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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• Mock funeral held for euthanized animals (thestar.com)
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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

For the past few days, I have been watching a rescue effort via Facebook of a pit/mix in a Tennessee shelter. Her name is Sasha. She and her four puppies were brought to the shelter in March. Her puppies were adopted, but she remained sheltered.

One faithful trooper kept posting her info on Facebook. He started posting her in March when she arrived at the shelter. Recently a new campaign was started for Sasha and this time, it crossed the right paths at the right time and a fire was ignited. The rescue effort took many twists and turns and often felt like a roller coaster ride. My own fingernails grew weary from hanging by them as I watched.

One note yesterday said, “I will call [rescuer] again after 12:30…” The reply that came back said, “Won’t the dog be PTS at noon?” It was time stamped 11:55 am.

Several quick notes later came word that she has been put on “hold” from being killed and would be pulled out of the shelter on Saturday, heading to a rescue. A bit ago came a message that someone was on their way to pull Sasha today! Forgive me, but I continue to hold my breath and cross my fingers until I see photos of her “on the outside.”

While my heart relishes the victory of this save, my mind goes to the dog that took Sasha’s place yesterday on the death list. We did not see a photo of him or her. Or did we, but we did not respond? That dog was just as undeserving of death as Sasha.

Perusing the posts on my Facebook wall, I saw the news that Robeson County has changed their laws regarding the killing of animals in their shelter. They will not longer empty a needle full of barbituates into the chest cavity of an animal hoping to strike their heart and end their lives. The heart is difficult to find and if missed, the drugs cause great pain to the animal before they finally die. Instead, Robeson County will use a more humane method… intravenous euthanasia.

I am struck by the sad reality that we even discuss “humane killing.” What is humane about killing voiceless, innocent creatures?

Another post protested the use of gas chambers to kill cats and dogs. I should have not watched the video because certain images will be forever seared in my mind. They bring me to tears even now as I write this. The dogs already lifted into the metal gassing box are wagging their tails completely trusting the people who have placed them there. And their trust was violated; they were betrayed.

We have to stop the killing!

While we make statements about how spay/neuter will reduce the many cats and dogs brought to shelters, that idea is for the future, the next generation of animals. Spay/neuter does not address the pets in urgent need at this very moment. And sadly, “at this very moment” applies whether you read this post as soon as I publish it or if you read it tomorrow… or even next week. There is a huge need to adopt right now.

The Three Brothers are available for adoption. Contact v.larkhill@googlemail.com.

If you have a cat or dog, consider adopting a companion for them. Dogs are pack animals and operate very well within a group. Cats love company, too. In my household, the cats all pair up and are always found napping with their “best friend.”

If you already have two, consider a third… or maybe even a fourth one, too.

Please adopt a rescue or shelter pet.

If you aren’t ready to adopt, consider fostering a cat or dog. Call your local rescue groups and shelters. There is always a need for foster homes.

Save a life today! And help us empty all the shelters and all the rescues.

Ciao, Holly

Update: Sasha is safely out of the shelter.

WHAT IF the city impounded your pet and wouldn’t let you have visitation… what would you do?

“On Monday, I sent another request to Animal Services for permission to see Brindi. Two weeks ago, after sending three letters in a row, I got a written refusal. There is no law or written policy banning [visitation].” October 2008

“Before leaving the [courthouse], we asked the city’s counsel once again if I could be allowed to visit Brindi. Answer: a flat NO.” January 2009

WHAT IF your only alternative to save your pet from euthanasia was to sue the city… would you do it?

In 2008, Francesca Rogier pursued that very alternative. In January, 2009, the Supreme Court declared certain portions of By-law A-300 invalid and quashed the decision to have Brindi euthanized.

Nova Scotia Supreme Court Judge Duncan Beveridge quashed Brindi’s original euthanization order because the city failed, he wrote, to accord Rogier “even the most minimal requirements for procedural fairness.” One example? In what the city called its “complete investigation” of the third attack, no one bothered to take a statement from, or even contact, Rogier. [The Coast]

Brindi should have been a free dog that day.

Instead, the city launched their second attempt to KILL BRINDI. They charged Francesca Rogier with three violations of the By-Laws.

The city continues, today, to hold Brindi.

Please call and/or email the Mayor of Halifax and the head of the city’s Legal Department. Ask them to correct this iniquity and return Brindi to her owner, Francesca Rogier.

It should not be wrong to stand up for what is right.

Mayor – Pete Kelly
kellyp@halifax.ca, mayorhrm@gmail.com
902-490-4010

Head of Legal – Mary Ellen Donovan
donovad@halifax.ca
Phone: 902-490-4232

Ciao, Holly

In another blog article, I’ve cited some of the biggest issues to be tackled by Let’s Adopt! (Canada), and one of them was turning the main Canadian cities to a no-kill policy – which is to me a perfectly attainable goal. I am aware that ”No-Kill” has to be done right, and today, I wanted to write about ”No-Kill” shelters and the animal hoarding myth.

Mos animals were malnourished

Last year, 390 neglected animals have been seized from a North Carolina property. The volunteers of American Humane, an organization protecting children and animals, were chocked to find hundreds of animals living in inappropriate conditions: dogs, cats, horses, birds, sugar gliders, pygmy goats, rabbits and even an injured llama. They lacked access to fresh water, proper food or veterinary treatments.

Dogs had missing hair patches due to mange and piled-up crates were filled with as much as 5 cats in them, others containing mice and other small animals. It’s no wonder that this rescue operation has called ”Noah’s Ark” by the local media.

This sad but true story was yet another case of animal hoarding.

After I posted my article, one of our members responded by saying that while she’s in favour of the ”No-Kill” idea, except that ”there needs to be an understanding of no-kill with compassion.” I agree, the decision of euthanizing a terminaly ill animal is a though but sometimes nessecary one when there is no other options left. A REAL euthanasia is when you put a being out of his misery. Ending the life of a healthy, adoptable animal in order to make space (or not), though, is not euthanasia; it’s killing, destroying. ”Euthanasia” sounds sweeter, but it’s mostly used as an euphemism: in some high-kill shelters and pounds, where animals are being killed by thousands every year, the appropriate word could be extermination.

A good ”No-Kill” shelter is run by caring people. It offers good quality food, access to clear water at all times and veterinary care to all their animals and is likely to…

- work with foster (temporary) families.

- gladly accept help from volunteers.

- work to gain public visibility for all of their animals, including those in foster care, for example: by running a website.

- euthanize an animal if it is found in a deplorable, painful and irreversible condition… because then only, it becomes the appropriate thing to do.

Neglected dog

Hoarders are people considered to have a compelling psychological disorder. According to author Nathan J. Winograd, ”true hoarders thrive in high kill shelter communities because they can rationalize their friends and families the accumulation of too many animals. They have no choice but to keep these animals, they say, because their local shelter will only kill them.”

”No-Kill” shelters and animal rescue organizations are working hard to save animals who can otherwise end up being killed in a ”traditional” shelter or pound. They’re blamed of being ”limited-admission” shelters, they’re a ”shame” for turning down animals when they’ve reached their capacity, BUT at the same time, they’re called ”warehouses”, ”hoarding facilities”. Sounds contradictory, doesn’t it?

Sincerely,

Cath

We can be angry, and we can be hurt, but we must not turn away…Before we can change something, we must be willing to look at it!

Diane Leigh & Marilee Geyer

It`s a dangerous world out there, and everyday, in cities across the nation, dogs and cats by the thousands end up on the streets…

The book I`m gonna talk about today, ONE At a Time- A Week in an American Shelter starts with these words…I personally was in tears by the end of the introduction… I had to stop multiple times because I was crying so hard. Best and worst part of the book are the photos. Seeing their faces and looking into their eyes made it personal, and it makes you feel helpless. So you are gonna ask me… why are you suggesting us this book? To make us Sad? Are not we surrounded by enough sadness already? Some of my friends on facebook tell me the same thing all the time…Pia, we can not even watch/read the the things you post till the end… Cause it makes us sad… But we can not runaway from the facts or the horror that`s surrounding us… You can be hurt but you can not turn your head away. You have to make a decision… So ARE YOU IN???

Authors Diane Leigh and Marilee Geyer spend a week in a shelter in Northern California in order to document the lives of animals. The book tells the 75 stories of individual dogs and cats that come to the animal shelter during the week. All of these cats and dogs are here to find a home. Some will be reunited with their family, some will move to a new and hopefully permanent and loving home, and some will be euthanized. They are to be commended for telling a very difficult story in an honest and non-biased way. It’s heartbreaking to know that some dogs and cats have no chance of adoption and are euthanized simply because of their unpopular breed or age or health condition. Some happy adoptable animals succumb to kennel stress and the personality problems it causes. I found myself looking at the end of each story to see the outcome before I even started reading about the animals. Is he/she adopted or euthanized??? There is not enough money to care for sick animals or time or staff to socialize animals with behavioural problems. It is often a losing battle. The authors make it clear that much of the blame lies on irresponsible people who don’t spay or neuter their animals. You begin to realize how hopeless the odds are even at the most well-run animal shelter. Many more animals arrive than can be adopted. You need to be strong to read this book. You’ll fall in love with some of the animals and learn they did not survive the kennel but there is joy in knowing many do find new homes. The book selects several animals to feature and there is a picture or two. All are beautiful animals who deserved a chance that many never got.

And there was Kelly who broke my heart into million pieces… A beautiful, eight years old golden Husky mix who was found by the control officer in the shelter`s play yard, probably left by her guardian because the shelter was not open at that time. Her guardian came few hours later for signing her to the shelter adding that she is such a great, loving dog, who gets very well children. The staff was dumbfounded. If Kelly was such a great dog, why her guardian gave her up? Apparently in her current home she was primarily a yard dog, sleeping in the dog house and being fed outside in the mornings. Back in the kennels, she was devastated. Her grief was unmistakable. She did not eat, would not look up at anyone who stood in front of her kennel, did not lift her head as her photo was taken. After three days, it was clear that she was not going to bounce back from the trauma of being abandoned; puppies, even street dogs, do better in the shelter, having never known a home. It is the ones who had a home-the ones who have lost the most- who suffer the worst. Her suffering sealed her fate=EUTHANASIA…

Here are some general statistics from the book:

• 6 to 8 million lost and unwanted animals entered animal shelters nationwide last year. 3 to 4 million animals were euthanized in animal shelters last year. This means one animal is put down every nine seconds.

• Euthanasia in shelters is the leading cause of death of healthy dogs and cats.

• 1 in 3 animals will have a home that lasts their entire lifetime.

• 20% of animals currently in homes are adopted from shelters.

• 25% of dogs in shelters are purebred.

• A companion animal is lost every 30 seconds.

• Only 2% of lost cats who enter shelters are ever reunited with their families. Only 16% of dogs are reunited with their families.

• The length of time that most surrendered animals have been in the home before being surrendered is less than one year.

Leigh and Geyer ask this question “ How do we End this TRAGEDY?”

Here are the answers they come up with.

What You could do:

• Keeping current ID on animals and ensuring that they are kept safe, do not become lost

• Spaying and neutering to help overpopulation

• Getting an animal when you are absolutely ready

• Adopting a homeless animal from a shelter/rescue group

What Shelters could do:

• Identification and microchipping programs, (An ID tag and microchip could save countless lost animals)

• Low cost spay and neuter

• Pet parenting classes and animal behaviour help

But most importantly we need to create communicate communities that killing is not an acceptable answer, animals have value and beauty as beings with a sacred spark of life and spirit.

When describing it to several people, I was asked why I would want to torture myself by reading such tragic stories. The answer is that every pet owner (past and present) in the country NEEDS to read this book. It should be required. Too many people just don’t know what happens when they don’t spay/neuter their dogs and cats, or when they drop off their pets at a shelter because they are moving, or “tired of the animal,” or some other unacceptable reason for giving up a pet. Euthanasia (even gas chambers) does happen to millions of animals each year. Turning away from this reality is a betrayal of the animals. If they must go through it, we can be strong enough to know about it and face it.

I would like to dedicate this post and this song Coldplay-Fix You to all the Rainbow angels. Sorry, we could not Save you!

www.novoiceunheard.org

Love,

Pia