I've found my furever family!

So let me tell you the story of Shirl. Shirl’s story actually starts way back in Feb, 2018. On this date, Fiona and Martin adopted Daisy from SPIN. I whimsically wrote: Daisy, Daisy we found a home for you. They're half crazy all for the love of you. It is the home we envisaged. When you came to SPIN village. But you'll look sweet. Upon that seat. In a permanent home for you.

Martin and Fiona loved Daisy so much! But, as we all know, our canine friends leave us far too early. When Daisy passed away in January, 2023, Fiona and Martin were grief stricken. However, they had been watching the SPIN page and knew that we were desperate for fosters. A few days after Daisy passed, Fiona sent me a private message saying that they would like to help.

I'm not going to lie. That first phone call was pretty hard. We both cried. But Fiona convinced me they were ready -- not to adopt, but at least help a dog that needed them -- and maybe in this way their grief could be lessened.

Enter Bruce. A big, 70 pound, male standard poodle and only three years old. An owner surrender who had been loved all his life. Unfortunately they lived in a very busy part of Toronto, in a condo, and Bruce just never really liked city living. He just didn't do well. They tried everything but they knew Bruce would never be happy. They asked if we could help, and we said, "of course."

Fiona and Martin had left Toronto for country living on Georgian Bay. They absolutely understood Bruce. They didn't want to live in Toronto either! Lol So in walks Bruce. He looks around, lets out a deep sigh. Shakes off all that anxiety. Finds the nearest, coziest bed and makes himself right at home. They adopted Bruce in March, 2023.

Two weeks after Bruce was adopted, Shirl and Squirrel were released from a doodle breeding farm. SPIN still desperately needed fosters. Bruce had fit in so well in their house and was so relaxed that when Fiona indicated they could foster Shirl, SPIN gave a tentative okay. Let’s see how it goes.

 Shirl entered Fiona and Martin’s home “a little bundle of excitement.” She loved to go for walks. Was very interested in birds and took to Bruce immediately. Shirl was, at first, cautious with new people.

It wasn’t long before this was posted by Fiona:

“Oh Shirl….she does everything Bruce does.  She is now a Watch Dog too.  Just a note re Shirl, she is very small and Bruce is very big.  However, when they are both ready to go out for their walk, Shirl gets her harness on which gives her ‘Zena Warrior Princess’ powers and she will actually muscle Bruce out of the way of the door.  From a very frightened dog to this little package of confidence, her transformation has been amazing.”

Fiona and Martin have a pond on their property that the geese love to visit. It was Bruce’s job to keep the geese away. He loves that job. Fiona called it bonding while ponding as Shirl soon learned what this job was all about. I loved this post from Fiona:

“I thought Bruce was bullet fast but they were at the pond (it is kind of like a running track width in size around 60x150 ft pond) and Bruce started running over to us.  Shirl waited, and I watched while she counted, ‘one Mississippi, two Mississippi’, and the rockets fired and she just blew past Bruce.”

Shirl had the worst eyelid entropion that the vet had seen. So much skin going the wrong way! And on both eyes! Shirls entropion surgery was done at the same time as her spay and home she came. Wouldn’t you know it, despite all of the careful watching they did, Shirl managed to scratch her eye. Back to the vet and this time the cone stayed on until the sutures came out.

What an adventure for Fiona and Martin. After all that, after everything, they really couldn’t part with Shirl. They called Bruce and Shirl Poodleus Maximus and Poodleus Minimus!! How could we say no to their beautiful application to adopt. Congratulations Shirl. You are home.