April 2017
Meet Your Match® through the Ontario SPCA You could be gazing at the animal of your dreams, but you just can’t tell what they’re thinking behind that cute little furry face. What if you knew a little something about their personality and habits before you moved in together? Get ready to find a pet that suits your needs – get ready to “Meet Your Match!” A program of the ASPCA, Meet Your Match® is the only method in existence that evaluates an animal’s behaviour and interests and matches them to an adopter’s preferences so that you take home a pet you can really click with. The Meet Your Match program won’t let you go home without knowing who’s in that carrier or on that leash. Watch our video to learn more about this innovative program and see the matches it has made. Already have the pet of your dreams? We want to hear your adoption story! Enter the #IMetMyMatch video contest. For your chance to win, upload a video of your story telling us what made your pet perfect for you, or post your video on Instagram using the hashtag #IMetMyMatch and then claim your entry. The contest closes April 17, so don’t delay! The randomly selected winner will receive a $50 credit for PawsandGive.ca, our online giving catalogue, and an Ontario SPCA swag bag.
Nominate your veterinarian today for this year’s Got A Pet? Get A Vet!™ Award Help us recognize local veterinarians and their staff who go above and beyond to provide excellent care for pets and their families. From May 1 to May 21, we want to hear from you! Submit your favorite veterinary clinic for the 2017 Got a Pet? Get a Vet!™ Award and encourage friends and family to go on the gotapetgetavet.ca website to vote for the winner.  Got a Pet? Get a Vet!™ is an annual education campaign by the Ontario SPCA, in association with the Ontario Veterinary Medical Association (OVMA) and participating SPCAs and Humane Societies across Canada. It promotes and educates owners about the importance of annual veterinary checks. Just one checkup a year will help protect your pets against a variety of potentially life-threatening diseases, detect health problems sooner and help you avoid unexpected costs.
Paws & Give: Better than a chocolate bunny! Spring is finally here and Easter is just days away. If you’re looking for something fresh and meaningful to give, we have Easter and spring-themed “animal-grams” for you!  Donate just $10 through Paws & Give, our online giving catalogue, and send an eCard to your friends and family to celebrate the season, all while helping animals in our care Or, choose a Rocky & Friends plush adoption to give in place of a basket of chocolate or trinkets. The little ones in your life will be cuddling a soft plush dog, cat or horse while you’ll have the warm, fuzzy feeling that animals in need are safe and cared for, all because of you. You can be a hero this spring!
Don’t miss out on the joys of adopting a senior pet Older dogs, cats and other senior pets are often overlooked in our centres, but an older pet can make a purr-fect companion for many reasons. With a senior pet, what you see is what you get; an older pet has an established temperament and personality, unlike a puppy or kitten that will go through many phases as they develop. Plus, most senior pets are already house or litter-trained and, in the case of dogs, know basic leash manners and commands. Adopted senior pets also seem to be grateful for your kindness. Many new owners form a close bond very quickly with their senior dog or cat, because the pet shows them a level of attention and devotion that is unique to older adopted animals. If you decide to open your heart and bring home a senior pet, it is important to give your new family member time to adjust to his or her new surroundings. You will also need to observe your new pet to get familiar with their personality, likes, dislikes and to see how they are communicating with you. For those reluctant to consider a senior because the possibility of a painful loss seems closer, remember that life offers no guarantees. Quality of time together matters so much more than quantity. The privilege of loving a senior pet can make every day special for both you and your senior pet.	Keep pets safe during the Easter holiday With Easter just around the corner there is likely more candy and chocolate treats in our homes. Please remember these treats are not safe to share with our pets. Chocolate is dangerous for dogs, but did you know it is also unsafe for cats, birds and small animals? Chocolate contains a substance called theobromine. Different types of chocolate contain different amounts of theobromine. The more theobromine in the chocolate, the more toxic it is for the animal. When an animal ingests chocolate it can stimulate the central nervous system, cardiovascular system, and increase blood pressure. The potential side effects of theobromine ingestion in dogs, cats and other pets may include: digestive problems (including diarrhea and vomiting) increased urination muscle twitching excessive panting hyperactive behavior whining dehydration seizures rapid heart rate If you suspect your dog or cat has ingested chocolate and is experiencing any of the above symptoms, contact your veterinarian immediately. For easy, pet-friendly, treats that you can make at home, visit the Ontario SPCA blog.
Thank you to our dedicated volunteers! Ontario SPCA animal centres will be joining Canadians from coast to coast April 23-29 in celebration of National Volunteer Week. Volunteers are truly the backbone of this organization; people we need, trust and value. Each and every one of you brings something special and unique to our centre and the Ontario SPCA as a whole. We could not do what we do without you! National Volunteer Week is a time to recognize, celebrate and thank our volunteers for their hard work. The dedication of our volunteers is an inspiration to us all. Your selfless commitment and efforts do not go unnoticed. The animals in our care, our staff and our community appreciate you more than words could ever express. To the outstanding and remarkable people who have chosen to dedicate their energy, passion and time to supporting the Ontario SPCA Huron County Animal Centre, we salute you! Volunteers are vital to our animal centres and we can’t thank them enough. If you would like to get involved and be part of our team, visit our website for more details.	Meet Smiley the blind therapy dog Despite abuse suffered at a young age, you’ll never find this Golden Retriever without a big smile on his face. We recently welcomed a very special guest to join us on our Animals’ Voice Pawdcast: Smiley, the blind therapy dog. Smiley the blind therapy dog, as he’s become widely known on social media, was born without eyes and spent two years living in a puppy mill, where he suffered attacks from other dogs. Even after being rescued, Smiley struggled to find a loving home to care for him. Nobody wanted him because of the challenges they thought would come with owning a blind dog. From those traumatic beginnings, Smiley never lost his calm and gentle personality. After some time adjusting to his new home, he became a certified therapy dog with St. John Ambulance. He now visits schools with his owner, Joanne George, who shares with children how Smiley was bullied for being born blind. It’s a powerful story to explain to children why bullying is wrong and hurtful. To hear Smiley’s story and the challenges of raising a special needs dog, listen to our podcast with this incredible dog and his dedicated owner.
Pet Brand Survey: The results are in… Thank you to everyone who participated in our Pet Brand Survey earlier this year. Congratulations to Cathy of Gravenhurst who was the winner of a $100 MasterCard gift card. Here are a few fun things we learned about you and your pets thanks to your participation in the survey: 41% have both a cat AND a dog in their household The most common pet name (across all types of animals) was Bella 11% of responders spend 3+ hours per week watching animal videos online (we won’t tell your boss, we promise!) The most popular toy brand was Kong The overall sentiment was that all pet suppliers and brands should support the Ontario SPCA and other animal welfare organizations – so thank you for that ringing endorsement!	Cupcakes come to the rescue to support animals in need Thanks to bakers and supporters across the nation, close to $530,000 – and counting – was raised for National Cupcake Day™ for SPCAs & Humane Societies in 2017!  To date, the campaign has raised nearly $2.38 million, proving that Canadians have a sweet tooth for cupcakes, and a love of animals.  The average cost to care for a shelter animal is $568, which means that over 900 animals were helped with the success of this year’s National Cupcake Day. The wonderful success of the day showed that animals in need across Canada can have their cupcake (pet friendly, of course!), and eat it too! Set your baking timers now for the 2018 National Cupcake Day taking place on Monday, Feb. 26.

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Newshound is a free electronic newsletter published monthly by the Ontario SPCA to inform our supporters and friends of animal welfare about Ontario SPCA Community initiatives, programs, events and experiences. Contents of Newshound may be reproduced with appropriate credit.

Ontario SPCA Huron County Animal Centre
48 East St., Goderich, ON N7A 1N3
Charitable Business #88969-1044-RR0002

Phone: (519) 440-0250
Fax:  (519) 440-0449
Email: huroncounty@ospca.on.ca

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