August 2017

Who will YOU walk for?!

On Sept. 24 join me, Luna, your spokesanimal, for the Barrie Animal Centre’s Friends for Life! Walk^TM presented by Pedigree. 

Our Friends for Life! Walk will be held at Sunnidale Park this year, and you don’t need to bring a dog to participate! You don’t even need to own a pet! The Friends for Life! Walk is a meaningful way for you to give back to your community by raising funds to helping animals in need.

Will you join me? You can sign up for the walk here

Be sure to follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram to keep current on the latest FFL! Walk news, contests and giveaways.

Not able to walk? You can still support animals in need with a special gift here.

Fundraise & WIN:

Register and raise a minimum of $100 online before Sept. 4 for a chance to win one of two Instax Cameras. Self-donations count towards your entry. Register now and start raising funds for animals in need!

What should you do if you see a pet in a hot vehicle?

Every summer, the Ontario SPCA receives hundreds of calls about animals left in hot vehicles. Unfortunately, there are still pet owners who aren’t getting the message about the dangers of leaving pets unattended in vehicles. Parked cars can quickly reach deadly temperatures, even on relatively mild days with the car parked in the shade and the windows slightly open.

So what should you do if you come across an animal left in a hot vehicle? Find out in this video with Ontario SPCA Inspector Scott Sylvia. He discusses the dangers of leaving pets unattended in vehicles, consequences for owners and what you can do if you see an animal in distress.

Please take the time to support the No Hot Pets message and take the pledge here to show solidarity for this important campaign.

Kitten foster families needed

Can you help us with our “kitten boom?” It’s kitten season and we currently have three litters of kittens in our care here at the Ontario SPCA Barrie Animal Centre Centre.

These kittens are still nursing and require special care because they are so young, which is why we need your assistance.

The Barrie Animal Centre is currently looking for foster homes for the mother cats and their litters.

If you have room in your home and your heart to house these kittens for four to five weeks, on average, please contact the centre.

Thank you in advance for your love and support!

Volunteers keep our centres looking great

The Barrie Animal Centre is fortunate to have many dedicated, hard-working volunteers who help out daily with our animals, and the upkeep of the centre.

If you’ve been by our centre recently, you may have noticed that the grounds outside are looking top-notch. That’s because a local tree company, Oxygen Professional Tree Company, owned and operated by Quinn Brown, has spent hours pruning, trimming and taming the vegetation around the centre. The walkway by the dog runs was almost impassable until Oxygen worked their magic.

Thank you to Quinn Brown and Oxygen for making our centre look amazing! 

Interested in volunteering? Visit our website to learn how you can get involved. 

Don Cherry offers support
for pit bulls headed south
to find new homes

The Ontario SPCA recently welcomed hockey icon Don Cherry, who paid a visit to the Society’s Provincial Office in Stouffville to wish a group of pit bulls well on their journey south to find new homes in Florida.

In October 2015, the Ontario SPCA uncovered an alleged dogfighting operation near Chatham, Ontario. Several dogs were removed during that investigation and assessed by the ASPCA, world leaders in dogfighting rehabilitation.

Seven of those dogs immediately passed the ASPCA’s assessments, but due to lengthy court proceedings remained in the Ontario SPCA’s care until they were recently released from the courts to be rehomed.

In addition, one of the animals removed from the alleged dogfighting operation gave birth to 11 pit bull puppies while in the care of the Ontario SPCA.

After being spayed and neutered, the first group of these dogs was transported to two facilities in Florida by the Ontario SPCA and a team from Dog Tales Rescue and Sanctuary, which funded the transport.

Pit Sisters, a behavioural and dog training program with the mission to find challenging dogs new homes, will be taking 10 of the dogs and Dogs Playing for Life will be taking four of the dogs.

Shelter Health Pro
website set to launch
new content

By the end of 2017, the Shelter Health Pro website, shelterhealthpro.com, will be almost doubling in size and scope with the launch of the Environmental Needs & Behavioural Health section. You may have noticed the button on the home page with this title.

This portion of the Shelter Health Pro website will include material relating to stress reduction and behavioural enrichment for a variety of animals in our care. Shelter medicine experts and the Ontario SPCA believe that the physical and medical needs of the animals we care for are just as important as their environmental needs and behavioural health.

This new section will contain information gathered from the most reliable and current sources. It will have a similar format to the current section on Shelter Health Pro and will include menu options for: 

• Facility Assessment
• Animal Assessment
• Make A Plan
• Stress Reduction
• Enrichment and Socialization for Cats and Kittens
• Enrichment and Socialization for Dogs and Puppies
• Enrichment and Socialization for Small Animals and Birds
• Training and Behaviour Modification

Stay tuned for website launch announcements.

Life is sweet
for Coconut the cat

Coconut, one of our long-term residents and a staff favourite, has been adopted into a loving home!

This 10-year-old female cat had many families interested in adopting her, but she remained with us, waiting patiently for the day when she would find that special person to bring her home. 

That day came when a visitor recently walked through our doors and fell in love with sweet Coconut. We will miss this sweet cat, but we know she has gone to a loving home. She deserves to spend her golden years in a comfortable home with someone who loves her.

We wish Coconut and her new family many happy days together!

Name the foal and you
could win

We have a beautiful foal in our care, but he doesn’t have a name. Help us name this cute little colt and you could win.

In March 2017, Dee, a Quarter Horse-cross mare, came into the care of the Ontario SPCA through an investigation. When she was examined by a veterinarian, we learned she was in foal. Her baby was born last month and now needs a name.

Submit a caption with what you think the name should be and you could win an Ontario SPCA prize pack, including a Velvet the horse plush collectable, and a $100 gift card to Greenhawk Harness & Equestrian Supplies