My name is Avro!

Posted 6 hours ago | Updated 6 hours ago

Cared for by Pound Dog Rescue

Adoption fee: $900

This helps Pound Dog Rescue with pet care costs.

My basic info

Breed

American Bulldog/Weimaraner

Color

Gray/Blue/Silver/Salt & Pepper

Age

Puppy

Size

Large 61-100 lbs (28-45 kg) (when grown)

Weight

–

Sex

Male

Pet ID

PDR1426

My details

Good with kids

Good with dogs

Shots current

Spayed / Neutered

Housetrained

Has special needs

My story

Here's what the humans have to say about me:

For Adoption: Avro!

Please read our dog bios carefully to be sure that the dog you are applying for suits your family and lifestyle.
We at PDR believe in the benefits of post-adoption training for our dogs and their families. This allows for continued socialization, learning and helps to create a well-mannered and balanced dog. Post-adoption training is a requirement in our adoption process.
To apply for adoption and for more information on our process and requirements, visit our website at https://pounddog.ca/adoption-info/.

This adorable wiggle bum is Avro. He’s a 4.5 month old Bully/ Weimaraner breed mix, with possibly some Labrador as well. He was rescued by PDR from a shelter in Quebec, and made his way into foster care in Kitchener. One look at this sweet boy easily melts your heart. Avro is a seriously gorgeous pup, with very unique fur and eye colouring. His fur is grey-blue with a tinge of tawny brown in the sun, and his eyes are a dazzling ice blue and vibrant yellow-green. His looks literally stop people in the street. Avro will be a big boy once fully grown, likely over 80lbs. He’s currently about 40lbs.

His physique is incredible, muscular and strong. He has the adorable, perky ears from the bully breed, but they’re larger like a Weimaraner. He has the broad head and muscular figure of the bully, but with the longer legs and more sporty look of the Weimaraner. He’s truly stunning.

Avro is an absolute sweetheart and a very fun dog to have around the home. He also has a big personality. He’s super playful and cuddly, making him a great mix for people who want a dog to play games with, but also a dog who enjoys napping and cuddling on the couch with you. He’s supremely confident, goofy, determined, openly affectionate, and very sweet.

Avro the entertainer will fill your days with laughter. From his puppy zoomies around the yard to the way he talks to his toys, he’s always entertaining. Avro likes to practice his Weimaraner stalking techniques on our family dog when they play. He slowly creeps up to her, in full view by the way, until the last moment when they’re almost touching noses. Then a playful game of chase begins, he's hilarious.

Avro has been diagnosed with a congenital heart condition called Severe Valvular Pulmonic Stenosis, with reduced right ventricular systolic function. It means that his life will be shorter than most dogs, but Avro has no idea his heart isn’t strong! Avro’s happiness and goofy, affectionate personality will bring you lots of laughter and cuddles each day. His condition requires a bit of extra care from his human, like supervising his exercise to ensure he remains safe, and taking his daily beta blocker medication to help reduce his heart rate. Avro really likes taking his medication with chicken, but he’s not a picky boy. Avro is on a top quality kibble diet that he will need to stay on, and doesn’t require anything specific beyond the high quality diet while avoiding overly salty foods like deli meat or table food that has salt. It’s very important though, that Avro not be fed any grain free or raw diets. His food is available at any quality pet food store and anyone interested in Avro needs to be committed to continuing to feed him this quality diet.

Avro is a puppy, and he loves life. He doesn’t care how much time he has, as long as it’s fun! Avro’s current routine involves lots of play and exercise, like pack walks, training sessions, and playtime with his human and doggy friends alike. He’s looking for a home that can give him constructive outlets that let him be his playful, goofy self, with a family that will help him live comfortably and happily.

Avro had a full cardiac workup as well as balloon valvuloplasty surgery, and there are no further surgical options for Avro’s condition. Anyone interested in Avro needs to read up on severe valvular pulmonic stenosis and be fully aware of the needs of dogs with this condition. The full report from the specialist will be given to his adopter and their veterinarian. He is on daily medication, a beta blocker called Atenolol, which he will need for life. The bad news is that this condition will shorten his life. The specialist cannot say for how long he will live, it could be years, but Avro will not be a dog that reaches his senior years. This is something that needs to be seriously considered. Anyone adopting Avro needs to be fully aware that they won’t have decades with him, but he can have some very good years. We need to ensure that the time he has will be spent with a family who adores him and will give him the very best life.

The good news is that Avro doesn’t know he has this condition, and currently it doesn’t affect his energy or ability to be himself. He is a very happy and affectionate puppy who is in no pain or discomfort. He's a playful boy who just wants to have fun. Avro will not be able to do very active things like going for runs with you, nor would he really want to anyway, however Avro loves doing zoomies around the yard and can be very excitable and play motivated. He simply needs to be supervised to keep him safe.

Due to his condition, any other dogs in the home need to be a good companion for Avro. He loves to play and wrestle and do all the excitable things a puppy does. Any running in the yard or wrestle playing should be supervised to ensure Avro’s safety, but playing is great! Avro’s life should be a happy one filled with fun activities and lots of interaction with his family.

Avro is a social butterfly who enjoys greeting everyone he meets on his journeys. We nicknamed him Mr. Wiggles because he gets full body wiggles when he greets someone, and especially with kids. He would have tons of fun playing with kids who are comfortable around a large breed dog, and he really loves attention. Avro rarely nips, but he is still learning in this area and can nip when he gets very excited. He’s matured a lot here already, but should have ongoing training to make sure he continues to be a good boy. While Avro is incredibly fond of all children, he will not suit a home with infants or very young kids, as he could nip or knock them over when excited.
Avro loves to play with our family dog and would do well in a home with other dogs that are of a similar size and well socialized, to help him continue learning to be a well behaved boy. They should also be comfortable with a sometimes exuberant puppy. Avro would also suit a home as an only dog too. Avro does show occasional interest in chasing squirrels, and given the hunting nature of the Weimaraner we don’t recommend Avro go to a home with cats.

Avro is a very cuddly boy, who despite his size (and still growing) loves some quality lap time while he chews, snuggles, or even falls right asleep. He is generally a quiet dog but with bursts of vocalizations when he gets excited. He’s regularly quiet throughout the day, and doesn’t bark at people or other dogs unless he’s playing. When he plays he can get loud, often talking to himself or others with all sorts of noises ranging from chirps and high pitched yips, to play growls or barks, and even groans. He often talks in his sleep too, and will occasionally bark when he’s trying to get attention. Due to his playful vocal nature, Avro would do best in a detached home, or at least a home where his antics won’t disturb anyone sensitive to these infrequent but fairly loud vocalizations.

Avro is not a sporty dog, which is good given his heart condition, but he can be fairly energetic. He loves to play, and while he isn’t super motivated for walks, he enjoys being out to sniff and greet people. He requires a bit of motivation to ensure he gets the regular exercise and exposure he needs to be healthy and fulfilled. Avro should go for regular walks to keep his weight down and for some healthy physical and mental stimulation.

Avro is a determined boy, and not one to give up easily! His motto is try your best, and if you don’t succeed, try again only harder! This is great for training because Avro has a great attention span for a puppy, and is not easily deterred by mistakes or failures. He’s learning patience and focus too, meaning training with Avro is a very rewarding experience. His determination also means that he will try new ways of achieving his goals. So if his goal is to steal your shoe or get on the furniture he’s not allowed on, he’ll come up with all sorts of new ways to try, until he’s exhausted all possible tactics. He has yet to do so here. ;)

Avro will require basic obedience training and will greatly benefit from the bond it creates between him and his family. It also helps teach him patience, gives his brain and body a low key, constructive outlet, and will help him learn what your rules and boundaries are. He will love training classes and is already ahead of the game as he is learning obedience skills while in his foster home.

Avro is excellent at being handled. You can pick him up, touch him anywhere, put his outdoor gear on, handle his ears and feet, check his teeth, and trim his nails without issue. He’s not excited about getting geared up for his winter walks but he tolerates it well, even his booties. He’s a good boy who will put on an impressively sulky face when getting ready. He’s also exceptionally good in the car, and will happily snooze for both short and long trips. He’s fully crate trained, house trained, and knows quite a few basic obedience commands too.

We need to stress that Avro’s story isn’t one of sadness. It’s actually a story of good luck and hope. Luck, because Avro was rescued and a lot of dogs can’t even say that much. Also, if Avro’s heart condition wasn’t so severe, it likely would have gone undiagnosed, as it often does, until later on when something serious happened to him. And hope, because with the right match, Avro will get to have a truly happy new life.

Avro survived some very difficult circumstances early on, and despite his heart condition he constantly proves that your physical condition doesn’t define you! His heart may not be strong, but it’s big and it has enough room to love everybody!

Avro doesn’t know he’s different from any other puppy. He wakes each morning eager to start the day, have breakfast, play with his toys, and share in a good cuddle. He has a lot of love to give, and we hope to find him someone extraordinary—a compassionate soul who believes the measure of a life isn’t in how long you have, but how much fun you have! Avro simply wants a chance to love big and have lots of fun along the way.

Name: Avro

ID # PDR1426

Age: 4.5mths

Gender: male

Neutered: yes

UTD vaccines: yes

Breed: American Bulldog/Weimaraner

Colours: blue

Coat length: short

House trained: yes

Special needs: Yes

OK with kids: yes

OK with cats: U/K

Ok with dogs: yes

Status: adoptable

Microchip: yes

Size: large

Location: Kitchener

Adoption fee: $900

Rescue

Pound Dog Rescue

Contact info

Pet ID

PDR1426

Contact

—

Phone

—

pounddog.ca@gmail.com

Website

http://www.pounddog.ca

Address

P.O. Box 261, Drumbo, ON N0J 1G0

Donation

donations can be mailed directly to address above.

Their adoption process

Additional adoption info

Prior to filling out an application on a dog make sure you have read that dog’s profile in its entirety and do some research on the breed(s) of dog you are considering. Make sure that this dog will suit your home and lifestyle. If you wish to proceed please fill out and submit an application online. Alternatively you may print the completed application and mail it to us. It is also a good idea to send us a quick email letting us know to expect your application. Be very thorough in filling out your application. The more we can learn about your family, home and past pet ownership the better. Also, be honest with yourself. Do not apply for a high energy dog if you are not already a very active person. A dog will enhance your life and be a willing partner in your activities but a dog will not change who you fundamentally are. A perfect match will be a dog that suits your current lifestyle and activity level.

Upon receiving your application an Adoption Coordinator will speak with your veterinarian if applicable so please place a call to your vet advising them to expect our call and authorizing them to speak to us about your veterinary history. The next step is for an Adoption Coordinator to contact you to set up an interview and in home visit. Should everything go well we would ask that you contact your references and advise them to expect a call from us. The final step is a meet and greet with the dog at the foster’s home where you can see the dog in an environment where it is comfortable and at ease. The foster will be able to answer any questions on the dog’s behavior, training and routine and you can make the decision if this is truly the dog for you.

Through this procedure we may determine that the dog you applied for is not a good match and we may make suggestions on dogs in our program that would be a better fit for your home. The decision is yours though and we would never push a dog on anyone. We can also keep your application on file and with your permission contact you when a dog we feel would be suitable for you comes up for adoption.

Should your application prove successful we ask for the adoption donation made payable by cash or e-transfer to Pound Dog Rescue. This fee helps defray the costs of veterinary care, upkeep, grooming and transportation for our dogs and is only a small fraction of the total cost spent on each dog in our rescue program. Once you have adopted a dog through Pound Dog Rescue you become part of our family! We love hearing updates about our dogs and receiving pictures! We will always be there for you for advice and support will do whatever we can to make sure you are happy with your new dog.

We the volunteers of Pound Dog Rescue thank you for considering a Pound Dog to adopt and look forward to hearing from you.

Go meet their pets

All of our dogs are cared for in foster homes, and therefore, not available for general public viewing.

More about this rescue

My name is Kim and my husband’s name is Jarett. We are a married couple that is dedicated to rescuing, rehabilitating and re-homing dogs in need. Individually, and as a couple, we both have been rescuing and fostering dogs for many other organizations for a number of years. From this experience came the skills, knowledge and connections needed to make starting our own rescue a reality. Having done the work for others for so long and loving the experiences we’ve had, we came to the realization that we can do even more for dogs in need by branching out and having our own rescue group and dedicated team of volunteers. From this fledgling idea Pound Dog Rescue was born and it has grown significantly! It is truly amazing how many good people want to help us save dogs. Pound Dog Rescue would be an impossibility if we didn’t have our team of dedicated volunteers offering their unique and valuable skills and abilities to help grow the rescue. It’s amazing how many animal lovers there are in the community who will donate their time and efforts when they know it goes to such a rewarding cause; to help save dogs. To this date we have received overwhelming support and we know that Pound Dog Rescue and its legion of dedicated supporters will make a positive difference in the lives of many dogs. WE WILL SAVE DOG’S LIVES. And that is why we are here, pure and simple.

We get a lot of questions about our rescue when we talk to people so we thought we would take this opportunity to answer some of the common ones.

Where does Pound Dog Rescue get its dogs from?

All of our dogs come from low-income, low-resource animal control facilities (aka “dog pounds”) in Ontario. These facilities do not have the funding for fancy adoption wings with teams of volunteers and staff. These facilities are minimally staffed with over-worked employees. The dogs have a kennel to stay in that is usually dark and loud and chaotic. These facilities are holding kennels for all of the strays and owner surrendered dogs of their counties and townships. They don’t get to pick and choose the dogs they take in. By law, these pounds must take in any dog that is stray or abandoned. Because of this, kennel space fills up quickly and space runs out. Sadly, without rescue, many of the unclaimed or surrendered dogs will be put down to free up kennel space for the next dogs arriving. This is why we at Pound Dog Rescue will only take in dogs from these facilities. These dogs have very few options, the lucky minority gets adopted, and the others face certain death without rescue. It’s these dogs that we focus on and are dedicated to saving.

Why do we need rescue?

Rescue is needed because sadly, not all dogs live long, happy lives in loving forever homes. Many dogs end up in homes of irresponsible owners who don’t provide them with the training, socialization and care needed to live a happy life. For no fault of their own many of these dogs end up in a pound situation, all because they had the misfortune to be owned by irresponsible people. Sadly, many people still don’t spay or neuter their pets and breed them without any thought to providing quality homes for the puppies or proper care for the mothers. This adds to the already over saturated dog population and takes homes away from dogs already in a pound situation. Because dogs don’t get to choose their owners, rescue is needed. Once in rescue, we choose their next home for them. We strive to make certain that none of our rescue dogs end up back where they came from. We do this by having potential adopters fill out applications and we conduct home visits and interviews and do background checks. We take the extra steps needed to make sure we are sending our dogs off to loving, forever homes.

How does the rescue process work?

We have established a long standing and trusting relationship with a rural Ontario animal control facility. We select most of our dogs from this facility but we are open to helping any low resource pound. We take pictures and do write up’s of all of the dogs available to go to rescue organizations and we forward this information in an email to various different trusted rescues across Ontario. We work hand in hand with a large number of rescues to save as many dogs as possible. We at Pound Dog Rescue not only rescue dogs for our own organization, but assist and facilitate the rescue of dogs to a number of other trusted rescue organizations. We evaluate the dogs in need of rescue and we select dogs based on temperament and the criteria our available foster is looking for. We look to match dogs with fosters. We will never force a foster to take on a dog that they are uncomfortable with or ill equipped to handle. Once selected we have the dog vet checked, vaccinated, heartworm tested, microchipped, and spayed or neutered if required. The dog will then be placed in a preselected foster home to live on a temporary basis where it will be loved and cared for. While in foster care the dog will receive training, socialization, and handling all the while being observed and assessed for behaviour. This way we really get to know the dogs in our care and can confidently determine what will be the best forever home for each individual dog. A successful adoption applicant for a specific dog will have a meet and greet with the dog and it’s foster in the foster’s home. This way the applicant can talk directly with the foster who has been caring for the dog to learn first hand about the dog’s routines, quirks and mannerisms in a home environment. We fully believe that the foster parent knows the dog best and they are an integral part of our adoption procedure.

Is there something wrong with dogs from pounds? Why are they there in the first place?

For the most part the dogs that end up in pounds are there for no fault of their own. A lot of them were owned by people who were irresponsible and let them run loose and when apprehended, did not bother to claim them from the pound. Many come in because the person that owned them either selected a breed of dog that did not suit their lifestyle, or they expected a dog to come fully trained and didn’t want to, or know how to, put the time and effort required into training their dog. And unfortunately, many end up in a pound because they became inconvenient for their owners and the pound is the quickest, easiest and cheapest way to dispose of their dog. Some end up there because their owner passed away or had a crisis and were no longer able to care for their dog. We have seen almost every breed of dog in the pound in need of rescue…from the smallest of toy breeds to the largest of giant breeds and everything in between. We have seen many purebreds and just as many mixed breeds. There is no breed of dog that is exempt from being abandoned, lost or unclaimed. We have rescued and fostered countless dogs in our years of volunteering and we have never yet encountered a “bad” dog, or one who had an issue we couldn’t work through. Again, these dogs can’t help who they are owned by. We at Pound Dog Rescue work to educate the public on responsible dog ownership and fully encourage and insist on applicants researching and being educated on the breed of dog they are applying for. There is nothing more frustrating than seeing a beautiful Border Collie in the pound having been turned in because he was “too active” or a gorgeous Newfoundland Dog having been turned in because he grew “too big”. Unfortunately these are true stories and real excuses people have used to abandon their former “best friends” at the pound. How about the black Lab who was turned in because the owner redecorated her house and he no longer matched the decor? We aren’t kidding. It happened. So, the answer is no, not all dogs in a pound have something “wrong” with them. Most are there because of things they have no control over, like their breed, their colour or who the person was that happened to pick them out of their respective litters at 8 weeks old.

We thank you for caring enough to consider rescue. We hope you will choose to adopt a rescue dog. Rescue saves dog’s lives and gives dogs a second chance at finding a loving home. And if you want to save a dog and adopt through rescue, as we like to say around here…..There ain’t nothing like a Pound Dog!!!