We envision a world where all dachshunds and dachshund mixes live in loving, responsible homes free from abuse, fear, and loneliness.
Wendal’s Way Dachshund Rescue is an all-volunteer organization dedicated to providing a haven for all dachshunds and dachshund mixes in need. We prioritize dogs with high medical needs, seniors, and those with behavioural issues. Our mission is achieved through collaboration with committed volunteers, foster homes, local veterinarians, trainers, and other rescues.
Bringing dachshunds and dachshund mixes into our care when they need new homes.
Addressing all their medical, emotional, and behavioural needs through our foster program, providing sanctuary foster when necessary.
Ensuring a perfect match through a rigorous screening process before finding them new homes.
Educating the public about dachshunds, responsible training, and animal welfare issues.
When you have spent as many years deeply involved in rescue as board chair Paula has, you see a lot of heartbreaking stories – too many, really. And you know you can’t save them all, so you look, feel sad, but concentrate on the ones you can help. Sometimes though, the Universe has other ideas about that.
In September, 2009, a rescue friend in Michigan, knowing Paula’s fondness for old sick dogs, sent her a posting from a small rescue in the northern part of the state. Paula had been debating a third dog for a while, but had decided that the two she already had (James and Jules) were happy as they were, and that a third one would disrupt the balance. All the same, she opened the post to see a photo of a little black and tan long haired face. He was sweet, but it’s a long way from Michigan to Nova Scotia, and she was firm in her decision to stay with two. The Universe however, had other plans…As she read through the posting, and looked at his little face, Paula could distinctly hear him say “help me.” At first, she did her best to ignore him, but something kept drawing her back to the posting. And each time, she could hear the same request for help. A week later though, the message became more urgent – she heard him say “Help me. Please hurry!!” That did it – one can only argue with the Universe for so long. So Paula sent off an application, although she figured that given how far away Nova Scotia is from Michigan, it would be rejected.
At Wendal’s Way Dachshund Rescue, our values guide everything we do:
Prioritizing the welfare of dogs above all else.
Showing compassion to animals and people, especially in distress.
Respecting the value of animals, people, and the environment.
Emphasizing human responsibility for animal welfare.
Working with others to enhance animal well-being.
Balancing resources for positive outcomes.
Seeking innovative ways to improve animal welfare.
Acting with integrity and honouring commitments.
Our beliefs are rooted in:
All humans have an ethical, moral and legal duty to care for animals. We will fight to our last breaths to oppose puppy mills and others who breed dogs irresponsibly with no care for the betterment of the breed, but purely for their own profit.
Standards of animal care and welfare should be based on sound science as well as societal values.
The well-being of animals, people and the environment are inter-related. People who mistreat or neglect animals must be held accountable. Individuals should be educated on positive animal welfare and the protection of animals.
Our decisions should be based on the best available knowledge, which we gather by study, research, investigation, observation and/or experience. Humane education fosters empathy and respect for all living things.
Educating animal owners on their responsibility for the health and wellness of animals is an effective means to promote positive animal welfare.
I am a Dachshund.
I’m half wolverine, half barb wire and all attitude.
I am either your best friend or your worst enemy, depending on YOUR attitude.
I can fight the wildest raccoon or play with the gentlest child.
I can hunt all day in snow storms, pouring rain or blistering heat and then ask you to throw the ball when we get done.
I will argue with you at every turn. After all, I know what I’m doing and the best way to get it done.
I am easy to feed. I will eat your steak or the dead, rotten rabbit I found in the field.
You will never be without a navigator in the truck.
I will protect you from burglars, raccoons, badgers and that strange pesky shadow in the corner of the house.
I will hog the bed and the couch.
I will steal your sandwich, your chair, your boot, and your heart.
You will never have to go to the bathroom alone ever again.
I will lick your face right after I eat the head off the rabbit I just killed in the yard.
I will sleep next to you when you are sick and heal you with my love.
I am DACHSHUND.
Respect me.
Love me.
But NEVER underestimate me.
Author unknown
Once you’ve submitted your application, our Adoptions Coordinator will review your application and make a short list of all applicants who would be best suited to the dachshund that is available.
The board members then review the short list and decide on which family best meets the dachshund’s needs.
Home Visit is Scheduled: If selected, one of our volunteers will visit your home, either in person or virtually, to complete a home visit. The home visit gives us a chance to see if there are any things that wouldn’t suit the particular dog, such as stairs, an unfenced yard, etc.
If all goes well with your home visit and you would like to take the next step with the adoption process, a time will be set for you to begin your three week trial period. During this time, we are there to support you and the dog as you learn about each other. If all goes well, once the trial is complete, the adoption is finalized and you have a new family member. If at any time, whether during the trial period or after, you feel it is not working out, we would bring the dog back into our care.
Final Details: Once the adoption is complete, WWDR will forward all medical information over to your vet.
wenswaydoxrescue@gmail.com
When you decide to foster you are helping save a life, giving a second chance, and a new beginning.
Wendal’s Way provides all medical care, food and anything else needed for the health and well-being of the dog. We make every effort to match you with a dog according to your lifestyle, and experience with any special needs.
Fostering is not always easy. Rescue dogs come from many different situations, but you have the power to help transform a life!
Sometimes dogs come into care who, for one reason or another, are not adoptable. This could be due to chronic or terminal illness or behavioural reasons. Part of what we do at Wendal’s Way is to provide those dogs a safe haven for the rest of their lives. We have a group of very special foster homes who specialize in looking after these little souls, providing them a loving home for the rest of their lives no matter how long or short that will be. These permanent foster families provide palliative care for dogs with chronic issues, and hospice care when end of life is imminent.
Palliative Care is about relieving or soothing the symptoms of a disease at any stage of illness. Direct medical care is given to address the illness. This care can last months to years.
Palliative care can mean many different things. Small things such as raising bowls to elbow height which can minimize back pain, soft and easily cleaned bedding, or ramps to help them to their favorite places.
Palliative care involves controlling pain and symptoms, maintaining mobility and living life to the fullest. Wendal is a perfect example of palliative care at its best.
Read Wendal’s story here.
When a dog is approaching the end of their life and the care they have received as a palliative foster is no longer effective, the dog moves to the hospice stage of care. Medications are now used to provide comfort and minimize symptoms, not to treat or cure. It is about transitioning from treating the disease, to making their remaining life as comfortable as possible.
Hospice care is usually of short duration and focuses on the immediate – providing day-to-day happiness, comfort and quality of life. It takes the focus away from trying to cure when it is no longer an option and shifts it towards focusing on enjoying the time remaining.
Life in Hospice or Palliative Care is not about “lasts”. It is about “firsts” and making their lives as positive and comfortable as possible, for as long as we can. And when that is no longer possible, it is about being able to send them on their way, to let them go, surrounded by peace and love.
Above, all, it is a commitment not just to the rescue, but to the dog itself. You can take in a dog, at what is usually the lowest point in its life, when it’s at its sickest, most scared and confused, often grieving its former family. You see the worst behaviours, and bodies wracked with pain. The first days can be so difficult. Yet because you are the person you are, you become the soft place for it to land, and give it the space to heal in body and mind. And then, just when it has moved through all this, and has become the best dog it can be, whether it takes a week, a month, or sometimes a year, you let it move on to its forever home. Fostering is not for the faint of heart; it takes a very special person to become, essentially, a rehabilitator. But it is absolutely, the most rewarding thing you can do as a WWDR volunteer.
They are here for a variety of reasons: the victims of abuse or poor training leading to behavioural issues, hoarding cases or puppy mill rejects, health issues bigger than their owners can cope with, people whose life circumstances are changing and don’t include their dog, or perhaps the death or relocation of their senior owner. These dogs need our help to become well, or properly socialized, house trained and ready for their forever homes. Each one is its own little story with its own little requirements. WWDR does its very best to match a foster dog with a foster family that is equipped to meet the specific needs of the dog. While we try to find out as much as possible about the dogs surrendered to us, sometimes it isn’t possible. So, part of a Foster’s job is also to assess the dog when it first arrives at WWDR, as it moves through the rehabilitation process, and then to help with the selection of the perfect forever home. This means taking it to vet appointments and providing the medical care required, or perhaps working with a trainer or animal behaviourist to work through challenges. Just as you’d do with your own dog. And of course, all of this is paid for by WWDR.
To get started, please fill out the attached Foster application form. This form outlines your current living situation, family members (including pets) and the types of challenges you are willing to take on with a foster dog. We want you to be honest with what you are and are not willing or able to deal with. We need the fit to be as good as possible for both you and the dog so that you both have the best possible rehab experience. If a dog with a bite history, or who needs extensive nursing care, isn’t a good candidate for you, that’s fine. There will always be others coming into care that are a better fit. We’ll also need vet and personal references, and as a final step, an WWDR volunteer will do a home visit to meet you, your family and current pets.
Then, once approved, you can begin what is probably the most important job in rescue!
Fostering is the most important thing a person can do for rescue. It’s all about supporting a dog as it transitions from its old life to its new one.
Help set up, tend a table, or tear down at our events. Planning assistance for events like “Rock the Dox” is also valuable.
Transport dogs between locations, helping them reach foster or forever homes across Nova Scotia and occasionally other provinces.
Ensure homes are safe and suitable for our dogs through home visits, crucial for fostering or adoption placements.
Join our fundraising committee to contribute new ideas and help plan events that support our mission.
If time is limited, consider donating goods like baked goods, auction items, or gift cards, or contribute financially.
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