Someone spotted three golden retrievers running loose in their neighbourhood in Hamilton. The kind person was able to coerce two of the dogs into their yard, but the third dog couldn’t be contained. Hamilton Animal Services picked up the pair and they waited at the shelter for an owner to call or show up to claim them, but nobody came. It was obvious to shelter staff that the dogs had been used for breeding, as both have signs that they recently had puppies. Their teeth are rotten. One of the dogs was suffering from severe urinary infection and her legs were swollen. Their ears are infected and their fur was matted and dirty. These poor dogs were in rough shape.
Shelter staff quickly discovered that the girls are extremely bonded. They stayed close together in their kennel and when outside for bathroom breaks and exercise. If one wasn’t in view of the other, they would panic.
We were happy to get these two sweet girls out of the shelter when a foster home stepped up. We named them Bunny and Brie. At the vet appointment on their rescue day, they both had blood work done and it showed that Bunny has Lyme disease. More comprehensive testing is needed to know if medication is required, so we’ll have to wait for those results. Thankfully she is asymptomatic for now.
Brie’s joints are abnormal, hence why her legs look swollen. We’ve scheduled spays and dentals for both dogs for mid-January, and while Brie is under anesthetic, her legs will be xrayed to get a better idea what’s happening. Thankfully, Brie doesn’t have any noticeable mobility issues.
After their vet appointment, Bunny and Brie had much needed grooming at Black Dog Pet Salon. Big thank you to Black Dog for donating the grooms, and for fitting them in on a very busy New Years’ Eve day.
Bunny and Brie are now settling in at their foster home. We’re glad we can provide a safe and quiet place for Bunny and Brie to decompress and start to feel better. We know they will be wonderful companions for the right home when they’re ready.

Welcome to Ladybird, Bunny and Brie! We’re so happy you’re here!

January 4/25 UPDATE
Bunny and Brie have been doing well in their foster home. They’re getting used to their routine and soaking up all the love from their foster family. We’re trying a second round of medication for Brie as she’s still suffering from a bladder issue. She’s peeing frequently outdoors, and unfortunately inside the house too. Sometimes it will be a full pee, other times just a small amount, and she’ll often squat to pee but nothing comes out. Hopefully this round of medication will do the trick, but if not, we will run more tests to try to figure out what is wrong.
We’ve added a few things to our Amazon Wish List specifically for Bunny and Brie if you’d like to send them a gift. There’s food, toys, and several choices of washable pee pads that we know their foster family would very much appreciate.
Thank you for the shares, comments and love you’ve been sending our golden girls. We told them about all the folks rooting for them, and they both smiled and wagged their tails. 🙂

We love you, Bunny and Brie!

January 10/25 UPDATE

Wow! Look at all these gifts! Thank you so much to everyone who sent items from our Amazon Wish List and bought items at Pet Valu Dundas for Bunny and Brie (and for our other animals). We have been overwhelmed by the abundance of love you’re sending our golden girls.
A little update – Bunny has been started on medication for Lyme disease. Her antibody levels were off the charts, but thankfully she doesn’t have any symptoms of the disease. Either way, we hope the meds will help get her levels back to normal. Brie is still doing a lot of peeing (in and out of the house) and the medication she’s on doesn’t seem to be helping. Their foster family wanted to send a big thank you to the folks who donated pee pads. They’ve been a lifesaver! Thankfully both dogs are still healthy enough to have their spay and dental surgeries next week. We will also do more diagnostics with Brie while she’s there to see if we can sort out her frequent peeing issue.
❤️
Visit this page to see all the ways you can make a difference for Bunny, Brie, and the other animals in our care. Your support is what makes this possible!

January 14/25 UPDATE
Bunny and Brie had their surgeries today and they did great. Bunny’s rotten molars were removed and her spay went well. She does have some yeast in her ears, belly and feet, so she’s been started on food that helps with allergies.
Brie didn’t require any extractions, so her teeth just got a good cleaning. She had two cysts removed from her back and both were sent out for testing. When Brie was opened up for her spay surgery, it was discovered that her ovaries were massive. The vet had never seen anything like it. The ovaries were removed and were also sent for testing just to be on the safe side.
Brie still has a severe urinary infection, so a culture will be done to determine the exact medication needed to clear it up. X-rays showed that Brie has a condition called Osteochondromatosis (Multiple Exostoses)
This is a rare disorder characterized by multiple bony growths (known as osteochondromas) that arise from the surface of the long bones, vertebrae, and ribs. At this stage, the condition isn’t impeding her mobility, but pain medication will help with any discomfort it may cause.
It was a long day for our golden girls, but we were happy to get them the care they needed. Thank you to all the generous folks who donated for Bunny and Brie. It’s your donations that allow us to medically treat animals who so desperately need it!
After today, Bunny and Brie are one step closer to being able to start the search for their forever home!

Way to go, Bunny and Brie!

February 2/25 UPDATE
Bunny and Brie are ready for their forever home! Here’s a note from their foster family:
“These dogs are pure love. They want love and they give love – both consistently. They are attached at the hip. The most bonded pair you’ll meet. You’ll need both hands to pet each one at all times. 
They’re velcro dogs. Everywhere you go and everything you do, there are these two goldens. Trying to make dinner? Goldens. Trying to do laundry? Goldens. Walking from one room to another? Goldens. On the toilet? Goldens. They’ve only been with us for a month, so they may become more relaxed and less clingy in their new home over time, but consider yourself warned that you now have two goldens following you everywhere, always.
 
They are not fans of being left alone, so a home where their humans are home a lot more than they’re out would be best for them. They are not crated when we’re out of the house, and they are mostly very good. But they are opportunists. If there is food in reach on the counter or on a table, they will try to get it. If you leave any kind of paper, tissues, or paper towel within reach, they’ll happily shred it for you. If you have a toilet paper holder that does not hold in the roll securely, they will remove the roll, take it to their bed and happily shred the whole roll for you. Also in danger of being stolen and carried around are socks. Socks on the floor? Not any more! They’re now in Bunny and Brie’s bed being slobbered on. They’re not out to chew your socks to bits, but you may find a new hole or two when you retrieve them. Speaking of slobber, they’re very messy drinkers. A large rug or mat under their water bowl is suggested. They’ll drink a bunch, and then half the water they’ve taken in will pour from their mouths as they walk away. A super fun trait for a lot of dogs, but these two are particularly skilled at it. 
Brie hasn’t mastered housetraining as of yet, despite the fact that her urinary infection has completely cleared up. Her ovaries were massive and the pressure of their size was likely causing her to have to urinate frequently. She will still pee out a full bladder, then squat to pee several times afterwards, but just a dribble or nothing will come out. Her vet is hoping now that she is spayed and the huge ovaries are gone that over time this urinary issue will subside. Her hormones were all over the place, and they still need some time to even out. When we aren’t home, Brie is very good about only peeing on the large pee pads that are by the door that leads to the yard. Thank you again so much to the kind folks who donated pee pads when the call was put out! They’ve definitely been a lifesaver. The only time either dog pooped in the house was during the first few days when they came to us, and one other time weeks later when their routine was altered and they weren’t able to be let outside at their normal time. Their adopters will need to be sure a routine is followed to help with housetraining. The housetraining part will be a bit of work, but will very much be worth it. 

We’ve never met such loving dogs. They are truly a special pair. Worthy of all the love they will demand from you. If you’re apt to get annoyed and will be swatting away their constant demands for attention, these are not the goldens for you. Pure, unconditional love is what these two are all about. They love each other, and they love humans. They stare lovingly at you and you can feel the love in their eyes. They’ll make the most wonderful friends for the right home.”

Please adopt Bunny and Brie!