Adopt A Dane

Adopter Of The Month

My wife Stephanie and I never knew what awaited us when we first thought about adopting a dog. Buying one from a breeder or pet store never entered our mind. We frequented a few local humane societies but had no luck. We never thought about adopting a Great Dane until Colin and Maureen, friends of ours, suggested we have Scooby Doo over for a weekend and see how we liked having such a large dog in our home. We loved every minute of it. After that experience we knew we wanted a Great Dane.

We decided to adopt from the same rescue Scooby Doo came from. Maureen is a volunteer and would be an excellent reference. We adopted Thora, a beautiful black Dane from Michigan. She was a tall girl with a strong head on her shoulders that brought immense amounts of joy into our lives. Sadly less than a year later we lost her suddenly to an illness. Our hearts were broken, she was like our child.

5 weeks later we started the application process again. We decided that out life did not feel complete anymore without our Dane.

Along came Amy. Amy and her brother Liam were rescued from a puppy mill in Michigan and were brought to Canada. The first time we visited her she was a nervous wreck. She peed when we approached her, shied away when we wanted to pet her, and showed signs of neglect. What were we getting ourselves into! Thora was a bit of work training but a puppy! We had no puppy experience. Her foster mom did an excellent job doing what she could but Amy would need some serious basic training. It was obvious she was not socialized at all and later we found out both Liam and Amy was kept in crates that were too small and for far too long. Amy was comfortable at the foster home and loved to play with the other dogs. These were signs to us that she had great potential.

The day we brought her home she did not stop talking like a cow the entire trip. Mooing all the time, we thought we should pull over and give her some grass loll!!! The first few days were a challenge, lots of pee on the floor and trying to get a collar and leash on her was a nightmare.

As the weeks went on she made major improvements. With help from Maureen, Amy is a very obedient and gentle dog that is always aiming to please. Nothing makes her happier than her daily trip to the dog park, being by our side or snuggling in our bed.

We have never been happier. Amy is constantly improving; she isn't nearly as shy as she was. We walk down by the Niagara Falls, through all the tourists and the busy streets, and she's is right by my side. No pulling, not in a nervous panic, just out for a walk.

We would like to thank everyone at Great Dane Rescue Inc. for their efforts in rescuing our puppy. She was picked up in the States and nurtured back to health by her Foster mom Dee. We can't thank her enough for doing all the extras that showed to us just how much she really cares. Thanks to Lyndsey, Liam's adoptive mother, for helping us create our own raw diet for our pup. Buying it before was convenient but you have given us the confidence to take every step of her nutrition into our own hands.

The future is bright for Amy. We look forward to seeing her grow into a graceful gentle giant.

Tim and Stephanie Scheffer.