Orni is our first dog together, and as first-time adopters, we did not really know what to expect. We were anticipating a “drive-thru” experiences, where we would simply walk into the shelter, pick out a pup, and then head home with it on the very same day and be left to figure it all out by ourselves.
We immediately felt that SOSD helped us appreciate the adoption process from a different perspective. They weren’t only concerned about getting as many dogs into homes as possible, but getting the right dogs to the right homes. This translated into a longer than average process of multiple visits to the shelter, to interact with the dogs and get the dogs to know us, but it paid off in the long run when we found a dog whose personality matched ours, and whose needs we could meet.
SOSD made bringing Orni home as seamless an experience as possible for us. Before we brought her home, our volunteer visited us to help figure out how best to integrate her into our living space. During our visits to the shelter and on our first walk with Orni around our neighbourhood, she also demonstrated how to handle and discipline her when necessary, and gave us tips on how to settle her in and what to anticipate during our first days of living together. These experiences were very helpful, and coupled with the volunteers’ approachability and willingness to work through our questions with us, gave us confidence as new owners.
Contrary to our initial misconceptions, shelter dogs aren’t necessarily dogs with issues. Orni is used to human interaction and responds well to training. She is grass-trained and accustomed to walking on the leash, and is constantly surprising us with her silly antics and bouts of affection. We credit all these to the amount of dedication that SOSD volunteers put into not just rescuing dogs, but also rehabilitating and caring for them in a manner that prepares them for eventual rehoming.
If you’re open to adopting a dog, our experience with SOSD speaks volumes of its commitment to rescue and rehabilitation, and is a place we will recommend to embark on your adoption journey with.
