When we put a call out for adoption success stories a little while ago, they started to pour in. We love hearing from our adopters and how our GTHS alumni are doing! Amberly sent us an email about Ruby – a dog that she adopted from GTHS in 2011. It pulled at our heart strings and we are so happy that they have found each other. Here’s their story:
I saw your post on Facebook looking for stories and photos of adopted animals from GTHS. Here’s mine:
In July 2011, I entered search terms in Pet Finder online: female, adult, boxer. The face that came back in the search results,, I knew immediately she was my pooch. Giant brown eyes, an adorable underbite – love in canine form, in a photo, if that is even possible. I could feel her gentle, inquisitive personality right through the screen. I called GTHS immediately and soon made the drive from Toronto to Thornbury, where this girl was staying with a foster parent.
Her foster mom could not have been better – a dog trainer named Melanie taught her so much in the 2 weeks she had her. As Melanie told me about Ruby’s ugly history, I was astounded this dog – who thunked herself right into my chest the moment I met her – didn’t have a resentful or angry bone in her body.
Two and half years later, we’re still a perfect match – I tell her often how she came from the land of Thornbury to the towers of Toronto, my little gem. Ruby rides the streetcar like she was born in the big city, cuddles with her mom at every possible opportunity, brings smiles to dozens of strangers every day, gets wonderfully spoiled by her “grandparents”, receives compliments everywhere she goes, and frequents our dog park (her favourite place on earth) three times a day. Some people tell me that I’ve given her quite the life, from her rough beginnings. The thing is, she’s given me so much more.
I could not have asked for a better friend, and I’ll always be thankful to the folks at GTHS for bringing Ruby in when she needed it the most.
Here are a bunch of photos of our life together – at the dog park, cuddling on the couch, running for the cure together and enjoying our 2-year anniversary at the beach in july.
Here’s ruby enjoying this weekend’s Halloween festivities with her little sidekick 🙂
As an added benefit to being my dog, Ruby has made countless appearances in the Globe & Mail (where I work). Here she is modelling Christmas products for the annual pets gift guide I do every year for the Globe!
