January 2016 - Mississauga Humane Society

2
IN THIS ISSUE
3 2
4
5
6 3
7
8
4
President’s Message/
Adoption/Rescue statistics
New Age of MISSISSAUGA
ANIMAL SERVICES
WHOM have you helped to SAVE?
5 BAILEY the RUNNER
6 SOLDIER the FIGHTER
7 Does your pet SMOKE?
8 HOMESWEETHOME
9 HOMESWEETHOME
10 News & Events/Humour Time
EDITOR: LILY CHAN
Tribute to
SOLDIER the FIGHTER (Page 6)
BAILEY the RUNNER (Page 5)
40th Edition
Jan 2016
MISSISSAUGA HUMANE SOCIETY
QUEENIE - A sweet older therapy
dog suffering from a severe ear & eye
infection dumped at the pound.
ADOPTED!
Does your PET
“SMOKE”? (Page 7)
www.mississaugahumanesociety.com
www.facebook.com/mississaugahumane
Page
Page2 2
PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE
Dear friends:
I wish you a happy and healthy 2016!
January is the time for our report card! I am pleased to say that a total
of 616 homeless animals were rescued in 2015; please see the
statistics below. This is an excellent achievement considering our
Society does not have a venue, a shelter or any paid staff. I want to
give a big THANK YOU to our donors, sponsors and fundraisers for
their donations and support. I also want to thank our foster parents
and volunteers for their dedication. The time and efforts they put in our
animals are greatly appreciated. It is only with your ongoing support
that we can achieve our mission: “SAVE AS MANY COMPANION
ANIMALS AS POSSIBLE”.
At the “Starlight Soiree” gala in July 2015 I made a presentation on
“NO KILL SHELTER” which received great responses. A NO KILL
shelter is one with 10% or less of euthanasia rate. One of our goals in
2016 is to work with Mississauga Animal Services (please see Page 3)
for our City shelter to eventually become a NO KILL one. We recently
had a meeting with Animal Services and the outcome was very
encouraging. It was felt that this target is achievable and the two
organizations will work together closely to make this happen! This is a
great step for helping City shelter animals in years to come. We are
excited at our growing partnership with MAS. Our collaboration would
mean many more animals’ lives can be saved! We look forward to
another milestone!!
Lily Chan
President
VISIT OUR
Cat Adoption Rooms
at 4 locations
GLOBAL
PET FOODS
905-501-0411
Burnhamthorpe
(Creditview)
PET
VALU
905 273 9992
2505 Dundas
St (Dixie Rd)
RESCUE & ADOPTION STATISTICS
Jan-Dec 2015
No. of Dogs Rescued:
No. of Dogs Adopted:
92
66
No. of Cats Rescued:
No. of Cats Adopted:
524
338
TOTAL RESCUED:
TOTAL ADOPTED:
616
404
PET
VALU
905 306 0909
3077 Mavis Rd
(Dundas St)
About Mississauga Humane Society (MHS):
RESCUE & ADOPTION STATISTICS

MHS is a registered charity run 100% by volunteers. It does not have a
shelter, business venue or paid staff. It receives no support from the
Government, City or the SPCA.

Without a shelter, MHS depends on the kindness of foster parents who
open their heart and home to animals in need. By fostering a pet you
are helping to SAVE a LIFE.

Since 1999, MHS has rescued over 6,000 homeless animals.

MHS Is NOT ‘Mississauga Animal Services’, the animal shelter which is
run by the City.
DUNDAS EAST
ANIMAL HOSPITAL
905-803-8400
966 Dundas St
(Tomken)
NEW AGE
Page 3
Page 3
of
MISSISSAUGA ANIMAL SERVICES
by Lily Chan
(Dedicated to Duke, Sam, Sandy and many other lost souls)
Many years ago I used to volunteer at the shelter of MISSISSAUGA ANIMAL SERVICES (MAS) at 735 Central
Parkway - which is often mistaken by some people as our Society! I would go there daily right after work and walk
the dogs. I remember starting this in July, 1998. I would try to take all of the shelter dogs out for a walk. Sometimes
there were so many dogs that I could only take each one out for only 5 minutes. These 5 minutes could have been
the only time they could get out of the kennel for the whole day/night (there were not many dog walkers at that time).
Naturally I became bonded with them, especially those who had been there for a long time.
One afternoon on October 9, 1998, when I went there as usual, I found that the 3 dogs that had been there for
months were no longer in their kennels, which were occupied by some new dogs. I panicked and feared the worst and the worst did happen. Duke the Black Lab, Sam the pointed-nose GSD X and Sandy the long-legged
Hound were euthanized, after being confined for 4 to 5 months. I was numb and could not even cry. The day
before they were still pulling me like crazy when I walked them, now they were no longer alive. I wish I had the
chance to at least give them a hug. These dogs were friendly dogs and could have made great pets given the
chance. Yet, they ended up euthanized due to lack of shelter spaces as well as adoptive homes. I was devastated
and lived in hell for weeks. After that horrible day, I was even more diligent in going to walk the dogs there. It was
hard when you knew that any day could be their last day on earth, but I wanted them to at least have a little freedom
and know about LOVE before their lives ended. I heard that the situation with cats was even more serious - there
were never enough cages or homes to accommodate the overwhelming number of unwanted cats that came in.
Every time I went to the shelter, I felt sad and helpless. I kept asking: ‘’CAN SOMETHING MORE BE DONE?’’ Still,
I continued volunteering there for another year.
It has been 17 years now. With time, changes have taken place gradually in the shelter. We have seen ongoing
progress made in terms of better care of the shelter animals and efforts put in to save as many lives as possible.
The popularity of the internet and social media has certainly helped in promoting adoptions. They have also
embraced a more open policy such as working with rescue groups and participating in the TNR (Trap, Neuter and
Release) program of feral Cats. As a result, they have made great strides in improving adoption rates; more animals
are returned to their owners. Most importantly, their euthanasia rates have been dramatically reduced.
For the past two years we have also been working with MAS. We take in shelter cats that do not do well in cages, or
dogs that have become “kennel crazy”. Our cage-free cat enclosures at the pet stores and/or base of foster homes
would be suitable for these animals. We also co-ordinate with MAS on keeping control of the city’s feral cat colonies.
We believe by joining our efforts together we can definitely help save many more animals in need.
There have always been rumours that “unadoptable” shelter animals like the older ones or
those that need medical care would be euthanized. While this was very likely to be true in the
past, I can vouch that it is no longer the case now. Just ten days ago after the meeting at the
shelter I met Lucy in their “Cat Reading Room” (a cozy room where volunteers sit down and
read story books to some of the cats!). Lucy is a sweet cat but I noticed that part of her body
was shaved and she also seemed to be staggering a bit. I was told that Lucy was
“recuperating”. The story was that Lucy was picked up as a stray with an old eye injury and
LUCY
wound on her side. The shelter staff took her right away to the vet for an examination. She
was then brought back to the shelter for treatment. She was also vaccinated, dewormed and spayed after she
finished the medication. The latest news is that Lucy got adopted a few days later. It is great to know that these once
deemed “unadoptable” or “death row” animals are now given second chances.
At our recent meeting, Jay Smith, the Manager of MAS emphasised that they take the commitment to excellence in
animal care very seriously. He indicated that Mississauga Animal Services has already been successful in
significantly improving save rates and will continue its efforts to minimize euthanasia and go further by improving the
welfare and well-being of the animals in the shelter.
The NEW AGE of MISSISSAUGA ANIMAL SERVICES has come!
.
On Jan 19, 2016 a meeting took place between our Society and Animal Services. We will be
collaborating to achieve our common goal of having a NO KILL SHELTER in Mississauga!
Page 4
WHOM have you helped to SAVE?
Here are just a few of them...
OLIVER
BELLA
PAIGE
A cocker spaniel in
a shelter with fear
aggression and
also a lump on
his back
A 6 yr old cat
dumped by her
owner at his friend’s
place. The friend
could not keep her
either
He had to be let
go when his
family was
forced to
downsize
TONIC
THUMPER
WHISKERS
A 6 yr old terrier
whose owner
could not
exercise him due
to leg problems
After running away
numerous times
his owner finally
decided to leave
him at the pound!
A stray cat found
very bony,
matted and
infested
with fleas
NACHO & LUNA
A pair of cats
given up by the
family due to
allergy issues
MILO
WILLY
A 10 yr boy
whose owner
had to move
but could not
take him
An older dog in
the pound with
growling and
“attempting to
bite” issues
TWITCHY, LOVE
MUFFIN &
LEOPARDO
Three strays
hanging around a
warehouse for
months
BEAU
SAMANTHA
Owner had no
time and he
was crated for
over 12 hours
A 6 months old
kitty suffering
from seizure
issues
UNCLE CHON
RIPLEY
A stray scavenging
for food around a
restaurant called
UNLCE CHON!
dumped at the
pound for being
too exuberant &
A little dog
excitable
BLITZEN, DONNER
& SHADOW
Three young
brothers found
living in a dirty
warehouse
MAHIL
SNOWFLAKE
A 6 yr girl whose
“family” wanted to
euthanize her when
her senior owner
went to a
nursing home.
A stray found with
a “broken” ear
and serious
respiratory issues
FATTY &
MUFFIN
A pair of older cats
that became
victims of a
divorce
Your DONATION today can SAVE LIVES




In Honour of your LOVED ones - Send a gift & celebrate the special occasion.
In Memory of your LOVED ones – Send a Gift to celebrate their lives.
Host your own fund raising events - Bake Sale, Birthday Party, Garage Sale…
MAKE a BEQUEST in your WILL
BAILEY the “RUNNER”!
by Michelle Buchanan
I was the proud owner of a Border Collie X for 11 years. She was an amazing dog who helped me with a lot of
anxiety and depression issues. It took 4 years of on and off talking with my husband to get a new dog.
I had a rough 3 years from 2012-2015 so last summer Jeff (my husband) convinced
me to start searching for a new dog. In discussions with my councillor as well, he
said if the new dog fit my personality and criteria to help me with my anxiety-within a few months he could be a registered emotional service dog.
I looked at a few dogs on the Mississauga Humane Society website. After about 2
weeks of going back and forth, I found I kept going back to the hound beagle,
Bailey. Something in his eyes (well eye—as he was turning his head to his left) just
struck me and I realized I had to meet him. I arranged with his foster mom Heather
to meet at the end of the second week of July (I believe it was). I bombarded her
with questions and she was kind and patient enough to answer so that Bailey would
be comfortable in his new surroundings and hope it would become his forever home. Bailey actually came into
MHS in November 2013 and was adopted by a family a few months later. After a year, they had difficulty
managing his territorial behavior and he was returned in April 2015 and went to the foster home of Heather.
He was then overweight. Thanks to the foster family of Heather, they did lots of exercise to trim him up;
they also implemented behavior management so Bailey was a “CHANGED” dog.
From the time we stepped into Heather’s house I think we both knew that Bailey was the one. Again, his
eyes, his kindness and just the potential love he exuded. After a while of going over logistics of the adoption
etc. I was signing papers and Bailey was in the car ready to go home.
His transition was not smooth to say, but after about a week, he got to know us and
our rules. He knew where his places were and he was responsive to training. Plus he got
smothered with move and hugs and kisses from his new mommy!!
I am a triathlete so one of my ways to cope and deal with
anxiety and depression is to run, just run. I love my bike
too, but I thought let’s see what my boy can do. We
started running/walking. Eventually easing off the walking
breaks and now he can run up to 7 km’s!! He is a fantastic
runner! Benefit to him too is he shed a lot of un-healthy pounds and is now a sleek
runner. We even did the CIBC Run for the Cure together in October.
I adore him. He has his forever home. He is our boy and an amazing one at that.
Before anyone considers a new puppy from a pet store or even a breeder, PLEASE
look into the Humane Society and give a deserving dog a forever home. Bailey is 5
years old and I wish I had him years ago! But we have him now and we are blessed.
FOSTER A PET
SAVE A LIFE
WE PROVIDE THE FOOD
YOU PROVIDE THE LOVE
Page 5
Page 6
Tribute to
SOLDIER
the FIGHTER
SOLDIER certainly lived up to his name. When Solider was surrendered to a vet
clinic, he was in horrible shape - emaciated and seemed to be in huge pain. It was
reported that his previous owner had committed suicide. He had endured from what
veterinarians believe to be injuries caused by abuse. He had suffered from genital
mutilation, as his penis was almost entirely pulled out. The clinic contacted our
Society for help. Extensive surgery was required as the doctors needed to remove it
and create a new orifice in order for him to urinate. Due to the severity of his injuries,
surgery was needed immediately.
Despite our lack of funding, we proceeded with the
surgery as we could not say NO to this precious life.
Soldier stayed in the hospital for 3 weeks for recovery
from the big surgery. Then it was also found out his
right eye was in pain due to glaucoma which could be a
result of trauma. Another surgery was operated on
Soldiee to have his eye removed. Soldier endured two
surgeries in a short period of time.
Upon recovery from the eye removal surgery, we thought it would be a smooth sail
afterwards. Sadly, another challenge came up. A blood test revealed that Soldier was
Feline Aids positive (FIV+). There is no treatment for this disease. Soldier finally
went HOME on New Year Eve. He spent the New Year in a foster home we arranged
for him. Thanks to Chris Jenkins, his foster mom.
Just when we thought things were going well and
Soldier seemed to be on his way to a new life, Soldier
stopped eating. He also appeared to be very
lethargic. We had to take him back to the vet again
for monitoring. Another blood test was done and it
revealed that his bone marrow is not creating red
blood cells. This is likely caused by his depressed
immune system. Sadly, there is no treatment for this
condition. Poor Soldier had to be put on an IV and
nutrients. Thankfully, after a couple of days, he
started to eat again. His condition has remained somewhat stable. The vet stated
that with his blood cell condition it would be hard to know how long he can go on; it
could be weeks, it could be months.
That was so heartbreaking.
After staying at the vet clinic for another week, Soldier went back to his foster home.
Despite everything that Soldier has been through he is a sweet and loving boy. We
were praying that he still had a lot of time. Sadly, 8 days later, he passed on in the
middle of the night in his foster home on Jan 24.
SOLDIER – You will always be remembered and LOVED.
Soldier’s time with us may not be long, but he gained the LOVE of everyone. Thanks
to Lori Russell who organised fund raising for his vet expenses, and thanks to
everyone who donated. We will finish our tribute to him with the words of Joanna
Kurnat, one of our Cat Room volunteers:
“I fell in love with SOLDIER from the moment that I met him. There was something
about him that made him so amazing and unusual... I thought about him every day
and wanted him to get better. I've learnt from him so much. He showed us how to
fight, be brave and despite of the health issues still optimistic and friendly.
SOLDIER – YOU INSPIRED me!”
Facts about
FIV+ CATS
Cats that are tested
positive for FIV (Feline
Immunodeficiency
Virus)
are
often
considered
unadoptable
or
even
enthanised
in
some
shelters.
The following
information will help to
understand more about this
disease:
 FIV+ does not cause
clinical
symptoms.
FIV+cats usually lead
a normal life.
 FIV+ cats have a
weaker
immune
system and are more
susceptible
to
illnesses. It may take
longer time for them to
recover from illnesss.
However, with
good
quality
food
and
regular
montoring,
many FIV+ cats have
a normal life span.
 FIV
is
not
transferrable to other
species like humans
or dogs.
 FIV is only transmitted
from cats to cats
through DEEP BLOOD
DRAWING
BITE
WOUNDS, the kind
that
takes
place
outdoor
during
aggressive fights and
territorial disputes.
 Casual
and
nonaggressive behaviour
does not spread FIV.
Cats in households
with stable social
structure are at little
risk for acquiring FIV.
Page 7
diseases and respiratory pr
Does your PET
oblems in birds, according to the researchers
“SMOKE”?
o
In recent years, studies have concluded that tobacco and second-hand smoking is not only hazardous to people’s
health, but also to pets. A number of scientific papers reported the significant health threat second-hand smoking
poses to pets. Researchers have found that exposure to tobacco smoke has been associated with allergy in dogs,
oral cancer/lymphoma in cats and lung/nasal cancer in dogs.
Cats are even more susceptible to illnesses caused by second-hand smoking because of their grooming habits.
They constantly lick themselves while grooming, therefore they lick up the cancer-causing carcinogens that
accumulate on their fur. In a smoking home, they are also more susceptible to asthma. Increased coughing and
breathing difficulty are possible signs that your kitty is suffering from second-hand smoking.
DO WE ADOPT OUT PETS TO SMOKERS?
As more and more attention is now paid to the above issue, it’s time for us to include this question when we screen
applicants for adopting our pets:
“Do you or any of your family members smoke?”
We know there are many pet lovers who smoke, yet they can provide very loving homes for homeless pets.
Forbidding them to adopt a pet would not be sensible when there are so many homeless pets and yet there are
never enough adoptive homes. Instead of preventing them from adopting a dog or a cat, we can educate them by
providing an INFO SHEET as to how to reduce the harmful effects of smoking on their pets, in the hope that they
will quit eventually, for the love of their pets.
What can SMOKING PET OWNERS do?

SMOKE OUTSIDE as much as possible, like in the yard or the balcony.

OPEN WINDOWS when smoking inside.

DESIGNATE A SMOKING ROOM where “NO PETS ARE ALLOWED”.

USE AN AIR PURIFIER. Replace all heating and air filters regularly.

CLEAN YOURSELF. Change your clothes after smoking and wash your clothing right away, or at
the very least, air it outside. Wearing a vinyl raincoat will prevent you from bringing smoke particles
in on your clothes. Wash your hands (and hair if possible) after smoking and before touching pets.

CLEAN YOUR PET. While baths would clean your pet, frequent baths would not be good its skin
(it would be very hard to bathe a cat anyway!) An easy way to clean your pet is to wipe down the
body with a damp cloth/towel. This can help remove smoke residue from fur. This is especially
important for cats as they like to groom/lick and could ingest the residue on their coats.

CLEAN YOUR HOME. Vacuum and steam clean all carpets and upholstered furniture regularly.
Keep away cigarette butts/tobacco/nicotine products.

LOOK FOR SYMPTOMS. Excessive drooling or difficulty in eating is symptoms of oral cancer,
Coughing, laboured breathing could be signs of lung cancer. Observe your pet frequently, since
catching diseases early on always helps with treatment.
Page 8
HILTON (right)
m
AMAYZ
(LIKERT)
KAY KAY
BORIS
CUDDLES
(LULU)
m
m
SUNDAE
MILO
m
MARABELLA
m
SAMMY
m
m
BROWNIE
m
GREYBOY
(BAXTER)
CHARLIE
m
m
JENNY
WREN
m
SOPHIA (CATIE)
Some of our ADOPTED PETS in their FOREVER HOMES
COCA & ISABELLA
isISABELAL
m
ZOEY
m
SADIE (middle)
TESSA
LYRICS
RUBY
SUSHI
m
m
m
SUSHI
m
m
HERMAN (MOJO)
TOBY(CORNFLAKE) & BAGEL
AMAYZ
(LIKERT)
ALLIE (right)
Page 9
DOLPHIN
(CHARLOTTE)
COCO
TEDDY
DALE
LUNA
GYPSY
STANLEY
COBALT & FELIX
CHANCELLOR
BLOOM & SPROUT
THUMPER
ALEX (left)
BAHIA &
COCO
Some of our ADOPTED PETS in their FOREVER HOMES
FLAKKA & ROCKY (right 2) &
their buddy RAMBO
ROSEMARY &
CLIFFORD
JESSIE (front)
CHANTILLY (LILY)
TINY & MCGILL
GENERAL (SIMON) &
SNOWBALL his buddy
BOOBOO, PRIMROSE & SPARKY
DAKOTA
AUTUMN
& CAROLINE
Page 10
NEWS & EVENTS
HUMOUR TIME
DOOR SLAMMING
PICTURE
TAKING WITH
SANTA
Thanks to SHERIDAN NURSERIES who hosted PICTURE TAKING
WITH SANTA again to raise funds for our Society. Three events
were held at their two locations in Mississauga on Nov 21, Dec 5
and Dec 12, 2015.
Thanks to Bob Whitley for being SANTA again, and Kathy Whitley
and Jane Hollingsworth for volunteering. Special thanks to
Matthew King and the students from the Visual Arts Department
of Cawthra Secondary School for being the photographers.
Two salesmen were going door to door, and
knocked on the door of a woman who was not
happy to see them. She told them in no
uncertain terms that she did not want to hear
their offer and slammed the door in their faces.
To her surprise, however, the door did not close
and, in fact, bounced back open. She tried again,
really put her back into it, and slammed the door
again with the same result - the door bounced
back open.
Convinced these rude salesmen were sticking
their foot in the door, she reared back to give it a
slam that would teach them a lesson, when one
of the men said: "Ma'am, before you do that
again, you need to move your cat."
YOUNG ROLE MODEL
SAVANNAH MCLAUGHLIN a 10yr-old girl is a role model for
school kids. She started a
campaign to raise donations for
our society. She worked diligently
and spent a lot of time soliciting
the neighbourhood and her
school. As can be seen in the
picture, a lot of pet supplies have
been collected through her
efforts! Our dogs and cats had
extra gifts at Christmas!
Thank you Savannah. You have
certainly made a difference to the
animals of our community! Let's
hope more kids will follow your
action!
“GIVE ME A HEART”!
Our virtual Christmas tree was up again
during the month of December 2015 for the
annual “GIVE ME A HEART” donation drive.
We received a lot of ‘
’s and close to
$10,000 was raised. This would be spent
on the veterinary care for our animals.
Thanks to all of those who gave us a heart!
TO KEEP YOUR PETS
SAFE in WINTER!
 The salt and other chemicals used to
melt snow and ice can irritate the pads
of your pet's feet. Wipe all paws with a
damp towel after they are out.
 Antifreeze is a deadly poison, but it
has a sweet taste that may attract
animals and children. Wipe up spills
and keep antifreeze (and all household
chemicals) out of reach.

If you encounter a pet left out in the
cold, take pictures or video and
report to Animal Services.
You really have “hearts”!
THANK YOU
to all of those who contributed articles to this issue.
A big thanks to all of our volunteers,
foster parents and donors.