The call came in from the owner in late 2019. Could Pet Haven help her rehome 4 dogs?

Their story was a heartbreaker. The owner shared that she is a Veteran and had been deployed to Jordan. This is where she met Lily and Rose on a U.S Army base. They were the lucky ones, having found a home on the base and kindness from soldiers who fed them. While timid, she bonded with the girls and took care of them. Yet her deployment was coming to an end, and she knew they were at risk of being kicked out of the compound and left to fend for themselves off-base, where packs of wilder dogs would harm them.

When she arrived home in Minnesota, she made the decision to fly Rose and Lily to America. To her home. And a few weeks later, they arrived. Yet surprise…Rose was pregnant and ready to have her puppies. Within a few weeks, 5 lovely little pups were born, adding to the family. Dennis and Patches were 2 of the puppies who stayed with the owner on her hobby farm in southern Minnesota. There they would thrive and be safe!

Tragedy struck again when the owner had a personal issue which is forcing her to sell her hobby farm. She needed to find a home for her dogs and would be willing to keep them safe while Pet Haven searched for foster homes. Two volunteers from Pet Haven drove south to meet the dogs on a sunny winter afternoon. Her dogs were assessed for their behavior and temperament tested with one of the volunteer’s dog. While timid and shy, they all possessed sweetness and gentle spirits. We discussed what the heck kind of dogs these might be and landed on the Canaan breed– one of the oldest dog breeds in the world, and also the national dog of Israel. Known to be alert and vigilant, they resemble border collies and are herding dogs. Inquisitive and intelligent, they are quick learners and do best with owners who can give them jobs to do!

Pet Haven tirelessly advocated for Rose, Lily, Dennis, and Patches. These dogs were more difficult to find foster placement as they had special behavioral needs and needed a foster that could understand their needs and have the skills to help them. We didnt give up and were eventually able to find foster placement for all 4 dogs; Dennis, Lily pretty quickly, Rose and Patches. They required foster families who are able to build their confidence, leash skills and reintroduce them to what they deem to be a very scary world so we wanted to make sure we placed them with experienced fosters. There is nothing quite like watching a dog “become a dog!” The first time that tail wags is a heart melter!

All 4 dogs are now part of Pet Haven and we are happy to say that Lily has been adopted into a wonderful forever family! The other three are still in foster care learning to be the best dogs they can be. We will give them all the time they need and once we feel they are ready to find their forever family we will post them for adoption. Check out our adoptable dogs to see when they will be ready!

If you’re interested in fostering a dog that has special needs like the Canann Crew and feel you have the skills to provide this, please consider submitting a foster application!

Can’t foster? Please consider making a donation to Pet Haven to support our work.

Together, we will create new opportunities for animals and the people who love them.

Video Link of Rose and Lily

Video of Rose meeting friendly Otis

Video of Rose, Lily, and Patches

Video of Dennis

Patches