Update on Chloe!

Remember Chloe? Her new family sent me a great update, with photos!

Hi Laura, Chloe is doing great! She is super happy with us here. She runs around a lot, and hop's very high from being happy and even jumps on top of the bed! We are so happy we could make her feel this good. She has lot's of fun. She can't get along with the other bunny, so I guess it will take some time. You were right, she dose love to eat a lot! She is litter trained so that made us even more happy. Also, we checked out your blog and it looks great :) We found some info about Chloe. Thanks for the message, We'd love to keep you updated! Talk to you soon.

Just Babies

Chocolate and Thumper are both 5-months-old males who haven't been neutered. For some reason, some people decided these would be ideal pets for a family with young children. Predictably, that did not work out so well.
Thumper's card has a little note at the bottom that says 'has bitten a young child'. I'm not surprised in the slightest, and it's certainly not because he's aggressive - he's a sweetheart. But he is a 5-month-old dwarf, and he is basically spring-loaded with energy. Rabbits shouldn't be pets for small children anyway, but a baby who just wants to run? Of course he bit. Honestly, people, use common sense.
As they always say at the shelter, better they dumped them with us than in the streets - and better than keeping them in a cage to be ignored for years. They are both friendly, handsome bunnies and hopefully will find much better homes in the future.

New Arrivals

There was a whole slew of new arrivals this week. Two budgies have wandered in, and they must've been really new because they didn't have cards when I went to visit. So I have no idea what their story is, but they are very pretty and not tamed in the slightest. Weirdly enough, there are 4 budgies at East right now. Where do these trends come from?
And we have a rat! I know we get them occasionally, but I've never been there for one. She's a tame little sweetheart, although unfortunately she's picked up a cold or something so she's under watch.
Poor Domino here has quite the story to tell. He's under two years old, but he's already been abandoned, adopted out, and then abandoned again! He's a lovely young Rex who certainly does not deserve such treatment, but he is now getting spoiled rotten at the shelter, at least.
Chocolate here is just about the cutest thing on four legs (no offense, Alice the rabbit sitting on my lap). I have about 50 photos of him because he is also basically a bunny super model, posing in a million different ways, each cuter than the last! Naturally he is getting his own post tomorrow, along with the other little boy who came in this week.
Thumper here has the most gorgeous colouring, he's really striking to see. Unlike Chocolate, he kept getting right up to the camera and it was quite the pain to get a still photo! They were together but were fighting and have now been separated. I can't imagine these little beauties stay for long.

In other news, Sherlock the guinea pig turns out to be a she (guinea pigs - not my forte!) and so is in need of a renaming. Hm. Agatha? Miss Marple?

Become a Fan! (Please?)

Now that I have caught your attention with a photo of an incredibly cute kitty (no name but adorable!), I'm going to command your attention to two other sites.

First off, some of you people who read this blog (if there are people who read this blog?) must be on Facebook. Well, now you can express your support of TAS on Facebook! The South region, anyway. Become a fan! Even better, tell all your friends to become fans! We have 4 so far - I think that's pretty good, but you know what? I bet we could get to ten if we really tried.

Secondly, we're on Twitter too! For a shelter, Twitter's great - we can post certain long-term or special needs animals and bring more attention to them out of the hundreds on the official website. So if you're on Twitter, follow us! And share the link!
Spread the word!
In other fantastic news, Sugar has been adopted! That shy tabby really didn't do well at the shelter so it's great that she's gone.
And she's not the only one - Harrison got adopted!! I love when I'm there to see adoptions. I love being able to see them off - it's hard to get attached and then come back next week and find they've disappeared. Yay for homes, but it's nice to say goodbye. And bonus - I can badger the new owners for updates.
Harrison went to a lovely home with a truly lovely woman, who has a twelve-year-old rabbit. Not many pet rabbits are lucky enough to get to that age! Way to go, Harrison!
It was an exciting day with lots to tell - 6 new animals (including two of the cutest bunnies ever) and other news that will have to wait until the next post.

Cat Interlude

Allie is such a doll, and I'm a sucker for the older kitties. She's not even 'senior' - she's only 6, but she's also fairly quiet. She acts very reserved, she reminds me a dignified Victorian lady. Or something. Anyway, she's nice and she's been with us quite long enough!

Capri has a very intimidating gaze, don't you think? She could've been a tiger in another life. She's been at the shelter since the end of September.

I love Sweeper's eyes! Like Capri, he has very intense yellow eyes. Sweeper is not aloof in the slightest however, and he gets right in your face looking for attention. This is a boy who really, really needs a family.

Ok I don't know this little guy's story, and I couldn't find him on the website, but goodness - what a cute face!

Really? Really?!?

What is this?? This is Domino, who came to TAS South last year. He was a Rex and looked sort of like Harrison although (no offense Harry) with a less boxy head. He was a laid-back, sweet rabbit who got adopted.
So - guess who just showed up on the South website?
A black-and-white Rex rabbit named Domino with the exact same markings.

Really? Right after Skip and Misty showed up on the site? Come on, people. He was adopted in September. That is not enough time to decide you want to get rid of him!
That's just bizarre. But on the bright side!

Lavender got adopted! Sounds like a fateful meeting. The new owners posted an update in comments (thank you!!) which I'm happy to repost:

Yesterday, as my boyfriend and i were traveling to the exhibition center for the Interior Design Show, to our unfortunate surprise, this year, it was moved to the Toronto Convention Center. As we prepared to wait another long hour for the train, we decided to stop in at Toronto Animal Services where we found Lavender, an adorable little sweetie who greeted us with her beautiful brown eyes and kisses! We left without her because of our continuing trip to Toronto but couldn’t keep her out of our minds. We knew the unfortunate turn-around resulted in a sign and we just had to go back and get her. After another visit and a round of cuddles and kisses, we brought her home. All day she has been excitedly exploring the main level of our house and giving whole hearted cuddles. We can already tell she’s a daddy’s girl! Having had rabbits all my life, I have only taken home male farm rabbits bred for meat and are usually turned off from the behavior given by lopped eared rabbits; however Lavender is truly an exception. We look forward to getting to know her, as she settles into our family! Travis is excited to have a little girl around! I will post her progress again in a few weeks! Thanks so much Toronto Animal Services!

Nice to have some good news!

What The?!

Seven months ago, I made this entry (one of the first!) on this blog:

Skip and Misty

It was about two budgies that were brought to the South shelter in protective custody. They were with us for about three months before being adopted, and I thought, well good for them. Birds don't usually last that long, so it was a relief to see them go.

Well. Today I look on the adoption site as usual, and imagine my surprise:
Skipper and Misty!

Except now they're at East. I know, maybe there are extenuating circumstances, or maybe by a spectacular coincidence there are two other blue budgies named Skipper and Misty...but if it is them, wow - that didn't take long. Nice forever home for 6 months.
Argh!

Lookin' Spiffy

Watching a rabbit give itself a bath is one of the cutest things ever. All they have to do is go up on their backlegs, clean their face with their front paws, and everyone in the room melts. Harrison posed beautifully - look at that spotty belly!
Cutest photo of the day! Lavender is a darling. She looks like she's praying.

It looks like a rat has showed up at South, as well as possibly a new bunny, so there should be more newbies when I go this weekend. Hopefully the high rate of adoptions will continue into next week!

A Welcome Surprise!

Technically, it's impossible to predict which animals will get adopted, and when. But there are many factors that make some animals stay longer (sometimes a lot longer). Black animals, large animals, older animals - they take longer to find a home. Cuter, prettier animals go faster - and I don't say that as an absolute rule, or even to be cynical, because who doesn't want a cute animal? And they need homes just as well, which is why they're with us in the first place. Some of the trends are a little more specific - lop-eared rabbits, for instance, usually go very fast and I have no idea why.
Anyway, the point is, sometimes animals stay with us for a long long time, on account of their personality or their looks or something else. And that makes it so much more exciting and special when they're adopted, which is what happened yesterday.

I'm sorry to say I don't have a photo of Lanie (I think it must've been lost in an unfortunate computer crash, because I know I photographed her at some point). She was a large, short-haired black cat, and she was cranky. Not interested in making friends, that one.
The wonderful TAS staff sent her to Kennel Cafe, a great neighbourhood pet store that usually holds two or more cats for us that are up for adoption. It's a great place and they do really well for adoptions.
Lanie's attitude didn't improve much, but the folks at the Cafe took to her and decided she would stay there until she got adopted - which, we assumed, wouldn't be for a very, very long time.

Well, yesterday I got one of the best phone calls ever! Turns out some awesome person who already had one cranky cat was willing to take another one. After many months and much doubt, Lanie has a new home and family!
To whoever adopted her - you are amazing. Lanie is a lucky cat!

Roll Call

Pepper is still at the shelter - it's been three months now. That's certainly not the longest I've seen a rabbit be there, but with all the adoptions going on now, it seems like Pepper's gotten left behind. He acts so cranky I'm not surprised, but he just needs a little more love - sometimes you see that there's a sweet personality in there. He's young! Wouldn't you be cranky if someone left you behind in an apartment and didn't bother to socialize you? I know I would.
Fred and George have actually been there as long as Pepper, but they have each other for company. These two are just so full of energy and excitement, they can't help but brighten your day. Whoever takes them home will never have a dull moment!
Harrison's been at the shelter for over a month too, which is just odd. He's a Rex, with beautiful velvet-y fur, a laid-back personality, and a total sweetheart. What's he still doing there? He has kind of a boxy-looking head, but really at that point you're just being picky.
In this photo, you can see all three of Paisley's colours. She's a very pretty guinea pig! She and Weet have turned out to be total sweethearts. When I gave hay to the bunnies, they both stood up at the door to their cage, squealing for food. Paisley in particular is very friendly and likes getting petted. They'd make really nice pets.
I got an update on Lily the guinea pig the other day! She is doing great in her new home and is much-loved. I love updates!

Newbies

Two new faces at TAS South this week! This little guy is Sherlock, and I assume he's a juvenile because he is much too tiny to be full-grown. He was dumped at the Humane Society by his owners, but the THS can't take surrenders and so he was re-routed to us. Luckily for him - now he doesn't have to share the room with a huge crowd, since we're at a nice normal number right now. Sherlock's not the friendliest boy but he just needs a little love.
I am in love with this sweet girl! Lavender is very new (not even on the website yet!). She is just so gorgeous - look at that colouring. Very striking! It helps that she's a total sweetie and very friendly and curious. Plus she's a lop - I can't imagine she'll be with us long.

Awesome!

I have gotten slightly obsessed with the show How I Met Your Mother lately, and they use the word 'awesome' a lot. As a consequence, I've started using awesome way more than I used to - but you know what, this entry is worthy of a lot of awesomes.
Chubbs was adopted! CHUBBS. The email informing me of this was so surprising and awesome that I almost knocked my laptop off the table. I can't believe it! Huge, huge props to whoever took Chubbs, because that pudgy little lionhead needed a home, badly.
Chico and Lenny were also adopted a while ago, at the beginning of January. I bet their new families love them, because both those boys were super-sweet and perfectly suited to being affectionate pets, and just generally awesome.
And finally, a wonderful update on Penelope's new home:
Hi Laura,

I thought I'd send you an update on Penelope. It took a few days for her to feel comfortable enough to come out from under the kitchen sink, but I think it's safe to say she is now queen of the castle. She seems to like running up and down 2 flights of stairs and promptly flops down and presents her belly for a rub when meeting new friends. She seems really happy with her new digs and it's certainly lovely to have a little spirit running around the house again. Thanks for all of your help with the adoption.

Penelope's new name is Little Debbie. I didn't really help much with the adoption but congrats to all the workers at TAS who took such good care of Penelope for so long!

Cat Interlude

Allie has been at the shelter for a long time now. She was surrendered by her owners back in September. She's a little shy but she's a charmer and she needs a home! She's six years old but that shouldn't hold anyone back, because she's lovely.
Sweeper here is super-affectionate, maybe a little too affectionate actually! He gets right up in your face looking for attention. But he is a sweetheart with absolutely gorgeous eyes. He just needs someone to pay attention to him - all the time, preferably!
And finally we have Marshal! Marshal is adorable. He is a very handsome boy, about 4 years old, who came in as a stray. His fur is super shiny! Don't let the photo on the website fool you - he's not shy at all, in fact he's very friendly. He'd make a great family pet.

Three in Three

Yesterday was amazing - three bunny adoptions in three hours! Ok, one of them was picking up a bunny on hold for her, but still - fantastic!
Chloe, our big fluffball, found a home with a family. I think the mom especially fell in love with her! That's excellent because Chloe had become grumpy in the shelter environment and even nipped a few times. She wasn't suited to living in a shelter (well, no one is). Now she's got a brand new home! And here's the really exciting part (for me anyway) - they found out about her on Bunspace! First time someone told me they actually read those things. I was thrilled!
Thumper had already been marked for adoption, pending her being spayed. Her new owner picked her up about an hour and a half after Chloe was adopted. She's in a bunny-knowledgeable home with another rabbit now.
At the same time Thumper was being picked up, a family with a young girl came in looking for Scout. Scout's on hold for adoption (another one!). I suggested Fiver, because he is the calmest, more laid-back bunny I'd ever seen and I thought he'd do well in a family with a child. I put him on her lap and he was the perfect gentleman! It was perfect - he just sat with her for about half an hour as her parents asked questions about his personality, history, etc. He was bigger and older than what they were looking for, but in the end he had won the little girl over and he went home with his brand-new family!
Not a bad day, overall!

Daycare Pets; Good to Kids

These two guinea pigs just came in today. On the back of their little pink card, it says "Daycare pets - good to kids age 4-5". Which sort of begs the question - if they're so good to the kids, why didn't anyone return the favour? Instead they get dumped at the shelter, albeit with a very nice cage.
Anyway, they're with us now, which is ok after a completely awesome day that involved THREE bunny adoptions! They're quite handsome, these two, and pretty darn friendly for guinea pigs.
Paisley is definitely the friendlier one. She squealed like a banshee when I picked her up, but once she got that out of her system she was actually quite snuggly. And she's gorgeous - you can't see in this photo but she's three colours.
Weet (?) is very skittish and very loud about her fear of giant human hands. Once we got her out of the cage, she was ok, but some socializing may be in order there. She's quite pretty too. They're a nice pair, they seem to get along quite well.

These two are our only guinea pigs right now, as Spike got sent to a guinea pig rescue: Guinea Pigs R Us, where it looks like he got renamed Lloyd (if that's him)!

We're Adopted!

I love this sign! It was put up on a window with kittens and it just looked so happy I had to take a photo. And now I get to use it!
Nellie got adopted! She was one of the prettiest cats I've ever seen, and very sweet, although a little shy. She was adopted with another cat, and will spend 2010 with her new family.
Even better (no offense Nellie), Precious has also been adopted! Precious is nine years old, and she was surrendered way back in May. It's about time this gorgeous (also shy) girl found a home.

Two lovely girls starting new lives - not a bad way to start the new year!

Happy New Year!

Happy 2010 everybody!
I'm out of the city and far away from the shelter and from my animals. It's kind of silly how much I miss those annoying buggers!
Carmen came on vacation with me, because I wanted to keep an eye on her leg, even though it's mostly healed. She started singing for the first time since her accident! Canaries normally aren't big fans of change and new things, but Carmen's adventurous - I think she quite likes her new environment.

Hope everyone had a wonderful New Year's!