THOR (FORMERLY FRIC)

We adopted Thor (previously Fric) on July 26, 2018. We found this to be an amazing adoption experience! We did not wait long, when our perfect dog, Thor, thundered into our lives!! At first she had potty training issues, but with repetition and patience it all worked out! She and Snax had an immediate connection. 

 I (Thor's mom) have PTSD, and Thor has amazing instincts and is energetic yet calming and loving and wakes me up as if everyday is a wonderful day to be alive!! Thank you for our gentle Thor.♥️♥️♥️

– Catherine, Hugh and Avery  and Snax and Thor Carter

MURPHY (FORMERLY CESAR)

I adopted Murphy from SOS in November 2015 where he was known as Cesar.

It was so easy to integrate him into our little family, he is the sweetest, most loving dog. He even traveled extensively with us while we lived in Europe! He napped on almost every cafe patio in Croatia I'm sure. 

The most challenging thing we've encountered with him was this past fall when we realized his cataracts had gotten so bad he completely lost his vision. It was really difficult to see him struggle to navigate our home and neighbourhood, but after some chats with SOS alumni Princy's owner, support from our vet, ophthalmologist, the amazing staff at Wholesome Canine here in Toronto, and a lot of googling we were able to help him feel confident and safe even though he can't see. Oh, and he looks super cute with his protective sunglasses too!

– Alexandra

BECKY

We had been thinking of getting a dog for a few years and we decided we wanted to give back by rescuing a dog. We had been following Save Our Scruff waiting for the perfect scruff to add to our family.  We saw Becky online and the same day went to the event that was hosted for her and decided to put in an application. We fell in love with Becky, the process to adopt her was very easy and both the foster family and Save Our Scruff staff member who triaged our application were fantastic.  

Becky is a foxhound mix, she’s from Texas and 2 years old. We adopted her June 2019 and she’s brought so much excitement to our lives. When we got Becky she did not bark and was very timid. Within the first few months, she began to get comfortable with us and began showing her true personality. She is now her true self and a great member of our family.  We continue to work with her and she is eager to learn. She listens to commands such as sit, wait, paw and now is listening to commands outside. She loves going outside, playing with her toys in the house and lying in the sun.

We recommend Save Our Scruff to anyone looking to adopt a dog the organization is just plain great!

SCRUFFY

From Scruffy’s human siblings: We first applied to adopt another dog, and after the interview we learned that she was given to another family. Sadly we didn’t get her, later, we realised it was for the best. Luckily, we were added to the waitlist so as soon Scruffy was available, Save our Scruff contacted us and said that they had a perfect match for us, and asked if we would be interested in meeting her. The first time we met her, Lesley and Dad told us to wait for her to approach us as she would be shy. They were o so wrong. When we entered the hallway, we saw our future dog sprinting at us as fast as she could! She jumped and whirled. She was just so excited! At that moment we knew that she was the one, even though she didn’t meet mum’s size limit of 30 lbs :) We got her soon after and that’s when the excitement really started. Having Scruffy has given us many responsibilities; we wake up early to take walks, brush her regularly and love her with all of our hearts. She has added so much joy to our lives and makes us look forward to coming home. Thanks, Save our Scruff! 

From Scruffy’s mum: Although I have been a dog owner my whole life, this was the first time I went through a rescue organization.  The whole adoption process was fairly smooth, yet thorough. I gained comfort that SoS does have the dog’s best interest at heart through the lengthy interview, reference checks (including vets), and the fact that we were passed up for the first dog we applied for. Having had Scruffy for just over a year, we cannot imagine our lives without her.

– From Lesley, Michael and four kids (12, 10, 8 and 1 month) who love her more than anything

BERNIE (FORMERLY BALOO)

I found out about SOS from my friend Tamara who was fostering Bernie at the time. Initially I reached out because I was looking for a Toronto based rescue organization. She told me all about Bernie and how I absolutely had to meet him. The adoption process was smooth and easy. The only challenging part was the patience we had to have while Bernie transitioned into our home but we had been well informed that he would need some adjustment time. Our home visit was wonderful and every volunteer we interacted with was friendly and supportive but also had the interest of the dog as the top priority (as it should be). 

The other piece I loved about SOS was that we were given as much information as possible about Bernie including the shelter that he had been saved from in Texas. I was then able to reach out to that shelter and give them all of his information and was able to find out so much about Bernie’s history.

I have continued to support SOS and even volunteered with them! Outstanding team!

Bernie has changed my life. He has become a cuddly suck who is the kindest and sweetest dog. I can’t believe all that he has been through and I am truly honoured and grateful to call him mine. 

Thank you thank you thank you from the bottom of my heart. 

Devra

LUCAS

We met Lucas (kept his name cuz hey-he had it for 5 years already!) in mid February of this crazy year when we helped his foster mom (who happens to be our daughter in law). She had a business trip and we offered to look after Lucas. So we were fosters of a foster-does that count as a foster fail cuz he stayed in the family?

It was a true match made in doggie heaven and after we went through the adoption process we celebrated his arrival into our family with new dog tag that made it official. We are loving seeing Lucas so happy and healthy, and it is very much mutual! He brings so much love and lots of laughter to our days with his antics and personality. We cannot wait for the rest of our family to be able to spend time with him once this staying at home stuff improves.

Stay well everyone!

Chris and Roger

CARAMEL

Dog’s name: Caramel

Didn’t change it but we call her everything from Mel to Kitty.

My name is Teena Goldin I adopted her March 2019

Late 2018, I had to make the heartbreaking decision to put my beloved Ridgeback down. He was my best friend for 12  years. I knew I was going to get another dog and started looking at rescue organizations when I found SOS. I had looked at a few dogs, but the day I saw Caramel, I knew she was my dog. Even my co-ordinator Eleni said the exact same thing. I knew it was a done deal even before I met with the Foster. The first few days post adoption were definitely stressful for Caramel and me. We needed to get to know each other and develop trust and a strong bond. It didn’t take very long at all. In no time we were going for many walks during the day, a proper schedule of a “business walk” in the morning. A longer more fun learning walk in the afternoon and one more quick walk before bed.

Caramel is a wonderful, sweet, goofy dog. She makes sure we are safe from Amazon delivery people and the neighbourhood squirrels. We are working on not barking at skunks. And the bunnies….. She loves to play in the backyard and loves loves loves the snow.

The whole adoption process was really easy. Any questions I had about the whole experience were answered professionally.

Not only did we celebrate Caramel’s 2nd birthday in January but also her Adoptaversary in March. She was treated to a brand new chew toy and lots of treats. She is very loved, the best cuddler and every single day I thank her for being my dog.

Thank you SOS

OLIVE (FORMERLY BONJOUR)

We adopted Olive just a couple of months after saying goodbye to our last dog Sam. Sam had been my dog before I met my partner and we welcomed our kids, and he never really came around on being a family dog. 

When we chose to adopt from SOS, we did so because as a dog-experienced family, we would still be considered even with very small children - my daughter was only 3 months old at the time of our application. (Some rescues we looked at didn't adopt to families with small kids.) Our main goal was to adopt a new family member who would love - not merely tolerate but actually LOVE - their human siblings, and to grow the relationship between our kids and the new dog into something special and positive. 

Olive responded well to the kids though our oldest took some time to come around on her. His experience with dogs was what he knew with Sam, and that was a strict routine of safety measures for everyone's sake. Very slowly, and initially with a lot of direct support, he began to really relax around her, and then to interact with her. He's recently started helping with simple dog training, and it's so incredible to watch them grow together. Sometimes I catch him holding her paw when he's sitting down watching TV and she loves it too. Olive has proven to be, with training, consistency, and patience, the perfect dog for us at just the right time. Looking forward to celebrating her first adoptiversary next month and we can't imagine life without her. She's one special girl and we lucked out with her gentle nature.

BILLY JOEL (FORMERLY PEACH)

“Today marks one year since we brought home the artist formerly known as Peach (Beau). Now known as Billy!

It's hard to imagine that for the first few days, Billy didn't want to leave his crate. These days, the moment we put the key in the door, he's waiting for us, his whole body wiggling, ready for kisses and cuddles. Billy has done an amazing job of coming out of his shell this year, and has made many friends, of both the four-legged and two-legged variety. His favourite people include his grandmother, his dog friends Yogi, Poppy, and Joe, and his dad, Christian, MUCH TO MY DISPLEASURE. He does love his mama as well, but Dad is #1.

Billy absolutely aced his training and is ready to go on to intermediate level in the spring. He's traveled to cottages and campsites and is a road trip superstar. He enjoys chilling on the roof with us while we BBQ, having a lazy day in the park, or going for a big hike where there's lots of things to sniff. We worked hard at his walking skills and he's now confident on the leash, trotting along with his tail wagging. He even met one of his sisters, who literally lives around the corner from us. Amazing to think that they both came all the way from the same litter in Mexico just to casually bump into each other in the same dog park in Toronto. Every time they are reunited, antics ensue.

Billy is still nervous around new people, and can be quite skittish. He's consistently afraid of a few things, including water, men with deep voices, and, weirdly, bras. I've offered to give up bras several times in order to make him more comfortable, but our trainer tells me this won't be necessary. As long as Billy has regular routine and someone he trusts to give him guidance, he's absolutely fine, and he's getting braver every day. We've noticed that Billy gains a lot of confidence from co-habitating with other dogs, so we're actually hoping to get a bigger place in the next few years so that we can go back to fostering dogs ourselves. For now, he spends the occasional weekend with my parents' dog, or my brother's dog, both of whom have taught him a lot.

It was evident the moment that we brought him home that Billy won the foster dog lottery. He was amazing in the crate and with his commands, thanks to the structure and love that Jen and Andrew provided him. We are so grateful to them for giving him an amazing start to his life in Canada - you guys are the actual best. Though we will never be able to properly express how grateful we are to have Billy, and how much we owe to everyone who helped get him here, please know that you've help us build a family. Every day with Billy is a good day - he is a pure vessel of abounding joy. It is, quite simply, impossible to imagine our home without him. Thank you, thank you, thank you for the part you played in saving his life.”

– Elizabeth

MOLLY (FORMERLY RAZR)

"We just wanted to send a quick update on Molly (formerly Razr) as yesterday marked our one year anniversary with her! We have enjoyed having her in our lives so much, she really has been the perfect fit for us. Back around December she showed a bit of regression in her behavior. We quickly realized and used the strategies given to us by Jess to avoid giving her the option to use those behaviors. She has not had any troubles since then. She is so loving and cuddly but also loves to go to cottages and camping with us. We constantly find ourselves asking "how did we get so lucky?". She is such a sweetheart and we are so glad that we were selected to have her as our dog! Thank you so much for everything you do."

— Erica & Rob

MINI (FORMERLY KIKO)

"It's now been about 1.5 months since Mini first came home with us. It feels like much longer already because he just fits right in. He was quite timid the first few days, just sniffing around the house and quietly observing Elliot and I and our other dog Bøf. After a week though he was already pretty carefree, playing with everyone and comfortable all around the house. Bøf and him started out neutral towards each other but that changed quickly. By now they are just great friends, playing so well together every day and slowly starting to cuddle a bit when they sleep. Too cute! Mini has gotten quite buff from all that playing. He could barely jump a month ago, now he's such an agile and strong little monkey. 

He is super comfortable at home by now. He knows us and our habits. He's very affectionate and snuggly with us, truly loves to be as close as possible. Always in your lap when sitting down, always by your feet with a toy ready to play. So social. He clings to us for comfort when we're out and generally acts part of the family already which is sweet. 

He's been so good at using his puppy pads and we have mostly stuck with that for potty training for now. Getting confident with the outdoors at all is still a process. It's clear the Canadian winter is quite overwhelming for the little guy. So is the big city. Especially the loud trucks and streetcars etc which we knew was going to be a challenge. We're doing quite alright though. We've made it from total fear paralysis at the sound of any car to being able to walk well on leash on the quieter streets. For the busiest streets and coldest days he still watches from the safety of his warm bag. He is a lot more at ease outside already but really not loving the weather still. Can't blame the skinny little legs! 

All in all this has all been a great experience and we couldn't be happier with our new little addition to the family. Mini is such a great dog."

— Lea & Elliot

PAC (FORMERLY TEX)

"It has been an amazing (almost) two years with TEX, now renamed PAC. SOS was very transparent with his history, which I greatly appreciated. But that was not going to hold us back. I knew that adopting a more 'quirky' dog would come with it's challenges. There were times where I second guessed if we would ever be able to get him to a happier mindset. We worked through lots of people and dog reactivity (with a big huge bark), fear, insecurity, etc. We completed lots training to get to where we are now. PAC has grown tremendously and continues to make me more and more proud each day. I teared up last week when he went up to a man to sniff him while on a walk. I still get teary eyed when I see him loving swimming and being outdoors. It’s amazing seeing him practice agility with the very things he used to run away from. These are the little things that have gotten me to see the big picture. I get compliments from strangers and friends, that he is a 'new dog', in the best way possible. I owed it to him, getting him to a healthier state of mind through training. It has made all of the difference and we are now LIVING. He is able to enjoy more of life with me now, and has become my go-to pal in all of my adventures. I don’t know if I’ll ever love some thing as I much as I love PAC. Thank you SOS for my soulmate!"

— Andrea
 

GO-GO (FORMERLY ECLIPSE)

"Rescuing our girl, Go-Go through Save Our Scruff has been a really great process. Coming from the world of Animal Activism and working with different rescue groups, shelters and different animal facilities on a daily basis, I can honestly say that I am very impressed by the thoroughness of the entire adoption process through SOS. They really care about placing all of their rescues into homes that are perfect for them, given their specific needs and personality types. They really take their time during the interview process to evaluate all potential adoption applicants to ensure their dogs are being placed in the best homes. Go-Go A.K.A. Eclipse has gone from living on the streets of El Salvador watching her entire family being killed by cars to living the good life here in Toronto where she is given more love than she could have ever imagined. She also has the largest toy collection of any dog ever and also has a dog bed that is way cozier and comfier than my own bed! Thanks to SOS for bringing our little girl Go-Go into our lives and making her the best addition to our family! We will definitely rescue through SOS in the future!" 
— Chala

COFFEE

"We have never felt so lucky! It took many months of applying and obviously screening but it was so worth it. It took a few weeks but she opened up and showed us her personality sooner than we thought. 

Growing up my family has adopted dogs before and it was a team effort. My boyfriend and I took years and agreed it was time we were ready for the responsibility together. The biggest fear most people have with adoption is that what kind of habits whether it be negative or positive are you inheriting when you adopt a dog with little knowledge of its past. We were prepared for both scenarios but were pleasantly surprised. 

We could not have trained a more well behaved, happy, eager-to-please dog even if we had her from a puppy. We never expected this and are so thrilled to share that within adoption comes so many rewards and one of ours is that we got the absolute perfect dog. 

This gal loves kids and any human that will give her a scratch. Whenever she sees her foster mom she recognizes her and is the same good girl she is with us. There is no way we ever could have imagined it going this well and understand it is best case scenario, but we want to make sure you have as much positive feedback so that you can confidently share it with those who might need it. 

Thank you for introducing us to our baby gal!! We love her!"

— Meagan + Mike

ALFIE (FORMERLY MAXIE)

"What can I say other than Alfie gets 10’s across the board. He is so sweet and adorable and loving. We’re both so lucky to have found each other. I have absolutely not one complaint or concern. He’s so easy to communicate with. And so social with all the people and especially the dogs. We’ve been really busy ever since he came into my world. We have a cottage up near Parry Sound and Alfie is the hit of the lake. He went swimming, hiking, boating, and canoeing. What a little trooper. My Mom lives in Aurora so we go visit her often. Alfie loves the nature trails up there, and his Gramma too. He’s brought so much love to our family and friends. Everyone loves Alfie. "

— Brian 

PENELOPE

"Penelope came to us in February 2017 and we have been in love every day since. Penelope is a rescue from the Dominican who probably didn’t appreciate the Toronto winter season at first – who could blame her?! Even though she wasn’t a fan of the weather, she immediately became our biggest fan. As a puppy, she had difficulties walking due to poor nutrition after birth, but through a balanced diet and ongoing physio, she’s blossomed into an energetic and active little girl!

She is still quite shy at first when meeting people, which lasts about 5 minutes, and apprehensive around smaller children, but we see improvements everyday as she becomes more comfortable with unfamiliar situations and exposed to different environments. She’s the absolute sweetest girl in the world and is addicted to snuggling, cuddling and nuzzling with anyone and everyone.  

She continually makes us proud, as we see her grow up. We can’t thank Save our Scruff enough for bringing her into our lives!" 

— Maria & Peter

HUNTER

"We started our adoption process for Hunter back in December of 2016. The moment I saw his picture and read his bio on the website I knew he was meant to be ours. Hunter has grown to be a part off our little family and we couldn't imagine life without this handsome guy. We would do absolutely anything for him just to see him have a doggy-smile (including getting my butt up at 530am to play fetch with him before I leave for work haha). Hunter enjoys just about anything outdoorsy and loves the dog park! 

I have nothing but good things to say about everyone involved in our adoption process and the rescue as a whole! They do everything in their power to find the right family for their dogs!" 

— Angela and Mike

NALA (FORMERLY NANA)

"We adopted Nala (formerly Nana) in December 2014. She came off the plane at three months from the Dominican Republic, and we realized right there in the middle of the airport that we were definitely not going to be able to let her join anyone else’s family but our own. Fostering for and adopting through SOS was one of the best decisions we ever made. We always felt supported and like we had a community to turn to if we needed anything. Nala has since made a pretty epic move to the Northwest Territories and is officially a winter dog now. Adopting a rescue isn’t always easy, but it is definitely always worth it!"

— Lauren and Emily

DOLLY (FORMERLY CREPA)

"Our first week with Dolly (formerly Crepa) was challenging to say the least. She was afraid of everything - elevators, buses, doorways. However, once she grew comfortable with us,  she worked through those fears like a champ. She has been an amazing addition to our family and we consider ourselves so lucky to have her. Watching her progress has been a wonderful experience and seeing her learn to trust us has been a real treat." 

— Ivana and David

ANGUS

"I can hardly believe it's been a whole year since you let me come and live with Mom.  My fur has almost all come back in. 

If you remember I am allergic to dust mites and a certain tall grass and my fur was pretty sparse.  I have to wear a t-shirt, actually they are quite comfy, in the house all the time which really helps with the dust mite problem.  Mom bathes me every week and washes my beds, all 4 of them regularly.  Can't say I am too crazy about the bath but I know it makes me feel better and Mom says I am really good standing for 5 minutes while the special shampoo from Dr. Christina does its job and of course it helps that Mom gives me little bits of carrots to pass the time.  I love raw carrots.

We still go for walks twice a day although sometimes I don't feel like it in the morning and I run upstairs and try to hide.  Mom says we both need the exercise so we usually go unless it is really cold and then Mom lets me be.  I mainly see my friends on our afternoon walks, their Moms don't make them walk in the morning.

I should tell you that I have not always been good, but mostly really.  Mom tells everyone I live to eat and sometimes she mistakenly leaves something within reach well maybe not necessarily in reach but I find a way to get to it.  I just can't resist, particularly cookies and peanut brittle.  I don't eat it all at once though, I like to hide some for later. 

Can't think of anything else to tell you except just to thank you for finding Mom for me I really love my forever home and Mom tells me she really loves me."

— Mary

SCARLETT, NOW AKIRA

"One year ago today this little Bahamian potcake entered our lives.  We can hardly remember what life was like before AKIRA and we don’t want to try! Over the last 12 months she has come completely out of her shell, showing her true curious and adorable self. A lover of pillows, long walks, sunbathing, and of course potato chips, she is an amazing little spoon and the most loyal companion her hoomans could ask for."

— Jessica

LILY

"We are obsessed! She is sweet, snuggly, hilarious and well behaved!

We've already been off leash in a few parks and dog parks and she is doing really well! Comes when she is called, etc. She loves throwing her toys around and rubbing her head against my body and snoozing on or around us. She sleeps in her crate at night for now but we let her roam free when we aren't at home and haven't had any issues! She did have a few accidents in the house for the first two or so days (to be expected) but once we spent a few days going outside frequently and rewarding her for peeing outdoors - we haven't had any more concerns.  

We are so over the moon in love with her and this has been such a fantastic week getting to know each other. Can't wait for the years to come!!

Thank you to all of you for your hard work and energy that went into getting her to her forever home! We are so grateful!"

— Sarah & Derek

LULU (FORMERLY MARBLE)

"No one said adopting a dog was easy, or that a rescue dog was 'perfect' but we think it is worth it. There is definitely an adjustment period with your new pup but the settling in doesn't just happen naturally. Patience is key yes, but structure and guidance is also very important! 

It’s funny because we were walking her the other night, which means we were looking at Lulu and talking about Lulu and I turned to my wife and said, “What did we even talk about before we got the dog?” And she laughed, because it’s true. We’ve become those people. We haven’t even had her for two months, and I have trouble remembering what my life was like without her.
 
Thanks for the support. We’re proud to be part of the Save Our Scruff family. And there’s a good chance we’ll be back for more." 

— Angie & Belinda

FINLEE

"Finlee has adjusted with ease to his new home and family. Our children, parents, friends and neighbours have met him and he approves of them. In fact, he loves to have visitors , especially since they bring him treats!

His energy level is exceptional for a 10 year old. Tom takes him for a run through the park 3 times per week and I take him for walks daily and evening walks. We have learned about his counter surfing and creative ways of finding food, like cookies, potato chips and garbage. 

Many thanks to all of the volunteers and the dedicated team at Save our Scruff! We make a point of telling people about the adoption and your organization when we share Finlee's story with them."

— Tom & Lucia

VAN MORRISON

"I actually don't know where to begin with Van! He is such a natural addition to our family, his transition was almost TOO seamless. The first week or so of arriving he was uber mellow, like he would pretty much eat, sleep and lay all the time (by himself). I think it was him just unsure of his surroundings and who these two weirdos were that are totally obsessed with him. He would slowly keep feeling us out, and getting more comfortable with us, and eventually lay with us in the living room. Well, my has that changed the last month. Van is the BIGGEST cuddler, like ever. He now sleeps in our bed, literally in between Mike and I, and he always wants to be around us. He is so at home, and has completely broken out of his shell. I think dog school and the dog park has helped with that as well. He's about half way done school, and is a shining star in his class. 

Like Mike and I, he LOVES the outdoors. Now that it's nice out it's Van and my morning ritual to go for an hour hike with Van. We actually just got home from a long hike as well. He is the sweetest little guy hiking too. He's amazing off leash in the forest. He tuns a head and will stop wait for us, then keep going. We are super excited to start taking him camping, I know he will be in heaven spending the weekends in the forest running, swimming & playing!

Mike and I are constantly saying how rescuing Van was the best decision we've ever made. Thanks SOS for bringing this endless energy fluffball into our lives!"

— Mackenzie & Mike

ZOEY (FORMERLY PICKLES)

"After walking, boarding and volunteering for a couple of years, I simply could not spend another minute without a pup of my own. Once I had made the decision, it was just a matter of waiting until the right rescue pup came along who fit my lifestyle and what I was looking for. And then came PICKLES! From the moment I laid my eyes on her picture, I knew she was perfect in every way. I immediately started working on getting to know her and the same night, I was already talking to her foster mom and asking her 101 questions about the girl who just had to be mine. 

Zoey is the love of my life. She is hilarious, so smart, abnormally good looking and has taken over my life and my heart in an instant. She gives me a reason to get out of bed everyday and I cannot wait to open my eyes in the morning just to see her. I find myself rushing home to be greeted by the sweetest most loving welcome anyone could ever hope for. 

SOS, I cannot thank you enough. What you do is incredible and so is everyone who works with you tirelessly to save all these little lives."

— Marissa

COCONUT (FORMERLY HUNTER)

"It has been a full year since we adopted this bundle of cuteness! Hunter, now known as Coconut has settled in nicely. I'll admit I was a little hesitant when my girlfriend wanted to get a rescue. We already had three cats and an older black lab. He may be the cutest pup I have ever seen, but I knew the work would outweigh his cuteness. I kept hearing 'you never know what you're getting when you get a rescue' but do you ever really know what you're getting when you bring a new dog into your home, regardless of size, age, colour, shape, etc.? 

Coconut came with some trust issues (other terms: he didn't like humans) especially when he was on lead. With patience, guidance, a whole lot of love and a ton of dog park days his circle of human friends expanded as did his trust. This was a huge surprise to me. I did not think you could get a two year old pup to change his demeanour in such a short period. Coconut is now a celebrity at the dog park. Once he realized that this was his forever home and there would be no more bouncing from house to house and new human to new human he was able to find a comfort place, not only on our couch, but in his head and heart. I remember reading on his vet papers from California (where he was found on the streets eating scraps that never made it to the garbage cans) that he was to be euthanized because of aggressive behaviour. He didn't have aggressive behaviour problems, he had 'no one loved him' problems.

Thanks to Save Our Scruff, Coconut has found his forever comfort zone and we get to cherish his happy wagging tail everyday. Coconut has brought the sense of fulfillment and the reality of happiness to our home." 

— Mike & Stephanie

CHUCK

"When we first got Jack (our first Scruff) we were so nervous about adopting a rescue, we had no idea what to expect, and if he would actually like us. It was especially hard because we knew senior had health issues. Everyone tried to talk us out of it, and kept telling us to get a puppy. But, after we met him, it just clicked. He was so funny, affectionate, and crazy about playing fetch. He was amazing. The good times made all the challenges worth while, he had become our baby. When we found out he had cancer a year later, we were devastated. Saying goodbye to him was honestly one of the hardest things we ever had to do. 

As days passed, we really began to feel like something was missing. There was no one to greet us when we got home or wake us up with cuddles and kisses. After a lot of consideration we decided we were ready be be a family of 3 again. Adopting from SOS had been such a great experience for us the first time, that the decision was easy. We knew how well SOS takes care of their pups, how transparent SOS was about the history of the dog we had previously chosen, and the support system was amazing. Anytime we had questions, or concerns, or even if we were going through a hard time we felt like the SOS team was there to support us. 

Chuck has been amazing! He's a love bug, cuddle monster, and Tasmanian devil all in one! He is so outgoing and full of energy. He is not a shy boy at all, he made himself right at home. We've been working with him on his resource guarding and minor anxiety and is now sharing toys and feeling comfortable home alone. He is super excited and happy about life and we love him for that. Chuck has really completed our family, and we feel like he's been with us furever. 

People often ask why we don't buy a puppy to "start fresh". We simply tell them that the satisfaction, and unconditional love you get from a rescue pup is incomparable. Besides that, there are so many out there that need a furever home. We cannot thank SOS enough for everything they have done with dogs. Without SOS we would have never had our Jack or Chuck."

— Negar

ZANE (FORMERLY PONGO)

"Zane has truly come a long way since the first night we met him. We heard about him the night that our first foster was picked up by his new family- and immediately made the call. He met me late one night in September w/ his tail between his legs, and dragged me around the block anxiously trying to ground himself in his new surroundings. From the moment I laid eyes on him, I knew we weren't going to be giving him up. Maybe it was his "love me" eyes- or the fact that the first night he was with us we woke up to him sleeping in between us, under the covers. But since then, He has honestly transitioned into a totally different pup! He is super chill (with spurts of super un-chill) when we're at home, and now sleeps in our bed every night *eye roll*. His favourite thing ever? Running w/ his friends at the park + pretty much just spending ALL the time outside meeting new dogs and people. OH and destroying sticks. And while it may not always be sunshine and unicorns w/ this guy, he teaches us and gets us to live in the moment every day. We cannot imagine our lives without him, and are grateful for the crazy amount of support that SOS has given us before, during and after adoption. While we would have loved to open our home to more dogs - foster failing was the most rewarding stamp of failure we've ever received."

— Rachel & Andrew

LUNA (FORMERLY MANCHA)

"Our story began when our last dog passed away. Our home furless, quiet and empty.  We wanted some time before getting another dog which we knew was inevitable but were not sure which route to go.  We didn't want a puppy as there are so many older homeless dogs. So we decided RESCUE it was.  

Our thoughts were maybe we should try fostering instead of adopting at first.   So we went into 'foster' mind frame and up came MANCHA.  A 2 year old street dog from Mexico. Mancha flew into Toronto from Mexico and my daughter and I went to pick her. Well ... love at first sight.  She just took hold of our hearts and never let go.  As we were walking Mancha to our car as 'fosters' my daughter says to me 'you do know we’re keeping her'.  Yes I did. 

Mancha (now Luna) is awesome.  Fit right into our home and our lives.  Loved everyone.  Loved us even more.  We just couldn’t believe how lucky we were to have her.   The next few months were amazing but then Luna loved us a little to much.  She guarded all of us from leaving the house (nipping hands on door knobs, racing out door before us, etc.) and anyone coming in would have to be cleared through her first (she would sit on their feet and nip at hands if they tried to more and us if we tried to remove her).  My husband and I were struggling with her at this point and thinking we can’t live like this.  So after a lot of calls with SOS and talks with trainers we decided to take her to obedience classes.  What a difference that made!! Luna just needed to know that she did not have to take care of us ... we would take care of her. 

We trained her with BRB K9 in Ancaster.  What an amazing experience that was.  They trained me to train her.  What an amazing family member she is now.  We have compliments on how well behaved she is.  We are actually thinking of training her now as a therapy dog.   She is such a pleasure to have around.  We can take her pretty well anywhere and have her use her manners.  Loves to please us with tricks and silliness.  She has actually learned to play with other dogs instead of standing back and watching.  The first time I saw her try to play I had tears thinking 'This is a happy dog!'  We are so thankful to Save Our Scruff for bringing Luna into our lives.  My daughter reminds me regularly of how awesome of a dog Luna is and my husband has bonded with her like I’ve never seen him bond with our other pets.  Allergies to her and all!  Our One Year anniversary just passed and we can not imagine life without Luna (except maybe her hair – big shedder).  Thank you SOS!"

— Brigitte

ODIE (FORMERLY OCEAN)

"Thanks again for being such a professional and conscientious agency - this has been an awesome experience and I'm so impressed by how thorough and thoughtful the process has been. You are all doing amazing work! Thanks so much to all the amazing people at Save Our Scruff for bringing this gentle gem into my life, and doing such amazing and important work to find good homes for dogs."

— Meghan

JACKSON (FORMERLY BAILEY)

"We really wanted to find a dog who would be a good fit for our lifestyle, and who we could provide a good home to. We'd heard about SOS through a friend, and really liked their approach.

Our first week with Bailey was very challenging. She had a hard time settling in, was terrified of everything, including us, and didn't even have much of an appetite. The patient and nonjudgmental advice we got from SOS gave us the information and the confidence we needed to get us through that rough patch, and today, about a month later, Jackson is the happiest dog we've ever seen. She's gentle, playful, a wonderful companion, and so sweet and affectionate. I've definitely been late to work a few days because I stopped to snuggle her and just didn't want to get up. I can't overstate how much we love her, and how much she's changed our lives for the better.

Our experience with SOS - before, during, and after the adoption - has been incredible, and we're so happy we chose to adopt with them. And we're so happy we have Jackson!"

— JJ & Cristina

BRUCE

“If anyone owes anyone a thank you it’s me to SOS. Bruce has changed my life and everyone who meets him instantly understands why.” 

— Marielle

MU (FORMERLY MOO)

“My experience with SOS was great....IS great. We talk about the possibility of fostering in the future.” 

— Susan, Lily and Addie 

NALA (FORMERLY BLONDIE)

"I just wanted to say that Save Our Scruff is an amazing organization, and THANK YOU for making this whole adoption happen! I've been following the Instagram account since it started and I'm so happy I now get to be one of the many #scruffsuccess posts :) It's awesome to see how many dogs are now in loving homes because of you guys, so keep doing what you're doing!"

— Lauren