Quebec puppies reunite after being rescued two years prior
Happy yips and barks filled the air in a Hampstead neighbourhood Sunday to mark a reunion of more than 13 dogs rescued nearby.
Gerdy Rescues and Adoptions held the event nearly two years after the pups were taken from a nearby breeder in Berthierville, a town east of Montreal.
At the time, rescuer Marilyn Gelfand says neighbours had been finding the puppies wandering on the road.
They were traumatized, she says, and in need of veterinary care.
“They're mostly yorkies mixed with Chinese cresteds, chihuahuas, and terriers,” said Gelfand.
The pups were shy at first. But once they got to socializing, "they were a joy," she said.
“They started coming out of their shells which was unbelievable.” she said. When they were ready for adoption, "we were very, very careful about where they went.”
One of the lucky puppy-parents was Lisa Griffin, who adopted two of the dogs: Lucas and Ricky.
“When I first met them, Ricky was very afraid of everybody, (but now) he's getting braver,” she said.
“Lucas was a bit catatonic,” she added, but since his adoption, “he's coming out and has a personality all of his own.”
A foster-based rescue in Montreal hosts a reunion of 13 dogs, all recovered from the area nearly two years prior. (Angela MacKenzie, CTV News)
'COVID PUPPIES' AN INCREASING PROBLEM: GELFAND
Gelfand says Gerdy’s is starting to see an increase in pet owners giving up dogs they purchased or adopted during the pandemic.
“Every week, our numbers are increasing,” she said.
“We got a COVID puppy in 2 weeks ago, another dog with huge separation anxiety, that we're trying to place."
Gelfand says she expects even more dogs to arrive at the shelter as people head back to work more often.
“It's going to be an increasing problem because people are going back to work full time and certainly after the summer we expect a huge influx of COVID dogs.”
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Quebec nurse had to clean up after husband's death in Montreal hospital
On a night she should have been mourning, a nurse from Quebec's Laurentians region says she was forced to clean up her husband after he died at a hospital in Montreal.
Northern Ont. lawyer who abandoned clients in child protection cases disbarred
A North Bay, Ont., lawyer who abandoned 15 clients – many of them child protection cases – has lost his licence to practise law.
Bank of Canada officials split on when to start cutting interest rates
Members of the Bank of Canada's governing council were split on how long the central bank should wait before it starts cutting interest rates when they met earlier this month.
Maple Leafs fall to Bruins in Game 3, trail series 2-1
Brad Marchand scored twice, including the winner in the third period, and added an assist as the Boston Bruins downed the Toronto Maple Leafs 4-2 to take a 2-1 lead in their first-round playoff series Wednesday
Cuban government apologizes to Montreal-area family after delivering wrong body
Cuba's foreign affairs minister has apologized to a Montreal-area family after they were sent the wrong body following the death of a loved one.
'It was instant karma': Viral video captures failed theft attempt in Nanaimo, B.C.
Mounties in Nanaimo, B.C., say two late-night revellers are lucky their allegedly drunken antics weren't reported to police after security cameras captured the men trying to steal a heavy sign from a downtown business.
What is changing about Canada's capital gains tax and how does it impact me?
The federal government's proposed change to capital gains taxation is expected to increase taxes on investments and mainly affect wealthy Canadians and businesses. Here's what you need to know about the move.
New Indigenous loan guarantee program a 'really big deal,' Freeland says at Toronto conference
Canada's Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland was among the 1,700 delegates attending the two-day First Nations Major Projects Coalition (FNMPC) conference that concluded Tuesday in Toronto.
'Life was not fair to him': Daughter of N.B. man exonerated of murder remembers him as a kind soul
The daughter of a New Brunswick man recently exonerated from murder, is remembering her father as somebody who, despite a wrongful conviction, never became bitter or angry.