Adopter drives 10 hours to meet his match

Bandit had a rough start before finding his way into the care of the Ontario SPCA Leeds & Grenville Animal Centre. This misunderstood Rottweiler-mix, needed patience, consistency and love to help him find his forever home. 

Bandit learns his manners 

Bandit arrived at the animal centre as a typical puppy. He liked to nip, play and jump, and needed some help with his manners and reactivity.  

“He had no idea of his size, and he was not fully in control of his body because he was still growing into it,” says Shawn Aaron, manager at the Leeds & Grenville Animal Centre. 

Right away, Shawn says the team at the animal centre could see Bandit’s intelligence and potential. They began working on a plan to help Bandit thrive and give him a better chance of finding his forever home. One of the things Shawn says helped in Bandit’s training was learning he had a love for stuffed toys. With stuffed toys in hand, and the promise of a neck or belly rub, the team began teaching Bandit basic cues. 

“Once we got him into that concept that you get rewarded when you do something we’re asking you to do, we were able to keep building upon that,” says Shawn. 

Bandit meets his match 

Despite his progress, Bandit still hadn’t found the right match. So, when they heard from a potential adopter in New Brunswick, Shawn says they were cautiously optimistic. After a number of phone calls and a video call, Wayne was on his way to Brockville to meet Bandit. 

When Wayne met Bandit, he knew it was meant to be. Shawn says they were overjoyed for Bandit, who had spent four months with them waiting for this moment. 

“To see Bandit just hop up in his vehicle, ready to go? We had that gut feeling that this was going to work,” says Shawn. 

Wayne says it took time, but Bandit is now settling into a routine on his blueberry farm.  As for Wayne, he is enjoying the companionship of his new friend. 

“When I got to bed at night he always comes over and gets his head scratched and that was what my other dog used to do, too,” says Wayne. “I just enjoy having him around.” 

As a registered charity that does not receive annual government funding, the Ontario SPCA relies on the generosity of its donors to help provide a second chance for dogs like Bandit. Please consider donating today.