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Everyone who meets Mari loves her almost instantly! Mari was born in Feb. 2007 and is a spayed, vaccinated black Labrador mix, who weighs about 83 lbs. She's sweet-natured with people, learns quickly and is ready to please. Mari is well trained with her commands to sit, lie down, give a paw and takes her treats ever so gently from your hand. She definitely shows the potential to learn much more, and we think she'd also be a good candidate for training to visit senior retirement homes. She's a quiet dog and is content to be part of a family who's looking for a loving companion. Mari is a gentle natured dog who enjoys a quiet home life, a place where she can just relax and have a daily exercise routine. As is common with the breed, she loves the water. She doesn't mind being left alone during the day and is not destructive and has not needed to be crated.  

Dianne says “Mari can be protective of her food with other dogs, probably from her days as a stray on the street, wondering where her next meal would come from.  If you give her a high value treat like a bone, she can also be protective so we looking for a home without other dogs or young children. However, she does get along with other dogs, one-on-one.  She may be a little nervous initially but within a few minutes, she goes into the 'let's play' mode and enjoys running and playing with the other dog”. 

 Mari is looking for a home with a fenced yard, one where she'll have her daily walks and otherwise, let her laze around the home and back yard. She needs to be on leash when off her own property at all times as she exhibits a high prey drive and we need to avoid confrontations with small animals who might come up to visit or her running into the bushes after a cat or squirrel. “Mari will be a great companion dog in the right setting. She's one of the most loving dogs we've ever rescued and so willing to offer her affection to all she meets”. If you are interested in Mari, please email diannealdan@sympatico.ca.  Currently Mari is being boarded as her foster mom had a family emergency.  A permanent or even foster home for Mari would be welcomed!

Tails from Greece Rescue

Throughout the years, Dianne Aldan and her husband George have enjoyed travelling and experiencing new places and meeting new faces.  As pet lovers and animal advocates, they would often visit the local animal shelters in the areas where they vacationed.  Greece quickly became a favourite destination spot for them as they were attracted by the sun, sand, food and bouzouki music.  However, Dianne couldn't help but notice the large numbers of stray cats and dogs who seemed to be everywhere - most of them showed signs of neglect, starvation and/or loneliness.  Already dedicated to helping animals at home, Dianne could not ignore the situation and found a rescue group that was actively helping these animals. She soon became heavily involved with a local Greek animal rescue organization and once home she continued to spend most of her free time working tirelessly (and from miles away) to help the animals of Greece.  After many years of working collaboratively with the local group, Dianne decided to launch Tails from Greece Rescue which is based out of Toronto, Ontario. 

Tails from Greece Rescue (TGR) is a volunteer non-profit registered charity that offers a re-homing program to a private shelter on the outskirts of Athens, Greece and a few other individuals who try to help strays in the area.  The program has resulted in the placement of over 160 dogs who now have loving families across Ontario. 

To cover costs of transport (the dogs are flown in) and vetting, TGR holds a number of fundraisers throughout the year and relies on donations. "It's very costly to bring dogs to Ontario but it's the only chance they get to have a life" says Dianne adding that "thanks to many supporters we are able to continue our rescue efforts". 

Potential adopters are screened and new families are asked to be understanding and patient, and to realize that initially these dogs may experience some short-term adjustment issues as they learn to trust and make the transition into their new home.  For the most part, the dogs have never known love and affection; many do not know what a toy is.  TGR does their best to match the dog with the home that best suits its needs and
personality.  

Dogs adopted from TGR are spayed or neutered (if over 4-5 months) fully vaccinated, de-wormed and microchipped prior to placement.  There is an adoption fee of $295.00.