Happy Tales
We know that taking the leap to adopt a dog internationally can seem unusual,
but rest assured we have so many happy stories of both dogs' and families' lives transformed.
People who adopt SULA dogs are passionate about their pups.
Below are just some our many adopters' stories in their own words.
Chappie & Faryna Family
We have formerly Fin, (Chappie now) from the Sula society. He’s loving his life here, and such an amazing little guy, who brings tons of enjoyment to everyone. He goes for daily adventure hikes through the week, with our other rescue from Mexico.
We were also very fortunate to bring 2 Sula pups back with us from PV, The Sula Society. It was the most rewarding experience for us, and such a fortunate gift to give to those lucky people who adopted their little one.
Tears of happiness all around! ❤️
I cannot say enough about getting the message out to help deliver, donate, or adopt when possible
Freedom Hector and Jolie Family
I had such an amazing experience adopting a dog into Canada from Mexico with the Sula Society. They made it so easy to pick up the dog at the closest Canadian airport. Freedom came with all his vaccinations and paperwork and is truly the best dog with the most gentle temperament.
I would highly recommend adopting from the Sula society. You can basically choose any size of dog you want, which is amazing as I work in Banff and really wanted a dog that could hike, a medium size dog was a perfect choice.
I will forever be adopting from Mexico now for my pets.
Osito and Matteucci Family
It’s been just over a week since this handsome young man - Osito - came home with us to BC from Puerto Vallarta.
We never expected to adopt so soon after we lost our Ruby but we decided to do something different on our holiday and contacted Sula who said that we could catch a ride with one of the volunteers and come out to help walk the dogs.
We met some fantastic people - Lisa Sula, Paige, Barbara Pearsey and Angie who helped to show us the ropes (or leash)... we realized how hard this group works to give these dogs the best care and love….donating was not enough and we decided to bring Osito home.
He has adapted so well (but he still doesn’t like to walk on frozen grass - ha, ha) and we are so grateful to have him join our family! He is an absolutely amazing dog - so calm and affectionate, very smart and playful! We love him so much!❤️
Spread the word and help where you can! Also a big thanks to Therese for helping out with the flight!
Lily and Denise Family
Lily came home with our family of 3 dogs and she fit in perfect. She arrived to us fully house trained and with a beautiful personality.
Lily is gentle, cuddly and is with Dad every where he goes.
We can't imagine life without her.
The Sula Society took fantastic care of her and they were very helpful with flying Lily to Ontario in Canada. Thank you for our Lily !
Shelby, Baby & McGorman Family
March 31st and April 1st are a couple of anniversaries in our house.
On April 1, 2022, I brought Shelby the Lab home.
One year ago today March 31, I drove to Edmonton and picked up our beautiful Mexican rescue Baby from her foster Kathy.
Baby came to Canada from Sula and she has been an amazing addition to our home. She loves her brother Shelby and the two of them have had an amazing year of adventures.
Nina & Tonelli Family
I adopted Nina in December 2023 .
Nina has been an absolute wonderful addition to my life.
She is such a great dog, and I cannot picture my life now without her ! She enjoys hiking , going to the beach, and EATING here on Vancouver Island !
Thank you Sula Society so much for helping Nina out and allowing me to find her!
The adoption process was super easy , and Nina has instantly become my best friend !
Rosa & Zimmerman Family
This is little Rosa at French Beach in Sooke BC.
Rosa came to us in Victoria on January 20, 2024, thanks to our flight angels and immediately fit right in.
She is truly the sweetest little wiggle butt.
Millie & Blue-Selbert Family
Millie has been a complete gift from god to me. We have had her for, well it’s gonna be 2 years in November.
We’re calling this her bougie phase. Now that I’m struggling with some personal health issues she’s always right by my side.
We are so blessed to have her and are beyond thankful to making this dream puppy come true.
I think we needed each other!
Diego & Husereau Family
I adopted Diego from the Sula Society in November. He had been at the shelter for over a year. He was a flicker.
They told me he was afraid of the water. Living by the ocean on Vancouver Island, I was determined to help him conquer his fear of the water. There he went today. Thanks for this lovely stranger lady and her pooch to help him out.
After a difficult year of grieving the loss of my dear dad and a separation, he has been such a blessing and healing friend to me and my kids.
I hope we give him back as much as he does.
The Sula Society have been amazing and I highly recommend them. Adopt , don’t shop !
Sam & Fedorchuk Family
September 2021 I had helped SULA out with an emergency foster in Red Deer that was needed and realized very quickly how much I missed having a dog in my life.
My daughter was the adoption coordinator for Sula at the time and she asked Lisa which dog she recommended and Sanchez (now Sam) was #1 so that was it! He was adopted! Due to the heat embargo, flights were interesting!
His flight angel was incredible – she was flying home to see her family in Calgary with her dog and said she would take Sam too! They flew from PV to Mexico City, then from there to Vancouver where her Dad met her and the two dogs and they drove from Vancouver to Calgary!
Sam was a great road trip dog – he loved the car rides and the hotel beds. FINALLY they made it to Calgary and I met him in Calgary at around 2 am.
Sam was SO excited to meet me– his tail was wagging a million miles a minute and if I had a tail it would have been going just as fast!
It was truly a dream come true moment for both of us! Best friends for life. Now – Sam has been in Canada for over 2 years and the adventures he has been on is just incredible.
He LOVES to ride in the big truck with me while I work – He gets to go to work with me and loves to be on the open road. Hotel stays are his favorite because there is usually an extra queen size bed in the room just for him!
He sleeps in the sleeper in the big truck and the sun shines in the back window. when he isn’t sleeping he is sitting beside me on the seat watching the world go by! He goes on HOURS of walks everyday and is keeping me active.
His favorite place to sleep is upside down on the couch and a big Costco bed with his SULA blanket on it.
He enjoys camping and playing with his fur sister Sophie the standard poodle and his nieces – Lexi and Mazi (fellow Sula rescue) when we go to my daughters house to visit!
He has figured out how to play with a ball and it is the funniest thing to watch – his front legs try to catch the ball as it rolls and they scramble all over the place. Other toys – not a fan – unless it’s a stuffy in which case he has a ton of fun destroying it.
He does love a good antler to chew on too! AND A POOL! The POOL is his favorite - makes a nice bed to rest in when it’s a bazillion degrees outside! Sam is thriving in Canada and has embraced the snow like champ!
With warmer weather he enjoys sunbathing on the deck and spending time with his favorite person – Me!
Minnie, Poppy, Gordie, & Switzer-Hamilton Family
We are so lucky to have The Sula Society as family. We were looking to adopt a dog in Oct 22. We saw Poppy’s profile and were thrilled to adopt her.
In March of the next year my mom and I wanted to bring donations to Sula and see where Poppy came from. We went to the shelter and I picked up Minnie for the first time.
It was love at first sight and I took her home with me. In January of this year Barbara contacted me about an adoption fail here on Vancouver Island, I volunteered to go get Gordie and foster him.
The same night we decided he needed a permanent home and we decided to keep him. We now have four Sula’s and a Tuck.
I love the Sula Society, the work they do and being at the shelter. So glad Sula came into our lives.
Mazi & Sinclair-Smith Family
November 2020 we had to say goodbye to our Gus due to brain cancer. Lexi, our other dog, stopped eating, slept all day and went into a deep depression. My husband and I decided we needed to get her another dog. Beginning of December, 2020, I was at the dog park with Lexi.
I was walking with a lady that had adopted two chihuahuas from The Sula Society. She told me all about this amazing organization so as soon as I got home, I jumped on the computer and the first picture on the page was this beautiful black and white pitbull named Keira. She was stunning and instantly my heart fluttered and I knew she was the one. I read her story and she seemed to be the perfect fit for us.
I filled out the application - it took me 2 HOURS because I was so committed to making sure I gave all the information I could to ensure they knew I was the perfect home for this dog. About a week went by and I had given up hope and then...I got the email that I had been approved for Keira.
We changed her name to Mazi and due to the embargo I started posting everywhere looking for someone to bring her back. Her fly date was set for January 16th. I was like ok, I have almost a month to get ready for her to come.
January 8th at 10:30 pm I got a message from Lisa that my flight angel had gotten covid and would not be flying on the 16th but she had found a last minute flight angel and Mazi would be landing in Calgary in less than 24 hours on January 9th at 9 pm. I was ecstatic!
The next evening, my husband and I went to the airport and waited impatiently for our new furbaby to come out of customs. Finally, we saw the kennels and the water works started. My husband opened the kennel doors and Mazi flew out and gave me the biggest hug. My heart exploded! She was perfect in every way.
We took her home and her and I slept on the couch together since it was so late we figured we would wait to introduce Lexi to her in the morning. Lexi snuggled me all night long and snored SO loud. The next morning, we brought Lexi downstairs and put them out in the yard together - instantly they became best friends and started zooming around the back yard.
It was -40 in Okotoks when she landed and she had barely any hair so she was in a onesie fleece pajama outfit. She loved it. Lexi had a smile on her face we had never seen and Mazi was thrilled to have a sister.
Then we brought our two-year-old son downstairs to meet her and that was a fast friendship too. Mazi gave him the biggest kiss and followed him EVERYWHERE.
Fast forward to now - Mazi is the kindest, chillest, funniest, weirdest dog I have ever met and she has the most beautiful soul. We now have a 1-year-old little girl too and our son is almost 6 and wherever those kids are - she is right there with them. She cannot get enough of tiny humans. She naps in the nursery with Charlie, she reads stories with Cannon and she is always looking for a way to crawl into your pocket so she can be closer to you. She loves to go exploring on hikes and run along side Cannon on his snowmobile or the quad.
She loves to play fetch and her favorite thing is making holes to lay in in my garden in the summer to stay cool - I really appreciate that trait lol. Everyone who meets her instantly falls in love with her.
We now have my husbands 15-year-old border collie living with us because she retired from the family ranch and Mazi and her are inseparable. Mazi brings Jezza comfort - Jezza is blind and deaf so Mazi helps her get around and makes sure she knows she is not alone.
Mazi amazes me everyday with how wonderful she is. We hit the Sula jackpot - we have a unicorn. Thank you Sula - we are so blessed to be apart of the Sula family and to have been chosen to have Mazi apart of our family. We love you all!
Buddy & Darby Family
We adopted Buddy (formerly Bobby). And I can’t tell you how happy we are with our little rescue. He is a bundle of energy and wakes up every morning ready to get the day going.
Loads of kisses and he actually hugs too.
Billy and Graham-Cynette
I was introduced to the Sula Society last October, when my daughter signed us up as flight angels. Upon meeting Barb at the PV airport, we hit it off immediately. When I commented I was thinking of getting a sister for our little Maltese Coco, she replied "I have a girl for you!"
Fast forward to December 21st, when our beautiful Lola (Billy) joined our family. She fit in immediately, and we all adore her ❤️😍 A huge thanks to Barb and the Sula Society! We couldn't imagine life without her
Wendy Graham-Cyrette
Coco and Porter Family
This is the first photo we took of Coco at Sula when we first saw her. She was separated from the other dogs because they would gang up on her, we were told. She was super docile so we said we would take her.
She now lives her best life in Calgary, comes with us to the office everyday, goes on long runs and most of the time just loves staying at home, comfy with a roof over her head.
She's an amazing dog, friendly to everyone she meets.
Banjo and Ware Family
We are coming up on the 1st 'Gotcha Day' for our boy Banjo.(formerly Teddy)
He is the sweetest, most loving pooch ever to grace the planet (she says with no bias whatsoever) and as Barbara promised has turned out to be the absolutely perfect addition to our family.
He owns our hearts and we couldn't be happier to have connected with Sula and brought our baby home on March 26th 2023. As a bit of an update; we learned in October that Banjo is diabetic. After some trials/struggles we finally have his insulin dose sorted and despite having lost his vision in the process he is doing well and is still the happiest, and sweetest dog ever.
Thank you Sula Society...we truly believe Banjo was meant to be with us.
Julio and Lee Family
Julio has been part of our family since July 2020.
He was a foster fail. It was the best choice we've ever made.
Beirele Family
He is the best dog we ever had.
Obedience training... stay .. wait..I just wish I could adopt a brother for him to play with.
SULA DOGS ARE THE BEST!!!!
I always recommend SULA!
Daizy and Grieve Family
Meet Daizy, the newest member of our family! Our journey with Daizy began when we decided to open our hearts and home to a rescue dog in need. I truly fell in love with Daizy when I saw her in a picture for the first time. She deserved a loving home, with parents that would love her unconditionally.
Meeting Daizy for the first time at the airport was a blend of emotions -joy, uncertainty, and immense gratitude.
As she explored her new surroundings, it was evident that Daizy had endured her fair share of hardships. Yet, despite her past, her resilient spirit shined through, filling our home with warmth and love.
Adjusting to life with Daizy had its challenges, but with patience, understanding, and lots of love, she blossomed into a confident and affectionate companion.
Daizy quickly become an integral part of our daily lives. She means everything to us and we are so grateful for The Sula Society for bringing her to us!
Elsa, Ceana and Doerksen Family
Adopted 2 Beautiful Girls - Elsa the Mom and one of her babies Ceana!
We are now a family of 3 fur dogs - 2 Girls and a big Brother, Loki Kenneth.
Loki and Cardie Family
Loki arrived in Cobourg, Ontario to join our family on Nov 4, 2022.
He loves to hunt bunnies "in his dreams", survey his world, spend time with his twin (devoted and Schwarzenegger) and sunbathe. He is the man in my life!
Sula was wonderful with this adoption.
Elvis, Gus and Dickinson Family
My husband and I have adopted Elvis and Gus Gus from Sula and we couldn’t imagine our lives without them.
Sula made it so easy to bring them to Canada by organizing their travel and getting their health certificates. Gus was rescued by Sula when he was found very near starvation. He was around three years old and also shows signs of rickets so it was clear he had been street dog all of his life.
I wasn’t sure how a dog with that history would adapt to becoming a house dog but he isn’t very different from our dogs who have been pampered their whole lives. He is so happy and loving.
These dogs are remarkably resilient and have so much love to give if given the chance.
Olive and Gruhs Family
2 year old Littibu, now Olive 🩵, stole our hearts when we saw her profile on Facebook. She’s now home with us (as of 2hrs ago) and she’s the cutest happiest little girl! We are beyond grateful for ALL the incrsible work Sula rescue does to give pups like Olive a better life. We are waiting for her brother Olaf to join us very soon.
Thank you!! There aren’t words to describe how incredible you all are!!
Karol Gruhs
Al and Spraakman Family
I adopted a dog from Sula in September his name is Algadon but we call him Al.
I will be adopting more dogs in the future because they are an awesome rescue.
Greta, Prea and Kitchener Family
We adopted mother and daughter from The Sula Society . Greta came into care off the street heavily pregnant and without the help of her caring foster Mom she would not have survived the birth. She had six large pups. Two did not survive. We adopted the one female pup Prea, who is now about 12 pounds or a bit more.
The adoption was respectful and professionally completed.
A few months later we were told Greta the Mom was unexpectedly looking for her home. Yes please.
Greta is 7 pounds of bravery and fun. We adore these two characters.
They love the snow! Greta loves her clothes. They love the beach and the paddleboard.
They enjoy all of our dogs and get along beautifully.
Thank you for all that you do. Thank you to the flight angels.
Loki and Snelson Family
I adopted my first dog Honey from The Sula Society in March of 2023. Ever since adopting her, I’ve very much wanted to have the opportunity to visit where she came from, so for almost a year it had been on my bucket list to visit Puerto Vallarta and be able to come and visit Sula myself and to have the opportunity to volunteer some of my time at the Rescue. It was truly the highlight of my trip!
I’ve now seen first hand the extent and depth of the amount of work that‘s involved in operating a dog rescue organization of this size. The work at the Rescue facility itself is never ending and some of the cases that they have to deal with are extremely sad and difficult ones.
What many people don’t get the opportunity to see is that caring for roughly 300 dogs at any given time is truly a monumental task. The feeding, exercising, bathing, and picking up after the dogs is only a small part of it. The amount of food that has to be prepared for the dogs on a daily basis and the amount of laundry required every day is nothing short of astronomical.
The other side of things is the finding of adopters and deserving homes for these dogs through the management of their website and making many daily posts to different Facebook Groups. Once homes are found for the dogs then there’s the additional tasks of finding Flight Angels and making the necessary flight arrangements to get the dogs from Puerto Vallarta to their new homes thousands of miles away.
None of this would be possible without the tireless work of Barbara, Lisa, Roy, Kathy and so many of the different volunteers who come to help out at the rescue on a regular basis, and those who are working behind the scenes organizing fund raising events, organizing rides for volunteers, doing volunteer recruitment and many other tasks.
A large portion for the financial support for this Rescue comes from donations, monetary gifts and from the fees that are collected from the adoption of their dogs.
During my recent visit to Sula I couldn’t help but fall in love with another one of their beautiful dogs that was in need of its forever home. I adopted Lolli so that my Honey could have a sister. This has also been my way of playing a small part in supporting a most deserving organization and providing another dog with a loving home. If I lived in Puerto Vallarta I would most certainly be a regular volunteer at Sula.
For me, rescuing animals in need has been an extremely rewarding experience.
I simply cannot say enough as to how much genuine love and care that I witnessed the folks at Sula providing to all of these dogs.
I’ll definitely be back to visit Sula again!
Zera and Cohen-Sherr Family
When my husband passed away in January 2023 I was lonely and depressed. One morning around 2am (I wasn't sleeping much).
I saw this little face on the Sula page. Raven, as she was called then, had just been brought in for adoption and I told myself "that's my dog".
I filled out an application there and then, sent in several messages to Sula that I wanted her and two days later I had my friend take me to get her. It was love at first sight.
She is now called Zera and is a complete joy in my life.
Thank you Sula Society
Angel and Lemko Family
I lost my best dog friend and just before she left a friend gifted me a boy dog who I adored and he provided support to my dog before she had to leave. After she left to the Rainbow Bridge, my boy Journey needed a friend.
I saw this little girl on Sula who had raised 4 boys and was ready for a home! Her name was Angel so I believed this was a sign.
I was so nervous adopting a dog that I never met and was worried that she might not like my 4 cats. Angel walked into my house scared and confused, but to my surprise all four of my cats welcomed her with open paws.
I knew then that I have myself a real Angel!
Clio and Zuarth Family
Clio's story
We are so glad to have her in our family, it's been more than 2 years we had made the decision to adopt her. She is such a good girl, a loving and babysitter with the baby of the family.
I have only good things to say about having a Sula dog in Canada and giving her an opportunity to be loved.
Lola and Duncan Family
We have had our Lola for just over 2 years . Lola has been the perfect addition to our family and has adapted nicely to her life in Kelowna British Columbia. She enjoys going in the car and the boat for rides but especially the bike . She is definitely spoiled by her parents and her gg.
We were very sadden to hear the passing of her foster mom in Puerto Vallarta Gigi who looked after Lola for 4 months till we were able to get her Canada. This is our second Chihuahua from the Society. We had Bella for 3 months but unfortunately she passed away from Leishmania which is a parasite from sand fleas that is quite rare but our Bella is now in the veterinary books as they had never seen a case in North America so she was meant to be with us for reason even tho sad but we believe she sent us our Lola.
We can’t thank Sula enough for our beautiful Lola and all the great work you do with all the dogs in Mexico.
Lexi & Cheri Frampton
My husband and I adopted sweet little Lexi from SULA and it was one of the best decisions we ever made. SULA made the process easy, and we do not hesitate to recommend them to anyone looking to adopt.
Lexi is a fierce protector of her family and the best cuddle buddy you could ever ask for!
Christie Howie Unchulenko
We couldn’t have asked for a better companion. Our Sula Rescue is the most loving and friendly girl.
We could tell from the moment we got her that Sula provided so much love and care.
Annie Galang
This is Rico! The brown one. He came to Canada on March 3, 2022!!!
We couldn’t be more in love and we are obsessed with him!
Our experience with Sula was lovely!!!
We love staying in touch with SULA and sending everyone updates of his life with us!
Walter & Billyard Family
Hi guys! Walter ( Dale) here. I’ve been in Canada for almost a month now, and I am having the TIME OF MY LIFE! My Mom and Dad do so many cool things with me, we get to go for drives and I even got to go into the mountains looking for my very first Christmas tree! I had my very first wiener roast that day and it was sooooo much fun, I played really hard! I went to my very first garage party and really like eggnog! I’ve gotten to have a meet and greet with my vets Krista and Michelle, they are super nice. My groomer Sue says I’m the bestest boy, and gave me my very first groom for free because I’m a rescue, how awesome is that?! I have a 6 yr old brother Moose ( Jack Russell) who I’m best friends with, and a 12 year old brother Tig ( Siamese) who tolerates me, because I’m pretty decent at leaving him alone for the most part, sometimes we all get the zoomies together and my mom laughs and laughs!
So far there hasn’t been much snow, but what I’ve seen I don’t mind so much. I went to doggy daycare while my mommy was on night shift, but mommy thinks I can handle staying in bed with her, because I looked after her really good when she was sick( which also led to me being able to sleep in the people bed at night because I’m such a good boy) As of today ( Nov 28) I’m four days accident free and I even ring the bell to go out to pee pee now. Mom found one of my teeth the other day when she was sweeping, and I think she’s crazy enough to keep it. Anyways, thank you Sula for finding me this family, I am loved beyond measure, and when the time comes that our family is going to add another pup to the pack ( unfortunately when my brother is old and crosses the bridge) they have made a promise to me that they will bring home another good boy from SULA!
Sula & Matt Baird
Happy Rescueversary to my beautiful little girl Sula! She's such a beautiful soul. I'm truly grateful to The Sula Society, Lisa Santos , Barbara Pearsey , Emilio Fuoco, Jana VanDuin , and Cat Gallant for rescuing, fostering and helping get this pup to me for adoption! She's absolutely amazing and is definitely getting spoiled today!!!🐶🎂❤❤
Chester & Family
Last night was an incredible experience that I would highly recommend to anyone looking to get a rescue pup. We drove to Calgary airport to pick up our new addition, Chester from a beautiful flight Angel who brought him to us from a rescue society in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico. We got home at 2:30am with this bundle of joy. He is settling in well. The girls adore him.
Those of you who know me well know my heart for rescue dogs. In reality, they rescue us. I highly recommend and can’t say enough about this incredible society The Sula Society and Barbara Pearsey .
I thank them for their dedication, love and for speaking for those animals who cannot speak for themselves. They deserve all the love. Welcome home, Chester. You are truly home.
Winston & Family
Great rescue to work with!!! Thank you Lisa for all the time you spent getting everything arranged to get Winston to us. We are so thankful you chose us to be his forever home. He’s the best (and so very handsome too)!
Blanco & Family
My partner and I adopted our sweet Blanco from the Sula society! Two of my friends adopted siblings from his litter as well! They have been wonderful people to deal with! Doing there best to save as many dogs as possible! They have grown so quickly and any support helps them immensely. With all the Covid restrictions and rules they fought to get our pup home! He’s been with us for ten days now and we couldn’t be happier! He is the most perfect addition to our family. Our gratitude for this wonderful organization is limitless!