Maximus never gave up hope

For 262 days, Maximus waited for his forever home. For those nearly 9 months, the care team at the Ontario SPCA Midland & District Animal Centre never gave up hope of finding the perfect match for the seven-year-old German Shepherd and Pointer mix.

Max struggles in new environment

Max was rehomed to the animal centre due to an allergy. A sweet, friendly dog, Max quickly became a staff favourite, but the care team could see the kennel environment was challenging for him.

“He was great as soon as he was out of his kennel, but being in his kennel he would get frustrated at people walking by or other dogs walking by,” says Jocelyn Rutgers, Registered Veterinary Technician at the Midland & District Animal Centre.

The team in Midland implemented a training and enrichment plan for Max to help with these behaviours. They worked hard to ensure Max had the best quality of life possible, but as his time in care increased, so did his frustration.

“We felt like he would thrive a lot more in a home with somebody who could give him a lot of one-on-one attention, spend time playing with him, and just have him live like a normal dog,” says Jocelyn.

The care team placed Max in a foster home until the right family could be found. Jocelyn says as soon as Max was in a home environment, he thrived.

“Being in a more relaxed environment, in a home environment, kind of allowed him to let his guard down a little bit and learn to be around other animals without having a strong reaction,” says Jocelyn.

Max finds his home after 262 days

The animal centre had been sharing updates on social media to help Max find a home. One of these posts caught the eye of Julie, all the way in Cornwall. Soon she was on her way to meet Max and bring him home.

“When we read his story, we fell in love with him. The fact that he was with the Ontario SPCA for over 260 days made us want him even more so that we could give him a loving family and home,” says Julie.

Julie says Max brings joy and excitement into her family’s home. She says he’s always ready to offer comfort and never says no to a game of fetch.

“We wouldn’t trade him for the world,” says Julie.

Long term residents

“Longer-term residents” are animals that are in care for over 30 days, like Max. Jocelyn says they deeply care for these animals and work tirelessly to find them forever homes.

“Every furry friend deserves that second chance, and has a home waiting for them somewhere. Sometimes it takes a little bit longer to find that home, but it’s out there,” says Jocelyn.

If you’ve been considering adopting, visit ontariospca.ca/adopt to view our animals currently waiting for their loving home. Not ready to adopt? Consider donating to help provide essential services to the animals in our care.