Add it up

In the midst of everyone's excitement about the New Path the society has engaged in, its important not to overlook the great work that is being done by all the little 'private' rescues and shelters around the province. Work, I might add, that was being done long before the society even began the (still ongoing) process of change so that they will truly be able to "speak for those who cannot speak for themselves"
Up in Cumberland County, the LA Animal Shelter maintains its No Kill philosophy while engaging in a relationship with Animal Control there. They accept animals from AC, from private citizens who find strays and when possible, owner surrenders as well. Last year they dropped their cat adoption fees to boost adoptions ... with of course the fringe benefit of providing the community with more altered pets.
Over on the south shore, S.H.A.I.D is also No Kill and have such a successful adoption rate that they are often able to take dogs transferred down from Metro. Several volunteers from the shelter started South Shore TNR, which maintains a close working relationship with the shelter.
My own sweet Handsome Henry came from CAPS, whose adoptables all start out at Annapolis County AC. CAPS is living proof of what the power of love for the animals can accomplish in four short years .... and every calendar day of the year they are a shining example by listing each and every one of their 120+ adoptables on petfinder with great pics and detailed, complete bios.
Miss Ruby, who is my heart, came from ARC who have been saving lives for fifteen years. One dog... and the occasional kitty.... at a time, ARC has saved at least a couple of thousand lives ... and helped rehome countless more. They are definitely No Kill and never define 'treatable' by the dollar sign. Their petfinder bios are an inspiration ... witty and completely informative.
Down in Shelbourne, P.E.T. PROJECTS quickly recognized that they could get more bang for all their donated dollars by not running the shelter and that has allowed them to rescue more animals as well as starting up a TNR program. They have begun 'taking it to the streets' with offsite adoptions and use their flea markets and meeting to engage community support.
Further down the Valley from me, the No Kill TLC Animal Shelter has been quietly saving lives and has a well established network of community support from local merchants to augment the private donations that are their bread and butter. Pets remain in their care for however many months or even years it takes for the right fit to be found.
Ssafe Haven should teach classes in engaging public interest and support. This year will be the second one for their very successful HALIFAX REPTILE EXPO 2009 , which looks to be an annual activity now. This groups is run by seasoned experts whose enthusiasm shines through in every petfinder bio they list.
Bide Awhile has become such an institution in the city that when the society was looking for practical ways to get on a better path, they were sensible enough to tap into that expertise. With absolutely no public funding, this group was able to build a new shelter and has a well established annual cycle of fundraising events .
The Valley Animal Shelter has been open as long as I can remember here in the valley, and is currently working out of its home base of the Valley Vet clinic in Wolfville. They have hopped on the petfinder bandwagon at last and list all of their adoptables both there and on their site ( which I believe is in transition at the moment)
The Pick of the Litter Society fills another specialized niche with its expertise in saving orphaned kittens much too young to leave their mommies. Just so, Tiny Paws NS Chapter and Atlantic All Dog Rescue keep changing lives, one pet at a time.
We are also lucky enough to have committed folks running Breed Rescues here in NS. I have seen NS Labrador Rescue even finding good homes for seniors and good pets with medical issues. No matter how long it takes, all dogs in the care of German Shepherd Rescue are in safe hands until the right fit is found. No matter what breed one is looking for, between Ador-A-Bull Rescue, Border Collie Rescue, Atlantic Boxer Rescue and all the dedicated breeders who serve as Regional Contacts, there truly is somebody out there for everyone And of course, we mustn't ever forget the great community that has been built by their volunteers - Greyhound Pets has wonderful dogs too!!!
Some of these groups also offer Spay Neuter assistance. The LA Shelter, SHAID and Pet Projects all contribute to their communities in this way.
Most of these groups have little, if any, funding from the communities they are based in ... but everyone of these groups began with the idea that improving animal welfare makes better communities.
What time is it? Its time to recognize that everyone of these groups play a key role in the journey to No Kill Nova Scotia when we add them up.