First time paw owners

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Jessica and Devon Henderson adopted Boush from the Toronto Humane Society. A 2.5-year-old mixed breed dog, he is known for his endless amounts of energy and charm. He has come a long way since finding his furever home, and all of their lives have changed forever -- for the better! 

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What made you decide to adopt a dog? 

 

My husband and I are strong believers in adoption/rescue over buying from stores or breeders. There are so many beautiful, amazing dogs waiting for a loving home. I really think we should stop making new ones until all of them have a place to go. 

 

What was Boush first like when you brought him home? How has he changed? 

 

Well, Boush was a lot of things all at once! He started on the streets of Puebla, Mexico and made his way to Canada through The Doggo Project. Unfortunately after that, he was in and out of the Toronto Humane Society and temporary homes for a few months. 

 

I have to commend the Toronto Humane Society for making our expectations realistic; he was a staff favourite, but they made it clear he did need some work. We continue to work on certain behavioural aspects, but he has made quick progress in a lot of areas. 

 

What is the biggest thing Boush has overcome since you’ve brought him home? 

 

I think the biggest thing has been watching Boush develop confidence and assurance that he’s safe. When we first brought him home, he was frightened of anyone who would come into our home. Now, he happily greets almost everyone, inviting them to play a game of tug and will sometimes even cuddle up next to them. 

 

How has your life changed? 

 

Honestly, it sounds corny, but he’s given our lives new purpose. He’s changed the way we make plans, the times we wake up and go to bed and certainly the number of steps we take every day. 

 

What have you learned about yourselves during this experience? 

 

Adopting is an immensely rewarding experience. Rescues may need more training and work than a dog from a breeder, but every opportunity is a chance to bond and develop an even closer relationship with this new member of your family. 

 

Working with Boush has taught us patience, and how to be selfless. We reap the rewards every single day because he brings so much joy, laughter, and love into our lives. We’ve learned to compromise and delegate responsibilities, which has brought us closer as a couple too. 

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What’s your favourite Boush story? 

 

There’s a new one every day, but we’ll never forget the day we brought him home. I’d seen him online and had a feeling he’d be the one. Once we’d been thoroughly vetted by the good people at the Toronto Humane Society, we walked hours home to wear him out. Turns out that was wishful thinking. We picked up a gigantic crate on the way, but he spent that entire night in our bed instead, kicking us in the kidneys and spinning around every few minutes. Despite a complete lack of sleep, I couldn’t wait to take him for his morning walk the next day. He got comfortable quickly after that.

 

Is there anything else you want to share about your adoption experience? 

 

Giving a loving home to a dog in need is the most rewarding and easiest thing you can do to give back if you’re looking for a new pet. There are a lot of people who are really set on the idea of a puppy, and when rescues don’t have them available, they will go to a pet store. I thought that getting a puppy would be best because we would have more time to train and bond with our new dog. However when we met Boush, who was already a year old and decided to adopt him, I learned that bonding, connection and love doesn’t depend on the age of your dog. We became dog people because of Boush, and our lives are so rich with constant love and entertainment of just simply sharing our life with him. There is simply no quicker way to enrich your life than to adopt or rescue a pooch in need, and both your and your dog’s lives will be forever changed for the better. 

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Jessica and Devon’s story show that all it takes is patience, confidence and a whole lot of love for a rescue dog to become comfortable with their new family. They put in the work and Boush is now flourishing in his furever home! 

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