About four years ago, I adopted my dog, Louie, from the Toronto Humane Society (THS). During his three days stay at THS, there were countless families and individuals who fell in love with his sweet loving eyes and playful demeanour. Me included. Upon meeting Louie, I immediately connected with him and wanted to bring him home with me and so I did. We have been inseparable best pals ever since. From hiking to swimming in a lake to hanging at the dog park, Louie has brought me immense joy and an endless supply of laughter, goofiness, and love. Please pardon the cliché but I really cannot remember what life was like before he joined my family.

I never had a dog prior to Louie. Before Louie joined my pack, I had spent about a year researching different dog breeds, the pros and cons of adopting versus buying from a breeder, different animal rescues in the Greater Toronto Area, and how much owning a dog would cost. I spoke with dog owners I knew about what life was like with a dog to get a sense of whether I was ready for such a big responsibility. I also lived down the street from the Toronto Humane Society at the time and would go in to see dogs that were up for adoption. These visits turned out to be very informative for me. During my visits, I had the opportunity to speak with THS staff who patiently answered questions I had about dog ownership. From medical costs to common ailments to the amount of exercise different sized and breeds of dogs need to how much food dogs need to eat, various THS staff took the time to answer my questions. They really know a lot about dogs and really want the dogs in their care to go to loving homes that are ready to care for them. By answering my avalanche of questions, they helped me gain the confidence I was ready and will be capable of caring for a dog. And they gave me confidence that adopting from THS was the right move for me.

The adoption process

The adoption process was a straight-forward one. Once you have found a pet you want to adopt, the first step is filling out an adoption application that asks for your name, address, type of dwelling you live in (house, condo, yard, no yard, etc.) and answer questions about your experience with dogs, methods you would use to train your dog, whether you have a vet, and how much you think it costs to care for your pet, among others. These questions are used to gauge whether you ready have a dog join your family.

After submitting my application, we scheduled an interview and a meet and greet with Louie. This involved being in a room with a THS staff member and Louie. I had the chance to interact him without a kennel gate between us and talk to the THS staff member about his demeanour, any challenges they have had with him and learn about what I needed to work on with him. They in turn asked me questions about how planned to train him, what type of activities I would do with him among others. It was a chance for them to assess whether I was the right person for Louie, and whether Louie was the right dog for me. I also had the chance to go for a walk with Louie to see how he behaved outside on a leash. At the end of our session, I was told that they felt we were a good fit, and I could come by the next day to pick him up.

Learn about the THS adoption process here.

Home time

When I arrived to pick up Louie, the THS staff helped me fit his harness and gave me a chance to walk around with him before we set off. I had the opportunity to ask a few more questions like what to do if he goes missing, and how big of a crate and dog bed I should get him. They were super helpful. Once I was comfortable, we bode farewell to the wonderful THS staff and began life together as best friends.

The Toronto Humane Society does incredible work to help cats, dogs, birds, rabbits, and other pets find new homes. The organization has the kindest team of employees and volunteers who work tirelessly to ensure pets find their forever homes. In addition to operating a shelter, they also offer veterinary services, training, and pet insurance.

If you are thinking of adopting a pet, I highly recommend considering adopting from the Toronto Humane Society. They have wonderful pets eagerly waiting to join families like yours.