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I wrote this article about 7 years ago and had it published in several local papers here and in PEI.  It still holds true today so I am reposting it with my own permission    I wish we were further ahead, yet stores continue to sell puppies and people continue to adopt them.  Very sad.  Anyway, here it is:

There is a sort of “Underground Railroad” working for the welfare of dogs and cats in the Maritimes.  You probably didn’t even know it existed, because the average person has no idea that there is a crisis in the pet world.

Did you know that thousands of dogs and cats are euthanized in Nova Scotia each year because nobody wants them?

Shelter staff and rescue workers are hard at work behind the scenes trying to re-home unwanted cats and dogs.

One particular shelter in Nova Scotia has to euthanize 50% of the dogs they take in, which adds up to about 10 dogs per week!

Most of these pets come from well meaning owners who were ill prepared for the responsibility of having a pet, and indiscriminate breeding by unregistered individuals or owners.

Improper screening is a huge factor in the surrender of pets.  The commitment required to be a pet owner is huge.  Whether you purchase a puppy, or get a second-hand dog from the shelter there will be obstacles to overcome.  There is no easy way out.  Dogs are a lot of work, and require lots of gentle but firm guidance and training to become a good family pet.  Cats are often less work, but still require a commitment of 15-20 years of ownership.

Backyard breeding is producing an alarming number of unwanted pets, and there simply aren’t enough good homes for all of them.  Every litter of puppies and kittens reduces the number of homes available to the existing pet population.  Most of these puppies and kittens eventually end up in shelters, and many are euthanized.  Please spay/neuter your pet regardless of their gender, and even if you don’t think they will interact with other animals.

Purchasing pets from retail stores is not recommended.  The incidence of health and behavioral problems in these animals is much higher than in pets from registered breeders.

Pet stores commonly supply pets from puppy mills and non-registered breeders, which further aggravates the cycle of unwanted pets.  Unsuitable screening of potential owners through pet stores is one of many reasons why the shelters and rescues are full of dogs ranging in age from 5 to 15 months.

Some pet stores in North America promote adoption of shelter dogs and cats and do not profit from the sale of animals.  If all the pet stores adopted this policy, it would virtually eliminate the existence of puppy mills.

Registered breeders produce plenty of healthy, purebred dogs and cats if you choose to purchase a young pet.  You can find a list of them here:

http://www.grandane.com/NS.Kennels/

Good registered breeders have stringent policies on animal adoption so that their litters don’t end up with families that are ill prepared for the responsibility.  Typically you return the animal to the breeder if a situation arises where you can no longer keep your pet, although this is not to be abused.

The animal shelters and rescue organizations have lots of great older pets that need homes.  An older dog is often a good choice because it will probably already be obedience trained, housebroken, and past it’s destructive chewing phase.  Once a dog is beyond adolescence (3-4 years of age), their temperament is set so if they are friendly with people and other animals, they should retain those qualities.  These organizations also have puppies and kittens available.  Again, potential owners will be screened for suitability.

Perhaps the saddest situation is when a senior pet is surrendered.  Sometimes it is due to a death in the family, or because the owner goes into the hospital.  Other times, the family later has children and decides they no longer want their pet.  It is very difficult to find homes for senior dogs and cats, but it shouldn’t be.  They would make great pets for senior people if they just knew how to find them.  “Seniors for seniors” is an idea that most rescue workers in the Maritimes would love to see happening.

If you are thinking about adopting a second-hand pet please visit your local shelter and also check out the following website:

http://maritimeanimalrescue.com/

The last thing registered breeders, shelters, and rescue organizations are interested in is having their animals end up in the mass of unwanted pets.  For this reason, they will strongly encourage or enforce spaying or neutering of the pets.  This cost if often included in the price of adoption when dealing with shelters and rescues, so it also a bargain.

So, about that Underground Railroad…

Local animal shelters like the SPCA and privately run shelters are hard at work behind the scenes.  There’s also breed rescue clubs, and all breed rescues, and volunteer foster parents working to save as many unwanted pets as they possibly can.  It can be a very disheartening job.  Sometimes no matter how hard they try, the animal ends up losing its life.  These aren’t dogs that have bitten people, or farm cats that are breeding like rabbits.  These are people’s pets that they’ve decided they no longer want.  Or didn’t bother to spay or neuter so now there are 5 or 10, or 20 more that can’t find homes.

Foster care for animals is a huge part of what’s helping to avert the pet crisis.  The shelters only have a limited number of cages available.  But, with the help of foster care a lot of the shelters have been able to become no-kill facilities.

Typically this is at no cost to the foster family.  You can expect the shelter or rescue organization to cover medical costs, spay/neuter, food, crates, etc.

If you decide to foster a pet, please be prepared for this commitment as well.  You must be certain the dog or cat will integrate well into your household, and get along with any existing pets you may have.  Formalized foster care typically exists to help puppies, kittens, and sick animals make it to the adoption floor.  However, more and more organizations are expanding their foster care to include healthy adult animals as well.  These pets can take quite a bit longer to adopt, so please be certain to get clear guidelines from the rescue organization or shelter about the time commitment that is required, and what will happen if things don’t work out as expected.  It is unfair for animals to be bounced around from foster home to foster home, but unfortunately this happens all too frequently.

The sad reality is that the entire system is overburdened.  Until legislation is in place that requires pet owners to spay/neuter their pets, all programs are simply a stopgap measure.  The more you learn about it all, the sadder you become.  But, like they always say, “if you’re not part of the solution – you’re part of the problem”.  Please do anything you can to help.  Donations to the shelters and rescues make all this possible, so open your heart or home today.

Nelson, my 8 year old Lab mix from the Lillian Albon shelter in Amherst

Does Fido have allergies?

Does your dog have a hot spot that never seems to heal?  Does he scratch all the time even though your certain he doesn’t have fleas?  How about dandruff, cracked pads, runny eyes, etc.?  Is he irritable or prone to diarrhea and vomiting?

Maybe Fido has food allergies…

It is actually quite common for dogs to be allergic to corn, soy, wheat, or even chicken in some cases.  An elimination diet can rule out the culprit if you don’t mind cooking for him for a while.

If you choose to switch commercial foods instead, you will find there are more choices than the traditional Lamb and Rice hypoallergenic formulas these days.  Duck and potato, or Beef and Rice for example.

Even if your dog doesn’t have allergies, it’s about time you had a look at the side of that bag of dog food to see exactly what’s in there.  You will be amazed at what you find.

You may think premium food is too expensive, but it is an investment in your dog’s health that will pay off in the long run.  There is a very good chance that your dog will not be sick as often and you will save considerably in vet bills.  If your dog food costs $40 per month, then that is only $1.43 per day.  That’s about the price of a large coffee.  Surely your dog is worth that.  And, if you can’t afford to spend that much on your dog what will you do when he does need to go to the vet?

Dr. Jennifer Bishop of Full Circle Veterinary Alternatives on Portland St. had this to say about nutrition for pets:

“When commercial foods are fed, we recommend foods from companies that do feeding trials, use human grade food ingredients, use natural preservatives, and contribute through research to our understanding of feline and canine nutrition.”

So, what can you do to ensure your pooch is getting the best diet you can provide?

Just avoiding certain ingredients can go a long way to ensuring that your pal lives a longer and healthier life.

If corn is in the first three ingredients, be wary.  Corn is difficult for dogs to digest, and of no nutritional value to them at all.

Avoid chemical preservatives such as BHT or BHA, propylene glycol, and ethoxyquin.  The long-term build-up of these chemicals has not been thoroughly studied and may be harmful.

Instead, look for mixed tocopherols, or vitamins E & C as preservatives.

Ingredients listed as animal by-products are not required to include actual meat. They may consist of organs and parts either not desired, or condemned, for human consumption. Chicken by-product may include intestine, chicken heads, feathers, bone, beaks, and feet.

If the meat source isn’t specified, be very cautious.

Meal is okay, as it’s just dehydrated meat.  Again, be sure it has a name.  Chicken meal is acceptable for example.  Meat meal.  Well, what is that anyway?  What kind of meat?  If it doesn’t specify then it’s probably rendered “mystery meat”.  Yuck!

Horrifyingly, tallow and meat meals may contain dead dogs and cats, or road kill that has been processed in rendering plants.  The Food and Drug Administration and medical groups such as the American Veterinary Medical Association confirm that pets, on a routine basis, are rendered after they die in animal shelters or are disposed of by health authorities and the end products find their way into commercial pet foods.

Back in the days before commercial dog food was introduced, apparently Fido ate table scraps and lived a lot longer than today.  It is a myth that human food is bad for dogs.  It just depends on what kind of human food you feed him.  No, he shouldn’t be eating donuts and potato chips, but neither should you!

Whether you choose to feed commercial dog food, or cook your own, the same basic ingredients should be used.  Proteins (chicken, beef, etc.), carbohydrates (rice, grains, potatoes, etc), and cooked vegetable matter (raw veggies are too hard to digest) are the building blocks for a healthy dog.

Please invest in your dog’s health.  You will be rewarded with an active companion that will be around for many years to come…

the Pet 10 Commandments, dedicated to my cat Artemis

My friend put his elderly dog to sleep yesterday and is very sad.  He told me his mom sent this to him.  I’ve read this many times but it’s always good to read again.

And I dedicate this to my cat, Artemis, who I put to sleep 3 years ago.

A PET’S TEN COMMANDMENTS

- Author Unknown

1. My life is likely to last 10-15 years. Any separation from you is likely to be painful.

2. Give me time to understand what you want of me.

3. Place your trust in me. It is crucial for my well-being.

4. Don’t be angry with me for long and don’t lock me up as punishment. You have your work, your friends, your entertainment, but I have only you.

5. Talk to me. Even if I don’t understand your words, I do understand your voice when speaking to me.

6. Be aware that however you treat me, I will never forget it.

7. Before you hit me, before you strike me, remember that I could hurt you, and yet, I choose not to bite you.

8. Before you scold me for being lazy or uncooperative, ask yourself if something might be bothering me.  Perhaps I’m not getting the right food, I have been in the sun too long, or my heart might be getting old or weak.

9. Please take care of me when I grow old. You too, will grow old.

10. On the ultimate difficult journey, go with me please. Never say you can’t bear to watch. Don’t make me face this alone. Everything is easier for me if you are there, because I love you so. ALWAYS!

Petey could have been one of Vick's dogs. The ugly reality of dog fighting.

Well for my first post I’ve decided to tackle a very politically charged and unpleasant issue.  My intention was to keep things light, but it’s hard to avoid the subject of Michael Vicks if you work in the animal welfare community as I do.

First I would like to say that if you are not informed, you don’t get to have an opinion.  That’s just how debate works.

And if you are the type of person who prefers to look the other way when things are hard to look at, then you won’t be informed.  If you can’t even look, how can you possibly think its okay?

So I want to start out by very clearly describing what happens in dog fighting rings.   And you probably should not let your children read this.

This is really ugly stuff folks, and it makes me extremely angry.  Give me 5 minutes in a room with Michael Vick and I’d have him crying for his momma.  The kind of anger that springs from the sadness I feel about this case produces adrenalin you could bottle up and sell.  Oh yeah, and brains beat brawn every time.  Sorry Michael, I would take you out and never even break a nail.

Anyway I digress.  If you think it’s not a big deal think again.  Aside from the fact that the dogs are forced to fight to the death, that’s probably the nicest thing that happens to them.  And please consider the fact that the dogs have to be “trained” to fight.  It does not really come naturally to a dog to kill other dogs.  I mean really, they are pack animals come on.  So to get them to fight you need to beat them and let them practice on other animals.  “Bait” refers to animals that are stolen out of people’s backyards, so this could be your Poodle or cat or Golden Retriever puppy taken for dogs to “practice” on.

So once you have some dogs that are ready to fight, you want to breed them too.  And since they are now vicious and hate other dogs now you need to use a breeding stand (sometimes called a rape stand) because otherwise mom and pop dog will kill each other.

And when they fight, this is how the “losers” look.  And those are the lucky ones.  Often the dogs who don’t win are beaten more, shot, hung, electrocuted, or drowned.  And yes this happened on the Vick complex.

A typical thing to do is to place an alligator clip on the tail and ear of the dog that is charged with electricity and pour water on the dog so it fries.   And if that doesn’t finish the job they hang the dog up and walk away, or fire a round into it.

Are you ready to throw up yet?  Good, because that means you had the courage to find out for yourself how this really works.  And if you still think this is okay.  Well I don’t want you at my supper table, that’s for sure.

It’s obvious that money and greed fuel this little cottage industry and it goes without saying that money is the root of all evil, but what else is happening there?  I mean what kind of person could take pleasure out of that degree of suffering?  Well I don’t know why Ted Bundy did what he did either, nor do I care.  In my opinion there is simply something wrong with people like that.  And I honestly don’t think people like that can be rehabilitated or change.  I read an article about pedophiles a few years ago and the psychiatric community admitted they have no ability to rehabilitate them and that the best thing to do was lock them up where they can’t hurt anyone.  I personally believe this is the same.  A sociopath lacks empathy.  It is near impossible to instill empathy in an adult who has none.

But if you think that jail time takes a person like that and makes them fit for society I would ask you if you think they are now a good role model for your children?  Do you want your children looking up to Michael Vick and thinking he’s a good guy now?  Would you want him at your supper table?  If Michael Vick had raped your sister, but then went to prison for 2 years would you think he’s okay now?  He’s done his time and now he’s okay?  Really?  I don’t believe you.  Not for a minute.

If you are a father, who watches NFL and tells your son that Michael Vick is a great football player and deserves a second chance what you are doing is shaping your child’s values.  As a parent, that is what you are doing every day.  And the message is this, sports and money are more important than life.  Sentient beings who suffer are less important than sports and money.  If you say you are sorry after you do horrible malicious things then everyone will forgive you and you might even make millions of dollars…as long as you are popular and good at something that people want to pay money for.  Being a good person is not so important son.   Just be popular and make money.

Come on.  If you sit down and really think about his you will discover this.  You wouldn’t let Michael Vick near your family or pets and you don’t think he’s okay now.  You just like football.

And if you love your family and your pets and your friends you should also know that there are countless studies that prove the relationship between violence to animals and violence to humans.  In New Brunswick if you abuse your pet you are put in a registry because they figure a person is getting it next.

Do you still want your son to get Michael Vicks’ autograph?

Now some people will say well he did his time and he deserves to earn a living.  He doesn’t know how to do anything else.  To which I say Walmart is probably hiring.  Or if it’s so important that Michael play football can’t he just earn a regular salary of $30K or $40K like the rest of us and the rest of his millions be donated to animal shelters?  I mean does someone like that really deserve to be filthy rich?

Why does everyone think people “deserve” a second chance?  Didn’t Michael already get a chance almost nobody gets?  And he blew it folks.  If you had a job interview with Microsoft making $200K and you chose to get drunk the night before and sleep through the interview would you “deserve” a second chance?

Life is hard.  People make choices.  Sometimes people make poor choices.  There are consequences for poor choices.  That is reality.  And that is a better lesson for your children than telling them some people get away with bad things because they are popular or make lots of money.

I also want you to know that this happens right here in HRM.  If you have tips, please contact me as I would love to do an expose.  And yes that will put me in danger because the kind of people who fight dogs also run guns and drugs and prostitutes.  But I believe enough in my principles to stand up to the bad guys.  Do you?

PS – the dog in the picture is Petey from Little Rascals.   If he were alive today he could have been one of Michael Vicks’ dogs.  I’m just saying…