Following five owners in just four short tumultuous years one lucky canine has found temporary refuge thanks to the Sylvan Lake and Area Serenity Pet Shelter Society.
Rex, a 9 year old husky cross, currently resides at Piper Creek Pet Resort just outside of Red Deer.
Prior to Rex’s arrival at Piper Creek - his life was one of turmoil. From birth, Rex has been bounced from one owner to another, with his longest stay stretching four years.
“A few weeks ago we received a phone call from a woman just outside Sylvan Lake saying she wished to surrender a dog,” explained Nicole Mooney with Serenity Pet Shelter. “We are nearly at capacity and don’t have a lot of funds to take on new animals but we agreed to go and meet the dog.”
Serenity soon learned the dog she wished to surrender was Rex - a well mannered canine with good listening skills and a happy demeanor. The woman explained the dog had once belonged to her son. He had left Rex with her as he worked away.
“Her story was she already had a little dog and two cats. She said Rex tried to play with the cats and ended up scaring them,” detailed Mooney on Rex’s journey. “So we asked where her son got the dog from. We learned he had got the dog from a guy he worked with who only had Rex for a couple months then he had moved to an apartment building and couldn’t have him anymore.”
Serenity continued the investigation into Rex’s roots, learning this man’s shop foreman was the original owner of Rex. Following the end of the foreman’s marriage he had begun to work away more and was unable to care for Rex.
“For whatever reason people didn’t have the time or didn’t want to put in the effort,” said Mooney. “We had him with a foster family for a few days. The woman caring for him said he was pretty fearful at first, but at night he would curl up next to her on the couch, bury his head in her lap and cry. He didn’t know who his people were or where he belonged.”
Following Rex’s stay in a foster home, he came to find temporary asylum at the Piper Creek Pet Resort for a few days of pampering.
“We’ve had an ongoing relationship with Piper Creek Pet Resort for a number of years now,” explained Melanie Crehan with Serenity Pet Shelter. “When we get in a place where we don’t have enough foster homes, we ask Piper Creek to give them a temporary home - they are incredible and many of their staff members even help us to foster pets in their own homes.”
Staff of Serenity Pet Shelter and Piper Creek Pet Resort met on Saturday morning with a previous owner of Rex. The day was to be Rex’s big reunion with his original owner, who had along her ex-husband and her son, Blaine, adopted Rex in 2011.
“We adopted him when we has 11 months old and had him until four years ago,” explained Luanne Pitts. “We knew he was from up north and came from a reserve area. We went in looking for a small dog but all the small dogs were in the kennel jumping five foot fences. Rex was just sitting there, calmly looking at us. It was more like he picked us than we picked him.”
“So we went for a walk and before I knew it he was coming home with us,” she added, explaining her ex-husband took ownership of Rex following the end of their marriage.
Rex was reunited with Luanne and Blaine on Saturday morning at Piper Creek Pet Resort, the family was smitten once again and invited Serenity for a home visit. However, according to Crehan, the family already had a young alpha male Great Pyrenees who did not want to share his property or people with Rex.
This left Rex back in the hands of Piper Creek Pet Resort who have agreed to kennel and foster him free of charge until Serenity is able to find him a forever home.
“Unfortunately, situations like this happen all the time and we get calls from people asking to surrender animals weekly,” said Mooney.
“No one knows the toll this kind of turmoil can have on animals. All he wants in stability. When I met Rex, I couldn’t believe how sweet he was and what a good dog he is despite everything he’s had to endure,” added Crehan.
Rex’s forever home is one that does not have cats or larger dogs. Rex interacts well with young children. Crehan added the ideal owner would be calm but assertive. For more information on Rex or to help find him a forever home, please contact 403-505-2925.
Editor@sylvanlakenews.com