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Lena
After posting the stats about Lena yesterday, we hoped it would show our dedication and desperation to help Lena the sweet Shar Pei
..…24 hours later….
We are absolutely thrilled to announce that Lena has found her forever home!
This wonderful couple and their Sharpei made the trip to meet her at the shelter today…It was love at first sight for everyone! The picture shows the giant smile on Lena’s fury face. They were so excited to share the news of their newest family member with us, and we are equally overjoyed.
We’d like to thank everyone who shared her post. We also thank her new family for opening their hearts and home to this little girl who was so deserving of a chance of a wonderful new life. -
Kaly
Kaly was surrendered to the shelter because someone in the family developed allergies. Ironically, Kaly’s inflamed, swollen red skin indicated that she had been suffering from allergies for a very long time with no relief other than scratching herself raw. The shelter’s vet put her on prednisone, antibiotics, trazodone and gabapentin for pain, and also meds for nasty ear infections.
Not only was this poor dog suffering physically but she was mentally scared and confused. She went from having a family and home, to being alone in a noisy stressful kennel environment.
Kaly needed a special adopter where she would be the only pet (at least to start), with Shar Pei experience, comfortable with medical issues, have lots of patience, and actually afford a Shar Pei. She needed help..she needed an Angel.
We advocated for this sad soul, by sharing updates and pictures each time we visited her at the shelter. She was looking a little brighter each day and we felt a tiny bit hopeful as she slowly came out of her shell.A couple happened to see her profile that was shared by mutual friend, but they already had a lovely Shar Pei girl.
Sadly and unexpectedly their beautiful girl (who had been diagnosed with kidney failure) crossed the Rainbow Bridge leaving them devastated and heart broken. In their grief, Kaly’s post still lingered in the back of their minds, but bringing in another dog was far too soon. Oddly, something about her made them want to know more. After discussing her history and backstory, they decided to at least meet her and consider the possibility of fostering. Neither one were ready to welcome a new dog permanently into their lives… then they met Kaly.
The connection was instant. Kaly was at ease in their space as if she had met them several times before. The couple played it cool and agreed to foster….However, when Kaly’s little paws walked through their front door, they knew she wasn’t going anywhere, because she was “home”
Marla, Corey and Kaly, your guardian Angel likely has wings and a tail, and we’re sure she brought you all together to help your hearts heal. All eyes were Misty with joy for the love of pattering paws filling your hearts and home once again. -
Saski
Saski! Found her forever home….
When females decide they don’t like each other and declare war, it generally becomes deadly especially between chows. After four years of living in harmony, three “sisters” had enough and life became crates, gates, tension, stress and non-stop worry. At first they managed it, but one slip up, one sneaky move, one gate not latched properly would end with a badly injured dog, a big vet bill, lots of trauma and emotions including guilt.
Leaving them alone even separated was not a trustworthy option. For the last few years, someone was alway home to ensure they were both safe from each other. Obviously this was not an ideal life for them or their dogs, but these were their babies, and they were “managing“ it. Finally the emotional and sensible decision was made to rehome two of the three girls. Peanut found her forever home relatively quickly and is blossoming.
Several applications came in for Saski but we waited for the perfect fit…and it was worth the wait!
A retired couple who catered to their last beloved chow baby were ready to welcome Saski into their family.
The two families met and clicked, it was a great start… but no one expected it to be love at first sight for Saskie and her new mom. It was bittersweet. Our hearts go out to Saski’s first momma who made the tough but unselfish decision to let her go and enjoy the rest of her life as she should.
We also celebrate this special happy ending for her new family…or rather her new extended family who already love her dearly. Saski is taking full advantage of running freely in the huge yard clearing out all the resident chipmunks and having a blast. Putting the well being of another before your emotions is brave, unselfish and true love.
Hearts will heal as others grow. Congratulations Saski, and to both families who love you more than words. -
Mary & Hattie
Amazing! Merlins Hope has the BEST followers! Thank you everyone who shared, liked & commented on these 2 sweet Shar peis. You reading this…are amazing & we appreciate you! Mary & Hattie left the shelter yesterday with their new family. With lots of excitement, they drove 8 hours one way to meet them. The shelter opened at 11:00 and by noon they were packed up, settled in and making the long drive home. It was wagging tails & kisses all around. Congratulations
Mary, Hattie & your new family! -
Keeva
Keeva’s Happy Ending!
— or perhaps better-named New Beginning — is simply that. This beautiful young chowette was an owner surrender who arrived at Merlin’s Hope a little leery, but quickly blossomed into a social butterfly. Full of puppy energy and waving her gorgeous plume of a tail, she was soon ready to find her forever home.
“When one rescue passes, they open a spot for another dog in need, just as they once were.” This rescue adage is certainly the case in Keeva’s new home where prior adoptee Sheen-waz had recently passed away. Her two dads needed time to grieve, but soon knew the emptiness in their hearts could only be filled by another rescue chow. They reached out to Merlin’s Hope and were immediately smitten by Keeva!
Starting at the meet-and-greet, Keeva attached herself to her new people and was happily ready to go and get settled. Her dad phoned in while Keeva (now Nalanda) was checking out her new residence. During this call, Nalanda picked up a toy and offered it by placing it gently in his lap. A little gift or perhaps a thank you message…
Congratulations Nalanda and Dads! -
Octavia
The pitiful looking “Walmart Shar Pei” won everyone’s heart when her photo was posted looking sad and lost. She was dumped like garbage in their parking lot by her neglectful owner.
Judging by the atrocious condition she was in, being abandoned was the best thing that happened to this old gal. After Animal Services picked her up, the shelter scheduled her for a brow lift and spay. They reached out to rescue with a long list of medical concerns including skin, ears and eye issues. Merlin’s Hope committed to her knowing she was old, riddled with ailments and located in the USA….but we were likely her only hope. It was a team effort getting her from the shelter and into rescue. We were very fortunate to have a medical and Pei savvy foster willing to take on the extra responsibility of caring for this very broken girl. A new start and a new name, Octavia.
Octavia settled in quietly at first while she got the lay of the land, meaning meeting the resident Shar peis and sizing them up. She endearingly won the heart of her foster mom being a good patient for her medicated baths, ear drops, eye drops and vet appointments.
Now that she’s beginning to feel better, her big personality is taking charge. She has found her place in this incredible home with her four furry brothers whom she rules over like the Queen she thinks she is. She has a long road ahead of her to heal the wounds of the past, physical and mental, but she’s in the best place possible place.
When you put your heart and soul into nurturing an animal back to health, inevitably love, trust and an incredible bond blossoms. We are truly grateful for the kindness and support her forever mom has, and alway will provide for this special girl.
Happy Adoption Day Octavia -
Luna
A Happy Ending is a great way to start a week! We’re Super excited to share Luna’s story!
With Luna’s stunning Lilac- pinkish coat, it’s not surprising that she was bought to be bred. It was a twist of fate that landed her in a shelter after her owner became disabled. Sadly, her belly was full of puppies and were ultimately aborted during her spay. Five months later, her time there was up and she was next on the euthanasia list. We were contacted by a volunteer group whose mission is to save dogs at risk. They did an incredible job communicating information and arranging transportation from Quebec to Mississauga in lightening speed.
When Luna arrived, she darted out of her crate like a bullet and there was no getting near her. She hid under a chair and growled the moment you got close. We managed to secure a leash on her to take her outside for potty breaks.
Her coat looked as wild as she was in full blow mode. Dark tear stains ran from both eyes and a lump of stool hung from her pants. It took several days and gentle attempts before we could get close enough to her to at least remove the dried poop.
Every day we pulled her out from her safety zone under a chair and walked her around the yard. She came out to eat when nobody was around. We sat in the room with her and eventually removed the chair. In time, she learned to trust us, but the big challenge was going to be getting her to trust someone else. It wasn’t going to be easy so we constantly introduced her to new people and places trying to build her confidence. Luna would only let a very select few touch her making her less adoptable.
A promising application came in so Luna joined us for the home visit. A few days later, they came over with their daughter who took Luna for a walk. I knew then, Luna was likely going to bond with this girl. Though she was excited to meet Luna and welcome her into the family, she strictly followed instructions, stayed calm, relaxed and didn’t push this very scared dog. They were all willing to be patient and understanding of Lunas fears. Luna, was doing her part also! She did her very best to trust, and bravely sat next to her new friend. If that wasn’t a bright sign…less than a week later, she was giving her favourite person her famous Luna hugs! She made it clear, she was in her forever home. Congratulations Luna and your very sweet family! -
Smurf
BIG NEWS! Congratulations Smurf!
A quote from Smurf’s Dad, “She has her paw prints all over my heart”
Smurf is living her best life with her doting Dad! Smurf was picked up as a stray and camped out in the shelter for over 5 months. We visited and walked her during her stay but had other commitments that prevented us from pulling her. The shelter was dangerously full and a decision was made that Smurf’s time was up. Regardless of space, we had to act fast. The shelter and our rescue worked together to get her vetting up to date. The shelter staff were excellent.
Smurf was a big girl in full shedding mode. She arrived into rescue looking super dishevelled despite the effort they made to groom her.
Her coat was so dirty, her collar and harness had to be washed regularly. Once we earned her trust, we bathed, blew & brushed her shedding hair as best as we could. Smurf was super patient and seemed to enjoy the pampering. She is a lovely girl. The biggest surprise, was the whole other side of her when she was around men! She turned into a needy lab desperately wanting some man’s attention. Lucky for her, a chow-savvy fellow applied. Sadly he lost his beloved female chow rescues about three months earlier and was missing them terribly. It was a hard decision to transition from mourning to welcoming a new dog. Thankfully for Smurf, he was ready. Smurf’s new name is Rosie! It took one burger for her to learn it. This smart girl did everything right, including meeting new people with a wagging tail, accepting belly rubs and adapting to new routines and rules. She went from the shelter cell to rescue to her amazing forever home. Rosie now has her own house, yard and best of all, her own man to spoil her with love. Rosie’s Dad quotes are the best! “She’s not perfect, but she’s perfect to me.” “I’m going to have separation anxiety when I go to work”. Best updates ever! Congratulations Rosie you will definitely live your BEST life with your amazing Dad!
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Duffy
WOOHOO! Happy Adoption!
Duffy was saved from a life of neglect. Animal Services pulled over 30 chows from a hoarder’s home. Some lived their whole life inside a crate while others such as Duffy had a room to move around in. None of the dogs were walked, vetted or fed properly. We committed to helping a few and CCRCNY committed to helping the rest of these poor dogs.
Unfortunately Duffy tested positive for hook worms and had a gapping gash where her spay incision was. We treated her, and the rest of the household dogs and healed up her opening. After several visits to the vet, she got a clean bill of health, so she was ready to move on.
A couple who adopted from us in the past, missed their beloved chow after she crossed the Rainbow Bridge. Their application was perfect, they were chow savvy, lovely people with great knowledge. We always try our best to get good dogs into good home, and Duffy is a great dog and this was a great home. The oversight was, Duffy came from a hoarding house of 30 chows, landed in a home with a pack of five then moved on to be the only dog. It didn’t take long for everyone to realize, she needed to be with other furry friends.
This is exactly why it’s important for us to match up people and dogs correctly.
Duffy did not want to leave her foster siblings, she was happy right here. We could not afford to get it wrong again and the bar was set impossibly high.
Every application was carefully scrutinized including this last one. I expressed a concern I had, and was ready to move onto the next family when the applicant’s response made me pause. Her explanation was honest, and she had a corrective plan in place. What jumped through the phone, was her positive energy.
We decided to do a meet and greet. I was still leery until we were about to say goodbye. She got down on he ground and Duffy squeezed in under her arm, her big male under the other. She was in her glory so we decided to go inside. This gave her partner a chance to fall further in love with Miss Fluffy Pants…the dog he already told the neighbors they were adopting. She snuggled into him for all the attention she could get while their handsome boy sat patiently and watched without a care.
After a few more meets, walks and cuddle time not to mention the many messages of heartfelt excitement, we let her go to her forever home with paws and fingers crossed. We were kept updated with photos and positive messages. If this amazing home didn’t work, Duffy would stay with us forever…it couldn’t get better than this. By day three, Duffy knew she hit the jackpot. She was enjoying the many walks, cuddles, premium food and her new fur-brother was fun to play chase with in the huge backyard! Life just got a whole lot better for this incredibly sweet little girl. Congratulations Duffy, you will never be neglected in ANY way ever again! Enjoy your adorable new family. -
Dolly
Dolly was a senior girl who looked decades older than she likely was. She appeared completely shut down and defeated at the back of her crate in the shelter. The wounds and scars on her body told story of a rough, hard sad life. Riddled with so many issues and looking so broken, she was close to being humanly euthanized out of compassion. We agreed to take her pending the vets assessment. Once we had the go ahead, her spayed and dental were scheduled. After surgery, Dolly was left with 14 out of 42 teeth because they were either rotten, cracked, or had exposed roots. 16 weeks later, she underwent entropion surgery.
We placed Dolly in the best foster home where she would receive incredible care. Her red raw ears got better with medication, she had her first bath to wash away the smelly past and was able to sleep in comfort with her very own stuffy. Everyone routed for this sad girl to feel joy, and she did. Slowly she healed, slowly she he came out of her shell and slowly she looked brighter. Not one, but two special families followed her journey and were ready to welcome her into their lives. It came down to her being an only dog. We felt certain Dolly had shared enough of herself with other canines, and now was the time to lavish in all the attention by herself. Her new family was thrilled and couldn’t wait to meet her. They didn’t hesitate to drive from Nova Scotia to Ontario when they got the news. Dolly landed in a dream home with gentle caring humans. They loved her well before they met her. This old girl has blossomed into a beautiful healthy Pei, who knows what it is to be an important member of a family. Congratulations Dolly and our new family…enjoy living your best life ever!
