If Wishes were Horses

What a beautiful morning it was in the woods!  Mild.  Not a bit of a breeze ... and clearly the wildlife were on the same page if the if the doggy smorgasborg of scented tracks was any indication!
Mind you, the snow Was so soggy that it was heavy slogging in spots ... but if we only went when it was smooth sailing, we would miss most of our hikes.
Rather like anything else in life, hmmm?  From flawless figure skating routines to well mannered and socialized dogs ... the casual observer never sees the time and effort behind the end game.
I'm fifty six not fifteen ... so instead of making a mad list of New Years resolutions I prefer to have a "Top Ten" sort of wish list to work towards for each year.  Do they all get done?  Of course not!   But on the premise that it takes having goals to get anything done, I keep trying anyway.
The Song pretty much remains the same:

1. Making Yard Dogs socially unacceptable with anti tethering legislation
2. Legislation to ban the traffic of living breathing sentient beings on the free online ad sites ( work that is greatly impeded by the society and rescues that lend legitimacy to the site by advertising there themselves.  If they were the only ones doing it .. if the Gail Benoits and back yard breeders and other odd sorts weren't using the site as well I would laud the rescues using it .. but we all know it just ain't so ... sigh )
3. Having AC stats publicly available on municipal websites ....
4. Along with a law prohibiting the killing of animals in AC care if there is an available rescue slot
5. Lifetime licences for altered pets along with a less punitive process for first time or occasional offenders.  It should be as user friendly, easy and affordable as possible for people to redeem their pets.
6. Better cat bylaws that protect feral cats instead of providing justification for killing them
7. Along with free spay neuter for kind hearts that are feeding strays
8. Banning the sale of pets in pet stores ... outside of the satellite adoption facilities,
9. Seeing a successfully prosecuted animal cruelty case result in a penalty meaningful enough to be a genuine deterrent .... and last but definitely not least
10. The abolition of all breed specific bylaws at the municipal levels ... along with removal of the clause in the provincial legislation that allows the municipalities to do this ... arbitrarily, without cause and usually under a cloak of secrecy.

Its not a new list.  So why don't I get discouraged?  After all ... there were a few real low points to 2010:

• a tragic comedy of errors that allowed the Benoits to ( once again) walk away scot free .... sheesh living proof that adage about hell having no wrath is definitely not gender specific ... although we've seen a fair bit of that too ...sigh
• no resolution yet for the controversial case that captured the hearts of the animal loving community ... along with the knowledge there will be none forthcoming now until November of THIS year
• not to mention the mysterious subject of how a frozen dead dog was found not to have been abused ....

But there have been a high point or two ... just enough to keep tails wagging instead of tucked back down:

• The society adopting a formal position to become No Kill.  Along with a published strategic plan to show that it wasn't false advertising ... because of course anyone can SAY they are No Kill but the proof of the pudding is both in the Stats and in having a plan!    That is mind boggling and huge ... particularly in light of where they were a couple of years ago
• Adoption incentives more widely in play ... from the LA Shelters adult cat special to CAPS BOGO to seasonal bits by the others .... all incentives get public attention for pet adoption, hmmm?
• And even mention made in the November Minutes of the Society BOD that plans are afoot for offsite adoptions.

Well then.  Its not everything on the list  It doesn't mean it will be all smooth sailing.  But it offers the promise that the heavy slogging will be worth it.