NEWSLETTER October 2006
PRESIDENT'S MESSAGE
As I sit at the computer
working on this newsletter, I find myself drawn back to the ‘Happy Tales’
stories time and time again. Reading
them and thinking about the animals makes me feel so very good.! At this time of the year, we are all
exhausted with the day to day pressures of running the adoption centers,
answering the phone lines, fundraising, and doing the hands on rescue
work. These stories remind me that
A.V.A. is doing wonderful things for the animals, many animals.
There are many more stories
to share and hopefully, many more happy stories yet to unfold. The bottom line, though, is that A.V.A. needs
the membership’s financial support and hands on participation so that we don’t
burn out!!! So please give generously,
pick up the phone and call to volunteer at one of our many adoption centres,
and collect items for and help out at our bazaar. Together, let’s create more stories with
happy endings.
BAZAAR TIME AGAIN
Etobicoke Olympium ,
Please join us
So whether it’s your first
time or you’re a seasoned bazaar veteran please come out with your friends and
family and SHOP, SHOP, SHOP !!!!!
Remember this is our biggest
fundraiser of the year and 100% of the money raised goes towards our ever
increasing vet bills.
Below is our Wish/Needs list
to make this a successful event.
We Need:
öVolunteers to help load our truck Friday ( daytime) at our storage unit at Victoria
Park and O’Connor.
öSet up crew and pricers Friday evening (October 3 (drinks and dinner will be
provided)
öBakers and Cooks to provide home baked goods (brownies, cupcakes, cookies, cakes etc)
and jams, jellies and pickles to sell.
öGift certificates/event tickets, if you could donate or solicit restaurants, stores,
entertainment venues please let us know ASAP.
öSilent Auction items ( new, vintage or gently used interesting objects and knick-knacks as
well as antiques and gift certificates) please call Denielle
ASAP.
öVolunteers to distribute flyers ( enclosed) to friends, family, co-workers and in
your neighborhood. We also need people to put up bazaar flyers one week prior
in Etobicoke.
öSaturday
sellers to work at the various
tables.
öVolunteers to work Saturday from 4-pm onward to pack
up and load the truck as well as unload at our storage facility.
öGift items ( must be new) of any size or price for our New Table
öCash Donations-
to help offset the costs of this very large bazaar ( 100% tax deductible)
öGently used merchandise (please no old books, clothes or broken items).
Please do not bring anything
to the bazaar with you unless asked to do so; everything at the bazaar will
have been presorted.
If you can help with any of the above,
please call us at 416-439-8770 and leave a message on line 4 for Denielle or email her at actionvolunteers@yahoo.com
THE BAZAAR LOCKER SORT
Huge thank you’s go out to the following people that helped sort and
organize at A.V.A.’s storage on Saturday, Oct. 7th in
preparation for the bazaar.
Eva Leiva
and Karen Cashley, Chris Girgulis,
John and Ann Gun-Munro and Maxine Branden ( who was
there all day), Laurie and Helmut Braun and Caroline Hawman,
who is with me at every sorting event we have as well as helping me there once
a month.
We managed to sort an entire
locker on one day. Way to go Everyone !!!
SANTA DAY AT PETSMART
Talk about
inhumanity to man! Remember when the
months of November and December creep around!
Bazaar! And…oh no…Santa Day at Petsmart.
Start nagging those husbands if we still have them! If that doesn't work go hide….don't answer
that phone! Shana's
on the prowl in search of Santa! She
obviously had slim pickings last year when she made little Merle Hayes play the
part. Merle doesn't rate as even a
doggie tooth pick! However, despite her
tiny stature (being only 5 feet tall), she still managed to be convincing to
one little girl and menacing to one not so friendly big black lab! Happily, she did survive the long, fur filled
day with life and limb intact.
This year let us plan ahead. I hate those night-before-phone calls from
you know who! We need a Santa Claus to
take part in PetSmarts fund raiser. The only criteria you must meet is a) you
must like to sit and pat dogs, big dogs all day and b) you have to be bigger
than Merle Hayes. And for those of us
that are still married I wish you every success in persuading your
"better" half to sign up for this worthwhile endeavor. My better half is not cooperating. The dates are: December 2nd & 3rd, 9th & 10th, 16th & 17th.
Unfortunately
we must wait for the stores to designate where we are and on what date.
NEWS FROM THE
Toronto East and West have
had a busy summer with several successful fundraisers. The small but active west end team has done
53 adoptions since April 2006 and held a bake sale and microchipping
fundraiser as well as a small garage sale.
The microchipping fundraiser, which raised
$160, was a great new idea and served two purposes – safeguarding animals in
case they get lost and raising much needed funds.
The Canada Day festivities at
NEWS FROM THE
Our
THE ANNUAL BROADLANDS INDOOR GARAGE
SALE
Thanks to Joan
Appleton, Tiffany Stevens, Merle Hayes, Carole Al-Temen,
Chris Girgulis, Sue Ralph, Anne Marie Moore, Shana
Mortimer-Gibson, Jenny Bodnar, Helena
Nieto, Georgina Casey, Narmin Nasser, Rocky Rideough and anyone else I may have forgotten to mention
. A special thanks to Anne Marie Moore and Sue Ralph who helped out the
entire garage sale - Friday, Saturday and Sunday and also to those who helped
unload and load the truck. We made about $1400 - $1500.00…………………from Denise
Harkin
ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING
&
POOR TOM PARTY
Our Annual General Meeting is
scheduled for
We are planning to have informative speakers so
watch our web site (www.actionvolunteerforanimals.com) or call the A.V.A. phone
line (416-439-8770) for details.
As always, we are looking for
individuals interested in serving on the board.
A nominee must be a member of a least two years’ good standing. The current board members are stretched to
capacity so be forewarned – sitting on
the board involves lots of work!! Shana
has resigned as President but will remain on the board as a Director and will
continue to coordinate the Toronto East Adoption Centers. Jenny Bodnar has
resigned from the board but will continue to be active in the adoption
centers. Are you interested or do you
know of someone you would like to nominate for the board? Please submit names in writing by November 20th. We will be holding elections at this AGM.
MORE FACTS ABOUT DECLAWING
Our last newsletter in June
’06 contained a short article on declawing. If you
haven’t had a chance to read it, please read it over.. If you do not have a copy of the newsletter,
you can read it on line on our website at www.actionvolunteersforanimals.com
Since writing the article,
several people have approached me to say that their cats were declawed but it was a laser declaw. They announce this as if it was okay for this
reason.
A laser declaw
only refers to the type of tool used to perform the declaw
procedure. Declaws
are done using either a sterile toenail trimmer or a laser beam to amputate the
nail plus the last bone of each front toe.
Motor and sensory nerves, blood vessels, ligaments, and tendons are all
severed. With either tool, the surgery
remains the same – 10 toe amputations!
The only difference is that, with a laser declaw,
the blood vessels and nerves are
“sealed” so there is minimal blood loss, and possibly (although the cat
can’t tell us this) less pain.
Interestingly, a vet clinic
in the U.S. advertising their laser declaw procedure,
lists the general anesthesia, three nerve blocks per foot, and unlimited post
op pain medication as part of the package deal for this so called simple
procedure.
In the last article , I
listed the countries in which declawing is illegal or
considered inhumane. As you may recall,
the list is extensive.
Despite this fact, declawing is a lucrative practice in the
ö “Declawing
is an inhumane, unnecessary procedure that has many alternatives. It is never in the cats best interest . With declawing, we
are interfering with a species’ nature because of our own whims,
misconceptions, misinformation, and sometimes, laziness.”
Neil Wolff, D.V.M.
ö “The CFA perceives the
declawing of cats and the severing of tendons to be
elective surgical procedures which are without benefit to the cat. Because of post op pain, and potential future
behavioral or physical effects, CFA disapproves of declawing
or tendonectomy surgery.”
The Cat Fancier’s Association
(www.cfainc.org)
öThe RCVS decribes declawing as
“mutilation” “the removal of claws … to
preclude damage to furnishings is not acceptable.”
Royal
ö “Claws are an integral
part of a cat’s life…declawing is a permanently crippling
procedure that should not be practiced.”
People For The Ethical
Treatment Of Animals (www.peta.org)
ö “I wouldn’t declaw a cat if you paid me $1000 per nail!”
Dr. Louis Camuti,
noted author and veterinarian.
öDeclawing is “unacceptable because the suffering it causes is
not offset by any benefits to the cat. Declawing is done strictly to provide convenience to
people.”
The Association of
Veterinarians for Animal Rights (www.avar.org)
Remember, there are no health
benefits for the cat to be declawed. There are, however, lots of reasons for the
cat not to be declawed.
It is instinct, not misbehaviour that makes a cat scratch. Cats love to scratch. It is a form of exercise, a way of stretching
limb and back muscles, and a way of
marking their territory. Cats have scent
glands in the paws that excrete pheromones when they scratch, basically saying
“this spot is mine!” Scratching also
helps the cat remove or shed old nail sheaths.
And remember, not all cats are destructive! They should be innocent until proven
guilty. Unfortunately, most declaws are offered
as a package deal at spay/neuter
time, with the now kindly owner and veterinarian “sparing” the kitten the
ordeal of a second anesthetic.
There are many alternatives
to declawing as mentioned in the June
newsletter.
Provide your cat with a
sturdy sisal rope or fabric scratching post, trim nails (see insert on how to
trim), try acrylic nail caps called soft paws. (www.softpaws.com or 1–800–989-2542), deter scratching by applying a clear, sticky
tape to your ends of sofas etc. (www.stickypaws.com
or 1-888-697-2873), or by lightly spraying a citrus type spray on the
surface. Modify behaviour
by spraying water at the cat from a water pistol immediately when the cat
scratches the wrong surface. Try not to
let your cat see you spray him, so he associates the behaviour,
not the owner, with the unpleasant spray.
Finally, buy pet friendly drapes and furnishings.
In our hectic lives, it is
easier to declaw
than to trim and train! But don’t fool
yourself into thinking it is a humane act.
As Dr. Paul Rowen,
D.V.M. Little Shelter Animal Sanctuary,
“you can’t declaw
with love”
article by
Shana Mortimer-Gibson
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The following article was written by Patricia Gray who
is a freelance writer, wildlife photographer, and naturalist living in Meaford. We would like to thank Patricia Gray for
writing this editorial and allowing us to reprint it.
Challenge to Hunters
Sun Times
Editor: An open letter to Don Scott of Meaford: Re: "Don't condemn hunters," The Sun
Times, Wednesday, November. 23, 2005.
How do you think people who
may not have strong feelings about hunting either way react when they see a
person in camouflage sitting in a tree over a pile of rotten meat waiting for a
bear? How do they react when they watch
someone track an animal with radio controlled dogs? Do you think that the average person who sees
this practice considers that hunting is a spiritual outdoor experience, and
that the hunters respect the wild, and are conservationists?
Most hunting is done for
"recreation" – for the pleasure of pursuing and killing an animal.
Can stalking and killing of
animals be considered a "sport?"
Even when the animals' flesh is eaten, there is no justification for
stalking and killing an animal in its habitat.
A sport involves two individuals on equal grounds that have a mutual
agreement to engage in the activity. It
is hard to argue that an animal pursued by a hunter riding a snowmobile or
off-road vehicle and equipped with high-powered firearms and electronic calling
devices is on equal footing. With this
arsenal, hunters kill hundreds of thousands of animals yearly – crippling,
orphaning, and harassing millions more.
Moreover, since hunting involves deliberate death, no mutual consent,
and no outside judges, hunting can never be considered a "sport"
This is neither fair nor
unfair to the hunters, Mr. Scott.
Fairness really has nothing to do with it. Hunting may be defined as "seeking out
in order to kill."
The general public is not
familiar with the nuances of hunting, and even in the hunting community, there
is disagreement about what is ethical or unethical. When people see a person dressed in
camouflage, shooting at an animal, that is "hunting".
Despite the hunting
community's repeated rhetoric of "hunting ethics," many hunting
groups have refused to end repugnant practices that go above and beyond the
cruelty inherent in hunting. The
practice of bear and deer "baiting" – where hunters bait at specific
sites and await their quarry with readied guns – is considered to be one of the
most unethical hunting practices.
Hunters and hunting
organizations and suppliers promote justifications as to why hunting is
necessary. They argue that our cities
and rural lands would be overrun with wild animals if hunting were
disallowed. They claim that if certain
animals were not hunted, they would slowly die of starvation and thus the
lesser of the two evils is to kill them.
I find a problem with this argument.
The biological truth is that
animals, with the notable exception of the human species, regulate their own
populations, based upon available food and habitat.
You say that "hunters
help to keep the population of deer down."
I must disagree.
Hunters often seek out the
largest buck with the biggest rack, although many hunters do shoot the first
deer they see. This practice weakens the
gene pool by removing the healthiest animals from the population, thus leaving
more does to reproduce.
Natural predators are
opportunistic hunters and usually take the youngest, weakest and sickest
animals, leaving the deer population healthy and balanced.
The practice of hunting more
bucks than does increases the number of deer available to hunters and an
overall increase in the deer population.
The stress that hunting
inflicts on animals – the noise, the fear, and the constant chase – severely
restricts their ability to eat adequately and store the fat and energy they
need to survive the winter. Hunting also
disrupts migration and hibernation, and campfires, recreational vehicles, trash
and other hunting side effects endanger both wildlife and the environment.
I challenge you to be true to
your ethics, and to put into practice just what you preach when you talk about
hunters being conservationists and raising more dollars for the
environment. Clean up the image of
hunting, police your ranks. Respect the
animals you kill, and promote hunting ethics.
The debate over hunting will
go on for many years Mr. Scott. How long
will so-called "sportsmen" entertain themselves at the expense of
animals? Will history say that you liked
to talk the talk but you lacked the courage to walk the walk? The answer depends on you.
Patricia Gray
Meaford
PORTIA'S STORY
Portia is an amazing little white and orange kitten
rescued from the
A.V.A. rushed Portia to Dr.
Jeff Wood at the West Hill Animal Clinic.
Dr. Wood thoroughly examined Portia and determined that she had been
suffering like this for about 10 days..
Unfortunately, our only recourse was for Dr. Wood to perform a proper declaw. He was able
to save one claw on each back paw.
Portia had been picked up as
a stray so, unfortunately, her torturer goes unpunished. The good news is that this special kitten
that had such a horrific start to life, now is in a forever home where she is
pampered and loved. Her new name is Missy
and she doesn’t let her new parents, Shirley and Jim, out of her sight.
HAPPY
CAT TAILS
Muffet
Hi Shana
Hope you enjoyed your Thanksgiving weekend. We did as did Muffett. A couple of weeks ago we spoke, you
asked for an article for the newsletter; so here is a little story (and
pictures) from Muffett who is an absolute JOY!!
Best regards,
Teresa
It all started on the evening of Thursday
September 7, 2006. This woman came by, stayed for some time,
talking and playing with me. The whole time I remained in my cage of course
cause I was too scared to come out. I
wanted to but I just couldn't do it. At
some point that evening she looked right at me and said your coming home with
me. I remember that moment oh so well ..but then she was gone ?? Two days later to my surprise she came
back!! She started to talk to me again and said today is the day we are
going home!!! Can you believe it ??? She came back for me, Muffett!!!
That is how my new journey began, I had no idea what
the future held. At first I was really scared in my new home and I stayed
pretty much in a corner.. in a soft bed my mom gave.. close to my food.. and
litter box. Four weeks later things have really changed!! I've inspected
most of the house but still have much more to explore. My new mom loves seeing me around, but I am
taking my time. I now have two favourite places to sleep -.a soft comfy dining room chair
and the sofa in the living room by the window.
My mom loves to greet me there in the morning.
This Thanksgiving I truly had much to be thankful
for. So I am writing this note so you know how I am doing. In addition my mom and I wish to thank Shana,
Jenny, my foster parents and volunteers for looking after me. A very special thank you to Shana & Jenny
for the work that you do and for matching me up with my new mom. We are both very grateful.
PS My mom loves to take pictures of me; I have asked
her to send you a couple so you can see that I am doing just fine. Meow Meow, Muffett
The photos were exceptional
Teresa. Sorry the newsletter has to be
black and white and restricted as to volume .Thank you, Editor
Down & Out
I'm just a hard rock pussy cat
I've been around the town
But my bones are getting brittle
And those cool cats get me down
My attitude has changed a lot
So if to me you will adhere
I'll not cause you any trouble
And I'll sleep away the years
My appetite is quite petite
I've learned to do without
So I'll only eat a small amount
And you'll never see a mouse
If this doesn't meet your standards
And with you there is no hope
Please pass the word around the town
And help this old puss out.
Marion
Mortimer
HAPPY DOG TAILS
Amy, a little black lab
cross, was found frantically running around
Then, along came the Perreault family who believed that all dogs came with
baggage and that, with time and consistency, Amy would settle in with
them. This was her second chance.
A big thank you to the Perreault family for persisting with her despite her
problems.
Here is what Suzana Perreault wrote:
It's been about a month since we adopted
Amy. It's been a slow process, but she's come a long way. Her
first week with us was quiet. She had someone with her at all times and
the one time she was left alone in the house while my daughter was doing some
outside work, was traumatic for her. It only took minutes for Amy to start
her barking, pacing and ultimately destroying a plant even though she was
able to see my daughter outside. The second week: It ended up that
all of us were out during the day for most of the week. We still didn't
know what she would do and for her safety decided to crate and sedate
her. The first 2 days she seemed to do okay, she tore her pillow apart,
but otherwise was fine. The third day we came home to discover her out of
the crate and the bottom liner corners all chewed up. Thinking that the
door wasn't closed properly we placed her in her crate the next morning
and made sure that it was secured correctly, again she found her way out
of it, but managed to scrape her snout on both sides trying to push the
bars apart. Since she didn't do any damage to the house and we didn't
want her hurting herself again, we put the crate away and left her out
for a couple of hours the following day. When we arrived home all was
well, except for some pillows that were knocked off the sofa. Third
week: Amy is becoming used to our in and out lifestyle. She can be left
alone with our other dog and there are no issues. Our fence was delayed
by a week and we discovered that she didn't care to run off, if she did
go beyond our property line all you had to do is whistle and she returned.
We also discovered that she likes to sing when my daughter plays the
piano. Fourth week: Amy is becoming more playful and affectionate.
She has learned the routine of the household and seems to be very happy
with us as we are with her. There are still a few issues like house
training, but nothing that we aren' willing to
work with and correct. We are thankful that the separation anxiety has
become a non issue and that we don' have to sedate her any longer. Best
regards,
The Perreault
family (Ron, Suzana, Danielle, Brett,
Thank You’s
