Who will rescue them after the rescue?

Rescue,
1. to free or deliver from confinement, violence, danger, or evil.
From the Services page of the Cape Breton SPCA http://www.capebretonspca.com/services.html (anything in green italics is of course not from the site but is commenting on the material therein )
Services
What the SPCA Chapters Do:

1. Rescue abandoned or distressed animals:

• no mention is made of the fact that the CB branch holds the AC contract for dogs only.
• Nor is their any indication that they accept all owner surrenders. Many of these are listed separately in their branch statistics as being killed by the request of the owner.
• Without funding for cats, they only include 66% of the cats taken into the shelter in their branch statistics.

2. Provide quick, humane disposal in cases where it is an act of mercy:

• In reality , according to the annual statistics on the provincial branch home page, the Branch has taken the liberty of redefining disproportionate numbers of the animals as being untreatable or unadoptable. Once again, these numbers are not included in their branch statistics.
• If one looks at the definition of humane ( characterized by tenderness, sympathy and compassion for people and animals; especially for the suffering and distressed ) and disposal ( disposing of, or getting rid of something ), it is an oxymoron to use those two words together to describe the killing of living sentient beings.
• Special permissions notwithstanding, continued use of the gas chamber violates Official Position Number: 600/E/10 of the provincial society.

3. Find homes for unwanted, healthy animals:

• While the CBFSS, http://www.cbfss.org/ , does work an adoption booth in the mall on saturday's for the CB Branch, there is nothing on the Branch website to offer potential adopters. Not one single picture exists on the Branch website of any cats or dogs that are available for adoption. Not one.
• Clicking on the dogs or cats for adoption link on the branch page links visitors to the Branch Petfinder page.... which is STILL completely empty. If they are receiving an average of 75 pets a week in the shelter ( that they will admit to ), having their petfinder page empty for the last three weeks means that 225 pets didn't get listed. Does it take longer to list the pets or to kill them?

4. Promote humane education:

• Their spay neuter page is a reprint of a flyer produced 13 years ago by CFHS. No mention is made there of the spay neuter assist program the CBRM offers.
• Their education page consists of a couple of paragraphs offering to go into the schools on request and the terse advice that pet ownership is a big commitment and if one is unsure, it is better not to adopt at all.

5. Investigate cases of cruelty or neglect involving household pets:

• Any investigation into cruelty should start with the Branch refusal to stop using their gas chamber to kill animals.
• In the recent and well publicized case where two hunters found a little dog nailed into a box that was submerged in a pond, the animal in question was immediately returned to his owner before any facts could be reasonably verified. Their chief investigator only mentioned to the media that he would look into the circumstances after a deluge of public protests in the comments section of the articles in the Cape Breton Post.

6 Cases involving livestock and wildlife are referred to the provincial investigator:

What the SPCA does not do:

• Does not take action in annoyance cases except where cruelty/neglect are involved-
• Does not put its inspectors at risk by allowing them to climb trees or hydro poles-
• Does not supply animals for scientific or medical research ( Why would that even need to be mentioned? )

Visit our webpages that describe the services we provide:

• Spay and Neuter
• Adoption
• Investigation
• Statistics
• Lost and Found
• Foster Care

Recipe for a Great Dog

Ingredients:

• one dog of any age. Size does not matter
• At least one loving human
• Daily time available
• Complete lifetime commitment
• More than a pinch of patience
• Consistent routine
• Balanced nutritious diet suitable for weight/age/size
• Appropriate safety gear: seatbelts/lifejackets/hunting season vests/etc
• One good vet or animal clinic,
• Toys and Treats, and last but definitely not least
• Lots and lots of Love

Optional Ingredients ( May not be required by all models)

• Available Groomer
• Obedience training
• Coats and Boots for inclement weather
• Dog Sport Training
• Clicker or New Clicker Leash

Method:

Please note that preparation time will vary with individual age and history. Older models often train quicker while some of the ones that have been given a rough start might need a little extra time and effort.

1. Combine loving human, dog with daily time together. This step is critical and cannot be bypassed. If no daily time is available in current lifestyle, postpone bringing home a dog until things change. Not sure if you have the time available? Take a 'test drive' by volunteering to be a short term foster for your local animal shelter or rescue for when their regular fosters go on vacation/on curling bonspiels or just plain need a break.
2. Dog is a living breathing sentient being, not a thing to be recycled through Kijijji or rescue when its people get tired of it/do not train it properly/or any other variety of bullshit excuses available. If Commitment is not available, postpone bringing home dog until things change
3. Patience will pay off in the long run. Dog is intelligent and wants to please.... dog simply needs to know what you want. Please note that there is generally less mopping and midnight waking up for walks with older models.
4. All dogs of all ages and all sizes like the security of a steady routine. This is particularly important for models that were ill treated by their previous humans.
5. You are what you eat... and so is your dog. It is poor economy to feed any dog cheap food. You will spend a lot more money on vet bills in the long run than you will save on food. If you cannot afford decent food for dog, postpone getting dog until circumstances improve... or consider volunteering to foster ( animal shelters and rescues normally pay for food and vet bills for their pets in foster )
6. Safety gear is important. You wouldn't drive without a seatbelt or go out on the water without a lifejacket. Protect your new best friend too.
7. Reasonable proximity to a good vet that you can trust is critical. Dog will need regular checkups , will normally need vaccinations and altering, and will of course need emergency care. If vet care is out of your budget, postpone getting dog until things improve. Please note that dogs adopted from Rescue normally have been altered, health checked and vaccinated.
8. Toys and treats are more than good fun... they are great ways to let dog know when he or she is on the right path. Did I mention the fun bit?
9. And of course, while Love isn't all Dog needs, it is the one thing Dog needs the most. In return, Dog will have more love than you could ever imagine for you.

Cleaning Instructions:

1. Ears should be gently cleaned, at least weekly and for some dogs, daily. Patience may be needed until dog understands this is neither a game nor something to fear
2. Nails will need to be clipped. Otherwise paws will get sore and it will hurt dog to walk. If human is worried about doing this, it can be done quite reasonably by vet techs and groomers.
3. Dog may need to be groomed. Find out beforehand because dogs that must be clipped will get matted fur and worse if this is not done. If you cannot afford a groomer, you probably cannot afford the other things you should do for dog.
4. Dogs without winter boots will need their paws washed after walking on winter roads with salt. If not, dog can get sick licking salt ( with chemicals ) off paws.
5. Eyes may need to be gently cleaned on a regular basis, especially for small or older dogs. When this is not done, dog's eyes can get infected and dog can lose vision. Eyes can also be 'sealed' shut which is very painful for dog.
6. Butts may need to be wiped and cleaned of 'organic' matter. If human is squeamish about this, human should perhaps have fish instead of dog because human will be required in most locations to pick up dog's poop and carry it with them for the rest of the walk.
7. Dog should be brushed regularly. Even short haired dogs will feel better and it is good training for dog to stand still. Trips to the vet will be much easier that way.

Maintenance Notes:

• Under no circumstances should dog be chained outside, even with a dog house. Dog is not a yard ornament. Dog is a social pack animal whose spirit will wither without the company of his human. If there is no room and/or time to train dog to be a suitable companion in the home, human should settle for a dog screensaver.
• Dog will eventually get older. We all do. Good food and regular checkups will help minimize health issues, but human must be prepared to give dog the extra patience, tlc and time that is needed. Please note that commitment includes loving and properly caring for dog in his or her senior years.
• Dog's love provides constant support to human. If human has a new partner who insists they cannot live with dog, human should consider carefully whether they should share space with someone attempting to control them by isolating them from their friends and loved ones.
• If dog is originally adopted from rescue, human is never working without a safety net. If human is unwilling or unable to look after dog, human must return dog to the rescue or shelter dog came from. The adoption contract specifies this. Dog is not to be passed around like an old sock on free online ad sites.

Dog is like a Do It Yourself Kit ..... everything human needs to make a great dog is there.... all human needs to do is take the time and love to put it all together.

Learning New Tricks

My eldercat, Bear, is the best dog trainer I have ever known. She refuses to run from any dog of any size and has always been quick to teach any and all newcomers the first rule of cat ... that she was here first and she rules. Like many old school girls, she is the iron fist in the velvet glove. From the moment each newcomer has set foot though the door, Bear has been quick to let them know their place in the scheme of things. She understands instinctively how important it is for everyone to get off on the right paw.

And like many old school gals, her age is a mystery .... fourteen years ago when Bear wandered in my vet thought that she was at least two or three. Happily in catspeak that should mean there is no imminent cause for concern, especially as this years checkup was still full of good news. I am still surprised when people hesitate to adopt an eight year old cat because they don't realize that a well cared for cat can live to be twenty or more.

Now I'm no spring chicken myself, so I bring a little bit of my own experience about pets to the table. But some of the best lessons I've learned are the ones Bear has taught me. She is quick to let any 'new kids' know their role in her 'pack' and never changes her ground rules. She gets respect because she expects to be respected. And most importantly, she is patient and willing to spend whatever time is needed with each 'new kid' to achieve her desired results.

Whether it was teaching Clive not to disturb her beauty sleep or reminding Ruby not to chase her, Bear stayed the course until the lesson was learned. Judging by the occasional wee scratch on Henry's nose, he is still learning not to stick his cold nose on her butt : ))))
Which is why I am always put out to hear tales of adopters giving up before they ever really get started on the road with their new pets. My friend Joan has a great page on her Charlie Loves Halifax site called How to Be a Benevolent Alpha, http://charlieloveshalifax.ca/benevolent.html. As the local rep for Dogs Deserve Better, she has often passed out the articles on adopting a dog that has been chained or penned http://www.dogsdeservebetter.com/rehab.html
All relationships take work if they are going to last ... its unrealistic to expect to successfully bring home a new pet of any age without investing the time and energy.
I am fifty four years old and so I have learned that the most successful people in life are the ones who are willing to learn 'new tricks'. These are the folks who understand that they do not know everything. Their willingness to learn is what sets them apart.
At some point in every pet owners life they are a rookie. The great pet owners are the ones who have been, and are still, willing to 'learn new tricks" There is a wealth of support information available for anyone bringing home any new pet of any age:

• There has been a lot of great info gathered by the Education committee on the society webpage, http://www.spcans.ca/resources/animal_welfare.html
• http://www.bestfriends.org/theanimals/petcare/
• There are great pet training videos on Petfinder http://www.petfinder.com/training.html
• CFHS has a great section on adopting http://cfhs.ca/athome/
• And of course obedience training... which is actually more about training the pet owner than the pet : )))

No matter what age you are, how can you expect your pets to learn new tricks if you won't?

You Can Get There from Here

I tend to view the world from a cooks perspective. There's the logical side, where success depends on deft combinations of measured ingredients and traditional skills. Then there's the creative end of the stick, where new techniques and innovative recipes create bold new concepts. Whoever it was who said there is nothing new under the sun clearly never set foot in a kitchen.
The No Kill Concept has been around long enough to have mapped its own ingredients for success. These are not radical theories but tried and tested techniques.
Basically, the recipe has ten ingredients:
#10 TNR program for Feral Cats
#9 High volume / Low Cost Spay Neuter
#8 Rescue Groups
#7 Foster Care
#6 Comprehensive Adoption Program
#5 Pet Retention
#4 Medical and Behavioral Assistance
#3 Good community relations and involvement
#2 Volunteers, and last but not least
#1 Compassionate, goal focused leadership
If you look at the situation in Cape Breton, some of the ingredients are already in place, even if not in the needed quantities.
#10 The Cape Breton Feline Support Society already exists, and has been doing their bit not just with TNR but in trying to help with adoptions. http://www.cbfss.org/
#9 The CBRM has funded 300 low cost spay neuters for this year. That number pales in light of the nearly 4000 animals admitted to the CB branch, but it is something that can be built on. There was an article recently in the news about the intention of CBRM to fund more assistance for people who "take in" strays.
#8 There are rescue groups throughout the province that have been and would be willing to accept animals into their care. A standardized procedure, such as the New Hope Network used by LA Animal Control would engage the rescues and shelters in this lifesaving work
#7 Foster Care is the backbone of every rescue and shelter. Animals that are living in a cage seldom have a chance to show their best selves. Admittedly it is difficult to find people willing to volunteer for a high kill group.... but if the killing was to stop, the animal loving community would step up to the plate.
#6 Promoting the animals through free services like Petfinder is a critical component to boosting adoptions. Online dating services can't hold a candle to how far kind animal lovers are willing to travel for their new best friend. The CBFSS already has made the big step of taking the adoptables to the mall and on the road. Building on this would just make sense
#5 An ounce of pet retention is worth a pound of cure. If the CBRM was willing to make the leap of offering free lifetime licenses for microchipped and altered pets, it would cut down traffic at the CB branch and liberate more resources for rescue Right now there is a flat ten dollar licensing fee with no "reward" for having pets altered or microchipped.
#4 Hand in hand with that, it is penny wise and pound foolish not to provide medical and behavior assistance when needed. The cost of a few free obedience workshops, a help line and emergency low cost medical assistance would just keep Fluffy and Fido home and out of the shelter.
#3 Good community relations happens in a positive environment where life is nurtured and respected. The Gas Chamber is one of those 'dirty little secrets' that no one likes to talk about but everybody knows about. There will be no good community relations until that is permanently gone. When AC went No Kill in Maricopa County, their donations took such an upswing they were able to add on to their facility and fund more programs.
#2 People who volunteer with the animals are normally animal lovers. In this day and age, they are simply not going to step up to the plate until the gas chamber is gone.
#1 None of this will be possible without a committed Branch president and executive who are on the same page as the provincial society. Granted that it is possible to teach a turkey how to climb a tree, but general wisdom has it that its easier and quicker to hire a squirrel for the job.
At the end of the day, the recipe only works if all the ingredients are available. Until then, everything is just going to keep falling flat.

Talking to Politicians... yet again

When I came in from scooping the lane just now, this was waiting in my inbox from the Hon . Brooke D Taylor, in response to my ( much ) earlier email
Ref. # M166/112508019
Dear Ms. Young:
Premier MacDonald has asked me to reply on his behalf to your email of November 24, 2008.You may be aware by now that Bill 186, the Animal Protection Act, passed in the Legislature on November 25, 2008. Regulations supporting the Bill will be drafted and suggestions from the SPCA dealing with animal transport will be considered at that time.
The exemption for researchers operating under the control of the Canadian Council for Animal Care passed with the Bill. I have every confidence this group will be diligent in their work and are considered a gold standard organization by many other countries.
Thank you for taking the time to write the Premier and we appreciate your efforts on behalf of homeless pets.
Yours sincerely,
Brooke Taylor
Minister of Agriculture
c: Premier Rodney MacDonald
In the orginal email I had also given a list of good reasons, from both a humane and a public safety perspective in support of the proposal for banning the transport of unsecured and unprotected animals in the back of a pickup..... heavy sigh.... that basically reiterated an earlier post of mine http://catanddogmother.blogspot.com/2008/11/why-we-should-never-save-our-breath-to.html
Whenever there is an issue that I feel is of concern, like my mother before me I do not hesitate to contact the politicians who represent me at every level. They don't always agree with me but have resigned themselves to listening politely at least, although I am at that wonderful age when I am past being treated as 'cute' and can expect to be taken seriously.
IMHO, there is never any point in whining about anything if you don't express your concerns to your elected officials. That's the only way that democracy really works.
"..it does not require a majority to prevail, but rather an irate, tireless minority keen to set brushfires in people's minds."~Samuel Adams

Santa Never Made it to Cape Breton

This is what anyone searching for adoptable pets at the Cape Breton SPCA has seen for the past week. Once again, they are back to not even bothering to list any pets on their petfinder page.
For a few months, they were listing a few, mostly young pets, for a month at a time... then the listings would be replaced with a few more young pets... then after a few more weeks, another handful of young pets.
None of the pertinent info that adopters are looking for was included. Were these pets housetrained/vaccinated/altered? Nobody could tell. Nothing of their personalities shone through any of the sparse descriptions. Never an appealing or even a sad tale to tug at the heart.
No mention of their gas chamber is made anywhere on the official Cape Breton SPCA site, http://www.capebretonspca.com/. If one did not go and read the annual reports from the AGM that are listed on the Reports and Minutes page of the provincial society webpage, one would have no idea that the gas chamber is still being used at all. http://www.spcans.ca/resources/reports_minutes.html
We all know that things are tough all over. We all know that there will be a lot more belt tightening at every level of government. So we all know that makes everything just so much tougher for the island of Cape Breton.
Cape Breton is one of the most spectacularly beautiful places in Canada. Some of the most brilliant and creative people in our history were born and raised there. It has inspired some of the most brilliant creations in both scientific and artistic history. It is world famous for its preservation of the Gaelic language and culture.
On the front door of the Cape Breton SPCA Branch website, they announce that they admitted 3977 animals last year. (That figure should be taken with a very large grain of salt, given the propensity for the branch to deduct nearly two thousand animals as being 'unhealthy and unadoptable" from their statistical total ) Still, using 3977 as a benchmark, that means that on an average, over 75 animals were admitted to the branch every week. Three hundred a month.
It goes without saying that an island with a steadily dwindling population and increasing job losses might be hard pressed to find nearly 4000 good homes for the animals every year. That is still no excuse for the gas chamber. Not when:

• There are few, if any animals listed on their www.petfinder.com site
• The only thing they seem to keep asking the provincial branch for is permission to keep using the gas chamber
• The branch president does not attend the BOD meetings
• Queries from the public addressed to the branch level are either ignored or treated in a very unprofessional fashion
• The branch holds the AC contract for the CBRM, yet no requests for additional resources can be found in any of the CBRM Protective Services meetings.

In other words, as long as the Cape Breton Branch has permission to use the gas chamber, it has no need to change anything. Its just too easy for them to kill the animals, rather than put some energy into finding better solutions. If there was no gas chamber, if there was no crematorium to dispose of the evidence, would they still keep on killing?

If Santa really wants to do something for the animals in Cape Breton, he could start with that.

Santa Came to Metro

Uri , Angelica, Indy, Summer and Thomasina had a chance to meet Santa when he came to the Metro Shelter the other day. Of course Santa's not telling, but its pretty easy to guess what they all asked him for.

Santa isn't the only one visiting the Metro Shelter this year. Judging by the turnover on their Petfinder page, I would say that adoptions are up at the shelter. And no wonder - Metro is making much better use of Petfinder with nicer pictures and more informative details in their listings. If I'm not mistaken, they have more user friendly hours now for adopters. And best of all are all the reports I have been getting from adopters of how friendly and helpful the staff and volunteers have been.
Its a pretty simple equation - the more adoptions - the more pets that can be saved. And success breeds success by word of mouth as well. Every person who has a good experience... every person who doesn't get treated in a curt or rude fashion... is one more person who will be telling all their friends and family about this.

Its a fact of life that every event usually affects at least a couple of dozen people on a personal level and that number gets squared when you factor in acquaintances and work friends.

So every adopter who has a good experience is actually a recruiter. Their Happy Tail can encourage a whole other world of folks to consider adopting.

At the end of the day, that's even better for the animals than seeing Santa.