There is an urgent need for fosters for German Shepherd dogs. A long time shelter in Texas is closing and that is putting 200 good dogs at risk of being killed if there is no place for them to go.
Rescues around North America are scrambling to help.
East Coast German Shepherd Rescue is urgently looking for fosters to help save lives. ( Click here for their Downloadable Foster Form (Microsoft Word Document) )
This is a very time sensitive issue as the shelter will be closed before the end of the month. If you believe you can help, or would like more information, please contact leah@nsgrescue.com . If you are on Facebook, you can also contact Leah through the EAST COAST GERMAN SHEPHERD RESCUE Facebook group.
To paraphrase an old saying that is frequently used on the homeless pet site " Volunteering to foster one good dog might not change the whole world, but it will change the whole world for that one dog"
Thursday, October 8, 2009
Counting my blessings
I love Thanksgiving, and cheesy as it sounds, every year at this time I count my blessings. Tomorrow it will be sixteen years since I moved out here and it is no secret that I love living here. The only year that I haven't been here to enjoy the holiday was five years ago ... when I was of course in West Arichat for my daughters' wedding.Here in the beautiful Annapolis Valley, the leaves are always at their best for Thanksgiving. This is my favourite holiday to cook for as pretty much everything comes straight out of the garden.
This year I have just been showered with blessings. After months of easing them into it, I am happy to report that Dora and Oscar are safely ensconced in the house. It has taken months of visits to the laundry room and a summer of spending nights safely secured in the workshop to get us to this place. And of course lots of love and affection to build the trust we needed to get there. As romantic as it would be to have the worlds smallest feral cat colony, out here there are simply too many predators.. some of them human sadly.. for Dora and Oscar to be safe outside.
This year, we also have a very special new reason to be thankful Yesterday, Andy arrived here to join our family circle of love.
Who is Andy you ask? As you can see from this picture his foster mom took, he is a very handsome fellow. But he is much more than a pretty face. Before he came under the loving umbrella of ARC, Andy had been picked up near Walmart, where he had been trying to scavenge enough to stay alive.
The short version of this story is that the kind folks at ARC had already preapproved me to adopt a senior dog when I would be ready. While we all knew that could never 'replace' McG, I felt that adopting a senior dog would be the best way to repay the years of love and devotion I had from McG.
Last week, the email with Andy's first pics came and the rest is history. Yesterday, his foster Mom was kind enough to drive down to Kentville and bring Andy to me so that me and my trifocals didn't have to hold up all kinds of traffic on the highway by driving to the city: ))))
The vet wasn't sure how old he is, as he only has two teeth. But he is sweet and gentle and so very eager to please. We all had a good night's sleep last night and I'm going to have so much fun introducing him to our favourite trails in the woods.
I"m not just blowing smoke when I promote the advantages of adopting a senior pet. Anyone who has followed this blog for any amount of time has been regaled with tales of Scamp, the senior fellow who settled in from the first minute his paws walked in the door here.
Its no secret that I have a real affection for homeless senior pets ( Find out why Mature Pets make great companions right now ) They are particularly vulnerable when they become homeless because many adopters simply pass them out of fear of high medical bills or not having fifteen years of love to offer.
The truth is that senior pets make very Zen companions and are often easier to settle into a new home, especially a multipet one.
So this year, while I'm making the cranberry sauce and baking the pie, I have an extra special reason to be thankful. This year I can be thankful that I have enough sense to appreciate what a wonderful companion little Andy already is. He is living proof that seniors really are more experienced at love.
Tuesday, October 6, 2009
Just another form of humane education
Five years ago today I was working on my daughter's wedding cake. Over the years I had done enough fairytale type wedding functions to appreciate the simplicity of the small intimate day that she and her husband wanted. They were married in the same church in West Arichat that he was baptized in.
We rented the lovely old Cranberry House ... not only was it roomy enough for our much smaller side of the family to stay, but it did double duty for a relaxed afternoon reception.
Her wedding dress came from Frenchies and the food trays from the Superstore and from Subway. Her maid of honors' beau took the pictures and his best friend played the music for the ceremony.
It was a beautiful stress free day and I'll always be glad we picked the simple path.
I hadn't realized how well she had paid attention to my experiences doing weddings over the years. Honestly ... at no point did I ever sit her down and rhyme off a list of reasons why large formal weddings are so fraught with peril. But children catch more than we realize and she figured out what she wanted for herself by paying attention.
So even if the society succeeds in getting humane education into the schools, the first lessons will always be learned at home. Right or wrong... good or bad .. that's where it will start.
Did Mom and Dad give away the pets when they moved? Did they spay the cat? Drown the kittens? Shoot the dog?
How can such family traditions be changed for the better? The same way that any change is made. My best friend grew up in a home where his mother was repeatedly at risk by his father. The children used to have to creep out the window, over the porch and hide in the barn when their father had been drinking. Everyone knew it happened but nobody did anything.
Why? Because there were not enough laws with teeth to prevent it. The neighbours knew if they reported it that it would only make the situation worse.
Laws are one of the most effective tools to make social change. People didn't wake up one morning and decide it was wrong to drink and drive. It took changing the law to deter most folks.
How does legislation change? Through our politicians of course ... it changes when bills to effect change are initiated. It changes when bills are amended. It only changes when there is strong enough voter feedback to inspire the politicians to react.
Most of the legislation that would improve the lot of animals either does double duty as:
1. Public safety :
We rented the lovely old Cranberry House ... not only was it roomy enough for our much smaller side of the family to stay, but it did double duty for a relaxed afternoon reception.
Her wedding dress came from Frenchies and the food trays from the Superstore and from Subway. Her maid of honors' beau took the pictures and his best friend played the music for the ceremony.
It was a beautiful stress free day and I'll always be glad we picked the simple path.
I hadn't realized how well she had paid attention to my experiences doing weddings over the years. Honestly ... at no point did I ever sit her down and rhyme off a list of reasons why large formal weddings are so fraught with peril. But children catch more than we realize and she figured out what she wanted for herself by paying attention.
So even if the society succeeds in getting humane education into the schools, the first lessons will always be learned at home. Right or wrong... good or bad .. that's where it will start.
Did Mom and Dad give away the pets when they moved? Did they spay the cat? Drown the kittens? Shoot the dog?
How can such family traditions be changed for the better? The same way that any change is made. My best friend grew up in a home where his mother was repeatedly at risk by his father. The children used to have to creep out the window, over the porch and hide in the barn when their father had been drinking. Everyone knew it happened but nobody did anything.
Why? Because there were not enough laws with teeth to prevent it. The neighbours knew if they reported it that it would only make the situation worse.
Laws are one of the most effective tools to make social change. People didn't wake up one morning and decide it was wrong to drink and drive. It took changing the law to deter most folks.
How does legislation change? Through our politicians of course ... it changes when bills to effect change are initiated. It changes when bills are amended. It only changes when there is strong enough voter feedback to inspire the politicians to react.
Most of the legislation that would improve the lot of animals either does double duty as:
1. Public safety :
- protecting dogs from being chained 24/7 protects children and neighbours
- preventing dogs from riding loose in the back of pickups protects both the foot and road traffic in their vicinity
2. Consumer Protection:
- legislation to ban the traffic of living breathing sentient beings in the free online ad sites minimizes the lack of support given by the 'curbside guarantee"
- in addition, it also minimized the chances for consumers to be sold unhealthy animals
- and of course it reduces the chances of consumers finding out that free to a good home might be more than they bargained for owing to lack of training.
People obey the law because it is more convenient for them than breaking it. When the public prosecutor willingly engages in the travesty of the Five Dollar Decision ... there is nothing in the penalty to make it inconvenient for anyone to kill an animal.
It will take stronger penalties to deter irresponsible pet owners and animal abusers ( the debate as to where the line is drawn between the two is a separate subject for another day )
At the end of the day .... changing the laws is just another form of humane education. Most men these days understand that it is just wrong to hurt a woman .... but for those who don't get that ... the social disgrace and financial penalties embedded in the law are there to act as a deterrent.
The lessons we teach our children are not always the ones we meant to give. If we want to 'teach all our children well' in NS, putting some teeth into our provincial animal cruelty legislation is a dandy place to start.
It may be true that the law cannot make a man love me, but it can keep him from lynching me, and I think that's pretty important. Martin Luthor King, Jr.
Monday, October 5, 2009
Temporary foster needed while petowner finds new pet friendly housing
Meet Mickey .... he is one of the lucky dogs because his owner is pulling out all the stops to keep her best friend. Mickey's Mom is looking for a new apartment and hopes to find a pet friendly one by the beginning of December.
Mickey weighs 8 lbs and is litter trained. His Mom is hoping for a foster without children or other pets ... and she is willing to pay for his food, litter and anything else Mickey needs while he is in foster.
If you, or anyone you know can help, you can contact Mickey's Mom at either mickeymo@live.ca or at 477-1959.
Transportation can be provided to bring Micky anywhere in mainland Nova Scotia or even to the Moncton area and to bring him back home when his Mom finds a new pet friendly apartment.
In a world where far too many are far too casual about commitment to their good pets, its great to be reminded that there are also people like Mickey's Mom who believe that pet ownership is a lifetime journey.
Sunday, October 4, 2009
There is nothing warmer than a patchwork quilt
The hundred and fifty dollar fence is almost finished. Admittedly the original cost for all the material and hardware used represents a much higher total. The $150 figure only expresses the amount of money that has been spent this year ... for a treasure find of 6' high heavy galvanized wire no longer needed by my groomer when she renovated their boarding kennels.
Much of the rest has been recycled from the fence that used to surround the old pool. The balance was bought on sale so long ago even I can't remember what I paid for them.
For years I didn't even consider building a fence. At just under two acres, it would take more energy and resources than I have to do fence the whole place. Then one morning I had an ah ha moment and realized there was nothing stopping me from fencing a PART of the yard. Its not as perfect as having a two acre private off leash park, but it will still be a safe place to play outside with my dogs and work on their recall. And honestly, its still bigger than most urban backyards.
It doesn't all match ... there are sections of board, galvanized wire, page wire and even some lattice. But it creates a safe place for Miss Ruby and Henry to have fun.
Finding an achievable and humane solution for the homeless cat problem is a lot like the $150 fence. The more that I mull the whole thing over, the more that I realize that there is no uniform, one size fits all solution. The answer lies in finding a way to amalgamate all the good ideas.
I'll be the first to admit that no meaningful formula is going to work without TNR. Can it be applied everywhere? Of course not .... but not for the reasons that its opponents will give.
The plain unvarnished truth is that there are still too many folks out there who lack the compassion and education to understand the simple effective beauty of the TNR solution. NIMBY often blinds people to the potential of TNR.
Folks who think of themselves as decent and kind human beings believe that its acceptable to cherry pick which lives matter. People will continue to kill cats until there are laws with enough teeth to apply penalties that will act as a real deterrent.
I have been told that TNR will not work here in Kings County because we don't have the fancy cat houses that they do over on the Island (http://www.cats-pei.ca/index.html) The plain unvarnished truth is that Bylaw 12A penalizes all feral colony caregivers and has been used in the past to shut down existing tended colonies. Until municipal bylaws are changed to protect feral cats, complaints from neighbours will continue to shut down existing colonies .... thus reinforcing the idea the TNR does not work.
Geography still plays a critical part in the prospects for survival of feral and stray cats. Although the society has officially come out in support of TNR, not every area in NS has consistent coverage with its own branch. Nor are these "financially independent" branches all on the same page with the provincial point of view. Changing that is an internal society issue .... but in the interim, the society should use its position as 'voice for the animals" to change the outcome for community cats by educating all municipalities about TNR.
In these days of fiscal restraint there is real competition for municipal funding opportunities. TNR is not the only good idea out there. One AC officer is firmly convinced that the solution lies in having the municipalities provide no questions asked spay neuter chits for pets. Is that a good idea? Of course it is? Is it a better use of resources than TNR? That's like comparing apples to oranges. This idea is a great way to minimize future strays and ferals but the immediate population still needs to be addressed. So yes ... a critical part of the solution also lies in a broad municipal program of spay neuter chits.
The existing "Feed me, I'm yours" policy of some branches is a proven recipe for disaster. When kind hearted people start feeding strays, the population escalates rapidly if the strays are not altered. If people are willing to feed and care for homeless cats, funding for spay neuter chits is a one time investment that does not involve further sheltering or staffing costs to kill the cats.
With all the good information out there on animal care and responsible pet ownership, how is it that there are still so many who just don't seem to 'get it'? Animal welfare sites are just brimming with wonderful resources that are all available for free. As the webmaster for one of these animal welfare sites, I can tell you that I normally get a minimum of 5000 individual visits to my site everyday. Boy that sounds like a lot , huh? Not even close. Its not eve two percent of the households in this province! Efforts to bring humane education into the public school curriculum's need to be complemented by responsible pet information on municipal and provincial websites.
There is an old proverb ... "when I teach my child, I am teaching my children's children" Until communities show enough concern and respect for all life to take pawsitive steps for the animals, our children's children will continue to perpetuate the problem. It will take a community to make it socially unacceptable to be so careless with life.
What time is it? Its always time to remember that strong voter feedback is the best way to remind politicians at all levels that humane solutions for the homeless pet problems always creates healthier and safer communities
Let your provincial MLA ( Members - Constituencies ) know that you support stronger penalties to the existing Animal Cruelty Legislation and,
Let your municipal councillors ( http://www.unsm.ca/membership-directory/ ) know that you want your tax dollars to be spent saving lives and setting a good example for our children.
The world is a dangerous place, not because of those who do evil, but because of those who look on and do nothing... - Albert Einstein
Much of the rest has been recycled from the fence that used to surround the old pool. The balance was bought on sale so long ago even I can't remember what I paid for them.
For years I didn't even consider building a fence. At just under two acres, it would take more energy and resources than I have to do fence the whole place. Then one morning I had an ah ha moment and realized there was nothing stopping me from fencing a PART of the yard. Its not as perfect as having a two acre private off leash park, but it will still be a safe place to play outside with my dogs and work on their recall. And honestly, its still bigger than most urban backyards.
It doesn't all match ... there are sections of board, galvanized wire, page wire and even some lattice. But it creates a safe place for Miss Ruby and Henry to have fun.
Finding an achievable and humane solution for the homeless cat problem is a lot like the $150 fence. The more that I mull the whole thing over, the more that I realize that there is no uniform, one size fits all solution. The answer lies in finding a way to amalgamate all the good ideas.
I'll be the first to admit that no meaningful formula is going to work without TNR. Can it be applied everywhere? Of course not .... but not for the reasons that its opponents will give.
The plain unvarnished truth is that there are still too many folks out there who lack the compassion and education to understand the simple effective beauty of the TNR solution. NIMBY often blinds people to the potential of TNR.
Folks who think of themselves as decent and kind human beings believe that its acceptable to cherry pick which lives matter. People will continue to kill cats until there are laws with enough teeth to apply penalties that will act as a real deterrent.
I have been told that TNR will not work here in Kings County because we don't have the fancy cat houses that they do over on the Island (http://www.cats-pei.ca/index.html) The plain unvarnished truth is that Bylaw 12A penalizes all feral colony caregivers and has been used in the past to shut down existing tended colonies. Until municipal bylaws are changed to protect feral cats, complaints from neighbours will continue to shut down existing colonies .... thus reinforcing the idea the TNR does not work.
Geography still plays a critical part in the prospects for survival of feral and stray cats. Although the society has officially come out in support of TNR, not every area in NS has consistent coverage with its own branch. Nor are these "financially independent" branches all on the same page with the provincial point of view. Changing that is an internal society issue .... but in the interim, the society should use its position as 'voice for the animals" to change the outcome for community cats by educating all municipalities about TNR.
In these days of fiscal restraint there is real competition for municipal funding opportunities. TNR is not the only good idea out there. One AC officer is firmly convinced that the solution lies in having the municipalities provide no questions asked spay neuter chits for pets. Is that a good idea? Of course it is? Is it a better use of resources than TNR? That's like comparing apples to oranges. This idea is a great way to minimize future strays and ferals but the immediate population still needs to be addressed. So yes ... a critical part of the solution also lies in a broad municipal program of spay neuter chits.
The existing "Feed me, I'm yours" policy of some branches is a proven recipe for disaster. When kind hearted people start feeding strays, the population escalates rapidly if the strays are not altered. If people are willing to feed and care for homeless cats, funding for spay neuter chits is a one time investment that does not involve further sheltering or staffing costs to kill the cats.
With all the good information out there on animal care and responsible pet ownership, how is it that there are still so many who just don't seem to 'get it'? Animal welfare sites are just brimming with wonderful resources that are all available for free. As the webmaster for one of these animal welfare sites, I can tell you that I normally get a minimum of 5000 individual visits to my site everyday. Boy that sounds like a lot , huh? Not even close. Its not eve two percent of the households in this province! Efforts to bring humane education into the public school curriculum's need to be complemented by responsible pet information on municipal and provincial websites.
There is an old proverb ... "when I teach my child, I am teaching my children's children" Until communities show enough concern and respect for all life to take pawsitive steps for the animals, our children's children will continue to perpetuate the problem. It will take a community to make it socially unacceptable to be so careless with life.
What time is it? Its always time to remember that strong voter feedback is the best way to remind politicians at all levels that humane solutions for the homeless pet problems always creates healthier and safer communities
Let your provincial MLA ( Members - Constituencies ) know that you support stronger penalties to the existing Animal Cruelty Legislation and,
Let your municipal councillors ( http://www.unsm.ca/membership-directory/ ) know that you want your tax dollars to be spent saving lives and setting a good example for our children.
The world is a dangerous place, not because of those who do evil, but because of those who look on and do nothing... - Albert Einstein
Wednesday, September 30, 2009
On the way to a better path
From this morning's Herald
Happy ending was in store for mother cat, her kittens
Mamma discovered by grocery workers reunited with babies after shelter sojourn
By TASLEEM MAWJI Wed. Sep 30 - 4:46 AM
Superstore employee Lori Aikens plays with the five rescued kitchens at her Halifax apartment on Tuesday. (Tim Krochak / Staff)
The sight of a tiny black and white kitten and the sound of crying led a manager of the Superstore on Joseph Howe Drive to four more hungry newborns hidden in a storage room.
"She had them hidden really good. . . . It was actually in the wall where she had the kittens, so they had to pull out the wall to get them out," Lori Aikens, an employee at the Superstore, said Tuesday.
Their mother had been found some days before. She was taken home by two employees on the night crew who named her Kipper.
When the Superstore employees found the kittens they immediately thought they belonged to Kipper, but they were unable to contact her rescuers, so they called a veterinary clinic.
The clinic put them in touch with Inge Sadler of Pick of the Litter Society, a seven-year-old rescue organization that specializes in bottle-feeding orphaned kittens and operates from Mrs. Sadler’s home.
She bottle-fed the kittens until Kipper’s rescuers could be contacted.
"They brought the mother cat here and we had a reunion with mama cat and kittens," Mrs. Sadler said from her nursery.
The squeaking of 20 kittens was heard in the background
Mrs. Sadler makes up the entire staff of the rescue society that has seen 264 kittens pass through her home already this year.
While this case had a happy ending, Mrs. Sadler said most lost kittens are never reunited with their mothers because the mother is run over by a car, carried off by coyotes or is too young or too malnourished to care for the litter.
The Superstore kittens were 10-days-old when they were found about a week ago, and about the size of Ms. Aikens’ hand. Kipper is only 10 months old herself.
After the reunion, Kipper and the kittens were taken in by Ms. Aikens on a temporary basis because Kipper’s rescuers didn’t have room for the mother and her kittens in their home.
"I’ve had them for a week now and they’ve grown quite a bit, and the mom’s finally putting a little bit of weight on her," said Ms. Aikens. "She was pretty starving and scrawny."
"There’s a little one that’s all black and that seems to be the one that is a little more timid than the rest. "(It) wanders off a little bit, but the mother’s really good at scooping her back in if she loses her way."
Kipper will be returned to her rescuers after the kittens are weaned. The kittens have already been adopted, even the runt of the litter.
Twenty kittens is the average number that Mrs. Sadler cares for at a time. She said she has been lucky and has always been able to find homes for all her orphans.
But she said Halifax has the same problem other cities do, there are just too many kittens being born to stray and feral cats.
"The number of ones I’ve had to say no to is probably as many as I’ve said yes to," said Mrs. Sadler.
"All of us rescue people are trying desperately together to get HRM on board with a TNR (trap-neuter-return) program so that we can solve this problem."
( tmawji@herald.ca)
In a world so full of unhappy tails, its always nice to see stories like this. Not only does Pick of the Litter fill a very important specialized animal rescue niche, but Inge Sadler has been a strong advocate for the kitties long before most people heard of TNR. In fact, their expertise has also saved a few orphaned puppies and last year even five baby squirrels: )))
If you live in Nova Scotia, go to the Community Cat Corner to find out how you can help the folks working for the kitties in your own area.
What time is it? Its always time to remember that everyone has to play their own part to solve this huge homeless cat problem in a humane way:
Happy ending was in store for mother cat, her kittens
Mamma discovered by grocery workers reunited with babies after shelter sojourn
By TASLEEM MAWJI Wed. Sep 30 - 4:46 AM
Superstore employee Lori Aikens plays with the five rescued kitchens at her Halifax apartment on Tuesday. (Tim Krochak / Staff)
The sight of a tiny black and white kitten and the sound of crying led a manager of the Superstore on Joseph Howe Drive to four more hungry newborns hidden in a storage room.
"She had them hidden really good. . . . It was actually in the wall where she had the kittens, so they had to pull out the wall to get them out," Lori Aikens, an employee at the Superstore, said Tuesday.
Their mother had been found some days before. She was taken home by two employees on the night crew who named her Kipper.
When the Superstore employees found the kittens they immediately thought they belonged to Kipper, but they were unable to contact her rescuers, so they called a veterinary clinic.
The clinic put them in touch with Inge Sadler of Pick of the Litter Society, a seven-year-old rescue organization that specializes in bottle-feeding orphaned kittens and operates from Mrs. Sadler’s home.
She bottle-fed the kittens until Kipper’s rescuers could be contacted.
"They brought the mother cat here and we had a reunion with mama cat and kittens," Mrs. Sadler said from her nursery.
The squeaking of 20 kittens was heard in the background
Mrs. Sadler makes up the entire staff of the rescue society that has seen 264 kittens pass through her home already this year.
While this case had a happy ending, Mrs. Sadler said most lost kittens are never reunited with their mothers because the mother is run over by a car, carried off by coyotes or is too young or too malnourished to care for the litter.
The Superstore kittens were 10-days-old when they were found about a week ago, and about the size of Ms. Aikens’ hand. Kipper is only 10 months old herself.
After the reunion, Kipper and the kittens were taken in by Ms. Aikens on a temporary basis because Kipper’s rescuers didn’t have room for the mother and her kittens in their home.
"I’ve had them for a week now and they’ve grown quite a bit, and the mom’s finally putting a little bit of weight on her," said Ms. Aikens. "She was pretty starving and scrawny."
"There’s a little one that’s all black and that seems to be the one that is a little more timid than the rest. "(It) wanders off a little bit, but the mother’s really good at scooping her back in if she loses her way."
Kipper will be returned to her rescuers after the kittens are weaned. The kittens have already been adopted, even the runt of the litter.
Twenty kittens is the average number that Mrs. Sadler cares for at a time. She said she has been lucky and has always been able to find homes for all her orphans.
But she said Halifax has the same problem other cities do, there are just too many kittens being born to stray and feral cats.
"The number of ones I’ve had to say no to is probably as many as I’ve said yes to," said Mrs. Sadler.
"All of us rescue people are trying desperately together to get HRM on board with a TNR (trap-neuter-return) program so that we can solve this problem."
( tmawji@herald.ca)
In a world so full of unhappy tails, its always nice to see stories like this. Not only does Pick of the Litter fill a very important specialized animal rescue niche, but Inge Sadler has been a strong advocate for the kitties long before most people heard of TNR. In fact, their expertise has also saved a few orphaned puppies and last year even five baby squirrels: )))
If you live in Nova Scotia, go to the Community Cat Corner to find out how you can help the folks working for the kitties in your own area.
What time is it? Its always time to remember that everyone has to play their own part to solve this huge homeless cat problem in a humane way:
- the solution starts at home .... spay and neuter your own pets
- let your municipal councillors know that you strongly support municipal funding for TNR ... that you want your tax dollars spent saving lives instead of killing, and as always
- talk, talk, talk. Never underestimate the power of word of mouth.
One of the deep secrets of life is that all that is really worth doing is what we do for others. Lewis Carroll
Tuesday, September 29, 2009
On the hunt for a better solution
Hunting season is almost here and it won't be long before we'll all have to wear our bright orange vests when we go for our morning hike. If I wanted to do more than hike in the woods with my dogs, there would be a lot more work involved getting ready for the season.
Even though I've had military survival training, I'd still have to take a Firearms Safety course and the hunter safety course (the subject of how anyone who spends time in the woods should do that anyway is a separate topic for another day).
Without the Firearm Safety Course, I wouldn't be able to get an FAC ( Firearms Acquisition Certificate. Without the FAC, I wouldn't be able to buy a rifle to hunt with, nor in the foreseeable future would I be able to buy ammunition.
I would also need both courses to get a Nova Scotia Wildlife Resources Client Card. Without that, I wouldn't be able to get a hunting licence.
Hunting can be an expensive sport ( the subject of how sporting it is when the deer can't shoot back is my private personal opinion and the big reason I don't hunt ) If I wanted to cut corners, I might be able to find hunting apparel on Kijiji, but by their own rules I would not be able to buy the rifle or the ammunition there.
If you want to stir up some heated debate at your next social gathering ... suggest that there should be legislation to ban the traffic of living breathing sentient being on the free online ad sites. The politest responses invariably include at least one of:
Even though I've had military survival training, I'd still have to take a Firearms Safety course and the hunter safety course (the subject of how anyone who spends time in the woods should do that anyway is a separate topic for another day).
Without the Firearm Safety Course, I wouldn't be able to get an FAC ( Firearms Acquisition Certificate. Without the FAC, I wouldn't be able to buy a rifle to hunt with, nor in the foreseeable future would I be able to buy ammunition.
I would also need both courses to get a Nova Scotia Wildlife Resources Client Card. Without that, I wouldn't be able to get a hunting licence.
Hunting can be an expensive sport ( the subject of how sporting it is when the deer can't shoot back is my private personal opinion and the big reason I don't hunt ) If I wanted to cut corners, I might be able to find hunting apparel on Kijiji, but by their own rules I would not be able to buy the rifle or the ammunition there.
If you want to stir up some heated debate at your next social gathering ... suggest that there should be legislation to ban the traffic of living breathing sentient being on the free online ad sites. The politest responses invariably include at least one of:
- that would infringe on personal freedom
- how else could most people afford a purebred
- adoption screenings are an invasion of personal privacy
- it saves lives by finding new homes for pets, and my personal favourite
- "free to a good home" is a great way for people who can't afford a pet to get one
Sadly, the ones who really pay the price for this "liberty" are both the animals and the kind hearted animal lovers :
- When the personal freedom that is infringed upon is that of puppy brokers like the Benoits. The reality is that it provides a layer of anonymity that allows puppy mills and backyard breeders to overbreed inadequately housed animals as they capitalize on the natural desire for pet ownership.
- There is a reason that purebreds are expensive. Reputable breeders carefully screen for genetic traits and disorders. Puppies come to their new homes with their vaccines, a health guarantee and a lifetime of breeder support. Kijiji's curbside guarantee will not help inexperienced petowners prepare for their new best friend or cope with the journey from cute puppy to well socialized dog. When 'purebreds' are advertised as not having two CKC registered parents, that means that someone has been breeding a dog without breeding rights... that the original breeder felt was unsuitable in some way for breeding. It isn't just a matter of 'getting what you pay for' its the heartbreak and expense involved when medical and behavior issues arise. Many of the 'free to a good home' listings originally started with the purchase of a purebred puppy from this source.
- in this electronic age, personal privacy is a tough thing to hang on to. The average person puts more information on their Facebook Account than is asked for in applications for reputable rescues and breeders. The process is meant to prevent heartache by matching pets to the applicants with an appropriate lifestyle and commitment level.
- Sadly the 'free to a good home' section is brimming with potential problems. When someone has no time for the puppy they failed to train, the offspring of the pet they didn't spay, the 8 year old that they have overbred for years and the faithful old friends that are developing health issues, where do you think they get listed. Nobody has to work through the knots and find a better solution as long as this is available. Nor do people want to know how many times the seemingly 'humane' solution winds up becoming a feeder, a breeder or being taken out to a back road and dumped.
- before the keyboards catch on fire, it costs money to do anything in this life. Even without being extravagant, pets need to eat and will need regular vet care. It will cost at least twice the adoption fee to vaccinate and alter the youngsters.
The reality is that this is consumer protection legislation. First time pet owners often bring more love than experience to the table. Shouldn't they be protected from the unscruplulous looking to prey on their very natural desire for a pet?
Efforts made by animal advocates to address this issue with Kijiji have been repeatedly rebuffed. Why won't Kijiji let its customers list baby walkers? Because its illegal to sell them anymore. Why aren't weapons allowed? Because its against the law. As would it be to list drugs, alcohol or porn. Straight sweet and simple.
What time is it? Its always time to remember that the single thing that all politicians of all stripes respond to is strong voter feedback. Now that the fall session has started, its time to remind our MLA's that this this is important issue to the animal loving .... and voting community (click on Members - Constituencies if you do not know the appropriate email and phone numbers.)
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)