Ontario SPCA

June 2015
Welcome to NewsHound!

Father's Day is just around the corner and we want to honour all those wonderful fur dads! Read all about our #dadsbff campaign to see how you can pay tribute to that wonderful man in your life. And don't forget to check out our Paws & Give virtual giving catalogue to find the perfect gift for the animal lover in your life.

This edition of Newshound also has great tips on pet care and training. Happy reading!

Help Find "Fetch" a Home!

Photographer Steph Shares the Beauty of our Cats

Can you support our bottle drive?

Introduce your Pets to Off-Leash Parks

Top 5 Reasons to Leave your Pet Home

Who is dad's best friend?

Help Find “Fetch” a Home!

“Fetch” is a one-year-old cat who has been in our care at the Ontario SPCA Huron County Branch since December 2014. He is often overlooked because he is somewhat shy at first. Fetch is extremely sensitive to noise, strong smells and sudden movements. He needs a home that is understanding and patient with his quirks. Fetch loves to be around people once comfortable, and he is very easygoing. Fetch likes high perches, toys that jingle and lots of petting!

Photographer Steph Shares the Beauty of our Cats

Steph Smith volunteers with the Ontario SPCA Huron County Branch in a unique way. She works as a reporter for the local newspaper writing stories and taking photos, and helps our Branch by capturing wonderful images of the new cats as they come to the shelter. Steph hopes that by taking these photos, people will be able to see the cats' individual personalities better, which will help find them homes.

We feel lucky to have Steph volunteering with us! Her work can be viewed on her Flickr photo album.

View all volunteer opportunities.

Can you support our bottle drive?

Wondering what to do with your empty bottles after a summer BBQ or long-weekend celebration? Your empties can help animals in need! Drop off your wine, beer and alcohol containers to the Ontario SPCA Huron County Branch, and the money raised from the returns will be used to help support the services we provide in our community.

We are also looking for volunteers to become drop-off locations in the Wingham, Exeter, and Grand Bend areas. Contact us today for more information by calling (519) 440-0250 or email huroncounty@ospca.on.ca.

Introduce your Pet to Off-Leash Parks

Off-leash parks are becoming more popular in many cities. If you haven’t checked them out, here are some quick tips to introduce your pet and get them ready to socialize at the Friends for Life! Walk™.

Take your dog to a local park and walk him in the vicinity of the leash-free area without putting him in. Allowing him to observe the sights and sounds of the other dogs will expose him to the environment.

Visiting the park during “off hours” such as early in the day or during the week will mean less dogs. For his first few visits, one or two dogs is the ideal.

Practice obedience at home. Commands like sit, stay and come can become a distant memory to your dog once there are dogs running, barking and playing. Having your dog as sharp as possible to his basic commands makes life a lot easier, especially when it’s time to leave!

These are just a couple of ideas to help socialize your pet and make new friends.

Find more tips on the Ontario SPCA Blog.

Top 5 Reasons to Keep your Pet Home

There are so many reasons why pets don’t belong in vehicles, but hot summer days are exceptionally dangerous!

1. Parked cars can quickly reach deadly temperatures, even on relatively mild days with the car parked in the shade and the windows slightly open.

2. Dogs have a limited ability to sweat; even a short time in a hot environment can be life-threatening. A dog's normal body temperature is about 39°C and a temperature of 41°C can be withstood only for a very short time before irreparable brain damage or even death can occur.

3. Five minutes is never just five minutes.

4. Strict laws are in place to punish offenders

5. Unless pets are secure in a crate or restraint device in the back seat, car rides can be dangerous for pets.

Take the pledge at nohotpets.ca and help spread the word about the importance of NOT leaving pets in vehicles.

Who is dad’s best friend?

June is quickly flying by and that means two awesome things. The first is that you’ve hopefully been soaking up lots of summer sun with all your pet friends. The second is that Father’s Day is right around the corner!

Because of Father’s Day, we have launched a super fun campaign called #DadsBFF.

We’re asking you all to snap a pic of dads with their best pet friend(s) and to share it using #dadsBFF on social media. All of the images shared will help us build an online mosaic featuring pictures of dads and their BFFs.

Help bring dads everywhere closer to their pets, and grow our network of pet loving humans at the same time! What are you waiting for? Grab your favourite treats and a selfie-stick and get snapping!

Tamara Minns
Branch Manager, Ontario SPCA Huron County Branch

© 2015 Ontario SPCA

48 East St., Goderich, ON N7A 1N3
Charitable Business #88969-1044-RR0002

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