* Dahlia has been adopted by wonderful people! Woo hoo! *

Dahlia came into Hamilton Animal Services as a stray. This poor girl was a mess when she arrived at the shelter. She was extremely matted, she had feces stuck all over her back end, and she had lesions/fur loss below her tail and on the backs of her legs. To top it off, Dahlia is very overweight and she was suffering from a serious urinary infection. Despite how she must have been feeling, Dahlia had a sweet smile and a tail wag for everyone she met. She’s a lovely, gentle soul.
When no owner came forward to claim Dahlia, we were happy to get her out of the shelter and into the vet for a check up. The vet noted that Dahlia is not spayed, and has likely had puppies at some point in her past. Thankfully Dahlia’s blood work was normal, so she was put on medication for the urinary infection, and started on on a weight loss diet to help her shed some pounds. Hopefully the medication will clear things up so she can be spayed in the coming weeks.

Dahlia is getting along with the dogs and cats in her foster home, and she’s been a delightful foster pup so far. We hope she’ll feel better soon so she can start the search for her forever home when she’s ready.

Welcome to Ladybird, Dahlia! We’re so happy you’re here!

Big thank you to Everybody Loves Roxy Dog Grooming for donating a much needed groom for Dahlia!
She looks and smells so much better now. And we’re sure she feels better too.
❤️❤️❤️

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January 16, 2024 UPDATE

Dahlia has been doing great in her foster home. The UTI she was suffering from has cleared up now, and she has been given the go ahead to be spayed this week. Dahlia’s foster family have been doing a great job keeping her active, and she has lost some of the excess weight she was carrying. She’s such a lovely dog. She gets along with everyone she meets, and has made friends with the dogs and cats in her foster home.
We know Dahlia will make a wonderful companion for someone when she’s ready.

Go Dahlia!

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January 23, 2024 UPDATE

Turns out Dahlia is still carrying a little bit too much weight to be safely put under anesthetic for her spay surgery. Since we didn’t know for sure if Dahlia was already spayed, she had an AMH test which determined that she is not.
So, Dahlia will continue her diet and exercise routine in her foster home. Thankfully, she loves to go on walks. By the look her face though, we’re not sure she’s exactly thrilled about her new sweater. 🙂

We love you, Dahlia!

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March 8, 2024 UPDATE

When we first rescued Dahlia back in December, she could hardly walk around the block without getting winded.
Look at her now!
Dahlia’s foster family have done an amazing job helping her lose excess pounds to get her to a healthy weight for her spay surgery.
She has finally lost enough weight and her spay surgery is scheduled for next week.
One more step towards finding a forever home when she’s ready.

Way to go, Dahlia! We’re so proud of you!

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March 24/24 UPDATE

Thanks to hard work by both Dahlia and her foster family, this sweet dog lost enough weight to finally be spayed last week. All went well with the surgery, and she’ll be available for adoption soon!

Way to go Dahlia!
❤️

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April 9th, 2024 UPDATE

Dahlia is ready to find her forever home!
Here’s a note from her foster mom:
“Dahlia, also know as Dolly, Dolly Pupton, Dali, Dolldog, and Sweetie Doll was rescued by Ladybird at the end of 2023. She was a mess; matted, morbidly overweight and not able to walk long distances or use stairs.
From the first day, her sweet and courageous nature shone. She gently accepted her new diet and though she was terrified, allowed a grooming and vet visit.
Daily walks and park visits revealed what a gentle, resilient and wonderful dog. She LOVES to run, play, go for walks, chase a ball (she is learning to fetch), play tug of war with humans and canine friends, get scritches, cuddle, give kisses and any attention. She runs up and down stairs and when invited, can jump up on the couch for a cuddle or nap (sometimes uninvited too). As her health has returned, she has shown her cute, spunky terrier nature.
She will be a great dog for someone who wants a furry loyal and loving companion. If you work from home or are retired, she is the dog for you! She travels well in the car and train. As long as she is with you, she will follow your lead.
This confident little girl gets along well with other dogs and cats (she has 2 dogs and 3 cats in her foster home), although she might try to steal their food….She will steal your heart. She has made friends during walks and has regular playmates at the park.
She loves women and is much more confident around unfamiliar men. It just takes a little more time and patience. She has developed a strong bond with her foster family (adult humans, canine and feline). She was nervous around any children she met, so a home with no small children would be best.
Some other things to know….
We recommend that her adopters take her to training to help her with her walk manners, and to develop a closer relationship with her new people.
She continues to have fairly thin fur on her back. There is nothing wrong with her (i.e. no Graves disease or thyroid issues). The likely cause is stress, multiple pregnancies and poor diet in her past. Her fur is growing in slowly, but growing in indeed, and everywhere else she has lovely fur.

She is almost the most perfect dog we have ever fostered.”