'It's time for him to have a good life': Vietnamese rescue dog loving life in N.B.
It wasn’t easy, but Captain has finally arrived to his new home.
The rescue dog from Vietnam is now settling into his new life in Fredericton.
His owner, Sarah MacLeod, is visiting with family in Riverview, N.B., this week and brought him to town hall Tuesday morning for a walk.
She loves seeing him running around freely.
"When I took him for a walk last night and he was running downhill, I could barely catch up with him. That made me happy. I was just laughing the whole time. When he meets other dogs and when I see him socializing and just living a normal life like a dog should, it makes me really happy," said MacLeod.
It was anything but a normal life back in Vietnam for Captain.
The mixed-breed dog, who resembles a miniature husky, was struck by a vehicle five years ago.
He was abandoned by his owner and spent two years in a cage before being rescued by the staff at an animal shelter in Da Nang.
Captain has since had a rear limb amputated, an eye removed and most of his teeth pulled.
None of that kept MacLeod from deciding to foster him and bring him home to Canada.
MacLeod, who worked at the shelter where Captain was living, bonded with him, and in February she decided to start the long process of trying to bring him home in the spring.
The pair had a 40-hour trip from Da Nang to Seoul, South Korea, then to Toronto before arriving in Fredericton on April 12 where MacLeod is living for now.
MacLeod said Captain was a nervous flyer at first, but he soon got used to his crate and was a trooper on the epic journey.
When they arrived at Pearson International Airport in Toronto, Captain was able to stretch his legs -- all three of them -- at a pet relief area outside the airport.
It’s been so far, so good for Captain at his new home in the capital city.
"It's really different here than Vietnam, so he was kind of just confused about everything and on alert I guess," said MacLeod. "He's settling in well, but the weather is a lot colder. He does love going for walks and he loves smelling everything and likes exploring the city. It's a lot easier for him to get around here and it's nice in Fredericton because there's so many trails he can go on."
As for seeing snow for the first time, MacLeod didn't what to expect from her dog.
"I wasn't sure how he was going to react to it, but he was pretty interested in it and then he tried getting his wheelchair over it. So he's totally fine with the snow and he wanted to walk in it," she said.
MacLeod started a fundraising campaign for the trip back in February with the goal of raising $1,500.
Instead, she raised $4,000 and needed every penny to bring Captain to Canada.
"I want to thank everybody," she said about the contributions to the GoFundMe campaign.
MacLeod said it was important to bring him home because he's a great dog and he deserves better.
"As soon as I started fostering him, I knew that he was so happy being out of the shelter and be able to explore and actually have a good life for a dog," said MacLeod. "He's had such a hard life. It's time for him to have a good life now."
As for Sarah, returning to southeast Asia is on hold for now as she plans on returning to her career in kinesiology.
Captain, a rescue dog from Vietnam, arrived to his new home in New Brunswick on April 12. (Courtesy: Instagram/captain.danang)Her grandmother Carole Ritchie had some doubts both of them would make it home.
“I knew that there was no way she was going to leave him there, so I thought if Captain didn’t get here, my granddaughter’s not going to come because she just wasn’t going to give him up,” said Ritchie.
Ritchie, who recently fostered a dog from Texas, knows her granddaughter had to jump through a lot of hoops to get Captain to New Brunswick and she’s very proud of her.
“She fell in love with him and she knew if she didn’t rescue him he would go back to the rescue and probably, in time, he would be just discarded because dogs don’t mean that much over in Vietnam,” said Ritchie. “She nursed him back to health and she just wanted to give him a better life. He wouldn’t have had that in Vietnam. There’s no way he would have had a better life, if any life at all.”
Both share a great deal of affection for Captain, who MacLeod thinks is around eight or nine-years-old.
“I love him. I just think he’s the dearest dog. He’s calm, he’s loving, he’s quiet. He’s just a beautiful, beautiful dog. I can see why she fell in love with him,” said Ritchie.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'I got no remorse': Greg Fertuck, convicted of murdering missing spouse, sentenced to life in prison
Greg Fertuck will spend life behind bars with no chance of parole until he is 90 years old, a judge ruled on Thursday at Saskatoon's Court of King's Bench.
'Ford's dry summer begins': All LCBO stores closed as workers go on strike
All LCBO stores are closed on Friday as thousands of workers hit the picket lines after their union and employer failed to reach an agreement.
Britain's Labour on track for landslide victory, exit poll suggests, amid anger with Conservatives
Britain's Labour Party headed for a landslide victory Friday in a parliamentary election, an exit poll suggested, as voters punished the governing Conservatives after 14 years of economic and political upheaval.
Saskatchewan has the lowest hourly minimum wage. How does it stack up to the rest of Canada?
Hourly minimum wages increased in several Canadian provinces this spring with more on the horizon, which economists say will likely impact workers and businesses differently.
Trying to sell or buy a home this summer? What a realtor says you should know
In the first few weeks of summer, the real estate sector is experiencing an upturn marked by more housing inventory, a Canadian realtor says
No Frills grocery stores drop 'multi-buy' offer
As receipts tick ever higher for Canadians at the grocery store and shoppers continue to search for savings, one Canadian grocer has ended a perceived deal.
Hurricane Beryl churns toward Mexico after leaving destruction in Jamaica and eastern Caribbean
After leaving a trail of destruction across the eastern Caribbean and at least nine people dead, Hurricane Beryl weakened as it chugged over open water toward Mexico's Yucatan Peninsula on Thursday, going from the earliest Category 5 hurricane in the Atlantic to Category 2 by the afternoon.
CSIS director David Vigneault stepping down after seven years on the job
David Vigneault says he is stepping down from his job at the head of Canada’s spy agency. The director of the Canadian Security Intelligence Service, who spent seven years at the helm, is leaving the public service altogether.
Biden tells Democratic governors he needs more sleep and plans to stop scheduling events after 8 p.m.
U.S. President Joe Biden told Democratic governors during a meeting at the White House on Wednesday that part of his plan going forward is to stop scheduling events after 8 p.m. so that he can get more sleep, according to three sources briefed on his comments.
Shopping Trends
The Shopping Trends team is independent of the journalists at CTV News. We may earn a commission when you use our links to shop. Read about us.
Toronto
-
'Ford's dry summer begins': All LCBO stores closed as workers go on strike
All LCBO stores are closed on Friday as thousands of workers hit the picket lines after their union and employer failed to reach an agreement.
-
What you need to know as LCBO workers go on strike
All LCBO stores across the province are closed for two weeks starting Friday as workers go on strike for the first time after their union and employer failed to reach an agreement.
-
Two Toronto councillors propose action plan to tackle increasing rat infestations
Two Toronto city councillors are asking staff to develop a rats reduction strategy by the latter half of next year to deal with infestations, but some say the problem needs immediate action.
Calgary
-
Stampede set to bring big bucks to Alberta
Stampede Park opened for a sneak-a-peek Thursday night and launched festivities for the 10-day event, which is expected to bring an economic boost.
-
'Pretty devastated': Calgary small business pleads for return of stolen portable playground
Simon Nash spent days scrambling to clean and collect extra children's play equipment after thieves got away with a custom-made portable playground.
-
'Incredibly concerning': Calgary taekwondo instructor facing child pornography charges
A Calgary taekwondo instructor is facing child pornography charges.
Edmonton
-
Two firms offering auto insurance to pull out of Alberta market
Two insurance providers in Alberta have announced plans to stop offering automobile insurance to customers in the province.
-
'He wants to fight': Edmonton family left waiting months for cancer treatment as condition worsens
An Edmonton woman says she's losing hope as her husband has been left waiting for months to see an oncologist after being diagnosed with Stage 4 cancer this spring.
-
Police seek potential witnesses to Mill Creek Ravine homicide
Edmonton police are releasing photos of a vehicle whose occupants they believe may have seen activity related to a recent homicide in the Mill Creek Ravine.
Montreal
-
Fire department says inspectors were refused access to do safety check at McGill pro-Palestinian encampment
The Montreal fire service said its inspectors were refused access to do a safety check at the pro-Palestinian encampment at McGill University on Thursday.
-
Man in critical condition after being attacked in Montreal's Plateau, police investigating
Montreal police are investigating after a man was attacked with a blunt object in an alley near the Mont-Royal metro station in the Plateau.
-
Quebec asks Supreme Court judge to recuse himself on Bill 21 case
In the wake of the legal challenge to Bill 21 on the secular nature of the State, Quebec Attorney General Simon Jolin-Barrette has asked Supreme Court Justice Mahmud Jamal to recuse himself, fearing that he "does not have the impartiality required to hear this case."
Ottawa
-
'Ford's dry summer begins': All LCBO stores closed as workers go on strike
All LCBO stores are closed on Friday as thousands of workers hit the picket lines after their union and employer failed to reach an agreement.
-
Patricia Boal named anchor of CTV News at Six
Veteran broadcaster Patricia Boal has been named anchor of CTV News at Six, CTV News Ottawa announced Thursday.
-
NEW THIS MORNING
NEW THIS MORNING What's happening in Ottawa this weekend: July 5-7
CTVNewsOttawa.ca looks at things to do in Ottawa during the first weekend of July.
London
-
'Ford's dry summer begins': All LCBO stores closed as workers go on strike
All LCBO stores are closed on Friday as thousands of workers hit the picket lines after their union and employer failed to reach an agreement.
-
Why does the new Victoria Bridge look like that?
On Thursday, over a hundred Londoners attended a ‘bridge party’ to celebrate completion of the new span over the Thames River connecting the Old South neighbourhood to the downtown.
-
Murder involving two youths shocks Huron County community
A tight-knit Huron County community remains in disbelief after learning a 13-year-old local boy has been charged with first-degree murder. The age of the accused, confirmed by the court, has sent shockwaves through the village of Holmesville.
Barrie
-
Bracebridge considers pulling back $10 million hospital funding commitment
The Town of Bracebridge is second-guessing its $10 million funding commitment to Muskoka Algonquin Healthcare (MAHC) after its board voted to proceed with its controversial two-hospital redevelopment proposal.
-
Driver injured in tractor-trailer rollover on ramp to Highway 400
One person is in the hospital following a tractor-trailer rollover on a ramp to Highway 400 late Thursday afternoon.
-
New details released after body found near Highway 400 ramp in Barrie
Police say the death of a man found in a grassy area near a Highway 400 ramp in Barrie late last month is not considered suspicious.
Northern Ontario
-
Full fuel tank was dangling from transport on Hwy. 17, northern Ont. police say
The driver of a commercial motor vehicle has been charged after police noticed something dangling underneath the vehicle.
-
Drug trafficking suspects charged with armed home invasion in Sudbury
One suspect from Sudbury and two from southern Ontario have been charged after a group of masked people broke into a home on Colonial Court early Wednesday morning.
-
'Ford's dry summer begins': All LCBO stores closed as workers go on strike
All LCBO stores are closed on Friday as thousands of workers hit the picket lines after their union and employer failed to reach an agreement.
Kitchener
-
WWE superstar surprises Guelph, Ont. fan who didn’t have accessible seat
A wrestling fan from Guelph, Ont. thought he was down for the count after winning tickets to a “once-in-a-lifetime” WWE event in Toronto.
-
'Ford's dry summer begins': All LCBO stores closed as workers go on strike
All LCBO stores are closed on Friday as thousands of workers hit the picket lines after their union and employer failed to reach an agreement.
-
Cambridge senior living in flood-damaged apartment gets help from Good Samaritan
A Good Samaritan is stepping up to help a senior after his Cambridge apartment flooded, destroying most of his belongings.
Windsor
-
'Ford's dry summer begins': All LCBO stores closed as workers go on strike
All LCBO stores are closed on Friday as thousands of workers hit the picket lines after their union and employer failed to reach an agreement.
-
'Frustration at the ultimate level': Riverside couple to uproot landscaping following 50 complaints from one resident
Disappointment lingers over the property of a Riverside couple that was told to remove landscaping from their front lawn after a resident complained that it doesn’t conform to the city’s public right-of-way encroachment bylaws.
-
Chatham-Kent Barnstormers hit the ground running in debut season
The Chatham-Kent Barnstormers have been swinging for the fences in their debut season – and the community appears to be behind them.
Winnipeg
-
Aging, degrading Manitoba Hydro infrastructure could cost billions to upgrade
Manitoba Hydro may needs billions of dollars worth of upgrades for aging infrastructure.
-
Manitoba First Nation identifies missing fishers
The search continues for two missing fishers who never returned home from a hunting trip.
-
West St. Paul home a total loss after massive fire
A West St. Paul home is a total loss after it went up in flames Thursday.
Regina
-
Sask. files injunction in light of federal carbon tax dispute
The Government of Saskatchewan has filed an injunction in light of the federal government sending the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) after the province’s bank account, Premier Scott Moe said on Thursday.
-
Crop development in Sask. falls behind due to recent rainfall
Because of heavy rain and cooler conditions in parts of the province, crop development is falling behind normal for this time of year.
-
Star Blanket Cree Nation celebrates the opening of a new water treatment plant
A water treatment plant nearly a decade in the making is now up and running on the Star Blanket Cree Nation.
Saskatoon
-
'I got no remorse': Greg Fertuck, convicted of murdering missing spouse, sentenced to life in prison
Greg Fertuck will spend life behind bars with no chance of parole until he is 90 years old, a judge ruled on Thursday at Saskatoon's Court of King's Bench.
-
Saskatoon man survives three-storey fall from downtown building
A Saskatoon man is recovering in hospital after falling three storeys off the roof of a downtown building on Canada Day.
-
Saskatoon city councillor's leadership at private Christian school revealed in leaked document
A leaked document reveals a Saskatoon city councillor's involvement at a private Christian school embroiled in abuse allegations.
Vancouver
-
Widower living with toddler at B.C. rest stop desperate for housing
A father living in an RV in B.C.’s Fraser Valley with his toddler for more than a year has become even more desperate to find housing after facing a tragic loss.
-
'Extremely apologetic': Abbotsford fire chief sorry for foam spilled in creek
Cleanup is underway in Abbotsford after spilled firefighting foam ended up in a local creek Wednesday night.
-
Vancouver considers putting housing before mountain views
Vancouver’s magnificent mountain vistas will be front and centre at city hall next week, when councillors will debate whether to ease view protection rules to make room for more construction.
Vancouver Island
-
Police seize 20 guns, thousands of bullets, 4.5 kg of cocaine from Greater Victoria home
A Greater Victoria man has been arrested and released from custody after police seized several guns, thousands of rounds of ammunition and four and a half kilograms of cocaine from a home in Langford, B.C., last week.
-
B.C. COVID hospitalizations at highest level since January
It may not be on most people's minds, but COVID-19 is on the rise again in B.C.
-
Cluster of earthquakes off B.C. coast 'business as usual,' seismologist says
A British Columbia seismologist says there's nothing dangerous or unusual about a recent flurry of earthquake activity off the west coast of Vancouver Island.
Kelowna
-
Man shot, 2 cars burned in suspected gang incident in Kamloops
Mounties are urging the public to be vigilant following a suspected gang shooting in B.C.'s southern Interior that left a 40-year-old man injured this week.
-
B.C. expands heat pump rebate program as highs up to 40 C forecast in Interior
British Columbia residents are being told to brace for a coming heat wave that could send temperatures into the high 30s and beyond, with the government reminding people to check in on their neighbours.
-
Another severe thunderstorm watch issued for B.C. Interior
A swath of B.C.’s southern Interior is being told to brace for potential severe thunderstorms Tuesday.
