Please CLICK HERE To, Walk To The Stories
Today we’re asking you for a special favour for Yvette and her blog.
Yvette mentioned adding a new page for Successful Adoption Stories.
Something she has wanted to do for quite some time. The stories will be posted here, for people to read at their leisure. A note will be added to the blog indicating when a New Story has been submitted. Yvette is trying to find time to write a story for Jillian.
A couple of people have already submitted their stories.
This is where you come in. We are hoping you will help us begin the page by submitting something about your own Successful Adoptions.
We know you have so much love in your hearts for them and are hoping you will share with the other blog readers.
Your story may explain how you came to find your current pet.
It might give details about his/her events to date. There may be antics that you may like to share.
It does not need to be an expert writers work.
This page will merely be an ongoing record of Turtle Gardens Successful Adoptions.
Will you help us maintain this page please.
We know there is, hundreds upon hundreds of, families out there that share a similar story with us.
A story of searching for the perfect pet. A story of reading pet adoption sites, following rehab stories – - searching S.P.C.A.’s and every Rescue Site there is.
Families are waiting, looking to find just the right pet.
Finally, landing on Turtle Gardens blog to read of all the compassion and devoted care The Labatte family gives to its round ups, drop offs and surrendered pets.
If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to email me. I will be happy to help you if I can. kingsurvives2008@yahoo.ca
It’s been a full year now since our searching days ended. I speak to all those warm furry wannabe pets out there, still waiting for their special forever family.
I say, “Stay, be patient. It may take a little bit of time but your family will find you. People aren’t as good at sniffing you out. They have to use eyes and ears to find you. They’re coming.”
We read many of them on the blog and now we can keep them all together in one place.
Please SUBMIT your Happy Tails/Story of your pets New Beginning and we’ll post it here to share with everyone.
Happy Tails Of New Beginnings
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Click A Name To Choose Another Tail |
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Jillian’s Story 
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King’s Story |
Teya & Gryphon’s Story  |
Tonsi & Muskwa’s Story  |
Monty’s Story “Teddy Bear”
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Juno’s Story |
Possum’s Story  |
Your Story Here | Your Story Here |
Jillian’s Story
A Big Dog in a Tiny Package!
I really felt guilty adopting my sweet Jillian. She was my first adoptable adoption!
The rest of my crew all have or had issues. But Jillian was only 4 months old when she arrived with her sister Jackie.
Both were scared, not housebroken but were soon cuddly, follow you everywhere companions – Jill for me and Jack for Dave.
I was very ill shortly after Jill’s arrival and she never left my lap. She ate with me – encouraging me to eat. She loves and I do mean LOVES
Werthers’s soft toffee candies. Her little eyes will close and she will chew
in ecstasy! She has a piece of every candy I eat – and lately they are
few and far between. She has made me smile every day.
But Jillian has another gift.
I woke up several times gasping for air with Jillian jumping on my chest and licking my face. She got me breathing again.
I am sure – she is the reason I am still here.
We are a team – she is my little heart dog.
She was with me when I carried the torch! She was with me while I
went to medical appointments in Vancouver – we lived in Victoria for
52 days while my condition stabilized. She is with me right now as I
write her story. Jillian is very special.
Jillie is a big dog in a tiny package! She has a big attitude and I am so
blessed that she came into Turtle Gardens and my life.
Yvette
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King’s Story
The Most Wonderful Valentines Day Present EVER!
Dave & Yvette:
Mark and I always enjoy reading the “This Day Past Years” comments on your blog. Recently, King has been mentioned in them.
One Year ago – - Actually back in Jan. /09 only last year, that we were sitting on pins and needles waiting to hear who King’s new lucky family was going to be. We had followed his story from meeting Lou & Bonnie from Alberta, (we will always feel indebted to) to the ‘Bella Coola 4’s arrival at Turtle Gardens, April 2008. We waited for his rehab to be complete and his broken femur to mend. We remember secretly praying that King would not pass his “cat-ability” test. We read all the comments from people who had fallen in love with King.
We had almost given up hope of having him in our family. We cried for him and hoped that who ever took him home with them would love him even half as much as we already did.
His pictures were tacked to our fridge, his poem, and the blog of the day he was rescued.
Some people said. “How can you love a dog you haven’t even met? He looks mean. He’s a pit bull and a pack leader and he’ll be nothing but trouble. He’s a res. dog, he wont get along with Molly.”
But we knew they hadn’t looked into his sad, gentle, eyes. We could see the same thing Lou and Bonnie from Alberta had seen. The same thing you, Dave & Yvette, saw in him. He needed a caring family; he needed someone he could follow around. He belonged in our family.
Finally the day came when we got the email from Yvette. King would be coming home to us! We would drive out to Cache Creek to meet with Dave & Bear and bring King HOME! February 15th 2009. The most wonderful Valentines Day present we could ever have imagined.
One day I’ll find the time to complete what I’ve started to write about King in his story. KING’s Pad For now we just continue to be thankful everyday for being able to find Molly’s big brother. For being allowed, to be, the Forever Family to King.
To everyone who rooted for King to find his family, we can tell you for sure, we know that he is a HAPPY boy.
We can never say Thank you enough to Yvette and Dave who willingly opened their doors to the Bella Coola 4.
For all the hard work and unending care they gave and continue to give to all their animals. They chose us for King and we can never thank them enough.
King’s favourite place to be – - His Mat
(As Long As I’m Beside It)
Yes, He has his very own big fluffy mat to match Molly’s
I look at him now, sleeping in a bed that doesn’t even belong to him.
Silly boy. He steals his cousin, (a border terrier) Seven’s smaller bed. Seven just moves over and takes King’s big bed. King curls up his massive body until he’s small enough to fit in the little bed and snuggles down to sleep.
I ask you now?
Does this look like a mean dog, a troublemaker, and a res. dog that wont get along with others??
No way, he is our gentle 8 yr. old puppy who only ever wanted to be loved and cared for.
Thank you so much Dave & Yvette
(And Lou & Bonnie from Alberta)
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Tonsi and Muskwa
Submitted by Kim Hosie
It was a couple of years ago, I was in the Vancouver airport waiting for my plane home to Nanaimo. I picked up the Province newspaper to thumb through and was enthralled in an article about Turtle Gardens. My heart was heavy reading that article as I wondered if we could help, knowing that we already had a golden retriever and never really thought about having another dog. I wrote down the web address of Turtle Gardens and thought I might take a look once I got home.
Well ……….. I was hooked !!!!!!! My husband and I really felt the need to help, and along came our first rescue dog. Muskwa !!!
That was 2 years ago. He has turned out to be such a gem. We have since had to say good bye to our 3 1/2 year old golden and certainly enjoyed the one on one time with Muskwa , yet felt a bit empty at times. I called Yvette to enquire about a certain dog I saw on the website and she said there was alot of interest for that dog but had we seen Tonsi ????? She thought she would be a great fit for us. Well she was right….. we are now the proud owners of one fun lovin black 9 mos. old part golden, part something else ( she really looks like a flat coated retriever too )named Tonsi. Muskwa is still the king around here (aside from me that is) and was disappointed to have a pup in the house initially, but low and behold 2 weeks went by and they have become good friends. Tonsi pushes many boundaries but she is learning. Having never had anything to do with a rescue dog and not even knowing what it was all about, we are now strong advocates for Turtle Gardens and the wonderful work they do! Should we ever decide to share our lives with another dog there is no doubt it will be from Turtle Gardens.
Thanks Yvette and Dave.
Kim & John Hosie
Teya & Gryphon
Submitted By Cynda
My mind is a blank, I’ve written so much about Teya and Gryphon – especially the first 6 months after I got them.
So I’ll keep it short….
A while ago, there was a commercial on T.V. a part of the slogan was “adopting a rescue dog can change your life.” There is no doubt – since adopting siblings Teya and Gryphon has changed and enriched our lives forever.
Two years ago, Stan and Dave brought down Momma Nala and four of her pups.
I was crazy enough to adopt two! I remember those days of missing socks, shredded ‘unmentionables’, chewed through computer and telephone lines, stuffing pulled out from our sofa, teeth marks, little rips and tears suddenly adorned most of our shoes and sneakers, no table and chair legs (and piano!) were safe from two energetic teething puppies! Then I thought of Yvette – how does she have the patience to deal with 10, 15 or 20 puppies?
What an amazing woman. Every time I’d get frustrated, I would think of Yvette.
Each day brings different challenges and surprises. Right now as I’m typing this, Teya is watching the Olympics – the men’s alpine downhill race.
Thank you Yvette and Dave for all that you do! You are my heroes.
Monty’s Story
Once upon a time and happily ever after!
“Teddy Bear”
Submitted By Heather
Our story is not exceptional. We were a dog family whose idol canine died a year ago, sending us into a state of grieving and doubtful hesitation about dog ownership ever again.
The sorrow of Fudge’s death has eased and we found there was a hole in the family where a dog needs to be.
While each one of us had a different idea of what the new family member should be (size, colour, breed, energy level) we were all in agreement that he/she should be a “rescue”. Here began our quest and the journey that connected us with Turtle Gardens.
“Teddy Bear” was born 6-months ago, but we like to think his new life began on Sunday, February 21st when we took delivery in the parking lot of Horseshoe Bay Ferry terminal. Weighing less than 10 pounds, tousled and tired, hungry and harried, nervously excited (he and us!) we headed home.
Fast forward 5 days, now we present — “Monty”!
What a difference a day at the doggie salon, a vitamin regime, fresh chicken for dinner and omelets at breakfast, together with a morning running programme and evening walks to the local long term care hospital have made in Monty’s life. Trouble, the family cat, has appointed herself his personal stalker, ensuring he is never alone and occasionally has a purring bed mate.
Adopting Monty was an uncomplicated consideration and I believe that you should not wait for extraordinary circumstances to do good; clearly there are enough opportunities to use ordinary situations.”
Attached is picture of the darling Monty – a name chosen on behalf of his “full monty” scratch-my-belly offering.
Thank you,
Heather, Ron, Adam, Rachelle, Trouble and Callebaut (the invisible cat)
Submitted By Aleda
Juno is a very handsome black & tan Shiba Inu that I was lucky enough to adopt on Nov. 22, 2008.
I first saw Juno’s picture on the Greater Toronto Shiba Rescue website as a courtesy post in the late Spring/early Summer of 2008. As the GT Shiba Rescue does not adopt their dogs outside of Ontario, I was extremely excited to see that Juno was a Vancouver post! I followed the link to Dhana Metta Animal Rescue, and saw on their page that he had been transferred up to Turtle Gardens – so on to Turtle Gardens site I promptly went. Alas, no Juno to be found – he had already been adopted out.
I was very sad to have missed him, and started to feel that my search for a Shiba to adopt would be fruitless. Yvette’s blogs were so interesting though, and the pictures of all the adoptable dogs so wonderful, that I kept checking the site regularly and staying up to date on what was happening at TG. I thought “who knows, TG had one Shiba, maybe they will get another one”.
Then one lucky Friday in November, having checked TG’s site one more time before the end of my lunch break (there hadn’t been an update that day when I first checked), I spotted the sentence that brought joy to my heart. One short sentence to change everything – Juno was back at TG! I immediately sent an email off to Yvette enquiring about Juno – then held my breath, checked my email frequently, and anxiously awaited a reply. Fortunately for me, Yvette was looking for a Shiba experienced home for Juno, where he could be the only pet and be loved for all of his little Shiba quirks. I worried all through my home check – would they like me, would they think I was a good enough home, what could I do to let them know how much I wanted Juno to share my life? All the standard questions I’m sure!! I was ecstatic when I found out I had passed and, that as far as Yvette was concerned, Juno was mine. Then I just had to wait for him – Turtle Gardens was to be doing an adoption run in the next week or so. Unfortunately, that run was cancelled.
It didn’t take me long to determine that I did not want to wait – Juno was mine and I wanted him in my house before anyone could change their mind! No way was I going to take the chance on missing out on him. So, early on Saturday, November 22, my Mom and I piled into her van and began the 10 hour drive from Kamloops to Topley to get Juno. We arrived just after 3:30 pm, much to Yvette’s delight (Juno had escaped TG three times that week, and they were getting tired of having to fetch him/have him returned from his former foster). In under 5 minutes, Juno was out of the yard and getting cuddles from me, then I handed his leash off to my Mom, signed the papers, and we jumped in the van for the journey back. We were probably one of the fastest adoptions Yvette has processed – no wasted time there (LOL).
Like most of the great dogs from Turtle Gardens, Juno settled in very fast – he was asleep on my lap less than 20 minutes after being picked up, slept with me at the hotel that night, and charged to the front door when we got home as if to say “finally, we’re home, let me in!”
He’s a joy, a trial, incredibly cute, playful, happy, occasionally demanding, and loved completely! He’s my best friend and I am so grateful to Turtle Gardens for allowing me to provide Juno’s “furever” home.
Thank you Yvette and Dave, from Juno and I.
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Possum Has Flourished!
Submitted By Katherine
June 2010
Three years ago I made a decision to get a dog. After much contemplation I decided I didn’t want to ‘buy” one. I wasn’t the designer dog type…I didn’t need to have a “purebred” …I wasn’t going to “show” it…or carry it around in a purse. .I just wanted a companion to play with, walk each day and love. I also knew that there were so many unwanted pups out there.
Someone told me about Petfinder online and I started my search. It was hard to look through all the pictures and not want them all…how does one pick a buddy based on a photo? I found a small dog that fit my personality and lifestyle. The process began with emails and phone calls and applications. Unfortunately this particular rescue did not have anyone in the area of where I lived to do a home visit and they were unable to consider me as a viable adopter. I was heartbroken and figured it was hopeless.
But then….. there was another rescue…..this one in Topley and there was this photo… this fuzzy little face…with dark soulful eyes……His name was Possum and I was instantly in love…..This was who I had been looking for. I filled out my application and emailed Yvette – had my home visit and then anxiously awaited to see if I would be chosen. Two days later I had my answer….”yes, Possum is yours if you want him”. ( I won’t lie…I did a happy dance)
Then the wait for him to arrive. Finally on May 27th, 2007 I met Stan and Dave in Nanaimo and there he was….poor little guy had drooled and thrown up the entire trip. I tucked him into his kennel and took him home. He slept on my bed that night – he let me pet him and give him ear scratches. He was so shy and he had the eyes of an old dog – not a six month old puppy like he was. His hair was unruly and in his eyes. We went to the groomer the first week and had him bathed and clipped. He looked like a different dog all together !! The haircut seemed to give him a new found confidence that he didn’t have before – he knew he was handsome.
The separation anxiety in the beginning was more than I expected. I honestly didn’t realize the psychological characteristics that some rescue dogs have. I felt so sad for him, so sad that someone had mistreated him and damaged his little brain so much that he was afraid and was so mistrusting of us (human beings). But with perseverance, advice from Yvette, Rescue Remedy and A LOT of love…Possum flourished, his eyes sparkled and he became a puppy again. Loving his toys and playing ball outside, walking on the leash and snuggling next to me.
Possum has grown leaps and bounds from the first day I brought him home. He makes me laugh out loud everyday with some silly little quirk. He is definitely “my boy” …he runs to me for reassurance when he is nervous or if he hurts himself ( he can be a bit clumsy at times). I am so proud of Poss…that he was able to overcome the majority of his fears…..that he has learned to trust me and know that I love him so much. Possum has also allowed me to meet new friends, other people who have adopted either from TG or who are indirectly connected to them.
But the most important thing Possum has brought to my life is that he has filled my heart with ♥ Unconditional Love. ♥
And……if you look very closely at his pictures….you will notice he has a heart shaped nose.
Katherine
“My goal in life is to be as good of a person my dog already thinks I am.”
Author Unknown
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| Possum Before | Possum After |
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| Today’s Happy Little Possum | I Love My Furever Home! |
©Turtle Gardens Animal Rescue Society. Have your pet spayed or neutered today.
Thank you to Cynda & Kim for their Happy Tails Success Stories. I hope many more readers will write and send theirs in as well.
King
February 16th, 2010 | #
Thank you Heather for not waiting for an extraordinary circumstance to do good.
Thank you for Monty’s Successful Adoption Story.
King
February 27th, 2010 | #
What a Wonderful Story! I had no idea you drove such a distance to bring Juno to his FUR EVER Home!
Thank you for sharing
King
March 2nd, 2010 | #
Great to see another “Happy Tail” from a lucky TG dog and his even luckier adopter! Glad you found such a wonderful boy Katherine; he sure is a handsome, happy looking little guy! Love the pictures!
Yvette and Dave, you must be so proud when you see how far the dogs you rescue have come – without your help they wouldn’t get there, so give yourselves a pat on the back and know that all of your successful adopters are grateful to you for your sacrifices and hard work on behalf of the dogs. Thank you so much for making a difference in the lives of so many, you truly are amazing people!
July 1st, 2010 | #