On Thursday, Faith took a flight from Ontario to Calgary. She overnighted there and the next day, she made the rest of her journey by truck to BC.

We received these photos of Faith as she arrived in BC on Friday afternoon. She loves road trips and loved the BC countryside.

In what has become Faith’s trademark character, she greeted her adoptive mom with loads of kisses. Faith has a huge reputation for LOVING people.

But she didn’t fit in so well with the other dogs that were there. There was friction. So phone calls were made and a new plan was set into motion for Faith.

Friday afternoon, Faith returned to Calgary. Good thing she likes road trips, eh?

Under the rescue of the DAISY Foundation in Calgary, Faith is being fostered by an incredible couple. They understand Pit Bulls and have a great passion for dogs. Faith’s angels still have their eyes on her!

She will get spayed, receive training and a new search will begin for her forever home. Because she is so special, it needs to be the perfect match.

You can follow her story on the DAISY Foundation website.

Best to you on your journey, Faith. We know you are in good hands!

We received this message from Kalena’s husband this morning and so we turn our energies from rescuing Faith back into the family she saved to finding her a home outside the utterly unfathomable idiocy of Ontario’s BSL. Perhaps by saving this woman’s life, Faith was actually saving her own. Having even the appearance of what people identify as being Pit Bull could be the eventual scarlet letter of death for her in Ontario.

Here’s the message we received from Kalena’s husband:

“I am the husband who found my wife outside with Faith the dog standing over her. It was truly an amazing sight. Now this dog needs your help. Brant SPCA has renamed her Casidy. She needs a home outside of Ontario. Kalena and I would like to thank the 100s of emails we have received. But Kalena and I agree it’s not about us, it’s about saving this wonderful dog, Faith.”

We are now seeking foster care and a forever home for Faith (aka Casidy at the shelter). She has done her part to show what an incredible character she has; to show her true moral fiber; and to show the values we used to admire in Pit Bulls from years past.

Remember that bystanders just stood and watched whereas this young dog risked her life for a stranger she had never met!

Please, if you have room in your home and your heart for this baby or if you are interested in fostering (outside Ontario), contact the Brantford SPCA in Brantford, Ontario:

539 Mohawk Street
P.O. Box 163
Brantford, ON
N3T 5M8

Telephone: 519.756.6620

Email
Robin Kuchma, Branch Manager
Adoption Inquiries

Adoption info & applications

Transportation from Ontario to Calgary and points along that route may be possible in a couple weeks via a kind soul’s offer.

Though we are not out of the woods yet, I would like to extend heartfelt kudos to Kalena and her family. Had she not said a word about this event, this canine heroine would likely have been quietly killed because of her parentage of which no one knows for sure, at least not that anyone will admit. Last I knew, the people she came from have not stepped up in her defense.

Please take the time to educate yourself about the true evil of BSL and do not ever assume your dog will be immune. Do an internet search for the results of studies from communities around the world that are repealing their BSL legislation because it has not worked, is costly and causes such needless emotional distress to families… among other tested reasons. Regardless of breed, the list seems to grow each year.

When I changed my homeowner’s insurance this year, I was asked if any of my dogs were on their list of troublesome breeds. It was a lengthy and surprising list.

Take a look at your dog and imagine what it would feel like if suddenly you were required to surrender him/her to be killed. Then support anti-BSL in your province and beyond.

Ciao, Holly

ps… the photo on this page is NOT Faith. I have requested one from the SPCA but have not received it yet.

Puffy has been an Ottawa neighborhood cat for about a year now. Neighbors have been feeding him and keeping an eye out for him. However, he was an unneutered male, so, though handsome to the eye, a “baby-maker” nonetheless. And a bit of a rabble-rouser who got into fights with other cats in the neighborhood.

Recently, a concerned neighbor stepped up and befriended Puffy.

“…he let me pat him and cut some matts out of his fur. He had a huge tick on him, a big healing abcess and lots of smaller scabs and scratches.”

After talking to his neighborhood “watch group,” it was decided that Puffy needed to be caught and neutered. Then he could possibly be released back into his neighborhood.

So this week, Puffy got a full checkup, de-worming, vaccinations, FeLV/FIV tests, and a neuter. All went well except for the FIV test. He has tested positive for the FIV virus.

If you are unfamiliar with FIV, feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV) is a lentivirus (or “slow virus”) which is characterized by a long incubation period. An infected cat’s health may deteriorate progressively or be characterized by recurrent illness interspersed with periods of relative health. Sometimes not appearing for years after infection, signs of immunodeficiency can appear anywhere throughout the body — poor coat, gingivitis, stomatitis, various cancers and blood diseases; much like any other cat might experience. [source]

What does FIV do to a cat? Infected cats may appear normal for years. However, infection eventually leads to a state of immune deficiency that hinders the cat’s ability to protect itself against other infections. The same bacteria, viruses, protozoa, and fungi that may be found in the everyday environment — where they usually do not affect healthy animals — can cause severe illness in those with weakened immune systems. These secondary infections are responsible for many of the diseases associated with FIV. [source]

In other words, FIV won’t kill him, but rather a secondary infection could. Therefore, to lessen the possibility of acquiring a secondary infection and for keeping his immune system as strong as possible, it is best for Puffy to live indoors now.

So we are looking for a home that can take Puffy in. He currently lives in Ottawa. Taking him to the Ottawa Humane Society would likely be a death sentence (read some of the reasons an animal is destroyed in a shelter) and rescue groups called are full at this time.

Per Judy who took him to the vet:

“The vet says he is young and seems to be in good health other than being a bit thin. He seems gentle and friendly. When he was at my house for a little while he was comforted when I rubbed his cheeks and ears.”

“I have a foster home for him only until Sunday, and then maybe another foster for a few days after that.”

If you are interested in fostering or adopting Puffy, please email me and I will connect you with Judy.

If you want to learn more about FIV — what it means, how it is transmitted, what you might expect — the College of Veterinary Medicine at Cornell University has created this great page to explain. It needn’t be a death sentence. Puffy can live a long and happy life. Even in a home with other cats.

And please… SHARE Puffy’s story by clicking on one of the icons below so we can find him a new home.

Ciao,
Holly

Tradition has it in many countries around the world that the day after Christmas is Boxing Day, or St. Stephen’s Day. It’s a day when goods or money are wrapped in boxes and shared with the poor and the needy.

One of the earliest accounts of the origin of this day appears in the Christmas Carol, “Good King Wenceslas.”

“Wenceslas, who was Duke of Bohemia in the early 10th century, was surveying his land on St. Stephen’s Day, 26 December, when he saw a poor man gathering wood in the middle of a snowstorm. Moved, the King gathered up surplus food and wine and carried them through the blizzard to the peasant’s door.” [1]

Given that bit of history about this day, it seems quite fitting that today I tell you the rest of the story about one of our Canadian rescues who came to us in need.

Stray Guy had been left behind when his family moved away. He was on his own to forge out a survival. But from the scratch on his face, it did not look like things were going so well for him. A woman named Irene who lived nearby did all she could to help him, but because she had dogs of her own, she did not feel she could take him into her home. So she began her search for a home for him.

One of the people Irene contacted was Ginette, a Let’s Adopt member, who contacted me. We immediately sent out a request for a forever home or a foster home so we could get this boy off the street. This was in July, 2010.

A woman several hours away from Ottawa offered her home, but the lack of transportation became an obstacle.

That’s when Maggie stepped up saying she could foster him in her home. She had several cats of her own and was familiar with our needs having rescued and fostered cats on her own in the past. She had a bedroom she could keep him in while we went through getting him tested and neutered and on his way to a new life.

We had a plan! Irene caught Stray Guy one evening and put him in a carrier. Ginette picked him up and delivered him to Maggie. In the coming days, we got him vetted and neutered. At this point, Stray Guy became Stary. In making his vet appointment, Stray was misspelled as Stary… and it was discovered that he had a small white “star” on his chest.

During vetting, we ran into another speed bump. Testing revealed that Stary had FIV (feline immunodeficiency virus). Though that is not a death sentence, it does require a special family to adopt him. One that is aware of his illness and can provide for his needs. Simply put, he has a compromised immune system so he has to be treated quickly if a secondary infection occurs. Here is a link to the Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine’s webpage about FIV.

In late September, Inessa and Paul came forward and asked about Stary. They were familiar with FIV and were interested in meeting him. Emails, Facebook messages and phone calls were exchanged; a visit was arranged; and it was unanimously decided that Inessa and Paul were perfect for Stary.

On the first Sunday in October, Stary was loaded into his carrier for his trip to his new forever home.

And the news is all good. He has since been renamed Vovochka (or Вовочка). His family describes him as a playful, friendly cat. In the beginning, he slept with his new family in their bed and never let them get very far from his sight. He has become more secure, but still keeps his eye on them. And from the looks of things in these photos, life is good in his world. Stray Guy aka Stary aka Vovochka is finally and forever home!

So on Boxing Day, we wrap the story of this once needy little guy who was left behind by his family, but was eventually adopted by a wonderful couple in a tidy box for you to enjoy.

It takes a concerted effort of caring people to rescue our homeless pets and find them the forever homes they deserve. I hope in the coming year, you will be a part of the efforts to find homes for them. Did you realize that if just 3.5% of a community adopted the pets from their shelters, the shelters could be empty?

Please be part of the 3.5% solution and opt to adopt.

Click the photos to enjoy all of Vovochka’s handsomeness.

Ciao, Holly

FOSTERING SAVES LIVES!

Dear friends,

Today we are going to try something that, as far as we know it has never been done before, something that just a few years ago it could have never been attempted without a massive advertising expenditure.

Please read carefully and at the end, PLEASE SHARE.

One of the most challenging aspects of our mission is to find foster homes. A network of foster homes is absolutely essential for the good functioning of any rescue organization.

A foster home is, a temporary home where the animal gets chance to recover from the stress of being in a shelter or abandoned. Additionally, the foster volunteer has the opportunity to work with the animal to introduce him to family living (if its a puppy or a kitten) or to correct some of the behavior problems that may have led to him being abandoned.

Quite simply: Fostering Saves Lives.

So this is what we are going to do here today. Today we are going to use our entire network to build up our network of foster homes.

To do this we are going to need YOUR help. I need you to do three things:

1. Please feel free to use our poster, Foster Saves Lifes as avatar in your Facebook profile. You can just save the picture in this post. Alternatively you can download the small version HERE

2. We need to have the involvement of your trusted veterinarians in this campaign. For this I would like you to download the Hig-Resolution Poster HERE, print it (in colour please) and ask your veterinary clinic to put it in its announcement board. I understand this may be a bit too cumbersome to some, but it is the fastest and most efficient way to have an inmediate distribution of this poster all over the world. It will also help us establish a link with our members’ trusted vets all over the world.

DOWNLOAD HI-RES POSTER HERE

3. Finally, I need you to share this post with your own networks. You can share it on your wall, you can email it, it doesn’t really matter, but I need you to please become personally involved in this campaign. We cannot do this alone we need you. The animals need you. PLEASE SHARE.

This campaign is being launched in our Global, USA, Canada, French, German and Turkish networks simultaneously and the homes will be available to our friends at Soi Dog / Let’s Adopt (Thailand), that are doing such an incredible job in the Far East.

If you would like to have the poster designed in your language to be used in your veterinary clinics, just drop me a quick email on viktor@myletsadopt.com and I’ll make sure it gets translated.

Come on.. let’s get to work.. this is very exciting! Help us build a truly global foster home network.

Fostering Saves Lives!.. Let’s get to work! That’s what we do! Save Lives!

Start fostering today!. Contact me on: viktor@myletsadopt.com

Viktor

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