August 2017

Who will YOU walk for?!

On Sept. 23 join me, Rusty & Cha Cha, your spokesanimals for this year’s Sudbury & District Animal Centre Friends for Life! Walk^TM presented by Pedigree.

Our Friends for Life! Walk will be held at Collège Boréal 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 animal friends 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.

Mark your calendar for an evening of illusion

Mark your calendar! Join us on Saturday, Nov. 4 at Collège Boréal Au pied du rocher restaurant for an evening of humour, magic and illusion with the great Danny Zzzz hypnotist, mentalist and comedy entertainer. You won’t believe your eyes!

VIP ticket holders will enjoy a cocktail hour and silent auction before the show. It’s the purr-fect way to spend an evening while supporting animals in need in your community.

Watch for ticket information coming soon. For more information on the event, contact the Ontario SPCA Sudbury & District Animal Centre at (705) 566-9582.

Co-op students make a big difference!

This month we would like to spotlight our summer co-op students Sarah Bowers and Morgan Vicker for their excellent work here at the Ontario SPCA Sudbury & District Animal Centre.

Both students joined us as part of their high school curriculum. They learned about the life-saving work that the Ontario SPCA does each and every day and got to know the animals in our care. Considering how busy the summer months can be, we appreciated Morgan and Sarah’s hard work and dedication.

What do Morgan and Sarah both love most about their placement? Spending time with cats by giving them daily care and providing them with enrichment time. They found it interesting to observe the cats and see their individual personalities and traits shine through.

Thank you so much from all of us – two and four-legged – here at the animal centre!

Interested in making a difference in the lives of animals? 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.

A boy with a heart of gold

The dogs and cats at the Ontario SPCA Sudbury & District Animal Centre are getting some extra love and attention from a boy with a heart of gold!

André St. Amour came up with the idea of hosting a “donation for pets pool party” and collected items for all the animals at the Sudbury Animal Centre. André has already made several pool party donations and it seems the tradition continues.

André truly has made a difference in the lives of the animals here at our centre. Thank you, André, for your commitment to Animal Welfare.

To learn about ways you can help the animals in our community, visit our website.

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