January 2017

Happy New Year! The staff and animals at the Ontario SPCA Sudbury & District Animal Centre wish you a prosperous year ahead. National Cupcake Day™ is right around the corner, so watch for details about events happening in our community.

Bake a difference during National Cupcake Day™

Preheat those ovens! National Cupcake Day™ is coming up on Feb. 27 and you’re invited to help “bake” a difference for animals in need.

Now in its fifth year, National Cupcake Day™ is presented in partnership by the Ontario SPCA and BC SPCA and is a collaborative event to support local SPCAs and Humane Societies across the country.

To participate, register to host a National Cupcake Day™ party and invite co-workers, friends and family. Guests donate to the participating animal welfare charity of the host’s choice in exchange for a cupcake, raising critically-needed funds for animals that are abused, abandoned, neglected or no longer wanted. Cupcake Day parties can be held anywhere, and on any date in January or February.

Visit nationalcupcakeday.ca to register, bake and donate. 

Take extra precautions during cold weather

If it’s too cold for you to go outside, it’s too cold for your pet! Every year, the Ontario SPCA investigates thousands of complaints about animals left unprotected from winter weather. Exposure to harsh conditions can cause serious illness or death to animals, particularly during periods of freezing rain and rapid temperature fluctuations.

Keeping pets safe and healthy during the winter months doesn’t end with keeping them warm. There are other hazards to be aware of, including salt and other chemicals used to melt snow and ice on roads and sidewalks. They can burn your pet’s sensitive paws and can cause illness if ingested. Before your pet heads out into the great outdoors this winter, here’s what you need to know.

Lily is hopping home

We’re thrilled to announce that Lily has found her forever home!

Lily the Flemish Giant was surrendered to the Ontario SPCA Sudbury & District Animal Centre several months ago in very poor condition. Formerly a breeding rabbit, Lily came to us very underweight and was suffering from urine scald. Her skin was severely inflamed and she had lost a significant amount of hair. Through the efforts of our local veterinarian and countless hours of care from our loving staff, Lily was nursed back to health, spayed and became a furry favourite to everyone passing through the animal centre. During her stay with us, Lily received regular bathing, soothing medicated ointments and regular examinations to monitor her progress. She was also provided with daily enrichment while she was waiting to be adopted, including rabbit-friendly fruits and vegetables, playpen time with staff and volunteers, and grooming.

We are extremely happy that Lily has found a home with a local rabbit enthusiast who has a wonderful facility where she’ll flourish.

Showing compassion to feral cats

We’ve all seen feral cats wandering the streets or in our backyards. We wonder what they eat, where they sleep and how they stay warm. Feral cats are born in the wild from other ferals or unaltered domestic cats. Feral cats are typically wary of humans and many tend to live in colonies. 

Providing support for these animals is no simple task, but there are many local volunteers doing their part to assist in caring for these animals year-round. The Ontario SPCA also has support programs in place to assist feral cat caretakers in managing feral cat colonies. Specifically, the Ontario SPCA operates a feral cat trap depot program where the Society loans cat traps to feral cat caretakers in an effort to trap, neuter and return stray cats; a free feral food bank providing a sustainable support of food to colony caretakers; and a feral cat shelter program that relies on volunteers to build shelters for feral cats so caretakers have a warm, safe place for their colonies during the cold, harsh winters.

Over 5,300 animals find homes during iAdopt for the Holidays

iAdopt for the Holidays is over for another year and over 5,300 animals found loving homes through participating SPCAs, Humane Societies and rescue groups across Canada, including over 1,600 animals adopted through Ontario SPCA animal centres during the two-month adoption campaign.

iAdopt for the Holidays, supported by Royal Canin, took place from Nov. 1 to Dec. 31 at participating SPCAs, Humane Societies and rescue groups nation wide. The goal of this annual event is to get as many animals as possible placed into loving homes during the holiday season. We are so pleased to say the campaign was a great success!

A big thank you to everyone who participated in this year’s campaign. You helped change the lives of animals in need this holiday season!

Volunteers go the extra mile for our dogs

As many of you know, all of the dogs under the care of the Ontario SPCA Sudbury & District Animal Centre are walked several times daily for exercise, to provide enrichment and to give them a break from life inside the animal centre. What you may not know is that we have a team of volunteers who take time out of their busy schedules to walk our dogs nightly, sometimes for hours at a time. The benefit of this extra time spent with these caring individuals is exponential. Not only are the dogs getting extra exercise and fresh air, they are also being socialized.

The time and loving care all of our volunteers put forth is greatly appreciated by our staff, and especially the animals in our care. Thank you to our dedicated volunteers for everything you do for our furry friends. 

Find your pocket pal at the rat adopt-a-thon

Looking for a small, low-maintenance pet? Have you considered a rat? Ontario SPCA animal centres across the province recently welcomed a large number of these pocket-sized pets after close to 600 rats were removed from an apartment in North Bay.

To help find homes for our little friends, PetSmart will be hosting a rat adopt-a-thon from Jan. 21 to Feb. 12 at a number of stores across the province. Rats will be available for adoption for only $5 each at participating PetSmart locations in Sudbury, Barrie, Newmarket, Vaughan, East Brampton, Scarborough, Pickering, Whitby, Peterborough, Cornwall, Belleville, Kingston and North Bay, Richmond Hill and Toronto.

The rats are patiently waiting to find a loving home. Could it be yours? 

Tell us your favourite pet brands

We want to hear from you! Take our survey about your pets, pet suppliers and favourite pet-related brands and you’ll be entered to win a $100 prepaid Mastercard®!

Knowing which companies you know and trust guides us as we work to develop new partnerships that will be of value to supporters like you, while also helping the animals in our care.