Outreach Event: Canadian Tire

Every weekend TAGS has an outreach event at the Petsmart store in Whitby. A couple of volunteers and a few dogs are at the store between noon and 4 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays. 

This past weekend, though, brought a fun, once-a-year event that TAGS has participated in for the past two years—an outreach event at Canadian Tire! 

Here we are, set up right between the kitchen appliances and checkout counters

Canadian Tire has been a great location to show off our dogs for a few reasons: 

• There's an element of surprise for the shoppers, and the store is always packed with people shopping on the weekends.
• There aren't any other dogs, like there often are with the shoppers at Petsmart, which ensures a more relaxed atmosphere for the TAGS dogs.
• In most cases, the shoppers at Canadian Tire might not already have a dog (as opposed to shoppers at Petsmart) and would be more likely to adopt a dog they've seen at the store.

Dawson, ready for his big debut

The day was a huge success for both dogs, Tucker and Dawson, being showcased. Both received attention from Canadian Tire employees who are currently considering adopting a dog.

Dawson charmed everyone by nudging for belly rubs or giving his paw for a "handshake" and eventually formed a "fan base" around himself. His friendly charm resulted in not only a bone for him from one of his admirers but also two adoption applications for him the very same day! 

A very relaxed Dawson, gnawing away on a bone from a potential adopter

Canadian Tire has been a great place for TAGS to create awareness about the rescue, and we are hoping to have more chances to feature our dogs in the store in the future.