My name is Della!

All Pound Dog Rescue dogs are spayed/neutered, vaccinated, heartworm tested, de-wormed (if required), and micro-chipped prior to adoption. The adoption donation of $400 is applied to assist in the costs of veterinary care and the overall care of the dog.

We at PDR firmly believe in the importance of obedience training, regardless of breed or size of dog, and have a clause in our adoption contract requiring adopters to attend and complete a basic obedience course at a facility of their choosing. Only in certain circumstances will we waive this clause, so please be prepared to attend dog school should you wish to apply for a dog through our program.

For more information and adoption applications please consult our website at www.pounddog.ca.

Do you love the look, energy, and happiness of a Boxer but would like a smaller dog? Then have a good look at Della! This sweet girl is a 2yr old Boxer/Boston Terrier mix that is everything goofy, happy and energetic that we love in a Boxer but in a compact, 35lb, medium sized body. Della is not quite knee height so is great size for many homes and families. Della is similar in size to a Beagle. She is a beautiful dark brindle colouring and is a dog that we get a lot of compliments on. It isn’t rare for us to be walking her and hear “what a great looking dog” from passersby. She is a proud dog and loves the admiration she gets from people. Della is very friendly and loves meeting people when out and about or when entertaining at home. She is a social butterfly!

Della came from a pound in Georgia, US where she was scheduled to be put down. She made her way to Ontario and then we found her. We have no idea why she would ever be abandoned as she is such a loving and happy dog who causes us very little problem. But we look up on this as a positive for her as she truly deserves a person or family who will commit to her and give her a forever home and make her part of the family. This little dog has personality plus and she will be a comical and fun member of a loving family.

Della is house trained and crate trained. She walks well on leash and rides very well in the car. Della would love to be a travel companion and go on lots of trips and excursions with her people. She jumps right on up into the car, eager to get going on whatever adventure is coming her way. Della is an energetic dog and will require a family or person who is active and outdoorsy. Della would be a great running or biking partner if you are so inclined. If not, she will require daily long walks at a brisk pace to keep her fit and happy. Della LOVES her walks and should get out twice a day, plus play time in the yard. Della would prefer a fenced in yard to run around in as she does enjoy chasing a ball or booting around a soccer ball. She needs her daily exercise to keep her happy. If you prefer a gentle stroll or can’t walk at a brisk pace for an extended time then unfortunately she won’t be the dog for you. This dog loves to go and is always eager for the next adventure. Della won’t be suitable in an apartment or condo as she really does require a yard to play in.

Della is being fostered with dogs and cats. She is good with our cats, but will chase a cat that runs or reacts to her. Our cats know very well to just ignore the dogs so we have no issue. Della is a dog that can get over excited easily so any behaviour from a cat that isn’t calm will excite her. Because of this we are going to look for a home for Della that doesn’t have cats. Della would do well in a home as the only dog, or with a male dog, but she would like to be the only female dog in the home. If she were to go to a home with a male dog it should be a calm and stable dog that enjoys running and wrestling in the yard. A high energy, excitable dog won’t be a good fit for her as it will encourage excitement in her. Della is a young dog and is still very puppyish in her behaviours. Our pack of dogs here in her foster home are calm and Della patterns off of this which makes her a lovely dog to live with. We will be looking for a family for her that understands the need to maintain a calm energy and not encourage excitement. Boxers and Boston Terriers are breeds that are high energy and high excitement, they do not need any added excitement and do best when there are rules and structure in their homes. Della has a lot of fun with us and plays a lot, but in the home is expected to be calm and settled and she has embraced this mantra. Della is not being fostered in a home with children. She is lovely natured and very friendly but the excitement level of younger children will be too much for her. We would like an adult home for Della or one with children over the age of 12yrs. A young couple that are planning on children in a couple years would also be a consideration as Della will mature and settle with age, and she does have a lovely temperament for kids. But as she is only 2yrs old right now, and has the Boxer’s youthful attitude of fun and happiness, adding in young children to her dynamic at this age won’t be a good fit.

On a sad note, Della has been diagnosed with heartworm disease. Her previous owner obviously didn’t have her on the preventative which would have ensured she was protected from the disease. Heartworm disease is a totally preventable disease that is spread by mosquitoes. It is prevalent in the southern states where she is from, but it is also in Ontario. We are a rescue that heartworm tests all of the dogs we take in for exactly this reason. The good news is that Della is completely free of symptoms and is an active and otherwise healthy dog, and we are committed to treating this and will get her all better. She was diagnosed early on in the development and has an excellent chance of recovery. We have had other dogs in our program that have had heartworm and have treated those dogs successfully and all are living active and healthy lives. Della has no idea she has this disease and is in every way a happy dog. Della has been cleared to be adopted as there is no reason to hold her back. Her adoptive family will need to be willing to work with us as we treat her for this and that will require approx. 3 trips to our vet in Cambridge over the span of a few months so it is not a huge time commitment. We will fully explain the treatment plan with potential adopters but in general she will get 1 injection of the medication in a few months and then a follow up of 2 injections in a month after. She needs to be rested and have limited exercise for a period of time after the injections but otherwise goes about her daily life. We will be responsible for the vet payments for her treatment; we just don’t see any reason why she can’t be adopted into a loving home while we go about getting rid of the nasty heartworms. We have had all of our heartworm dogs adopted during their treatments and it works out well for the dogs and the families. Her adoptive family will need to live within a reasonable drive from Cambridge in order to get her to the vet for the appointments (which would be scheduled to suit the adoptive family).

Della is such a wonderful dog who will make a great addition to the right home. She is stocky and muscular and a “rough and tumble” dog that is up for anything. But she is also a compact size that makes her more portable and allows her to live in most places. If you are an experienced dog owner, previous Boxer or similar breed experience would be even better, and are looking for an active, fun, and enthusiastic new best friend then look no further. Della is such a fun dog to live with and she makes us laugh. She wants to accompany you on outings and do stuff, but is happy to cuddle at the end of the day as well. She eagerly greets visitors and firmly believes that strangers are friends she just hasn’t met yet. She is now looking for her perfect match and would like a family that will give her the commitment of a lifelong home. She will give you her commitment and loyalty and be your very best friend and partner in crime!