August 2017

Who will YOU walk for?!

On Sept. 23 join me, Shadow, your spokesanimal for the Huron Animal Centre’s Friends for Life! Walk^TM presented by Pedigree. 

Our Friends for Life! Walk will be held at Lion's Harbour Park in Goderich 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!

Tips to ensure positive interaction between kids and pets

Children love to learn and discover new things and often demonstrate a love of animals. It is important to teach our children the proper ways to interact with pets to keep our two-legged and four-legged family members safe.

Here are 10 tips to help ensure positive interaction:

1) Children should always ask the owner for permission to pet their dog, as the owner knows their dog best and if they enjoy meeting new people.

2) Teach children the proper ways to approach an animal. Be calm and relaxed and allow the dog to smell you first. The same technique can be used when approaching an owned cat. Always pet an animal gently, with no pulling or tugging, and never from behind.

3) Never leave a young child unsupervised with an animal. Accidents happen, even with the most trustworthy children and pets. When introducing a new dog into your household, observe the dog carefully and help teach them appropriate behaviour. Sign up for a dog training class to learn how to give your dog positive and proper guidance.

4) Teach children not to make loud noises or sudden moves when approaching an animal.

5) Children should also be taught never to approach any animal, even your own, when he or she is eating, sleeping, chewing on a toy, in its crate or caring for its young.

6) Children should never approach a dog’s food, toys or bowl.

7) Never tease, chase, or yell at a dog.

8) Don’t let your child touch a dog or stand near him during times of heightened excitement. For example: while the dog is eating, when someone comes to the door, or when the dog is barking at a squirrel in the yard or at someone through the window.

9) Teach your children that every pet is different and not all pets will behave like their family pet.

10) One of the best ways to teach our children is to lead by example and be an excellent role model in the way you treat and interact with animals.

There are many helpful tips, tricks and resources available on the Ontario SPCA blog to help you and your children with pet safety and introducing a new pet to the home. 

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.

Volunteers needed

The Ontario SPCA depends on the warmth, generosity and skills of our volunteers. People like you provide comfort to the many animals in need in our community.

If you love animals, believe in Animal Welfare philosophies and want to help us in our life-saving efforts, we promise you a rewarding and satisfying volunteer opportunity. You can volunteer daily, weekly, or make a one-time commitment.

We are currently in need of volunteers for the following positions:

• Bottle drive – Sort, count and drive the empties to the local Beer Store
• Events – Assist with specific events including, but not limited to, adopt-a-thons, microchip clinics, Friends for Life! Walk™, Tag Days etc.)

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.

Tolly is ready for his forever home

Remember Tolly? When this affectionate boy came into our care at the Ontario SPCA Huron County Animal Centre, his teeth were so rotten that the infection had spread into his jaw bone. Knowing Tolly was in pain and watching him struggle to eat his food broke our hearts.

Thanks to your support, Tolly received the life-saving care he required. We’re excited to tell you that he has now fully recuperated from the extensive dental surgery he underwent and is ready to find a loving home!

We would like to thank all the wonderful people in our community who donated towards covering the cost of his surgery. Because of you, Tolly’s story has a happy ending, and together we can continue making a difference for animals that need us.

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

Entries must be submitted by 11:59 p.m. EST on Sept. 8, 2017.