Update On Molly

On Saturday, October 13, Molly had surgery on both of her eyes. Dr. Kam Brar of the Lifeline Animal Clinic performed the three-hour operation and the prognosis is good. Molly is seeing the world in a new light!

On October 20 and 21, we had a "twoonie collection" jar for Molly at the Pointer Craft Fair and Sale at the Willis Point Community Hall near Victoria, BC. Thanks to the caring generosity of the customers and vendors at the sale, we raised just over $100 to help with Molly's vet bill.

Stay tuned for more updates on Molly!

Help A Special Dog!

Molly is a friendly and forgiving two-year-old Golden Retriever cross. She was taken into the Greater Victoria Animals’ Crusaders’ care after suffering severe neglect and abuse in her short life.

But while beautiful Molly is now living in a caring and loving environment, her problems are not over. She suffers from “entropian”, a painful condition of the eyes. Both her upper and lower eyelids roll inward. The resulting abrasion from her eyelashes on her eyeballs has caused infections in both eyes.

Due to the continual irritation of Molly’s eyeballs, she is also at great risk for corneal ulcers, which may result in total blindness.

This condition can be corrected surgically, allowing Molly to live a quality, pain-free life, but requires a lengthy and costly procedure.

Can you help Molly? If so, please send your donation to the Greater Victoria Animals’ Crusaders at the address below:

“The Molly Fund”
c/o Greater Victoria Animals’ Crusaders
P. O. Box 5541, Station B
Victoria, BC
V8R 6S4
Tax receipts will be issued.

"Beautiful Joe", A Good Book

When I was young, I read a life-changing book titled Beautiful Joe. It’s the story of a dog rescued from a life with an unimaginably cruel owner who cut off his ears and tail with an axe. Adopted by a kind family, Beautiful Joe goes on to heal, then blossom into a wonderful dog who, in turn, performs his own rescues. It was written by Nova Scotia author Margaret Marshall Saunders and is set in Canada.

What makes Beautiful Joe a great story is that it explores the way animals are commonly treated from the dog’s point of view. As with the great classic, Black Beauty, we see ourselves through the eyes of harmless beings who just want to live in peace.

This is one of the books that prompted me to embark on a life-long mission to bring home every sad, sick, or broken animal I found and to try to fix it up. It’s also a very old book, first published in 1894, and it’s sad to think that the same book could have been written, with little change, today. The message is as valid today as it was back at the turn of the century. It’s a good read for anyone who loves animals.

A number of readers who loved the story of Beautiful Joe have banded together in the form of a society to honour both the book and its author. They created a park in Ontario at the grave site of Beautiful Joe. The park is graced with a statue of the book’s hero and the theme of the park, awareness of animal welfare, is carried throughout. Activities such as performances by the SuperDogs and Blessing of the Animals services are held within its green spaces.

You can find more information about the book, the Society, and the park at www.beautifuljoe.org.