August 2017

Our centre has kicked things into high-gear promoting the Ontario SPCA’s No Hot Pets campaign. Please take the pledge at nohotpets.ca and spread the word by using #nohotpets on social media. We are also gearing up for our Friends for Life! Walk™ on Sunday, Sept. 24 at our animal centre at 800 Centennial Rd. Lucien is our “spokesanimal” and we look forward to welcoming him and his family.

Who will YOU walk for?!

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

Our Friends for Life! Walk will be held at our animal centre and the adjacent trails of Mac Johnson Wildlife Area 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.

Binky’s sad story has a happy ending

Oh, what a lucky boy Binky is! He’s a very large senior cat who, sadly, came into our centre after his owner passed away. He recently found his way into a very special home.

One of our centre’s key supporters fell in love with Binky and knew she needed to adopt him. Tracy has adopted from us before, most recently a special Italian Greyhound named Ziggy.

We know Binky will get spoiled with attention and love from Tracy and her family. We wish him all the best with his new family and canine friend.

If you’ve been thinking about welcoming a pet into your home, drop by to see us at the Ontario SPCA Leeds & Grenville Animal Centre or visit our adoption website. 

Great volunteers make summer camps fun

Volunteers are critical to everything we do here at the Ontario SPCA Leeds & Grenville Animal Centre. This month, we want to tell you about Ashlyn, a hard-working volunteer who has really gone above and beyond. 

Ashlyn volunteered throughout our summer day camps last year and gained valuable experience and understanding of our animal centre. This year, this talented individual was the successful candidate to lead our five weeks of summer day camp as Camp Counsellor/Animal Care Attendant 1.

Ashlyn loves spending time with the campers and teaching them the day-to-day tasks of taking care of pets. Thank you, Ashlyn, for being a wonderful part of our team!

Interested in making a difference for animals in need? Visit our website to learn more about volunteer opportunities.

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.

Sadie is searching
for a loving home

Sadie is a lovely senior Boxer mix in need of a home. She has been patiently waiting for a loving home to call her own after spending over a month in our care.

Despite being 10 years old, Sadie’s age doesn’t reflect her youth in her play or activity level. She’s an “Orange Goofball” personality in the Meet Your Match® program, which 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. You know she’s got a lot of fun-loving life left in her with a Goofball personality!

If Sadie sounds like the dog for you, come by our centre to meet her. 

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