Vancouver dogs find new homes due to COVID-19

With a spike in adoptions in Vancouver recently, meet the pups who have found new, loving homes during COVID-19.

Vancouver locals looking for ways to show support for their community during the COVID-19 pandemic have turned to local animal shelters, meaning lots of cute puppies have found a new home.

With so many heartwarming stories of recent Vancouver dog adoptions, we spoke to some new rescue dog owners, asking them to share their stories, and more importantly, photos of their happy dogs!

If this doesn't put a smile on your face today, we don't know what will.

Rhiannon and Zeus

Rhiannon Whitney adopted Zeus during COVID-19, and although he had only been in his new home for two days when we spoke with his new owner, he was already settling in and bonding with his new big sister Zen.

"So far he has just been a joy! So much personality and zest for life! Zen is also really excited to have a friend around!", Rhiannon tells us.

"My big dog passed away in January so I’ve been applying for a rescue dog since before the pandemic, but so many other people were also applying once COVID hit. My 9-year-old mutt Zen was depressed and missed her big brother, so it was important to rescue another dog to be her buddy! "Zeus was rescued by someone in Northern Manitoba. He had a severe respiratory infection and was emaciated. He couldn’t eat or breathe, but thankfully a wonderful foster mother named Kristin nursed him back to health. He had to be syringe fed and medicated." "Then he was brought to Vancouver by CAARE Rescue and luckily, I was able to welcome him into my family!", smiles Rhiannon.

Georgia and Oslo

Georgia Tucker calls Husky Shepherd Oslo her "foster fail", as after just one week of fostering, they knew they couldn't let him go.

"The pandemic was definitely a catalyst to getting a dog! He was rescued as a stray from Manitoba and we got him from CAARE Rescue. We totally fell in love with him and decided to keep him (or foster fail) within a week," shares Georgia, who lives in Mount Pleasant. "My company has moved to a full-time WFH model, even after the pandemic, so it's been very serendipitous!" Initially named Bodhi, Georgia and her partner changed his name to Oslo when they decided to adopt him. As Georgia was born in Oslo, and her partner loves all things Scandinavian, it was an easy choice for the couple.

"Having a pup has changed our life at home in so many ways! Oslo makes us laugh so much. He is so receptive to affection and has such a sweet personality. We love walking him both around our neighbourhood and exploring trails and beaches.

"It's made us more patient, tidier, better communicators with each other, and decidedly less lazy!

"We don't have human children... but I feel it's very similar to a baby!", Georgia laughs.

Lauren and Oakland

Meet Oakland, the Clavier Spaniel, Frenchie.

“We adopted my little man Oakland during the COVID-19 pandemic,” shares 20-year-old Lauren Vanags, who drove from Vancouver to Prince George to adopt him. “I’ve been trying to get a dog for 11 years and it was finally given the go-ahead from my parents!" “My mom is a Nursing Home Head and my dad is in the Police, so Oakland has been a blessing for de-stressing our family during these difficult times."

"We've brought him into my mom’s work for the nurses to have some puppy therapy during their breaks too, so he really is helping so many people,” admits Lauren, who went on to share that Oakland is the best thing to have happened to them.

Christian and Lenny

“We lost our dog five years ago and had always talked about getting a new one,” explains Christian Lockhart.

“When we were all stuck inside for a few weeks we decided it would be an awesome time to get Lenny. He’s a Miniature Pinscher who seems to love everyone he meets, and sleeps through our 7 am alarm which is awesome,” laughs Christian. "We're so glad we were able to welcome him into our home, and our lives!"

Amanda and Annie

Amanda Mielty has had a particularly difficult time, losing her job, and her apartment due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but adopting Annie during this time has enriched her life beyond measure. “I’ve wanted to adopt a dog forever and thought this is the perfect time,” Amanda tells us.

“She is such a blessing and has helped with my anxiety immensely! I really can’t wait until this is over so she can play with other pups, but I’m just so grateful for her. She makes me so happy every day.”

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Did you know that applications for Vancouver dog adoption have tripled during the COVID-19 pandemic? Check out our recent article where a Local rescue shares why Vancouver has seen a spike in dog adoptions during COVID-19