Well, this is a new one for us and for the entire world.

How does one carry on animal rescue when the world has been stopped by an insidious virus that threatens our health and our livelihood? The answer is as always, we just do.

Just as we do when the many animals who have come to us scared, neglected, and hurt strain our resources, damage our hearts and threaten our belief in the good of people. We carry on and we learn from the creatures learn to trust again from those who step forward to fund their care and bring them into foster to heal.

is one who is truly showing us how to forgive. She came in emaciated, with mange, dragging a leg that had been broken and left untreated yet still caring for her three surviving babies. She managed alone on the scary streets for so long and still managed to wag her tail for us.

And then there is Fozzie, he was used as a football by Del the kids in family (yes, they literally tossed him around and kicked him down the stairs). He is, understandably, scared and defensive but with the help of a patient foster family who is moving slowly, he too is getting better and learning to trust again.

You may have read about Tommy, an (until now) unlucky soul who was stepped on as a 4-week-old pup and left with crushed hips who was finally surrendered to us at 9 weeks old. His surgery was expensive but he too will recover and be a loving and faithful companion to the right person. We are so grateful to those who are sending in donations to help him and the others who have needed and will continue to need our intervention.

BUT SOME THINGS HAVE CHANGED

To comply with health guidelines, we have had to adapt the way we interact with fosters and adopters including meeting outdoors only with appropriate social distancing and limiting the number of meetings. This means that we can’t do facilitate more than one meeting with your potential adoptee or foster. Please get in touch if you have more questions.

FOSTER

With more people at home for an uncertain period of time, we are receiving more inquiries about fostering for VHS. We are grateful to anyone who wants to open their home and want to cover a few things that will hopefully help people understand the commitment fostering requires.

Animals come to us when there is no other alternative. Seldom are they perfectly behaved, trained pets. If they were, they would not be in care. They are animals who were let down by humans, sometimes abused, sometimes neglected and sometimes just ignored and given up on as they reach the ‘teenage’ years – a time when everyone (human and animal) need some kind guidance to be the best we can be.

They each need time, patience and a person willing to put in the work to correct issues that could include house soiling, demand barking, anxiety or fear.

Some go into this with the best intentions but quickly decide that the dog is too much for them and then we are at a loss, we don’t have a place to take a dog back to so it’s so very important that if you want to foster, you are in it for the duration.

For many of us who foster, there is very little in the world as rewarding as helping a dog through its journey from unwanted and abandoned into a safe and loving forever home.

ADOPT

Read through the fostering and understand that you are taking on a family member. Please, please be sure you are ready whether you opt to take on an adult dog or a puppy. The adults have already been let down and we do not want our puppies to take on the same fate so we do our best to be sure you are a match. The VHS team is always here to help and will always take back our animals if necessary but we have put our faith in you and hope always do your utmost to put your pet first.

DONATE – CAN YOU DO IT MONTHLY?

VHS relies on donations and we are very grateful for each and every dollar. As we head into these uncertain times we are aware that each of us will likely be budgeting carefully and we ask if you have the opportunity, please consider a monthly donation. If everyone who has adopted could pledge even $10 per month, we will be able to continue to help. Please give what you can to ensure the dogs, cats, puppies, and kittens are safe and well. Donations can be made through canadahelps.org