Ontario Dog Rescue – Dog Adoption – Dog Rehoming Service
Ugly Mutts Ontario dog rescue, dog adoption and dog rehoming agency is dedicated to saving the lives of abandoned canines, and supporting dog owners that are looking to rehome their pets. With a host of loving, pet-friendly foster homes acting as dog sanctuaries, canine companions are loved and cared for as our own pets until they can be adopted into suitable, permanent new homes with committed adopters. Our “Happy Tails” pages are enjoyed by many and allow previous pet owners to follow their companion pet’s progress as they transition into their new home.
How wonderful and thank you to Martha Jette of the Toronto Examiner for writing her article on Ugly Mutts. It is great to get the word out for fosters and I think she gave a good basic idea of what people can expect when they foster with Ugly Mutts.
Many Ugly Mutts dog fosters end up adopting their fostered dog. Alex being such a caring person opened his heart to Falcor a little mixed breed dog that was very ill when he came into our care. We had no idea what breed he might be but named him Falcor after the Good Luck Dragon from the film “The Never Ending Story.” Alex cared for Falcor and as many of us find, when you put your heart and soul into a dog, it is impossible to give them up. And so, Falcor became “Buddy” and is now a happy pup.
We recently received this update from Alex and he wanted to share an idea with everyone which we think is very cool:
I recieved a “DNA My dog” test from my folks for my birthday – I’ll be submitting the swabs shortly, and should know what breeds Falcor really is composed of! (my guess is Terrier/Springer Spaniel cross) The website is http://www.dnamydog.com/ – I don’t know how accurate it was, but it was a great gift idea to anyone fostering a mutt!
The picture I’ve attached is taken about a month after I recieved him – He’s quite a bit thicker now, and has grown about an inch taller!
Thank-you Ugly Mutts, and thank you to Karlene for having me look after Falcor!
Alex Sudnikowicz
On a side note: Some shelters are starting to use the DNA testing when a dog is being slated for euthanasia after being labeled as a “Pitbull” and there has actually been at least one dog “Mindy” that was saved due to the DNA testing.
Although we don’t know how accurate these tests are, one thing we do know is that they can’t pick up that a dog is a “purebred” as most purebreds today are actually bred from several other breeds. Here in Canada where purebreds are much rarer than in the United States, most Pitbulls would come back labeled as mixes of several other breeds. How that will affect the ban and people having their dogs confiscated and euthanized I am not sure but if it saves even one dog, then I say it’s a good thing.
Here is one person’s results after having their dogs tested:
“I have 2 dogs. My female was sold to me as a pitbull / olde English bulldog mix. I also have a male Olde English Bulldogge. I tested both of their DNA’s. Bulldog was 100% for the male (used as QA ref.)
The DNA results for the female are:
up to 74% Boston Terrier, up to 19% Bulldog, Parson Russell Terrier and Scottish Terrier. I suppose the Bull and Terrier cross gives the Pitbull traits.”
Cesar Millan, all his family and friends, his staff and volunteers, and dog lovers all around the world today will mourn the passing of one of the most loyal, trusting, well-balanced, and influential pit bull ambassadors the world has ever known. Daddy, Cesar’s longtime friend and partner in canine rehabilitation, died peacefully surrounded by family on Friday the 19th of February. He was sixteen years old.
He lived each day of those sixteen years happy and fulfilled as Cesar’s right-hand-”man,” helping to shape the behavior of entire generations of dogs by showing them the way to balance. He stood as champion for calm-submissive pit bulls everywhere, and was instrumental in helping to repair their image as violent, savage, uncontrollable beasts. He successfully battled cancer and weathered chemotherapy, and even got the opportunity to present at the 56th Annual Creative Arts Emmy Awards!
His name is now added to that honorable roster of dogs gone by whose influence is still felt today, and which includes some of Cesar’s beloved childhood heroes: “Rin-Tin-Tin.” “Lassie.” … “Daddy.”
He has been immortalized by Dog Whisperer fans in all mediums, from painting, to photographs, to charcoal drawings and papier-mâché sculpture. And, of course, he lives on in his work, reflected in the balance and calm-submission of his protégé Junior, the countless animals to whom he was a positive role model, and in the hearts and minds of everyone who knew him as a calm, sweet, and mellow example of a widely misunderstood breed.
In Loving Memory.
I felt this was worth sharing and something we could all take encouragement from:
Every month, my wife reminds me how blessed we are to have such well behaved dogs in our life.
And that’s true.
But she also tends to forget the problem behaviors and little “personality defects” that each dog had, when we first adopted them.
And that got me to thinking about the road… the road to building a better companion dog.
It never ends. Do it right, and they just keep getting better and better.
New dog owners need to recognize this. Our techniques work super-fast (usually immediately) – but the road to building a better companion dog is a path that is similar to any relationship you might have with
another human being.
It’s a lot like dating. When you first meet someone new, it’s pretty easy to set the ground rules, early. But it’s not until you’ve had a lot of shared experiences with that other person, that you begin driving down the road to building a real relationship.
Have you ever noticed that you don’t really know somebody, until you take a long road trip with them? That’s because building a strong, long-term relationship takes lots of shared experiences. Lots of
adventures.
Well, it’s the same with your dog. And as legendary Texas song writer Robert Earl Keen said, “The Road Goes On Forever and the Party Never Ends.”
That’s true. At least for dog training: The road to building a better companion dog, never ends.
Happy Training,
- Adam (DogProblems.com)
Evan recently celebrated his first birthday (one year since his adoption) complete with party hats, doggie biscuits and presents! Apparently the kids were more excited then Evan but he sure loved the attention and the treats!
Read Evan’s full story with additional pictures in our Happy Tails pages.
Stephanie, I second that emotion! If anyone can watch this and keep a dry eye…well, just take a look.
Coalition to Unchain Dogs is based in Durham and Raleigh, North Carolina. They provide free fences to dogs who live continuously at the end of a chain. They also provide free spay/neuter and vaccinations to each fence recipient.
