Jake: "What a guy!"

Formerly called 'Wasabi' at the RAPS city shelter, this wonderful dog was soon adopted;
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Here is a photo of Jake at the beach today! What a guy! Cheers!~Jodie

"Joey" the best little cat you could have!

Hi RAPS, Here is a picture of "Joey" the best little cat you could have! I kept meaning to show him off -- so here he is! ~Dean and Rhona

Brutus, such a smart, loyal and happy boy!

Hi there,

I just wanted to write you to tell you about how Brutus is doing! We adopted him at the end of August.

He really is learning well and getting better everyday. He sometimes still likes to climb on the couch or the bed when we leave the house but other than that is such a smart, loyal and happy boy. He loves his long walks and his doggy cousins who he gets to visit every week. Matt takes him to work everyday and he is a good helper there too! We love to take him hiking and as soon as the weather gets nice; will introduce him to camping and fishing too. We are so happy we found him and thank you to RAPS for bringing us together.

Matt, Alycia and Brutus

Sammy is looking mighty fine!

Hello Everyone at RAPS,

I have been in my home for almost 4 months. Time sure has flown by, since I left the shelter. I liked to thank you for taking care of me and let you know how
I'm doing.

The first couple of months were pretty tough. I was not feeling very well. My new Mum and Dad helped me get better. They washed my eyes, spoon fed me Spot Stew (which is my favourite soft food), cleaned up after me and generally showered me with love.

Times have changed now. I've enclosed a few photos from my album. I think I'm looking mighty fine.

I'm much more active. I've learned a lot about toys. I like 'toying' with my cat nip filled mouse. When I'm tired of it, I like to chase the balls with bells. There are all kinds of toys here and Mum and Dad are helping me learn how to play with all of them.

We have four cat trees in our home. It took me awhile to figure them out. I like to sun myself on the largest one. Mum and Dad are teaching me to use the scratching posts. I've made a few mistakes, but I think I'm catching on.

Oh, did I tell you about my sister. Princess (AKA Kelly) did not like me invading her home. I want to be her friend but she can be 'standoffish'. Sometimes, I'm a bit mischievous and chase Princess around the house. She's mellowing with time and I hope we will be able to be best friends in the future. I did enclose a photo of the two of us sharing the big cat tree.

All this writing, has tired me out. I think I'll have to say goodbye, as I need to have a catnap.

Thanks Again

Sammy

Izzy: "you'd never seen a happier little furrball"

Good morning, Carol and the rest of the group at RAPS: I thought I'd give you an update on how Kesha is doing since we picked her up a week ago. First of all, we've renamed her "Izzy", which is short for Isabella. She doesn't answer to Kesha (or anything else), so we thought it would be okay to change her name.

When we first got Izzy home, you'd never seen a happier little furrball. It's as if she couldn't believe her luck. She started purring (in a happy way) and pretty much hasn't stopped yet. She's the nicest little cat, never scratches or bites, is incredibly loving, and basically spends a large part of her day going from me to Marguerite for strokes and hugs. From the very first she used the litter box (right after I pointed it out to her) and knows where to find her food and water. Smart cat. When other people come to our home, rather than being frightened she usually sits close by or following our guest, purring and hoping for more strokes. She's got almost 3,000 square feet to play in, and she explores every inch of it.

When she's especially happy she rolls over on her back, looking for tummy rubs (one
of her favourite things). At night, Izzy starts off by sleeping on Marguerite (who goes to bed earlier than I do), but when I come to bed she mews a couple times until I lift the covers, then she dives under the blanket, snuggles up to me and sleeps with my arm around her. Izzy eats surprisingly little (we free-feed), but is clearly happy and healthy. I took her for her first vet checkup on Thursday and the vet pronounced her very healthy, and a real "prize". She was surprised Izzy had spent ten months in a shelter before someone adopted her.

I've attached a couple pictures of Izzy in her new "forever home". It's almost impossible to take pictures of Izzy; when you point a camera at her she runs over to it, thinking it is something to play with. I know you were very surprised we were willing to take a 10-year old black cat. I just want you to know what a wonderful decision it was to do so.

My best regards, and thank you, ~Philip

Dexter (formerly CHESTER!) is adopted

Here's an update from Dexter's (formerly Chester) new family!
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Dear RAPS,

Gabriel spent the whole day with him, walking the property and hanging out in the yard. Apparently he did a wild dog tail-chase thing and it was pretty hilarious. Oh, and dug a giant hole sniffing out something! He was not bad on the leash, although we'll have to work on the pulling a bit still. He's been introduced to our cats already, and though he's pretty keen to eat them I'm sure, he's learning they're off limits. Cats are so far not impressed :/

He's going to be such a great dog - he's SO smart, and really pays attention. He was great in the truck on the way home yesterday, jumped right in and layed down as soon as he was inside. No barking at all, just lots of kisses.

Linda & Gabriel ~

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I promise we'll stop flooding your inbox .... he's just SOooo cute !!!

Dexter minding the fire ......
and loving his new back yard !!

Getting closer to the cats, but still not 100% yet. He's wonderful, and I think he likes us too !
kind regards,
Linda & Gabriel ~

“Melody” One Year Later , by Elana G.

Dear friends at RAPS,

A year ago your society rescued a female German Shepherd who'd been left to starve
in an abandoned grow op in Richmond. At the time I was volunteering at RAPS and, as it turned out, adopted the dog you
named Melody (renamed Abby) on March 22nd.

Some time ago Christie asked if I would write an update on how she is doing,
to post on RAPS' web site. Despite the best of intentions it's taken me a while to complete the piece. At long last, I'm happy to advise it's now written...almost one year to the day she began her new life with us.

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Spring is everywhere these days. Mother nature’s handiwork is evident in the blooms, bumblebees and the scent of freshly cut grass. I didn’t have time to notice these seasonal changes a year ago when Melody (renamed Abby) came into our lives. There were moments we wondered if she would make it through the night.

The ride home from the animal shelter on the day we adopted her in 2009 seemed to take forever. Although she was an adult German Shepherd, at less than 30 pounds Abby was so emaciated she fit easily onto my lap. She shivered uncontrollably, rattling the collar which hung loosely around her tiny neck.

In the early days Abby was fearful of everything... people, sounds, places. She’d hide under tables or curl up in a corner of the room for safety. She preferred the haven of her kennel to the open plan of our home, darting into it whenever a family member would approach her or move around suddenly.

Each evening my husband would carry her kennel from the kitchen to our bedroom upstairs so Abby would not have to spend the night alone. The first night, her heavy breathing wakened me. She was on her side, eyes and mouth closed. Abby’s ribcage heaved, ballooning in and out from her thin frame as she hyperventilated. As I knelt near her, the dog’s anxiety was palpable. A huge lump formed in my throat at the thought of her distress. She needed help. There, in the middle of the night on the bedroom floor, instinct took over. I began softly singing whichever children’s lullabies could be recalled. The ones my mother hummed to me as a kid when I awoke from a bad dream. It worked, and Abby relaxed.

The weeks that followed were challenging. We noticed Abby’s paws looked as pink as the day she was born, suggesting she had never ventured outside the grow op garage she’d been rescued from a short time before. This was reinforced by her confusion about how to walk on a leash. The first forays with her in our neighborhood were heartbreaking. Abby would dart back and forth on the lead as if trying to escape from bondage. On the occasions she walked in a forward direction, she would constantly stop to nuzzle her rear flank seemingly afraid of her own shadow. Nor was she house-trained. Through her first week with us, Abby continued to eliminate the rubber bands she’d eaten to survive just before she was discovered. Toys were also foreign and she had to be taught how to play with them.

Bringing her back from the brink of starvation was a lengthy process. There were times when she became so anxious she wouldn’t eat and whatever weight she had gained was lost. For several months strangers would remark on how thin she was. We wondered if Abby would ever fill out.

But we – and she – prevailed. As time passed, our “little bag of bones” grew to be a healthy, robust dog. Abby’s weight is now double what it was and she stands taller than the side table she hid under all those months ago. Having bonded with us she’s able to run off leash, sprinting like a quarterhorse, her lithe and muscular body soaring over giant logs like a champion show jumper. Highly intelligent, she excels at ‘hide & seek’ games and her timidity has been replaced by confidence and moxie. She is loyal, eager to please and at times a real brat. We marvel at this wonderful transformation, and are grateful to the Richmond Animal Protection Society and others whose support and assistance has enhanced Abby’s healing process this past year.

Abby is a true survivor; a daily reminder that when things seem hopeless a new life is waiting around the corner. She is a living example of the good that comes with leaving the past behind and embracing the present. Abby is a remarkable pet and while good fortune has smiled on her, in many ways it is we, her new family, who are the lucky ones!

Elana G.

Justin is 'just' loving life with Rock Hudson

This is [newly adopted] Justin posing for you... Him and Rock Hudson are lounging on their favourite couch... I cannot believe how athletic these two cats are... Amazing ~Derek