FALL ISSUE 2018 - CARING FOR PETS The Humane Society believes that every pet deserves a chance - KW Humane Society
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FALL ISSUE 2018
CARING FOR PETS A FIGHTING SPIRIT VOLUNTEERS OF
The Humane Society Michonne proved to be THE YEAR
believes that every pet a survivor and is Hightlighting SPHS and
deserves a chance. happily settling in with KWHS volunteers.
her new family.
CARING FOR PETS
Specializing In Love
HOLLY RYAN
DESI MATT RACHEL
“Just when the caterpillar thought her life was over, she began to fly.”
As Desi gazes up at her adopter, we can only Ryan’s coat was a black/white mix while Matt was
imagine she is thinking the same thought. cream/white. Holly was frisky little girl and Rapunzel
had a more reserved nature.
Desi came to the KWHS on July 9th. She was one of
nine dogs transferred in from another facility. It was When the public stopped by to visit, many individuals
apparent that these dogs had been confined in would ask after the dogs by name. There would be
small spaces and had developed a shyness towards expressions of joy as the dogs were placed for adoption
humans. This group intake consisted of three male and then given new homes. Over the course of four
Shih Tzus, four female Shih Tzus, and two female weeks, six of them found new beginnings.
Cocker Spaniels. They came in worn-out and looking Today, Ryan, Rapunzel, and Suzy are still tugging at
for a little love. the heart strings of visitors and staff alike. As their
The KWHS specializes in love. Once they were journey to new homes and new adventures continues,
spayed or neutered, our animal care staff stepped in we will ensure they are nurtured and socialized and
to work their magic. Patiently, staff and volunteers ready to head out when that special someone or
showered the nine newcomers with attention. family chooses them.
Positive human interaction with lots of patience and The Humane Society believes that every pet deserves
treats began to bring the dogs out of their shells. a chance and we are extremely grateful to our many
These little vagabonds arrived with names that were donors who provide the funding to make this belief
both whimsical and practical – Rapunzel, Ophelia, a reality. These nine dogs may have thought life held
Holly, Desi, Rachel, Mark, Matt, and Ryan. Gradually little but cramped spaces and shared food but when
their individual personalities emerged and staff they arrived at our centre, we knew that, given time,
decided these names had been chosen with care. like the caterpillar, they too would fly.
FOSTER VOLUNTEER VOLUNTEER OF
OF THE YEAR, SPHS THE YEAR, SPHS
Gale Brittiny
Bronson Bourgeois
Gale Bronson’s mom Brittiny Bourgeois is
passed away in early a busy woman. Between
2003 and she needed her five lizards, three
to fill the void in her cats, and two rats,
heart. When she she has a full enough
happened across an ad house, but doesn’t
in the local newspaper hesitate to take on
about the Humane foster cats from SPHS
Society needing foster each season as well.
volunteers, something Though she loves
struck a chord. each one and misses
them when she
Gale grew up on a family returns them for adoption, Brittiny knows she
farm where they always had cats running around. has played an important role in making sure
She called the Humane Society right away to set up they’re prepared to go to a loving home.
a meeting and picked up her first foster kitten,
whom she decided to name Poncho, the very next But Brittiny doesn’t just foster, She also works with
day! When the time came for the kitten to go back to the animals to aid in their adoption process. She has
the centre to be adopted, Gale had no idea her always loved dogs, and began volunteering with
husband had a surprise up his sleeve. Two weeks SPHS walking the adoptable dogs to ensure they got
later Gale came home from work to find that her the exercise they need. Volunteer dog walkers
husband had adopted Poncho! provide much needed exercise for the canines as
Taking the animals back to the centre is the hardest well as training and socialization. She’ll always have
part for Gale, especially when she gets them as fond memories of the first dog she walked, she says.
kittens without a mommy. “Because they are so He was a sweet older dog that eventually found a
dependent,” Gale said, “you keep them very close loving home.
and they are with you everywhere you go for those Today, Brittiny has added the SPHS cat therapy
first few weeks.” In fact, the kids at her trailer park program to her volunteer roles. By interacting with
love when she brings the tiny kittens up to the park. the cats in a relaxed environment, she helps them
This is also a great way to socialize the kittens at a become social with both other animals, and people.
young age. As hard as it is to return the animals, Socialized cats are less nervous and shy when
Gale knows that she has given them the best potential adopters come in to meet with them. One
experience while with her, and there are always more of the most rewarding parts of the job, she notes, is
cats that need her in their lives In fact, every time when a shy cat starts to come out of its shell and
she returns a cat to the Humane Society she comes eventually learns to trust people.
home with a new batch to care for! Like the other Volunteer Award winners, she didn’t
expect the recognition. She does her best to help out
where she can and is proud to have earned this
award. SPHS is equally proud to have her on board
and is grateful for the work that she does!A FIGHTING SPIRIT
Michonne
Hard to imagine now, but this happy canine Thanks to our generous donors, the Humane Society
was once significantly underweight, with has a clinic on-site with a staff veterinarian and
severe bacterial infection in both ears, and RVTs. Their quick diagnosis of Michonne’s condition
homeless. Found in Sebringville, she was meant that treatment could begin almost immediately.
brought to the Humane Society by the Animal With bi-weekly baths and aggressive medical
Control Officer on June 2nd. Despite her treatment of her ears and skin issues, staff were able
bedraggled appearance, she had a fighting to get her back to almost 100 percent. During the
spirit. In recognition of her determination, first month of her stay, she gained over four lbs; her
staff named her “Michonne” after a strong and body condition score went up to a 4 out of 9.
powerful female character on TV.
Michonne was adopted on the afternoon of Monday,
On intake, Michonne had a body condition score of July 9th, a little more than five weeks after coming
3 out 9 – 4.5 out of 9 is ideal for her size. She was to the SPHS. True to her name, Michonne proved
suffering hair loss on her face, ears, stomach, groin, to be a survivor and is happily settling in with her
feet and the underside of her neck. Her skin was new family.
inflamed and infected with yeast and bacteria.FOSTER VOLUNTEER VOLUNTEER OF
OF THE YEAR, KWHS THE YEAR, KWHS
Gillian Beverley
Rees Weiss
Gillian Rees is the Beverly Weiss is no
ultimate kitten stranger to pets.
guardian. She has She always had at
volunteered with least one growing up
KWHS through three and cared about
seasons of kittens, them so much that
each with their own she initially had her
quirks and loveable heart set on becoming
moments. As the a veterinarian. Though
Foster Volunteer of she decided that
the Year, she’s well veterinary work wasn’t
acquainted with late for her, she’s maintained
night kitten bottle feeds and the controlled her love of animals throughout her life.
chaos of fostering kittens and their mothers
(her record is 7 at once), all while maintaining She’s now a self-proclaimed “traffic controller” at
a wonderful home for her own cats. She KWHS and loves it. If there’s a lineup at the front
doesn’t shy away from injured kittens either counter, you can bet that Bev is there to triage
– she’ll do what she can to help them all. people’s inquiries and get them where they need to
be. If they want to meet a specific pet, she helps
The kittens Gillian fosters don’t just stay at home. them with the paperwork. If they’re dropping off
-Gillian owns her own marketing company in donations, she can help take them to the back.
Kitchener and often brings the kittens into work with Part of what makes Bev so deserving of the
her. Employees get some kitten therapy (who Volunteer of the Year Award is that she goes above
wouldn’t want that?!), and the kittens are socialized and beyond to make everyone who comes into the
from a very young age. shelter feel at ease. It’s people like her who make
The most rewarding part of it all, she says, is what the Humane Society such a welcoming place.
people assume is the most difficult – giving the Bev’s love for animals is clear to anyone who speaks
kittens back. She explains that the process needn’t with her, and she cites that love as one of the
be emotional because (and she’s responsible for reasons she’ll keep volunteering as long as she can.
coining this) #goodbyeisthegoal. The best case Another reason, she says, is the wonderful people she
scenario in any of her foster groups is that the kittens works with. She notes that the staff and volunteers
find a loving forever home. do much more than just their job descriptions. Well
Fostering doesn’t seem like work to her because she done Bev – you are deserving indeed.
genuinely enjoys it. She will always do everything
she can to help, and it shows.OUR COVER STORY Save The Dates
Moose Surf Dogs
Sunday, September 9 – KWHS
Moose, a precocious retriever/boxer mix pup,
was only four days old when he came to the
Humane Society in December 2017. He and
Paws in the Park Walk
his eight siblings were surrendered with their Sunday, September 23 – SPHS
mother when their owner could no longer care
for them.
Rabies and Microchip Clinics
All nine puppies, six boys and three girls, were
placed into foster care with their mother and for the Wednesday, September 26 - KWHS
next eight weeks grew to be healthy bundles of Saturday, September 29 – KWHS
energy. In early February 2018 they were placed up
for adoption.
Thursday, October 4 – SPHS
Having lost their dog of sixteen years, Margaret and Saturday, October 6 – SPHS
her family had been searching for that perfect match
to fill the void their beloved pet had left. Her
husband wasn’t sure if he was ready for another dog, Homeward Bound
but Margaret knew she had to look. Initially, they Friday, September 28 – KWHS
wanted to adopt an older dog, but none of the dogs
they found seemed to fit the bill. When Margaret
came across pictures of Moose and his siblings Best In Show
online, she and her family rushed to the Stratford
centre to see them. As soon as they met Moose, it Wednesday, November 21 - SPHS
was love at first sight!
Today Moose has settled in with his new family.
They say he has lived up to his name, weighing in at Follow us on Facebook and Twitter
a whopping 55 lbs when he was just six months old. and join the conversation!
The inquisitive little puppy graduated first in his
class at dog training school and loves to spend time
with his doggie friends at the park. Daily visits allow
Moose to run off that excess energy.
Margaret and her family were thrilled when Moose
was chosen as the 2018 Paws in the Park mascot. KITCHENER WATERLOO STRATFORD PERTH
SPHS staff and volunteers are looking forward to HUMANE SOCIETY HUMANE SOCIETY
seeing a more mature Moose when he leads the pack 250 Riverbend Drive 125 Griffith Rd
through Queen’s Park. Kitchener, ON N2B 2E9 Stratford, ON N5A 6S4
519-745-5615 519-273-6600
info@kwhumane.com info@sphumane.com
KitchenerWaterloo StratfordPerth
HumaneSociety HumaneSociety
You can meet Moose on @KWHumane @SPHumane
Sunday, September 9th at
kwhumane SPhumanesociety
www.kwhumane.com www.sphumane.comYou can also read
