Adopt a Dog or Cat in Edmonton, Alberta
Meet Willow. Willow is a low to medium energy girl who loves kids and family life. She came to Zoe’s when her previous rescue closed, and has been looking for a home for a while now because she doesn’t get along with cats or most dogs. She would like to join a family with either no pets, or just large, calm, male dogs.
Just look at that face! Wouldn’t she look great in your next family photo? If you’re interested in adopting or fostering Willow, see her profile for all the details!
Hannah is a Zoe’s rescue, and fur-child to blogger Amanda Kelley. Here are her top 5 pieces of dog gear:
Hannah shares her Molly Mutt bed with a foster kitten.
1) The Molly Mutt dog bed duvet ($25+). Make your own washable dog bed! Molly mutt beds have 3 parts: an outer, trendy cover, a waterproof liner, and, as the stuffing, any old duvets, sheets, or pillows that you have laying around. These are great for dogs who aren’t yet housebroken, or, you know, for folks who like to be clean. Now go ahead and throw out that impossible-to-wash dirt sponge your pup has been using.
Available online.
Deceptively basic looking.
2). The FURminator dog brush ($35+). Hannah’s foster mom Theresa called the Furminator “a godsend”, and by golly, it is divine. Yes, it’s on the pricey end, but we think it’s worth it not to have dog hair tumbleweeds rolling through the house.
Available at most pet stores.
The front leash clip also has a martingale.
3). The Easy Walk harness ($35). Hannah doesn’t use this, as she’s a pro at loose leash walking, but her little brother Franklin does. The key to this harness is that the leash attachment is at the front, so any tugging spins the pup around. For many dogs, this stops tugging immediately. Which leads to a much calmer walk for Hannah and the rest of the pack.
Available at G&E Pharmacy.
“Pik-Up-Bags”
4). Canadian Tire poop bags ($7). I know, right? Not what you expected. In the poop bag world, there are real dangers to buying inexpensive, paper-thin poop bags. Hannah and I have ventured into that realm, and come out with the cheapest, high quality poop bag. You’re welcome.
I know you want to squeeze and love her, but no means no.
5). Julius K-9 powerharness with custom patch ($60). This harness is a great way to let people know from a distance that your dog needs space. Leashes, collars, and bandanas can also advertise “Do not pet”, “No dogs”, or “In training”; however, I like this harness because you have the option of custom phrasing, the patches are removable, and the harness itself is police-grade tough. Hannah, on the other hand, likes the Julius harness because it’s highly visible, and it doesn’t interfere with her regular movements.
Available through the Edmonton Humane Society (Just email them – they do bulk orders from Julius K9)
Does your dog have some favourite gear? Let us know!
“Why I Rescue” is a series of blog posts where we asked Zoe’s volunteers what got them started in the rescue community, whether as a volunteer, foster, adopter, or any other capacity that helps change the lives of animals for the better.
Today, we will hear from Jessica Kluthe, Zoe’s Twitter and Instagram guru.
A few summers ago my brother and his wife needed a cat-sitter for their senior cat, Felix. I reluctantly agreed: I’d never spent any significant amount of time around cats, and I was worried about the cat hair all over my clothes and my furniture.
But, for a few weeks, Felix came to live at my house and before long he was sleeping on my feet at night and following me down the stairs for breakfast each morning. I soon learned that cats can be full of personality—Felix, while a senior cat, had a kitten-spirit and still really loved to play, would follow me around from room-to-room, and would do almost anything for a black olive (seriously!). We bonded.
After Felix’s stay, I realized I wanted a cat in my life. I was missing the energy he brought to the house. Fast-forward a few years and I now have two of my own cats. Finnegan was adopted from The Edmonton Humane Society; he was found outside one early December during one of those stretches of 40 below weather. Holt was a stray a friend saved from under a set of stairs at a condo complex, and who, after coaxing him out from where he was hiding, he asked me to take.
I could not imagine life without them. I know I technically rescued them, but they have saved me, so many times, from life’s stresses and from the pain of heartache. They both tend to stick close by my side when I’m upset or feeling overwhelmed. And, when I’m in a good mood, they will joyfully take part in that too by bringing toys to drop at my feet, meowing for treats, and generally being crazy: you know, plopping down on my hands while I’m typing, doing pencil rolls across the floor, and shredding toilet paper into a million teeny-tiny pieces if I forget to close the bathroom door.
Prior to adopting my cats, aside from hearing about rescues in passing, I didn’t know much about them. But, as my love of cats snowballed, I started following a few local rescues on social media and thinking about ways I may be able to help.
Sadly, my brother and sister-in-law’s senior cat Felix passed away this year. But that was after a long, happy life with a family that loved him and he loved in return. One day this past summer, I was over at their house and feeling a certain emptiness without their olive-loving black cat.
I suggested they consider fostering a cat or kitten (or two) with Zoe’s. I knew fostering—temporarily taking in an animal in need while the rescue covered the medical expenses, provided food, and supplied litter—was an option since I’d read about it Zoe’s Facebook page.
Of course, no cat could ever take Felix’s place, but having another cat around would certainly remind them of all the things they loved about their sixteen-year-old guy. By bettering the life of another cat and giving another cat a great place to live and a loving family until he or she was adopted, fostering would also be a great way to celebrate Felix. My sister-in-law filled out the foster application later that day. A few weeks later, their first foster Toonie was bouncing around their house, napping on their couch, and meowing for them to turn on the tap so he could have a slurp of water.
After becoming a foster with Zoe’s, my sister-in-law told me about the supportive, caring, 
energetic rescue team. I knew I wanted to be a part of it! While I am not in the position to foster a dog or cat right now, I decided to put my interest in social media to work on Zoe’s Twitter and Instagram pages. I hope this can, at least in a small way, contribute to continuing to build an animal-loving, rescue-minded community. I hope to find ways to reach out to others, who, like me, not so long ago, don’t know about rescues or how to get involved. And all of this, thanks to Felix, The Cat.
Do you have some empty wall space that you just can’t seem to find the right picture for?
Do you need something to make you smile?
Do you like kittens?
Of course, you do!
Luckily, some Zoe’s Animal Rescue volunteers are here to help!
Step 1: Acquire adorable kittens and non-toxic paint.
Step 2: Dip adorable kitten paws into paint.
Step 3: Release the kittens!
Step 4: Admire tiny, and now colorful, kitten paws.
Step 5: Bathe kittens to return them to their pristine condition.
Step 6: Let beautiful art dry.
Step 7: Hide the evidence before your partner/roommate/spouse returns home.
But don’t worry. If this seems like too much work for you, or you don’t have access to hordes of adorable kittens, these pieces of art will be for sale in our upcoming auction. Stay tuned for more details!
Meet Missy, our newest addition to the Zoe’s Co-Pilot Program! Missy has been in several rescues over the last couple of years, and when her last rescue closed, we at Zoe’s decided that we were going to be her last stop before her forever home.
Many of our long-term animals have health issues, or are a difficult fit for most families. Missy’s biggest issue, however, is that she’s a dog-reactive girl, surrounded by dog-loving people, whose homes are already filled with dogs! Missy is a sweet girl, but she needs more exposure to help get her into a home where she is the only pet. To help stir up a buzz about Missy, we’re lowering her adoption fee to a mere $50, offering up to one free vet visit a month (not including procedures), and providing training for the two of you. Essentially, Zoe’s will be your “co-pilot” in Missy’s care.
Missy’s dislike of other animals tends to obscure her good qualities. But we want you to know that Missy is a good girl! She loves walks, she loves car rides, she loves cuddling, and she loves being with her people. She’s calm in the house, and happy to be your company in whatever you want to do. If you have a sunspot in your home, no dog or cat hair on your couch, and a little room in your heart, consider adopting Missy.
The last few weeks will live on in infamy for the people of Zoe’s. We took in four dogs with parvo.
Parvo (“Canine parvovirus”) is a life-threatening viral illness. It causes our poor puppies to have severe vomiting, diarrhea, lethargy, and loss of appetite. It’s highly contagious; it can be transmitted by anything that comes in contact with an infected dog, whether that’s a person, another animal, or an object like food bowls or flooring.
So you can imagine how hard it is to care for a dog with parvo, let alone four of them. Our volunteers have to separate the animals, change their clothes every time they interact with them, clean up really yucky messes endlessly, and are back and forth between the animal hospital.
With four dogs suffering from parvo, our volunteers went into over time. Luckily, we have amazing volunteers who stepped up to help with the mess and get our puppies through it.
Luckily, our dogs have all recovered and are now moving to their foster homes.
We’d like for you to meet them.
Mother Teresa was the first to recover. She is doing well now in her foster home. You can also read her profile by clicking here.
JLo looks like a totally different dog! She is perky and loves snuggles. She was off to her new foster home today.
Serena Williams is stunning. She is enjoying life parvo-free at her new foster home.
David Beckham is back to eating treats like a puppy should! He is living parvo-free in his new foster home.
Thank you to all the volunteers who helped save these precious lives. If you’re interested in learning more about how to care for a parvo pup, let us know! One of our co-directors, Kath, has offered to teach any fosters interested!
Did you know that black dogs are often overlooked in rescues just because of their color?
The National Black Dog Day website explains,
“All too often, black dogs are overlooked because of many stigmas such as; the color black is evil (the same stigma that cats have), black dogs do not show up as well in photographs as muti-colored or light colored dogs and black dogs look scary and intimidating because you cannot see their facial expressions as easily, etc. They are easily overlooked when people are searching for a new dog and the first to be euthanized in overcrowded conditions.”
At Zoe’s, we’ve seen this phenomenon too. Often our black animals seem to stay longer in our care and for no real reason we can explain.
Sully
Jack Black
Mickey
Vinnie
Chase
And a sneak peek at one of our new puppies who is still recovering from Parvo:
Serena Williams
Stay tuned to our adoptable dogs page for Serena’s profile to go up when she is ready.
If you’re looking to add a new family member, consider a black dog. If you’re still not convinced that black dogs are amazing, check out #blackdogday on Social Media.
If you’ve spent any time around the world of Zoe’s you would know that we have some amazing friends. People continue to amaze us in the ways they provide support, and they’ve done it once again.
Building on the success of their wine fundraiser, some friends of Zoe’s have decided to run Dogtoberfest!
To enter, you need $10 and a 4-pack or 6-pack of beer.
You text or email the numbers on the poster below.
Those lovely ladies will direct you in where the closest drop off point to you is located.
You drop off the $10 and pack of beer and cross your paws!
On October 31, they will draw to win up to 50 packs of beer!
All the money received will be donated to Zoe’s to keep helping animals in need.
Beer, supporting charity, cute kitties and doggies – does it get any better?
How this works: Click on the banner above and it will bring you to our idea where you can either register or sign in using your facebook account to vote. Once that is done it’s just a quick click on the button to vote.
The first round is from Sept 29 – Oct 13. Then there are two other rounds to get a chance to get into the semi finals. We would love your help to get in, in the first round!
Aviva community fund is helping to fund ideas by individuals like us who want to make a difference. By voting every day we have a great chance of winning $50,000 to help our spay and neuter program grow larger. By spaying and neutering we help prevent the needless suffering of puppies and kittens who are born unwanted.
For all the information regarding our idea, you can read our Overview.
Please help us make a difference in the lives of unwanted animals. It will only take a minute of your day, but by doing so you can help animals have a brighter future.
In an effort to streamline our practices, make the most of volunteer time and skills, and to fix our awful mobile website we’ve built a new and improved website!
The new website is more modern looking and includes lots of storytelling images. We think it fits better with the personality of Zoe’s and our brand. We’ve also improved the menus and navigation. We sat down and looked at the website from the user’s perspective to see what should be where. We also took a look at the websites of some of our friends in the rescue community to see what we thought they were doing better than us.
But it’s not just good looks. We’ve reinvented the entire back end of the site.
(for those of you who hate technical jargon, please scroll to the end of this list. For nerds like me, ENJOY!)
This means our website will be found more easily in searches!
Not only do we actually have a mobile site now, but it’s developed from the ground up to work for mobile users.
Whether it’s Internet Explorer, Firefox or Chrome, you will have a great user experience.
Sharing buttons on blog posts and now on adoptable animals; please share our animals! We’ve also added a spot for our Instagram feed and our blog posts on every page.
We’ve been very strategic about the images we have chosen for the website. We wanted pictures that were beautiful, told a story about Zoe’s and were formatted well. We also added photos on all our pages.
This helps the website load faster. Statistics show you have 3 seconds to convince people to stay on your website, so speed in loading is important.
We went through every page of the old site and rewrote the content. We’ve made the language friendly, approachable, and more clear. We’ve also added and eliminated content as necessary.
We now have better data to see if our online efforts are working. We can set goals and make sure we achieve them.
Some of our pages have navigation that is through pictures. This improves the user experience and helps keep our guests on the website. It just feels more friendly and interesting.
Our old forms were powered by a plugin that was out of date; our new forms are powered by one of the most well respected form applications for WordPress.
This is still a work in progress, but we have added a store where people can buy items on our wish list for our animals. For example, you can buy a pack of bully sticks. The web store will take your donation of the amount that the bully sticks would cost and one of our volunteers can use that money to buy the item for our fosters! It’s an easy and fun way to donate!
The biggest change is in the simplified process to enter adoptable animals. Before, we had to enter each animal through a painstaking process. It took a lot of time and you also had to have coding knowledge. There was also two different systems that had been used to enter animals in an effort to improve the process but neither were working well. Errors were made just because the process was so complicated. Now if you can fill out our volunteer form, you can enter one of our new adoptable animals on the website. This means we can have a wider base of volunteers working on the website and volunteer turnover is not as detrimental.
You can see how easy it is. All the fields are labeled. You basically just fill in the blanks or check off the boxes – and viola! A beautifully formatted animal profile emerges. Take a look at some of our profiles!
I’m very excited to see how all these changes improve the experience users have when visiting our website. The ultimate goal is to help more animals and I think these improvements will further that goal!
If you’re interested, we are always looking for help on the web team. If you think you can handle entering new animals, would like to contribute to the blog, want to take high quality photos for banners, or are interested in taking charge of the web store, we would love your help! Fill out a volunteer application and indicate your interest in being part of the web team. We can offer lots of training, coffee dates, dog walks together, and laughter – as well as putting in some good work for Zoe’s! And you’ll get lots out too; positions like these look great on a resume!
