Furever Safe Haven

Author: Adeline Aris

  • That forever kind of love

    By Adeline Aris

    Many couples ask the same question, “What can I do to have a long-lasting marriage?” they want that forever kind of love, a connection and love that perseveres through challenges and conflicts and comes out stronger, one that lasts the test of time, they many wonder “With all of the hardships that come with a long-term how can we achieve that kind of love?” In this article, the topics of how to have a long-lasting marriage will be explored and explained. Tips will be given in a video interview with Paul Aris and Michelle Dominique Aris. A couple who have been married for twenty-two years and have four children. Through their marriage, they have managed to preserve a deep love for each other. The question is how?

    Why does the love disappear

    Often, when people become comfortable in relationships, many take for granted what they have. Both parties will begin putting in less effort on dates, small gestures and trying to make their partner feel wanted and loved. Sadly, once comfort over the passion of the honeymoon phase sets in, there tends to be poorer communication between partners, and more misunderstandings tend to occur. Reassurance, support, open communication and effort are highly important for maintaining a long-term relationship.

    Conquering hardships

    Paul and Michelle have conquered many hardships throughout their relationship. Including Paul having cancer two times, their son Owen Aris being born with a heart condition, and Michelle obtaining a severe concussion. They have also worked through job loss together and many other big and small challenges. Through these times, they had to stop focusing on and thinking about just themselves and come together. Mutual support and facing the problem together lead to overcoming the issue in a healthy way that will have a positive impact on the relationship. If the partner who is struggling feels alone and unsupported during difficult times, then this can lead to major problems in the relationship. This is why Paul says it is so important to take time for yourself and your own hobbies during this time; you can’t focus on your partner’s needs if you are ignoring your own.

    Creating joy in everyday life

    Putting on music while cooking dinner, dancing together in the kitchen, going for gratitude walks, writing love letters and packing each other a lunch, these are some of the things Michelle and Paul do to create everyday love and joy in their marriage and suggest that other couples do as well. Get creative, turn everyday moments into extraordinary moments by taking time to do activities that make you both smile.

    Growing together instead of apart

    There are many phases throughout a long-term relationship and marriage. If one partner is expecting things to stay the same, then this can stunt a marriage. Michelle and Paul say that raising young children is hard, but it can also become a bonding experience and deepen a relationship. It gives couples the chance to be a team and work together and create beautiful new memories together, as well as see each other in a different way. Paul and Michelle have been through many phases and changes, and say that it doesn’t have to be difficult. If you support each other’s dreams and goals and are adaptable, wanting to grow together as a couple instead of apart in a relationship, it can flourish.

  • Pet Fest

    Pet Fest

    Organization of the month

    Atmosphere

    When you first step onto the Spruce Meadows grounds, the cold spring air, snow raining down all around, and grey sky immediately will all feel worth it, even if the parking was hard to find. You find yourself filled with excitement at the thought of being able to celebrate your love for animals, wondering what you will see. 

    As you rush through the grounds wanting to get to the dog show, the smell of perogies, fries and much more wafts through the air, making you wish you had time to stop. There are adoptable dogs of all sizes walking all around you and you can’t help but to smile at their little orange vests and panting, smiling faces. It is laughable how some of them had painted tails of pink and blue. 

    Walking into the Equi-Plex centre, the slight smell of a barn fills your nose, and you look around to see booths set up all around, with a large number of people bustling from table to table, you promise yourself that you will explore the booths later, after the show. 

    Seeing a large crowd standing and sitting around the indoor stage filled with shaving. Children on parent’s shoulders are clapping and pointing. Walking fast towards the crowd you find a standing spot and grin your eyes lighting up as a dog runs onto the stage, you made it to PetFest. 

    Shows

    At Pet Fest, which was held from April 11th to the 13th, there were all sorts of shows going from morning until night. From show dogs to police dogs to reptiles. Here were some of the shows that I was able to see.

    Paws Fur Fun with Jen

    In this show, I saw Guinness World Record-holding dogs who were on America’s Got Talent. At the beginning of the performance, many people left, not seeing the tricks they wanted, as Jen explained how you can train your dog at home. This left more of a gap for me to see the show. Dogs Daiquiri, Fabio, Tiny and more performed several tricks. There was a racing competition, a dance routine and dog jumping. “That dog jumped higher than you dad!” A little boy exclaimed beside me on top of his father’s shoulders. The father’s face was lit up in joy. People’s parents were also pulled from the audience, their legs being run through and their backs being jumped across. We even got to experience a Guinness World Record being created. 

    Sheep Herding 

    I watched from a seat that surrounded the arena as Lisa Wrights Border Collie Moss showed off his skills to the gathered crowd. He crawled eagerly towards the sheep, panting and smiling, hesitantly stopping and looking back at Lisa as she instructed him to stop. The sheep were gathered in the corner of the arena, making bleating noises. After showing off the basic skills, Lisa decided to make things interesting by getting the crowd involved. Many children rushed into the large arena before creating a line and a pen-like area with their little bodies. Lisa’s loud whistles instructing her dogs filled the air as Moss and his mother Star had a competition of who could herd the sheep into the fake pen of children the quickest, while navigating the many obstacles around the arena. “My attention was captured the whole show,” Frankie Bell, a PetFest enjoyer, commented after the sheep herding show had finished. 

    Cobs Exotic Rescue

    Children were sitting right in front of the small black stage. Their eyes were wide in wonder as they waited to see what animal was in the bag that the man on stage was holding. He ended up reaching into the small purple bag and pulling out a Sugar glider, which immediately peed and pood on him, causing laughter to fill the room. After explaining that they are not good pets to keep because of their love for biting and screaming all night, I do not think that anyone will be getting a Sugar glider as a pet anytime soon. 

    Booths/exhibits

    There were so many vendors and things to see and learn about as I walked around the grounds. First in the Equi-Plex centre, lines of booths were set up. They had everything from sweet treats to non-profit organizations and dog photography. I grabbed a sweet but very sour lemonade and made my way around all of the booths. “Good photography doesn’t come from your camera or equipment but from your heart,” Jennifer Dooley, photographer and owner of Heads and Tails, had words of encouragement for beginner photographers. 

    Snakes, Chameleons and Capibaras OH MY! The Reptilian Pavilion had so many reptiles and mammal friends to visit and even to pet. Speedo, a large African tortuous, was available for all who wanted to touch his large tan shell, while others had a cost to pet, all of the proceeds going to COBS rescue. Lizards, spiders and many more creatures were available to buy and bring home, in case you did not want a furry but a scaled companion. 

    If scaled creatures were not what you came for, there were many adoptable cats and dogs in the round glass huts, all in a row outside. Many people had items like dog toys, shirts and cups for sale that helped their non-profit organizations. In the Aarcs booth, there were pictures of adoptable or fosterable animals that couldn’t be there in person hung all along the wall. Even if you could not take an animal home, in some of the outdoor booths, puppies were lounging around waiting to be petted and cuddled. This was to no one’s surprise, a large attraction. Who does not love a good snuggle with a little puppy? 

    Pet Fest 2025 in my opinion, was a fun time for animal and reptile lovers with so many things to see and do. Everywhere I went, there were families with lit up faces, surprisingly, I did not hear even one crying child during my time there. It was a great way to spread awareness about organizations that help animals, and for them to get more volunteers/foster parents at shelters in Calgary. As well as to see fun live animal entertainment.

  • Care for your shelter animal after adoption.

    Care for your shelter animal after adoption.

    Have you ever wondered if you are taking proper care of your animal? Or what is the best way to take care of your adopted shelter dog or cat? It is a struggle and a question that many people ask themselves. Once you adopt an animal from the shelter, it can be hard to know where to start. This article is for all of those new animal owners or those who are thinking about adopting an animal. 

    Keeping your animal active

    For dogs, activity and the amount of activity needed is heavily based on the dog’s breed, Jackie Walters, animal nurse at the VCA Emergency Animal Centre, tells new owners. “Certain high-energy dogs would be miserable if you stick them in a small apartment and they do not get the proper amount of walks,” she tells people that it is important to consider the dog breed before adoption. This can include looking at where you live, in the city or country, with a big yard or a park nearby. 

    Owners should also be considering the time that they have for this animal. Many people do not think that cats need activity, but they do. Taking time to play with your cat with cat toys, or getting them a cat treadmill are some good activity ideas. Many active work dogs will need to be outside most of the time and need a job/things to do throughout the day. Not all dogs will need as much activity; a smaller breed of dog, such as a Shih Tzu will be fine with a few walks a day and staying indoors. 

    From shelter to home

    It is already stressful for an animal to be in a new home/environment. Especially from a shelter, with loud noises, overwhelming interactions with many strangers and more. Generally, it takes two weeks for an animal to settle in and to feel comfortable in a new place. 

    Dogs show many of their discomfort and stress signs through body language. Owners should be watching for these signs. “Their tale is between their legs, their ears are pulled back or droopy, they aren’t eating properly,” Walters advises on animal behaviour. Walters explains that keeping track of the eating and drinking habits of your animal can tell you how they are feeling.

    “At the beginning, the animal may not be too confident; they may be shy and scared of going into the car or your home, and it will take a lot of treats,” Paul Aris, a foster parent and shelter dog adoptee, describes what the beginning of bringing a dog from the shelter home with you is like from his experience. “A loving family is the best place where a shelter dog can grow, It is helpful to have multiple people when handling behavioural issues or bringing a new dog into the home.”

    When a dog has been through so much change and is going through another big change, it is best to keep things familiar to the dog as much as possible. This includes the same food, medicine and toys. For feline friends, keeping their litter the same can be very helpful to them adapting well. Keeping the environment calm is another very helpful tool. “After adopting an animal, give them bonding time with the immediate family in a calm environment, do not plan a party the day after,” Walters suggests for those who have an animal that is adapting to their new home. 

     How to best handle behavioural issues

    Behavioural issues in animals can occur whether an animal is from the shelter or not, but when adopting an animal from a shelter, it is necessary to think about/learn about their past. “You don’t know what kind of situation they came from; they may have experienced abuse, and they need extra patience and care,” Walters gives her insight, something to keep in mind before or after adopting from a shelter. 

    Walters heavily suggests looking into training resources for reactive or troubling behaviour around Calgary. There are many resources in Calgary, but what could be best for your dog is seeking a behaviourist who knows how to help the animal.

    “Puppies are great since their minds are blank slates and they can be easier to train, while older dogs may be set in their way,” Jackie gives the benefits of adopting a puppy from a shelter. Walters also highlights how difficult puppies can be to train, and how their behaviour is not easy. People need to think about common puppy behaviours such as tearing up things, not being litter box trained and causing other mischief. Puppies can be time-consuming and need a lot of attention.

  • Fostering: something animal lovers can do that will make a great difference on the lives of animals.

    Fostering: something animal lovers can do that will make a great difference on the lives of animals.

    Foster parent Michelle Dominique Aris did not know how much of an impact she would have on the animals at the shelter when she started, or how much they would impact her.

    Photo taken by Michelle Aris outside on her acreage in Indus.  

    Three years ago Michelle Aris signed up to be a foster parent through the Calgary Humane Society. “I saw that there was a big increase in animals without homes, a lot of animals were being surrendered, the Humane Society put out an urgent call for people to open up their homes to create space in the shelter,” foster parent Michelle Dominique Aris said while explaining why she joined the foster program.  

    “By offering a temporary home, foster parents provide a safe, quiet, and less stressful environment for these animals, far away from the hustle and bustle of the shelter,” Suzan Fletcher, Foster Manager for the Calgary Humane Society informs us on the importance of animals having a temporary home.  

    Michelle believes that foster animals have room to grow and succeed in a foster home environment before they are adopted into their forever homes. “Many dogs need to be in a loving home to thrive rather than the shelter,” said Michelle. A pet project study done by CBS shows that short-term fostering increases a dog’s chance of being adopted by fourteen times “We’ve had ten of our foster dogs be adopted,” Michelle shared with a happy smile.  

    Why are people fostering animals so important? Why should people take their time and open their homes for animals from the shelter? “Fostering gives a lot of animals a second chance, animals that may be displaying behaviors purely over being over-stressed,” Michelle explains. 

    “They may have come from a situation of abuse, or maybe they were hurt, and their owner could not afford the vet bill. There are so many reasons why animals come into the shelter.”  

    Fostering is something that helps thousands of animals a year. Over 4,000 animals were brought into the Calgary Humane Society in 2024. 41 per cent of those animals came from surrenders. Fostering makes more room for animals who need to be brought into the shelter.  “Animals in the shelter, particularly cats, dogs, and small critters, can be stressed by the noise, the constant movement, and the unfamiliar faces. Foster homes provide these animals with the space and time to relax, decompress, and truly enjoy their time with humans,” Fletcher expresses.  

    Being a foster parent like Michelle may feel like a challenge, there isn’t enough time, it’s too much work and so on, but if you give fostering a chance, you may be surprised. You will also be able to make a difference in local animal’s lives. Besides, you may just find a furever furry friend yourself in the process. “I would say to anybody who’s ever thought about fostering, you should definitely try it. The amount of good you get back in return, the cuddles, kisses, purpose, and happiness for the work you put in is worth it. The shelter takes care of vet bills, food and toys for the animals, all you have to do is provide your love and time,” Michelle says, sending an encouraging message to those thinking about becoming a foster parent for a local shelter.