A New Family Member

20 Jul 2026

In June 2026, our family started looking for a dog.

We had lost our 14 year old cockapoo Lilly earlier in the year, and the house felt empty without her. We knew we wanted another dog eventually, but we also knew we did not want to rush into it. This time, we decided to look at adoption.

That is how we found Remi.

His photo and story caught our attention right away. He was a large black lab / corso mix, and something about him made us pause. We had never adopted a dog before, so we had no idea what the process would involve or how quickly we would become attached.

What followed was a month of emails, interviews, meetings, questions, reference checks, long drives, and a lot of hopeful waiting.

On July 11, Remi finally came home.

Remi Adoption Timeline

Before June 14, 2026

• Our previous dog, Lilly, passed away earlier in 2026.
• We began looking for another dog and decided to explore adoption for the first time.
• We found Remi’s posting through the Etobicoke Humane Society.

Sunday, June 14, 2026 — First Contact and Application

• I emailed the Etobicoke Humane Society asking for more information about Remi.
• Phil Vokins replied and encouraged us to complete an adoption application.
• He described Remi as a great dog who loved human company. He also noted that Remi could pull toward squirrels and had once growled while receiving ear drops, but had not bitten or nipped.

June 14, 2026 — Another Adoption Falls Through

• Another applicant was ahead of us in the process.
• Remi met the younger dog already living in that home, but the dog was too energetic and bothersome for him.
• The Humane Society decided that it was not the right match.

Sunday, June 21, 2026 — Remi Becomes Available to Us

• Phil contacted us to say that Remi was still available.
• He told us we were now in line for consideration and described Remi as extremely loving and very good with people.
• We confirmed that we were still interested.
• A Google Meet interview was arranged for the following evening.

Monday, June 22, 2026 — Adoption Interview

• Janet and I had a half-hour interview with Phil over Google Meet.
• He asked basic questions about our property, our experience with dogs, and why we wanted to adopt Remi.

Monday, June 29, 2026 — First Meeting with Remi

• Because Janet and I were on vacation, we drove to the Etobicoke Humane Society for a noon meeting.
• We met Remi and his foster mother, Denise.
• The meeting lasted about an hour, and Denise answered many questions about Remi, his personality, his habits, and his needs.
• We also took Remi for a walk, with Phil accompanying us.

Tuesday, June 30, 2026 — We Ask to Adopt Remi

• The morning after meeting him, I emailed Phil to say that we would love to adopt Remi.
• Phil explained that everyone living in our home still needed to meet Remi.
• We supplied a personal reference and a veterinary reference.

Saturday, July 4, 2026 — Remi Meets the Whole Family

• Phil brought Remi to our home so that the kids could meet him.
• They immediately fell in love with him.
• This completed the requirement that everyone in the household meet Remi.

Tuesday, July 7, 2026 — References Cleared

• Phil confirmed that the veterinary reference was clear.
• He also connected with our personal reference.
• The Humane Society’s contract administrator was told that the adoption might soon be ready to proceed.

Wednesday, July 8, 2026 — Adoption Made Official

• We signed the adoption contract.
• We sent the $500 adoption fee on the same day.
• Remi was officially going to become part of our family.

Saturday, July 11, 2026 — Remi Comes Home

• Emma and I drove to the Etobicoke Humane Society to pick up Remi.
• We brought him home and began helping him adjust to his new surroundings and family.

Saturday Night, July 11, 2026 — A Difficult First Night

• Remi had trouble settling and sleeping during his first night in the house.
• He did not whine, but he remained restless and unsure of his new surroundings.

Sunday, July 12, 2026 — An Unexpectedly Early Morning

• Emma had to get ready for work early.
• Remi was startled awake at about 4:00 a.m. by the unfamiliar activity in the house.

Tuesday, July 14, 2026 — Already Feeling at Home

• Remi settled in remarkably quickly.
• By Tuesday, only three nights after arriving, he was sleeping peacefully through the night.

Thursday, July 16, 2026 — First Veterinary Visit

• Remi had his first veterinary appointment since joining our family.
• We were told that he was underweight at 76 pounds.
• The goal was to help him gain four pounds and reach a healthy weight of approximately 80 pounds.

Saturday, July 18, 2026 — Training Evaluation

• Remi went to Noble K9 for an evaluation.
• The purpose of the visit was to assess his behaviour and determine what type of training would best meet his needs.