It’s been a long road for two dogs who were brought to the Guelph Humane Society in dire condition, but the pair are now celebrating a new start with loving families. The dogs, who were approximately 10-months-old at the time, were brought to the Humane Society in October, one day after nine other puppies were surrendered to the same organization. All the dogs were later diagnosed with canine parvovirus, a potentially deadly disease. The dogs received immediate medical treatment in hopes of staving off the devastating effects of the virus. Initially, there were some signs of improvement in the puppies, and the community donated money in hopes of helping them beat the odds. All but two of the dogs would ultimately pass away. “When people hear the story of the nine puppies that died (four that were dead on arrival when they were brought to us and the five that did not make it) they often comment on how hard it would be to work at a Humane Society and wonder how our team can do it day after day,” Jane Dawkins, the Guelph Humane Society’s director of communications and community engagement, said in an email to CTV News. “But it is knowing that we are part of a community that cares so much for animals that we are able to give them a chance they otherwise would not have, that pulls them through.” In November, the Humane Society announced the two remaining dogs, known affectionately as Vladdy and Kirk, were healthy and ready to find homes of their own after several days in critical care and weeks with their foster families. They were described as “sweet, playful boys who are full of wiggles, curiosity and softness.” The response from the community was overwhelming, with both dogs receiving the maximum number of adoption applications within two days. “Vladdy and Kirk are a great example of what helps keep hope alive, for us and our community. Providing them with the care they needed, shelter, love and placing them in a home and giving them the life they deserve is why we do what we do,” Dawkins wrote. Vladdy and Kirk go home On Monday, the Humane Society posted a video, filmed in December, of the two dogs walking through the halls of the Humane Society for the last time. One of the dogs approached his new family slowly, giving a hesitant sniff as his new owners reached out in introduction. The second dog bounded forward, tail wagging, as he met the family that adopted him. “[Vladdy and Kirk] were adopted into different families, each with another dog for them to play and learn from,” Dawkins said. “After all they’ve been through, we’re so very grateful to have found them both homes and families that can give them a wonderful life,” she continued. Vladdy and Kirk’s happy ending, and the story of the puppies who didn’t survive, is indictive of the daily work and emotional toll the Humane Society takes on. “Yes, it is true, our team sees sad things every day, we see animals arrive in terrible condition, fearful, neglected, mistreated, but we are also part of their transformation” Dawkins said. “Because of community support, we can give them shelter that they many never have had, and kindness they may never have experienced. Our team is often the provider of food for the first time in sometimes weeks, the deliverer of the first kind touch a dog or cat or other animal may never had received. We see them learn. We see their relief and then trust grows and transformation happen.”
