ISAAC

Male | ~2 years old | 35 pounds | Medium energy | Coexists well with dogs | Hasn’t met cats | From Mexico | Fostered in Vaughan | Gentle, Curious, Explorer

Meet ISAAC, a gentle scruff who’s been slowly but surely coming out of his shell in his foster home. With his mostly white coat, cute tan ears, and unique speckled markings, ISAAC is an adorably compact 35 pounds—the perfect size for almost any living space! At just about 2 years old, it’s ISAAC’s sensitive, observant, and curious nature that will steal your heart.

Indoors, ISAAC is house-trained and crate-trained—his crate being his safe space where he feels most comfortable relaxing. He’s building confidence when meeting new people and exploring more of his foster home at his own pace. He is starting to enjoy being a part of the home’s daily rhythm and observing his foster family’s activities. With the people he trusts, he is incredibly affectionate—full of tail wags, kisses, and goofy excitement. Nothing is more heartwarming than his signature tippy-taps!

Outdoors is where ISAAC shines! He is a fantastic loose-leash walker, both attentive and easygoing, which makes for peaceful walks. His foster family hasn’t observed any prey drive or reactivity towards dogs or people. Occasional loud noises may make him pause, but he recovers quickly. ISAAC loves following his foster dog sister on pack walks and coexists well with her at home. That said, we think he’d be happiest as a solo dog where he doesn’t feel the need to compete for attention. He has not been tested with children and would likely do best with older, dog-savvy kids who can interact with him respectfully.

This scruff’s ideal home will stick to a routine, boundaries, and extend patience as he continues to learn and gain confidence. A couple of good walks, some outdoor exploring, and affection from his favourite humans would make a perfect day. If you’re looking for a sweet, loyal companion, apply to adopt ISAAC!

OPHELIA

Female | 4.5 months old | 19 pounds & growing! | Medium energy | Hasn’t met kids or cats | Curious and friendly meeting dogs | From Manitoba | Fostered in Toronto | Sweet, smart & playful

Meet our first adoptable of 2026! This is OPHELIA. She finds joy in activities such as fetch and cuddling. Oh, and she’s looking for a home!

OPHELIA absolutely loves her foster family, just as much as they’ve loved spending time caring for her. In fact, she’s fond of all humans and often wants to either play with them or be shown affection by them. With other dogs, she’s cautious yet calm and curious. Occasionally, these interactions can lead to her jumping, though more often than not, that isn’t the case.

Still young, OPHELIA shows some puppy tendencies (think: zoomies and occasional playful nipping). Once she’s used up all her extra energy, she shows off her most calm, loving, and gentle self. She’s a big fan of her human friends, as we said, and when she’s not in play mode, you can often find her napping near them throughout the day. 

Thus far, training OPHELIA has been rewarding for her foster family to experience right alongside her. Her leash walking skills in particular are something to be proud of… even if she’s stubborn and still prefers the warmth of a condo! Perhaps some cold-weather gear is in her future. She has great crate discipline (she’ll use it when asked) and knows commands, including sit, stay, lie down and is working on paw. She’s recently discovered her chatty husky side, and barking is something she’s taken to alert her people at mealtimes and, as you can imagine, she is treat-motivated. She’s a growing scruff, and is a voracious eater! 

Apply to adopt!

ZSA-ZSA

Female | 6.5 months old | 25 pounds & growing! | Medium energy | Friendly meeting kids | Has met some dogs | Hasn’t met cats, shows slight prey drive | From Manitoba | Fostered in Toronto | Playful & curious

Affectionate. Rambunctious. Friendly. These are all great descriptors of this scruff named ZSA-ZSA. At five months old, she’s growing a little more every day, and it’s her playful personality that keeps her foster family busy on any given day!

ZSA-ZSA’s playfulness, combined with her curious nature, can lead to a display of boisterous energy. But what exactly does this look like? A tendency to jump in excitement when she’s making new friends with other dogs. We love the energy she brings to the table, though she is working on calmer interactions, as not all dogs want to interact in a similar fashion. Her pushiness has us searching for an adopter(s) that will continue to be consistent with the rules and boundaries they establish with ZSA-ZSA.

Having met kids of all ages, ZSA-ZSA is always pleased to interact with them and shows more restraint in these scenarios. She has developed even more confidence in the care of her foster family as well, which is great to see. We’re also seeing that consistency in and of itself has been a great tool in helping ZSA-ZSA learn the ins and outs of leash walking, especially with all the distractions that public spaces inevitably involve.

ZSA-ZSA is in search of a family to call her own. Keen to adopt? Apply today!

LURA

Female | 8.5 years old | 43 pounds | Medium energy | Does well with slow intros to dogs | Gentle meeting young kids | No cats please, some prey drive | From Mexico | Fostered in Mississauga | Affectionate, curious & obedient

She’s just a gal who loves her walks and being with her humans! Meet LURA. Highly affectionate, LURA enjoys being around her people and uses every chance she gets for pats and snuggles. On the flip side, she can be independent, easily entertaining herself with toys. The confidence she’s gained lately has encouraged her to come out of her shell, progressing from reserved and shy to playful and outgoing. Love to see it!

At home, LURA has been busy learning new commands. Now and again, she might test a boundary. It’s important you reinforce them in such situations, as she thrives on structure, which is what rules provide. Lately, LURA has also been steadily improving on her leash walking skills. LURA has been receptive to training and passes dogs without a fuss and coexists well with dogs after a slow introduction. Of course, her humans will need to continue advocating for her space.

LURA is (somewhat) lower in energy, BUT that doesn’t mean she doesn’t need exercise and mental stimulation… of course she does! This gal loves to explore, which she does by checking out new walking routes and sniffing all the smells that she comes across in the neighbourhood. Occasionally, she might appear interested in a squirrel or rabbit, though all this takes is a little redirection.

LURA enjoys using her crate as her personal space for downtime and often uses it all on her own. On the whole, she’s well-suited to quieter home environments. That said, know that it could also bring her a lot of joy, living in a home with kids. She loves meeting new people, showing how calm and welcoming she is. We can’t wait for you to meet her.

Keen to adopt? Apply today!

This dog is sponsored by PetSmart! This means their adoption process includes a visit to PetSmart’s Mississauga Lakeshore location to finalize the adoption. Adopters will receive an exclusive PetSmart adoption kit with $300 worth of coupons and special offers! Plus, adopting through PetSmart Charities helps support rewards and grants that benefit pets in need.