A New Project for Everyone

[king2005]

ANIMAL SHELTERS and RESCUE GROUPS- Mississauga

Toronto HS

Ottawa HS

OSPCA

Pit Bull laws in Ontario

[Kfamr]

Maybe make a list of rescues/shelters by state/province? I would be willing to help organize the list if it's too much work.


(I'll be editing and adding more as I get the URLS)


BadRap (Pit Bulls)

Humane Society of Pinellas

Best Friends

[buttercup132]

ANIMAL SHELTERS and RESCUE GROUPS- Mississauga

Toronto HS

Ottawa HS

OSPCA

Pit Bull laws in Ontario

Hey King I never knew you lived so close?
Missisauga is like 15-20 minutes from me.

[Karen]

We'd also like people's thoughts on the questions I posed and any others - like what to ask a shelter employee, and what you should expect to pay - if you can list examples what your shelter charges, that would be helpful.

[cyber-sibes]

Great idea, Karen! I'll get some sites together and reply in a couple days

[luvofallhorses]

http://www.pbrc.net (pit bull rescue central)

http://www.montanapets.org (montana pets on the net)

that's all I can think of for now.

[Giselle]

May I have a word about the "horrors" of puppy (and cat) mills and BYBs?

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Though there will always be conflicts and controversies surrounding the "perfect" breeder, it is accepted knowledge that the only reason one should breed is to "better the breed". To achieve this, breeders spend incredible amounts of time and money proving their dogs either in the field of conformation or some type of performance event like agility, herding, Schutzhund, hunting, etc. Through this process, they breed only the best to the best. They recognize the importance of keeping their bloodlines free from health maladies, and, thus, spend hundreds, even thousands, of dollars to health test their breeding stock through organizations like the Orthopedic Foundation for Animals (OFA), Canine Eye Registration Foundation (CERF), PennHip, Optigen, etc. If the breed should be susceptible to a wide array of diseases, the breeder would test for the appropriate illness. For example, it is common practice to test for hypothyroidism and von Willebrands in Doberman Pinschers.

With so much care and thought put into the breeding stock itself, it is not surprising that the reputable breeder would take equal precautions in screening prospective homes. The reputable breeder does not sell to just anybody with a wad of cash, and they often screen to the point of homechecks (where the breeder makes an appointment to check out the home of the prospective buyer). However, this is not to say that all reputable breeders require homechecks nor does it imply that a breeder is unreputable if s/he does not screen prospective homes as aggressively as another breeder. This does mean, however, that the reputable breeder would not sell his or her puppies to a middleman, a puppy broker, or a petstore. These facilities use puppies as a main source of money and the only objective of these facilities is monetary profit.

Because pet stores need a large supply of puppies for a minimal amount of money, they acquire their pups from "mills". Simply put, mills are extremely large kennels breeding hundreds of puppies at a time, often churning out both mixed and purebred dogs. Because profit is the primary objective, mill owners do not take the time nor money to prove their dogs or health test. Additionally, they overbreed their dogs and care little for the overall well-being of the animals. The resulting puppies are often badly malnourished, subject to a wide range of oftentimes fatal health maladies, and are frequently reported to have social/emotional problems. Since mills need to provide a large amount of puppies consistently, they take the puppies away from the mother prematurely. Consequently, these puppies often have a more difficult time housetraining, polishing their social skills, and have a harder time learning bite inhibition.

While the puppy at the petstore may tug at your heartstrings and attempt to break your willpower, just say no. Say no to the pet store. Say no to the puppy mills. Break the vicious cycle and adopt a furry friend instead.

[Giselle]

LOL, just because this topic intrigues me so much.

The big one : What kind of questions should I ask my breeder?

- First and foremost, WHY do you breed?
The correct answer will always run along the lines of: a deep passion for the breed and the duty to further/better the breed.

- What kind of health tests do you perform?
An annual vet check does not mean anything.

- What kind of events do you do with your dogs?
The above relates to... How do you "prove" your dogs? How do you choose which dogs to breed and which ones to pet out?

- Do you provide a lifetime guarantee? If my dog should develop a congenital or hereditary defect, what will you do?

- If for any reason in my dog's lifetime I must relinquish the dog, will you take it back?

- May I see the parents?
Oftentimes, the stud dog is not on site. This is normal, but you should be able to see the mother. She should be happy and well fed.

- May I have references to past families?

- May I have references to your vet?

-To be continued...LOL. My brain is mush right now

[cassiesmom]

We'd also like people's thoughts on the questions I posed and any others - like what to ask a shelter employee, and what you should expect to pay - if you can list examples what your shelter charges, that would be helpful.

1) My shelter fee was $50, but that was 10 years ago. It went up to $75 and then to $100. The shelter affiliated with the Petsmart at which I shop also charges $100. That seems to be the "going rate" around here. There are fund-raisers for potential adopters who can't afford the $100, and my shelter can refer cats to free or low-cost spaying/neuter programs for families that qualify.
2) I had to agree that I would not have Cassie declawed. Her front paws had already been declawed when I got her, and I have never had a reason to have her back claws removed. That would be another question I'd ask - must I agree not to declaw?
3) What steps do I take if the adoption does not work out and I need to readmit the cat to the shelter for some reason?
4) Can you help me obtain a copy of the cat's medical record from the shelter DVM (if I'm not planning to continue using the same doctor).
5) What follow-up can I expect from the shelter - if I have a problem, can I call you? Will you call or e-mail me to see how we are doing?

Terrific cat book: Cats for Dummies, by Gina Spadafori and Dr. Paul Pion. I have the first edition but there is a second edition out now.

Let me know if I can help! Thanks - Elise, Cassie's Mom

[BC_MoM]

Funds For Furry Friends
- cat & dog rescue
Brandon, Manitoba, CANADA
www.fundsfurfriends.com
^where Mickey was from

Winnipeg Animal Services Agency
- cat & dog kill shelter
Winnipeg, Manitoba, CANADA
www.winnipeg.ca/animalservices
^where Molly was from

[cassiesmom]

I learned about the shelter from which my cat was adopted through a former co-worker. I live in a pet-friendly apartment building, so I've learned about a couple of other no-kill shelters in nearby suburbs. I used to shop at a Petsmart near my work until one opened up near my home. Each of those 2 stores have a relationship with a different animal shelter. I'm on a team of pet people at work and we swap information, too. The same shelter programs and centers keep coming up in our conversations. If I have learned anything in the past ten years it is that pet people love to talk about their pets!

[GreyhoundGirl]

Hey King I never knew you lived so close?
Missisauga is like 15-20 minutes from me.

same here

my favourite rescue is Greyhound Rescue Montreal. The web site isn't up to much, but I'll post it anyways...

www.greyhoundrescue.bigstep.com