FRIEND FOREVER: Merlin, an eight year old dog, “a nice old man”

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Can it be magic?

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Turns out, there’s no better time than the present to adopt Merlin, an eight-year-old Retriever-Labrador-German Shepherd mix from the Toronto Humane Society.

“November is National Senior Pet Adoption Month,” said THS spokesperson Hannah Sotropa.

“It’s a really rewarding experience to know that you can give an animal the best of themselves in their golden years, their best retirement home if you will,” she said. need a home, but obviously our elders stay longer than kittens and puppies.

“Merlin is a sweet old man with a big heart and a lot of love to give,” Sotropa added.

The pooch was only turned over to the Toronto Humane Society two weeks ago due to the physical and financial problems of its owner.

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“He’s adorable,” Sotropa said. “He will charm you with his magical personality. He might have a turn or two under his paws as he works closely with our training team. He has a loyal and funny personality. He’s a senior, so again, he might just need to take more breaks to decompress a bit after his walks. Even if he likes his walks.

Sotropa said Merlin’s new home would ideally be with former pet owners who know body language and respect boundaries, and four post-adoption training sessions are offered with him.

“We recommend with his more under-socialized behaviors and some dog responsiveness that an experienced and calm owner be able to take care of him,” Sotropa said.

“He made an effort to engage and socialize appropriately with a lot of dogs around him as he can be a bit overwhelmed,” she said. “But again, with the right training, he made some progress, jumps and leaps, at the shelter.”

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And because Merlin is older and has arthritis, a house without too many stairs is preferable.

Sotropa said it was normal for him to be with other dogs and children with the right introductions, including meetups and greetings at the shelter.

“The other dogs will be fine, again if there is experience with owning multiple dogs,” she said.

“And then have direct and active supervision at all times when the child is around the dog, especially with an elderly person with arthritis,” Sotropa said. “We just want to make sure that Merlin is respected and that his communications are received. As we know, children can’t always understand a dog’s body language and communications.

If you are interested in adopting Merlin, please visit
www.torontohumanesociety.com/adopt-a-pet/adoption-process to check available appointment times and start the process.

UPDATE: Dr Hopkinz, a two-year-old neutered male American rabbit, from last month’s column, is still available for adoption.