Roverdale

04/01/2025

03/24/2025

This is another side of the impulsive or uninformed choices people make. We are in crisis, and simply do not have homes for all the unwanted dogs and cats in the system.
WRITTEN BY A VET:
“I have been writing this post in my head for nearly 3 years and until today I've never been brave enough to post it. But recently some people doing similar work and facing much the same reality have used social media to speak up about a topic that for so long has not been discussed. Their bravery has given me the courage to finally share my thoughts and experiences about something that I’ve needed to for so long.

Today I euthanized 5 dogs. This is not an uncommon task for a vet to perform and getting into the profession you are well aware of the fact that this is something you will have to do in your chosen career.
However, the dogs I put down today were not sick, they were not injured, they were not old and they were not unhealthy in any way. They were not untamed and they were not aggressive. They were perfect, healthy and normal dogs. There was no reason for them to lose their lives today other than that they were failed by humans because of the current overpopulation crisis of domestic animals particularly dogs that so few people are prepared to accept and try to understand.

The euthanasia of healthy animals by animal welfare organizations and shelters across the world is something that we need to start talking about but it is not an easy topic for someone who is in this line of work to discuss. One, because how can you possibly put into words something that is so deeply personal and difficult to come to terms with in your own mind and two, how can you risk the possibility of losing such important funding that keeps welfare organizations and shelters alive by drawing attention to something that the public at large simply know very little about and so few people understand.
...Continued in Comments

03/24/2025

Everyone who is thinking of getting dogs should read this because you need to understand this reality:

***I am a 21st century dog.***

-I'm a Malinois.

Overskilled among dogs, I excel in all disciplines and I'm always ready to work: I NEED to work.

But nowadays I get asked to chill on the couch all day everyday.

-I am an Akita Inu.

My ancestors were selected for fighting bears.

Today I get asked to be tolerant and I get scolded for my reactivity when another approaches me.

-I am a Beagle.

When I chase my prey, I raise my voice so the hunters could follow.

Today they put an electric collar on me to shut up, and you make me come back to you - no running - with a snap of your fingers.

-I am a Yorkshire Terrier.

I was a terrifying rat hunter in English mines.

Today they think I can't use my legs and they always hold me in their arms.

-I'm a Labrador Retriever.

My vision of happiness is a dive into a pond to bring back the duck he shot to my master.

Today you forget I'm a walking, running, swimming dog; as a result I'm fat, made to stay indoors, and to babysit.

-I am a Jack Russell.

I can take on a fox, a mean badger, and a rat bigger than me in his den.

Today I get scolded for my character and high energy, and forced to turn into a quiet living room dog.

-I am a Siberian Husky.

Experienced the great, wide open spaces of Northern Europe, where I could drag sleds for long distances at impressive speeds.

Today I only have the walls of the house or small garden as a horizon, and the holes I dig in the ground just to release energy and frustration, trying to stay sane.

-I am a border collie

I was made to work hours a day in partnership with my master, and I am an unmistakable artist of working with the herd.

Today they are mad at me because, for lack of sheep, I try to check bikes, cars, children in the house and everything in motion.

Cont'd in comments

03/23/2025

This discounted yarn is very challenging to crochet with. The cuteness is distracting, yarn moves around a lot and yarn actually farted once. Would not recommend.

03/22/2025

Holly blended right in during her visit today!

03/19/2025

What a change from last week, I just finished p**p pickup in the yard, and I'm HOT!
We're enjoying it while it lasts 😁🐶

03/13/2025

Okay, I have a date!
Gonna get me a new knee!
Roverdale will be closed starting May 22, 2025. For how long depends on if I can get help with the place, and how well my recovery goes. Due to my HSD/EDS my surgery is a little trickier than average, and requires some tightening up of stretched ligaments. Surgeon estimates six weeks (which is much better than 2011 when my broken ankle took 16 weeks). Hopefully will be up and running (pun intended) by end of June, just in time for Summer bookings!

03/10/2025

Every week.

03/04/2025

This also includes boarding, and part of why I ask for a meet and greet before booking dates. Some dogs are so scared and need one or more visits to get better acclimated to this new experience. In fact I have one coming today for their second meet, for just that reason! A few dogs have moved slowly from a brief visit, to a day, to an overnight, before staying for a longer period. If they are flooded with fear and anxiety by just leaving them at the start of a week or two of boarding, they are often emotional wrecks. It may lead to increased separation anxiety when back home. I want this to be a happy experience for your dog. Sometimes we have to work together to make that happen!

Trainer Tip Tuesday:

03/01/2025

https://animalkind.ca/
This is a great idea by the BCSPCA, to help pet parents screen pet care businesses in BC. We need this in Ontario and every Province!

02/22/2025

02/20/2025

Sam, tired after an afternoon of hard play

02/20/2025

Hard to get Sam to stay still long enough to show how cute he is!
He's a puddle. A soft little puddle on the floor of a Border Collie.

02/20/2025

Noah, Whiskey and Sam in the yard