Kevin
Kevin found his forever home with amazing people! Woo hoo!
Someone tied Kevin to a dumpster and abandoned him there. Thankfully, a kind citizen called Hamilton Animal Services, and they came to pick Kevin up. Kevin’s stray time at the shelter came and went, but no owner came forward to claim him. We’ll never know the real reason this sweet boy ended up in this situation, but what we do know, is that Kevin is an absolute doll. Despite being visually impaired, Kevin would greet everyone he met at the shelter with a smile and a wiggly bum. All the staff at the shelter fell in love with him. So much so, that one of the Animal Control officers purchased a halo (anti-collision device) for him, so he wouldn’t bump into things he couldn’t see. So kind!
We were able to get Kevin out of the shelter when a foster home stepped up. Kevin went straight from the shelter to the vet for neutering. His vet let us know that Kevin’s visual impairment is likely genetic. His eyes are a bit small and he has an underbite, but there is no treatment required for either issue. Kevin’s neuter surgery went perfectly, and he’s now recovering in his foster home. He’s made friends with the cats there, and he’s enjoying all the attention and spoiling he’s receiving from his foster family.
When Kevin is healed from surgery, he’ll be made available for adoption.
Welcome to Ladybird, Kevin! We’re so happy you’re here!
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- Kevin @ HAS
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- Kevin @ HAS
* April 11/24 UPDATE *
When Kevin came into Hamilton Animal Services, he was quite itchy and scratched a lot. By the time he left the shelter, he was a lot less itchy. At his vet visit after his rescue, Kevin was started on an anti-itch food and medication to be on the safe side. The itch lessened over the next few weeks in his foster home, but now that the medication is done, he’s back to scratching quite a a lot. So, he’ll have a follow up vet appointment next week to see if we can get this sorted out and get him some relief.
Otherwise, Kevin is doing great. He’s happy all the time! He has more sight than was first thought, and now that he’s gotten used to where everything is in his foster home, he doesn’t bump into things as much. He’s even started to chase the cats and try to play with them! He loves to run and zoom around the backyard, but his absolute favourite thing is to be right next to, or cuddled up with his foster family wherever they are in the house. He is not a fan of being left alone, so when he’s ready to be adopted, he will need adopters who are home more than not.
He’s not 100% housetrained, but he’s getting better every day. Having someone home most of the time, and having a set routine will definitely help with this.
We’re so glad this sweet little dog is thriving in his foster home. Hopefully we can get his itchy skin sorted so he can start the search for his forever home soon!
Go, Kevin!
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- Kevin
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- Kevin
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- Kevin
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- Kevin
* April 22/24 UPDATE *
Kevin is ready to find his forever home! His new people will need to take him for regular check-ups at the vet, and keep him on his special diet to keep his itchiness in check. Otherwise, Kevin is doing great.
Here’s a note from his foster family:
“This little dog is pure happiness. He’s always full of joy and doesn’t seem to have a mean bone in his body. Kevin LOVES people, and never wants to be away from them. He gets very stressed when left alone, and for that reason, he would benefit being with a family who are home quite a lot, or are in a position to take him along with them when they’re out and about. This is a dog who needs to be near his people, including on the couch and in bed at night.
He gets very, very excited when we come home from being out, even if it’s only been for a moment that we weren’t there. He greets us like we’ve been gone for years, no matter the amount of time we’ve been out of the house.
Despite his vision impairment, Kevin was able to navigate our home once he figured out where everything was as far as walls and furniture. He does still occasionally bump into things, but not as often as when he first arrived. We have our stairways blocked off with baby gates so he doesn’t take a tumble. He is sometimes frightened by a smell or shape of something unfamiliar and will need reassurance that whatever it is isn’t going to hurt him. He bounces back pretty quickly from these episodes though, and they mostly happen outdoors. We haven’t had to use his halo since shortly after he came to us, but it will certainly go along with him to his new home.
He has favourite plush toys that he can take with him to his new home. He carries his toys around and brings them to his bed one by one, which is super cute.
We’re still working on housetraining, but keeping him on a daily routine has helped quite a lot. When we’re not at home, he does use puppy pads which is great.
Kevin is very curious about the cats here, and as of late he has started to chase them a bit. It seems he’s mostly trying to play with them.
All in all, Kevin has been a joy. He’s the sweetest, happiest dog we’ve ever fostered.”
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- Kevin
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- Kevin
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- Kevin
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- Kevin
June 19/24 UPDATE!
The sweetest update from Kevin’s adopters…
“Dear Ladybird,
We have wanted to send an update for a while but every time we sit down to write we are distracted by the most adorable of all the dogs, our sweet KEVIN.
Kevin’s first month and a half has been full of walks, cuddles, outings to the park, and meeting his extended family! He has a celebrity following and has been recognized a few times from Ladybird’s posts – and that’s just on our own street. Kevin loves meeting new people, and all the love and attention he has received in his new neighbourhood. He really has had the warmest welcome from everyone he has met. Kevin found his bark a couple of weeks after arriving with us, and he isn’t shy to say hello to everyone he knows and would like to know!
Kevin is a superb mapper and his nose and ears work very hard all day! – His nose wiggles until the second he is asleep! He didn’t need his halo for very long, and he had only a couple of little bonks the first few days but since then, he has been running around the house and yard with abandon doing his zoomies. To help Kevin navigate around the world as safe as possible, we are teaching him additional commands that can be helpful for visually impaired dogs – “step”, “careful”, “go see”, and “friend”. Kevin is learning a lot, and he picks it up so quickly.
Kevin’s favourite treats are frozen green beans, hard boiled eggs, and oat milk. He loves a great nap, and will find the cuddliest little nook to snuggle into his people. Kevin has the most fun when we go on an outing to the park, and he feels the most confident when we go on a “pack walk” as a family. Kevin looks forward to a summer of hanging out with his new bestie Pai (a gentle giant Bernese Mountain dog), seeing his friends and family, adventures to the park, and a trip to the cottage. He may also be caught lounging on a patio or two.
Kevin is the sweetest, snuggliest, brightest little light, and the biggest joy, all wrapped up into an adorable forever puppy.
Thank you to Ladybird and Hamilton Animal Services and everyone along the path who helped us find each other. We are so thankful and so in love.
With Love, Kevin’s Family”
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- Kevin adopted
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- Kevin adopted
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- Kevin adopted
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- Kevin adopted
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- Kevin adopted
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- Kevin adopted
