Tails from our Adopters

13 years ago, we started to look for a pup, and came across Cross Our Paws. That's when our first COP came to be our family member — Dakota. Smart and friendly, she's brought so much love into our home. About two years in, we thought she could use a friend, and having such a great experience with COP the first time — it's the only place we wanted to find a rescue from. The team there really wanted to make sure that the dog and family are the right fit — and that was important to us. Magnum joined us in 2016 and brought more love and more energy into our home than we thought possible. Sadly, cancer took him in 2025 — leaving sweet Dakota to look after her feline siblings on her own. But near the end of the year, Cross Our Paws posted a new set of pups that had come down from the NWSPCA — the same place as Magnum came from. Something in our hearts said maybe one of them should join our family and it wasn't long before Zima joined the crew. She's fit right in and is keeping Dakota company, and working on being besties with the cats too. Rescues come with extra love and when you are lucky enough to bring them home, everyone wins.

We recently fostered and adopted with the help from Cross Our Paws. Kara was going to be our first dog and it was a exciting and big decision. Michelle was so incredibly helpful, making sure the right decision was being made for us and for Kara. Seeing how much care was put into making sure our home was the right fit for Kara made us feel very reassured. She is incredibly dedicated and provided so much information to us, making everything a lot less stressful! Our experience with Cross Our Paws was so reassuring and amazing and without them, we would not have found the wonderful Kara. She fits into our little family so well and we could not imagine our life without her.

Lily came to us from Cross Our Paws through NWT SPCA carrying anything but calm. She arrived with her larger-than-life personality, a long list of demands, and a way of taking up space that left no room for grief to hide. In those early days after losing Iris, it felt unmistakable that Iris had sent Lily to us, exactly when we needed her most. Lily's needs pushed us forward. Her love of nose work led us to meet amazing people, gave her purpose and allowed us to learn to communicate in a way that I never would have imagined. Through Lily, I found community and ultimately, my people. That journey is what led me to become involved with Cross Our Paws. While fostering for Cross Our Paws, Lily made another life-changing choice for us when Abbey joined us. Abbey's playful but shy energy allowed us to help her explore agility, nose work, and rally-o, but we found her true joy is on quiet forest walks. Where Lily is bold and driven, Abbey is thoughtful and steady, creating a balance that just works. Together, Lily and Abbey have been remarkable foster sisters, welcoming dogs who stayed briefly or long-term with patience, clarity, and kindness. They help newcomers feel safe, find their footing, and move on with more confidence than when they arrived. From the NWT SPCA to Cross Our Paws, Lily and Abbey didn't just change their own lives — they changed mine, and the lives of many dogs who passed through our home.