These are some of the successes SAD has had in the past.

 

If you want your story to be here please send it along with a picture to pulrossie@sympatico.ca

Hektor

We have a wonderful addition to our family.  Romeo now answers by the name of Hektor and has been with us now for almost 2 months since the adoption.  I was anxious at first about adopting a larger breed, but having gone through this experience with Hektor I'd never look at adopting a small dog again.  Larger dogs make better pets!  He's so wonderful with our children ages 7 through 12 and is very kind and gentle.  Surprisingly quiet as well.  Thank you SAD for taking good care of him!

Shadow and Athena

Here is a picture of Shadow (Brian) We adopted him this summer from SAD and has settled in seamlessly with his "sister" Athena who we adopted from a local breeder a year ago this fall. Shadow is now 7 months old weighing in at 45 lbs and loves to run in the backyard and is a very cuddly affectionate suck. We love him very much and are very thankful to SAD for being there to take him in long enough for us to spot him and give him his forever home.

 

Petra

We adopted Petra after being in Elliot Lake for only 2 weeks.  I was looking for a small breed female lap dog and I knew I didn't want a puppy.  I wanted to give an adult dog in need of a home a second chance.   I saw Petra on SAD's website and decided to take a look.
Petra had some issues when we adopted her like spinning constantly, not housebroken to go outside and some food aggression. SAD was honest and upfront about those issues.  We felt those were minor issues that we could deal with.
In 2 months she has decreased the spinning to only when she has to go out. She is housebroken, loves the outdoors and her walks and the food aggression with humans is non existent.  She will growl at her brother a 135lb American Bulldog who will not go near the food bowl until Petra "the Princess" is finished.
She loves people and especially children, she is the social butterfly in our neighbourhood.
Petra is the perfect lapdog, gives kisses freely and all in all I'd say she has fit in very well with our family, even Skippy our African Grey Parrot likes her and constantly tells her that she is a good girl.
All 3 of our babies were rescue pets, it has been a rewarding experience to watch the changes that take place over a short period of time.  I would urge anyone looking for a pet to consider a rescue and I highly recommend SAD, the staff are wonderful and we've had a very positive experience.
My husband and I love Petra.

Benji

This is Benji. A Havanese mix breed. We adopted Benji from SAD in April 2010 when he was not quite 2 years old.He was adopted as a companion for our 11 year old Lhasa Apso but proved to be a little too active for her.When we adopted Benji he was shaved down and very hyper and liked to dig in the yard.As it turned out we were the 4th owners of Benji as people apparently found him hard to train. Since his arrival we have let his fur come in full coated and he is nothing short of a handsome prince ( or so we think). He is a very affectionate, loving and intellegent companion who has settled down and we found quite easy to train as we feel he just needed to be with other animals for companionship as some animals do not like to be alone. He is definately a heart stealer ( as he certainly has stolen ours ) and a keeper that we would never part with. This is his forever home.

 

Teddy

This is Teddy ( AKA Teddy the terrible ) We adopted Teddy in August 2010 as a play mate for Benji.Teddy was just 5 months old ( what were we thinking of ) He is a Shitz Tzu mix ( and we think the mix is Tazmanian Devil ). He and Benji got along like a house on fire from the minute they saw each other and are best buds.He also was shaved down and looked so sad but has since turned into a handsome toad ( not quite a prince yet but working on it ) He has managed to chew his way through our home ( window sill, coffee table, wicker furniture, every kleenex or scrap of paper he can find,and my husbands false teeth ( yes folks you are reading right - husbands false teeth ) and last but most importantly our hearts.But despite his shortcomings he is also a keeper and we wouldn't trade him for anything.This also is his forever home.

 

Chas

7 ? months ago my husband and I were dealing with the devastating loss of our beloved Rottweiler Yogi.  John and Catherine Sewell, having been a source of comfort and understanding, informed us about another Rottweiler, Chas, who was trying to cope with his own loss.  With his owner suffering from terminal cancer and with no one to take on the care of him, Chas found himself at SAD.  John asked us how we'd feel about fostering this older guy knowing that it had only been a month since we'd lost our own 9 year old Rottie.  We agreed to go and meet Chas the next day.  We had to go to Sudbury for a medical appointment so we stopped in at SAD on our way.  In the kennel, looking out at us with the saddest eyes  was the unhappiest dog I've ever seen.  It broke my heart to see him.  We said we'd pick him up on our way home that night.  The rest, as they say, is history.  Chas quickly became a member of the family.  Never having seen cats before he was absolutely fascinated with our two girls and they not so much with him.  Now we're all one big happy family.  Chas accompanies us almost everywhere we go and is a constant source of pleasure, comfort, joy and laughter.  He helped us to move through our grief at the loss of our treasured friend and I'm positive we helped him get through his.  I can't emphasize enough how much fostering an animal can bring joy and happiness to the human and the animal. 

 

Cookie

We adopted our little Cookie monster in the fall of 2008. Our daughter had wanted a kitten of her very own and when we learned that SAD had quite a few and needed help findnig them homes we decided that this was the perfect oppertunity to both make our daughters wish come true and also help SAD at the same time. When our daughter saw Cookie it was love at first site and we happily brought her home. Our older cat Rusty wasn't all that impressed in the begining but sure enough he eventually gave in and was charmed by our Cookie's quirky habits. Cookie is such a funny cat. She loves to talk and have her belly rubbed and our daughter and her are the best of friends. Thank you SAD for making our daughters dreams come true, you are an amazing organization!

Jasper

Our little Jasper was a surprise edition to our furry family. It all started when the call went out that SAD's shelter was full to overflowing with cats and that they needed temporary foster homes in order to free up space. We gladly stepped up and took three cats into our home until SAD had more room. Jasper stole everyone's heart pretty much from the moment he walked in the door and after only a couple of weeks we just couldn't imagine life without him and adopted him then and there. Jasper is the most easy going fellow who loves to have funny conversations with my husband each and every morning. His nickname is 'Sweet boy' because he is exactly that. He is so affectionate, loving, and such a character at times! We never imagined that opening our home to a few cats in need on a temporary basis would lead to finding this precious boy to share our lives with! Thank you so much SAD!

Thunder

When the animal control officer walked into SAD with Thunder my heart shattered into a million pieces. This poor dog was so afraid and in such bad condition that you could see the pain clearly in his eyes. Thunder's fur was matted so badly that he couldn't walk properly and he was so under nourished that his bones were sticking out everywhere. Over the next few weeks I spent hours with Thunder trying to work the matts out of his coat, laying with him in his kennel and just spending time together. Thunder and I formed a very special bond and slowly but surely I watched as his health returned and his confidence grew. There was a new light in his eyes and his love for me shone through in everything he did. It became clear that he and I were meant to be together and that is what we've been ever since.

Thunder is such an amazing friend with the funniest personality I've ever seen! He has the soul of a clown and keeps me in smiles and laughter every single day. He is so loyal and loving and doesn't let me too far out of his site or for very long. He's such a good boy and so very, very smart! He loves to play with his 'baby' (a stuffed squeaky bone) cuddle up with me and go for long walks where he stays right by my side off leash. Thunder has been an absolute blessing and I believe that we were destined to be together.

If it weren't for SAD I don't think it would have been possible for me to experience the level compassion, love, care, patience, acceptance, and trust that I have with this beautiful boy. Thank you SAD for being there, for helping so many animals in need, and for giving so much to the community, my life is forever changed because of your organization.

 

 

Jax & Deliliah

 

In February of 2007 we became the proud parents of a 3 month old Shepherd mix named Jax whom we adopted from SAD. Our first year together was full of love, fun, and a lot of learning on all of our parts! Jax brought so much joy to our lives and in February of the next year we decided that it was time for him to have his very own friend. We went back to SAD and fell in love with a beautiful 6 month old Chow mix named Delilah. Jax and Lila hit it off from the very first second they met and have been attached at the hip ever since! I cannot express the joy they have brought to our lives and cannot imagine one single day without them. Thank you SAD for everything you have done and continue to do. Without you we wouldn't have the honor of sharing our lives with our constant companions, the loves of our lives, and our forever friends.

Winston

When I adopted Winston, he was all smiles and wanting to rub up against me, until he was put into the carrier. Then he started crying and looking all sad because he was going somewhere new and leaving his friends, that he was watching over. When he came home with me, and traveled in the car, he didn't cry he was curious on where we were going, but as soon as we got home, he bolted out of the carrier and for the closest spot where he could hide. Which was behind my dads laz-y-boy chair. From there he went and hid in different parts of the apartment, where I couldn't see him. To the point where he hid in my closet, on one of my canvas duffle bags, where he slept till I coaxed him out with some snuggling, brushing of his fur and some food.

Since then, he liked snuggling with my dad, to the point where Winston would stretch out on his back like a baby, while my dad held him and would fall asleep. Winston loved both my dad and me equally, especially if I went to do a few errands. He would stick around my dad until I got home and sat at the door when I came through, and waited until I got my boots or shoes off, till he could start to talk to me and investigate the bags and sniff my coat to smell where I went. Winston was timid of newcomers into the home, until he came out and saw the different ones that came to visit. He really liked my dad, due to unforeseen circumstances, my dad died, and Winston has been snuggling up and talking to me more than ever. Especially at 5 o'clock in the morning.

Winston loves to explore his new surroundings, whether we go to visit family or our new home. He also likes to look outside, whether its through the backdoor so he can see the world or through a window that is wide enough for him to lay down in to look outside. He also likes to sit in a human seated position to clean himself, or in my opinion, like Buddha, just to look cute, on one occassion I caught him headbanging to a wrestling show I was watching, it wasn't that he was having a seizure or other nervous tick that caused him to head bang, but he was trying to dance. Like we usually do, when I listen to music. Trust me, Winston doesn't know that he's dancing he just figures I'm nuts and that he gets to stretch, when we're dancing.

Winston isn't as timid as he was before, but he does hide from time to time, when people come over, but he does come out to see those that have come over, at least once before he goes back to his hiding spot. He has two little friends that love him. My cousins two little boys, that always tried to sneak into the room, to see Winston and play with him. Even though I had to keep reminding them to be careful with Winston and remind them that he's going to go take a nap, when he goes into his hiding spot. They listened and let him go do whatever Winston wanted to do, from taking a nap to walking around to eating, whatever it might be. Since then Winston isn't afraid of being around my cousins two boys. He's grown alot, personality wise, from the time I brought him home. He's one of the best fury companions I've ever had. So thanks S.A.D. for letting me find Winston!!!!

 

Odin & Abby

I wanted to send you my sincerest gratitiude for everything that you do to help find loving homes for animals. My husband and I adopted our two beautiful cats. Odin, the black furry cat, was adopted in September 2005 and Abby, the cute pudgy ginger, was adopted in June 2006 so Odin would have a playmate. They definitely have their own distinct personalities and bring us more joy than we could have imagined. Although Abby didn't have the greatest start in life and the staff at S.A.D wasn't sure she was going to survive, she is extremely healthy and has no medical problems all in thanks to you guys. Odin and Abby now live in Guelph Ontario and love spending time together, looking out the window and watching all the birds that fly by. Thank You S.A.D for allowing us to adopt these wonderful cats and we look forward to adopting more playmates for Odin and Abby in the future!!

Bailey and Oakley