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

I wonder if Judge Murphy knows the extended joy felt in waves around the world yesterday as news of her ruling circumnavigated the world faster than the speed of sound or light.

I wonder if she has any idea how much happiness she created within the hearts of more people than she can perhaps imagine. People from most countries of the world. People that have stood by for almost two years as Francesca Rogier has fought for the life of her companion, her dog Brindi.

Yesterday afternoon in a Dartmouth, Nova Scotia courthouse, Judge Alanna Murphy created just such a tsunami when she ruled that Brindi would be released* from the city’s relentless 20-month stranglehold.

Yesterday afternoon, Judge Murphy let us know that the light at the end of the tunnel was NOT yet another train coming, but an opening back into the life Francesca and Brindi had barely started together.

Brindi supporters from around the world are rejoicing as messages of happiness continue to pour in.

Thank you, Judge Murphy, for choosing life over death; for giving Francesca and Brindi the much-asked chance to shine in the community!

You are world class to us one and all!

To Francesca, Brindi and Amelia — best wishes for a long and wonderful future!

Ciao, Holly

* Conditions for the release include: Francesca and Brindi must take training courses, Francesca must ensure there is a secure enclosure for Brindi at her home; Brindi must be muzzled when she is outside.

Contact info for Judge Murphy if you want to send a thank you:
Judge Alanna Murphy
Dartmouth Provincial Court Administration
277 Pleasant Street
Dartmouth, NS, B2Y3S2 CANADA
Fax: (902) 424-0677

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See more of Nick Brandt’s photos from Africa.

Want to see wild animals? Check this amazing gallery by photographer Nick Brandt.

This is what wild animals look like.

A couple of days ago we reported on the campaign started in Bonavista against Cirque Estival. Well.. sometimes it takes just a little sparkle to ignite a fire.

Protest is spreading all over Facebook and people have taken notice.

Mayor Betty Fitzgerald is having a meeting with the SPCA, I am confident drastic measures will be taken.

The world has changed, there is no place for the traditional circus in it any longer.

Canada is the birthplace of the world’s leading entertaining company, Le Cirque du Soleil. A circus act that has completely redefined the very meaning of the word.

Here is our suggestion for the town of Bonavista. Invite a circus, but a humane circus that places all its emphasis on human performance, not on poor animals having to dance motivated by fear and pain.

Here is a tongue-in-cheek example… a new kind of circus…

The first time I met Rocket, he was laying in a ditch on the side of the road with three people standing around him. As I approached, he made eye contact and wagged his tail a bit. A good sign.

It was a Sunday afternoon. Andi, a fellow animal rescuer and her husband had been out on their motorcycle when they drove past a woman pulled to the side of the road and standing outside her vehicle. Thinking she might need some help, they pulled over. What they found was that the woman was from out-of-town; she was just passing through. As she was driving, she noticed a small movement out the corner of her eye in the ditch. In a quick glance, she realized it was a brown dog. He was lifting his head. Being a dog lover, she pulled over to see what she could do.

Andi and Kenneth saw her… and pulled over to see what they could do.

Because they were on a motorcycle, there wasn’t much they could do, so they called me. I loaded some emergency supplies and a backboard into my car and headed out.

We gently moved the dog onto the backboard and loaded him into my car. I drove him to a vet tech’s house where she did a preliminary exam. She administered some meds to stabilize him until we could get him into one of the clinics in the morning that works with us on our rescues.

Long story short and a few months later, Rocket was returned to his original home some 50 miles away where he has been reunited with his other doggie playmates. His broken leg is healing, he is regaining motion in his foot and he is a rocket man zooming around his yard once again.

The simple beauty of the story is the ripple effect a few people had on this gentle soul. Had the first woman not spotted Rocket in the ditch and stopped, he may well have eventually died there. The vets working on him thought he had already been there for a few days.

This is the spirit of volunteerism and community that can make the difference in the lives of our companion animals. It is work that is done one-by-one. While this may seem like slow progress, to the animals saved, it’s more than they had. So it is a good place to start.

A few years ago, rescuers and shelters counted on people coming to them to adopt. But the internet has changed all that. We now create websites to introduce people to our adoptable animals. And with social media, we can now GO OUT TO THE PEOPLE with our messages and their stories. We can share our adoptees with many more people in many more places. In turn, those people can share the messages with their friends and their friends can pass it along still further.

We are able to extend our reach until we find that forever home whether it is down the road, across the country or on another continent. We are no longer limited to our immediate community.

Statistics for the United States show that there are currently 20 million households. On average, the US kills about 4 million cats and dogs a year. There are homes out there for our companion animals. We just need to move beyond the borders we have known in the past and grasp all the opportunities available to us to find homes.

The key to this is people and participation.

People that work in whatever capacity is comfortable for them: rescuer, foster, adopter, other. Let’s Adopt! Canada is looking for these people as we expand our reach throughout Canada and redefine what “community” is. Let us know what talents you have to offer. We’re listening.

Join us! on Facebook.

Let’s not stop until all shelters are empty and every dog and cat has a loving home!

Ciao, Holly

That’s about all she was to anyone… except someone gave her the name Petra. Her photo was taken to put on the internet with the others.

She appeared on my Facebook page last Friday evening. She and the others in the post were from a shelter in the Dallas area. Their time was nearing an end; they were the “urgents.” As are so many by the time they hit Facebook.

Always my first thought is that I want to take them all. But how would that be possible? I already have several.

So what can I do to help them?

I hit the SHARE button at the bottom of the post and added their info to my network of friends. It’s the least I can do… and maybe someone will adopt one.

Within a few minutes, someone messages me. She has seen Petra’s photo and wants to adopt her. How can she do it? Is it even possible? She lives in San Antonio — five hours from Dallas.

My first response is YES! Because I KNOW this can be done.

On her fifth try, Karrie reaches someone at the shelter who verifies that Petra is still there. She takes Karrie’s info and puts a hold on Petra. Over the next few hours, a rescue group steps up and arranges to pull the little dog on Sunday. A foster comes forward who will foster her overnight Sunday night. And at noon on Monday, transport starts for Petra’s trip from Dallas to San Antonio.

At 3 pm Monday, Petra — renamed Vimba which means “Hope” in Shona — arrives at her new home.

The power of sharing via social media saved this pup’s life… a happenstance connection on Facebook.

But there are more in need in all areas.

Do these pets a favor and share messages about animals in need. You never know when your message might save a life! And it costs you nothing… just a few minutes of your time.

Here are just a few of the faces saved in the past few weeks through sharing.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
reprinted from Let’s Adopt! US as it appeared a few weeks ago. It’s a true story.

We can save them… we just have to try.

Please join us! Let’s Adopt! Canada.

Ciao, Holly

“When you take killing animals off the table as an option,” Nathan Winograd explains, “you’d be surprised at the creative solutions you come up with.”

That statement comes from an interview Nathan did with Reader’s Digest four years ago.

Let’s Adopt! has emerged as just such a “creative solution.” From seemingly out of nowhere came a group of single-minded individuals who were totally committed to changing the status quo.

Largely internet driven, Let’s Adopt! makes use of social media in general and the networking site Facebook in particular to educate the general public on animal welfare issues, conduct rescue operations for animals in danger and rehome them.

In just over two years, we have completely changed the animal protection environment in Turkey. And because of the need and the interest, we are expanding with people in Germany, France, US, Canada, and Thailand.

Let’s Adopt! offers animal lovers the possibility to connect with people like themselves. We are not only about animals; we are about people and change.

We are looking for committed people to join Let’s Adopt! Canada as we build this network of volunteers focused on raising social awareness to the necessity for animal rights and prevention of animal abuse throughout the country, rescue operations and rehoming activities; a network of members who will volunteer their time to improving the lives of primarily dogs and cats who have been discounted by society and now live marginal existences on the streets, in shelters and other inhumane conditions.

By working together, we can create a fostering system in which the animals who have been rescued, stay with a foster family until they are ready for their new homes. We can bring people together with our dogs and cats who are looking for their home.

Together, we can campaign for better legislation against animal abuse.

I hope you will join Let’s Adopt! Canada and invite your Facebook network of friends to join us, too.

Together we can make a change in the lives of our companion animals. We can take killing off the table.

And check out Leonard Coyne’s challenge! He is our friend, a businessman based in Byron Bay (Australia) who is also deeply involved in running theSoi Dog Foundation, our Thai partner.

Ciao, Holly