Hello everyone! Pucker up, I'm Gloria and I loooove giving kisses! I'm a sweet, happy, super affectionate girl who is looking for a family to call my own.

I was turned into a shelter in Sault Ste Marie as a "stray" so nobody is really too sure of my past, but my future is looking bright! I'm about 3-5 years old, spayed, and have been vaccinated. When I arrived at the pound I was in horrible condition, very filthy and as a result a groomer worked on me and removed a lot of my hair, so now I have a funky haircut, but that's ok, it'll grow back!


I weigh about 130 lbs, and the Newf Friends folks say I will benefit from dropping 20 of those pounds. They put me on a healthy diet and I am getting exercise and am on the road to good health. Once I get rid of my excess weight I am going to be feeling so much better!

I met Dr. Kim on November 29 and she looked me over from nose to tail. I had some bloodwork done and we'll get results later in the week. My T4 test showed my thyroid is low normal, so we are waiting on a full panel to see if I need some medication. Thyroid meds are cheap, so my foster mom told me not to worry about it if I need them!

Dr. Kim said I have a Grade 1 Heart Murmur, which isn't a big deal at all, so we're not worried about it. My chest x-rays show that my heart looks good. She also said I have luxating patellas (my knees move around) but my x-rays show that otherwise my knees are in really great shape. All the more reason for me to get rid of those extra pounds, to keep my knees happy! My elbows are good other than a minor little blip on one of them. I also have mild hip dysplasia in my left hip, but my right one is fine. No worries, I can run, play and leap around with the best of them! None of these things worried Dr. Kim too much and she says I don't need surgery or anything like that. Phew! I'm going to get some Cartrophen injections to help prevent problems, and will take supplements to keep me healthy.

Dr. Kim said my front right leg appears to have been injured before my growth plates closed, and as a result it grew kind of twisted. I get around just fine on it, so it's not a big deal! Here you can see my front right leg is a little wonky, but I can still run and play...oh, and look how great I am at flinging goober! Hooray!






I am a friendly girl with a lovely temperament, just happy as can be! I traveled all the way from Sault Ste. Marie way over to eastern Ontario and I have stayed at different houses along the way and have enjoyed meeting everyone. What fun! I love people! I great everyone with enthusiasm!


I have met LOTS of dogs since I arrived in foster care too and I have liked every single one of them! I'm so great. I would be happy to join a family with other four footed friends. I'm also wonderful with cats!

I know commands, am a very good girl in the house, am friendly and easy going, love car rides and going for walks. My foster family says my leash manners leave a little something to be desired, whatever that means!

To be considered for adopting me, please fill out an adoption application and email it back to the Newf Friends people. The normal adoption donation of $500 has been reduced for me because I will likely require some ongoing supplementation and down the road pain management. I am being fostered in the Ottawa, ON area and my new family will be required to pick me up in person.

Here's the latest news from Newf Friends:

With the holiday season fast approaching, it's time to visit our online store to stock up on awesome gifts for all of the Newf lovers on your shopping list. Also, don't forget to order your Newf Friends 2012 calendar! These gorgeous calendars are printed on heavy, high gloss paper, and are over-sized with lots of room to write notes. Order yours today through our Online Store!

River is doing fantastic after having her second TPLO surgery on November 11th. She is moving around far better than before and although she still has several weeks of bed rest ahead of her, this big sweetheart is full of beans and ready to go! We are now accepting applications for River's adoption. Read about River here.

Sweet boy Ty is waiting for a foster or adoptive home. His health has improved dramatically and he will soon be neutered. Ty has so much love to give, he just needs someone to give it to! Maybe he's the Newf you've been waiting for? Read his bio here.

Love-bug Alex is a 3 year old sweetheart who needs a family! This gentle boy needs the comfort of a kind leader to help him reach his full potential. Do you have room in your heart for Alex? Learn more about him here.

Grace, a lovable 19 month old Landseer has an adoption pending. Congratulations Grace!

3 year old Katie also has an approved home and will be joining her new family soon. Great news for Katie!

Lovable boy Yogi also has a pending adoption! He will be joining his new family on the 19th! We're so happy for you Yogi!

Fun loving boy Duke has been adopted! Way to go Duke you big love-bug! Congratulations all around!

Lucky boy Jack has also been adopted! He landed himself an awesome home where he's sure to have lots of fun and loving! Congratulations!

If you or someone you know is looking for a new canine family member that isn't a Newf, be sure to visit HART, our parent all breed rescue group's PetFinder listings. They've got wonderful dogs of all shapes and sizes, coats and ages who are waiting for great families to adopt them.

Look who popped by for a visit!

From left to right...

Geordie the little pup who arrived in our care last spring (look how big he is now!), Sampson adopted from us 2 1/2 years ago, and their brother Ozzy.

The trio are all doing great and enjoying their fabulous life in cottage country. Geordie is now a year old and looking very handsome -- what a kissy face he is -- I got floogered on indeed! Handsome boy Sampson is more gorgeous every time he visits and is just a wonderful, sweet, gentle boy. And of course sweet boy Ozzy is the perfect brother to his two siblings, what a love-bug. They are one big happy, hairy family! We always love their visits.

River had surgery performed on her left knee today and everything went very well. Dr. Facey stated that River's left knee was the worst she has ever seen in her nearly 20 years practicing veterinary medicine -- there was no ligament in place at all, and nothing holding the joint together. It is truly remarkable that River had been able to walk at all.

It is now hoped that with both knees repaired, once she heals and her knees become stable River will enjoy much greater mobility and lead a pain-free life! Working on River's left knee today, Dr. Faessen made some modifications to the procedure and is hopeful that with this change he will not need to perform a third surgery to repair the luxating patella. We will reassess in 2 months time once River is healed from this surgery, but we are all hoping for the very best outcome.


X-rays were taken of River's right knee to assess the progress and it is healing very well. Everything looks to be coming along perfectly. River's foster parents have done a phenomenal job of caring for River over the last 7 weeks as she has healed from her first surgery. Caring for a giant breed dog following TPLO surgery is very hard work, and even more difficult when that dog has two unusable knees. Thank you Erica and Andrew for all of your hard work and your dedication to helping River heal. Newf Friends is so fortunate to have such incredible, dedicated foster families like yours.

Thank you also to all of our supporters who helped us reach our fundraising goal so that we could save River. The support from Newf lovers around the globe has been incredible, thank you all! We couldn't have done it without you!

Updates and new photos of River will be posted soon.

Thank you once again to Dr. Kim Facey - Apsley Veterinary Services and Dr. Michael Faessen, Soft Tissue and Orthopaedic Small Animal Surgeon for your exceptional care, your generosity and your commitment to helping animals in need.

Dr. Facey has been instrumental in the care of many of the Newfs who have gone through our program and many of the dogs who have gone through our parent All Breed rescue group HART. Thank you Kim from all of the us!

Dr. Facey has enlisted the assistance of Dr. Faessen for some of the more challenging, delicate or specialized surgeries including surgery for Ella, Mackenzie, Jade and Geordie. Thank you Michael for your support and compassion towards the care of rescued dogs.

Without rescue minded vets like Kim and Michael, as well as our other key veterinarian Dr. Janice Selinger (Bridle Trail Veterinary Clinic) Newf Friends would not be able to make such a tremendous difference in the lives of so many Newfs. Your support is greatly appreciated and we are so fortunate to have you all as part of our team.

Read more about Gander the Newfoundland Dog War hero on the Dogs in Canada site.

From Wikipedia:

Gander was a Newfoundland dog posthumously awarded the Dickin Medal, the "animals' VC", in 2000 for his deeds in World War II,^[1] the first such award in over 50 years.^[2]

Military service

Gander, initially a family pet named Pal, accidentally scratched a child's face with his paw. Worried that he would be forced to have Pal put down, the original owner gave the large dog to the Royal Rifles, a regiment of the Canadian Army stationed at Gander International Airport, Newfoundland and Labrador. The soldiers quickly renamed him Gander and "promoted" him to sergeant. When the unit was shipped to Hong Kong in the fall of 1941, Gander went along.

The Battle of Hong Kong began on December 8, 1941, the day after the attack on Pearl Harbor. Gander helped fight the Japanese invaders on three occasions. The last time, Gander picked up a thrown Japanese hand grenade and rushed with it toward the enemy, dying in the ensuing explosion, but saving the lives of several wounded Canadian soldiers.^[3]

After efforts by the Canadian War Museum, the People's Dispensary for Sick Animals awarded Gander the Dickin Medal on October 27, 2000, the first such award since 1949. The citation reads:

For saving the lives of Canadian infantrymen during the Battle of Lye Mun on Hong Kong Island in December 1941. On three documented occasions, Gander, the Newfoundland mascot of the Royal Rifles of Canada, engaged the enemy as his regiment joined the Winnipeg Grenadiers, members of Battalion Headquarters "C" Force and other Commonwealth troops in their courageous defence of the island. Twice Gander's attacks halted the enemy's advance and protected groups of wounded soldiers. In a final act of bravery, the war dog was killed in action gathering a grenade. Without Gander's intervention, many more lives would have been lost in the assault.^[1]

At the insistence of survivors of the battle, his name was listed with those of 1975 men and two women on the Hong Kong Veterans Memorial Wall in Ottawa, Canada.^[3]

References

We've been busy as ever at Newf Friends these last few weeks. Here's our update:

Grace, a lovable 19 month old Landseer arrived in our care on Tuesday. She is too cute for words! You can read all about her here.

Also new to our program is gorgeous 3 year old Katie. This stunning gentle giant is looking for a great family. You can see her bio here.

Fun loving boy Duke is hoping to find a loving family soon! He's such a great boy, he deserves a home of his own! Check out his bio here.

Sweet boy Ty is waiting for a foster or adoptive home. His health has improved dramatically and he will soon be neutered. Ty has so much love to give, he just needs someone to give it to! Maybe he's the Newf you've been waiting for? Read his bio here.

Love-bug Alex is a 3 year old sweetheart who needs a family! This gentle boy needs the comfort of a kind leader to help him reach his full potential. Do you have room in your heart for Alex? Learn more about him here.

River continues to do well in foster care and we are preparing for her second TPLO surgery on November 11th. She still has a very long road ahead of her before she will be ready for adoption, but her future looks bright thanks to the generous support of Newf loving donors who helped us raise funds for this special girl. Read about River here.

Lucky boy Jack has an adoption pending! Fingers crossed that the meet and greet with his new four-footed pals goes well!

Lovable boy Yogi also has a pending adoption! He will be having a meet and greet and we are all hopeful that it will go well and he will finally have a family to call his own.
If you or someone you know is looking for a new canine family member that isn't a Newf, be sure to visit HART, our parent all breed rescue group's PetFinder listings. They've got wonderful dogs of all shapes and sizes, coats and ages who are waiting for great families to adopt them.

With the holiday season fast approaching, it's time to visit our online store to stock up on awesome gifts for all of the Newf lovers on your shopping list. Also,don't forget to order your Newf Friends 2012 calendar! There gorgeous calendars are printed on heavy, high gloss paper, and are over-sized with lots of room to write notes. Order yours today through our Online Store!

Say hello to Grace, a gorgeous landseer who is looking for a fantastic family to call her own. This pretty gal is super sweet, happy as can be, and a total love bug. She is ready to make a special family very happy!


Grace came to us when her owners were not able to provide the time and care she needed due to changes in their own health and life situation. They made the heartbreaking decision to surrender Grace so that she could have the life she deserves. Grace's wonderful personality shows that she was obviously well loved.


She is a typical gentle, happy, goofy pup who is full of love and personality. Playful and fun loving, she is a delight to be around. In the house she has wonderful manners and is well behaved, she walks well on leash, and knows basic commands.

She gets along with everyone she meets and would be happy joining a family with another dog to romp and play with. Here she is having a great time at a play group in foster care. She enjoys playtime with other dogs.


Grace was born April 9, 2010 so is still very young and has lots of learning to do. She is bright, follows direction well and with some basic work around manners she will blossom into a wonderful companion. She thinks she is a lap dog!

Grace is spayed and UTD on vaccines.

To be considered for adopting Grace please complete our adoption application. An adoption donation of $500 applies.


Grace is being fostered in the Kingston area, and her approved adoptive family will be required to pick her up in person.