Happy Easter everyone from our family to yours.

And an update from a brother and sister who were adopted separately in 2006 but both sent updates the same week!
Logan now known as Max and Leesa at TG.

First Logan’s update - he lives in Port Coquitlam!

Hi Turtle Gardens,

He used to be called Logan, and had a sister Lisa. They were abandoned, I believe. Just wanting you to see he is happy, healthy and very loved!

My son keeps asking if Lisa has been adopted?

Thanks for a great dog!

Logan now known as Max!

And now Leesa’s life - we spelled her name uniquely and she lives in Port Moody!

Hello Yvette,

Leesa is doing really well and has progressed 10 fold in her love to have tonnes
of fun. She plays for hours and then cuddles for hours every day. She loves the
thrill of chasing seagulls at the beach’s and squarels in the parks. She did
absolute wonders for Sheba and Sheba did as many wonders for Leesa. Sheba really
helped Leesa in building independence and confidence. Leesa helped Sheba regain
youthfulness and desire. Our family recently lost Sheba to cancer and
unfortunately Leesa is a little confused as to what has happened to her big sis.
She is getting better but will still need positive encouragement to move on. We
are currently looking into bringing another dog that needs a home into ours,
however we need to ensure the chemistry is right. It took us over two years to
find Leesa so we are in no rush. I think Leesa would really like a buddy around
sooner than later though.

Here are a few pixs.

Sean.

 after a run in the ocean 

after a squirrel hunt.

after a bathroom break in the rain

 crashed after play

enjoying the weather

favorite toy

waiting for the throw!

 tug of war!

There will be a new little brother for Leesa next week - Sunny is her new family member!

©Turtle Gardens Animal Rescue Society. Have your pet spayed or neutered today.

When Stan came back in the morning from his trip to the vet clinic he arrived with 4 pound dogs. There was a golden colored pomeranian/sheltie mix female in heat, a scruffy, should be white maltipoo female in heat, a station wagon male following the girls and an old, very old shepherd/collie male. I settled everyone - the randy little male was isolated, the girls x-penned and the old guy Oscar (the vets knew him) sort of wandering lost. As Stan was getting ready to go back to pick up the speuters and Kelsey we received a call from the Village of Burns Lake. The little golden girl was going home - a misunderstanding of breed between owner and village! I hadn’t noticed that she was deaf either - she responded so well - but I always add hand signals which she knew!! So one less poundling. A couple of hours later a big van drives up and he is looking for Oscar!! Our vets had called him and worked out the problem that put Oscar in the pound - he is 14 years old and certainly should be home with his owner. I gave him a nice leather collar for Oscar and a strong flexi leash. Oscar was so happy to see him and jumped into the van as quickly as his old legs would carry him - two pound dogs gone home!! I don’t have any pictures as the camera was with Kelsey. But the last two pound pups are still here. Turtle Gardens welcomes two nameless little guys!

He is long and low, needs a neuter yesterday, and is a nice little fellow but he needs a name!.

This 10 pound scruffy little girl is such a cuddlebug! What a sweet little baby she is - I doubt she is older than 7 months! I see a spay in her very near future and a name too!

Just before Stan left with Luna and Chevy for their vet appointment, Kyla arrived to see Luna. And fell in love. Luna was picked up at 6pm after her vet check and is gone for a sleepover. She will be spayed in a couple of weeks as she is only 5.5 months old. Her spay is already booked and paid for. Good luck little one - I will get to see you - you live just up the road!

Little Luna - such a pretty girl!

©Turtle Gardens Animal Rescue Society. Have your pet spayed or neutered today.

Early rising today. It is speuter (SPay and nEUTER) day for three of Turtle Gardens residents. The very last of the wildest sherrif dogs is halfway through his rehabilitation. Phantom had been locked in a room with his two sisters. He was totally unsocialized, starved for food, stimulation, affection and human contact. He and his sisters were capture sticked to be removed. He was the slowest to learn to trust. But Stan persevered. Phantom has learned to trust Stan and has learned to walk on a harness. He can be picked up and carried. He can be patted all over his body. He will stand still and let other people touch him. So today he is going to our veterinarians for his neuter. he is ready for stage three in his rehabilitation - in house group foster. He will be in Stan’s group - Trip and Pharaoh. Stan has the hardest to work with. And now the three are back together again learning life skills.

Handsome Phantom

Next is Kerri - her demodex is under control and she is ready for her spay. I expect her to regress again after her spay but Kerri has a foster to adopt! She will be leaving TG on March 29th for a sleepover. Her medical care for her demodex has been sponsored (Thank you so very much Carrie) so the foster family would like to take Kerri home. They live in Telkwa so we will be in close contact until Kerri’s immune system kicks in and her demodex disappears for good. Then her adoption can be finalized.

Long legged Kerri playing.

The last to go this morning is Sunny D. What a sweet cuddlebug he is. He has a home in Port Coquitlam where he will live with another TG adoptee Leesa!

When you point the camera at him - Sunny sits!

Then this afternoon Luna and Chevy will go in for their check ups and vaccinations and Luna will have her spay appointment made! Another busy day for TG.

©Turtle Gardens Animal Rescue Society. Have your pet spayed or neutered today.

I received a letter with an enclosed donation and this is what is said:
Hello Yvette and Dave,
 As an employee of the Town of Smithers, I am entitled to a $50 bouquet of flowers from our Social Committee, on the occasion of the death of my mother-in-law Vera McKay (Heather’s grandmother) of Kelowna. I asked that the money be donated to Turtle Gardens instead.

Vera visited Turtle Gardens with Heather and I about 8 years ago. It inspired her to make three quilted wall hangings which Heather raffled at the local mall, as a Turtle Gardens fundraiser.

Vera passed away on March 8th at the age of 83 of cancer. She always asked about Turtle Gardens whenever I saw her.

Jan MacKay

Our condolences go out to you and your family! Thank you for thinking of TG in your time of sorrow.

The faces of TG:

Ryanne - little queen

Teague - beautiful

Keva - gentle gracious.

Chevy - what big ears you have!

Duggie.

Gentle Fergie has a prospective home in Black Creek.

Big Hercules - loves to be with people.

Sam face study.

©Turtle Gardens Animal Rescue Society. Have your pet spayed or neutered today.

Stan and grandkids arrived at 4.30 am. Calvin is up in redneck country for the Spring Break. We have ice fishing planned as well as construction and cooking in his curriculum. Poor city kid - this is roughing it - we don’t have high speed internet for any of his toys!!

Cynda emailed me yesterday that today is speuter day for Teya and Gryphon!! They are 5 months old on the14th so snip snip time has arrived. Good luck little ones - you sure have a great home!!
They will soon be home and raring to play again.

And now an update on our beautiful lab that our vet found on the highway. This is Molly Miracle, she has the best possible home for her - someone who really understands the dynamics of dogs and cats.

Hi Yvette,

Thought you would like to see Molly now. She is the dog Lois rescued. Thank
you for taking care of her for the week she was at your place. I hope that
you received the dog food I bought you the day I picked her up at the
clinic. (We certainly did - thank you)

She is an absolutely marvelous, sweet, loving, very intelligent and mostly
well-behaved dog. We had a few rough weeks at the first because she was not
used to cats….she was frightened of them so her response to them was one
of aggression. But with intense training (she was literally tied to me with
a rope for several days) she learned to leave them alone. She now likes to
play with them.

Thanks again for yours and Dave’s work. It is appreciated immensely.

Best to you,

Judy Stratton

©Turtle Gardens Animal Rescue Society. Have your pet spayed or neutered today.

It is darn cold for St Patrick’s Day! Minus 20 again this morning and barely warmed up to 0 today. It is snowing and windy too! But I have spring in my window - Dave brought me home 4 primroses!! How sweet is that man of mine!

Outside looking in!

Inside looking out - spring inside - snowing outside! The hanging pots are the survivors of my collection - I have to start over - you had to be hardy to survive here this winter. A lot were not. These are mistletoe Cactus. They are tough. Sort of regrowing with lots of new shoots.  There is a little green leprechaun on the penny jar celebrating the day.

Late yesterday afternoon saw the arrival of three very scared, outside stray pups from Gitannmax. They are all female and terrified of people. I brought them into the double gate - handy thing that gate! Then I could bring them into the house one at a time. First was the black and white medium pup.

Skinny, scared and nameless!

Then I brought in the smallest who is all black then the biggest who is black and tan. I put them on a cushion in the corner. And there they stayed all night. They ate, drank and slept.

Skinny, scared, all female pups. They are 3 months old.

Sacred faces. They need good names and wormings today then vaccinations and vetchecks as soon as my vets can fit them in.

Then this morning when I went over to the Red House I saw the biggest pup standing under the window. She gave me a wag of her tail when I spoke to her and she followed me back into the common room. Their rehab has begun!
The very pretty biggest pup. She sure looks like Buck - I wonder if she is his daughter!

And then we saw relaxed dogs after their morning playtimes.

A very relaxed Blaze with siblings Rusty and Sabrina. Isaac and Luna are on the side.
 
Isaac is the singleton saluki pup born to Trip. He is gangly, cream colored not so very bright youngster. He has his moments tho when he shows his cute side.
Isaac has his ball.

Getting ready to play!

Throwing the ball!

Isaac catching the ball and starting the whole process over again.

And the final picture of today is Gentle Sam playing with small 14 pound Igit! This big guy has learned a lot since he has come to TG!

Gentle Sam letting Iggy win! Yes Iggy has gone home.

©Turtle Gardens Animal Rescue Society. Have your pet spayed or neutered today.

It is downright cold again not -20 as predicted but -15 is still too cold to be without a fire!! I was given a bottle of resperactin to try for my cough and though it hasn’t gotten rid of my cough (I am working in dust in the renovations though!!) there has been a secondary improvement to my overall health - my arthritis is much better!! (Thank you Irene) My hands and bad foot are so much more flexible and much less painful. So I will keep on taking it.

The dogs are clustered around the woodstove so I know it isn’t warming up much - nope the weather button says -6! That should be our high today. It is snowing like mad too. Yesterday we saw dirt near the houses but not today - everything is covered with another 4 inches of fluffy snow.

Yesterday saw a family from Kitimat stop in to see Igit on their way by to Prince George. It was love at first sight for Iggy and the ten year old boy! although they plan to take Iggy everywhere with them. A new dog and hotel are not a good combination so Iggy will be picked up  tomorrow for his trip home. Good luck little guy - you will have lots of fun in your new life.

Good natured Beckett playing tag with Iggy!

Cute little Igit with his white tuft on his tail!

And now an update for Duke now Toque!

Hello Yvette and Stan,

Duke (now named Toque) is doing very well in Victoria.   We couldn’t have asked for a better dog.  We are so pleased to have him in our lives.  He is adjusting well to the urban life and has learned to fetch sticks out of the ocean.  He was a little timid of the waves at first but he loves the water now.  He has been with us on ski trips and loves running down the mountain following our ski tracks. He is a quick learner and loves the treats!  

Thanks for introducing him to our lives!

Adrienne & Adrian

Handsome Toque on his own comfy bed!

©Turtle Gardens Animal Rescue Society. Have your pet spayed or neutered today.

I barely heard the van leave this morning - Stan was on his way to Burns Lake with Trip - her turn for a spay today!! Is that food?

Stan was back very quickly this morning. Dave soon had breakfast ready and our day has officially begun.

I received four updates in my emails:
 The first is from Shadow’s family. She was adopted near Christmas just past:

Hello Yvette and family!
Just a quick update on our precious little Shadow…..well, she is not as little as when she first joined her forever family!  All of us have been spoiling her with treats, people food (bits of turkey, chicken, beef, etc.) and a hearty dinner everyday.  And with all the walking we do on a daily basis, she is becoming quite the buff young lady.  She is an amazing girl.  You would just crack up if you could see her when she puts on her "I’m so happy to see you that I’ll go crazy with my racing around the house, jumping and flipping in the air, growling and barking" routine.  She is so hilarious, but she knows she gets rewarded with some personal, undivided attention…..loads of playing, pats, and belly rubs!!  Anyway, so you can stop imagining what we all look like, I am forwarding a photo of Shadow with her forever family.  I can’t thank you enough for rescuing her and bringing her into our lives.  She is an utter love and  a complete joy!!  Shadow thanks you too for all that you did for her,too.  Take care. 
Louise McLennan

Shadow and her family.

And now a more recent Happy Endings - one of the four big pups!

Hey, we adopted Polar (now Sasha) last Wednesday and she is adjusting well, she is very smart and active, but reserved and timid as well. She is going to grow into a wonderful companion and family member. She is getting tons of exercise and loves the outdoors here. She’s not quite sure what to make of the ocean yet, but enjoys splashing around in the nearby lakes. Thanks, Jeff

And this one was adopted almost a full year ago! She looks a lot like our older fellow Laddie!

Hi Yvette I thought it was time for an update as it has been nearly a year since I adopted Bella who I have re-named Stella. I adopted her last year at the end of april when you guys were in the middle of an awful flood.
    She has been the most wonderful addition to my life, she has a very friendly outgoing personality, and loves everybody. I hope you remember her smiling where she bares her front teeth, she reserves that for only her favorite people. So thank you very much for my beautiful little station wagon. Oh and by the way I met another turtle garden adoptee at Trout lake where Stella and I walk regularly. We met Sage who is a very sweet little girl. I have tried to send photos along with update but I can not figure out how to attach them to the emails I will try at some point to get a friend to help with it.
   
Thanks again, Bronwyn Fraser

And the last one - another of the big pups :

Hello my name is Gordon Bakker, and I’m just inquiring as to the background of the little black girl you folks got back in January, along with 2 siblings (I assume) that was named Annalise.

Just so you know she has found a new den here with my family.  We also have a springer spaniel that we got from a breeder, but with her we chose the adoption route so to give a home to a animal in need.

She currently is on parental house-arrest as she got at her spaying incision, so she’ll be out of commission for about a week, which is tough when she wants to play with her springer brother.

Just letting you guys know how she is doing.

Thanks for any back-story you can provide.

Here are a couple of photos of her and her new brother.

©Turtle Gardens Animal Rescue Society. Have your pet spayed or neutered today.