From surviving to thriving: Stray dog adopted by Calgary couple after being found injured, emaciated
Calgary's Animal Service's Centre is sharing the heartwarming story of an adoption that helped a fearful and injured stray bloom into a happy and healthy dog.
Officials first shared details of Wally, a young border collie cross, in January.
The stray ended up in the shelter in October 2023, emaciated and suffering from a broken femur.
Now, months later, Wally has transformed.
Semi-retired couple Pieter and Corné say they came across a story about Wally while on a ski vacation in Kimberley, B.C.
“Seeing his story melted my heart,” said Corné in a Wednesday news release.
“I knew then that he was ours from that instant.”
The couple booked an appointment to meet Wally as soon as they returned to Calgary.
At that point, Wally had already been through a lot. He needed orthopedic surgery to repair the fractured femur, dental work to repair and remove broken teeth, twice-daily physiotherapy to help heal his femur, and he was neutered.
Wally's fractured femur compared to his healthy femur. (City of Calgary) Officials say Wally was shy and nervous during his first meeting with Pieter and Corné , but by the third, the dog finally gave Pieter his paw, bonding the three of them for good.
According to animal services, the couple used the weekend to build a fence around their yard so they could bring Wally home on Monday – not an easy task considering it was January.
After just a few weeks together, Wally began to get very comfortable in his new home.
"When we wake up, the first thing we do is snuggle with Wally,” Corné said.
The collie gets to take regular walks in the Springbank dog park, where he runs unencumbered by his previous injury.
"We’ve just gotten so much out of adopting Wally, it’s joyful and our lives have changed for the better," Pieter said.
Kathleen Dickson, coordinator of animal care and clinic services, says the story illustrates the unconditional love that comes from adopting a dog from the Animal Services Centre
"Our team of Animal Behaviour Coordinators dedicate themselves to matching each animal with the perfect family," she said.
"It's our goal to ensure that every adopted pet finds their ideal match in terms of lifestyle, temperament, and compatibility. In this instance, we're proud to say we've succeeded."
If you're interested in providing a forever home to one of the adoptable pets at Calgary's Animal Service's Centre, you can visit Calgary.ca.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
BREAKING Judge holds Trump in contempt, fines him US$9,000 and raises threat of jail in hush money trial
Donald Trump was held in contempt of court Tuesday and fined US$9,000 for repeatedly violating a gag order that barred him from making public statements about witnesses, jurors and some others connected to his New York hush money case. If he does it again, the judge warned, he could be jailed.
McGill requests 'police assistance' over pro-Palestinian encampment
McGill University says it has 'requested police assistance' about the pro-Palestinian encampment on its lower field.
BREAKING 4 dead, including infant, in wrong-way crash involving police on Ontario's Highway 401
A wrong-way crash on Highway 401 in Whitby, Ont. last night has left four people dead, including an infant, Ontario’s police watchdog says.
New cancer treatment approved, but not everyone thinks it's what's best for patients
A new cancer treatment recently approved in Canada promises to cut treatment time down to just minutes, but experts have differing opinions on whether it's what's best for patients.
Air Canada walks back new seat selection policy change after backlash
Air Canada has paused a new seat selection fee for travellers booked on the lowest fares just days after implementing it.
Statistics Canada says real GDP grew 0.2 per cent in February
Canada's GDP rose 0.2 per cent in February, driven by a rebound in transportation and warehousing, which saw the largest recorded month-to-month rise in over a year at 1.4 per cent.
Canada's new dental program offering hope of free care to millions but many dentists aren't signed up
A new Canadian dental care program is offering the hope of free care to millions, but while 1.7 million people have signed up for the plan, only about 5,000 dentists have done the same.
Police searching for 'armed man' in Dartmouth, N.S., residents asked to shelter in place
Residents in the area of Gaston Road in Dartmouth, N.S., are being asked to shelter in place as police search for an armed suspect.
Province boots mayor and council in small northern Ont. town out of office
An ongoing municipal strike, court battles and revolt by half of council has prompted the province to oust the mayor and council in Black River-Matheson.