Today is National Adopt a Shelter Pet day! If you have been a heel boy fan for a long (or short!) time, you may have noticed, we love our dogs, many of whom are rescue pets. In honour of this special doggy day, we would like to celebrate one of our favourite rescues, Paws of the North. Our very own, and very spirited, Agatha Christie was rescued through Paws right before Christmas. Some of Agatha’s best FURiends are also Paws alumni and we are happy to feature a few photos of them, Luna, Maeve and Scout, in the photos below. We are also very excited to share a little bit of information about this special rescue organization, based out of Bracebridge, Ontario.🐾

Paws is an ethical dog rescue that works collaboratively with Northern Ontario First Nations communities. Their primary objective is to provide support for isolated and remote communities and their dogs. Although the most visible service they provide is the scrupulous rehoming of dogs in need, they also host spay, neuter and wellness clinics and provide food, supplies and veterinarian care – all necessities that are often difficult to access. Paws is a registered charity and run completely by volunteers. They rely solely on donations to fund their daily operations and continue their mission.

Although today is Adopt a Shelter Pet Day, Paws is a shelter-free rescue! Each rescue dog is placed in foster care with an approved foster family while they wait to match with their FURever family. While in foster care, all dogs receive comprehensive veterinary care including mandatory spaying and neutering. New families are also required to sign up with an approved dog trainer because, you know – dogs are a lot of work! Everyone can use a little professional help to set each dog and their FURever family on the path to success.

If you are not ready to adopt a FURever dog just yet, there are many other ways to help. You can donate monetarily or contribute items to the wish list here. If you live in the Muskoka area, you can volunteer to be a driver. Because they do not have a bricks and mortar shelter, Paws is often in need of new foster families. Fostering is a wonderful, rewarding, cost-free experience that is an essential step in helping dogs in need transition to their permanent homes. Foster families do need to have access to a car and be able to commit to driving to Bracebridge for pet pickup, vet appointments and adoption day. Once approved, Paws provides their foster teams all necessary training and around-the-clock support for the duration of the foster experience. If you would like to welcome a foster pup into your life, with all expenses covered by the rescue, you can find out more about that here.

If you would like to help support Paws of the North, either through adopting, fostering or donating, please visit their webpage for more information, or follow them on Instagram or Facebook. 

Happy National Adopt a Shelter Pet Day! May every pet have a happy tail. ❤️