Each week, we bring you the profile of an orphaned dog from the BC SPCA Vancouver Shelter that needs a loving home. This week, we have two!

The Vancouver SPCA received a small handful of poodle miniature crosses this week and I got to walk one of them. His name is Astro.

Astro is just over a year old and light enough to carry with one arm but big enough to give a proper hug. Admittedly, Astro isn’t much of a walker. He’s more of a play in the backyard, watch the wheels go round and round kind of dog. We got one block down before he began getting anxious about getting back to his kennel. Maybe he thought the other pups would take his chew toy? Who knows…

Astro does get excited when he thinks it’s time for play, wagging his tail in a typical doggy way and jumping up to the door when you come close, so it’s not as if he’s anti-social – he just has some security issues so he needs someone who’s patient and willing to show him the ropes one block at a time. Astro would be a perfect match for someone who likes slow leisurely walks and has a porch where he can fully utilize his exceptional observational skills. He practiced by staring down every car that went by during our stroll.

For details on Astro, click here.
BC SPCA Vancouver Shelter: 604 879 7721 or vancouver@spca.bc.ca

Dogs shouldn’t be fed any of the following items: grapes / raisins, chocolate, onions, garlic, alcohol…and the list goes on. Nobody ever mentions bird poop, but if you’ve met Dre, you’ve probably wondered…

Before volunteering at the SPCA, I thought that the only way you could tell one dog from another (if they were the same breed) was by their colour pattern. I was wrong. If you put Dre and a bunch of other Rottweilers in a line-up, I could probably point out which one was Dre. How? Well, one way is just to look at their face. Dre has a very curious look to him – as if he’s seeing everything for the first time. The second way is just to look for the dog with the odd taste for grass and bird droppings. Yes, Dre is an oddball!

Dre’s hobbies include long walks on the green, burying his nose in dirt only to sneeze several times consecutively, and chewing on the odd blade of grass that satisfies his very acute sense of taste. Among his favourite foods are crusted bird droppings on street curbs and styrofoam. I’m sure he also likes regular dog food and doggie treats, but I guess when you’re out and about you’ll take what you can get your paws on!

Although his taste for edible (and sometimes not so edible) foods may be unpredictable at times, Dre himself is beyond predictable. You can expect him to want to play with any dog that comes within 2 metres, and run for any ball that falls within his line of vision. He doesn’t always know why you’re pulling him away from a piece of garbage you’re afraid he’s going to digest next, so he’ll lie down in a silent protest. This isn’t a bad thing though because when he’s set his mind to protesting, he forgets about whatever else was on his mind and then he’ll forget why he was protesting in the first place and continue following your direction – all in a matter of 30 seconds or so.

Dre also loves to lie on your foot or against your leg and enjoys both the company and any tummy rubs that he can get. Some dogs lie on their side for tummy rubs and others give you a full frontal while using your toes as a headrest. Dre is of the latter breed. He is absolutely adorable, albeit a tad daft but I’m willing to chalk that up to his lack of life experience – he’s still a puppy at 9 months.

For details on Dre, click here.
BC SPCA Vancouver Shelter: 604 879 7721 or vancouver@spca.bc.ca

To read the profile of another dog, click here.