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Success Stories of Rescued Dogs
Adoptions organized by Leo Rescue Ontario
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Gucci and the Beaudin Family
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On January 21,
2011, my husband John and I had to euthanize our 10 year old Leonberger
Bear. We’d had him since he was 1.5 years old, and he was a rescued dog from
the Brant County SPCA. At the time we didn’t know what a Leonberger was,
but soon found out. Upon losing Bear a huge void took place in our family
life. Our house and farm just wasn’t the same. We knew now what a
‘’Lean-on-Berger’’ was and it would be hard not to have that again.
Everything we have is from a rescue: cats, dogs and horses, so our next dog
would come from a rescue as well.
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The search began.
I wanted Bear and was off to find what doesn’t exist. After relentless
searching my husband began to regret what we were doing and finally told me
that he doesn’t want just any dog, he wants a young male Leonberger within
an hour or two’s drive. ‘’Good luck’’ I said ‘’where are you going to find a
dog of that calibre and price in need of rescue?’’ Then Leo Rescue Ontario
placed a one year old male Leonberger named Gucci up for adoption. Gucci
was saved from a high kill shelter in Quebec where dogs are kept for three
days before being euthanized. He was brought to the shelter after being
left tied outside for a week and a half without food or water. He was slated
for euthanasia on a Thursday, but Leo Rescue Ontario intervened on the
Tuesday and gave an incredible boy another shot at life.
Gucci went to a
foster home in Brantford for a couple of months where the lady did an
amazing job of turning a very frightened and unsocialized 115 lb puppy into
an amazing animal. There was huge progress but Gucci had one little hang up:
small animals. It was in his adoption write up that he was to be placed in
a home with no small pets. Here we were, John and I with three girls six
and under, an Australian Sheppard, a horse and pony and, yes, a Chihuahua
and five cats. There is no way the rescue was going to think about us as
potential adopters with the household we have. Hour after hour of reading
Gucci’s profile and looking at his picture on the internet, seeing the
similarities between his personality and our boy Bear, the emails and phone
calls began. After the first email I was contacted by the rescue
coordinator, Karen Heard, and she told us to fill out an application for
adoption, and if an animal that would fit our family was to come up she
would be in contact. Upon several other emails and phone calls I explained
to Karen that all the animals John and I have and had were from rescues,
abandoned, or re-homed because they were no longer wanted. They all came
with issues and baggage. Our old Leonberger and the Australian Sheppard
were cat killers that were tied and not trained or socialized before coming
to us. The Chihuahua was abused so badly that we’ve had him for nine years
and he still cowers and urinates when you go to pet him. And a lot of the
cats were semi-feral. We knew that we could provide Gucci with a loving home
and be able to take the time and resources to train him and incorporate him
into our existing second-hand pack. All we needed was for Leo Rescue
Ontario to say yes. Eventually, after several conversations with Karen and
a home visit, we were allowed to meet Gucci.
The night before we
were to see him I couldn’t sleep; I was too excited and nervous. Then the
day came. We walked into the backyard at the foster family’s place and my
heart began to melt and I felt the tears roll down my cheek. I wanted that
big boy so badly to be part of our family. He is beautiful inside and
out. Yes, we wanted to proceed with the adoption, but there was one hang
up. Gucci had to meet our dogs. Mollie, our nine year old Australian
Sheppard wouldn’t be a problem but Clark, our fourteen year old Chihuahua,
would be. Clark doesn’t like anyone and sometimes I even question if he
likes himself, but he is loved and a part of our family nonetheless. We
went home and got the dogs and were back in Brantford, fingers crossed with
silent prayers. Everything went well. Clark must have had an outer body
experience because he was well behaved and Mollie, well she’s just a good
girl. Off to Paris we went with our new big boy to live happily ever after.
When we got home
and the excitement of getting Gucci simmered we realized that we have a lot
of work ahead of us. He came well mannered and behaved but, yes, he came
with a hate for cats and there is no avoiding cats on the farm. We’ve had
him for two weeks now and the progress he has made with the cats and Clark
has been amazing. He can walk past the cats on lead without trembling,
salivating or lunging, and I don’t think he realizes Clark doesn’t like him
-which is a good thing for Clark.
I am so happy and
grateful that there are organizations such as Leo Rescue Ontario and all the
people involved. If it wasn’t for them our new boy, who just loves his
family situation and has bonded extremely well with everyone - especially
our girls - wouldn’t have had a chance. Leo Rescue Ontario gave Gucci a
voice and allowed him the opportunity to live and thrive in an environment
where he will be cherished to the end of his days, with the exception of
Clark !
Colleen Beaudin and family |
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Deborah and Miko
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" When
Leo Rescue Ontario was contacted by an
animal clinic in Manitoba and told that they had an adult male Leo named
Miko who was slated to be euthanized because his owner could no longer care
for him, arrangements were quickly made to go get him.
Since he was relatively close to me, I climbed into my little
car and drove two hundred kilometers to pick him up.
When I first saw Miko, I was shocked. He had been shaved into a lion cut! Eventually the fur grew back and he
positively thrived in his new forever home in the country.
Sadly, however, Miko crossed over the Rainbow Bridge less than
one year after being rehomed. "
Deborah
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The Grove Family and
Leonora
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" Nothing was planned but then there isn’t much in my
life that is! I read the minutes of
the Leonberger Club of Ontario’s meeting from the link I received when
becoming a member of the Club, and was heart broken all over again, having
read about Leonora a few times already.
Leonora was found wandering in the Alliston, Ontario area in July
2007, lost confused and malnourished.
As far as we can tell, at best she is the product of a backyard
breeder; at worst, she was used as breeding stock for a puppy mill
operation, only to be discarded when she was no longer useful.
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When no one claimed ownership of this sweet girl after five
days at the dog pound, Leonora’s fate could have been euthanasia or to be
sent to a medical lab for research.
Thankfully the local Humane Society took over after Leonora’s time
had “run out”. She was taken to a
vet for a thorough examination where they found evidence that she had had a
litter not long ago. Heaven only
knows what might have happened to her babies. Leonora was also exhibiting some
stiffness in her rear legs which may have been the result of a previous
injury or being confined in a cramped cage for most of her life. Following contact with Gail Bishop,
immediate arrangements were made to take Leonora into Leo Rescue Ontario.
I called my friend Naomi Kane, who is also a Leonberger
breeder, because I needed to talk about poor Leonora – for consoling I
think more than anything. I never
thought I would ever be considered as a candidate for adoption due to
working full time, so I was surprised when Naomi asked me if I was
considering taking Leonora and we talked about how it could possibly
work. I became excited that there
could be a chance we could give Leonora a home, and Naomi offered to call
Karen Heard, one of LRO’s Rescue Co-Ordinators, to give her a heads up that
I would like to be considered. Calls
were made and I found myself off to meet the LRO’s Director, Gail Bishop,
the following day to see Leonora and, I guess, to be vetted as a suitable
candidate for her adoption!
I was so overcome with emotion and struggled to keep composed
when Leonora was brought out to meet me, watching her moving so slowly, not
showing any acknowledgement of us…..but after no more than 10 minutes I
wanted so much to take her home right then and there. There were some challenges, the biggest
being the five steps up to our house.
Gail did not know if Leonora would be able to manage them as she
didn’t have to encounter any at the kennel.
I had to talk to my children, knowing they would also struggle with
Leonora’s challenge to get around due to her very weak back legs. As it turned out, both obstacles were
easily overcome. Leonora had done
steps while staying with June Ward, another LRO Rescue Co-Ordinator, while
recovering from her spay surgery and my children were disappointed that I
didn’t bring her home right away upon learning this! So we prepared by covering our hardwood
floors with rubber backed rugs, and made plans to have the deck replaced with
dog friendly steps to the yard. Then
home she came!
We were expecting slow gradual changes as she adjusted to her
new family and home, but within days Leonora started to nudge our arm if we
stopped petting her; she also began to lean ever so gently against our
leg. In the short time since
becoming part of the family Leonora now likes to sit at the front window to
watch the birds in the bird bath, lie beside the computer desk when the
children are there, help me garden by digging in the flower bed beside me,
and does a little dance when I am preparing her food. Several times she has invited our other
Leo, Bruce, to play with little skips around the garden! Bruce is being a saint; he maneuvers
around her as if he was 13 lbs. not 130!
He gives up his bed and favourite lounging spots when she crashes
them, and always goes over to say “Hi” in the mornings and when returning
home.
Having Leonora join our family has shown me just how
wonderfully patient, compassionate and understanding my children are beyond
my wildest expectations. Our hearts
lift every time she wags her tail and, the most precious gift of all, when
she looks at us with her big soft brown eyes. She has the true heart and soul of the
Leonberger – so many thanks to you all for bringing us together. "
B. Grove and family
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Do you want to
become one of our Success Stories?
Please read through the various pages on this website to
ensure that a rescued Leonberger is the right dog for you. And, if you have the right environment to
handle a rescued Leo, please fill out our Adoption Application Form.
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