Missing Young Newfoundland Dog!!!!!

If the adopters won't come to the shelter .....

Some of them have just been listed .... some of them have waiting for quite some time.  Some of them have very well done pictures while others don't even have a picture to post.
There are chatty bios full of the personal details that will help prospective adopters recognize the kindred spirit they are looking for ... there are others where a picture has to be worth a thousand words as there is absolutely no other information to be had.
In some cases, even the basics are absent.  Is the pet housetrained?  Good with kids?  Cats?  Dogs?   Spayed or neutered?  Young adult or young at heart?
Others have bios clearly written by the fosters or volunteers who spend the most time with the pet and offer all sorts of appealing bits to engage the reader.
Do the pets listed below represent all the ones available for adoption in the province?  Not even close.
Why would that be?   Wouldn't rescues WANT people to know about all their lovelies?  Of course they do, but in many cases pets never see the light of Petfinder day when there are good preapproved homes waiting in the wings.  For instance, neither Miss Ruby nor Andy were ever listed on Petfinder because I was one of those darned preapproved adopters.
So the cute little dogs / the purebreds/ the puppies and the well behaved middling to young adults are never seen by the prospective first time adopters who are checking out the available pets.
Is that a problem?  Of course it is!  When potential first time adopters don't find what they are looking for on Petfinder, they often go elsewhere.  Not only do the rescues lose the potential great adopters, but many of these kind hearts wind up supporting the very venues that create such problems for rescue in the first place ... pet stores and the ads on Kijiji that allow puppy millers and backyard breeders "wolves" to dress in sheep's clothing.
Is it a bit of work to do up a Petfinder listing?  You bet!  But with the very cool tools that Petfinder has, not only can adopters share the link with their friends, but proud new pet parents can send free pet adoption announcement e cards that in turn help spread the good word about the rescue.
And of course, when potential first time adopters contact a rescue about a listing is the perfect opportunity to introduce them to the concept of the pre approved adoption.
Even better, once the listing is done, it is only the click of a mouse to covert the "for adoption" to the Happy Tail section.
Best of all, when rescues highlight their Happy Tail listing on the front doors of their sites and Petfinder pages, it lets the "newbies" see for themselves just how many wonderful pets really do come into rescue.
What time is it?  Its always time to make use of any 'free' advertising, hmmm?  To paraphrase the old saying, if the adopters won't come to the shelter,  to make sure that everyone in the shelter comes to the adopter.

Sophie's Choice

Webmaster Note - Sat Jan 15th at 2pm

I was just talking to the lovely folks at SHAID and am thrilled to be able to say that Sophie has been adopted!!!!    Have a wonderful life beautiful girl!

My best friend had a rottweiler who (miraculously) lived to be thirteen ... so I'm not just blowing smoke when I say that Rottis are like peaches ... their already lovable selves just get sweeter as they age.  

Admittedly, I fall a little in love with every dog that I list on the homeless pet site ... but every now and then there is one that just tugs a little harder at the heartstrings.

Yesterday, I listed Sophie on the site .... and so today I called SHAID for a bit more information in order to do her blog post on the Senior Pet Blog and get ready to do a listing for her on the senior pet site.

Every second word in the conversation was sweet .... she loves everyone, on four paws and two .... and all the humans and the dogs respond accordingly.   Sophie might not be the speediest dog at the shelter and it sometimes takes her a few minutes to get up out of her kennel ...but that is easily outweighed by her gentle grace and ( yup you got it ) sweet disposition.

There is never any way to predict how many years of love any pet of any age has to offer.  If you want a guarantee ... get an appliance or a truck.  

By our best estimate, Andy was thirteen when he was rescued ( hard to be precise for a fellow with two teeth, eh? ).  That means that he is likely fourteen headed for fifteen now and is still doing fine.  

As a matter of fact ... now that he has the security of a 'steady gig' he has more spring in his step and is steadier on his pins that when he first came here. He is all terrier - all the time - and as dear to me now as any dog that has grown old here.

The point I am making in my usual babbling way is that senior pets have their own endearing charm that easily transcends any physical challenges they might have.   Its just frosting on the cake that they like a good nights sleep every bit as much as you do:)

It wasn't Sophie's choice to be left in the lurch.  It wasn't Sophie's choice to have to struggle to survive in the cold of winter.  Still ... its clear that it IS Sophie's choice not to hold a grudge.

To be perfectly honest, I actually envy the kind heart who will have the joy of the journey of becoming Sophie's Choice.

The World is STILL a Very Dangerous Place

I love crisp cold days like this ... when a little snow and sunshine can surround us with such beauty.   Mind you, its ever so much easier to appreciate all this when we can come back into a comfy warm house.  Where the water is not as frozen as the pond ... where the food is not left to freeze in a clump under the snow ... and where noone is left out on their own to be lonely and cold and so hungry for a human touch.

This time last year, there was a dog in Cape Breton who was quite literally getting to the end of his rope.   Neighbours had complained to the SPCA for a couple years.  Inspectors were sent several times since 2007 but were " unable to do anything because the owner was meeting the minimum standard of care for the animal"

There was no surprise ending to that story ... the dog froze to death on the end of the chain.  As disheartening as it was to have such inconclusive necropsy results that the SPCA did not move forward with prosecution, the situation did underscore the need for anti tethering legislation.

Not for position papers.  Not for press releases .. but for real honest to gawd legislation specific enough to stop the practice.  To be perfectly honest, I'm surprised that this hasn't been pursued more aggressively by the society.

Chained dogs are out there for all the world to see.  When neighbours and kind hearts who are unfamiliar with the legislation ( or lack of it I should say ) complain, they simple assume that the society is unwilling or unable to address such obvious cases of cruelty.

Each and every time this happens, there is a notable negative impact on the society's reputation.   It reinforces the very urban legends that the society has been working so hard to overcome.  Even worse, anytime public confidence is diminished that has a direct impact on the society's ability to fundraise.

At the risk of sounding like a stuck record, we need Anti Tethering Legislation for the following reasons:

• Animal Cruelty - It is cruel and inhumane to isolate social creatures. Dogs are allowed to be treated worse than livestock. Their suffering is profound and well documented 
• Public Safety - All data confirms that unsocialized dogs are a grave danger to the public, especially to children.
• Public Nuisance - The dogs frequently bark, howl, cry, whine, escape, and menace, creating neighbourhood fear and anger. Noise complaints often results in further cruelty to the dog in the form of punishment, muzzling and poisoning.  
• Public Expense - Complaints and impoundment and disposal cost money, and these costs continue to rise as more dogs are owned. 
• Public Health - The areas the dogs are kept in are frequently contaminated with feces and urine and the food is a rodent attractant. 
• Lawlessness - When neighbours cannot get any action from city hall or the SPCA, they are forced to break the law by removing and rehoming the dog.  A broad spectrum of people have been forced to do this, from off-duty police officers, crown prosecutors, grandmothers, single mothers on welfare, wealthy socialites, ministers, community activists, and untold numbers of ordinary people who would not otherwise dream of committing a felony. They are forced by the lack of action from political leaders and the SPCA to become lawless.

This is particularly sad because the solution is so simple:

• limiting the number of hours that a dog can be chained and/ or penned utside each day
• legislation sets a ban from 1000 pm until 700 am 
• Insisting that someone is physically onsite at the same address as the dog whenever the dog is chained or penned,
• Clearly limiting the definition of indoors to the principal residence,
• Establishing a firm weather advisory policy, with minimum and maximum
  outside temperatures, to include storm watches and wind chill,
• Prohibiting the chaining or penning of any dog within a specific physical radius of a school.  This also reinforces the concept that anti tethering legislation is being introduced to protect the children in the community General consensus sets that at a minimum of 500 feet.   

Why didn't I include minimum housing standards and leash lengths in there?  Because:

• it invites input from PIJAC members and CKC representatives which could muddy the waters and impede the progress of the bil
• Minimum housing standards are an issue that is not limited to chained and penned dogs,
• Setting minimum leash lengths and housing standards has created loopholes elsewhere, such as in Texas, that have completely undermined the rest of the legislation
• Anti tethering legislation stands its best chance of success when it is presented as a public safety measure, and of course,
• setting minimum standards of housing for outdoor dogs does not address the issues of socialization and public safety. A chained dog living in an insulated house is still deprived of the interaction he or she needs to be a safe part of the community.

To be perfectly honest, I'm at an absolute loss to understand why this has not been aggressively pursued by the society, because it would:

• first and foremost, of course be of benefit to the animals,
• provide society inspectors with the tools they needed to properly protect the animals,
• improve the success rate of prosecutions,
• allow the society to take the proactive step of offering a more humane alternative to the smoke screen of public safety provided by BDL,
• engage the public in a shared journey that would of itself be an education process,
• effective advocacy in this matter would provide a road-map for future
  legislative change, and
• last but definitely not least, it would be a win win scenario for the society that would effectively address negative urban sometimes not so much legends.  At the end of the day what is good for the animals is always going to be good for, and reflect well, on the society.

To be perfectly honest, I can't think of a more sensible tack for them to take when they are so desperately trying to fundraise for cruelty investigations.

What time is it?  Like the old poster on my laundry room wall says ... "do something ... lead, follow or get out of the way"

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

LOST ... SENIOR BEAGLE!!!!!

Update :    Morgan has been found and is back home!

Urgent ... Annie the Bernese is STILL lost!

WHOO HOO .... ANNIE HAS BEEN FOUND !!! 

A facebook Group has been set up to help coordinate efforts and communication to help Annie back home.  

To Drive the Cold Winter Away

One of the best bits about being retired is being able to appreciate the beauty of waking up to a winter wonderland instead of worrying about getting into work on unplowed roads.  
What's NOT to love ... its so soft and peaceful here when it snows ... and of course, when we come back inside there is a cozy fire and a full pantry.
Sadly... all around Nova Scotia... there are stray and feral cats who do NOT have that and who will have difficulty surviving the winter without help from the animal loving community. 
Winter is the worst possible time for these little survivors.  Natural food and water sources become scarcer at the very time that the cats need extra nutrition to survive in the cold.   The foliage that offers some protection from predators won't return until spring. 
In real speak .. many of them simply will not survive without more help.  
In the course of maintaining the community cat blog .. I have been touched by how many kind hearts are helping the kitties ... always on a shoestring and often without a lot of assistance or help.
This morning I loaded the latest plea for homes ... this time for a colony in the Tantallon area.   ( Scroll down to read the story)   
Now anyone who has read this blog for any amount of time will remember the tale of Dora and Oscar.  Dora was a feral kitten and Oscar was a stray cat who showed up when I started feeding Dora in an effort to tame her.  
It was three years ago this month that I first caught little glimpses of Dora ... although it would be March before she would be tame enough to tuck into a carrier and take to the vet.
And it would be September before they came into the safety of the house, where they have stayed ever since.  This holiday .. I was utterly gobsmacked to see Dora saunter out to sprawl on her usual footstool .. while my brother was sitting not two feet away ... and stay there for the whole of his visit :)
The point I am making in my rambling way is that I believe its possible to socialize a colony cat into a household ... and that it is actually a very rewarding journey to take.  ( And before the keyboards catch on fire .. yes I know that feral cats with the safety of a warm predator proof shelter and reliable caregivers can, and do, thrive ... but that is not always the case ... as the story below states )
So ... if you really want to 'drive the cold winter away" .... why not open your home and your heart to one of these lovelies listed below?

I don't currently have room to take in any more cats/kittens - wondering if anyone out there might consider adopting or fostering some colony
kittens/cats? [see attached photos of a few of them].
I would trap them and pay for all of their vetting/food/litter etc. -Just
need a warm, caring, indoor place for them.
I have been working on another large colony in the Tantallon/Hubley area - the location is a campground where winter residents rent cabins - I had spayed and neutered a number of cats at this location over the last year and only one of those I neutered has survived (one of the big tabby males seen in the attached photos- the one with the ear notch).  He seems to have become quite tame - he won't let me touch him, but I can get close enough to take photos. It appears that at least two colonies have merged at this location since I began TNR (there was a colony across the road whose caretaker died, so the campground caretaker believes that colony moved to the campground for food).  I am providing cat food to the campground caretaker regularly.
The little calico and tabby kittens are socialized to humans - I was able to pat the calico quite a bit today and the small tabby wanted me to pat him, but was a little too tentative -got very close to my hand after watching me pat the calico...  The calico is very playful and curious - she played with all of the other colony cats most of the afternoon and came into the cabin frequently to watch me clean.  The little tabby doesn't seem to know how to play - he looks like he'd rather be curled up on a warm human lap - he really appreciates the shelters and straw bedding.
Some of the cats have been living in squalor in an abandoned cabin, where all of the windows had shattered - the cabin is full of debris and shattered glass [see a couple of photos attached].
There is now vapour barrier plastic covering all of the cabin windows and I was able to clean two of the three rooms in the cabin by nightfall and
provide fresh straw and shelters my husband made.  He will be building more shelters, but in the meantime, I'd like to trap some of the tamer cats if I can find adopters/fosters.  There are so many predators in that area (coyotes, foxes, raccoons, hawks etc).
Would anyone be able to help with adoption/fostering?  Some seem quite comfortable with humans whereas others may need some extra human socialization in confined quarters.


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Love and compassion are necessities, not luxuries.  Without them humanity cannot survive.  The Dalai Lama