Success Stories

BUTTONS ARMSTRONG & NATASHA CRICK

I have adopted two wonderful dogs from the SPCA over my life time. The first was a rotti/x that

came from a litter of puppies left on the door steps of the Brantford SPCA when they where less then

two weeks old back in the 70’s. Out of the litter of ten he was the runt. He was so tiny I brought him

home in my shirt pocket. I had to put a bell on his collar so we could find him when he went exploring

in the house. I always thought that he was the lucky one because out of the litter he was the sole survivor.

As it turned out I was the lucky one. I was blessed with 18 years condition love, loyalty and protection

not just for me as I was growing up, but for my handicap Mother when she ask me to let him stay with her

has my life went on in a new home. He became her live line in his later years. As our lives changed so did

his roll in the family. When I became a Mother he also took on the roll of almost a nanny for my sons.

He stayed with them as they played out side and protected them from not just outsiders but from

hurting themselves at play. He was loved my three generations in our family. Which each one his jobs

may have changed but his care, love and loyalties only grew larger with each person. He taught me more

in his life then I could ever have taught him. Buttons Armstrong was a dog that will never be forgotten as

long as my children and I are still around.

The second dog I adopted from the SPCA was a lab/x in the 90’s that was placed in the pound because

she was unruly, was always in the garbage, not good with children, couldn’t be housebroken. My

dearest sweetest best friend in life talked me into adopting Tasha. See the problem wasn’t because of

what they had written on her card, but it was that I was scared to death of labs. As a young girl my sister

and myself where mauled by two labs. We where both badly injured, her more then me physically and

emotionally since she had always been afraid of large dogs. I had jumped on top of my sister in hopes

that the dogs would stop because I had no fear of dogs and I new the dogs. I didn’t realise that if a dog

is trained to do things like that even if you know them they would still attach.

I thank god everyday that my friend talked me into saving Tasha from being put down. She was going

to be done the day we had dropped by the SPCA. She was the most wonderful surprise in my life.

She was always happy. Her tail never stopped wagging even up to the day her past away. She

showed me that never judge an animal by past experiences. Over the years she became my best friend

and caregiver. She saved me one night from an attacker by jumping through a screen door help me.

That was the one and only time over her life she ever bit or attached anyone or anything. As the years

past by I realise how much I had become dependent on her. I am permanently disabled due to M.S.

now and over the past few years as I was trying adjust to the changes she was the greatest help and

support to make it through. She went from being a mommy figure for my other dog to a companion to

everyone in the family to being a caregiver to me when there was just me and dogs left living at home.

It all just seems to come so naturally for her. Each change in my life style was made easier by her.

She was so in tune with me that just by the way she greeted me in the morning I could tell what type of

day I was going to have. She had no formal training, but she could tell before I could if something

was going to go wrong. Her instincts where right on the nose.

I had found out after her passing that she had probably been sick for some time but she had never shown

it to me. I had a very rough year this year and now all I can think of is how hard it must have been on

her. It was as if she waited for me gets better before she let me know how sick she was. In her passing

I held her in my arms and thank her for being my best friend. I have missed her everyday since she

past my sense of safety, security and independents was lost with her. My life seems lost without her.

So for anyone out there that thinks you need a formally trained dog when your handicapped

just stop and think maybe your true caregiver can be found at the SPCA. They seem to find us.

Thank-you Sandra Crick

*ABBY a.k.a. FANG* This a picture of Abby AKA Fang. She is in her new home and she has taken over the sunroom. She looks out over her garden and watches the kids go to school and play behind her yard at the school. Unfortunately she needed to have dental work done, and lost all but 5 teeth, but is feeling much better for it now and eats just about anything. She has had a hard life and I think she is doing much better in her new life. She loves treats and to be brushed... she even tries to use the brush on herself if she can rub against it. Abby is very vocal and has been heard by more than her owner to call... halloo, yes really. All the folks there at Brant SPCA thought that Abby deserved a chance at a new home and kept her for more than 6 months. She wants to thank you and so do I as she is my first cat, but probably not my last. She is very well behaved...but that is probably because she is a senior. about 8 years old. I hope she will be here many more years in her new home. Thanks again, Janice Sanderson and Abby. PS...she loves to be warm and the vet said she lost the tips of her ears to frostbite at sometime. Now she has a fireplace and a cozy duvet, so she appears to be very happy.



*THANK YOU FOR MADDIE* Hello to all the special helpers at Brantford SPCA. I wanted to let you know that we have adopted Maddie the black lab cross that was at your facility. We were looking for a for a Shepherd X when you first introduced us to Maddie. We didn't get her because she wasn't what we thought we wanted. Several further visits to your SPCA and no suitable Shepherd but still Maddie was there, happy as ever. I couldn't get this pooch off my mind... so we decided to see her one more time. Maddie had been transferred to KW SPCA due to space requirements. In a panic we drove to KW - sorry no adoptions tonight - it's too late. So back the next day and Maddie was ours. Maddie is a very high energy gal so the farm is just the place for her. The first two days all she did was run and run and run. Now she goes for her daily blast around the back 10 acres and is back for breakfast. We don't have to tie or lock her up while we are working around the farm. She's never too far away, usually with her nose to the ground looking for a rabbit. Best of all Maddie is great friends with our other dog Jazzie. Both are totally black and about the same size. They play and run together with such enthusiasm. When they run past (always at full tilt) you can only tell them apart by their collars. Thank you introducing us to Maddie and keep up the tireless work that you do for our four legged friends. It does make a difference! Sandra Scott



*SHYANN* We adopted Shyann last weekend from the Ancaster Petsmart. We wanted her so bad that we were willing to pay more just to get her (the Brant county SPCA was closed when we saw her - we had to come back the next day). We took Shyann home and she is adjusting so well! She is getting groomed everyday, and is a talker too. As soon as she sees me or my husband she meows or "talks" to us (especially if she wants a treat :) or love (which she gets plenty of). We were proud to be able to help Shyann and give her a new life in a loving home. Steve and Christina Sanger Hamilton, ON



*BELLE & PERCY* The brown bunny is Belle. She was adopted form the Brantford SPCA on November 10th, 2002. She had been at the shelter for a few months (I think). She came to the shelter after she was left in a cage on someone's front porch on Wilkes St. Belle is a very sweet girl, I call her my little princess. She loves attention and particularly being rubbed behind the ears. She enjoys playing in boxes, knocking down paper towel tubes and playing chase. She's a free range bunny now and loves running around and acting silly! Belle was very easy to litter train, within a week she was using her box. Shortly after adopting Belle, I realized I couldn't spend enough time with her, she is very loving and seemed lonely, no matter how much time we spent together. In less than a month Percy (the white bunny) came to live with us. Percy was picked up at the side of a road by the Burlington SPCA; they eventually ran out of room for him but before putting him down called Rabbit Rescue (www.rabbitrescue.com) who found him a foster home in St. Catherines. I saw him on the internet, and went to get him! It took about a week of introductions before Belle and Percy were bonded and after that they've been inseparable. They do everything together; sleep, eat, play and - this sounds silly - but they each have their own litter box side-by-side and quite often they "sit" together. They also groom each other and snuggle up. They're really cute to watch. I would highly recommend rabbit owners have two bunnies instead of one. Paired bunnies don't get bored like single bunnies and are therefore much less prone to getting into mischief. Belle is enjoying her new life at my house with Percy. Although she has been through some trauma - my house caught fire while I was at work back in June. The Brantford firefighters (who I can't say enough good things about) rescued my bunnies from the fire. She's a lucky girl !! And I am very lucky to have her. Lorraine Gavloski Brantford, ON



*BUTTONS ARMSTRONG & NATASHA CRICK* I have adopted two wonderful dogs from the SPCA over my life time. The first was a rotti/x that came from a litter of puppies left on the door steps of the Brantford SPCA when they where less then two weeks old back in the 70’s. Out of the litter of ten he was the runt. He was so tiny I brought him home in my shirt pocket. I had to put a bell on his collar so we could find him when he went exploring in the house. I always thought that he was the lucky one because out of the litter he was the sole survivor. As it turned out I was the lucky one. I was blessed with 18 years condition love, loyalty and protection not just for me as I was growing up, but for my handicap Mother when she ask me to let him stay with her has my life went on in a new home. He became her live line in his later years. As our lives changed so did his roll in the family. When I became a Mother he also took on the roll of almost a nanny for my sons. He stayed with them as they played out side and protected them from not just outsiders but from hurting themselves at play. He was loved my three generations in our family. Which each one his jobs may have changed but his care, love and loyalties only grew larger with each person. He taught me more in his life then I could ever have taught him. Buttons Armstrong was a dog that will never be forgotten as long as my children and I are still around. The second dog I adopted from the SPCA was a lab/x in the 90’s that was placed in the pound because she was unruly, was always in the garbage, not good with children, couldn’t be housebroken. My dearest sweetest best friend in life talked me into adopting Tasha. See the problem wasn’t because of what they had written on her card, but it was that I was scared to death of labs. As a young girl my sister and myself where mauled by two labs. We where both badly injured, her more then me physically and emotionally since she had always been afraid of large dogs. I had jumped on top of my sister in hopes that the dogs would stop because I had no fear of dogs and I new the dogs. I didn’t realise that if a dog is trained to do things like that even if you know them they would still attach. I thank god everyday that my friend talked me into saving Tasha from being put down. She was going to be done the day we had dropped by the SPCA. She was the most wonderful surprise in my life. She was always happy. Her tail never stopped wagging even up to the day her past away. She showed me that never judge an animal by past experiences. Over the years she became my best friend and caregiver. She saved me one night from an attacker by jumping through a screen door help me. That was the one and only time over her life she ever bit or attached anyone or anything. As the years past by I realise how much I had become dependent on her. I am permanently disabled due to M.S. now and over the past few years as I was trying adjust to the changes she was the greatest help and support to make it through. She went from being a mommy figure for my other dog to a companion to everyone in the family to being a caregiver to me when there was just me and dogs left living at home. It all just seems to come so naturally for her. Each change in my life style was made easier by her. She was so in tune with me that just by the way she greeted me in the morning I could tell what type of day I was going to have. She had no formal training, but she could tell before I could if something was going to go wrong. Her instincts where right on the nose. I had found out after her passing that she had probably been sick for some time but she had never shown it to me. I had a very rough year this year and now all I can think of is how hard it must have been on her. It was as if she waited for me gets better before she let me know how sick she was. In her passing I held her in my arms and thank her for being my best friend. I have missed her everyday since she past my sense of safety, security and independents was lost with her. My life seems lost without her. So for anyone out there that thinks you need a formally trained dog when your handicapped just stop and think maybe your true caregiver can be found at the SPCA. They seem to find us. Thank-you Sandra Crick



*MIKI* My family and I went to the Brantford SPCA in November 2003 to look for new dog since the people we were living with moved out and took the family dog. When we walked in I immediately fell in love with this cute little beagle whose name was Trixie at the time. When she came home she was a little nervous at first, but soon became herself. We changed her name to Miki which comes from the Latin for friends. She loves to sit on everybody's lap and at night she can't sleep unless she's under the covers. She loves walks and treats, but she still can't find interest in any toys we have bought. Miki loves going for car rides and always sticks her head out the window. Miki also loves to roll around in... anything! In the two months we've had her, she's needed at least 5 baths! Miki is the sweetest little dog and just loves everybody. We are so happy that we have her. Thank you, Sarah




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