Skin and bones. That’s all Greenie and his dog friends were. They desperately needed help.
Our SPCA Enforcement team rushed the dogs in for urgent care. All five were starving and dehydrated. They had rocks in their bellies and zero energy. When pets are this emaciated their organs begin to shut down.
Their fragile bodies were hard to look at. Even for us here at the SPCA. In fact, some staff with years of experience had never seen dogs this skinny. It was heartbreaking. But there was hope.
The five dogs started a special refeeding schedule of small, frequent meals so it wouldn’t overwhelm their tiny bodies. Although their gains at first may not have seemed like a lot, we knew they were giant leaps in the right direction.
After all, it is important to remember that animal rehabilitation isn’t a sprint… It’s a marathon.
We named the dogs after bright colours to symbolize their bright futures ahead: Greenie, Orangie, Bluie, Brownie, and Pinkie.
Slowly but surely, the pups made positive progress. They were finally ready to continue their rehabilitation plans in homes to free up much-needed space at our small shelters.
With foster-to-adopt, thanks to generous donors, we continued to cover their care while they recovered. Families opened their hearts, homes, and made the adoption official when the dog was ready.
After months of hope and hard work, all five dogs were medically cleared and adopted.
Now, it’s officially been one full year since the Rainbow crew came into our care. To celebrate, their families graciously gave updates on how well they are all thriving now.
Greenie
Charlie, formerly Greenie, now weighs a healthy 29kg. He loves being brushed and is doing very well in his new home with his dad and mom. “It was hard seeing the pictures of him that and how sad he was,” they shared. “Now he is always keeping us on our toes and making us laugh. He is such a good dog for what he went through. We don’t know what we would do without him.”
Orangie
Orangie is now named Sophie and she is doing very, very well. “She gained all of her weight back and of course more,” her owner giggled. “Sophie is our lovely dog who loves to come with me to work in an Alzheimer/dementia unit in a senior home. The residents and employees just love her. She is very well-behaved with the residents and gentle and always happy to see them.”
“The first time we saw her was very emotional because of what she went through,” they continued. “She walked toward us and was looking at us…..at that moment I knew it was the dog I wished for…. My heart…….. I also knew that it would be a long road for her to trust us. For a few months Sophie didn’t want to get out of the driveway……then she started to follow us little by little. There were lots of tears for sure wondering if she will ever recover.”
“Now, Sophie is going almost everywhere with us,” they smiled. “She is more confident day by day. She loves car rides and loves our cats. Sophie is learning how to be a dog again and she is wonderful. I will never thank you enough for giving us your trust and the chance to adopt her. We love her very much and she will be in our life for a long time hopefully. I would love to say a special thank you to the ones who rescued her! I hope that they will see the pictures of what a beautiful dog she became.”
Bluie
“From the moment we first saw him there was something that pulled us to him,” Bluie’s new family recalled. “As cliché as it sounds, there was a connection, if you will. He was just this happy little guy, even after everything he endured in his life at such a young age. We lost one of our pups not long before I met Bluie, we had no plans on getting another dog. At least not for a while. But, there was just something about him that we loved right away. He is our happy little guy, and we just knew that he was the one. The moment that we knew 100% that he was the one was seeing how much our other dog loved him and the way he loved her. They are best friends and always want to be together.”
“He is such a silly boy there are so many funny moments that occur every day,” they shared. “One of the funniest things that is part of his daily routine is summersaults! No joke, he will do actual summersaults every morning on his bed. I have never met a dog as happy as him or as funny. He is so full of silly it is crazy, he makes us laugh every single day. Loves a good adventure too!”
Brownie
“We truly believe it was fate,” Brownie’s new family exclaimed. “We were out for a drive on a Sunday afternoon and I suggested to my husband that we should take a drive by the SPCA. Usually he would say no because the last 3 times i asked to drive by we came home with a rescue. We must have been there for about 45 min hearing about this wonderful dog and how much pain and suffering he had gone through. They also told us he was the last one there (as he was there for about 5 1/2 months. We said our goodbyes and as we got in the car I did not say a word as I knew my husband said no more dogs as we had 3 home already. As we were driving out of the driveway I looked straight ahead not saying anything when my husband said “do what you gotta do.” The rest is history and now we have 4!!!!!”
“Every moment that we have with Brownie aka Brown Dog is amazing and memorable,” they smiled. “He is such a loving dog. He loves to cuddle, give kisses, play with toys, run outside and lay in the sun, and enjoy his new furever home.”
Pinkie
“When I saw the post from the SPCA my heart sank,” Pinkie’s new mama remembered. “I saw Pinkie and her little sad face and immediately imagined my life with her in it. I called right away to schedule a meet a great with her, jumped in my car, and made the two-hour drive. It was love at first sight.”
“I never adopted a dog before with a background that she was exposed to and I had no idea what her personality would be like,” she continued. “But I was determined to have her and show her the good life and let her know humans are good. She has turned out to be the most sweetest dog. She loves everyone she meets. She is funny, kind, and very spoiled. She’s my shotgun rider, loves the beach, and she has discovered swimming. She is a true blessing. Her new name is Regal Beagle (after my favourite show Threes Company).
The Rainbow Crew dogs all gained weight… But that is not all. They gained confidence, strength, and families who adore them. Thank you to everyone who helped along their journey.