The Tuckman Goes For a Late Night Walk-About!

Written by Annetta, our volunteer & foster mom.

You can never be cautious enough when it comes to your dogs. Some like freedom a little bit more than others, and it's easier than you think to lose sight of them. Our guest blogger Lindsey Sjouwerman shared some useful tips on how to prevent your dogs from running away.

Tucker is safe now! He is up for adoption!

On this note, we'd like to offer many, many thanks to Breanna Spence of Strandmore Circle in Brooklin for keeping TAGS dog Tucker safe and sound overnight when he decided to go for a late-night walk-about on his own last Monday night. His regular foster home is in Bowmanville, but he was staying with another TAGS volunteer in Brooklin for a week.

When the post went out that Tucker, a 3 1/2-year-old spring spaniel mix, was on the lam, TAGS volunteers converged in Brooklin and combed the neighbourhood. By 1 a.m., we realized he’d either made friends with someone out for a late evening stroll and was in their garage or home for the night, or he’d decided to bed down in one of the many deep brush/forested expanses in the area.

First thing Tuesday, volunteers were out again searching for him and putting up “lost dog” posters. There were still no sightings. Fortunately, there are many pet lovers in the neighbourhood, and since Tucker is microchipped, TAGS received a phone call in the early morning with the news that he was safe.

It turns out that he’d made friends with a neighbour at around 2:30 a.m. a few streets from where he'd started his adventure. The neighbour, Breanna Spence, realized he was a stray and wanted to keep him safe. She couldn’t bring him into her home, so this wonderful young woman slept in her car with Tucker until morning. Breanna then drove Tucker to the humane society, where he was identified through his microchip.

Not only was Tucker was kept safe, he also had the companionship of a caring, smart guardian. Way to go, Breanna! The Tuckman sends you lots of big kisses and high-fives, and TAGS sincerely thanks you for looking out for him!

Here is the link again for the blog post written by our guest blogger Lindsey Sjouwerman with some useful tips on preventing your dog from escaping.

Helping Rescue Dogs Get Adopted in PetSmart

The Animal Guardian Society is a small rescue. We do not own a shelter or a wellness centre (however, it is one of our long-term goals). Therefore, if we want to keep in contact with the public or showcase our dogs, we can do so only through PetSmart (or Pet Valu, which recently became part of our weekend schedule).

PetSmart volunteers at the Whitby location

Through this sort of outreach, we get better exposure for our dogs by letting PetSmart customers meet them "in person." Seeing a dog somewhere other than on a photo is still the most efficient way to get him or her adopted. It's often hard to take a photo of a dog that will truly reveal his or her personality.

We are at PetSmart and Pet Valu (different locations) every weekend from noon until 4 p.m.(or 3 p.m. on long weekends). We usually have one to three adoptable dogs in crates and two or three volunteers who look after them and answer people's questions. This is one of the few volunteer position at TAGS that involves dealing with animals directly (others include fostering, doing home visits and transporting). We have other volunteer positions available, too, but most are ones done through interaction with a computer, not with dogs.

Are you interested in volunteering for The Animal Guardian Society? Teenagers, you can get your community service hours while helping animals in need! 

A typical PetSmart/Pet Valu shift includes:

-Setting up our table (arrange adoptable dogs' photos, folder and other brochures on the table)

-Setting up crates for the dogs

-Interacting with people who are interested in adopting or volunteering (you have to answer questions about the dog, our adoption process, adoption fees, etc.)

-Cleaning crates and our surrounding area if needed

-Representing TAGS in a professional and respectful manner

We offer a volunteer orientation for new volunteers to help them get started with TAGS or simply schedule our newcomers in PetSmart shifts to shadow our other, well-seasoned volunteers. This way, they can observe the way we work "in action." Click here to see more photos from our PetSmart shifts.

Please click here to submit an application to become a volunteer with TAGS.

Izzy at PetSmart. She's adoptable!

Why I Volunteer: Nick

And Why You Should Too.

Without a doubt, animal rescue is a morally righteous hobby. It is hard to disagree when you look at the state of animal welfare in our society, from general overpopulation, punitive training techniques, to puppy mills. But everyone finds their way into activities in different ways, and mine was purely self-serving.

I grew up with a family dog. After doing much research, my family purchased a Bichon Frise from the most reputable breeder we could find. Neither of my parents had grown up with dogs, so this was largely uncharted territory. After taking our hamster to the vet for an ankle injury, my parents finally gave in to our pleading. And so Casper joined the Iordanis family.

My two sisters and I with 2 year old Casper.

I have two older sisters, so adding another male to the bottom of the totem pole was great for me. Casper and I definitely saw each other as brothers. He slept at the foot of my bed, and we ate lunch together most days. As much as Casper and I were brothers, he absolutely loved my grandpa.

Casper, hanging out with the oldest people he could find.

When we told my grandpa we were getting a dog, he offered to build a doghouse for “it” to live outside (what he was accustomed to in our native Greece). Little did Grandpa know, in the following years when he would babysit Casper, the little dog would sleep in his bed—kicking Grandma out to the spare bedroom.

The love Casper had for my grandpa (it became mutual) got my mom to certify him as a therapy dog with St. John’s Ambulance. While he had a great time at Sick Kids’ Hospital, what he really wanted was a retirement home.  Seniors were Casper’s “speed.”

Casper on the couch with Andrea. He does kids too!

I moved away from Pickering for four years to go to university. I noticed how much I missed the companionship of a dog, but I was pretty busy trying to balance my textbooks on top of my case of beer. Casper would freak out when I came home for a weekend but then would remember, hey, you left me, and would give me the cold shoulder for a while. Unfortunately, Casper passed away at the age of 14 the summer after I graduated from university.

About a year later, I conceded that I needed—not just enjoyed but needed—a k9 in my life. However, at this point in my life I am not really in a position to own a dog. So what’s a guy to do?

Well, why not volunteer? I know there are some dogs out there who could, at the very least, tolerate my presence. So I interviewed with TAGS and haven’t looked back since. In my time at TAGS, I’ve learned a lot about dog behaviour, which is critical when volunteering in rescue.

Buttercup, a dog I helped socialize and ultimately helped get adopted.
Read my blog post about Buttercup here. 

I have found great inspiration in these rescue animals. Many of these dogs are abused and have had horrible lives, but they do not hold that against me—the next human in line holding their leash. When they first come into the program, there can sometimes be an Oh boy, this one’s going to be tough to get adopted feeling. Then we get pictures from adoptive families with their dog, and the dog doesn’t even resemble its former self.

Boomer, the TAGS dog I am helping socialize right now.
He is still available for adoption!

The best feeling in the world for me is seeing a dog at the dog park after it has been adopted. My personal favourite is when the dogs see their family start to leave, and they bolt toward the door as if to say, “I’m coming, I’m coming. Don’t forget me! I want to be in this family!”

Many people say that they would have a hard time volunteering in rescue because they would want to keep them all. To that I say you are missing the whole point. When you volunteer in rescue, you are not trying to save one dog—you are trying to save as many as you can. So while that may mean seeing some of your favourites get adopted, it also means that there is another soul out there who is down on their luck and needs some help.

Casper volunteering at a retirement home.

Saving one dog is better than none, but saving 90 dogs (amount of adoptions by TAGS in 2012) is considerably more rewarding, and that’s why you should volunteer in rescue too.

Casper, looking under a canoe.
Casper Iordanis 1994 - 2008