BtC4A: Local Wildlife Rescue & Rehabilitation

It’s that time again!

The first Blog the Change for Animals for 2014 is here, and you can visit the BTC website and read the other posts by other bloggers by clicking here.

All of my previous Blog the Change posts have been about companion animal rescue efforts or campaigns, which makes a lot of sense for a dog blogger. And, of course, these are always extremely worthy recipients of donations, awareness, and volunteer efforts.

For this instalment, however, I’d like to change the focus.

Say your cat gets a hold of a bird in the yard. Say your dog goes after a porcupine or rabbit or skunk at the off-leash park. What if, after investigating a loud thud against the window, you find a dazed bird? What happens if a fawn is orphaned by poachers or some young goslings are orphaned by traffic? What if a family of foxes decide under your deck is their new home?

A mule deer fawn rescued during Calgary’s June 2013 floods

You might know to take your pets to the vet after wildlife encounters or even know pet first aid, but what about the other party to those situations – the wildlife? Do you know what to do with them?

Chances are there’s a wildlife hospital operating in your area for these very reasons: to help sick and injured wildlife as a result of human interaction.

Just north of Calgary you will find the Alberta Institute for Wildlife Conservation (www.aiwc.ca).

AIWC patients (and our provincial bird): Great horned owls

AIWC was founded in 1993 and is an ABVMA-certified wildlife hospital and trauma centre. AIWC treats and rehabilitates native wildlife injured or orphaned as a result of interactions with people.

AIWC operates in conjunction with Alberta Fish & Wildlife, the City of Calgary, and several local veterinary clinics who take after-hours patients until they can make their way to the centre.

Adorable AIWC patient: porcupine

In addition to providing care and treatment, AIWC is also a resource for information – found a bird in your yard unable to fly and not sure whether it needs intervention or is just a baby fledgling bird? You can call them and they can help out over the phone or send a rescue driver your way.

And if you’d like them to attend your school, community group, or event and present and educate on local wildlife, they do that, too (and have education ambassadors to bring along with them!).

AIWC patient: Nighthawk

AIWC also provides Wildlife Conflict Solutions, providing a humane, non-lethal, and permanent solution to resolve conflicts you may be experiencing with wildlife on your property.

Bohemian waxwing

AIWC isn’t the only wildlife centre operating in the area, either.

In southern Alberta, there is also the Calgary Wildlife Rehabilitation Society, the Cochrane Ecological Institute, and the Alberta Birds of Prey Foundation, among others.

If you’re in Edmonton, there is the Wildlife Rehabilitation Society of Edmonton.

Vancouver? See the Wildlife Rescue Association in Burnaby.

Saskatoon? Check out the Wildlife Rehabilitation Society of Saskatchewan.

Manitoba? There’s the Prairie Wildlife Rehabilitation Centre.

Toronto? Try the Toronto Wildlife Centre.

New Brunswick? Contact the Atlantic Wildlife Institute.

More AIWC patients: A broad-winged hawk, a saw-whet owl, and a red-tailed hawk

Those are just to name a few. There are centres like this operating all over the world to help local wildlife. Google [your location] + wildlife rescue and I’d be surprised if you didn’t get more than one nearby institution doing this important work.

Because it IS important.

The vast majority of patients at AIWC are birds. Here you have a magpie, an evening grosbeak, and a blue bird

These animals are often harmed or orphaned by no fault of their own or of natural circumstance, and the continual expansion of urban areas, agriculture development, and other industries make human-wildlife interactions inevitably more common.

And it’s not just us; it’s our pets, too. Environment Canada reported in October 2013 that domestic cats are the number one killer of song birds – just another reason to keep those kitties indoors! (The Oatmeal also did this awesome infographic on just how much wildlife our cats kill.)

And we all know dogs with a keen interest in rabbits, porcupines, squirrels – you name it. Sometimes those dogs get lucky.

A young gosling, tundra swans, and a cormorant

These wildlife centres run on donations and volunteer support to help mitigate some of that impact and give some of those animals a second chance.

Just like any other conservation effort, wildlife rehabilitation is good for everyone, maintaining as much of our natural ecosystems as possible.

Now for your mission:

Make note of the nearest wildlife rescue or hospital and their contact information. Hopefully you’ll never need it, but it might be useful one day.

Find them online and on social media. Like their pages and spread their information – if you don’t know much about them, chances are others don’t either.

And, if you’ve got time or resources to spare, see what they need and how you can give.

Like any charity or non-profit, wildlife institutes are sustained by funds, time and supplies graciously donated by their supporters. See what they’ve got for ongoing fundraising campaigns (animal adoptions make great gifts for those hard to buy for people in your life!) and supplies wish lists.

A beaver, a red squirrel, and a red fox – all 2013 AIWC patients

And if you’d like to see more adorable patient photos from the Alberta Institute for Wildlife Conservation like the ones I’ve shared here, go like their Facebook page here. The person behind the camera for many of the photos there and the ones you’ve seen here may already be familiar to you ;).

Once you’ve completed your mission, go visit the Blog the Change for Animals blog hop and check out what everyone else is writing about.

BtC4A: Uniting for Rescue

It sneaks up on me every time, but it’s that time again – the quarterly Blog the Change for Animals event.

And this time there is a united front, where we’ve been asked to publicize the importance of dog rescue this time around and promote July 23’s upcoming online event: Bloggers Unite for Dog Rescue.

Calgary has a lot of rescue organizations.  A depressing amount, really.

There are several general rescue organizations, such as the Calgary Humane Society, Alberta Animal Rescue Crew Society (AARCS), Pound Rescue, and Animal Rescue Foundation (ARF).

There are more specific rescues, such as the Meow Foundation for cats, and Little Mutts rescue for small breed dogs.  There’s also no shortage of breed-specific rescues operating locally, such as Alberta Bulldog Rescue and For the Love of Danes Rescue.

And for the most part, these rescues are pretty good at being visible when you’re looking for local rescues, and promoting their causes and services at local events.

But I think one rescue in particular often gets overlooked – at least from my perpective.

That’s Calgary Animal Services.

The City’s Animal and Bylaw Services just doesn’t impound dogs at large and collect licensing fees – they also adopt out dogs and cats who have been impounded for too long, or that are surrendered.

As of today, Animal Services lists 34 dogs up for adoption on their website and 63 in impound.  27 cats are adoptable, and 61 additional are impounded.

This adorable feline has been at Animal Services since May 19, 2012.

As I noted in a recent entry, if it costs about $15 per day for the City to care for an animal (not including overheads such as staff salaries and facilities costs), these 185 animals in the City’s care cost the City $2,775 per day.

This pup has been at Animal Services since May 31, 2012.

My point is not that the City should cease providing this service because of the cost – they absolutely should be.  My point is that every effort the City can make to promote rescue and curb pet overpopulation in Calgary makes sense fiscally and when it comes to animal welfare and responsible pet ownership.  Because any increase in adoption rates will translate to Animal Services as well as the other rescues.

From the Canada Revenue Agency website:  “In the context of animal welfare, the courts have determined that promoting the welfare of animals provides an intangible moral benefit to humanity in general. As a result, the very act of showing kindness to animals in need of assistance or care satisfies the public benefit requirement under common law.”

As with many other things, the fact that some people may not agree has meant that the courts have weighed in on something I know at least the audience here will see as common sense; animal welfare is more than just good for animals.

Coming full circle with the tone of the Soapbox recently, City Council will be considering amendments to the Responsible Pet Ownership Bylaw this September, and the amendments include things such as limiting the number of pets to repeat violators of the bylaws and a ban on the retail sales of dogs and cats in stores (obviously, stores may still opt to feature adoptable animals from local rescues).

Calgary is already well ahead of the curve with its progressive and effective pet bylaws (click for info on The Calgary Model), but these sorts of amendments to promote rescue and address abuse can really put us over the top.

It’s great to see these high-profile sorts of moves taken by municipal councils, and the general publicity given to these sorts of changes really gives rescue more visibility to the general public.

It’s nice to see blogging events coordinated to create a joint effort for a particular cause, but I often feel like these sorts of things are preaching to the choir.  Therefore, you need to draw attention of those to speak beyond the choir, so they too can share it.

So, if you’re in Calgary, take a couple of minutes and tell City Council you want to see these changes made.

If you’re not in Calgary, contact your municipal representatives with a similar message – not only to they have a wide audience and influence, they are also in the exact right position to facilitate real improvements for local rescues and companion animal welfare.

It’s completely free to contact your municipal, provincial (or state), and federal representatives, and representing their constituents’ interests is exactly what they were elected to do – make use of it!

And, of course, be sure to read and share the efforts being made on July 23 to promote rescue and adoption!

This stinkin’ cute puppy is also up for adoption at Animal Services with some littermates.

BtC4A: Kijiji Pet Sales and the CHS

It’s that time again!

This quarter, I would like to bring attention to the latest development between the Calgary Humane Society and the online marketplace, Kijiji.

Now, everyone should know by now that searching for a new pet through websites like Kijiji is generally a bad idea.  Everyone should.  But, because it remains prolific, clearly they don’t.

Why are Kijiji sellers bad?

Easy.  Because there is no transparency or regulation.  Online pet sales are where puppy mills, backyard breeders, and accidental breeders do their business.  And as soon as your money goes into their pockets, you have helped them to profit and condoned their practices.

Taken straight from the Calgary Humane Society’s official position on breeding companion animals:

There are a variety of types of irresponsible breeders and the CHS strongly opposes the practices of the following:

• Backyard Breeder: A backyard breeder breeds an animal for financial gain and not for the purpose of betterment of the breed, with little or no thought regarding the consequences for or the well-being of the animals. Backyard breeders usually breed animals without proper regard for pedigree, proper planning for future homes, spay/neuter planning for offspring, and/or little knowledge of proper rearing techniques.

• Puppy Mill: “A puppy mill is a breeding operation in which dogs are repeatedly bred for financial gain and are kept in substandard conditions” (Ontario SPCA, as cited in No Puppy Mills Canada, 2001).

• Accidental Breeder: An accidental breeder is someone that has not had his/her animal spayed/neutered and an unplanned breeding occurs as a result. Many animals end up in shelters as a result of such accidents. Failure to control animal breeding is connected with other forms of neglect.

These three categories of breeders play a significant part in buyer misinformation and pet overpopulation.  Ease and price often cause the public to seek out these sources for new pets, rather than researching reputable breeders or adopting from a shelter or rescue agency.

Rescue agencies have long been aware of this fact and have made endless attempts to educate the public.

And now the Calgary Humane Society is blazing a trail with a new strategy.

Earlier this week it was announced that CHS and Kijiji have teamed up to regulate breeders selling pets online.

The CHS will inspect and certify online breeder listings through a new Breeder Inspection Program.  Approved breeders will then be given a particular badge on their ad that acknowledges their certification and CHS approval.

To earn the badge, the CHS must approve the provided space and shelter, sleeping conditions, supply and quality of food and water, the number of animals in the home, general cleanliness, and vet inspections.  There will be follow-up inspections to ensure the “breeders” remain credible.

One of over 300 Calgary ads for cats/kittens currently on Kijiji - also an example of an Accidental Breeder.

Now, before you start nit-picking, I request you acknowledge the innovativeness of this new idea and that is really is better than nothing.

In fact, I must remind myself of that, as cynicism often takes over.

Do I wish Kijiji ads were now limited to ONLY breeders who receive CHS approval?  Sure.  I mean, this badge strategy will not reduce the number of pet ads online, nor will it make it more difficult to advertise on Kijiji or find a pet breeder on Kijiji.

Do I wish the solution was a bit more active than passive on the part of buyers?  Of course.  People will still be able to see non-CHS approved breeders in with the CHS-approved ones, and only people who’ve heard about the program will know to look for a CHS logo.  Not to mention it does little to stop the impulse purchase of that cute kitten based on a picture – regardless of what badges appear.

Do I wish we educated the public so greatly that they didn’t go to Kijiji for a pet in this first place?  Indeed.  This may be considered an example of treating the symptom and not the problem.

But you know what?  As I said, it’s still better than nothing.

It’s a concrete step forward that other cities have yet to take.

And if it causes just one person to re-think their potential purchase of a backyard bred puppy, then I say a small improvement is better than none.  And if the press release about the partnership educated more people about the perils of online pet ads – great.

There are many pieces to the puzzle of pet overpopulation.   This is one.

It would be a mistake to think we’re done now, though.

To watch the news report on this program – and see ASLC’s comments – check out the CTV video by clicking here.

One of over a thousand current Calgary Kijiji ads for dogs/puppies.

To see what others are writing about for Blog the Change for Animals this April, view the list by clicking here.

BtC4A: Not So Fast

On Friday, September 9, 2011, Petland Canada released to the media the announcement that they would begin phasing out the sales of dogs and cats in their stores.

This is a hot topic for this round of Blog the Change, where Mary wrote this great post about rallying bloggers around this cause this quarter, asking Petland USA to follow suit.

This cause is so very, very near and dear to my heart, and I am thrilled to see this great blogging community get behind the cause and put some pressure on Petland USA.

However, before we sing the praises of Petland Canada, I ask for a moment of pause.

Here, when the other national pet store chain, PJ’s Pets (together with Pets Unlimited), made their announcement that they would cease the sale of dogs in their stores, the situation was much different.

When PJ’s made their announcement in August, they did it in conjunction with the Every Pet Deserves a Home campaign, acknowledging that their new policy aims to help find homes for rescue dogs and that they “can provide a significantly positive effect on local pet communities by working with adoption agencies to help them find homes for their pets”.  It was an extremely positive release, touting the benefits of the switch, and set a firm deadline for the end of sales at September 1.

Quite starkly different was Petland Canada’s announcement.

When I heard that Petland made the announcement to stop the sale of dogs and cats, my response was something like “ohmygodthat’sawesomeareyouserioushooray!”

Then I read the details.

The decision was based on “business fundamentals” because of a “decrease in puppy sales”.  Not because they want to help home rescue pets or acknowledge a problem with retail pet sales or that they could have a more positive impact on the pet community.  Nope.  It was because retail pet sales are no longer as profitable.  In fact, one Petland spokesperson made sure to point out to the media that pressure from advocates to cease sales had “very little” to do with their decision – it’s all dollar signs for them.  And no timeline to said phase-out was given – just a statement that it would happen.

In fact, on the point of retail pet sales, the Petland Canada website still shows this (accessed this week):

http://www.petland.ca/petland-pets

Petland’s was a very different message than PJ’s, even though both chains made a similar move; and Petland is still defending old practices.

But you know what – at first I didn’t care.  Who cares why they’re doing it as long as they are doing it.  As we’ve been saying, actions speak louder.

Then reports started to roll in.  Reports that people were going into Petland locations around Alberta, still seeing dogs and cats for sale, and being told by staff that there were no immediate plans to begin their phase out.

I knew from a previous field trip that one Petland here in Calgary had transferred to the adoption-only model even before the press release came out.  But what about the others?  According to their website, there are 54 locations across Canada.  How are the rest of them measuring up to this promise?  I mean, to the press, the CEO said “all Petland stores will be required” to participate in the phase-out.

Even after Petland Canada's announcement, other stores such as Pisces Pet Emporium in Calgary, will continue to sell dogs/cats (photo from July 2011).

So I decided to check up on Petland Canada’s promise.  Was it being kept?

I started locally.  There are 8 Calgary Petland locations listed on their website.  I knew the Coventry Hills one had already made good on this policy, so I picked 3 others in the city.

I started with the Market Mall location, and simply asked the lady who answered if they still sold dogs/cats.  When she answered in the affirmative, I asked “but I thought Petland announced they would be phasing out the sales?”  I suspect they get these questions often and, at the risk of editorializing, I seemed to put her on edge.

She explained to me that they had commitments to breeders into next year and would not start the phase out any time soon.  After all, they wouldn’t want breeders to be stuck with puppies Petland was supposed to take  [now, knowing the average dog’s gestation period is 63 days, your breeders would be fine given 3 months notice, but hey, that’s just me].  She also informed me that, contrary to the CEO’s announcement, the phase-out really only applies to corporate-owned stores; franchises do not have to participate.

Next I called the Westhills location.  They informed me that they do still have dogs and cats for sale currently, but are to begin their phase out next week.  I was told they are a corporate-owned location, and that corporate Petland is phasing out one store at a time, so it will take a while before they all have done it.

Then I called the South Trail location that has no more dogs for sale, but does have a few cats remaining.  The gentleman on the phone said they were looking forward to organizing weekend adopt-a-thons with local rescues in the future, but have not been able to set those up yet.

With the exception of my first call, my otherwise positive results prompted me to make some calls to locations outside of Calgary.

Lethbridge, Alberta was first, during which call I was sternly advised that they are an independently-owned franchise location that will not be following what corporate Petland is doing and has no plans to phase out dog/cat sales.

Damn.

[Update 10/15: Calls to the Kamloops, BC Petland location also confirm that they are a franchise location and will not be participating in the phase-out to adoption only.]

But my other calls to Grand Prairie, AB, Red Deer, AB, St. Catharines, ONT, and Vernon, BC all yielded positive results, with each location either well into the process or having already completely phased out sales and moved to the adoption model.

My favourite conversation was with the Red Deer location, who was extremely positive and enthusiastic about their adoption-only model and their relationship with Riverside Kennels.

Before I made my telephone calls, and based on what I’d been hearing about Petland’s following through – or not – on their recent promise, I had planned to title this BtC4Animals entry “Put Up or Shut Up”.  However, it looks like, for the most part, they are putting up.

But not entirely.

Hence: Not So Fast.

Before we go on to praise Petland Canada’s landmark decision (made reluctantly for “business” reasons only), I say we wait until they have fulfilled the claims made in September and continue to pressure the franchise locations that refuse to make the change (as well as Petland US and any American franchises).

For example, if you (like me), don’t like the Market Mall location’s feet dragging on this issue, take a page from this recent announcement of Macerich Shopping Malls, who have recently decided to ban the sale of live animals in their 70+ shopping centres throughout the United States (said ban to take effect in 30 days).  Write to Market Mall management company, Cadillac Fairview, and ask them to follow in Macerich’s path and also ban the sale of live animals in their facilities.

At the end of the day, it’s not what they say about ending – or continuing – pet sales; it’s what they do about it.

The campaign isn't called "actions speak louder" for nothing.

To read what the other fantastic bloggers participating in Blog the Change are writing about, check out the list here.

BtC: Breed-Specific Rescue

It’s that time again!

I’m even going to do you guys a favour by switching it up and not blogging about Actions Speak Louder (Calgary).  But don’t get too excited; I’m not straying too far from that sentiment.

When advocating for the end of retail pet sales, a surprisingly common question that gets asked is “well, then where will people get pets?”  The answer is simple: rescue or reputable breeders.

But the problem with that answer is that it seems to divide animals – or dogs specifically – into two separate categories: mixed breed mutts (rescue) or purebred companions (breeders).

What I think often gets forgotten is that you can rescue a purebred dog.

Purebred dogs, or purebred-type dogs (in other words, non-registerable), often wind up in your large, local, well-known rescue organizations that such as your local pound, SPCA, Humane Society, or other similar organization.

They also are often taken in by your lesser-known or smaller rescue operations.  Take, for example, Pound Rescue, out of Okotoks, Alberta: their Facebook page recently released a photo of Sophie, a purebred Bloodhound now in their care and up for adoption.

Sophie - Pound Rescue

And if the idea of routinely sorting through your local rescues in the hopes a dog the breed you’re looking for happens to come up for adoption, there’s always Pet Finder.com, which does the work for you.  Just plunk in your location and the breed you’re looking for and voila!  Dozens, if not hundreds, of results – all dogs available for adoption through rescue agencies.

But another approach, and what seems (to me) to get less visibility than any of the above options, is to look for a local breed-specific rescue.

Take Calgary and area, for example.  I lived here for a long time as a member of “Joe Public” before I became involved in the pet community and I had no idea the multitude of local rescue agencies that exist outside of the Humane Society (both breed-specific and not).

Looking for a little dog, but flexible on breed?  Then check out Little Mutts Rescue – they have lots!

Interested in a beagle?  Beagle Paws can help you out.

Maybe you’d like a bulldog?  Alberta Bulldog Rescue are the folks to contact.

In the market for something bigger? Say, Great Dane?  For the Love of Danes Rescue Society will be happy to help.

Bubba is a successful adoption tale from For the Love of Danes Rescue Society

Looking for a loveable pitbull?  Pitbulls for Life are run out of Spruce Grove, Alberta.

Keera is currently up for adoption through Pitbulls For Life

My point?

For nearly every breed, there is a breed-specific rescue somewhere. Canadogs.com has an extensive list here of breed-specific rescues around the country.

Gitta is up for adoption through Southern Alberta Rottweiler Rescue. http://www.albertarottweilers.com/index.html

And coming back to that familiar tune: I beg you to tell me how these options are not better than a pet store purchase.  Seriously.

Not sure where your rescue dog comes from or who the parents were?  You don’t know that with a pet store purchase either.

Nor can you guarantee that the pet store will have the exact cockeryorkapoowhatchamacallit you want any more than a rescue can meet your exact parameters.

Not to mention rescuing a dog from a nonprofit (where adoption fees just cover care, admin, vet bills, and spay/neuter) is significantly different than emptying that spot in the store window just so another commercially bred puppy can fill it.

Shadrach is up for adoption through the Bernese Mountain Dog Club of Canada. http://www.bmdcc.ca/dogs_for_adoption.htm

To sum up: the change I’m blogging and would like to see is more visibility and preference for breed-specific rescue organizations.

Thanks for the readership and see you all in October for the next Blog the Change for Animals!

To read how others are blogging the change, find the official July Blog Hop here.

Rocket here is currently looking for a home through Calgary Basset Rescue. http://www.bassetrescuecalgary.com/

A note for full disclosure: aside from a fleeting reference or two, reputable breeders have been left out of this post because that it not what it’s about. The intent here is to draw attention to a lesser-known adoption option.  Period.  My own dog is purebred and did come from a reputable breeder; and I would do it again. I am not one of those to call an end to all dog breeding or the CKC.