Imagine this. You are driving down a desolate stretch of North Dakota highway when you notice two dogs running down the side of the highway towards you. You pass them. When you look in your rear view mirror, you see that they have turned around and are running in your direction.

What do you do?

If you are a rescuer or an animal lover, your knee jerk reaction is to pull over and help them. And this is exactly what one of our members did. She stopped. There were no houses in sight and no cars on the road. The dogs were thin, matted, filthy and covered with sores and ticks. She and her friend put the dogs in the back of her car.

They stopped at the nearest farm house and, through a phone call, the dogs’ story came out. Buster and Patches belonged to Jerry.

To him, they were the world. He took them everywhere he went; his companions; his closest friends. But Jerry passed away the week before. His funeral service was that day, an hour from the time they were found.

Jerry’s family did not want Buster and Patches. They planned to destroy them. They had locked the dogs in the barn, but they escaped.

When they were found running down the highway that Thursday morning, they were already 25 miles away from home and still running. It’s as if they knew what fate awaited them if they stayed.

So with everyone’s okay, Buster and Patches went home with Robin to lower Saskatchewan.

It’s been three weeks now. Though they still show signs that they miss Jerry and their old life, they are adjusting. They have been groomed and de-ticked, and their sores are mostly healed. They are vaccinated and fixed.

And now they are searching for a loving family.

Buster (above) is a Brittany mix, about 4 yrs old. Patches (right) is a lab/collie mix, a bit older but not much. Their foster mom says they are well-behaved, good boys. (Click photos to see larger image. Or click here to see more photos.)

Are you the family for them?

Let’s Adopt! conditions for adoption:

1. Family MUST have an existing animal.
2. Animal MUST live inside the home, not on the garden.
3. Animal MUST be fed raw (http://rawlearning.com).

We do not apply an adoption fee. One can’t buy any Let’s Adopt! dog or cat.

Contact: viktor@myletsadopt.com

If you are not the family for Buster and Patches, please SHARE their story with your friends and family… and help us find them their new home.

And please join us on Facebook!

Ciao, Holly

You’re reading this because you’re probably a member of Let’s Adopt! I applaud you for joining our networks.

Now I want to ask you to join our tribe, by becoming an active member of our operations!

We are of course animal lovers, but we are activists first. Which means, that we love all the cute pictures of pups and kitties. However, there are too many cute pups and kitties dying in our shelters and by the hands of abusers and breeders every single day.

We must act – NOW!

I am often disillusioned by what I see, especially on the web. Horrendous abuse, crush videos, starved animals, scared animals going crazy in their kennels at the pound. I have seen many of these cases in my work as an activist and rescuer. The 1-day-old kittens I raised with an eyedropper or feeding tube, just to see them succumb to a simple upper respiratory infection. The kittens that were exposed to FIP, and ultimately died because their intestines and organs literally liquefied inside of them.

However there were hundreds that were a joy to foster and raised to be strong enough to be adopted. There are many, many success stories, which by far outweigh the bad experiences.

Now I want YOU to experience the feeling of saving a life and what an impact you alone can make in your community.

I want YOU to reach out to your local pound and rescue a dog or a cat.

Become its caretaker and angel. We will then rally as a network to adopt the animal into a new home.

Our adoption criteria are strict, yet very simple.

• the adopter has at least one other animal
• the animal will live indoors only! Not in the yard, not on a tie-out, not in a garage, or a barn. It will live indoors as part of the adopters family.
• the animal will be fed a raw diet only. Your animal will be healthier, you will be happier, and you’ll save money in the long run, on cost of food and vet bills. More info can be found at http://rawlearning.com
• We do not apply an adoption fee. One can’t buy any Let’s Adopt! dog or cat.
• We believe that adopting an animal is a privilege, not mercy.
• The adopter will create a Facebook album with photos of the animal with its new family and updates.

These are our adoption rules in a nutshell. Do you think you can handle it?

Have you been thinking of how in the world can you make a difference at these overcrowded pounds? Well, here is your chance to put your action where your heart is.

• Pull an animal.
• Then take it home, let it settle in,
• Take pictures and post it on the Let’s Adopt! Canada page,
• Include all details you have about the animal:
   – Age, temper, likes, dislikes, history (stray, dumped by owner, etc)
   – We’ll campaign to get the animals adopted.

Do you realize that you will be saving TWO lives at once. Not only will you be taking the one dog off death row, but another one will have a better chance, because there’s new cage space. And hopefully, you’ll inspire friends and family to do the same all over the country.

Perhaps concentrate on high kill facilities. Here’s where you can make a big difference.

There are many small groups that are willing to help you pull an animal and organize transport.

For now – please search your heart and decide whether you can open your home to a rescue this summer. I know you can and want to.

Let us help you figure out how and make it a reality. For the animals and for you.

We can potentially save hundreds of animals this summer. Are you with us?

Got Foster Dog?

Let’s start saving lives – one dog, one cat at the time.

Contributed by
Misha Dee

If you are old enough to remember the 70s, you might also remember this iconic poster entitled “Building a Rainbow.”

At first glance, it’s pretty cool. There are a lot of little stick people building a rainbow.

But the beauty to the image is in the details. Look closer at it (click the image).

Aside from the references to Edith and Archie Bunker from All In The Family along the bottom, it illustrates the work involved in creating great things today. Success takes the concerted effort of a lot of people doing different tasks to reach a common end goal.

At Let’s Adopt! Canada, we want to continue building our “rainbow.” We want to increase our community, our tribe, our resources. And we want you to be a part of it.

We are expanding our worldwide network of volunteers and activists to aid us as we rescue homeless companion animals… people with big hearts and a loving concern for animals. Our mission is to find homes for our homeless cats and dogs. It’s do-able.

The power of social media to bring their stories into so many homes has helped us place cats and dogs across the globe. To continue the momentum, we are asking more people to join us and share our stories through their networks. As the membership builds, the stories spread further and the work becomes easier.

A bigger network will help us contact volunteers quickly when we need local fosters, volunteers, transport/rescue or for local action alerts. Same as building a rainbow — the more hands you have helping, the less each has to do and the more we can accomplish.

Imagine how many lives we will save together. Imagine being part of that joy.

So if you haven’t already, join us on Facebook. And if you have, please share us with your friends.

There are homes for our homeless.

Let’s Adopt! Canada
http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=101251555667

Give Our Angels Wings:
http://bethechange.chipin.com/simbas-fund

Put Yourself On The Map:
http://bit.ly/LetsAdopt-Network-Map

Ciao, Holly

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The trouble with words is that we “hear” them in different ways. Sometimes we hear what we want to hear. Sometimes we hear what others want us to hear. And sometimes the message is just not quite clear.

In the end, it’s the actions that follow the words that speak the loudest and with the most truth.

As the situation with the ringworm killings unfolded, I expressed a cautious support for the OSPCA — for a couple reasons. First, we need a humane shelter for our homeless animals. To simply shut it down leaves many animals with a lot less hope for a home and deprives the community of a needed service. Second, with this opportunity to take a look inside the OSPCA, we are afforded a great opportunity to make significant changes. Changes that will benefit the animals and bring a new trust and support for the work the OSPCA could be doing within the community. Maybe even a no-kill agenda.

I listened to their words as the OSPCA gave statements to the press. I rejoiced when they announced on Thursday that they had halted the killings at the Newmarket facility. I counted on them to honor their word. But then came news that three animals were killed on Friday… for “behavioral” reasons (my thoughts on that label are best saved for another post). Included in the three was Sago, a German Shepherd who has become the unofficial poster child for the anti-killing protests.

A caption under Sago’s photo in the online press mentioned that she was about to be adopted. Instead she is dead.

Why did these killings happen? What was the point of killing them at a time when the OSPCA said killings had been halted?

The deaths of these three animals the day after the OSPCA released a statement that killings had been halted has certainly given pause to my thinking that the current management was going to embark on a new path. I obviously heard what I wanted to hear when I read their statements. But their actions have set me straight.

At the very least, I am discouraged by their logic.

My focus returns to the animals that survived the killings. They are obviously not out of the woods.

As people scramble to correct the problems at OSPCA, let’s not forget these survivors. Kate MacDonald has stated that all will be quarantined and tested throughout the next month, but we must remain diligent in following up on them. We must not let these survivors fall through the cracks. And as soon as possible, we must ensure that they find loving, forever homes. Else their fate will be no brighter than it was before the ringworm outbreak. They will again hang precariously in the balance of life or death.

I encourage everyone to stay in close touch with the OSPCA regarding the progress of the animals still in their care. Request follow up reports often. Some may be ready for adoption before the 30-day period. Some may require more time. Either way, we need to find homes for them.

Will you be one of the homes?

Please share this post with your friends and ask them to share it with their friends… because we know there are homes for our homeless animals. We are thousands and they are but a couple hundred.

If you are interested in adopting or want to follow up on their progress, please contact the OSPCA. Let them know we have not forgotten the survivors.

Anne Buonaiuto, Executive Assistant to CEO
Phone: 905-898-7122 ext. 304 or abuonaiuto@ospca.on.ca

Take action…

Support a new OSPCA. Volunteer. Adopt. Share. Save a life!

Ciao, Holly

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We got what we wanted today.

We protested, we made phone calls, we sent emails, we blogged, we tweeted, we wrote comments on various websites expressing our outrage that the OSPCA would systematically kill healthy animals because they had or might have ringworm — a treatable fungal skin condition. And to this end, we have saved the majority of the animals from the OSPCA “ringworm massacre.”

They are safe. For now.

We must not forget that we lost 99 lives.

From the words we have heard, the OSPCA has halted the killings. Does this mean they will seek treatment for the 23 dogs and 91 cats that possibly still remain in harms way? Could their lives still be hanging in the balance? I don’t think we know for sure.

Now begins the next step.

Tanya Firmage director of animal care, Kate MacDonald OSPCA Ceo, and Rosaline Ryan director of marketing and communications

There remains much to do. As our incredible champion in this fight, Newmarket-Aurora MPP Frank Klees has stated: “There is an inherent conflict of interest within the animal protection system because the same charitable organization that provides shelter for creatures also acts as the inspection and enforcement body.” This must be addressed.

I think we also need to insist on a thorough investigation by an independent, outside party to what happened, what went wrong, and what new procedures should be implemented to prevent any similar future scenarios. This goes towards rebuilding our faith and our trust.

But beyond that and more immediate are the animals that have so far survived.

Let’s look at the numbers: we started with the 350 animals that the OSPCA announced they would kill over several days:
- 99 were killed immediately
- 15 were stolen

Roughly speaking here’s what’s left:
- 8 turtles (immune to ringworm)
- 96 animals already in foster
- 15 animals not affected by the outbreak; in isolation
- 23 dogs and 91 cats need to be tested further; seeking temporary shelter for up to a month.

We now need 233 homes; less if people adopt more than one animal.

We stood up to save these animals from a death they did not deserve, so now we need to home them — either in foster  homes or adopted into forever homes. We need to give them what they have always deserved — a kind and loving family.

Will you do this? Will you be that home?

Please, the animals at the OSPCA still need us. Step forward again and be their home.

Or share this message with all your friends and ask them to share it with their friends.

Just as we were able to stop their deaths, we can find these wonderful creatures their forever homes.

We need to follow through on what we started when we decided to stand up for their lives.

Volunteer. Adopt. Share. Save a life!

Ciao, Holly

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By Wednesday night, 99 animals had been euthanized, 155 were still in the shelter, and 96 were in their foster homes. Testing will continue in the next few days. [The Star]

Why does the OSPCA seem more willing to risk its credibility in the community by needleesly killing animals with ringworm than to accept the help of the many volunteers coming forward? Volunteers who are opening their arms and their hearts with their eyes wide open to the situation. Volunteers who realize this is a contagious condition, but they also realize it is a treatable condition.

Were the OSPCA to actually begin adoptions again, moving the infected animals into smaller households would speed up the cure rate. Ringworm breeds very well in a shelter environment — lots of warm bodies in small, moist areas. The masses need to be separated; they need to be bathed, medicated and moved.

Yes, this will take some diligence and some manpower, but the community has stepped up and is willing to help.

Why does the OSPCA seem so determined to run counter with the opinions of vets and other shelters that have knowledge and experience with ringworm? Why does the OSPCA seemingly ignore the protests of its own community? The community it counts on for the millions of dollars in donations it receives each year.

The provincial government says it does not have the authority to stop the OSPCA. However, such a battle of might should not proceed ahead of doing what is right. It should not require such authority to seize the incredible offerings of the public to help.

If the OSPCA continues with their plans to exterminate all the animals in their care, their problems will not stop when the last body bag leaves the shelter. People are not going to forget that they needlessly killed 350 animals as a shortcut to solving their ringworm problem.

In case they are not listening, let’s make some noise folks and demand the OSPCA be stopped. There are several ways to get involved:

• Attend the protest scheduled for Thursday, May 13, 2010
Time: 10:00am – 5:00pm
Location: 16586 Woodbine Avenue, RR 3

• Call and/or email Premier Dalton McGuinty
416-325-1941 | dmcguinty.mpp.co@liberal.ola.org

• Call and/or email Community Safety Minister Rick Bartolucci 416-325-0408 | rbartolucci.mpp@liberal.ola.org

• Attend the funeral march for the animals killed by the OSPCA — Sunday, May 16 at Richmond Green Park, 1300 Elgin Mills Road East, between Bayview Avenue & Leslie Street, Richmond Hill. “We would like people to show up with empty animal carriers, collars and leashes, and wearing black clothes, just like a funeral,” said organizer Christine O’Neill.

• Join the Facebook group STOP THE SLAUGHTER OF OVER 350 ANIMALS AT THE NEWMARKET OSPCA for the latest on protests and calls to action.

The systematic killing of healthy animals with a treatable condition is woefully irresponsible. To not raise our voices to this injustice would be just as irresponsible.

“Never be afraid to do what’s right, especially if the well-being of a person or animal is at stake. Society’s punishments are small compared to the wounds we inflict on our soul when we look the other way.”  ~Martin Luther King, Jr.

Ciao, Holly

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

UPDATE May 13, 2010: GREAT NEWS!!! The euthanasia of animals at a York Region shelter has been halted, according to Tory MPP Frank Klees.

It wouldn’t have happened without our collective voices and the incredible strength of MPP Klees for taking such a strong stance AGAINST this insanity.

Send him a thank you! fklees@frank-klees.on.ca

Here’s the breakdown per OSPCA website:

-99 animals have been humanely euthanized to date.

-96 animals have been fostered out to other accredited agencies, clinics, shelters and institutions capable of caring for them in isolation from other animals.

-15 animals have been stolen.

-15 animals who are not affected by the outbreak are in isolation in a portable structure on the site.

-23 dogs and 91 cats need to be tested further. We are seeking temporary shelter for these animals for up to a month.

 

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May 13, 2010   //   Campaigns, Posts by Holly   //   6 Comments   //   Tags: Animal welfare, Canada, Dalton McGuinty, euthanasia, Ontario, Ontario Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, OSPCA