We are,
Over the Hills Logistics.
Pound Dog Rescue
Pound Dog's Annual Golf tournament
On August 3rd, 2024, Over the Hills Logistics took the opportunity to sponsor a hole at Pound Dog's Annual Golf Tournament!
Pound Dog Rescue is a non-profit, volunteer run organization dedicated to rescuing, rehabilitating, and re-homing stray, abandoned and surrendered dogs in Southern Ontario pounds and low resource shelters.
We are thrilled to be a part of such an important cause and proud to support Pound Dog Rescue!
Second Chance Pups
Darcee Rodgers and Scott Rodgers @Second_Chance_pups
Darcee is a compassionate individual who has dedicated over 5 years of her life to helping dogs She has fostered numerous dogs and assists with posting dogs available for adoption, fundraising, and grant applications. Both Darcee and Scott find fostering dogs to be incredibly fulfilling, despite the difficulty of parting with them. They encourage everyone interested in getting a dog to consider adoption first, as it truly saves lives. If adoption is not possible, buying a dog from a reputable breeder who treats their dogs well is also a good option. Lastly, making donations and spreading awareness about these issues can make significant difference.
You can find all their efforts online via Instagram @second_chance_pups.
Full Interview OTH Logistics and Darcee Rodgers
"I am so excited to be able to share about the work I get to do with Pound Dog Rescue! I've been volunteering in the dog world for 5 years by fostering, supporting with posting dogs available for adoption, and fundraising and grant applications. We basically always have a foster dog so I'm excited to share what we do!"
- Darcee Rodgers
1) How would you describe your overall experience with fostering dogs? Is it fun, exciting, fulfilling?
Fostering dogs is incredibly fulfilling for me. Seeing a dog come in who has not had an easy past and watching them fall in love with being a member of a family is amazing. I mostly work with puppy mill moms who have been discarded after years of breeding and they have had very little experience and interactions with humans. These dog live in kennels or in barns, barns which often have no windows and don't have any access to the outdoors. Watching them learn to trust and seek out love is amazing. They start slowly and then they start to find joy in little things such as their meals, fresh water, or just the backyard. Then they continue to blossom and start to love treats, walks, and even toys! Each dog is different and they all have their personalities so I never know what they will be like once they start to get comfortable, and it's always a fun journey to be on with them!
2) What are some of the day to day tasks of taking care of a foster dog?
Dogs are definitely pets that require pretty high levels of care. First thing in the morning my day starts by getting the dogs up and taking them for a bathroom break, then getting them breakfast, all before I even have my morning coffee or brush my teeth :) With foster dogs it's always a bit more work than with a dog that you've had for years because they are coming in with no training at all. Most of my fosters have never lived in a house so they don't know where to go to the bathroom, and some are so terrified of humans that we need to go very slow to not traumatize them further. Overall, I am basically just teaching them how to live in a house, and showing them that not all people are bad or scary. My day starts and ends with my dogs!
3) What are the challenges of sheltering a dog in your house? How do you overcome these challenges?
The biggest challenge I tend to face is just teaching them that the bathroom is outside and that things don't belong in their mouths! :) Normally house training takes 3 - 5 days and they tend to be pretty good after that, but an accident or two isn't unexpected. We also have a resident dog who came to us as a foster in 2022 and we "foster failed" and adopted her. She is good with dogs but she doesn't enjoy dogs who are too hyper or in her face, especially as she's a senior. We just make sure that we pick fosters for our house that will be a fit for her and integrate them slowly. We always make sure she has her own bowls and food and beds so she doesn't get overwhelmed! It's her home first, but luckily once she knows the dog I'll often find her cuddling up with her foster sibling and enjoying their company.
4) What is something you enjoy doing with the dogs? What is your favorite memory of all the times you have spent with your dogs?
I honestly enjoy most things I get to do with the dogs. Even just having them around for company is nice and enjoyable. One of my favourite things in the summer is when we can sit and relax in the backyard and enjoy the outdoors! Often my fosters can be nervous on walks because they've never experienced the world but once they start to love walks that is so much fun too! One of my favourite memories is when we had a foster dog who would wiggle her tail every single time I laughed, even if she was asleep! She'd just start thump thumping her tail every time I let out a laugh! Another dog who we had was so nervous and one day we were in the yard and he just got the zoomies and got so excited! It was the first time I had seen him experience joy and it was just so lovely.
5) Tell us about your feelings when its time for the dogs to leave.
This is definitely the worst part for me. Even though I know it's temporary, you do fall in love with each dog and bond with every single dog differently. Their forever families will love them the most, but I'll always be a close second on that list. I get a say in the forever family so that is very helpful, and then after that I try to give as much information that I know about the dog to help set them up for success and a good transition into their home. Then, I cry a bunch, drop off the dog, cry some more, treat myself to a little something, and then within a few days I am welcoming a new foster and it takes the edge off of the pain until it's time to do it all again. I know that there are so many dogs waiting to be rescued, and I know that foster homes save lives and help dogs get to the right forever home so I wont stop, but it is very painful for me when it comes time to say goodbye.
6) If you can give a short message to someone who donates to the cause of Pound Dog Rescue to help further the cause, what would it be?
There are SO many ways to help dogs in need! Every rescue I know is always looking for foster homes so that they can take in more dogs! When you are looking for a dog, look at adopting first. I know it can be more work than going to kijiji or buying from facebook etc., because it might take a bit of looking around and applying, but it truly saves lives! And don't get discouraged if you get a "no", it's likely not because you're not a great dog owner, there might have just been a slightly better fit and a dog that would work better for you is still out there! If you cannot adopt, only buy a dog from a reputable breeder (that means someone who interviews you, health tests their dogs, papers them, has a contract, and someone who would take the dog back in case anything ever happens where you can't keep your pup!). Reputable breeders are few and far between but we don't have to clean up the mess they make like we do with puppy mills and backyard breeders.
If you cannot foster or adopt, a donation can be life changing! The dogs we get have no vet history and often need vet care to bring them up to full health! I know my dog who I adopted cost our rescue thousands of dollars after she was used for 7 years with no vet care for other people to profit off of. She needed a lot of medications, tests, dental work, a spay, and more to get to the point where she was healthy enough to be adopted! Donating provides these dogs with necessary vet care that they have been deprived of.
And if you cannot foster, adopt, or donate, you can always just spread awareness! Share social media posts! Talk to your friends and family about adoption if you know they are looking for a dog!