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.

Snickle...What?

Do you have room in your heart and home for two affectionate cats?

Bandit (black) and Snicklefritz (tabby) are siblings and have been together since they were kittens. They are seven years old, have both been neutered, and have both recently had dental cleanings. They are fairly shy, quiet boys, but they are both absolute lap cats and will make the perfect addition to any family. They are very laid back and get along with pretty much everyone: cats, dogs, and kids. They would love to find a home where they can relax together.

Health: Good (but beginning to get a little overweight from all of their time in a kennel)

Nicknames: B&S

Favourite treats: Love

Favourite activity: Tunneling under the blankets

Major dislikes: Not many, they’re pretty laid back

Endearing qualities: They both appear to be shy at first, but once you offer pats and love, they cannot get enough of you. They are both total lap cats and will fit into any home very well. For some reason they love to tunnel under their blankets, but this is not their way of hiding; it is just their way of playing.

If you live in the Greater Victoria area and you’d like to adopt these two lovebugs, please contact Catherine Clayton at the Victoria Pet Adoption Society by calling 652-4312 or e-mailing vpas@wormers.com.

Feline “Acatemy” A Good Beginning

A group of animal behaviourists have taken their “acatemy” on the road in the United States. A training school that helps people understand their cats by teaching them to behave like cats, the acatemy travels around the country, offering various innovative classes.

People learn to think, stretch, and sleep like a cat and the benefits are obvious. Not only do the cats’ owners come away from the classes understanding their pets better, they’ve also learned a new way to de-stress from the day. Few members of the animal kingdom have mastered the art of relaxation like cats have — most are better at it than dogs. A cat doesn’t have a dog’s “Lassie” list of responsibilities: for example, most don’t care who comes to the door and couldn’t care less if little Timmy falls down the water well as long as he doesn’t make too much noise.

The example set by this “acatemy” is heartwarming and the potential spin-offs are tempting. Someone should now organize a “lab-ratory” for those who want to understand their dogs better by behaving like dogs. In a lab-ratory, we humans would learn how to:

• be wildly happy about everything
• take a restful nap in a sunbeam despite the sunbeam’s location in a high-traffic area of the house or deck
• yawn grandly and noisily without covering our mouths
• accept everyone for who they are, not for what they have
• have fun spontaneously without needing someone to organize it
• trust without reservation
• forgive wholeheartedly
• take each day as it comes and not worry about tomorrow

Anyone who has ever been loved by a dog or a cat knows that our furry companions have many traits that we would do well to emulate.

Nature's Perfect Mousetrap

Many pet rescue groups are developing programs to deal with the problem of feral cat populations.

One such program is operated by the Greater Victoria Animal Crusaders (GVAC) in Victoria, BC, Canada. Feral cats are captured, given necessary veterinary care and sterilized. New homes are found for them on rural properties such as farms and acreages. The cats get new jobs (rodent control officers), new offices (barns, stables, or outbuildings) and a chance to make new lives for themselves.

GVAC is currently looking for rural property owners who wish to adopt these animals. All these cats need from their new owners is a bit of patience during their initial introduction period, food and water, shelter (such as a barn, a garage, or a stable), and veterinary care.

Not all cats in the program are wild. This is Benson. He will spray if kept in the house so he needs a place where he can live outside with a nice, warm barn or garage to sleep in, but where he still gets lots of love and attention. He’s a very sweet cat who just wants to cuddle. He’s young, neutered, vaccinated, and ready to go to a new home.

For information on Benson or to fill out an application to adopt him, please contact Pamela at the Greater Victoria Animal Crusaders at gvac@shaw.ca or call 250-381-4744.

If you live in the Greater Victoria area and you’re interested in adopting feral cats, please contact GVAC at 250-474-5581 or e-mail gvac@shaw.ca. They’ll provide you with guidance and help during your new cat’s adjustment period.

For areas outside the Greater Victoria area, contact your local animal shelter or rescue group. There are many barn cat programs starting up everywhere and the chances that you’ll find one in your area are very good.

Up A Tree Without A Squirrel

Even the smartest dog has dumb habits that make its owner wonder not only about its intelligence but its sanity.

My Border Collie, Jasper, was an exceptionally bright dog. He learned faster than my kids, with a better attitude. I had only to show Jasper a new thing once or twice and he happily did it. My kids, on the other hand, required four or five demonstrations and a significant bribe.

Jasper had one dumb habit that absolutely baffled me. While we walked through the woods on the farm, he would chase a squirrel up a tree. Unable to climb, he instead jumped up against the tree trunk until he could grab a branch with his teeth. Then he would hang there motionless, a look of intense concentration on his handsome face.

The kids would be rolling around on the ground laughing at him but I always stood and studied my dog in puzzlement. I wondered what (if anything) was going through his usually sharp brain at that moment.

If he was as intelligent as I thought he was, he would be thinking, “Okay, if I can just flip my lower body up six or seven feet, I might be able to make that next branch and pursue my prey.”

Or, perhaps he was simply trying to think of a way to save face: “Darn. My canine instincts once again overrode my innate intelligence. My jaws are getting tired. Any minute, I’m going to have to let go and fall back to Earth in front of my whole family.”

Then again, maybe I had vastly over-estimated his intelligence and his thought processes were actually going something like this: “Squirrel up tree. Jasper up tree. Jasper no got squirrel. What up wit dat?”

Inevitably, gravity won over intellect and Jasper would lose his grasp on the branch and fall. He never hurt himself — but he also never learned that his ambitious pursuit strategy had a major flaw.