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Petey wandered into a pet store in Soacha, this clever little guy rescued himself when the kind proprietor saw that we was covered in fleas, suffering from a skin infection and the onset of of mange; she could not turn him away.Petey was taken in by one of our volunteers,and lived with her in foster care for a few months, while he recovered and was neutered and vaccinated and his skin healed up. This happy and friendly little dude lucked out with a flight volunteer in March of 2020, just before COVID shut down flights from Bogota to Toronto! Peter spent a bit of time in foster care before finding a wonderful forever family here. He works from home a lot of the time, but also accompanies his mom to her office, where he works as Office Dog in her law firm. It's a demanding position, but this small and mighty little guy loves it! Petey was adopted in June of 2020.
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Cyrus and Danica were rescued from the street in Soacha. We're not sure of their backstory, but they were found abandoned, dirty, emaciated and scrounging for food by one of our volunteers in March of 2017. It was clear from the start that this diminutive duo was a bonded pair, and so they went to live in the farm with Dra. Martha until a forever family could be found. It's especially difficult for small dogs like this to survive on the street and they both needed to be sterilized as well, because while they are adorable, the last thing we need is more puppies!C&D settled in with Dra. Martha and it didn't take too long for them to find an amazing family in Canada that wanted to adopt both of them, their bags were packed for a flight to T.O.in the early fall of 2017! And then, the unthinkable happened, ONE DAY before the flight in September, Cyrus was kicked by a horse on the farm and one of his back legs was shattered. We decided that Danica would fly without her brother and she arrived in October of 2017 and settled in. Cyrus remained in Colombia and had surgery to repair the leg. He arrived here in the spring of 2018 and we discovered that he needed an additional, complex orthopedic surgery to fully repair his leg. This wee guy took it like a champ! FINALLY, after surgery in Toronto in the early summer of 2018, this darling duo was reunited and now make their home in Niagara-on-the-Lake. Cyrus had further physio and hydro-therapy to gain mobility one he was home -- and C&D are now living the dream! It was a LONG road for these 2 pups, but it was more than worth it!
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Luna was rescued from the street in Soacha -- she had been tossed out by a family that didn't want her any more. It also appeared she'd had pups and was perhaps used by a backyard breeder. It's a dangerous life on the street, and for small dogs like Luna, they are also at risk of being attacked by larger dogs who are equally desperate to surviveShe was picked up by one of our Colombian volunteers and moved in with her rescuer. She proved to be a lovely and happy little pup, despite her ordeal. In September of 2019, She made her way to Canada with 2 very kind flight volunteers who also happen to be adopters and fosters with our rescue. She even had a stop-over in Cancun for the day, saw a few sights, she proved to be an excellent little traveller and companion on the flight! It didn't take this lovely little lady too long to find a wonderful mom and cool condo digs! Luna was adopted in October of 2019. |
Ofelia was part of a litter of pups rescued from an abandoned shed when they were just about 4 weeks old. They were quite ill and spent the first part of their lives in a vet clinic. Sadly, not all of the pups survived, but Ofelia made it and has proven to be a tough but tender little girl!Ofelia had been living in a foster home with her rescuer in Medellin, Colombia, who flew her to Bogota and then this tiny jet setter made the final leg of her journey and settled nicely into foster care in Toronto in a home with one of our other Colombian-Canadian canines, Vito (you can read his story below, here on our Happy Tails page ). Ofelia found a very loving family not all that far from her foster home, with another rescued canine sibling and a cat rescue sib too -- as well as a couple of human sisters. She was adopted in March of 2019 and is doing so well! |
Chloe's a wee wisp of a girl that found herself homeless and out on the street in an economically vulnerable area of south Bogotá and taken into foster care by one of our rescue volunteers in Colombia.She made her way to Canada, where we discovered she needed surgery on BOTH knees to repair patellar luxation. This tiny but tough terrier made it through surgery and post-op physio like a champ! It was amazing to see her bounce back and inspirational too. Once she had fully recovered, Chloe had a wonderful forever family waiting, they'd laready fallen in love with her. Chloe now has 2 other rescue pups as siblings, Elphie and Rudy and a paw-some life with her parents too. Plus, they gave her the best nickname: the little Lorax! The little Lorax was adopted in August of 2018. |
Max waited YEARS for a family after being rescued from the street when he was hit by a car, but he found an amazing happy ending!
After recovering from his injuries and being shuttled back and forth between foster homes and boarding facilities for over 3 years, Max got his shot at the big time when he participated in a "trash-the- dress" photo shoot that was sponsored by a very kind couple in Bogotá. He's such a loving and expressive dog and the pics really captured Max's kind spirit.
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Lola was found on the street in a small town by one of our rescue vets, she had been living as a stray there. She had just been hit by a car and was in shock. Dra. Martha picked her up and took her to her clinic. Luckily for little Lola, she wasn't seriously hurt, but we decided she could not return to the street.
Lola moved on to the farm with Dra. Martha and lived there for several months after being spayed and vaccinated. She's a fun and feisty girl and in May of 2018, arrived in Canada with a kind couple who volunteered to bring her here.
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Nala was found as a stray. She followed a lady home from a bus stop and that woman and her family fed Nala for a week -- that whole time she stayed outside their front door. Thankfully, the family eventually contacted a volunteer with the rescue to pick up Nala as they could not keep her.
Nala was put in a foster home in Colombia, spayed, vaccinated and evaluated. She arrived in the spring of 2018 with her flight buddy Cyrus (he already had a family waiting here and one that had previously adopted his sister, Danka!). She spent some time in foster care in T.O. -- learning to play with toys, relax and take LONG naps!
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Luke and Leia were abandoned on the street -- tied to a light pole. They were filthy and matted and we figure they were dumped after being used for breeding. They were very attached to each other, so we knew L&L deserved to find a happy ending together.
Despite what was probably a pretty crappy start in life, this dynamic duo proved to be happy, active and fun-loving! They love all people and everyone they meet gets kisses and requests for tummy rubs. Luke and Leia arrived on January 1, 2018 to begin a new year and a new life in Canada.
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Taffy has kind of an incredible story: She crossed the border into Colombia from Venezuela on foot to escape the turmoil there with her family, but when they arrived, they couldn't afford to keep her. Taffy was being put on the street, one of our volunteers found out about Taffy's vulnerable position and saved her.
Taffy's a resilient and happy girl and settled into her new foster home with no problem, and in the spring of 2018, Taffy made the trek to T.O. and to her foster home here, charming her foster fam and fur sibs with her characteristic playful and affectionate nature.
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Luna was a stray that was picked up when she was found hanging around a public transit station. She was a young pup, thin and tired and more than a little frightened.
Luna was taken to a local foster home and spent some time there recovering. She was spayed and vaccinated, and it didn't take long for little Luna to catch the eye of a lovely Canadian family.
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Leo was thrown onto the street from a moving vehicle in a busy area. He ran after the car as it sped off and then made it to a parking lot across the street, where he took refuge under the parked cars, terrorized and in shock.
It was a miracle that he wasn’t hit by another car during this ordeal. A kind parking lot attendant saw it all go down, and then took care of him as he continued to hang around the lot for food and shelter.
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Candy was living on the street in a tourist-y area of Bogotá where she was being fed and cared for by a sweet vendor, that’s how she got her name! The vendor could not afford to keep her and knew she’d never be safe out there alone, so she contacted the rescue.
Candy was placed in foster care in Bogota and was spayed and vaccinated, and took some time to decompress from life on the street.
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We first met Scruffy when tourists travelling in the area of Mongui, Colombia snapped his photo. He was living on the street there with several other dogs and these kind people wanted to save one of these dogs and bring her home – Scruff was one of her friends and appeared in many of their photos.
Tragically, we found out that the dog they had wanted to adopt had been hit by a car and killed not long after they left the region, when some of our volunteers travelled to the town to find her. But there was Scruffy, still on the street with the rest of the pack. We rescued him and another young female pup in her memory. That little girl found a home with those kind tourists in New York City and little Scruffers made his way to T.O. to find his happy ending too. |
Bogie was one of several pups found abandoned in a box by the side of a country road. The litter was very young and one of our rescue vets took them in and cared for them.
Several of Bogie’s siblings found homes in Colombia, but no one wanted big Bogie and for almost a year he stayed on the farm, waiting for a forever family. Some of our Canadian volunteers met him while visiting and snapped his photo. And that's when Bogie caught the eye of one of our previous adopters, and she decided he would make a great brother for her other Colombian-Canadian Canine, Kaluha. (See below for Kaluha's story.) |
Canela’s a striking girl with a big heart, a sad story, and a happy ending! She started out life as a stray, eking out an existence on the street. It’s extra hard for bigger dogs like Canela to survive, as they need more food, and are often the target of hostile humans. When Canela was found by her rescuers, she was extremely thin and had lost most of her hair to mange. She also had several bite marks and scars that told the tale of her struggle to survive.
Canela spent almost a year in a boarding facility that was paid for by her rescuers. She also received medical attention, was sterilized and vaccinated. She bounced back, put on some weight and has become a joyful and loving girl that’s grateful for all she has received. Canela did not get a single adoption application while in Colombia, and so after months of searching for a home there, we decided she needed a shot at the good life in the 6ix. |
Lulu was abandoned by her owner on the street. One of our rescue vets saw her, waiting at the door of her previous home for almost a week, asking to be let in. When she talked to the owners, they said they didn't want her anymore.
So Lulucita moved onto the farm with our Dra. Martha and fit right in! She's an adorable and happy little pup with perpetual bedhead. After waiting for about 6 months to find a forever family in Colombia, Lulu came to Canada with her friends Junior and Lola (Lola already had a family waiting for her here). This intrepid trio were great travellers and arrived in T.O. on a blustery spring night. |
Junior was found as a stray by one of our rescue vets, living on the streets near her practice in El Rosal.
After a couple of weeks, she determined he was alone and took him home with her. Junior was living on her farm when some Canadian volunteers that were visiting met and fell in love with him. After learning that no one wanted to adopt him there, we knew this sweetie had to come to Canada. |
Harry was abandoned in a bus station in downtown Bogotá.
A young boy found him there, and his parents contacted our rescue. We picked him up, and took him to a foster home for a much-needed bath and grooming, then he was neutered and had his teeth cleaned.
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Dante was hanging around a church, begging for food after Mass, when he was picked up by one of our volunteers.
He was dirty, thin and desperately lonely too, but he cleaned up nicely (check out his before and after above). He spent a few months in a foster home with his friend Harry, rescued around the same time. And then, then these 2 poodle-y dudes packed their bags, and headed north!
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Terry spent the first year of his life at the end of a chain in a garage.
What little human contact he had was very negative, and when his so-called family grew tired of him and wanted to euthanize him, a kind person stepped up to save him and pay for his care and rehabilitation in Bogotá. At that point, he was extremely fearful and under-socialized. Terry spent over a year there in a refuge, learning to live like a normal dog and to interact with humans and canines. Unfortunately, no one wanted to adopt this very handsome (but still very timid) boy, so Terry's sponsor paid his way to Canada. Terry's a truly gentle soul and with a little time and TLC, he came out of his shell and has found an wonderful forever family in Toronto, with a BIG doppelganger brother called Baloo, who's a rescue from Quebec. Baloo is showing Terry the ropes, and Terry is learning that life is good! Terry also has a new name, Otis and he and his bro now have their own Instagram account! Terry was adopted in March, 2017. |
Susie was found as a young pup on the street.
She spent 5 long years various foster homes and facilities in Bogotá, searching for a family. During that stressful time, her fur began to grow gray, and she was fearful and lonely, as so many of the other dogs she knew moved on to forever families, and no one ever looked twice at Susie. In November of 2016, we decided Susie had waited long enough, and she flew to Toronto with one of our volunteers who also became her foster mom. Well, after a couple of months there, her foster family decided Susie was perfect for them, and so she became a foster fail! Susie's mom says to remove her fear and anxiety and replace it with love has been an amazing thing. Susie now lives east of the city and is loving life, and goes on daily walks with her fur sister Paloma, another one of our Colombian-Canadian canines. It's the best possible ending for sweet Susie, and she says it was well worth the wait. Susie was officially adopted in February 2017. |
Sarita was born in a shelter in a town close to Bogotá, and adopted out to a family there that returned her after about 2 years when they got another puppy.
Honestly, we have no idea why! Sarita is a joy to have around, loves people, dogs and cats and just wants to give kisses and snuggles to everyone. One of our volunteers fell in love with her on a visit to Colombia, and after learning that no one seemed to want this doll, we knew we had to get her here ASAP! Sarita very quickly found her happy ending: she now lives with 2 human siblings, and her mom and dad just west of the city, and gets to do what she loves most, which is to be involved in EVERYTHING. This includes accompanying her human sibs to ski lessons, assisting in her mom's tutoring classes, and just hanging out, reading a book or watching TV (Sarita loves The Ellen Show). Sarita was adopted in January, 2017. |
Fonzie found his forever family in December of 2016. This happy-go-lucky dude was found as a stray in a poor area of Bogotá.
He was wandering the streets for a few days and then someone in the neighbourhood alerted the rescue. One of our volunteers drove down to pick him up. No one ever came forward to claim him, so in November 2016, the Fonz packed his bags and headed north to the 6ix. Fonzie found an amazing mom who is a veterinarian, and his whole family is very active and sporty, which suits this guy just fine. Fonzie now enjoys weekends at the cottage and this little Colombian has embraced the great Canadian winter with gusto! |
Opie's a lovable lug now, but when he was found in a poor area of Bogotá, he was in such a terrible state that he was almost euthanized.
He was emaciated, had lost much of his fur to mange, and had more than his fair share of battle scars from life as a big dog on the streets, but his sweet personality and gratefulness to his rescuers paid off, and they took a chance on him. Opie spent almost a year in Bogotá getting better, and then looking for a home. He lived at a boarding facility that was paid for by his rescuers, and everyone there said he was the sweetest dog, despite his history, but it sure wasn't home. Opie went to many adoption fairs and met lots of humans and other dogs, but as a large black dog, he was consistently overlooked, so he packed his bags and travelled to Canada to find home, arriving (appropriately enough) on Thanksgiving Monday. He spent some time in foster care in Toronto, and it didn't take too long for him to find an awesome forever family that didn't mind his larger size and battle scars. Opie was adopted just before Christmas 2016, and now he has more love, toys and cosy places to sleep than he could ever have hoped for! |
Eva was found on the street by one of our rescue vets in a small town outside of the city of Bogotá.
Dr. Martha was heading into her local bank, when she saw Eva begging for food from people standing in line, waiting for the bus. But when she came out from the bank, Eva was gone! Dr. Martha tracked her down a few blocks away, quickly picked her up and whisked her to safety in a cab. Eva spent a few weeks on Dr. Martha's farm with several of our other pups. She was spayed, vetted and proved to be a really great girl. Within no time, she captured the heart of a lovely Canadian family from afar, and just a couple of months after her rescue, she travelled to Canada. Eva made an easy transition from small-town girl to hip city slicker -- she even has her own Instagram account! And she frequently visits her cousin Ollie, another one of our Colombian-Canadian canines. Eva was adopted in July, 2016. |
After being surrendered by his family due to allergies when he was still a young pup, Barney spent over a year in foster care, being moved from facility to facility in Colombia and searching for a home, with no luck.
At one point, he became homeless again, when his foster family could not afford to keep him and they cut him loose on the streets. Luckily, one of our volunteers tracked him down and pulled him off the street, he was in pretty rough shape at that point. But after that, big Barney's luck really changed! Thanks to donations from some really wonderful supporters, Barney travelled to Canada and immediately found a home with one of the families that helped bring him here. He now has a big sister called Dixie to play with (she's a Canadian rescue dog and just his size), and fabulous forever family. Barney has discovered a love for Lake Ontario and all things water -- and has found his zest for life! Barney was adopted in June of 2016. |
Zeus was abandoned by his family when they left the country to look for work.
He had been born in a shelter in the city, and while his brothers, Manny and Nico came to Canada in January 2016, Zeus stayed behind and was adopted locally. He's a very quiet and timid guy, but he found his way into a loving foster home in Colombia after being abandoned, and then came to Canada in May. Zeus found a wonderful home here with a happy and confident Canadian big bro called Bailey, who's also a rescue pup, and he is loving his new life! Mighty Zeus was adopted in June of 2016. |
Pinina was adopted in May of 2016.
After waiting over a year in foster care in Colombia for a forever family, she made it to Canada. We were amazed no one wanted this fabulous, feathery little girl down there, but Pinina's patience paid off in spades! She now lives just outside of Toronto with a lovely family that includes a canine sister called Rio and a couple of cat siblings as well (they declined to appear in this happy tail). Her family says she loves sunbathing and climbing, and has a charming silly streak. |
After waiting almost a year in Colombia, little Miss Moka made it to Canada and found an amazing family.
She had been used as a breeding dog, and her previous owners also botched up her ears, when they tried to crop them. Once they were done with her, they tossed her out on the street. Despite this rocky start to life, Moka maintained her sweet disposition and fondness for hugs and snuggles. After spending some time in foster care in Toronto, she found her happily ever after. You can follow her adventures on Instagram! Moka was adopted in April 2016. |
Charlie was found as a puppy in a poor area of south Bogotá where there are many homeless dogs.
He was very ill with canine distemper and almost didn't make it, but he's a tough little guy, despite his smiling poodle exterior. Then he waited over a year for someone in Colombia to adopt him, but there were no takers and he moved from foster home to foster home, wherever there was space. His whole life changed when a wonderful Canadian family fell in love with his photos and videos and decided to adopt him. It was a long and tough haul for this guy, but it was worth it. Charlie now lives in Toronto with his big labradoodle brofur George. He loves to go to work with his dad, and he and George enjoy watching him play hockey too! Charlie was adopted in April of 2016. |
Cardoza had a home, but one day her owner could no longer afford to feed her and cut her loose on the streets to fend for herself which is where we found her.
She was a filthy, matted mess and needed to be spayed, vaccinated and groomed, but she remained a sweet and happy-go-lucky girl throughout. Cardoza did not have to wait very long for a lovely Canadian family that was travelling to Colombia on vacation to see her photo, meet her, fall in love, and give her a new home -- and a new life. Cardoza arrived in Toronto in late February 2016. She loves snow and she loves the beach. Oh, and she has a new name too, it`s Blue! Perfecto! |