On closing the barn door ....

One of the best bits about being retired is NOT having to move anymore.   Mind you, nearly fifty years of following my father's and then my own military moves made it very easy to write the Moving with Pets brochure for the society a couple of years ago.   Much of the material in there was test driven on tours across the country with everything ranging from budgies and turtles to kitties and dogs.
So I know first hand that bringing the family pets along IS an achievable objective.  And before the keyboards catch on fire ... kindly remember that the military didn't always have the salaries or moving benefits they do today.  
Add into that mix that my Dad did a lot of investigative Military Police kind of things that had us relocating every couple of years ... and you can understand why its such a treat to stay put.  But ... if I have learned one single thing in nearly fifty six years, it is never to say never.   I'm hoping I've made my last move, but if not at least I can say that I'll know how to bring my crew with me.

In the course of maintaining the homeless pet sites, I am often saddened to see all the lovely pets who wind up being left behind.   Take Michelle, who is pictured above, for instance.   She was found in the basement of a house by the new resident, with an open bag of food.  The kind folks at SHAID say she is a sweet and personable gal ... already spayed and (sadly) declawed and clearly a beauty as well. 

Or take Tabitha, above, who was found wandering the halls of an apartment complex after her family had moved.  If its tough to be an abandoned kitty ... the ante is upped for the seniors and this sweet girl is still waiting at the Valley Animal Shelter for someone with enough heart to bring this sweet gentle soul home.

Sadly Abigail was not an isolated case.   Beautiful Tabitha, above, was discarded by her owners and rescued by a neighbour ... who brought her to the Queens SPCA.   I can't even be polite about describing what I think about a person who could abandon a sixteen year old cat of any stripe ... the fact that she is gentle and well behaved and stunningly beautiful is irrelevant to that.  If she was ugly as a post that would still be no excuse.
It IS actually abuse to abandon an animal, and unless I am very mistaken it IS actually against the law to do so.   In many instances, the person or persons who commit these crimes are not unknown.  I DO get that its a problem if they leave the province, but if they can't be charged ... would it be possible to name them on a wall of shame somewhere?
Odds are to even that wherever they go they'll wind up with a new pet ... until the next time they have to move of course.
These are all sad stories ... but the saddest thing is that these lovelies really only represent the tip of the iceberg  For every one that finds safe sanctuary, dozens more are turned away to meet a variety of Unsung Unhappy Tails.
The other day I got the latest newsletter from the No Kill Advocacy Center, in which it was talking about the Steps to Success to get to No Kill and #2 on that list is "Keep them out of the shelter"
People are more inclined to abandon cats because they are smaller and its easier for them to make a quiet getaway without the neighbours calling the police.   The saddest thing about that is that cats are usually the easiest pets to travel with ... sigh
Abandoned cats cost municipalities in a wide variety of ways ... would it not be timely perhaps for them to send out the moving with pets brochure in their tax mail outs?  Or at least have it on their websites?  And maybe even put it in the paper every now and then?  If they can pop for ads for swimming pool fences and not flushing tampons, why can't they do that, eh?
What time is it?  Its always time to recognize that the ounce of prevention is always cheaper than the pound of cure.

A Little Rant

Hey ...
I'm not a world famous blogger ... and I'm not drumming up funds on Paypal.  I don't live in HRM and I don't know Mayor Kelly or email anyone on the council because I'm certain that they are only going to pay attention to the tax paying voters who actually elected them.
I am a middle aged grandmother not a professional dog trainer.   I'm experienced but not expert and when I don't know what to do ... I ask someone who does.
I have gone hang gliding headfirst downhill after deer without letting go of one leash.  I believe in praise, not correction;  rewards, not punishment and that love is definitely not all that a dog needs.
Some dogs have it great ... some dogs not so much .. and that's as true here as anywhere else in the world!
Nova Scotia is a wonderful place to live!   The first SPCA in the country to go No Kill!   And full of kind hearts who do not want even one dog to die!
We are Nova Scotians!!!   And We Love Our Dogs!!!

Making it cool to be kind

I love Girl Guide Cookies.  Setting aside the simple fact that they are delicious.... its also pretty darned convenient to have a stash of something simple, sweet and quick for a snack when time runs away on me.
If retired grannies like myself who (supposedly) have all the time in the world will choose the easy road, how much more likely will it be that busy families will do the same?  
While I was doing a couple of new listings for the senior pet site, it occurred to me that more could be done to market the benefits of adopting two pets together.
Milo and Maisy, for instance, are a lovely pair of (more middle aged than) senior chocolate Labs who have lived together for their whole lives.  Happily Lab Rescue understands how closely bonded they are and are looking for a home with enough heart to adopt them together. 
Adopting a bonded pair like these two has a lot of advantages.  They already know each other, so it won't be quite so strange for them.  In turn, that will help them settle in quicker.  They'll be good company for each other when their humans have to go out.  Best of all, they are already good friends and it'll be twice as fun to take them out to play.
CAPS understands this and actively uses their BOGO to promote the fact that many of their adoptables who are in care together become great friends  As a sidebar to that, very soon I hope to have pics of their new cat cottage to share with you, but for now I should also mention that they have finally graduated to their own phone number .... 825 - CAPS ( 2277)
And it occurred to me as well that if a busy person was looking to adopt a kitten, it could be incredibly helpful to adopt an adult "nanny' at the same time.    And before the keyboards catch on fire, male cats ...like my own Oscar.. often make great 'uncles' for the youngsters.
Who knows but that next spring some creative soul will put on a Mommy and Me campaign when kitten season hits.  Something like that would have the added advantage of helping the little Momcats get adopted ... instead of the status quo which leaves them 'sitting on the shelf' long after their kittens have found homes.
Like it or not, it is a fact of life that most of the people who can afford to properly care for a pet are going to be busy.  
What time is it ?  Its time to put less emphasis on how much cheaper it is to adopt and more emphasis on what really matters ... how very easy it can be to be kind.

Hope for the Holidays

I love doing carpentry.  There aren't enough hours in the day to do everything, but after years of creating short lived culinary treats there is something so satisfying about building things that will last.   From big projects like the play yard to little bits of shelves, its a joy to finally have a nice little workshop where I can play.
Of course I wouldn't be able to do any of this without my tools.  If you've ever bought carpentry tools, you'll know they're not cheap ... but like most amateurs over the years my little collection has grown.  
Like any amateur, tools have always topped my wish list but one way or the other, here in the real world there is no tool fairy and  somebody has originally had to pay for them.  
That's of course why I'm always nattering on like a stuck record about the free tools available for animal rescue.  One of the best ones around is the increasingly popular IAMS Home for the Holiday's campaign. 
It doesn't cost a red cent for a group or shelter to join, and they reap the benefits of free tools and even a free national advertising campaign.  Which of course was why I was so disappointed last year to see that not one single group or shelter in Nova Scotia had bothered to take the time to sign up.
How does it stack up this year?  Ever so much better!  This year there are eight groups and shelters on board :

• SHAID, ( no surprise when they have led they way with everything else from Petfinder to embracing No Kill to promoting TNR )
• CAPS
• Atlantic Small Dog Rescue
• East Coast German Shepherd Rescue
• and all FOUR SPCA shelters!   Metro, Kings, Yarmouth and Cape Breton! 

Well then.   Now there are eight groups and shelters that have stepped up to the plate ... eight that have embraced the idea that holiday adoptions are NOT passing pets out like candy but rather they are adoptions that take place during a traditionally popular time to bring a new pet into the family.  They are groups that understand that if an adopter would pass the screening in September that same adopter should get a shot in December.
Even better ... they have all just boosted the odds for all their adoptables!
What time is it?  Its time to recognize that more holiday adoptions will reduce the consequences for animal rescue of the post holiday "buyers remorse"
But as a movement, we have to stop focusing our policies under the false premise that the public can’t be trusted, that the animals are better off dead than in the homes of those who believe that there is no better display of holiday spirit than to open their home to an animal in need. Because if there is a central lesson in the No Kill philosophy, it is that there is enough love and compassion in every community to overcome the irresponsibility of the few.  Nathan Winograd

Happy Thanksgiving

Cindy Lou is available at the Metro Shelter

We are the Happy Tails In Waiting.  Please don't misunderstand .... we are all VERY grateful to have been rescued.  For some of us, this is the first time that anyone has bothered to explain that you humans usually prefer our company when we are well behaved.

Gosh ... some of us had no idea that we are supposed to keep four paws on the floor because you humans don't always like being bowled over with enthusiasm.

But we ARE catching on quick because NOW somebody has put our paws on the right path.

Of course we KNOW that we might not be everybody's kindred spirit.  Sheesh, cute little dogs that are already well behaved and tiny little kittens need homes too, eh?

We understand that in our enthusiasm, some of us dogs might not make the best first impression.   We shelter cats know that we should pour on the charm each and every time a visitor comes here.. but gosh some of us have waited so long that we wonder if its worth the effort,hmm?

Yes we know that this Thanksgiving we all should be thankful that we are warm and safe and well fed.  But we also know that when we find our Forever Homes, somebody else in need will get a chance to be safe. 

So this weekend... all our paws will be crossed that a discerning kind heart looking to adopt will recognize as a kindred spirit and fall in love.   Now THAT would be something we would all REALLY be thankful for! 

Harriet is available for adoption from CAPS

Miss Sammy is available from ARC

Scrappy is waiting at SHAID

Brew is with Ador A Bull East

Maddie is available at the Yarmouth SPCA

Skylar is with East Coast German Shepherd Rescue

Jacob Two Two is with SCARS

Lexus is waiting with Lab Rescue

(Her) Majesty is waiting at the Yarmouth SPCA

Simon is waiting at The LA Animal Shelter

Missy is available at SHAID

Layla is with Atlantic All Dog Rescue

Abigail is at The Valley Animal Shelter

Beautiful Moka is at the Yarmouth SPCA

To meet all the other wonderful pets available for adoption in our province, please go to The Nova Scotia Homeless Pet Project,

and its companion site

The Nova Scotia Senior Pet Project

HAPPY THANKSGIVING !!!  From myself and all the Happy Tails here!

Its Andy's First Anniversary!!

Today started off almost as wet as it was a year ago today.  How do I remember that?  Do I keep one of those old fashioned diaries that note the weather every day?  Nope!

I remember what the weather was like a year ago today because this is the day Andy's wonderful foster Mom drove to meet me halfway at Kentville so that me and my trifocals didn't have to drive to the city! 

It had been a pretty eventful few days for the little man leading up to that.  Andy was actually pretty lucky to make such a quick journey from being rescued ... being neutered at his age .. and then coming home with me to meet the dynamic duo.

But Andy is a terrier AND a senior, so he was wise enough to learn the ropes very quickly.   The casual observer would have no idea now that my little man hasn't spent his whole life here.

If its a crapshoot to be a homeless pet,  its a really rough road for the seniors.   The ante steps up quite a few notches for the seniors, like my Andy, who are well past eight.  

(  The sad  subject of how any group can claim to be No Kill if they cherry pick by age is a separate topic that deserves a post of its own on another day ) 

Potential adopters often skip the senior listings.   Some are worried about possible vet bills.  Others believe that old dogs really can't learn new tricks.   And some are simply unwilling to open their heart to a pet that might not have fifteen years of love left to offer.

Yet seniors have such a special sweet and settled charm.  There were no sleepless nights when Andy came here.  No puddles to mop.  No need to work on the leash training.

No sir ... he settled right into our lives as if he'd been here for years and he is as dear to me as if we were lifelong friends.

One kind heart at a time, people are beginning to realize this.  If you are thinking of adopting a senior pet in Nova Scotia, pleas allow me to introduce the lovelies I have listed on The Nova Scotia Senior Pet Project

 Tabitha is available at the Queen's SPCA

Nema, pictured below, is available at SHAID

Jack, pictured below, is available at the Metro Shelter

Mercedes, pictured below, is also available at the Metro Shelter

Smokey is waiting at the TLC Shelter in Digby

Rennie, pictured below, is at The LA Shelter in Amherst

Freddie, pictured below is in foster care with ARC

 Hazel, pictured below, is available from SCARS

Elsa, below, is waiting at the Valley Animal Shelter in Wolfville

Abigail, below, is at the Valley Animal Shelter in Wolfville

Bruin, below, is waiting with East Coast German Shepherd Rescue

And last but definitely not least is sweet Sam, who is available from East Coast German Shepherd Rescue

What time is it?  Its time to understand that being the first love isn't always as meaningful as being the last.

When Love is Not Enough

Its a hot and timely topic of conversation in the animal loving community .... "Is it really appropriate to punish a dog for failure on the part of the owner to provide the boundaries and guidance necessary to make their pet a welcome and safe part of their community?"
Where does the responsibility lie?  Where should the line be drawn?  At what point should a pet be rehomed into more knowledgeable and confident hands?
Existing bylaws around the province put the onus on the pet.  If the cat is allowed to wander ... if the neighbours are afraid of the dog .... a lethal injection is usually the end result.
There is nothing in existing bylaws to inhibit such owners from replacing the pets that have suffered an Unfair Unhappy Tail.   If successfully prosecuted cruelty convictions can still leave the offenders with their personal pets in custody, what deterrent actually exists?
When love is not enough ... when a pet owner will not admit they are in over their head ... what can the municipalities do?  Under current complaint driven legislation, there is no option other than to wait until the lethal injection is almost the only option.
There are two ways of tackling any problem .. reactive and proactive.   Proactive bylaw legislation would allow for an evaluation process that would include surrendering pets to be rehomed.  
Does that sound harsh?   Who would want to give up their pet?
Nobody ... but the plain simple matter is dogs are like do it yourself kits.  Everything that is needed to become a good dog is there from the get go.  Some dogs simply take more commitment and experience on the part of their owners to make that journey.
That is exactly the reason that reputable rescues and breeders screen potential pet owners so carefully, eh?  
Putting lifesaving proactive legislation in place would protect communities in situations where the pet owner cannot admit to his or herself that they are not the appropriate pet owner for that particular pet.
What time is it?  When love is not enough, its time to provide the framework so that compassion can lead the way.