In July of this summer, beautiful Alaska was found wandering on McCulloch road in East Kelowna. She was taken to Dog Control, where she sadly went unclaimed before OHS stepped in to rescue her.
Volunteers noticed immediately that Alaska was fearful, cowering in the back of her kennel. When approached, her back legs began to shake, but she accepted gentle pets. She would not eat when people were around.
Although Alaska was offered a bed, she chose to sleep on the cold cement floor. Unfortunately whatever circumstances Alaska had come from taught her that people couldn’t be trusted.
Based on her demeanor and the condition of her coat, we suspect Alaska had been living outside for quite some time.
We shared Alaska’s story on social media, hoping to find her the perfect foster. Her story was seen by more than 100,000 people! Thankfully, the ideal foster was found, and Alaska was released from Dog Control into the care of OHS. Her next steps were veterinary care, and then, a forever home.
While in the care of her foster, 8-year-old, 80-pound Alaska made great progress as she began to relax and decompress.
Alaska enjoyed wandering in the yard, rolling in the grass, and slept on a dog bed for the very first time! However, Alaska remained distant and fearful of new people.
Alaska was in desperate need of a very special person who could accommodate her independent nature, give her patience and understanding, and build on the foundation of trust set by her foster.
Through our partnership with Klaudia Van Emmerick of Global Okanagan, who shared Alaska’s story on her weekly Adopt a Pet Segment, Alaska found for forever person!
Today, Alaska is living in a beautiful home with a big fenced back yard with her wonderful adopter, Jeanne. She is comfortable in her new home, and continues to make more progress every week. She has many dog beds to choose from, eats well, accepts treats and occasional pets, and most importantly, has a community of people who love her.
Thanks to OHS’s coordination with Dog Control, veterinary partners and her foster, Alaska will spend the rest of her life being loved unconditionally.
As a foster-based animal rescue, OHS is uniquely equipped to provide special care and second chances for animals like Alaska who would be unlikely to thrive in a shelter environment.
Not only is this model rooted in compassion for animals, it is also low cost, as foster volunteers contribute their time, their own supplies, and transportation, welcoming animals into their home as if they were their own.
This enables us to put 95% of donor dollars where it counts: towards medical care for animals.
Right now, during our Angels for Animals campaign, your donation will be matched up to $100,000, giving you the opportunity to save twice the lives.
We can’t do this important work without you. Donate today to help us provide life-saving care and compassion for more animals like Alaska.
