a DNA test on her and found out she is mostly lab, then rhodesian ridgeback, with a bit of basset hound and newfoundland!! What a combination... but its made the absolute perfect puppy for us! Thanks AARCS for all you do, we can't imagine our lives without her!

July 14, 2011

Update on Bubbles

Bubbles, now Fergus is now eight months old and well into the difficult 'teenage' period. He can now reach everything on the kitchen counters, so we're always trying to rescue cutlery and other implements before he chews them senseless. Unfortunately, food items vanish too quickly to be saved from his enormous mouth.

On the other hand, he loves to play with everyone and hasn't got a mean bone in his body. Walks in the leash-free park are great fun and he'll even play with the three little foster puppies that we've currently got in the house (much to their dismay sometimes). His favourite times are when his buddy Buster (aka Ben) comes over for playtime and now Buster brings his brother Blizzard too!

We're still working on his leash skills but he has a good grasp of the regular commands like sit, stay, come and relax. He's turning into a very good dog, though I'd be happier if he'd stop eating my supper when my back is turned. I'm sure we'll lick that problem eventually too.

July 14, 2011

Update on Aphrodite

Aphrodite now Ella is pretty perfect for a "New Frontier Mutt"...

She really likes socks - but only the socks worn by my youngest, who works in two restaurants, and which must have a very special 'bouquet.'

July 14, 2011

Update on Murray

Murray (aka Figgy) has settled into our family beautifully. There have been no unpleasant surprises. He loves to play with our other dog, go for walks and enjoyed his first trip to the off leash park last week. He?s not a real big fan of car rides, but he is getting better. He knows a number of commands: sit, down, beg, come and leave it (my daughter is working on teaching him to ?crawl?). And he has finally accepted that the potted plants on the deck are for decoration and not eating!

Keep up the good work with your organization. We tell everyone where he is from. In fact my brother-in-law?s family just adopted a dog from you as well (Georgia).

July 14, 2011

Update on Sheeba

Sheeba is doing great! She definitely makes us laugh and there is never a dull moment in this house with her around. Even our older dog shows more energy and interest what is going on. At first we found her to be too skinny as we were just trying to keep the same food as our other dog but found it to not be enough. Now we have her on a food that is working for her. We love her so much and we are so glad that she is a part of our family.

July 14, 2011

Update on Hero

Funny that you should send us an e mail. Just a week ago, we took Hero back for a visit to his foster family! They were so pleased (and surprised at how BIG he has grown). Hero is an awesome dog. We all love him to pieces, and he is a best friend for our other rescue dog Keepa. He loves his bi weekly walk with our dog walker's pack of 15 dogs. We also walk him off leash daily and on leash daily. He learned to swim this summer and enjoys that too. We walk weekly to the vet's for a friendly visit (and treats too!) This is something I highly recommend other dog owners to do, as it helps the dog's to associate the vet office with pleasure and relaxation.

July 14, 2011

Update on Tinsel

We LOVE our dog! He is wonderful! We changed his name from Tinsel to Maseru (the town where I grew up in Africa). He is fitting in really well with our 3 cats. He is great at the off-leash with other dogs and loves to come with me to work sometimes, otherwise he stays home with my wife and sleeps at her feet while she works.
We will look AARCS up on face book and continue to update photos.

July 10, 2011

Update on Odin

We have an update for you in regards to Odin. Where do I begin, when we first got him he was so skinny that we were worried he would never fill in, but to our amazement he has done very well.

We adopted Odin our wonder dog in March of 2011 and now in July 2011 he is a great dog. We could not of asked for a better fit into our family. He has gained weight and lost weight, we have changed his food and been working with the vets to ensure that he gains the weight and stays fit. He has been, he is still a little slender and we are trying to build the muscle in him.

Odin has two friends he plays with regularly, ?Buddy? a black Lab cross and ?Cujo? and Rottweiler cross. He has a great time with them. Odin loves the water, sprinkler, showers and baths. He destroys every toy that you give him, but always brings back the pieces to you. He is so obedient with, sit, stay, down, shake a paw, high five, back up, get it and the best of them all is ?Hugs?. Odin has been camping every second weekend as we have a year round site by Cochrane, he loves the dog park there (off leash) area and all the friends he has met, he has a great temperament and a wonderful personality that all who meet him fall in love with him.

Odin is healthy beyond anything and we are hoping to bring him to the foster home that we adopted him from. They were going to come out for a drive, if you could please forward this information to them, I would greatly appreciate it as we lost their information.

I have attached a before (Odin2 ? When we first brought him home) 1 Month (Odie) and present (Odie2 and Odi3) pictures of Odin, I hope you enjoy them and hope to bring him to one of your events. Is there any way to send the pictures to the people that went and rescued him from Brooks pound. For them we are so grateful for the wonderful dog we adopted.

Thanks so much for all you do J, God Bless all of you and your hard work.

July 10, 2011

Update on Sadie

Tracey, wanted to drop a line to better let you know how Sadie now Katy is doing. I responded on my phone the other day on coffee break so did not have a lot of time.

She is doing wonderfully. I take her for a power walk at 5:30 am every day for about an hour, and again when I get home from work. She is fabulous on her leash and harness. She heels well with few reminders and checks with me for visual clues that she is doing well. She loves her Momma a bunch. She is shy of strangers and men in particular. When we walk she will move to the other side of me when a person is approaching. We are working on our social skills in that regard, however, once she is around a person for even a short period of time (hour) she warms up to them greatly and is more at ease. She still has an excited bladder. At first we would not even speak to her when taking her out of her crate in the morning until she had a pee, as she would leak everywhere. That is becoming less and less of a challenge for her, so she is maturing.

We absolutely adore our little girl. She LOVE LOVE LOVE's camping. She had so much fun with my granddaughter running in the grass chasing a frisbee. She was even protective of my granddaughter, which warmed my heart. She stayed within visual range of me at all times, when I sat down she would scoot under the chair and stay there. If I went in the trailer, she was waiting at the door for me to come out.

Thank you again for the chance to give Katy her forever home. We could not be happier.

July 5, 2011

Monsoon Rain at the Wabasca Spay & Neuter Clinic

With monsoon rain coming down, mud & water everywhere AARCS volunteers worked all weekend with the Alberta Spay/Neuter Task Force in Wabasca, AB. Friday found us with our rubber boots & 4x4 trucks covering miles of road, stopping at homes to collect dogs for the clinic. The rain poured all weekend, but spirits were high as each dog was collected, knowing they would be spayed and neutered and help end the cycle of pet overpopulation. By Saturday night over 100 dogs were collected and volunteers cared for them at the community centre. Surgeries started first thing Saturday morning and another 45 dogs were brought in. The vets and techs worked tirelessly both Saturday and Sunday morning to complete 145 surgeries and an additional 40 health checks and vaccinations. Volunteers worked many different jobs from cooking for the volunteers, rescuing, working in recovery, cleaning crates, walking and feeding dogs. In addition, the 80 animals were surrendered had to be cared for and placed amongst the many rescue groups before Monday morning.

Monday morning found the few remaining volunteers loading the equipment and surrendered animals for the long journey to Calgary. Over 90 volunteers from across Alberta, including many AARCS volunteers, worked with such passion and commitment to make life better for these animals. Great job team!

A huge thank you to the AARCS volunteers back at home keeping the wheels turning with the 140+ animals already in our care. It was an amazing weekend that made a difference in the lives of hundreds of animals.

June 21, 2011

Update on Tiana

Tiana, now Ruby is doing fantastic! She and our Boston just had a play time in there kiddie pool! They are two hams, make us laugh all the time. Ruby had her last set of shots a few weeks ago and the vet said she is a very healthy girl! They think that she is a Chesapeke Retriever and Border Collie Mix, with maybe a little Pit Bull in the mix. She is pushing 30 pounds already, gonna be a big girl. I am thankful that we came across her that day at the expo. She is a joy to our family!

June 20, 2011

A Tribute to Maisie

The world lost a fine, fine dog on June 9, 2011, when our beloved Maisie went to the Rainbow Bridge. Maisie (formerly Daizy http://albertaanimalrescuecrew.com/profile.php?id=1028) had battled bravely with cancer for several months before finally losing her fight.

Maisie joined our family at Christmas in 2010, after spending her life as a breeding dog in a puppy mill. She came to us with many problems, because at the age of eight she had seen very little of the outside world. She was frightened of new sights and sounds, she was intimidated by strangers, she had no idea how to interact with other animals, and housetraining was an entirely new concept for her.

In spite of all this, Maisie soon showed herself to be a dog of exceptional character, jolly, playful, intelligent and loving. As she settled into our home it was a daily joy to watch her true personality unfold. She was no longer a timid survivor, she was our unsinkable Maisie: love sponge, chow hound, bed hog, laundry thief, champion snorer and squeaky toy fiend. Above all, she was a brave little soldier from first to last.

Although we said goodbye to Maisie so much sooner than we had hoped, we will always be grateful for the time we had with her. She was the light our lives, and I hope one day we will see her again at the Bridge, where I?m sure she is waiting now with her squeaky ball and her orange blanket, keeping the other dogs awake with her snores.

Copeland Family

?I have sometimes thought of the final cause of dogs having such short lives and I am quite satisfied it is in compassion to the human race; for if we suffer so much in losing a dog after an acquaintance of ten or twelve years, what would it be if they were to live double that time??
-- Sir Walter Scott

June 17, 2011

Update on Leo

Leo is adjusting incredibly well to his new family; it was a very easy transition for the entire house and we absolutely love him. He has an extraordinary personality and is always a super happy puppy. He is still working on a few training techniques and we have plans to get him into obedience classes in the near future.

Our other dog Kipper, has accepted him as part of our family and the two of them love sun bathing on the patio and playing tug-a-war together. Sunday afternoon naps are big in our house and it didn?t take long for the two of them to curl up together on the couch for a quick snooze.

Leo has been to the off leash dog park a couple of times now and he loves being able to run around and play with all the small dogs. He still gets a bit nervous around the really big guys, but is starting to learn that they too just want to play. He loves to sit in our bushes in the yard and just relax, but he also loves to run around, play and chew on twigs.

He was the perfect fit for us and we couldn?t be happier to welcome him into our lives. We are confident he will become a very strong, intelligent and loyal dog and we look forward to watching him grow and continue to bring us love and blessed memories. Thank you AARCS for allowing us to adopt such a wonderful animal; your organization has brought us more joy than we could have imagined.

June 14, 2011

Update on Beau

As you probably know by now, we adopted Beau (Boomer) on Wednesday. We love our new puppy and he has adapted very well to our family and the land. As we write this email, he is asleep at our feet probably because he had a very busy day and a couple of long walks. Today he met our grandchildren for the first time and everybody loved him. He is super obedient and seems to want to please everybody. Our old cat is still a bit unsure about the new arrival in ?his home? but we hope that, in time, they will become good friends.

We wish to thank you again for replying so quickly to our adoption request one week ago and we want to reassure you that Boomer has found a good home. You and/or any volunteer at AARCS will always be more than welcome to visit us and see his new ?digs?.

June 11, 2011

Update on Sydney

I would like to let you know that Ripley (as he is now known-Formally Sydney) is doing wonderfully in our home. He is such a happy, kind and smart dog and we love him very much. He is such a well behaved boy and everyone he meets thinks he is amazing. He loves going for walks, car rides, playing in the back yard, doing tricks for treats and meeting everyone he can so he can have them rub his belly. He is healthy and happy and we are so lucky to have him.

June 11, 2011

Update on Urchin

Her name is Trix now (formally Urchin) and she's doing good, she's still fairly young so she chews the odd thing she's not supposed to and dug some fairly good sized holes halfway to china in the flower garden but overall she has been a good pup. She got bigger than expected but she's kind of a teddy bear so it's not a big deal. She gets along great with my blue heeler and is great off leash, but she's still working at on her commands as sometimes her young attention span fails her. Thanks for checking up on her and here are a few pictures.

June 11, 2011

Update on Trinity

Things are going really well here. We changed Trinity?s name to Jude and she is growing fast! Jude is an amazing puppy other than a few (normal puppy) issues like pulling on the leash, chewing everything in sight and stealing food off the counter/table. We are currently taking a dog obedience class through the humane society and already completed their puppy socialization class. Jude did well in the socialization class as she was very scared and nervous to be around the other dogs at the beginning but was right in there playing by the end.

June 7, 2011

Update on Rusty

Copper (formerly 'Rusty') is fitting in just grand into our family! We have a 2-year-old and a 4-year-old and he is by far the best dog for our kids. He is playful, likes to wrestle with our little guy, has a soft mouth, doesn't take things personally, and is pretty much the ideal quintessential family dog. Nearly every day our 4-year-old tells us that he and Copper love each other and that they are best friends. We are working through classes at Sit Happens with him, and are consistently amazed at how quickly he learns. We started lessons one week after we brought him home and even the trainer couldn't believe that we had only had him for one week; he was so responsive and self-controlled, even after we changed his name on him. He's so smart that we even trained him to do his "business" in only one area of our large yard! His excellent recall means that he can roam free at the off-leash park, a favorite family past-time of ours. Pretty much every time we're there (4 - 5 times/week), someone stops to ask us what breed he is because he is so handsome. We proudly tell them that he's a 'Genuine First Nations Sensation' from AARCS. People get a chuckle from that and then inevitably walk away commenting on how these rescue dogs make great pets. He must have left a good impression on his foster parents because when we were strapped for someone to look after him while we were on vacation, we called them up and they gladly agreed to help us out! We were SO grateful for that and were relieved that we were leaving him in excellent hands.

This is the first time we adopted through AARCS and we are extremely pleased with the whole organization. It's amazing that it's volunteer-run when the system works so well to make sure the animals, foster homes, and adopting families are a good fit. I still marvel at the efficiency as well. I submitted the application online in the afternoon and received a phone call in the evening! That weekend we met Copper and brought him home the next day. He is one of the best decisions we've made for our family.

Thanks for the energetic, newest addition to our family.

June 3, 2011

Update on Playto

A long overdue update on Playto Maximus Bonyai? a mouthful of a name for a much loved dog!! Sorry it?s been a bit crazy getting these pictures to you, Playto has become a central force in the Bonyai household and he is doing so well.

He?s whip smart just as we suspected and incredibly loving and playful. Both our girls Michaela 8yrs and Madison 3yrs were instantly and irrevocably in love with him, he is so patient with them and puts up with endless smooshing, snuggling, and accidental roughness from them. Training is going well, just had the usual rough spots with a puppy but as I said he is very smart and wants to learn.

I?ve attached a few pics, it?s hard to get both dog and kids to hold still long enough to focus but that?s half the fun!

Again, many thanks to Tracey and Katherine for all they did to help us get him, Sarah and Dale his foster parents for choosing us, and to all the AARCS volunteers! We couldn?t be happier to have him in our family!!

Thanks so much,
The Bonyai?s

June 3, 2011

Update on Hip Hop

Hip Hop is doing amazing. He is now house trained and is getting bigger every day! He has so much potential, that we are putting him into agility.

June 3, 2011

Update on Keira

That is the last of the pictures for now, always snapping! It is unbelievable how Keira's look changes every month but same beautiful eyes! Had her since she was 9 weeks old and she is now 5 months......doesn't seem that long, she has been an absolute joy to have around!!

Can send more once she grows more into her adult body, don't think she will be a large dog, seems petite. We ordered the DNA test through AARCS awhile ago, will be sending it in soon to see what exact breeds are in her. We are thinking mostly Shepherd & Collie.....but we could get a surprise lol!

Things with her and our family as far as working out couldn't be better, really couldn't! She makes it easy to care for her and she is mellow, easy going like us. When inside, she sleeps alot still, does alot of lounging with spurts of play. When outside, she is more energetic...a good balance.

Keira is smart, lets us know what she wants. She catches on quickly to commands but...can be stubborn when she doesn't want to listen as well, takes a little patience. Have to watch her weight, she loves her treats. She has been to the vets many times, stays there sometimes when we have to go somewhere overnight and can't bring her (vets have kennel boarding as well which is great!). Keira has made quite the impression with the vet staff, they like it when she comes to stay and tell us they've missed her when we bring her back. She is extremely lovable and cuddly.....a big suck!

Could write a book about Keira lol...we all have bonded with her, would be impossible not to. She is healthy, happy, content, definitely bratty at times but she's our girl! Fortunate to find her through AARCS so she could be a part of our family, we are grateful! So......thank you for doing what you do to give these animals a chance to have what Keira has...rather simple for us to give our time and love, a home where they can feel like they belong. Thank you for letting us meet her and letting us adopt her!

June 3, 2011

Update on Jillian

We are all doing wonderfully well. We re-named Jillian "Kensington" or Kenzie for short. She is growing up to be a sweet natured little gal. Full of beans and lots of fun to play with. We enrolled in doggy school so that we all knew what to expect of each other, and Kensington is learning fast. She already knows how to sit, stay, down, get ready, play nice, and cuddle time. We are working on heel, come, and no barking. Right now she has too much energy and is still a little young to be walking to heel all the time, and excitement sometimes gets in the way when she is called. She also loves to bark at everything she sees, birds, dogs, squirrels, people, bits of flying paper, even the odd airplane, but she will get it eventually.

She also loves to retrieve things, shoes, magazines, socks, anything that is lying around. She doesn't chew much anymore, and she knows that bringing our shoes will usually get us to take her out walking - she is a VERY smart dog.

She has made doggy friends with some of the local dogs we meet at the dog park every day. She loves them all, big or small, and they seem to really like her too. She just wishes she could run off leash with them, but she doesn't know when to come back yet.

I have attached a photo taken last month of her.

June 3, 2011

Update on Disco

Disco, now Cisco, is doing very well. He's growing like a weed and keeping us entertained. He's probably 4X the size as when we got him. We're taking puppy training classes at Petsmart and he's picking up some basic commands and learning how to walk nicely on a leash. He's learning how to fetch a frisbee too.

June 3, 2011

Update on Salsa

Salsa is doing very well here. She is very sweet and energetic but also mischievous. I am guessing she is close to 30 pounds and I don't think that she'll get much bigger. She's quite petite. We love her dearly and she fits in with our family perfectly. She has all of her adult teeth I believe.

May 27, 2011

Update on Emma

I just wanted to give you an update on Emma. We adopted her from you on March 10, 2010. Her birthdate is somewhere around October 22, 2009, so she was approximately 4.5 months at that time. She weighed 28 lbs. She was 67 lbs when I weighed her last month.

I believe she was found on a native reserve and was not well treated there. She was extremely shy when we first got her. She has come a long way but I think she will always be somewhat shy and reserved. She loves her walks and she goes to the dog park every day. At first she would not play with other dogs at the park and would not leave our side but in the last month or so she actually has started to go up to other dogs and will go far away from us before she realizes she is too far away and comes running back. She gets along well with our other two dogs, RJ, who we adopted from Pawsitive Match a week before Emma and our 11 year old black lab, Ranger.

May 24, 2011

Tonka's Call For Help

I?m not sure why, but it seems the dogs that most need us, call to us from somewhere in the abyss. On May 13th we got a call to pick up some sick dogs. Rescuers headed out early in the morning and were able to rescue 3 small dogs from a puppymill. On our way home we decided to stop in and give a local school teacher dog food as she hands it out in the community to those who most need it. The plan was to stop in and head back to Calgary right away as all our foster homes were full and we didn?t have room for more animals. In speaking with her she told us about a house she thought might have puppies. We headed over that way to check it out and were told when we arrived that there were no puppies. However, there was another dog that badly needed our help.
Behind a pile of garbage, curled up and in excruciating pain we found Tonka. He had been badly beaten up by a pack of dogs. He had a 3 inch open wound on his head and puncture wounds all over his body, his neck was covered in blood and oozing puss from infection, and in some spots the muscle and tissue were hanging out. He smelled like death. Rescuers raced to get him into a crate before he took off. He was in immense pain and he screamed when we tried to ever so gently put him in the crate, but he did not he fight us or try to bite. We raced back to Calgary and arrived at the emergency veterinary hospital in the evening. We coaxed him out of his crate and into a run, no need for a painful examination, he needed to be sedated to be helped. He held his head low, but when spoken to in a soft voice he garnered the courage to wag his tail and leaned into his rescuer?s body as if to say thank you.

The surgery to repair all his wounds took 7 hours and he is now recovering under the watchful eye of veterinarians 24 hours a day. His temperature is low, he has multiple drains inserted into the wounds to relieve the infection and staples in his scalp. Bruising covers his entire body, which makes it painful to even walk a few steps to relieve himself so he has a catheter and intravenous pain medication. He?s not eating much, so the staff is hand feeding him. We will need a quiet foster home, experienced to clean his drains and someone who can take time and patience to help him heal. If you can foster Tonka or any other animals, please email Paula at foster@albertaanimalrescuecrew.com. We can only rescue a limited number of animals as our foster space allows, so please, if you can, consider becoming a foster parent. Even at discounted rates his veterinary bill has exceeded $3500, if you would like to help Tonka, please donate today.

We are so grateful that we decided to stop in on our way home and found Tonka that day - his call for help was answered.

Download tonka-pictures.docx

May 22, 2011

Update on Tiana

I just wanted to take a minute to let you know how Tiana ( now Ruby ) is doing. Ruby is doing absolutly fantastic and is such a sweetheart. Ruby and or other dog Jewel are now best friends, the cats on the other hand tolerate her. Ruby loves to give kisses, get cuddles, and loves to hear what a good girl she is. Ruby is a very smart girl. She is house broken now, and is doing really well at learning the basic commands.

The girls love playing tug of war, playing outside, and going for walks together. Ruby loves playing in her water bowl, she paws it, flips it, and my favorite is when she sits in it. Everytime I clean up the puddles of water from our floor, I tell her it is a good thing that she is so cute. Ruby is growing like a bad weed, on average a kilogram a week. She now towers over our three year old Boston Terrier. I already know that when she gets alittle taller that we are going to have to move any breakables out of her tail's reach, as her tail and bum are always wiggleing a million miles a minute.

I want to thank all of the volunteers at AARCS, especially Tracy and Anna for all that you have done for Ruby and our family. Ruby is a blessing, and brings our family great joy and happiness. That would not have been possible without the wonderful work you are all doing.

May 15, 2011

Update on Juliet

Update on AARCS Mama Juliet, now Cleo

Today, Simba and I went to the salon for a bath and I also got a bit of a hair cut.

Simba and I hang out all the time!

We were good boy and girl all week and Lise got us new toys at the salon. Simba got a big red ball (he lets me play with it too) and I got a pink soft and pretty lady dragon. I swing her around and she squeaks.

I gave Lise her second dead mouse yesterday! She made a funny face but I know she loves it!

May 14, 2011

Update on Button

It is unbelievable how Keira's (used to be Button) look changes every month but same beautiful eyes! Had her since she was 9 weeks old and she is now 5 months......doesn't seem that long, she has been an absolute joy to have around!!

Can send more once she grows more into her adult body, don't think she will be a large dog, seems petite. We ordered the DNA test through AARCS awhile ago, will be sending it in soon to see what exact breeds are in her. We are thinking mostly Shepherd & Collie.....but we could get a surprise lol!

Things with her and our family as far as working out couldn't be better, really couldn't! She makes it easy to care for her and she is mellow, easy going like us. When inside, she sleeps alot still, does alot of lounging with spurts of play. When outside, she is more energetic...a good balance.

Keira is smart, lets us know what she wants. She catches on quickly to commands but...can be stubborn when she doesn't want to listen as well, takes a little patience. Have to watch her weight, she loves her treats. She has been to the vets many times, stays there sometimes when we have to go somewhere overnight and can't bring her (vets have kennel boarding as well which is great!). Keira has made quite the impression with the vet staff, they like it when she comes to stay and tell us they've missed her when we bring her back. She is extremely lovable and cuddly.....a big suck!

Could write a book about Keira lol...we all have bonded with her, would be impossible not to. She is healthy, happy, content, definately bratty at times but she's our girl! Fortunate to find her through AARCS so she could be apart of our family, we are grateful! So......thank you for doing what you do to give these animals a chance to have what Keira has...rather simple for us to give our time and love, a home where they can feel like they belong. Thank you for letting us meet her and letting us adopt her!

May 12, 2011

Piikani's Story

Pikani is a young Great Pyrenees cross that was rescued as a stray. When rescuers found her, she had gotten herself stuck in wire fencing and was unable to free herself. It was like she knew they were there to rescue her and she allowed them to cut the wire off and carry her to the waiting vehicle.

Pikani is approximately 6 months old and at some point during her short life we believe she was hit by a car and suffered a badly fractured front leg, broken ribs and broken tail. Unfortunately due to the location of the break and the fact that she did not received medical treatment immediately after the accident the bones have fused together improperly and the leg is not repairable. This week she had her leg amputated at our partnering veterinary clinic (Marda Loop Veterinary Centre) and her wonderful foster mom Christine will see her through her recovery. Following her rehabilitation and recovery, Pikani will be available for adoption.

In the majority of cases, our minimal adoption fees do not cover the extensive medical bills we incur. Please donate today so that we can help more dogs like Pikani. Whether its $20, $200 or $2000 your contribution is essential to our work. Please consider becoming a monthly donor by clicking on the Canada Help?s Link on the right side of the home page.

From all of us at AARCS and Pikani,

THANK YOU!

May 12, 2011

Update on Doreen

First of all, I want you to know how so very pleased we are with our new forever-pal Doreen! What a great match for our family. We have renamed her Shadow, and she is already recognising her new name. She is settling in very well, surrounded by too much love and attention. ;) She seems really relaxed and happy. We've spent the first week with her going for bike rides to and from the childrens' school, exploring the dog friendly park, duck pond and river across the road from our house, and meeting lots of furry and human friends alike. She is so sweet and trusting, as you know, she's had no problems thus far making friends. Everyone falls in love with her instantly, as we did. You won't be surprised that her favourite thing to do is watch our gerbils play in their tank. I call it "gerbil-tv"! She has been quite good about it and quickly comes into line with a reminder, if needed ;) What a great dog we have in our lives!

Secondly, the whole adoption process was really wonderful, beginning to end. I really value how much interest you all seem to have in finding the right forever home for you animals. I felt the adoption questionaire was thorough and thought provoking...important for any new pet owner. Being able to speak with you and her last foster mom Brenda, learning as much as we could about Shadow's personality etc before making the decision to adopt her was priceless. Brenda, I know is a new foster parent, and I want you to know she was so open, genuine and encouraging. She showed true care for Shadow's well being and made a point to let me know all the important things about her and what to watch for. Like I say...priceless. She is a great addition to your adoptive family.

May 10, 2011

Pay It Forward This Mother's Day

On April 26, 2011 we rescued a very pregnant stray dog. She quickly learned that her foster mom was a great source of food, companionship and they bonded quickly. A few days later she gave birth to 9 babies in the comfort and safety of an AARCS foster home. Only days before she was on the streets with many other stray and unwanted animals. Where would she have had the babies? How would she have enough to eat to feed herself and soon 9 more little mouths, how would she keep them safe from predators? Her maternal instinct would kick in and she nurture them, teach them, and give everything she had. She would protect them with her life and give every ounce of nutrition in her body to keep them alive. Thankfully, a community member made sure she and other strays had some food and she searched for someone to help her find a home before the babies arrived. On April 26th this stray dog was rescued by AARCS, given the name Princess Leia and the life she once knew was behind her. She now has someone to care for her, love her and help her raise new family in the safety and comfort of AARCS care.

Every Mom wants to give their family the best they have to offer. This Mother?s Day please give to help mom dogs like Princess Leia. Leia and her 9 babies will be given the best care, vaccinated, dewormed and all will be spayed and neutered prior to adoption. The estimated cost to AARCS to raise and provide medical care for this family will likely exceed $3000. Please consider making a donation to help us help more animals like Leia and her little family.

May 4, 2011

$6000 raised at AARCS 1st Poker Tournament!

We would like to thank Tami & Wayne Rambow for organizing and hosting the very successful Poker Tournament! We raised over $6000 to help the many needy animals we care for on a daily basis. Thank you to all the volunteers who came out to help and of course all the players that made it so successful!

April 28, 2011

Update on Sabrina

Sabrina now Sadie & We are loving our new addition and I think she has transitioned very well. When we first got her she turned into Bambi when put on a leash but very quick she learned to walk with more ease on a leash and can now sit, stay, shake a paw, give high 5, lay down, and chase her tail on demand. She also loves loves loves the snow?I wish I could say the same.

She has made a couple friends, one out at a family members farm and another in Airdrie?so she is becoming a lot more social and likes to hang out with her friends and go for walks at the off leash park and play like crazy. She is full of energy and seems to love her toys now and carts them around everywhere.

Attached are a few pictures. We have had a great experience adopting through Alberta Animal Rescue and thank you sincerely for the work you do.

April 28, 2011

Update on Sook

Sook is doing great (we?ve since re-named her Zoe). She?s the sweetest dog in the world. I don?t think we could have found a dog more eager to please as she is. The work Brian and Corina (her foster parents) did with her has truly paid off, and when she came home with us, she couldn?t have been better behaved or more responsive to us. She?s ever-curious with a carefree lust for life, and she?s a fantastic playmate for her brother Zeus. They we?re in love the moment they met and have stayed that way ever since. I still can?t get over how gentle she is with everyone she meets, and yet she loves to play so rough with Zeus (he likes it too haha).

She?s still learning how to greet other dogs politely, but she plays quite well with them once they get going. She?s a little weary of loud noises and quick movements still, but not so much as to hinder her curiosity, and her jumpiness has improved since we first got her.

Her demodex had cleared up by the time we got her, though she was still taking antibiotics for it; I ?m happy to say that she?s been healthy and happy since finishing her antibiotics. No recurrence of any skin conditions that we?ve seen.
I have to admit I was a little worried about getting a second dog, with Zeus being the handful that he is; but Zoe has balanced the whole equation. I feel like she was meant to be part of our pack and I?m so glad we found her. We already love her so much.

I?ve attached a few pictures for your website, feel free to post them wherever you like.

Thanks for the follow-up. I appreciate everything you guys are doing for animals who deserve a second chance at life. Kyle and I have and will continue to recommend AARCS to all our friends :)

April 28, 2011

Update on Liberty

Things are going great, we renamed Liberty (her name is now Zaya, after Kurt's favorite rum :-) Everyone has settled in really well, we are almost done our class at Sit Happens! which she is doing really well at. The dogs play really well together, can't believe how well she fits in around here.

Thanks so much, we love her! I attached a picture of her at her favorite spot in the yard.... looking out over her kingdom :-)

April 28, 2011

Update on Piper

We are really enjoying the new addition to our family. We have renamed "Piper" Louie, and it seems to suit him quite well! He went for his first swim in the river this week, now that it is thawing out, and now he is hooked... he loves the water! We thought the adoption process through AARCS was very good, and appreciate the work of all the volunteers. AARCS has a very good reputation at our local dog park, and Louie has played with mant fellow AARCS rescues! I have attached a few pictures of Louie (out of the MANY we have taken), hope you enjoy them.

April 27, 2011

Update on Chili Pepper

Her foster family called Chili Pepper Kaylee, and Kaylee is what she is called here as well. She is a delight to us and a much loved and pampered pet here on the ranch. She took a few days to adjust; she doesn't love new experiences like some pups do, but she is very smart and figures things out. Once she realized we loved her and wanted her with us, she decided that she would stay with us. She is fun and funny and a constant source of amusement to us. She adores our older dog Bear and torments him as much as he will allow. I think she is good company for him too. She is growing fast, her legs are lengthening. She gets daily brushing and wallks, even though she loose and can explore at will. Both dogs like it when humans walk with them, so we do. One of the reasons I picked her is she sounded like she would stick around and not run to the neighbors. She never leaves our place. She tends to be shy, and over the summer will learn to ride in a car and walk on a leash in town, so she can meet strangers and learn not to be afraid.

April 23, 2011

Spay & Neuter Clinic April 2011

Click on the link to check out the pictures from the recent spay and neuter clinic. AARCS volunteers assisted The Alberta Spay and Neuter Task Force in fixing 157 dogs and cats. Good work team! Download spay-and-neuter-clinic--april-.pdf

April 9, 2011

Update on Church and Franklin

Thought I would let you know how things have been going with Church and Franklin (was known as Mufasa until we adopted him).

Church and Franklin have been getting along very well, since the day we brought Church home, and they have developed a strong bond.

They are inseparable and love being close to each other.
Church was and still is a bit fearful of strangers, especially men, but his confidence is bit by bit getting stronger. Franklin's calm and relaxed manner has definitely helped Church. The first couple of weeks things were going very well, without incident, but the more Church started getting attached to me, the more he got upset when I left the house to go to work. (he is always right next to me, follows me where ever I go, and just needs to have his body touch mine somehow, be it by leaning against my legs, or his head on my knee, or laying on top of one of my feet) And in spite of both of them having plenty of toys and bones to chew on, it was not enough. Church's separation anxiety was pretty bad for about a solid month, and he started becoming very destructive while we were at work. Our leather couch was chewed to pieces, each day a bit worse, and it didn't matter what all we tried. Our oak coffee table was also pretty much ruined (though we haven't replaced it yet). Bitter apple spray (was supposed to work like a charm but for some reason did not deter him even a little bit), moving furniture around so he could freely walk over to the window without any obstacles being in the way and look outside, even more dog toys and bones to keep him occupied, even longer walks than we had already been taking the pups on... nothing worked. Tried to use the gentle muzzle once for while I was at work, but Franklin helped him take it off immediately... (was too funny to watch!).
The one thing that did work a little bit was spraying the furniture with a vinegar/water solution... but even that only worked for about two days. There was never a problem when I was home with them in evenings and on the weekends, but unfortunately am not in a position where I can quit working... Well, the couch was taken to the dump, and was worried that Church would simply seek out another piece of furniture, and he briefly went after our wooden bench and damaged it pretty good too.
Putting him in a kennel was no option I was willing to explore. I could not put Church in one but leave Franklin the run of the house, yet Franklin was not causing any problems what so ever. Also, Church at 4 months younger than Franklin has already caught up to him in height and size, and for a big dog to have to be stuck in a kennel from 6:00 am until noon, and from 12:45 until 4:30 pm not being able to walk or move while his buddy is walking around just did not seem right, and I would not be able to do that to him. What ended up working was a peanut butter filled Kong for both of them! (what I give to one I must also give to the other..) I finally stumbled on the solution. I realize that the peanut butter has plenty of calories, but have adjusted the amount of their food a bit accordingly. Church is still a bit of a thief, and you have to be careful to not leave anything within reach on a counter or a dining room table while you are gone, but things have settled down tremendously. Both Church and Franklin are such an incredible joy to have around, and they are both such good natured, gentle dogs and simply awesome company. They are terrific on their walks and we couldn't ask for better when it comes to being around our young grand children, they are just the best. Anyway, here is a recent picture of them.
Thanks to all the volunteers at AARCS for the fantastic job you are all doing! You all deserve a medal!

April 2, 2011

Update on Rosencranz

We picked up Rosencrantz last night and my husband is beside himself and so happy (as we all are). He fits in to our family really well.

Thanks again to all of you for the wonderful things you do ? it is so wonderful!

April 1, 2011

Teamwork is the ability to work together toward a common vision.

?Teamwork is the ability to work together toward a common vision. It is the fuel that allows common people to attain uncommon results.?

Andrew Carnegie

23 animals came into AARCS care in 5 days! These beautiful souls needed our help and it takes a huge team of people to make it happen. Tuesday, March 15th would find two volunteers heading out on an emergency call. There were 8 puppies living in a trash bin. Their mom (a stray) would jump into the bin to feed them and out again looking for food. It wasn?t until someone noticed one of the pups had fallen out that they were even there. On the way to get this litter, another call received about a little stray dog who was found wondering the street, alone and very skinny. AARCS picked up the momma dog and her family of 8, plus the lone pup. All were placed in the safety of our foster home network.

Saturday, March 19th two teams would head out again. First team received a call that a man wanted to surrender some of his animals. Three hours later the team arrive, as they drove in the yard they could see all these little heads with bright eyes looking out from the doghouse door (a doghouse which we had provided to them in the fall). He surrendered 5 little puppies, who were then loaded into Grandma Vi?s lap in the cab of the truck to keep warm and snuggle. At the same time we were advised of a stray female dog in the area who had wandered into the town site looking for food. Thankfully the team was able to locate her as well and all were brought back to Calgary and placed to foster homes.

The second team headed out at another location, where we often find stray/homeless dogs. The team located a litter of 6 puppies and a 2 month old female pup, unfortunately their mom was no where to be found. We will continue to search for her, but for now, the pups are safe.

All 23 animals are now safe, warm, fed and receiving the love they all deserve in our wonderful foster homes. This amazing journey comes together with the help of so many people. Thank you to the rescuers, transporters, our foster home coordinator, foster homes and everyone else who keeps the engines running behind the scenes.

If you want to help, please considering donating to our cause. All of these animals will be vet checked, vaccinated and spay/neutered prior to adoption. The veterinary bills for these 22 animals alone will likely exceed $5000. We rely on the generosity of people like you to keep doing what we are doing. Consider becoming a monthly sponsor - click on Make a Donation on the right-side tool bar. It easy, quick and all donations over $20 are tax deductible!

March 30, 2011

Update on Nezer

I just wanted to give you another update on the puppy, we have named him Maverick cause he seems a little crazy...one man show :) He is still full of energy, gaining weight and happy.

I have attached a picture of him from last week, he is quite the cutie :)

March 28, 2011

Update on Starbuck

Well, Starbuck (aka Tank) is doing great! We just finished puppy classes and start more training in early April. We even met one of his brothers in the puppy class ? funny how he and Latte (now Levi) are so much alike.

Tank is now totally housetrained and is growing like crazy. He is a very smart boy ? everyone that meets him just loves him. We can?t believe how much he has changed since we brought him home in December. He just gets better looking every day. We are looking forward to lots of camping trips and hiking in the summer and may even look for some tracking courses since he seems to be quite efficient with his nose..

We?ve included an updated photo of him ? such a handsome boy! Thanks, AARCS, for putting us together!

March 25, 2011

Update on Jack

Hello AARCS team. I wanted to send an update on Jack. He is perfect and oh so handsome. We could not have asked for a better addition to our home of now 4 dogs. He is so gentle with my crazy girl dogs. Maybe his calm demeanour will rub off on them. Haha. Jack is big boy and he likes to sleep with us at night. He lays right between us and pushes with his legs...it?s so funny. One of our other dogs, Rosy, sleeps with us too. She isn?t sure yet about this big guy stealing some/most of her space on the bed and looks at us like we must be kidding.
Jack came to us having just had surgery on a torn cruciate ligament. Lucky, or not so lucky for us, we have experience with this injury as one of our dogs had this same injury just last summer. We are up to speed on how to help Jack recover fully so he can be the playful dog he is so missing being right now. For the next 5 weeks, Jack has to remain fairly calm. Not an easy task for a 2 year old lab but he?s doing so great. We go for 3, 10 minute slow and controlled walks a day so he can re-learn how to use his knee and put weight on it. We follow this up with five minutes of ice and a whole lot of love. After that 8 more weeks of no running at all...then finally by about the fall, he should be able to be at the park again as the healing is approximately 24 weeks. Crazy!! We feel like Jack was looking for us like we were looking for him. So glad we found each other. We are absolutely in love with him and couldn?t be happier to have him be part of our fur family.

Thanks for all you do.

Jen, Deryck, Jessie, Emma, Rosy & Jack

March 24, 2011

Update on Leny

Hi all I wanted to send an update on Leny, now named Dexter. We adopted him way back in July and I just thought I'd drop you a quick note to tell you how he is getting on! In a nut shell he is doing very well! We've had a few ups and downs with him as can only be expected but he has mainly been an excellent dog. I could have written we have never had any accidents in the house but only 2 days ago he pee'd on our rug for the first time ever?!! Oh well, dogs will be dogs and have accidents.
He is very loyal and respects us very well, he is a little timid of our daughter Isla as she has been learning to walk! We just make sure she throws the ball for him when she can and feeds him so he knows she is part of his family that loves him too! He is never far away from us and is very protective of her at the dog park which is what we like to see. It`s so funny the other day I was just remembering what it was like the first day we brought him home and how it felt so strange to have a dog in the house, now I can't imagine life without him. Like I said it`s not all been a bed of roses as some days with a puppy can be frustrating, but I totally love him to bits now and I am really starting to see such an excellent dog.

March 23, 2011

AARCS Supports Actions Speak Louder - Calgary

Their Mission:
ASLC is a volunteer-based campaign established by like-minded Calgary and area citizens concerned with animal welfare and the promotion of knowledgeable and responsible pet guardianship. ASLC advocates for the implementation of a municipal by-law in the City of Calgary that will ban the sale of companion animals on all public and commercial properties. ASLC strongly discourages against finding and purchasing pets online, and promotes the adoption of pets from rescue organizations and reputable breeders.

Proposed Changes to Current By-Laws:
ASLC requests that the City of Calgary adopt a by-law that will prohibit the advertisement and sale of companion animals (i.e., cats and dogs) on all public and commercial properties in Calgary. Exemptions to th by-law shall include adoption events that are approved by the Mayor or that are sponsored by or located on the property of an approved rescue group or rescue individual.

The Purpose of the By-Law:
1. The proposed by-law will eliminate a medium through which puppy mills sell their dogs and ?kitten factories? sell their kittens;

2. It will help to prevent the impulse purchase of pets in pet stores and elsewhere; and

3. It will allow rescue organizations and reputable breeders to fill the niche. Shelter adoptions will increase, and as a result euthanasia will decrease. Albuquerque, New Mexico, for example, has noticed a shelter adoption increase of 23% and euthanasia decrease of 35% since enacting their ban in 2006.

For information on where to sign the petition please visit:
www.actionsspeakloudercalgary.ca or find them on Facebook!

March 23, 2011

The Chet Dobson Marathon

JOE AND STEPHANIE?S TRIBUTE TO THE DOG THAT THEY LOVE

In July 2007 Joe and Stephanie Dobson were devastated to learn that their beloved 12 year old Lab-Husky cross Chet had a malignant tumour in his lungs. Chet had begun to cough up blood and the situation was critical. Two Calgary, Alberta specialist centres worked together to save Chet?s life. The Western Veterinary Specialist Centre performed the difficult surgery that removed the dangerous tumour from Chet?s lungs and the Calgary Animal Referral and Emergency Centre later gave Chet chemotherapy. The financial cost was high but the Dobson?s knew that Chet was worth it.

The time spent working with the specialists made Joe wonder about the people who could not afford the costs of having expensive medical treatments done to save their pets lives, and the devastation they must feel losing the pet they love. Could something be done to help these people and their pets? Joe decided to do something to highlight this important issue.

He registered for his first marathon. Less than two months before the Detroit Marathon Joe began to train. Joe ran the event, collecting prizes and raised over $5000 in pledges for ACTSS. Global Television produced a moving documentary about Joe, Chet and their cause. The story went national and donations rolled in from three different countries. Shortly after his marathon (once he could walk again) Joe held a prize draw for everyone who donated pledges to the Chet Dobson Marathon.

Chet recovered nicely from his surgery and underwent weeks of chemotherapy. The chemotherapy caused Chet and Joe to have good and bad days, but Chet met every challenge with enthusiasm and grace and was a favourite patient of the veterinary staff. Soon, Chet was done his chemotherapy, and got on with the business of being a dog who loved life. His next two years were filled with good food and walks, and of course belly rubs and the pets from favourite family members and friends.

On October 16, 2009 at the incredible age of 14 ½ years, Chet passed away surrounded by those he loved and who loved him.

March 20, 2011

Update on Rick

His first night he made quite a fuss, barking and whining in his crate. He has since settled down at night with minimal whining. I suspect this is still him getting used to his new home. This morning was the first time I woke him up for his walk, so I believe he is starting to settle in. Mark has been catching him through the day sleeping in his crate too, which I think is great! He does whine a bit as we leave him to go upstairs or sit in the front room with the cats. That ususally doesn't last too long.

I think he really misses having other dogs to play with. He can see other dogs out our back door in the off leash area and he starts crying sometimes. He is fascinated with the cats, but does get really excited sometimes and starts to bark and jump at them. Thankfully they are behind the baby gate. A couple of times they have been within a foot or so of each other, mostly when Clyde lays right down and puts his head on the floor just under the gate, then the cats feel less threatened. I think it's going to be a long process to get them all together, but I do believe we can train him not to bark and chase the cats. Wish us luck!

I have had a couple of really good loose leash walks with him in the past day, so that has boosted my confidence. Just wish it wasn't so icy, if he decided to pull, I'd be on my face!

Next step will be to get him into obedience, more for Mark and I than him, we are the rookies. I think he is very clever and will pick up proper training very easily.

March 14, 2011

Update on Rueben

ust wanted to let you know that ruben is doing amazing! He is such a sweet, loving dog. We go for runs at the dog park almost everyday and he is such a social guy. We adopted another dog (sadie) in august and they are very strongly bonded, he loves her to death! Thanks again for choosing us for him, we are all very happy.

March 14, 2011

Consider Adopting an Adult Mom Dog

Please read the attached poem dedicated to our mom dogs. We rescued Snoopy, Carling, Sierra, Sammy, Lila, Sunny, Miss Ellie & Mia (all available on our website) as unspayed female dogs trying their best to raise their offspring in terrible conditions or if they were lucky, they came to us already pregnant and could raise their young in the care of one of our foster homes. These young girls are wonderful and deserving dogs. Many have seen their pups come and go, however they too want a place to call home forever. Please consider adopting an adult dog.
Download it-is-my-turn-now-poem-for-mother-dogs.pdf

March 13, 2011

Another update on Sunny

Just a quick note to let you know that Sunny is doing just awesome here! It has been one week since we brought her home and she has settled in very nicely. She continues to open up to us more and more and we are seeing such a playful side of her. Sunny has become
my daughter's "reading buddy," at night and they are bonding very close. She has caught onto the routine of going to pick my daughter up at school and gets very excited! She is getting lots of excersize on the red earth paths along the Bow River here in Cochrane, and is walking very well on a leash. Sunny has also taken quite an interest in the squirrels in our back yard! I work from home so we both are able to talk lots of "walk breaks," and she loves to lay at my feet on a blanket, in my office at home while I work. She is a wonderful companion, such a warm and gentle soul.

We took her on Friday to Big Hill Veterinary Clinic for her Booster shots and she did great. Today we are taking her to Bragg Creek for a picnic! She is such a wonderful friend to our family and we are blessed to have her.

March 9, 2011

Update on Odin

Just to bring you up to speed on Odin?.

We went and saw him almost a week ago Friday. We adopted him almost instantly, we did go home and discuss it and by Saturday morning we were 100% sure. We called Mary and Joyce and told them we would adopt him. We had some running around to do that day in the City and decided to give the ladies the day with Odin.

We were concerned how stressed he would be on the move and going into another new environment right away, but when we put the leash on and got in the truck, he was great. He loved the truck ride home and once in the house, he was happy. We had a new bed for him and a toy basket that he found right away and decided to play with every toy for about two hours. We have two cats and a senior dog and he blended in with no issues.

He had no accidents in the house, goes for nightly walks and is eating twice a day. Our yard in large as our past greyhound use to use it as a racing track, so there is lots of room for Odin to run and play. We introduced him to my son on Sunday night when he got home from his dad?s and Odin took to him right away.

We are so blessed that Odin came to our family, he is a wonderful puppy that will be loved until he goes to rainbow bridge. Odin does not sleep in a kennel, he sleeps with us. We don?t like kenneling and feel that he is as important as our own children and therefore he has free reign of the house.

I could not be happier to have picked the perfect dog for our blended family and he has blended very well.

By the way, Odin looks like he is gaining some more weight, we will be making a vet appointment in Strathmore within the next week to have a look at him. Thanks for giving us the opportunity for loving this beautiful animal, as his life progresses we will be sending you updates as Odin may be going to Winnipeg in the summer with me J

What a trip that will be for him, beach, water and lots of room to play!

March 9, 2011

Update on Charlie

Charlie was pretty shy the first day that we brought him home, but he settled in after only one day. The next day he was playing with my nieces, wrestling with my brother's dog and walking around like he owned the house. He is fully house trained now and has learned how to fetch, sit and lay down...we're still working on recall.

Charlie's favourite things to do are cuddle, play fetch and gallop through the snow in the off-leash park. His least favourite things are going to bed and being left alone - he has discovered the art of jumping over baby gates and digging holes under fences.

We're so happy to have Charlie in our family! He's a real sweetheart and we're excited to watch him grow up (he gained over 10 lbs in the last month!).

Thank you for bringing Charlie to us!

March 8, 2011

Update on Zippy

Zippy is doing wonderfully and has many new friends. I have included some pictures of him then and now. We will stay in contact and thank Sarah and Dale for doing an excellent job preparing Zippy for a new world.

March 8, 2011

Update on Braveheart

Braveheart (now Mylo) is doing awesome! He has settled in really well in our family, and we couldn't imagine live without him! He is very smart, and already knows sit, shake a paw, lie down, crawl, and roll over! He is best friends with my boyfriend's dog Meesha (also rescued from AARCS) and he sees her almost every day. We've recently started to take him for walks on Nose Hill after he got his rabies shot, but since the cold weather has returned we can't take him on big walks as often. He's learning how to be a good boy on the leash, but it still needs some work. Mylo sleeps through the night perfectly, and was pretty much house trained when we got him! He has had a few accidents here and there, but what can you expect with a puppy? He has almost lost all his baby teeth, but still managed to have his top 2 canines in while his adult ones are growing in. Do you know if this should be a concern? We have been feeding him Orijen, and he likes it a lot and eats well. We weighed him today, and he is 39.4 pounds! He was 12 pounds when we got him, hard to believe! He's growing like a weed.

Thanks again for checking up on us! We absolutely adore Mylo and I think he is pretty fond of us too.

March 8, 2011

Update on Copper

Copper is doing wonderful. She has adjusted just fine in her new home and between her and my two other fur babies (cats) I'm only renting a space in their house...LOL She is still having some skin issues which she is on antibiotics for but other than that she's in perfect health. And we are working on potty training - she still has accidents when I'm at work but it's nothing major. She goes to daycare twice a week to get her socialized with other dogs but she really could care less about them.

March 8, 2011

Update on Kokanee

We are all doing really really well!! We often wonder why we haven't gotten a dog sooner....and then we come home to pillow fluff from one end of the house to the other! LOL, truly this has been the most awesome experience and we are so grateful to AARCS for making it happen. It was just so totally karma electrified the way it all worked out.

Kokanee is a joy to have in our lives and we are all learning something new everyday and enjoying every minute. Training is going really well, he actually has a swimming lesson tomorrow at the indoor dog pool! LOL, yep, we are officially "those" dog people! We are all anxiously awaiting spring so we can begin some agility training as well. He is a busy little boy, so keeping him entertained & exercised has been an interesting series of trials & errors, but we're getting there! Lucky for us, we have many friends & family with buddies for Kokanee, he's actually got quite few little girlfriend, our little stud :)

I cannot xpress how wonderful going through AARCS was, the foster family was lovely and the process so smooth! We tell everyone we know if they're looking for a dog (puppy or grown up) to definitely check out the website!

March 8, 2011

Update on Roo

Roo is a pain in the butt but loving him more and more each day he is 6 months old now and def into Chewing and barking lol but we are getting a hold of it quick, i must say girls are much easier than boys lol.

March 8, 2011

Update on Latte

Things are going well. Levi (aka Latte) has adjusted well to his new home and is growing rapidly! I enrolled us in puppy class and we are now more than half way through. He?s doing well on leash and I?ve learned a few other tricks to make sure that both of us are happy. We get out for a couple of walks each day, so both of us are getting plenty of exercise! I have emailed Candice (his foster mom) a few times since I picked Levi up before Christmas to let her know how we?re doing. I?ve attached a couple of pictures of Levi for you as well.

March 8, 2011

Update on Dale

Things are awesome here in Cochrane. Dale now Newman is more than settled into the house and has become a big part of our family. We love him!

March 8, 2011

Update on Wilson

Wilson has now become Winston. He's a great little guy (most of the time). Smart, he picks up on lots of tricks very easy. We are keeping fit now, have walked him every day since November (except maybe a couple during really cold days)... Took no time at all to house train him. His only problems right now are that he gets to jumping and nipping or biting at us sometimes... We figure (or at least it seems like) it's mostly around the times he has to go out for a #2 break or when he's tired. He also like to jump up at every new person he meets. he loves everyone!
He will start in puppy classes tomorrow, so maybe those will help with the jumping and biting. At least his teeth aren't as sharp anymore as when he was a puppy!
Here are some photos of him from the past little bit...
Thanks!

March 8, 2011

Update on Sadie

Sadie is fitting is great! Sadie and our dog are very best friends, attached at the hip! I will be sure to send off some pictures soon, I know we told Lee that we would make sure to keep her up to date, but we haven't sent pictures since December.

I don't think we have any questions, she is the best dog, we couldn't have asked for a better fit in our home!

March 8, 2011

Update on Zazzy

Lucy (formerly Zazzy) has quickly become a member of our family. The kids love her very much and we have a great time on our long walks at the off-leash together. Lucy is fully house trained now and goes to the back door to be let out. She likes to hang out in the backyard and watch the squirrels and the birds. She is six months now and we are working on her chewing but this will come with training. Hopefully our little girl's stuffies can survive the next while! Our kids have donated their birthday money to AARCS for the last few years and now they get to reap the rewards! We are very thankful to AARCS for giving us this gift and to Gina for taking such good care of her as a foster mom.

March 6, 2011

Update on Sunny

Our family just wanted to drop you a short note about the dog Sunny we brought home yesterday morning. She is so beautiful and she
has completely stolen our hearts! She is doing just awesome and has
adapted very quickly to her new surroundings. When we first brought her home she was so shy. My husband and I carried the crate into the house with her in it, and after about 15 minutes she came out and the rest is history!

She is eating and drinking well, and is playing around the house with
tail wagging and follows us everywhere. My ten year old daughter Candice and Sunny chase each other around the house and yard like rockets! We took her for a few walks yesterday and she was just great. We feel very blessed to have her in our lives.

Just wanted to say also, how great Sunny's foster parents where! Michelle and her husband made us feel very welcome in their home when we first came to look at Sunny on Friday evening. It was very evident that Sunny was loved very much at their home and cared for very well. They were also awesome when we came to get Sunny on Saturday morning, and helped so well with the transition from getting Sunny from the house and into our van. (Michelle's husband carried Sunny in his arms and put her in the kennel in van). They were wonderful in giving us lots of information on her too! This all helped with the adoption process.

What the AARCS organization does is truly amazing and Sunny has enriched our lives already. Thank you for giving us the opportunity to
adopt her and thank you for rescuing her. What a beautiful girl she
is.

March 1, 2011

Update on Lila and Lu

We are having great fun with Lila and Lu (formerly Miss Ellie - she needed to have a new name as Elly, our cat, responds to her name).

I have attached a few pics. Lila has been just great encouraging play and bringing Lu out into the yard for some "rough and tumble" in the snow. As you will see from the pic, Lu is great on the chase and romp plan now!

The first morning we had both dogs, they greeted me at the kitchen gate with noses up for a scratch and tails wagging. The kitchen is their home for now with gradual introduction to rest of the house and the cat. They have two beds in the kitchen that they like to sleep in during the day and at night. Meal time is calm with both eating large breakfast and supper.

They have both figured out the dog door and come and go when we are home. We have been on a bunch of neighbourhood walks on leash (my neighbour drive by and blow their horns to acknowledge the fun of our new pack - we have been long time dog people on our street). We are all really looking forward to warmer weather and longer walks - Lila and Lu are very happy when the leashes come out and we hit the road.

February 23, 2011

Rock Garden 2011 Event Highlights!

Download rock-event-highlights--2011-.pdf

February 22, 2011

Update on Lucie

Lucie is doing great! She is fitting in with the other dogs, loves going on walks now, as soon as she sees her collar she gets really excited! She goes in and out of the doggie door all day long & sleeps in her bed with Jade comfortably. We love having her in our family!

February 22, 2011

Update on Nezer

Just wanted to let you know that we picked up Nezer yesterday and made it home without any problems. So far he has been a very good boy, he got us up at 2:30 to go outside for a quick pee and again at 5:00. He seems to be a bit of a mommas boy, he just follows me around the house and is always looking for me if I am in a different room :) We just wanted to say thank you for getting us set up with him, he is adorable, incredibly smart and well behaved. We are still working on house training but I think he will get it pretty quickly once he is settled in and everything isn't quite so new.

February 18, 2011

Update on Deanna

Deanna now"Poppy" (because we picked her up on Remembrance Day) is a smart and funny little gal and it's hard to believe that she's 5 1/2 months old already! We already had a 4 year old Lab, Quinn, and he took over a lot of the babysitting. She would actually hang off his cheeks and ears with those shark teeth and he never complained. He brings her chewy toys in the morning, probably so she won't bug him all the time! But now that those baby spikes are almost gone she doesn't bite us so much! She is also now completely potty trained and barks at the door to go in and out. She's pretty good on the leash and rides in the car nicely.

Our vet thinks she's about 75% Lab and as she grows I see other types in her which is very interesting. She's a bit of an acrobat and can run like the wind. Poor Quinn can't keep up with her!

We can hardly wait for spring and summer which will bring new smells and sights for Poppy. It's been a brutal winter, but she loves the snow and will amuse herself in the yard for quite a while before she wants back in.

Adopting Poppy was the best thing we've ever done. I would do it again in a heartbeat.

AARCS does an awesome thing for those dogs.

February 18, 2011

Update on Becky

Becky is doing great! We are very happy with her. Becky is very bright and is getting along well with the cats, and has no problem with the horses. She is a different sort of a dog, but we are extremely pleased with her.

February 11, 2011

Update on Button

'Button', now named 'Keira'.

It had to be 'fate', Keira was meant to be with us. From the moment we brought her home, it's like she knew this is her home. She has been content, claimed her favorite spot to sleep/hang out under the coffee table... until she gets too big to fit under, loves to give kisses all over the face but has a thing for biting ears haha. Sleeps excellent at night, even will go back into her kennel after potty outside early morning, to go back to sleep, let us sleep in a bit. Our 5 yr old daughter, we have to tell sometimes to let Keira be because she is all over her, wanting to play but don't think Keira minds much as she soaks up all the love, we see the love back in her eyes/smile.

Got my snuggler! She loves to be close to us and if we leave the room, she often keeps her eyes on us or follows us, likes to be near where she can see us, think it's comforting for her, feel protected. Often when we lay beside her, she lays one of her paws on our arm....she can't be anymore loveable then she already is.

February 10, 2011

Update on Daizy

Thanks for checking up on us! Daizy, now re-named Maisie, is doing very well. She has settled in nicely at our house, and we love her dearly and can't imagine life without her. My other dog, Mozart, is still sulking a bit, but he is gradually coming to accept that Maisie is here to stay. I think eventually they will become good friends. We are making progress on the housetraining front, now that the weather has warmed up. Maisie HATES cold weather, and considers it a harsh punishment to go outdoors when the temperature is less than 0 C. It was pretty tough going during that long stretch of -25 C, but she is slowly getting the idea. I think it will be easy to get her reliably housetrained once spring comes. I don't think Maisie has ever been walked on a leash (I'm not sure she's ever been walked at all, in fact), but I think she'll love it when the weather is warm. We're looking forward to a really fun, active summer together. Health-wise, she's had a bit of challenge. She was quite overweight when I got her, so I put her on a strict diet. As she slimmed down, I noticed a mass growing in the fat on her ventral abdomen, just in front of her vulva. Close inspection revealed another, smaller mass deep in her right hind leg. I removed them both; the pathologists suspect the mass near the vulva is an oddly-placed mammary cancer, and the mass in the hind leg appears to be a second tumor that has spread from the first. Not very good news, but I was able to remove them both completely. I am optimistic that she is now cancer-free, but I will be keeping a very close eye on her in future. If other tumors arise, well, we'll just keep fighting the good fight! Thanks again for following up on her. She is a wonderful dog, and I am so happy to have her in my life. Thank you for the excellent work you do, giving great dogs like Maisie a second chance!

February 10, 2011

Update on Bronx

Bronx (or Watson, as he's now known as) is doing great! He has tripled his weight in the two and a half months I've had him, and is now a very active and brave 25lb, five month old puppy. He has been through puppy class with excellent results, and he is a favorite with my extended family and at the vet, where he often goes to work with my sister, his favorite babysitter. He did very well with crate training and travels extremely well, and his housetraining was relatively painless (we were mostly accident free after about 2 weeks). There are of course things that we're continuing to work on such as jumping up and walking nicely on leash - any suggestions are welcome! I am hoping to register him in beginner obedience at the start of March with Happy Tails Dog Training, the group that did our puppy class, where we will continue to work on manners. I can wholeheartedly recommend them by the way, if you are looking for classes to pass on to other adopters - they are patient, kind, effective and affordable.

February 10, 2011

Udate on Yoki

Yoki (her name has been since changed to Montanta ;) is fitting in quite well! She is loving the acreage life! Montana comes with me just about anywhere I go, whether it be barrel racing or a quick drive to the store or a friend's house place - not to mention all the puppy play dates! She is extremely bright and loyal - she comes when she is called and will follow me around the farm wherever I go with little to no ask from my part. If she is outside un supervised, she will not leave the immediate house area - even though she has 20 acres that is hers! She loves to just lie on the deck and watch the horses. Having said that, she does great in the house too with her little dog friend and two cats - but, if it's a nice day she isn't afraid of asking to go outside and play for an hour or so on her own ;)

February 10, 2011

Update on Ruby

Ruby is doing just fine. At 28 lbs she is about twice as heavy as when I adopted her. She will graduate from her "Precocious Puppies" class tomorrow night and in the opinion of a proud mother, she is the smartest one there! She still likes to chase the cat a little more than she should but never threatens or tries to hurt her. Once in a while they even share a little kiss. She is great with other dogs but still a bit leary of strangers and has developed a good-sized bark. She does get into things she shouldn't once in a while, but that should all be remedied with age and training. So all in all, everything is great!

February 10, 2011

Update on Paula

We are so happy that we found out about AARCS and were lucky enough to adopt Paula, who is now named Haylee. She is a wonderful, fun loving and smart puppy. Haylee has learned many things already and we anticipate that she will be a very well adjusted and behaved adult dog in time. She is fully house trained, sleeps through the night in her bed however doesn't always like to go into her day crate. She goes to our town's doggie daycare once a week for the day and loves to play with the friends she has there. They tell me she loves to play with the "big boys". So far, she has been a great addition to our home.

February 10, 2011

Update on Bean & Expresso

Mak and Chez (aka Bean and Expresso) are doing fantastic and our only regret is that they are growing too fast (45lbs now - at 4 months old)!! lol We sure enjoyed the puppy stage but are happy their bladders are bigger! We are so happy we got the two of them together and are looking forward to the huge companions they will become.
They are now teenagers and it is almost time to set up the second kennel we bought.

February 10, 2011

Update on Starbuck

Tank (aka Starbuck) is doing great ? he is getting huge! He is up to date on all his shots now and we have introduced him to the dog park and Bowdog. He loves socializing with the other dogs, and is pretty well mannered most of the time though some of the older dogs don?t appreciate his ?puppyness?. We have him scheduled for puppy classes through Clever Canines starting Feb 7th and we are continuing on with the training with their Core program after that. Tank is a great dog ? even though we originally wanted Cappuccino, it seems that this match was meant to be.
We have had a few issues of him peeing in his crate and the office where his crate is ? I mean walking in there during the day to pee ? so we are trying to figure that one out. He sleeps in there through the night without incident and eats in the same room so that seems unusual to us. Can?t be separation anxiety when I am home with him 90% of the time ? could be me missing his bathroom cues. We are going to address this at the puppy classes. Other than that, he is very well behaved. The cats are getting more curious and ?brave? but they still haven?t come right out to meet him. They sit about 4 feet away so I feel that it is only a matter of time until they figure out that Tank is more afraid of them (and their claws) than they should be of him!
I have included some updated photos of him from his first Bowdog experience ? he doesn?t even look like the same dog! We love him to pieces and are thrilled to have him as part of our family.

February 10, 2011

Update on Daisy

Daisy is doing great! She is such a wonderful addition to our family. She is growing a lot and starting to lose her baby teeth. Her last weigh in at the vet (about 3-4 weeks ago) she was 15.2kg. She absolutely LOVES being outside and going for her daily walk. She is learning her commands well. She has "sit" mastered and I have taught her "down" and "come". Those 2 still need a little work, but she is working on it ;). She does pull a lot while going for walks?She is so good with our son and niece as well. She loves for them to chase her around the house and backyard and barks when they get tired to come get her again. It's really cute.

February 10, 2011

Update on Dopey

Dopey (now named Cooper) is doing very well. He has adjusted quickly and is showing more and more personality as he is getting older and more comfortable. When we first got him he was terrified of men, strangers, and the outside world. He immediately attached himself to me and has been my little "Velcro" buddy since, following me wherever I go and showing more affection towards me than anyone else. He is overcoming his fears gradually by us giving him lots of exposure and he can now face unknown situations or people with more confidence and becomes comfortable more quickly. Cooper has been an extremely easy puppy to train. It took no time at all before he was sitting, laying down, crawling, rolling over, and shaking a paw. We are currently working on retrieving and healing and he is starting to master those as well, along with a growing list of commands.
Cooper is also amazing with children! He will play for hours with them and has never shown fear or anxiety around them. He is great with the cats, although it took some time for the cats to adjust to Cooper, he has been nothing but gentle with them ... although he does enjoy chasing them around the house, he will even "nose" them to make them run.
Cooper was the perfect addition to our family and we couldn't be happier. Without a doubt we made the right decision choosing this little guy and I couldn't imagine life without a dog now. We were also very impressed with the AARCS adoption process. We found it very easy and straight forward. Cooper's foster mom, Loretta, was great to deal with and so welcoming. We knew right after meeting her and her family, that the puppies in her care were well taken care of and loved. We have been keeping Loretta updated on Cooper and have sent her some pictures as he is getting bigger. When we feel the time is right to add another dog to our family we will most definitely consider AARCS again.

February 10, 2011

Update on Manhattan

Thanks for following up on Taylor (aka Manhattan). Everything is fantastic. We love having Taylor in our family. She is a sweet, happy puppy. As soon as we had the green light from the vet, we have been taking her to a doggy daycare facility during the daytime. She absolutely loves playing all day with the other dogs. The staff love her as well and often joke about stealing her from us. In the new year, we are planning on taking some dog obedience classes. So far, there have been no major issues. She is in good health, she is "potty trained", she is very good with her food, and she is very easy to train.

Overall, we are extremely happy with the adoption. We had a great experience with Taylor's foster mom, Loretta. We feel like we "lucked out" in finding the perfect dog for us.

February 10, 2011

Update on Brandy

I have attached some pictures to let you see how well Brandy (now Yankee) is doing. She has settled in so well and our older dog and she are inseparable. They share a bed at night although they have two. They walk shoulder to shoulder every evening and are outside playing together for hours. Both of the dogs are learning new tricks (touch and heel). Yankee has also learned sit, shake a paw, etc. Yankee is so relaxed and calming she even fell asleep at her last vet app't and kept our other dog calmer. Her first visit to the groomer was a huge success as it ended up being a puppy play time too.
We have told everyone we know what a great experience this has been. I have also been in touch with Dianne to keep her updated.

The picture where Yankee is covered in mud is after she and Sami had a bonding experience excavating in the backyard.

February 10, 2011

Donation for my Volunteer Work with AARCS

Hello everyone. I am fortunate enough to do a little bit of volunteer work for AARCS. Recently I found out that the company I work for would donate some cash for my hours spent. I had no idea and was extremely surprised to have $1000 dollars donated to AARCS today. Please, if you volunteer for AARCS ask the company you work for if they have a program such as this. AARCS is an awesome organization to have spent time helping out.

February 6, 2011

BDS - Black Dog Syndrome

Did you know, black dogs, especially big black dogs, such as Lab, Shepard and Rotti cross are usually the last to be adopted?

Did you know, in shelters black dogs, and cats too, are euthanized at a higher rate than other animals?

Did you know, this phenomenon is so common it even has a name: Big Black Dog Syndrome or BBD.

Possible reasons: Black dogs do not photograph as well, some people think black dogs ?look? mean or aggressive, and they tend to blend in, look ordinary and just go unnoticed.

Dena, Church, Kristi, Sabrina, ChiliPepper, Sammie, Ali, Salli, Rick, Barlow, Sydney are all black dog that have been waiting patiently for their forever home. Have you passed over them because they look too ?ordinary?? These dogs are far from ordinary and promise to give you unconditional love and companionship. When you look for a dog, please think about personality and temperament and consider giving a black dog a spot in your family.

February 6, 2011

Update on Nanook

It has been about 10 days since I picked Nanook up and brought him home and I just wanted you to know how everything was going.

His name is now "Teddy" because everyone who met him thought he looked like a teddy bear, and we decided to not go with the obvious "Bear"!

He has been at work with me a few times and justs lies quietly in my office--he attracts a lot of visitors to me! He is slightly more enthusiastic about going upstairs than he was at first, but he is fed upstairs so that entices him. He has been to the dog park, but I haven't let him off-leash just yet, although he moves pretty slowly and sedately and I don't think he would actually run away--it's just a bit too soon to test him!

He walks on a leash brilliantly, and sits and waits for food. Other dogs love him and he is so social without becoming overwhelming.

In short, he has beem wonderful to have around.

His foster family did a fantastic job with him, and I just wanted to say thanks to your organization as well as to Jill and Rupert who took care of him while he recuperated and adapted to an indoor life.

February 6, 2011

Update on Piper

Hi ladies, just wanted to drop a line and say thank you for all the fine work you do in rescuing animals who are not always in a good situation. Louis (we changed his name from Piper) is adjusting well to the Pugh house. There have been a few accidents, some crying in the middle of the night, and a whole lot of chewing going on; he loves car rides, and seems to do well around little kids, and loves to climb the hills out of the river valley close to our house . . . . so i think we can say he is adjusting nicely. I think he might even be starting to recognize his new name and everyone he meets thinks he is beaaaaaaauutiful.
Thanks again for your dedication to such a worthy cause . . .

February 2, 2011

Update on Timmy

I just thought I would send in a short update on Timmy AKA Mutley Crue (my boyfriend is a metal fan). Well we have a very happy dog on our hands. He's 4 months old, weighs in at over 40 lbs., and is growing like a weed! The vet suspects that he will be 130 lbs fully mature. He's also now fully house trained. He loves to wrestle with our older dog Levi, but the cat doesn't quite trust him yet, but still enjoys teasing him. I've been doing some agility with him since he's very brave, and the more he needs to use his brain the happier and more calm he is. So we'll keep it up until he can't fit in the tunnels anymore...which should be in a couple weeks! I've also taken him to the stables with me and he's good around the horses. Thanks again for your help and I'll send another photo when he's closer to full grown.

February 1, 2011

Newsletter - Winter 2011

Please feel free to print off and share. Download aarcs-newsletter---winter-2011.pdf

January 28, 2011

Update on Church

Well, we brought Church home last night!
He is so sweet!
Franklin and Church are getting along just fine.
We took them both on a nice long walk, and Church is awesome on the leash too.
I can foresee many many many nice walks and hiking trips in the future!
They play almost continuously together, and are rough-housing it like 2 little boys.
We did get some quiet time too, around 11:30 they decided they needed to sleep and settled down.
Around 4:00 am Church woke up and started pacing the floor a bit so I let them both out.
They came back in and slept until 6:00 when we got up. Played non-stop until 9:30 and are finally tuckered out again and are napping.
Am working from home today, but tomorrow we will give Church a nice 'bath' and for good measures will give one to Franklin too.

January 27, 2011

Update on Anna

I just wanted to pass along an update of Anna (now Belle) to you guys! Even though we adopted her only a couple of months ago, she is definitely a permanent and well loved part of the family. She is very gentle and loving towards us and very friendly with anyone she meets (especially kids). She enjoys cuddling and be close to her family, which we are happy to accommodate! Belle loves being outside regardless of the weather and her favorite activity is going to the dog park or doggie day care to play with other dogs and playing fetch. She is doing amazing at recall for still being a puppy, does well with the basic commands at home and has mastered ringing the bell to go outside.
Thanks for helping us in the process of adopting her. We have been watching the website in hopes that someone adopts Church soon. If he is anything like his sister, a family would be lucky to have him. Even though Belle is a "black dog", there have been lots of people at the dog park and in our neighbourhood who think Belle is the cutest and most adorable pup around!

January 27, 2011

Update on Desmond

We brought Charlie home at about 7pm last night, for the first couple hours he was restless, wanted to sniff everything and unsure with the yard.

Charlie did not like the crate, pen or twin mattress ? Charlie decided sleeping in our bedroom is where he wanted to be, So I moved a doggy bed beside my bed and he was fine. No accidents, totally house trained even knows how to ask to go outside.

Today, Charlie enjoyed the yard, going for walks and exploring the house. Charlie has his own chair in the living room, told him no couch, Charlie tested a few times and
just told him no and we are good. Had to tell him off the counters and he knows... lol...

Charlie is tired, busy day he is laying right beside me... he is my shadow. Charlie is a real sweetheart to everyone in the house.

Anyways, any time you would like to visit Charlie please come over... I always have Saturday and Sundays off, during the week varies as I work from home a lot, but do go out to see my customers.

Again thank you so much, Charlie is such an awesome dog!!!

January 25, 2011

AARCS T-Shirts

T-shirts are now available! They are on our website for $25, which includes shipping. They are $20 if you get them in person at an event. We will have them available for sale at the Rock Garden Dance being held on Nov 19, have you purchased your ticket yet?

Unfortunately, we do not have a location for pick up at this time. The shirts come in black and green. Both shirts have a large AARCS logo on the front and "RESCUE CREW" on the back (see attached photos). Available in small, medium, large, x-large, xx-large.

We are going to do pre-order/pre-pay for hoodies in the near future, we are just working on the design. Stay tuned for more details. If you have any questions, please contact Deanna at deanna@albertaanimalrescuecrew.com
Download aarcs-t-shirts.docx

January 24, 2011

Adopt an Adult Dog

Sadly, some people seem to think dogs that end up in rescues/shelters are there because they are bad dogs or have behavioural or medical problems. In reality, we often get dogs because they had impulsive owners who really did not have the time, energy or willingness to shoulder the responsibility required to be a good dog owner. Once the novelty of having a puppy wears off they end up in shelters and rescues like ours. Cute as they are, puppies are a tremendous responsibility and, with the busy schedules that most of us have, housebreaking, socialization, and training takes a lot of effort.

Dogs adopted in adulthood will bond to you just as well as puppies, and often better. They've been around, and if you provide them with a really good home, they'll recognize and appreciate it. And you will be able to assess their adult personality and fit into your household a lot better.

Other great things about adopting an adult dog:
? They generally sleep through the night!
? Already house-trained
? Older dogs have learned their manners (unlike puppies who still have to learn not to bite, jump and chew)
? Their energy level, temperament and personality are established

You truly save a life when you adopt an adult dog. You actually save two because we are able to go out and rescue another one right away. On your search for a new best friend, please consider adopting an adult dog.

Adult dogs are great, but you still have to be ready for a dog (adult or puppy). Please consider before getting a dog

? Commitment - some dogs live upwards of 15 years
? Financial commitment - average $1000 a year (food, vet bills, etc)
? All dogs need regular daily exercise and socialization (not just a big back yard)
? Dog are hairy and require regular grooming and you can expect additional house cleaning when you own a dog
? All dogs, like people will make mistakes. Learn to forgive and search for the root of the issue when a problem arises.
? Dogs are not disposable? please consider your life plans before getting a dog (having a baby, traveling, housing arrangements)

January 20, 2011

Update on Matilda/Isis

I wanted to let you know that we're loving "Isis" - she is doing extremely well. I've renamed her Bonnie or "Bon-Bon" - not sure where that came from but it seems to fit her somehow.
She is a wonderful addition to our world. She and Doo are starting to bond quite well. She goes with him to Dog Daycare twice weekly and they play together and with about 40 other dogs and of course come home tired and content. She is a warm, gentle love sponge; comical and a treat to have around. She now joins Doo and I on the couch for TV watching and from the look on her face I don't think she can believe her luck. As well, she has a cushy big comforter that she sleeps on beside my bed, which she also clearly just loves.
We are trying out "Disk Dogging" and she loves the frisbee; so we'll see if we can have some fun with that.
Her rough coat has turned to satin - probably with indoor living and the benefit of regular healthy meals.
Anyway, thank you for being her foster home and giving her such a great start on a new life.
We couldn't ask for a better addition to our home.

January 15, 2011

Update on Cooper AKA Dopey

Cooper is doing very well and growing like crazy. He is just shy of 25 lbs now but his head and tail seem to keep growing and growing. He is a lot of fun and very well behaved. He has just started to become a bit mischievous which is keeping us on our toes!!

Cooper absolutely loves squeaky toys (have gone through a couple of them already), sleeping on blankets and his dog bed, and food ... Maybe he likes food a little too much but he does sit politely until he is given his command to eat it.

We are currently working on going for walks and socializing him with strangers. He is great with kids, cats, and people he knows but is still very unsure and timid around adults he doesn?t know. He also does not like going for walks because he is very unsure of his surroundings but he is slowly getting better. Once we get him outside now he seems to have a little more confidence and seems to enjoy smelling everything in sight. He is still not comfortable enough to go to the washroom on his walks but we are hoping he will eventually get there!

I have attached a few pictures. I also want to thank you and AARCS for the perfect addition to our family. People tell us all the time how special of dog we have, and I have to agree. He is the sweetest, most well behaved pup and super smart.

January 13, 2011

DNA'd Bobby from 2009 Adoptions Page

Hey everyone,

This is Bobby AKA Niko's Mom here!!! We thought it would be neat to get Niko DNA'd and we just got back the results.
We thought for sure he was a German Shepherd/Australian Shepherd X but boy were we off!!!

Here's our puppy's make up:

Boxer 3
Dachshund 4
English Setter 4
Labrador Retriever 4
Pug 4
Rhodesian Ridgeback 4
Siberian Husky 4

Level 3 = 20%-36% of the listed breed(s), usually coming from a grandparent
Level 4 = 10%-20% of the breed DNA, usually coming from a great grandparent

This just goes to show you that with the 'mixed' breeds they truly are a MIX, hehe!!

Niko just had his 2nd birthday and he's still going strong! He's a ball-a-holic but we're working on it, hehe. He have lots of funny with his brother Dash and he's now best friends with one of the kitties, Stinkers.
He also just got a new 'human' brother that he loves greatly and can't wait for him to grow bigger so he can play ball with him.... obviously, hahaha.

That's all folks! Thanks for checking in!!!

January 12, 2011

Vote to help Rescue for Life

Our friends at Rescue for Life are in 3rd place and need your help. Please vote so they can win the $25,000 grant to build help spay/neuter and education programs.

Check out their video and pictures at:
http://www.refresheverything.ca/rescue4life

and VOTE, VOTE, VOTE!

Contest ends Feburary 28th.

January 10, 2011

Update on Chip

I am Chips mom. My husband and i adopted him back in aug or September. Chip has a new name now and it is Rondo, he likes his new name. Rondo has made amazing stride in his confidence and his personality. He is such a good boy and he is very loyal and full of affection.
Romie, his sister love to play rough and he is very affectionate to her too. They kiss and cuddle and love each other so much.

Rondo is our over sized teddy bear and we cannot imagine our world without him. He loves the dog park and playing in the yard.

Thank you so much for rescuing him and taking care if him.

From the Kennedy's
Jay Jackie
Romie & Rondo

January 4, 2011

12 Dogs of Christmas

Thank you to foster mom Rita for taking in this family of 12 right before Christmas and to the volunteers who have come out to help her flea bath the babies! Miss Ellie and her 11 babies (Elf, Boots, Mittens, Tinsel, Figgy, Puddin, Twinkle, Nezer, Bumpus, Steve, Zuzu) will spend the next couple of month growing and having fun and momma Rita's house until they are ready for adoption.

From Ellie:
I was a stray that made my way to someone's house and had my babies under their front porch. Rescuer's learn that I was there and went pick me up. My babies were born about December 14th. Rescuers came and a nice little boy at the house went under and stole all my babies...least I thought so!!! Then they put food in a thing called a trap and bang I was in there like a shot because there was FOOD there...Well guess what, it was not so bad because they kept giving me food, put me in a crate with a blanket and returned all my babies too me. I think we got real lucky that cold day. See it had been real cold & it was so hard to
keep warm, I held my paw up it was so cold. Also I have real short hair and not any fat so I was lucky not to have lost any of my babies. So off we travel to the big city and a BEDROOM!!! It had more FLEECY BLANKETS, WATER, FOOD, GOATS MILK, HEAT & RADIO!!!! This sure beats a cold dark dirt hole!!!

The two boys dog that live here are okay, but I get the feeling they wish we were not here. I have gone for walks with them ....good thing the dogs I used to hang out couldn't see me tonight!!!! I had a blue sweater on and red boots!!!! What IS this world coming too!!! It's always back into a nice warm house, lots of food, water, pats and clean dry beds.

January 3, 2011

Nicholas Patton Birthday Wish.

The entire crew at AARCS would like to say a HUGE thank you to Nicholas Patton for requesting for his birthday that his friends bring a donation to AARCS instead of gifts! You are an amazing little man Nicholas, thank you very much from all of us and of course from all of the animals who will be helped by your donation of $165!