SANCTUARY DOGS
WHO IS TAFFY?
This rescue was founded in loving memory of Taffy, the greatest American Bulldog that ever was. With her kind demeanor, Taffy touched everyone she met. She was a registered therapy dog and an amazing "bully breed" ambassador. Sadly, her time on earth was cut short at just 9 years old due to cancer.
Her legacy lives on in the many dogs she helped assess and save for Friendly Giants Dog Rescue. Taffy worked her magic on some of the most challenging dogs, and helped them transform into model family pets. Because of Taffy, we will always hold a special 'soft spot' for bully breeds in need of some extra TLC.
Although Taffy has crossed the rainbow bridge, her spirit lives on in our sanctuary dogs who complete the very important work of intake assessment!
VANESSA
Vanessa was rescued as a feral street dog many years ago by our founder Melissa, and despite her difficult start to life she adapted very well to life at our kennel "The Dog's Paw". So well in fact that she has become the pillar of their social dog assessment process! Vanessa is an older lady now, who is very calm, level-headed and fair in her interactions with other dogs. After years of interacting with hundreds of different pups of all sizes, backgrounds, and personalities, she is an absolute pro at "reading the room".
She is an excellent calm presence for nervous, timid, and insecure dogs, often basking in the sun and allowing them to come up for a sniff at their own pace. However she's also happy to reciprocate play with the more energetic dogs and is known to get a little flirty sometimes with the boys. She's also very photogenic, when caught not sleeping on her red couch.
SELMA
Selma joined us in early 2024 along with a few other dogs who were set to be euthanized. We knew she would be a tough case as she had a lot of anxiety and fearfulness, but even before taking her in, it seemed quite clear that she would be destined to carry on Taffy's legacy.
Although she was extremely timid around humans, she was an absolute ham with ALL dogs. Initially we had hoped with time that she may eventually work through her anxiety and fears. However it quickly became clear how happy she is in the kennel environment, so we are happy to let her live her best life, playing with other dogs, helping them come out of their shells and teaching them to be the best boys and girls for their future families!