In April 2023 we were on holliday on the beautiful island of Curaçao. We were staying in a nice cabin and we had rented a car to see the most beautiful and most remote spots of the island.

On our last day we visited the Rescue Paws Center. Our daughters were travelling with us, so we needed to visit the Rescue Center as we are all huge animal lovers.

Gerard showed us around the center. We were all pretty emotional. Tears of sadness because of the horrific circumstances these beautiful dogs were rescued from and tears of joy because of the volunteers who work so hard to help safe these beautiful creatures.

At the end of the tour we were told that a mom dog was just brought in some days earlier with her 8 tiny puppies. She was found on the side of a very busy road, covered in blood with her tiny babies. Luckily they were picked up and taken care off.

At our visit we saw mom Erna for the first time. She was so sweet! We were able to pick up and cuddle her puppies. And she has such beautiful brown eyes....

During our journey back to Belgium, those big brown eyes kept popping up in our heads. Puppies are often easily adopted, but what about mama Erna? We talked a lot with the kids and we cuddled with out labrador Rex.... We finally made the decision to adopt sweet mom Erna.

Rex is the sweetest, most easy going dog. He goes well with other dogs. Also we met Erna, and we saw a lot of video footage of mama Erna with kids and other dogs. So everything should be fine.....

On the 15th of July Erna landed at Schiphol. We were so nervous and a bit anxious.. What if... Would it all work out? Did we make the right decision?

The journey to the Netherlands was long for Erna, afterwards she slept a bit in the car during our 2 hours drive to Belgium.

When we got home, we met Rex is a 'neutral' area, and the dogs sniffed eachother a while. You could easily notice Erna was very tired and on edge.

She growled at Rex when he came too close and she was not at ease in her new home yet. The first night we had separated the dogs; Erna in the hallway and Rex in the living room, so Erna could get her rest. The first night went great! So for the second night we also let Erna sleep in the hallway and Rex in the living room. Rex had other ideas.... He opened the door for Erna and they both ended up sleeping in the living room. Since then they have both been sleeping there and this has been going great.

With the kids (8 and 12 years old) we made agreements. If Rex or/and Erna are laying in their crate, they need their rest and you do not disturb them or cuddle them. The 'safe' space of the dogs is something we made very clear to the kids.

After a night of rest, we noticed the change in Erna. She became more relaxed and more at ease. Her stress level lowered and she started discovering her new home and environment at her own pace.

Furthermore, she loves to take walks. She easily adjusted to our daily routine and there were no 'accidents', she often did her business in the garden.

What we are really noticing is how kind and gentle Erna is. She loves attention and she loves cuddles. When we sit on the couch, she joins us and prefferably lays on top of us just to get as much contact as possible. She likes to be cuddled for hours and hours.

We are so happy we decided to adopt this sweet mama Erna. I let go of the hesitation, the 'what if's' and the fear. I followed my guts and we made the right decision. Rex and Erna are great together, they have a lot of fun and everything goes so well with our daughters😊.

Als wir die ersten Bilder von Pelle sahen, war uns direkt klar das er zu uns gehört. Sein süßes Gesicht konnte man nicht wieder stehen.

Ende Januar 2023 war es dann soweit und wir konnten Pelle in Schiphol (Flughafen Amsterdam) abholen, er war zwar schon etwas älter wie auf den Bildern aber sein süßes Gesicht hatte er immer noch!
Er hatte solch eine Angst als er aus seiner Transportbox durfte, er war 7 Monate alt und alles war neu für ihn. Da es in Holland ziemlich kalt war haben wir ihn warm gehalten mit einer Jacke. Die Reise im Auto nachhause war sehr angenehm und als wir dann zuhause waren began Pelle sein neues Zuhause zu entdecken.

Alles war neu für ihm, ein fahrendes Auto, spielende Kinder oder der Fernseher. Wir haben Pelle viel Zeit gegeben damit er sich in Ruhe an seine neue Umgebung und Mitmenschen gewöhnen kann.

Mittlerweile Liebt er die Kinder - Obwohl für ihn neues noch sehr spannend ist, ist Pelle ein sehr freundlicher und neugieriger Hund. Mittlerweile gehen wir mit ihm auch zur Hundeschule dort zeigt er auch immer ein soziales Verhalten gegenüber andere Hunde und spielt viel mit ihnen auch zeigt er das er gerne lernen möchte.

Die zusammen Arbeit mit Rescue Paws hat auch ohne Komplikationen geklappt und wir haben noch regelmäßigen Kontakt. Wir möchten auch in Zukunft das Center in Curaçao besuchen um zu sehen wo unser Liebling gelebt hat und natürlich um noch mit weiteren Hunden auf dem Center zu schmusen!

Zwei Jahre nach dem Tod meines vorherigen Hundes war ich bereit, zusammen mit meiner Familie einem anderen Hund die gleiche Liebe zu schenken.
Über Instagram bin ich bei den Rescue Paws Curaçao gelandet. Dort stieß ich auf Fotos von Muis und ihren Geschwistern, die auf der Suche nach einem Haus waren. Ich habe mich sofort verliebt.

Ich habe dann einen Adoptionsantrag gestellt. Dann kam ich mit Rescue Paws Curaçao in Kontakt. Die schwierige (aber berechtigte) Prüfung habe ich dann bestanden. Dabei wurde betont, dass ein Welpe aus dem Ausland deutlich schwieriger sein kann.
In den Wochen vor dem Flug wurde ich mit Fotos und ausführlichen Berichten aus Muis auf dem Laufenden gehalten. Das hat mir sehr gut gefallen.

Im Januar 2023 war es endlich soweit, Muis kam nach Hause! Als sie nach Hause kam, war es tatsächlich schwerer, als ich vorher gedacht hatte. Muis war ein vielbeschäftigter Welpe. Während ich hoffte, dass meine Kinder sehr aufgeregt sein würden, hatten sie zunächst Angst vor Muis, weil sie sehr verspielt war und spielerisch beißen wollte.
Das war zunächst sehr schwierig und ein Prozess mit gelegentlich einige Träne. Denn mit 2 kleinen Kindern und einem Welpen im Haus ist das sehr anstrengend.
Aber wir haben durchgehalten und viel geübt. Dadurch haben wir jetzt einen sehr süßen Hund, den die Kinder lieben und den die Kinder lieben.

Ich hätte es mir um nichts auf der Welt entgehen lassen und bin sehr froh, dass ich mich für Muis entschieden habe.
Abschließend möchte ich mich ganz herzlich bei RPC bedanken. Ich würde jedem empfehlen, einen Hund von RPC zu adoptieren. Man wird sehr gut vorbereitet, angeleitet und auch überhaupt die Nachbetreuung bij ich sehr zufrieden.

Das Warten war sehr aufregend, aber wir waren gut vorbereitet und vor allem informiert.
Dadurch konnten wir zu Hause alles optimal vorbereiten. Es gab dort zwei kleine Kinder und einen weiteren Hund, auch sie mussten einiges lernen. So wurde die Transportbox hingestellt und nein, es war kein Spielzeug. Die Transportbox ist und bleibt tabu. Es sollte ein Ruheort für Rox sein, ein sicherer Rückzugsort.
Die Arbeitstage wurden so geändert, dass jeden Tag jemand zu Hause war, und das Internet wurde nach einer guten Welpenfreilassungsliste durchsucht (das Wichtigste, was vielleicht nicht auf andere Welpen zutrifft, aber auf jeden Fall auf einen Rescue Hund zutrifft: „Fluchtschutzgeschirr“).

Am 19. Januar konnten wir Rox endlich in unserem Haus begrüßen.
Nach der Ankunft in Schiphol legte sie sich bequem auf einen Schoß unter eine Decke (weil es hier so kalt war!!!) im Auto. Darüber hinaus hatten wir natürlich jede Menge Leckereien, Tücher, Leinen und Hundegeschirr.

Zunächst hat sie zu Hause in Ruhe das Wohnzimmer entdeckt. So viele Reize und neue Eindrücke, wodurch sie schnell wieder in einen tiefen Schlaf fiel. Am Ende des Nachmittags traf Rox unsere Kinder zum ersten Mal und es war Liebe auf den ersten Blick für alle drei.
Die folgenden Tage (sagen wir Wochen) standen ganz im Zeichen von Ruhe, Ruhe, Ruhe. Rox hat 3 Wochen lang in der Transportbox in unserem Schlafzimmer geschlafen und dann ohne Probleme auf der Couch unten geschlafen. Wir hatten unten bereits trainiert mit der Transportbox, sodass ihr diese nicht unbekannt war.

Abgesehen davon bestanden unsere ersten Prioritäten darin, eine Bindung aufzubauen, Rox zu ermöglichen, sich an uns und unser Haus zu gewöhnen und sie stubenrein zu bekommen.
Das letzte wurde mit Hilfe des Welpen „Pads“ und dem Garten durchgeführt.
An Orten, an denen es keinen Verkehr gibt (wegen der Reize!) dauerte der Spaziergang nach draußen nur 5 Minuten am Stück und auch dort hat sie sich nicht erleichtert. Jetzt, nach 3 Monaten, erleichtert Rox sich bei einem Spaziergang an einigen festen Orten und spaziert auch gerne auf den bekannten Wegen. Die Wege, wo noch mehr Verkehr unterwegs ist, findet sie immer noch sehr spannend.
Wir sind wirklich sehr zufrieden mit der Wahl für einen Rescue Hund und insbesondere mit unserer Rox. Wenn Sie der Meinung sind, dass ein Rescue Hund auch etwas für Sie ist, dann muss Ihnen klar sein, dass Sie in Ruhe und das Setzen von Prioritäten Zeit investieren müssen (einen Welpen, der sich noch an Menschenmassen gewöhnt und Angst vor fremden Hunden hat, kann man nicht in eine Pension mitnehmen, wenn man in den Urlaub fahren möchte). Ein Rescue Hund braucht wirklich eine andere Herangehensweise als ein normaler Welpe.
Oh, und was die Liebe auf den ersten Blick zwischen den drei Musketieren betrifft. Nach einigen Schwierigkeiten (scharfe Welpenzähne und unhöfliches Verhalten) ist sie immer noch da! ♥️

When we moved to Curaçao three years ago, our dog Mavro came with us. Mavro was in a crate for more than 10 hours, which is a very long time for a dog.

Because we didn't have a real home yet, dog Mavro went straight to Eveline Yuka's van, where he emptied his bladder for several minutes with his hind leg up....
We went to a B&B near the Jorisbaai. After weeks we had a house with garden and swimming pool and Mavro came back to us. Mavro was a big, black dotterel, found by us in Greece. After two years our Greek friend became ill and vet Pieter had him put to sleep. Great sadness.....

Within a year we met a foster, Joyce, who had a number of Rescue pups roaming around. We immediately fell in love with Pleuntje, a female of a few months old: feisty, cheeky but very affectionate. What was actually not intended at the time, happened anyway. We decided to adopt Pleun.
We will never forget how that little girl climbed onto our porch, draped in garlands and with a look of "I'm moving here!"
Pleun soon felt at home and it turned out that she took her job as a wachdog a bit too serious, meaning she barked at everything that came by.

The advice of a number of experts was: get a somewhat older male, that will dampen Pleuntje's behavior.

Storm came our way via the same route: a male and more than a year older. Storm had a difficult childhood: broken bones, had surgery, moved twice and eventually ended up with us and Pleun. A great combination. Storm was goofing around with Pleun, but with a growl or snarl he let it be known: enough is enough. He had his pack again. So his presence with us was the icing on the cake!

Every morning there is an early run at the Joris Bay. They enjoy it, until Pleun suddenly stopped running and sat on her ass..... the beginning of a long process of many examinations, operations and long rehabilitation. But.....we think Pleun is the only Westpointer on the island with a titanium knee!
Everything is almost back to normal now, we are happy with each other, we have good dogsitting addresses and we hope to spend the next two years here on Curaçao together.

Of course, they will come with us when we go back to the Netherlands. How will that go? We'll see.....there are always solutions!

Am 17. Dezember hatte das lange warten endlich ein Ende und Joep stand eine lange Reise von Curaçao in die Niederlande bevor. Mittlerweile is Joep ein lieber, pubertierender Rüde und wir wollen ihn nicht mehr missen.

Aller Anfang ist schwer und wir hatten keinen einfachen Start. Mit vielen Tipps und Tricks vom Center, sind wir positiv an die Sache ran gegangen - Natürlich ist es einfacher gesagt als getan.

Joep fühlte sich zuhause sehr schnell wohl, kuschelte gerne und war gerne mit uns zusammen. Doch ein Problem hatten wir, Joep wollte partout nicht weiter gehen als bis zum Straßenende. Das war die größte Herausforderung für uns. Wir haben versucht uns in seine Situation zu versetzen, er wurde damals als Welpe mit seinen Geschwistern am Flughafen gefunden und wir glaubten, dass die Geräuschkulisse von dem Verkehr ihn daran erinnerten. Wir haben schnell herausgefunden das er sich im Wald oder am Strand am sichersten fühlte. Am wichtigsten ist hier einfach die Geduld.
Mittlerweile ist Joep jetzt 5 Monate bei uns und wir können eine kleine Runde um den Block Laufen - so tasten wir uns immer ein bisschen weiter ran.

Wichtig ist zu wissen das man bei einem adoptierten Hund nie weiß was man „bekommt“ welche Ängste dieser hat oder was für einen Charakter er besitzt. Natürlich kann es passieren, dass man es sich ganz anders vorgestellt hat, deswegen ist es wichtig die Tips vom Center anzunehmen. Wir sind auf jeden Fall sehr Dankbar und stolz auf unseren Joep!

Excel

Sometimes waiting can take forever. The waiting seemed to last forever, especially because the adoption of Excel was delayed a bit due to a tick disease he had. He first needed to recover and get healthy.

Finally the big day we had been waiting for had arrived; The 29th of November 2022.

The journey was long and Schiphol also took their time. Once we finally got to the parking lot, Excel didn’t feel like getting into the car. He was very frightened. When we finally got him in the car he luckily fell asleep. At home he was very scared and overwhelmed. When the kids came home from school that day he started barking at them. Later that day we had to put him in his bench just to make sure he got some rest. He wouldn’t go to sleep on his own and wouldn’t rest. It seemed he couldn’t find the “off button” by himself and he needed a helping hand to be able to get some sleep.

Walking outside wasn’t an option in the beginning. He did all his “business” in the yard. 

After three days in the Netherlands, his new owner was able to put on his harness. Also we started walking small blocks in the neighborhood, but he only did his “business” in the garden. This was a safe space without any traffic and other distractions.

In the first three weeks Excel really bonded with his female owner. But he wasn’t a big fan of his male owner. Excel showed some unpleasant behaviors towards me. We weren’t sure what to do so we asked volunteer Wendy. That’s how we got in touch with Esther. She is a behavioral expert and has experience with dogs from Curaçao.

After 1 session with Esther the situation at home with Excel already improved. She gave us some excellent tips and pointers. In short the issue was that we had too high and too many expectations of Excel and we were too uncertain and insecure with him. 

Now, after six months, we are extremely happy with Excel. We cannot imagine a life without him. He is so sweet. In the evenings he lays between the kids on the couch. When they go to bed, he lays between us on the couch. He is a real family dog. 

During our walks, people are sometimes still a bit scary and exciting. Over time this has improved a lot and he is still learning and improving.

Furthermore, Excel LOVES other dogs. He wants to play with all dogs. He has a lot of energy so playing and running around is a great way for him to loose his energy. 

We are very thankful for Rescue Paws Curaçao. They really guided us through the proces and helped us when we were facing issues with Excel. 

Also we are very thankful for his foster on Curaçao; Judy. We keep in touch and we send her regular updates and pictures.

After our vacation in November 2021 on Curacao and many beautiful encounters with dogs on the beaches, we did not have the plan to adopt a dog. When I became aware of RPC's website, I looked at Plien's face at some point. Those cute big ears, they touched us.

We completed the adoption application and initially received a rejection. Another family had been awarded the contract already. We were sad, even though there were many other dogs there, none of these great dogs managed to inspire us so much.
However, we were lucky, the chosen family had reversed the adoption because Plien was too shy and there was already a dog in the family.

At that time, Plien was already in a foster family on Curacao, too young to fly. The contact with Liv was quickly established and we were provided with photos, video and information. Every question was answered and we felt well informed. What an exciting time it was.

A few days before departure, I received information that Plien had been diagnosed with megaesophargus. She has difficulty absorbing food and vomited again and again. An incurable disease. We were given the option to withdraw from the adoption. But that wasn't an option for us.
Plien deserved chance at a happy life. With us!!

When she finally came, she was so small and scared in this huge box. A long journey, a new environment, strange people.
On the way back, she lay on my lap in the car and slept.

An exciting time began. She hardly wanted to leave the house, was afraid of people, often had to vomit, restless nights, separation anxiety.

Soon she accompanied me to the stable. She loved horses. Didn't understand that they didn't want to play with her.

At home she got a lot of rest, she slowly understood that she never had to leave again. Her joy was great.
She went to dog school, she really likes every animal, wants to make friends with cat and hedgehog.
At school, she is called a nerd. She learns so fast and does everything so great.

The problem with eating got worse. Food came out regularly and she felt bad. She lost weight and we were really worried.
Light food, everything pureed. But she couldn't gain weight like that and you could see her ribs too much.
We built her a Bailey Chair in which she could eat upright so that the food could reach her stomach. The veterinarian has recommended nutritional counseling and we changed her diet.
Her chair was finished and she almost went backwards into it on her own, because she couldn't wait to get her food.

It became much better with the eating, less food came out again and the sleep became better. The dog became more vital.

At the end of last year, she suddenly didn't want to go into her chair to eat, started shaking with her hind legs and slept a lot. She had pneumonia. Probably getting some water in the lungs, due to the disease. Thanks to good medication, however, she quickly recovered.

Now we have been able to cope without the chair since the beginning of the year. She eats from a raised bowl and then sits on our lap until she burps. Nevertheless, there are always good and bad days with vomiting.

Now Plien will soon be 2 years old, still in puberty. But she does really well. Holidays, big city, shopping mall and escalator, walking with the horses, loves water, gets along well with other dogs, even if she is sometimes too enthusiastic.
Only some people -we haven’t found out yet what it is- she still doesn’t like. She barks at them, growls and tries to pinch their fingers.

When she came to us she weighed 9.2 kg, you could see every rib and she was anxious. Now, a little more than 1 year later, she weighs 17 kg and has become a big girl.

An adoption with challenges and choices, very exciting. But we didn't regret the adoption for a second.
Plien is a great dog, a great family member. We don't want to be without her anymore.

Our connection to Curacao started in 2018 and while we fell in love with the island we really fell in love with the dogs. Those that know us know we love all dogs however I have a soft spot for the mamas in particular. We already had one rescue at home and in 2020 we came across our first RPC girl, Miley. Terribly neglected and with puppies we first had to let her recover before we could formally adopt her.

Then we had to figure out a way to get her to Canada during the pandemic (Curacao/Amsterdam/Toronto). In 2022 we found out we were able to have a third dog and were so thankful for the opportunity to formally adopt Pia (we had remote adopted her a year earlier), who came to us via a flight volunteer. Pia also was a mama (found with 7 puppies after a fire) and also served as a surrogate mama at RPC for over a year.

We never met either one of our girls before adopting them. We established a great relationship with Miley’s fosters and would receive regular updates and videos about her. Key members at RPC (Lena & Wendy) were very familiar with Pia and provided us extensive videos and updates. As such we felt a connection to both dogs without actually meeting them while gaining insight into their personalities.

For those considering adoption of an adult dog it is the greatest feeling and we have done it 3 times. I strongly believe in the RPC approach of always remembering 3 Days, 3 Weeks, 3 Months in allowing your new family member to acclimate slowly. It is about exhibiting patience and understanding and having realistic expectations while they get comfortable and gain confidence in their new environment. It is also about not overwhelming them. Everything in their world as they have known it has changed: new people, the weather, new sights, sounds and smells, maybe new to an urban area (traffic, stairs, elevators), riding in a car etc. Even the dogs can look different, and squirrels become the new lizards.

Upon arrival to Canada the primary focus was ensuring being house trained in the new environment and helping them to do so by building a steady routine (do not be surprised if your dog does not immediately relieve itself while initially acclimating. It took Pia 48hrs). After that it was simply focusing on leash skills and getting them used to walks while exploring a little more each time and continuing to build/reinforce comfort and confidence. After that we introduced things like a car ride or meeting a family member, gradually exposing them to a little more. Each doggo is different and there is no set recipe so its about taking the time to really get to know them and building that trust. What they need to know is that you “got them” and that they found a soft spot to land.

Both of our adoption experiences went incredibly well. We remain actively involved with RPC in their continued efforts to make a difference, help facilitate the adoption process for others to Canada & US and became flight volunteers ourselves this year bringing Rubio (Tucker) to Canada. RPC has allowed us to meet incredible people in both Curacao and Canada and forge great friendships. We will always look for the opportunity to help wherever we can.

7th of May 2021- finally the day came, the flight to your forever home in the Netherlands

Beforehand we knew you were scared about a lot of things and that it would take some time for you to feel at home.

When I saw you in your traveling crate, so small and scared in the corner, it broke my heart. I lifted you up from the traveling crate, into my arms and carried you to the car. In the car you laid in the corner, completely overwhelmed. I sang to you (probably very out of tune, sorry for that), so you would get used to my voice and would feel at home faster.

When we got home, we introduced you to your safe space, your crate. You still love to sleep, snack and rest in your crate. It took half a day before you felt brave enough to walk through the living room. Taking small steps each day, you were gaining more confidence in your forever home. The first few nights I slept downstairs, with you, on the couch. Everytime you lost me from your sight you started crying. Sweet baby girl.. So tiny.. I often wondered what you had been through, those first 9 weeks before you were found.. All alone, without your mama. The first few days you slept in my arms on the couch. Later on you slept in your crate in the bedroom, untill you were ready to be 'alone'. What a great victory that was.

Despite the victory of you gaining confidence and being able to sleep alone, there were also some very tough times. After having you at home for a month, you slipped through the front door. We spend 6 hours looking for you, I thought we would never see you again. Those 6 hours were very scary and very emotional. On hindside, you were never far. You were just watching us from the high grass across the street. There I sat, crying on the biking lane, begging you to come home. I was so scared something would happen to you. But there you were, peeking through the tall grass when you heard my voice. You allowed me to come and get you, and we cuddled all night. After that horendous day we made sure to be extra careful.

On the puppy training they told us: this dog will never be able to walk off leash and look where we are now! You are walking off leash, enjoying the free walking areas. We are still very careful, because crowded places with a lot of loud, unfamiliar noises still scare you. Also new people are still exciting. But we keep on growing every day!

We are so extremely proud of our gorgeous (inside and out) westpointer. She has been in the Netherlands for 2 years and is doing so well! To celebrate Izzy's second year with us, we got some new toys. All 'Curacao' themed ofcourse. The life with a westpointer isn't all fun and games, but it's totally worth it. We love you so much sweet Izzy! We cannot imagine life without you

Thanks to RPC for taking such good care of our Izzy and making sure these dogs get a chance at a good life. To all adopters: thank you for providing a loving home to these unique dogs.

14th of februari 2021 was the day Bella’ve landed at Schiphol, Valentinesday, how appropiate. The weeks before that day you stayed at Wendy’s house. Fortunately I’ve received a lot of photo’s and videos! You looked like a sweet dog with a tender soul, but playful as well. Through the stories from Wendy I saw that you were/are a very special lady.

The week you flew to your forever home it was so cold in Holland, it was -10 degrees and there was a lot of snow. I was curious to see how a dog from Curaçao would react to all that snow, so I bought a jacket, just to be sure that you were going to be ok. On the day you came, I was a little stressed. It was a long journey. Would you be ok? How would you react to all the different things here in Holland? When you came out of the costoms, I took you to the toilets so you could come out of the crate and put your safety-harness and leash on. You walked with so much confidence straight away and you were so curious. When we drove to your new home you sat on my lap and you were totally ok. The first steps in your new home and in the snow were fine with you as well.

The first days I had to get used to you, however you were pretty relaxed. Because of the snow it was a challenge to take you out for a walk. I was really happy with the good contact Wendy and I’ve had, because in the beginning I was quite insecure in how a responded to Bella. I was a lot more distant than I expected I would be. But we grew together and now we are a real team.

And what Wendy told me already, you are a very special doggo. Rarely I’ve met such an easy and relaxed animal as you are and everybody that meets you likes you immidiately. Still you are really sensitive and would like that each day is the same, but I will give you time to get used to new things just like you gave me that time in de beginning. We enjoy life together!