Search the Animal Shelters Until You Find Your Love.

I dedicate this website, and write this page about animal shelters...

In memory of my dog Rosie who lived with all the love I could give her from December, 2000 to February 6, 2006. Rosie, I was unable to help you at the time,

...but now, I promise to help as many dogs as I possibly can. I will help them get healthy and stay healthy. Rosie this is your legacy, and my promise to you.



I have always relied on animal shelters.

It is from them that I have found so many of my wonderful pets. Over the years, I would head to these Animal Rescue Centers when I was in need of another pet to fill my life with love. When I lived in Toronto, I would visit them regularly, usually on a Sunday afternoon.

Animal shelters provide a wonderful service. They are a blessing to rescued animals and people alike. Where would all those homeless animals be without the animal shelters to give them a temporary home.

My beloved Rosie and her brother, my boy Jack ( you have already met Jack on previous pages) were two puppies who found me at one of the no kill animal shelters in my neighbourhood.

The story goes like this...

I had been living without a dog for six years. My old dog had died at the very ripe old age of twenty-two. My heart was broken.

Of course I still had my two Siamese cats, beloved both of them, and rescued animals too, but, I ask you...what is life without a dog?

I had of course, been visiting the local animal shelters off and on for the last six years. However, I had not been chosen by my perfect dog yet. I guess, I really just wasn't ready.

Let me make one thing clear. I was not looking for a puppy. I was looking for a mature dog that was in need of a good home.

So, on a Sunday afternoon when I wasn't busy, I decided to visit one of the animal shelters located close to my home. They had that day, some lovely dogs, and the usual assortment of adorable puppies playing and wrestling with each other... but nobody wanted me!

However, I decided to take one last look, and right at the very back of the room was a crate containing the most pathetic looking puppy I had ever seen. She was very small only about eight weeks of age. Her little face was completely without fur. Her eyes were stuck shut, and her face was blown up like a beach ball. Her little head was double the size it should have been.

What the heck is wrong with this puppy, I asked?

Oh, she has a serious infection, I was told. She's being treated, and is not available for adoption. She's still on antibiotics, steroids, and anti-inflammatory drugs for her infection. She's a very sick dog.

The puppy, hearing voices, woke up and made her way to the front of the crate. She started to squeak and pant, and put her little paws up on the front of the crate. "Don't forget about me. I can't see you, but I can hear you", she seemed to be saying.

The attendant had told me she wasn't available for adoption but, I asked anyway. "Well, you won't be able to get your money back if she dies", he said. "and she won't be able to go home with you, for at least another couple of weeks because she's still being treated", he added.

Anyway, she had chosen me, this very sick puppy, that I hadn't been looking for. I paid my money. She was mine, and I was hers. She was a happy puppy and I was a happy woman.

For the next two weeks, I visited the animal shelter everyday. I named her Rosie. We got to know each other a little bit in that time...and she recovered. I brought her home.

After I was able to bring Rosie home, we visited the vet who administered the usual vaccinations and boosters and some further treatment with antibiotics. All was fine or so I thought.

In the meantime, Rosie seemed to be doing well, and so one day, I decided to take her to the animal shelter to show them how well she was doing. Everyone there was thrilled to see that she had recovered so well, and that she was now a very happy dog.

The staff at the animal shelter was so happy in fact, that I was told that her brother (Jack), who had previously been adopted, was back at the rescue center. You guessed it. I left there that day with another puppy!

Back to the vet we went because no one was sure if Jack had been vaccinated yet.

So here I was with two puppies, when originally, I had only wanted one quiet adult dog. Sometimes life has a way of playing jokes on you! Anyone who has ever owned a puppy or two, or three, knows what I mean. However, life goes on. Sometimes you don't think you're going to live through it.

During this time I broke my foot. So here I was in the winter, ( this is Canada, don't forget) up to my knees in snow, trying to train two delinquent puppies to do their business outside.

Spring came.

Rosie and Jack were now old enough to be spayed and neutered respectively. This was when I started to call Rosie the Murphy's Law dog. Everything that could possibly go wrong, did go wrong.

Rosie burst her stitches from the surgery. This happened outside so I had to carry her to keep her intestines from falling on the ground. As it was, the vet had to remove some of her intestine before sewing her back up. More antibiotics and other drugs.

She recovered... time passed...

After that, Rosie had continual bouts of urinary tract infection (more drugs), skin rashes (more drugs), diarrhea off and on (more drugs), vomiting sometimes (more drugs) and chronic runny, weepy eyes (more drugs).

She would alternate between being hyper and lethargic. She appeared to be OK but really there was always something not quite right about Rosie. I just knew she wasn't one hundred percent well.

Also she had separation anxiety when away from me. No wonder I guess, since we had so much invested in each other. I felt that Rosie was living with much stress both emotionally and physically.

Anyway, to make a long story short, Rosie seemed to fail in the last few months of her life. She was only coming up to her fifth birthday. She would wince in pain when walking up steps. She would lose control of her bowels frequently, and appeared just tired.

I wish I had known then, what I know now. Although I have no proof, I know Rosie had been suffering from a variety of health problems as a result of a stressed immune system, brought on by the use of vaccines, antibiotics, corticosteroids and anti-inflammatory drugs.

She had been battling poor health issues from a very early age, and probably her mother had had a weakened immune system, as a result of poor food and living conditions. In animal shelters nobody really knows the whole story for sure.

I am not trying to blame anyone. Those treatments gave her to me. Probably Rosie wouldn't have been with me for even five years if not for the drugs which saved her at the time. They did however, I'm convinced, shorten her life and make her generally weak.

Finally Rosie became too ill, and we were forced to put her to sleep. Autoimmune disease had set in and her body systems totally shut down. Liver and kidneys destroyed. I had to say good bye to my girl.

She was only five years old when she crossed over the Rainbow Bridge.

Rosie was an English Setter/Bluetick Coonhound cross. She was the love of my life. Rosie, five years just wasn't long enough.

How is it possible to love a dog so much, you wish you could dream about her at night...just to put your arms around her one more time, kiss her between the eyes, stroke her beloved head once more?

In Memoriam

Rosie leaves behind, her beloved brother Jack, and our little Pomeranian Tuxedo.

Maggie is gone now.

The old Siamese cats Cuddlebunny and Bill, miss you too Rosie.

You never met Mia, Rosie, but I know you would get a laugh out of her. She's our little barn cat. She's very handicapped with her broken limbs, now healed.

...and of course you never met the young, nut cases...Rory and Liam, the Irish Meezers...and let's not forget precious Pager, the energetic Springer Spaniel, and now sweet Teddy ( Steady Teddy ) our chocolate Labradoodle.

I know you are watching them from across the Rainbow Bridge.

I will love you forever Rosie, my Beauty Queen.

Sandra May 3, 2008

Here's a picture of Jack (left) and Rosie (right) in better days. Even then, you can see that Jack is more vibrant looking. Rosie seems to be fading somehow. They always had to be touching. See Rosie's paw is touching Jack's leg... Bro and Sis.

We have four dogs again now.

Our English Springer Spaniel named Pager, came to us via Trish, who got him at the local animal shelter in Napanee.

For me personally, I think that rescue dogs make the best companions.

Somehow it seems to me, that they just know they have been saved, and are eternally grateful for that.

I guess that's where the saying, Mans Best Friend comes from.

Where would you like to go now?



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