AnimalTalkFall/Winter 2014

Shelter Statisticspage 03

Happy Tailspage 04

From the Streets of Thailandpage 05

Oh Me, Oh My, It’s URI Page 06

To promote the humane care and protection of all animals and to prevent cruelty and suffering.

Contents

Page 03 ..................................................................... Message from CEO A word from Dr. Jacques Messier

Page 04 ..................................................................... Happy Tails Stories of successful adoptions

Page 05 ..................................................................... From the Streets of Thailand A good Samaritan helps dogs overseas

Page 06 ..................................................................... Oh Me, Oh My, It’s URI URI explained

Page 07 ..................................................................... Gifts of Love Donations made on behalf of loved ones

AnimalTalk

Animal Talk is distributed free of charge to approximately 36,000 Toronto Humane Society members and donors.

Contents of Animal Talk are copyrighted and may not be reproduced without the written consent of the Toronto Humane Society. Nothing in this publication shall constitute an endorsement by the Toronto Humane Society of any product or service. Canadian Charitable Registration Number 11925 9513 RR0001

Our Mission

Board of DirectorsThe role of the Board is to provide governance and oversight for the Toronto Humane Society. The board of directors is a volunteer board and no member receives financial compensation to perform their board role.

David Bronskill - President/Chair

Elizabeth Cabral

Jennifer Downe

Lisa Gibbens, BA, MISt - Secretary

Carol Hroncek

Cathy Kinloch, BA

Marcie Laking

James LaPlante

Dean Maher

Colette Miller

Bronwen Morgan

Peter Newell, BA, MA, JD - Vice President

Diana Pizzola

Stephen Steele, B. Comm., M.B.A. - Treasurer

Wendy Strickland

Chief Executive OfficerDr. Jacques Messier, DMV, MBA

EditorBarbara Steinhoff

Art DirectorChris Johnston

ContributorsMakyla DeleoRosie BlanningRachelle GordonEJ Lazaga - Cover Photography

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Message from the CEOWorking in animal rescue can be likened to taking a ride on a rickety rollercoaster that has seen better days. It is exhilarating, upsetting, extremely rewarding, and you can never be sure of what is going to happen when you turn the next corner.

At the Toronto Humane Society, we see the full spectrum – the good and the bad. Animals arrive every day in desperate need of our care. Some are sick, some injured, some lost, some abandoned and most are scared. Their fear and their pain pull at our hearts. We see examples of the worst kind of human behaviour and yes, it can leave you feeling dispirited.

But for every down, thankfully, there is an up. Every day we see kindness and generosity from our volunteers and donors, and we see the results of the work we do in the wagging tails and soft purrs of the animals who have received their second chance at our shelter.

Together we are proud of the accomplishments we have made. We have successfully rehomed 20% more animals this year over last year. We expanded our efforts against pet overpopulation and have performed 75% more spay/neuter surgeries.

Together with our volunteers and supporters we will continue to be there each and every day for as long as we’re needed.

Dr. Jacques Messier, DMV, MBAChief Executive Officer

2014 Shelter Statistics

Intake

Outcomes

Owner Surrender

Custodial Surrender

Return Adoption

Stray

Transfer In

Adoption

Return to Owner

Transfer Out

Euthanasia (excl. ORE)

97

573

694

1113

608

2534

198149

173

Intake

Outcomes

Owner Surrender

Custodial Surrender

Return Adoption

Stray

Transfer In

Adoption

Return to Owner

Transfer Out

Euthanasia (excl. ORE)

97

573

694

1113

608

2534

198149

173

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Nicolas Growing up I was always in love with animals, especially cats. At social gatherings, I was the one to be found hanging out on the floor with all the pets. Sadly my mom is very allergic and a hamster was the closest I came to having my own pet as a child. After I finished university and moved into my first “grown up apartment”, adopting a cat was at the top of my list. After stopping in to THS more often than I’d care to admit, one special little kitty finally grabbed right at my heart-strings. Nicolas (or Wyle as he was known then) stuck his little paw out the cage and I knew I couldn’t leave without him.

Since then, Nico has taken quite well to being the Prince of the house. He quickly makes friends with anyone who gives him any attention, and rolls over for belly rubs like a purring machine. He’s also a clever little guy who has picked up French quite quickly! He sits with you when you feel like being quiet, and will bounce all over the house when its time to play.

I’m so thankful that we found each other, because he truly is the best pet I could ever ask for!

-Kirsten

Our relationship with the animals in our care doesn’t end after the adoption process. We encourage all of our adopters to let us know how our friends are doing in their new forever home. Happy Tails

Fortinbras has been taking some much needed ‘me time’ to read our supporter magazine, Animal Talk! We would love to see pictures of YOUR pets enjoying an issue of Animal Talk!

Please send your pictures to us at: Toronto Humane Society, 11 River Street, Toronto, Ontario, M5A 4C2. Or you can email them to us at communications@torontohumanesociety.com. Our favourite pictures will be printed in the next issue!

Read All About It!

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We are very proud to introduce you to one of our long time dedicated volunteers who has not only diligently and enthusiastically walked dogs at the Toronto Humane Society for more than six years, but who is also looked upon as a guardian angel for stray dogs in Thailand…. Meet Dominique Rousselle.

For four months out of every year, Dominique leaves his life in Toronto and heads to Bangkok with a suitcase full of supplies and a pressing urge to help as many homeless dogs as possible. With the aid of a local veterinarian and Soi Dog Foundation, Dominique helps to feed, vaccinate, spay and neuter and treat mange-ridden and tick infested stray dogs trying to survive on the streets. Each day he cares for over 40 dogs, and in a typical week Dominique is able to get 20 dogs spayed or neutered, in turn helping to reduce the number of strays wandering the towns and villages of Thailand.

Some of the dogs that Dominique befriended along the way have been given a second chance at a long and happy life far away from the streets of Bangkok where it is a daily struggle just to survive. To date, almost 30 dogs have accompanied Dominique back to Toronto. 18 of these lucky dogs came to the Toronto Humane Society where they were adopted into their forever homes. Dominque found loving homes for the remainder of the dogs.

Dominique’s dedication and compassion for homeless, lost and abandoned dogs everywhere is truly remarkable. We are very fortunate to have Dominique as part of our team and we sincerely thank him for being such a great friend to all animals.

From the Streets of Thailand to Loving Homes in Toronto

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URI is an unfortunately common term in animal shelters; it stands for upper respiratory infection and covers a range of viruses that cause cold or flu like symptoms in our feline friends.

The FVRCP vaccine is a protective measure against some of the most common respiratory viruses, namely feline viral rhinotracheitis (FVR) and calici virus (CV). FVR includes symptoms that we recognize as those caused by the common cold such as sneezing, nasal discharge, coughing, conjunctivitis, loss of appetite, and occasionally a fever.

CV is more likely to include fever as a symptom, and in addition to the above our poor kitty may have mouth ulcers and arthritis in their joints. These symptoms are generally managed with supportive care such as pain/fever medication, IV fluids and assisted feeding.

The sad fact is that because these cats already have a weakened immune system from the virus they are fighting off, they often also fall prey to secondary bacterial infections. If your little purr machine has clear discharge from the eyes or nose, they are likely combating a viral infection alone, but if the discharge becomes green or yellow then bacteria has entered the fray.

One of the more serious complications arising from URI is when the kitty has a completely blocked nose. Our cats rely heavily on their sense of smell as an encouragement to eat, and when they can’t smell their food we may find that they simply refuse to chow down. A vet may recommend feline safe decongestants or a nebulizing treatment in addition to moistening or warming Felix’s dinner to make it more appetizing. Thankfully, we also have a range of anti-bacterial medications available at the shelter to help us win the battle.

Bear in mind that URI is generally not a significant issue in the average household. Healthy, happy and well-cared for cats in the home - even URI carriers - usually do not have more than a sneeze and sniffle or two before fighting off the kitty cold.

There are three main reasons why animal shelters, catteries and boarding facilities see a large number of URI cases. URI is spread through contact with an infected cat’s secretions – from the eyes, nose or saliva. These secretions can also be transferred from cat to cat via

fomites (non-living objects) such as food bowls or even our hands. When a large number of cats are housed together in one location they are more likely to come into contact with a fuzzy friend or object that carries the virus.

The second problem is that you can’t always tell who is sick. Both FVR and CV can lead to latent infections in which cats end up as carriers of the virus, infecting others without showing illness themselves.

The third issue is stress. Coming to a shelter, or staying in even the nicest cat hotel, causes some amount of stress for our wee kitties. This stress weakens the immune system and makes them more susceptible to illness or can allow latent infections to rise to the surface.

We have worked hard to keep URI at a minimum in the shelter. All cats are vaccinated immediately on arrival if previous vaccine records are unavailable. While vaccines are not always 100% effective, they will shorten the duration and severity of a potential infection.

All our cats are all housed on the upper floor of the building, away from the exuberant, noisy dogs. Other stress reducers include daily interaction with shelter volunteers, larger enclosures with dedicated hiding boxes and blankets, as well as cage-free and outdoor playtime.

Our cat rooms have large and bright windows which can be opened to let in a summer breeze, because studies have shown that natural light and fresh air also reduce the occurance of viral infections in cats. Our room floor plans are designed in such a way that cats are never close enough to transmit the virus directly, and all employees follow sanitation protocols to ensure that we are not the cause of an outbreak. In addition, when groups of cats come in together, they are housed together without mixing with the shelter population until it can be determined that the risk of an outbreak has passed.

Because of this our URI numbers have continued to fall steadily in the last few years and, as of writing, our dedicated URI room only holds five cats. Thanks to our swiftly enacted and standardized URI treatment protocols these guys are looking great and will be ready for adoption soon!

Oh Me, Oh My, It’s URI!

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Allan BrownAnna BujakArchie CornwellAudrey StanleyBeth BartlettBirdieBlackieBonnie BondBootsBruce VoddenCairo BlackCarlos Carol GrayCarter Bergin FreedmanChicoChristopher DamoffColeD Roberts

Daniella Marie BrattyDarya FarhaDanny Summefield Dawn MontgomeryDennis ShuklaDiane KettleDon NolanDonald SidwellDoreen Montogomery Doris OlmsteadDougalElba WeesbachFrank L. HawkinsGraeme FriedmanHarvey NewmanHoward PattersonIrene LoncaricIrene WilsonJack

Jackie MarshallJacobJames RudykJessie & MollyJohn B. (Don) PurdyJohn David StewartJoan LivseyLolita FariaLucyMagicMargaret ChristieMari-es GonzalesMarion ThorburnMatthew M. HickeyMatthew Robert GuyMaureen MurrayMiss Tyler Sarah CudneyMollyMontie

Mr. Donald NolanMr. Ronald HallMrs Eleanor GrayMrs. Jean GobbittMrs. Lee MilneMs. Francesca MastrellaNick LivinstoneNormaNuggetOlga SitarzPatrick John LopezPennyPeter Ewan McArdlePrescott DuffRichard “Buck” RogersRocky PikeRonald HallSamSam Rusk

Sharon Ann FairchildShiloh DotyShirley JungShirley NobleSocksSoloSonia WestawaySpunkySydney & RoelleSylarTippaTobieTyler Sarah CudneyVirginnia HillWilliam PettsWinnifred Jamieson

Andrew & VickyBev & GrahamChristien ParrottChristine Ford and Katie HoodChristina Shia & Zeeshan Pandjou

ColeDanielle QuayleDavidDaphneFergus & HenryJean PerdueJohn Johansen, Lorna Storm,

Tom Singer, & Tony TrusevycKarenLaura and William LuffLeah & SophiaLuigi & AmandaMadvillan, Suteeoh, Tite Toronto Girl, Zivanod & Bokeh1

Mrs Bette Kimbell & Mrs Jeanne PallaNancy BerryNatalie & Luke MasonSandra McClellandSheila PurdySusan Swartzman

Tara DavidsonTessa DeborahThe Staff of TMP Worldwide TorontoThomas Nickson

In Memory

We gratefully acknowledge the donors who have given gifts of $80 or more in honour or in memory of a special person or pet. Tribute gifts are a thoughtful and meaningful way of acknowledging a loved one’s memory, expressing your good wishes or commemorating an occasion.

In Honour

Gifts of Love

Make Sure Your Love for Animals Lives On Remembering the Toronto Humane Society in your will is a wonderful way to make a significant difference to the society. It is never too soon to prepare your will, a powerful document that enables you to distribute your assets exactly as you choose. A gift in your will, regardless of size, will ensure that we can continue to provide the very best dedicated care to the thousands of animals that need our help each year.

Join Our Save the Animals Team!You can be an animal’s best friend by sending a gift every month! For less than a dollar a day, you can be there for animals in need and provide the loyal support they count on. A monthly donation of $18 (only 60 cents a day!) will help to feed, shelter and provide veterinary care for every animal that arrives at the shelter until they are adopted. Visit www.torontohumanesociety.com/save or call 416-392-2273 x2166/2162 to sign up today!

Be Their Best Friend in 2015Every single day, animals are given a second chance at the Toronto Humane Society. Many arrive sick or injured and in need of emergency veterinary care. Others are transferred to us from shelters that simply don’t have the resources to work with their medical or behavioural issues. For many of the animals that we successfully rehome, the Toronto Humane Society is their last chance at a new, happy life. All of our funding comes from our generous supporters. We completely rely on the kindness of people like you to keep our shelter doors open to homeless animals every day of the year. We are asking YOU to be a Best Friend to all of the animals we care for in 2015!

Keep Fit! You can keep fit and raise much needed dollars at the same time! There are hundreds of events taking place in the GTA in 2015, including the Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront Marathon on October 18, 2015 and of course our very own Paws in the Park on August 23rd, 2015. So lace up your shoes and get walking, jogging or running and be a part of Team THS!

Make a Gift in Tribute to a Loved OneWhen we lose a loved one or a cherished animal companion, we can find comfort in celebrating their lives. Many of our supporters like to remember that special friend while restoring hope to the animals in need. A Gift in Memory or Honour could be made to remember a birthday, or in lieu of flowers at a funeral. If you wish, we can send a personalized card to the family of the person (or pet) you wish to remember to say thank you for this special donation.Visit www.torontohumanesociety.com/support-us/tribute-giving to make a tribute gift today.

Make Your Donations Work Harder!Many corporations are launching special programs designed to match gifts their employees make to charities. It’s an ideal way for a company to recognize its employees while contributing to the community. Check with your Human Resources Department today!

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Save the Animals TeamBe an animal’s best friend by sending a gift every month!

As a monthly donor you will help feed, shelter and provide veterinary care for every animal who arrives at

11 River Street until they are adopted into a new loving home.

Please join today with a monthly gift of $18 (only 60 cents a day)!

www.torontohumanesociety.com/save416-392-2273 x 2166/2162