Today I am saddened to have to tell you that as of the time I got out of bed this morning, I have no idea what happened to our litter of eight two week old orphaned kittens. On Sunday I was contacted by a woman seeking our assistance. Her female cat had gotten out of the house and been killed by a car, in itself that would not be unusual, but this cat had two weeks previous, given birth to a litter of eight kittens. So now this woman had eight orphaned kitties that needed to be bottle fed every two hours. A daunting task for most pet owners, most of us would seek help in this situation.

I agreed that we would indeed help her out, and went to you our faithful members for help. You responded, and we soon had a solution in place. I have to point out that we had solved the problem in less than twenty four hours, all that was left was to arrange pickup of the kittens. What happened next sent me into a fit of rage the likes of which I have not experienced since an ignorant veterinarian profiled one of my rescues sight unseen. When I called to arrange to pickup the kittens I was told they were gone! This woman had decided that we were taking too long to help her (remember, LESS than twenty four hours had gone by at this point) and had supposedly dropped the kittens off at the nearest vet clinic that would take them in. Problem was, after calling EVERY veterinary clinic in town I still could not locate the kittens! Their true fate is unknown at this time.

Now let me tell you what I read between the lines during my conversations with the pet owner seeking our assistance. She told me this was the SECOND litter this cat had given birth to, and the first thing that came to mind was “why did she not have the cat spayed after she had weened the first litter?” When she first called me she claimed to be devastated by the death of her beloved pet, yet obviously did not love the animal enough to do right by her and have her spayed. She told me that feeding eight kittens every two hours was too much for her and that she only wanted one or two because now she had to “replace the cat that was killed.” She wanted the rest to be taken by others and cared for. I can understand not being able to care for eight practically newborn kittens, but I can not understand anyone who merely “replaces” one pet with another, that does not, to me show loving care for the animal lost.

I may never know what really happened to eight kittens we had agreed to help save, but suffice it to say that I am using all contacts I possess trying to find out. I don’t want to give voice to my dark thoughts on the subject for I fear the worst, but then we all know that my faith in humanity is tried and tested on a daily basis. If ever there was a time where I was frustrated enough to say “I give up” this is it. But I can’t let myself do that, because if I do who will be the voice for the voiceless? I will continue on, but I will have become, just a little more jaded.

Until Tomorrow Remember

BE THE CHANGE YOU SEEK!

Janette

Good morning members and friends. Over the weekend we said we would be launching our summer rescue efforts. What I did not know at the time was that would mean taking in six orphaned kittens who needed bottle feeding. Now I need the help of our members in the Barrie, Ontario area. We desperately need to find foster homes for these kittens. They need to be bottle fed, as their Mom was killed by a car when she got outside. She left behind eight babies born only two weeks ago. As you can well imagine the task of feeding eight almost newborn kittens is a daunting one. The cat’s owner can not possibly handle the bottle feeding of all eight kittens on her own and has asked us to help with six of the eight. She will keep two with her and feed them.

Anyone in the Barrie, Ontario area who can find it in their heart to take on this task and help us save these babies please contact me right away! We can save them, but I need your help! Please contact me right away if you can assist in this rescue.

janettehamilton@bell.net

Until Tomorrow Remember

BE THE CHANGE YOU SEEK!

Janette

Good morning! The weather may not be perfect but my weekend started on a high note despite the weather! Last evening we went to visit with Bowser and his adoptive family. For those of you who do not remember Bowser the original story can be found here:

The Gift of Love

Bowser just before his adoption in December of 2010

Bowser went home with the Lambert-Park family shortly before Christmas. This however was no ordinary adoption, the family was finally settling back into normal life after dealing with the business of getting through baby Brygette’s bone marrow transplant surgery. They had lost their beloved dog Buddy the December before, and were missing the love of a good dog. Buddy was a rescue they had adopted from me three years before, we never knew where he came from but he bonded with the Lambert-Park family and was their constant companion until cancer took him on December 29th, 2009.

Without their beloved dog, and facing the most difficult hurdle they had come up against since Brygette’s birth was not easy on the family. That is when I offered them one of Buddy’s pups. Bowser. They fell in love with him at first sight, the same way they had fallen in love with his father before him. But they could not take their dog home yet. Brygette was still in the hospital, and her parents were living in transition at the Ronald McDonald House near Toronto Sick Kids Hospital. “Not to worry” I said Bowser would stay here with Todd and I until Doctors gave the okay for him to go home.

That day finally came, and Penny came to pick up her dog. Bowser left the home he had lived in for the past two years and without so much as a glance back in our direction jumped into Penny’s car and was gone. For the next few months I received updates from Penny and pictures kept coming in of Bowser with Brygette. It was clear that this adoption was working out wonderfully. Bowser had bonded with Brygette and was now her constant companion just as I had hoped.

Todd plays with Brygette while I visit with Bowser and Penny.

Then came the invitation to visit. Penny was amazed by the bond between Brygette and Bowser and wanted us to see for ourselves how the baby and the dog interacted with each other. The bond between Brygette and Bowser is nothing short of amazing! He never leaves her side, and I am told he whines for her if she is not present. Despite the fact that he was raised by Todd and I, last night he watched us carefully when we interacted with Brygette. At one point in the evening I picked Brygette up in my arms to bring her inside, the second I put her back down Bowser had to “inspect” her to make sure she was alright. I am told he does the same thing every time she goes down the slide at the local park.

Bowser and his family lounge on the couch. It is clear they love their rescue dog.

All in all folks I would have to say that Bowser’s adoption has been one of the most memorable to date. It illustrates perfectly how the unconditional love of an animal for it’s human family can help them through the most difficult things life throws at them. They have come a long way from wondering how they were going to face life without their Buddy boy. Bowser has stepped up and filled that void. They will never forget Buddy of course. He came along at a time in their life when they had given up on hopes and dreams of ever having a child, and got them through the diagnosis of Brygette’s illness and the ensuing treatment. When he died part of their strength died with him, but now they have their Bowser, and he will be by their side no matter what life throws at them. If you were to ask the Lambert-Park family how they feel about adopting their rescue dog, they will probably tell you they would do it again in a heartbeat!

Buddy and Bowser did something for us too! They gave us wonderful friends in the Lambert-Park family, people we might never have met were it not for the fact that they were seeking the love of a good dog.   To Penny and Trevor I want to say thank you. Thank you for choosing to adopt, thank you for giving not one but two of our rescues a second chance at life, and most of all thank you for being you. You are wonderful people, and I am glad to call you friends.

You can find the same unconditional love as the Lambert-Park family by opting to adopt. There are many wonderful pets just waiting for a home and a family to call their own. Adopting a pet will change your life, it is one of the most rewarding things you will ever do! So remember, ADOPT DON”T SHOP!

Until Tomorrow Remember

BE THE CHANGE YOU SEEK!

Janette

Happy Friday all! I have not been around much this week as some of you may have noticed. That does not mean I have abandoned you, I have been busy working on a couple of fund raising projects, networking with some very wonderful people, and attempting to set our summer rescue efforts in motion.

Now some of you have already contacted me with offers to foster or transport, and I thank you. You will be contacted soon about your first foster pet or transport run, and I hope I can count on you to be true to your word. To anyone wishing to step forward and become more involved in our work, links and email addresses will be given in this posting please read on.

Those wishing to volunteer for transport relay driving, please join the Let’s Adopt Canada Rescue Transport Team

Those wishing to open their home to foster pets, please join the Let’s Adopt Canada Foster Care Team

Those who would like to help us keep track of what is happening across the country by blogging animal news in their region, please email me at:

janettehamilton@bell.net

I would like to see all of our members encourage their friends to join us, so please invite them to “like” our fan page, or join our group page.

This weekend I will once again be away from my computer. I will be busy visiting a couple of local rural areas where animals are regularly abandoned to fend for themselves. We have received reports that there may be a few young mothers with litters living outdoors so we will be searching for them. Should we find them we will need to call on those of you who have stepped forward to assist us. We have no idea what we will find , or what shape the animals will be in, so we need you to step forward and assist us. I will keep the group posted on the weekends rescue efforts so be sure to check the page walls regularly.

Next week I will be meeting with two local school principals to discuss day seminars on animal care and handling, for their students when schools reopen in the fall. I believe that educating our children about animals is an important part of the effort to end the cycle of abuse that society has fallen into. Education of children on how to approach animals has been proven to reduce dog bite incidents. Education also dispels the myths and old wives tales many people believe about companion animals.

I am currently talking with several area bands and performers, and we are in the first planning stages of putting together a benefit concert for the early fall. Details of dates and times will be released when arrangements are finalized. At present we are looking for a large enough venue to accommodate us.

Well I hope you all feel up to date on what is happening with Let’s Adopt Canada. We are growing slowly, but we can do better! Don’t forget to invite your friends and family to join us!

Until Tomorrow Remember

BE THE CHANGE YOU SEEK!

Janette

Does this look like the way a puppy should start life?

On May 31st, 2011 the Toronto Municipal Licensing and Standards committee (MLS) will meet to discuss a proposed ban on the retail sales of puppies and kittens in pet stores across the GTA. (Greater Toronto Area) The ban, which would make it illegal to sell puppies or kittens in pet stores, would curb the supply and demand from puppy mills as well as reduce incidences of impulse buying of animals which later end up in shelters because the decision to purchase was made spur of the moment. It would also (according to some) reduce the overpopulation of feral cats, and deal with concerns over treatment of animals in pet shops.

In a preliminary report issued by the MLS, the committee states: “Municipal Licensing and Standards recommends amendments to Article XX, Pet Shops of Toronto Municipal Code Chapter 545, Licensing to clarify requirements for pet shop keepers.  In addition, MLS will ensure that establishments are regularly inspected for compliance.  MLS does not recommend an outright ban on the sale of cats and/or dogs, which could have a significant negative economic impact on pet shop owners.”

A significant negative economic impact on pet shop owners? Really? I and many other animal advocates do not agree with this statement. If banning retail sales of animals is going to have such a horrific negative impact on pet shop owners, does that not prove our point? I mean let’s look at this from a logical perspective shall we? The bulk of income in pet stores should not be from the sale of animals. Pet stores traditionally sell animal foods and accessories, sales of these items should far outweigh sales of live animals, which should make up only a small portion of a business’ yearly revenue.

The report goes on to say: “Toronto Municipal Code Chapter 545, Licensing, Article XX, Pet Shops addresses standards for the care and housing for animals being kept in pet shops. It also sets requirements for the overall condition that the pet shop must be kept in. Some of the bylaw requirements correspond with or go beyond what is outlined in the OSPCA Act. Examples of the Pet Shop by-law going beyond the requirements set out in the Act regarding care of animals include, but are not limited to:

1. Pet shop owners not keeping animals or birds in crowded quarters or cages

2. Pet shop owners not selling animals that are diseased or unfit for sale

3. Pet shop owner’s responsibility to ensure that any animal or bird indicating signs of sickness or disease is examined and appropriately treated within 24 hours of the onset of illness by a veterinarian or other qualified person
experienced in the care and treatment of the animal.”

The problem with this however is the fact that every inspector has their own take on what does and does not violate the Toronto Municipal code. A code which has been in place for years but does nothing to stop the mistreatment of animals in pet stores, or regulate the industry, because it is not actively enforced.

What we truly have to ask ourselves here is this, do we trust that the municipality will step up their inspection schedule, and enforce the existing licensing standards, or is this just the municipal governments way of attempting to appease animal rights activists by appearing to take action? How does this address the problem of reducing demand for puppy mill pups, or aid in reducing the population of feral cats on Toronto streets? Quite simply put, it doesn’t address either of those issues.

Surely the city of Toronto is aware that other municipalities have banned retail sales of animals (Richmond BC being the first municipality in Canada to pass the ban) with the result being little or no financial impact on pet shop proprietors. Surely the powers that be are aware that the present regulation of pet stores does nothing to stem the tide of animals from puppy mills being sold to the public as healthy companion animals?

Truth is the city doesn’t really care that they are dealing with lives and not inanimate merchandise, traditionally the powers that be view companion animals as property, and therein lies the problem. As long as we as a society refuse to see companion animals as living breathing beings that deserve humane treatment, the abuse and exploitation of animals for profit will continue.

Want to let the Toronto Municipal Licensing and Standards committee know how YOU feel about this issue? Here’s the link to their website:

Toronto Municipal Licensing and Standards

Don’t sit back and let the city make the decision for you, stand up and be counted. We owe it to the animals to ban retail sales.

Until Tomorrow Remember

BE THE CHANGE YOU SEEK!

Janette

I apologize for my weekend absence I have been allowing an injury to heal and truthfully have spent the time in bed surrounded by my beloved dogs. Of course we won’t mention the fact that it was one of my beloved dogs that caused the injury in the first place. We will blame it on the fact that I decided not to use the halti (a.k.a -gentle leader, or head collar)on a dog I am well aware believes she is pulling a wagon train every time you clip a leash to her collar. She gave my right arm a good wrenching and now it is very painful to move, and of course I am right handed! It appears that the shoulder muscle has been strained, so typing, driving, cooking etc. are all proving to be a little difficult. However, I do not blame the dog, the injury is my fault not hers, I should not have been lazy and should have used the proper equipment.

Notice how I am not blaming the dog for being a dog? Instead I take full responsibility for the injury which I could have prevented by the use of a halti to stop the dog from pulling. That got me thinking about dog bite incidents and who is truly at fault when someone gets bitten.

I can tell you right now it is NEVER the dog’s fault. It is ALWAYS the fault of the human. Dogs DO NOT attack without provocation, yet how many times have you heard a bite victim say, “the dog just attacked me! I didn’t do anything wrong.” This is almost NEVER true, usually there is something the victim is not even aware of doing which has challenged the animal and put it on the defensive.

In most cases, the animal in question is responding to the body language of the “victim” If that person approaches an unknown animal without caution, they are already causing friction between themselves and the dog in question. The dog will pick up on their fear or aggression and will become anxious. THAT is what will cause the dog to go on the defensive, THAT is what will cause the dog to bite.

People always expect dogs to be well behaved when out in public, they think nothing of approaching a strange dog and getting right in their face. They allow their children to approach any dog on the street without the caution that should be used when confronting a strange animal. They do not teach their children that it is best to stop and ask permission before touching or getting too close to a dog they do not know, they themselves approach strange dogs without as much as a “by your leave” to the owner. Then when they or their child gets bit, they blame the dog. No mention is made of the fact that said child approached said dog at a full tilt run and invaded the animals personal space, or that the victim was two inches off the nose of the animal in question when they got bit. Instead they blame the dog, saying it attacked unprovoked.

People have respect for the personal space of others most of the time. We would never dream of approaching someone and sticking our noses into their personal space. How is it then that we constantly invade the comfort zone of dogs without giving it a second thought? Do you honestly think the dog enjoys having their personal space invaded any more than we do? You would not walk up to a person you had never met and lay hands on them, so why do you feel it is alright to allow your children to approach a strange animal and lay hands on it? What’s more, how can you expect that animal to put up with being handled by strangers without a reaction?

The bottom line here folks is this, you should not be approaching strange animals without caution, and you need to teach your children respect for personal space and caution when approaching animals. BSL won’t stop dog bite incidents no matter what the government says. The only thing that keeps us and our children safe from being bitten is proper respect for animals, and their space, and a healthy respect for the damage a dog COULD do if YOU provoke such a reaction. Caution and respect is key when dealing with strange animals.

Until Tomorrow Remember
BE THE CHANGE YOU SEEK!
Janette