MISSISSAUGA HUMANE SOCIETY

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1 IN THIS ISSUE 2 President s Message/ Adoption/Rescue statistics 3 New Age of MISSISSAUGA ANIMAL SERVICES 4 WHOM have you helped to SAVE? 5 BAILEY the RUNNER 6 SOLDIER the FIGHTER 7 Does your pet SMOKE? 8 HOMESWEETHOME 9 HOMESWEETHOME 10 News & Events/Humour Time EDITOR: LILY CHAN Tribute to SOLDIER the FIGHTER (Page 6) BAILEY the RUNNER (Page 5) 40 th Edition Jan 2016 MISSISSAUGA HUMANE SOCIETY QUEENIE - A sweet older therapy dog suffering from a severe ear & eye infection dumped at the pound. ADOPTED! Does your PET SMOKE? (Page 7)

2 Page Page 22 PRESIDENT S MESSAGE Dear friends: I wish you a happy and healthy 2016! January is the time for our report card! I am pleased to say that a total of 616 homeless animals were rescued in 2015; please see the statistics below. This is an excellent achievement considering our Society does not have a venue, a shelter or any paid staff. I want to give a big THANK YOU to our donors, sponsors and fundraisers for their donations and support. I also want to thank our foster parents and volunteers for their dedication. The time and efforts they put in our animals are greatly appreciated. It is only with your ongoing support that we can achieve our mission: SAVE AS MANY COMPANION ANIMALS AS POSSIBLE. At the Starlight Soiree gala in July 2015 I made a presentation on NO KILL SHELTER which received great responses. A NO KILL shelter is one with 10% or less of euthanasia rate. One of our goals in 2016 is to work with Mississauga Animal Services (please see Page 3) for our City shelter to eventually become a NO KILL one. We recently had a meeting with Animal Services and the outcome was very encouraging. It was felt that this target is achievable and the two organizations will work together closely to make this happen! This is a great step for helping City shelter animals in years to come. We are excited at our growing partnership with MAS. Our collaboration would mean many more animals lives can be saved! We look forward to another milestone!! Lily Chan President VISIT OUR Cat Adoption Rooms at 4 locations GLOBAL PET FOODS Burnhamthorpe (Creditview) PET VALU Dundas St (Dixie Rd) RESCUE & ADOPTION STATISTICS Jan-Dec 2015 No. of Dogs Rescued: 92 No. of Dogs Adopted: 66 No. of Cats Rescued: 524 No. of Cats Adopted: 338 TOTAL RESCUED: 616 TOTAL ADOPTED: 404 About Mississauga Humane Society (MHS): RESCUE & ADOPTION STATISTICS MHS is a registered charity run 100% by volunteers. It does not have a shelter, business venue or paid staff. It receives no support from the Government, City or the SPCA. Without a shelter, MHS depends on the kindness of foster parents who open their heart and home to animals in need. By fostering a pet you are helping to SAVE a LIFE. Since 1999, MHS has rescued over 6,000 homeless animals. MHS Is NOT Mississauga Animal Services, the animal shelter which is run by the City. PET VALU Mavis Rd (Dundas St) DUNDAS EAST ANIMAL HOSPITAL Dundas St (Tomken)

3 NEW AGE of MISSISSAUGA ANIMAL SERVICES by Lily Chan (Dedicated to Duke, Sam, Sandy and many other lost souls) Page 3 Page 3 Many years ago I used to volunteer at the shelter of MISSISSAUGA ANIMAL SERVICES (MAS) at 735 Central Parkway - which is often mistaken by some people as our Society! I would go there daily right after work and walk the dogs. I remember starting this in July, I would try to take all of the shelter dogs out for a walk. Sometimes there were so many dogs that I could only take each one out for only 5 minutes. These 5 minutes could have been the only time they could get out of the kennel for the whole day/night (there were not many dog walkers at that time). Naturally I became bonded with them, especially those who had been there for a long time. One afternoon on October 9, 1998, when I went there as usual, I found that the 3 dogs that had been there for months were no longer in their kennels, which were occupied by some new dogs. I panicked and feared the worst - and the worst did happen. Duke the Black Lab, Sam the pointed-nose GSD X and Sandy the long-legged Hound were euthanized, after being confined for 4 to 5 months. I was numb and could not even cry. The day before they were still pulling me like crazy when I walked them, now they were no longer alive. I wish I had the chance to at least give them a hug. These dogs were friendly dogs and could have made great pets given the chance. Yet, they ended up euthanized due to lack of shelter spaces as well as adoptive homes. I was devastated and lived in hell for weeks. After that horrible day, I was even more diligent in going to walk the dogs there. It was hard when you knew that any day could be their last day on earth, but I wanted them to at least have a little freedom and know about LOVE before their lives ended. I heard that the situation with cats was even more serious - there were never enough cages or homes to accommodate the overwhelming number of unwanted cats that came in. Every time I went to the shelter, I felt sad and helpless. I kept asking: CAN SOMETHING MORE BE DONE? Still, I continued volunteering there for another year. It has been 17 years now. With time, changes have taken place gradually in the shelter. We have seen ongoing progress made in terms of better care of the shelter animals and efforts put in to save as many lives as possible. The popularity of the internet and social media has certainly helped in promoting adoptions. They have also embraced a more open policy such as working with rescue groups and participating in the TNR (Trap, Neuter and Release) program of feral Cats. As a result, they have made great strides in improving adoption rates; more animals are returned to their owners. Most importantly, their euthanasia rates have been dramatically reduced. For the past two years we have also been working with MAS. We take in shelter cats that do not do well in cages, or dogs that have become kennel crazy. Our cage-free cat enclosures at the pet stores and/or base of foster homes would be suitable for these animals. We also co-ordinate with MAS on keeping control of the city s feral cat colonies. We believe by joining our efforts together we can definitely help save many more animals in need. LUCY There have always been rumours that unadoptable shelter animals like the older ones or those that need medical care would be euthanized. While this was very likely to be true in the past, I can vouch that it is no longer the case now. Just ten days ago after the meeting at the shelter I met Lucy in their Cat Reading Room (a cozy room where volunteers sit down and read story books to some of the cats!). Lucy is a sweet cat but I noticed that part of her body was shaved and she also seemed to be staggering a bit. I was told that Lucy was recuperating. The story was that Lucy was picked up as a stray with an old eye injury and wound on her side. The shelter staff took her right away to the vet for an examination. She was then brought back to the shelter for treatment. She was also vaccinated, dewormed and spayed after she finished the medication. The latest news is that Lucy got adopted a few days later. It is great to know that these once deemed unadoptable or death row animals are now given second chances. At our recent meeting, Jay Smith, the Manager of MAS emphasised that they take the commitment to excellence in animal care very seriously. He indicated that Mississauga Animal Services has already been successful in significantly improving save rates and will continue its efforts to minimize euthanasia and go further by improving the welfare and well-being of the animals in the shelter. The NEW AGE of MISSISSAUGA ANIMAL SERVICES has come!. On Jan 19, 2016 a meeting took place between our Society and Animal Services. We will be collaborating to achieve our common goal of having a NO KILL SHELTER in Mississauga!

4 Page 4 WHOM have you helped to SAVE? Here are just a few of them... TONIC A 6 yr old terrier whose owner could not exercise him due to leg problems OLIVER A cocker spaniel in a shelter with fear aggression and also a lump on his back THUMPER After running away numerous times his owner finally decided to leave him at the pound! BELLA A 6 yr old cat dumped by her owner at his friend s place. The friend could not keep her either WHISKERS A stray cat found very bony, matted and infested with fleas PAIGE He had to be let go when his family was forced to downsize NACHO & LUNA A pair of cats given up by the family due to allergy issues UNCLE CHON A stray scavenging for food around a restaurant called UNLCE CHON! RIPLEY A little dog dumped at the pound for being too exuberant & excitable MILO A 10 yr boy whose owner had to move but could not take him WILLY An older dog in the pound with growling and attempting to bite issues BLITZEN, DONNER & SHADOW Three young brothers found living in a dirty warehouse TWITCHY, LOVE MUFFIN & LEOPARDO Three strays hanging around a warehouse for months MAHIL A 6 yr girl whose family wanted to euthanize her when her senior owner went to a nursing home. SNOWFLAKE A stray found with a broken ear and serious respiratory issues BEAU Owner had no time and he was crated for over 12 hours SAMANTHA A 6 months old kitty suffering from seizure issues FATTY & MUFFIN A pair of older cats that became victims of a divorce Your DONATION today can SAVE LIVES In Honour of your LOVED ones - Send a gift & celebrate the special occasion. In Memory of your LOVED ones Send a Gift to celebrate their lives. Host your own fund raising events - Bake Sale, Birthday Party, Garage Sale MAKE a BEQUEST in your WILL

5 BAILEY the RUNNER! by Michelle Buchanan Page 5 I was the proud owner of a Border Collie X for 11 years. She was an amazing dog who helped me with a lot of anxiety and depression issues. It took 4 years of on and off talking with my husband to get a new dog. I had a rough 3 years from so last summer Jeff (my husband) convinced me to start searching for a new dog. In discussions with my councillor as well, he said if the new dog fit my personality and criteria to help me with my anxiety-- within a few months he could be a registered emotional service dog. I looked at a few dogs on the Mississauga Humane Society website. After about 2 weeks of going back and forth, I found I kept going back to the hound beagle, Bailey. Something in his eyes (well eye as he was turning his head to his left) just struck me and I realized I had to meet him. I arranged with his foster mom Heather to meet at the end of the second week of July (I believe it was). I bombarded her with questions and she was kind and patient enough to answer so that Bailey would be comfortable in his new surroundings and hope it would become his forever home. Bailey actually came into MHS in November 2013 and was adopted by a family a few months later. After a year, they had difficulty managing his territorial behavior and he was returned in April 2015 and went to the foster home of Heather. He was then overweight. Thanks to the foster family of Heather, they did lots of exercise to trim him up; they also implemented behavior management so Bailey was a CHANGED dog. From the time we stepped into Heather s house I think we both knew that Bailey was the one. Again, his eyes, his kindness and just the potential love he exuded. After a while of going over logistics of the adoption etc. I was signing papers and Bailey was in the car ready to go home. His transition was not smooth to say, but after about a week, he got to know us and our rules. He knew where his places were and he was responsive to training. Plus he got smothered with move and hugs and kisses from his new mommy!! I am a triathlete so one of my ways to cope and deal with anxiety and depression is to run, just run. I love my bike too, but I thought let s see what my boy can do. We started running/walking. Eventually easing off the walking breaks and now he can run up to 7 km s!! He is a fantastic runner! Benefit to him too is he shed a lot of un-healthy pounds and is now a sleek runner. We even did the CIBC Run for the Cure together in October. I adore him. He has his forever home. He is our boy and an amazing one at that. Before anyone considers a new puppy from a pet store or even a breeder, PLEASE look into the Humane Society and give a deserving dog a forever home. Bailey is 5 years old and I wish I had him years ago! But we have him now and we are blessed. FOSTER A PET SAVE A LIFE WE PROVIDE THE FOOD YOU PROVIDE THE LOVE

6 Page 6 Tribute to SOLDIER the FIGHTER SOLDIER certainly lived up to his name. When Solider was surrendered to a vet clinic, he was in horrible shape - emaciated and seemed to be in huge pain. It was reported that his previous owner had committed suicide. He had endured from what veterinarians believe to be injuries caused by abuse. He had suffered from genital mutilation, as his penis was almost entirely pulled out. The clinic contacted our Society for help. Extensive surgery was required as the doctors needed to remove it and create a new orifice in order for him to urinate. Due to the severity of his injuries, surgery was needed immediately. Despite our lack of funding, we proceeded with the surgery as we could not say NO to this precious life. Soldier stayed in the hospital for 3 weeks for recovery from the big surgery. Then it was also found out his right eye was in pain due to glaucoma which could be a result of trauma. Another surgery was operated on Soldiee to have his eye removed. Soldier endured two surgeries in a short period of time. Upon recovery from the eye removal surgery, we thought it would be a smooth sail afterwards. Sadly, another challenge came up. A blood test revealed that Soldier was Feline Aids positive (FIV+). There is no treatment for this disease. Soldier finally went HOME on New Year Eve. He spent the New Year in a foster home we arranged for him. Thanks to Chris Jenkins, his foster mom. Just when we thought things were going well and Soldier seemed to be on his way to a new life, Soldier stopped eating. He also appeared to be very lethargic. We had to take him back to the vet again for monitoring. Another blood test was done and it revealed that his bone marrow is not creating red blood cells. This is likely caused by his depressed immune system. Sadly, there is no treatment for this condition. Poor Soldier had to be put on an IV and nutrients. Thankfully, after a couple of days, he started to eat again. His condition has remained somewhat stable. The vet stated that with his blood cell condition it would be hard to know how long he can go on; it could be weeks, it could be months. That was so heartbreaking. After staying at the vet clinic for another week, Soldier went back to his foster home. Despite everything that Soldier has been through he is a sweet and loving boy. We were praying that he still had a lot of time. Sadly, 8 days later, he passed on in the middle of the night in his foster home on Jan 24. SOLDIER You will always be remembered and LOVED. Soldier s time with us may not be long, but he gained the LOVE of everyone. Thanks to Lori Russell who organised fund raising for his vet expenses, and thanks to everyone who donated. We will finish our tribute to him with the words of Joanna Kurnat, one of our Cat Room volunteers: I fell in love with SOLDIER from the moment that I met him. There was something about him that made him so amazing and unusual... I thought about him every day and wanted him to get better. I've learnt from him so much. He showed us how to fight, be brave and despite of the health issues still optimistic and friendly. SOLDIER YOU INSPIRED me! Facts about FIV+ CATS Cats that are tested positive for FIV (Feline Immunodeficiency Virus) are often considered unadoptable or even enthanised in some shelters. The following information will help to understand more about this disease: FIV+ does not cause clinical symptoms. FIV+cats usually lead a normal life. FIV+ cats have a weaker immune system and are more susceptible to illnesses. It may take longer time for them to recover from illnesss. However, with good quality food and regular montoring, many FIV+ cats have a normal life span. FIV is not transferrable to other species like humans or dogs. FIV is only transmitted from cats to cats through DEEP BLOOD DRAWING BITE WOUNDS, the kind that takes place outdoor during aggressive fights and territorial disputes. Casual and nonaggressive behaviour does not spread FIV. Cats in households with stable social structure are at little risk for acquiring FIV.

7 Page 7 Does your PET SMOKE? diseases and respiratory pr oblems in birds, according to the researchers In recent years, studies have concluded that tobacco and second-hand smoking is not only hazardous to people s health, but also to pets. A number of scientific papers reported the significant health threat second-hand smoking poses to pets. Researchers have found that exposure to tobacco smoke has been associated with allergy in dogs, oral cancer/lymphoma in cats and lung/nasal cancer in dogs. Cats are even more susceptible to illnesses caused by second-hand smoking because of their grooming habits. They constantly lick themselves while grooming, therefore they lick up the cancer-causing carcinogens that accumulate on their fur. In a smoking home, they are also more susceptible to asthma. Increased coughing and breathing difficulty are possible signs that your kitty is suffering from second-hand smoking. DO WE ADOPT OUT PETS TO SMOKERS? As more and more attention is now paid to the above issue, it s time for us to include this question when we screen applicants for adopting our pets: Do you or any of your family members smoke? We know there are many pet lovers who smoke, yet they can provide very loving homes for homeless pets. Forbidding them to adopt a pet would not be sensible when there are so many homeless pets and yet there are never enough adoptive homes. Instead of preventing them from adopting a dog or a cat, we can educate them by providing an INFO SHEET as to how to reduce the harmful effects of smoking on their pets, in the hope that they will quit eventually, for the love of their pets. What can SMOKING PET OWNERS do? SMOKE OUTSIDE as much as possible, like in the yard or the balcony. OPEN WINDOWS when smoking inside. DESIGNATE A SMOKING ROOM where NO PETS ARE ALLOWED. USE AN AIR PURIFIER. Replace all heating and air filters regularly. CLEAN YOURSELF. Change your clothes after smoking and wash your clothing right away, or at the very least, air it outside. Wearing a vinyl raincoat will prevent you from bringing smoke particles in on your clothes. Wash your hands (and hair if possible) after smoking and before touching pets. CLEAN YOUR PET. While baths would clean your pet, frequent baths would not be good its skin (it would be very hard to bathe a cat anyway!) An easy way to clean your pet is to wipe down the body with a damp cloth/towel. This can help remove smoke residue from fur. This is especially important for cats as they like to groom/lick and could ingest the residue on their coats. CLEAN YOUR HOME. Vacuum and steam clean all carpets and upholstered furniture regularly. Keep away cigarette butts/tobacco/nicotine products. LOOK FOR SYMPTOMS. Excessive drooling or difficulty in eating is symptoms of oral cancer, Coughing, laboured breathing could be signs of lung cancer. Observe your pet frequently, since catching diseases early on always helps with treatment.

8 Page 8 HILTON (right) m AMAYZ (LIKERT) KAY KAY BORIS SUNDAE CUDDLES (LULU) MARABELLA MILO SAMMY BROWNIE CHARLIE GREYBOY (BAXTER) JENNY WREN m SOPHIA (CATIE) Some of our ADOPTED PETS in their FOREVER HOMES COCA & ISABELLA ZOEY SADIE (middle) LYRICS TESSA SUSHI RUBY SUSHI m HERMAN (MOJO) TOBY(CORNFLAKE) & BAGEL AMAYZ (LIKERT) ALLIE (right)

9 Page 9 COCO DOLPHIN (CHARLOTTE) TEDDY DALE LUNA GYPSY STANLEY COBALT & FELIX CHANCELLOR BLOOM & SPROUT THUMPER BAHIA & COCO ALEX (left) Some of our ADOPTED PETS in their FOREVER HOMES FLAKKA & ROCKY (right 2) & their buddy RAMBO ROSEMARY & CLIFFORD JESSIE (front) CHANTILLY (LILY) TINY & MCGILL BOOBOO, PRIMROSE & SPARKY AUTUMN & CAROLINE GENERAL (SIMON) & SNOWBALL his buddy DAKOTA

10 NEWS & EVENTS PICTURE TAKING WITH SANTA Thanks to SHERIDAN NURSERIES who hosted PICTURE TAKING WITH SANTA again to raise funds for our Society. Three events were held at their two locations in Mississauga on Nov 21, Dec 5 and Dec 12, Thanks to Bob Whitley for being SANTA again, and Kathy Whitley and Jane Hollingsworth for volunteering. Special thanks to Matthew King and the students from the Visual Arts Department of Cawthra Secondary School for being the photographers. HUMOUR TIME Page 10 DOOR SLAMMING Two salesmen were going door to door, and knocked on the door of a woman who was not happy to see them. She told them in no uncertain terms that she did not want to hear their offer and slammed the door in their faces. To her surprise, however, the door did not close and, in fact, bounced back open. She tried again, really put her back into it, and slammed the door again with the same result - the door bounced back open. Convinced these rude salesmen were sticking their foot in the door, she reared back to give it a slam that would teach them a lesson, when one of the men said: "Ma'am, before you do that again, you need to move your cat." GIVE ME A HEART Our virtual Christmas tree was up again during the month of December 2015 for the annual GIVE ME A HEART donation drive. We received a lot of s and close to $10,000 was raised. This would be spent on the veterinary care for our animals. Thanks to all of those who gave us a heart! You really have hearts! YOUNG ROLE MODEL SAVANNAH MCLAUGHLIN a 10- yr-old girl is a role model for school kids. She started a campaign to raise donations for our society. She worked diligently and spent a lot of time soliciting the neighbourhood and her school. As can be seen in the picture, a lot of pet supplies have been collected through her efforts! Our dogs and cats had extra gifts at Christmas! Thank you Savannah. You have certainly made a difference to the animals of our community! Let's hope more kids will follow your action! THANK YOU TO KEEP YOUR PETS SAFE in WINTER! The salt and other chemicals used to melt snow and ice can irritate the pads of your pet's feet. Wipe all paws with a damp towel after they are out. Antifreeze is a deadly poison, but it has a sweet taste that may attract animals and children. Wipe up spills and keep antifreeze (and all household chemicals) out of reach. If you encounter a pet left out in the cold, take pictures or video and report to Animal Services. to all of those who contributed articles to this issue. A big thanks to all of our volunteers, foster parents and donors.