Many of you will recognize Fille, this dog who has become a symbol of perseverance and resilience at the SPA de l’Estrie.
Fille arrived at the shelter at the end of June 2021 because her family could not find a accomodation where she was accepted. At 6 and a half years old, she already lived a lot and this major change was not easy for her. During her first weeks at the SPA de l’Estrie, Fille had difficulty trusting employees and building relationships with them. She reacted a lot to the new faces and the presence of her many peers. Yet, behind this protective facade, our team immediately saw her potential and the love she had to offer.
Over time, Fille demonstrated to us what we had seen in her from the start. She adapted very well to life in a shelter, and then began to build relationships with some staff members. We discovered her true personality with joy and wonder: affectionate and playful, but also lazy! It must be said that our dog behaviour workers spent a lot of time with her to help her overcome her fears and challenges.
When the time came to put Fille available for adoption, we had no idea that she would stay there so long…
Despites all the efforts of our staff to offer her as much visibility as possible, no one was ready to adopt Fille. Her age, her behaviourial challenges and the prejudices related to her age unfortunately did no play in her favor.
Meanwhile, Fille continued to win the hearts of the employees, her temporary family, while waiting to find her family for life.
It took 1 and a half years before receiving the adoption application that was going to change everything… Isabelle and her family were interested in adopting Fille after hearing about her on the radio!
When asked what led her to fill out an application for a dog with special needs, Isabelle simply answers: “ To give her a beautiful end of life filled with sweetness and love “.
Once the adoption process started, we took the time to introduce Fille to all family members and immediately noticed how comfortable she seemed with them.
” Fille showed how much the SPA had allowed her to evolve, to progress and to be a dog that is now able to adapt. We met her in turn and we all loved her. In return, Fille has always been very sweet to us. “
It was finally on June 9, 2023, at the age of 8 and after almost 2 years at the SPA de l’Estrie, that Fille left the shelter with her new family. A family that loves and accepts her as she is!
We will not hide from you that a few years were shed, on one hand because we were happy and proud, on the other hand because Fille was still going to be missed by us.
Fortunately, we continue to follow her in her new life and to catch up with her from time to time. Everything is going very well and the house and her family love her!
” Fille is little demanding. She just needs our presence and affection. She loves going for a walk in the forest and FEELING. She goes there regularly. She delights each time by eating the tall grass. She doesn’t really play with the ball. After going to pick her up 5 times with a lot of encouragement, she prefers to walk and smell a bit everywhere. She can also spend 30 minutes getting flattered, especially the belly. “
If we can share this great success with you today, it is thank to the extraordinary work and perseverance of our entire team. We have never stopped believing in Fille, in her chances of being adopted.
We would also like to thank Isabelle and her family, without whom this happy ending would simply not be possible. We wish them several years of happiness with Fille, who is finally at home.