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Mississauga Humane Society Newsletter PO Box 152, 3353 Credit Woodlands, Mississauga, ON L5C 2K1 Te l: 905-271-0883

V is it : www.mississaugahumanesociety.com Email : info@mississaugahumanesociety .com

President’s Message Dear friend:

It was a very busy and exciting summer for MHS! Our Annual Walkathon was held on September 20, 2008. It was a big success; there were over 150 walkers and we raised more than $16,000. Several other fund raising events also took place in the past few months. Please see pictures on pages 5, 6 and 7.

We have too many cats waiting for homes! To help increase our cat adoptions, we have arranged with Petsmart pet store (Britannia Rd. and Mavis) to hold a CAT/KITTEN ADOPT-A-THON once a month at the store (Saturdays and possibly Sundays; watch our site for dates and times). The next Adopt-a-thon will be held on November 1, 2008. There will be lots of adorable kittens for adoption! Please spread the word!

Have a Happy Halloween!

Lily Chan, President

Inside this edition

1 President’s Message

2 Rescue & Adoption Statistics

Home Sweet Home

3 Cat Corner

4 Puppy LOVE Story

5/6 Walkathon Pictures

7 Fund Raising Events Photos

8 Kitty LOVE Story

9 Humour Time/Steps of Compassion

Editor: Lily Chan

October 2008

11th Edition

The pet chat!

Bo Bubnich (our foster parent and adopter) riding with Billy & Koko. Billy (left) was

rescued from a Quebec pound after 6 years of confinement.

He has now been adopted by Bo.

Ready for the Walk? Betty and Wilma the beagles, two of our

rescued dogs, leading the way!

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RESCUE & ADOPTION STATISTICS

(January to September 2008)

Number of Dogs Rescued 93 Number of Dogs Adopted 81

Number of Cats Rescued 401

Number of Cats Adopted 293

HOME SWEET HOME

Some of our adopted pets in their FOREVER HOMES

Cheyenne ADOPTED

Lime and Louisa

Shyloh

ADOPTED

Ozzy and Koda, his buddy

Allie & Sookie

Cruz Waffle

Brewster

Mervin

Brindle

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CAT CORNER “Festive Kitties”

By Tina Kendall, Vice President

For the past year or so, Cat Corner has been

dedicated to education regarding the selection,

care, and understanding of our favourite pets: our

cats. This is only natural in that every real cat lover

is concerned with their animals’ welfare. With

another holiday season fast approaching this

writer thought it was time to stop for a moment

and to think about what cats have added to

enrich our lives and our culture.

The domesticated cat has been with man for

about nine thousand years. They have shared our

homes, our hearths, our food, and our beds. They

have cheered us up, frustrated us, and amazed us

with a show of dexterity that any juggler or

acrobat would be happy to be able to do.

Besides their warm and loving natures, they are

the epitome of grace and finesse that most of us

aspire to.

Starting early in our first year of life, cats show up

to coach us in compassion and comfort. How

many babies are given a stuffed animal or a

squeaking bath toy in feline shape? The answer

must be in the millions. In the western world,

countless children are introduced to the animal

kingdom with the old rhyme:

“I love little kitty. Her coat is so warm, And if I don’t

hurt her, she’ll do me no harm.”

Toddlers are told the story of “The Owl and the

Pussycat” and “Puss ‘n Boots” is a staple of most

children’s earliest story times. “Garfield” and

“Heathcliff” grace the lunchboxes of elementary

school children and help provide the laughter that

makes those pre-pubescent years memorable. If

you are ever in doubt about the popularity of the

cat, simply take one into a Grade Three classroom

and watch the reactions of the students!

Teenagers too love cats. Boys struggle to have

cat-like reflexes. The number of girls who have pet

cats is astronomical. “Catwoman” is one of

Batman’s favourite adversaries and is the fantasy

of a host of comic book lovers. Where would

either gender be without the cats that grace their

Halloween dances and favourite horror films?

Every teen, unfortunately, also thinks that, like the

cat, they can have nine lives!

Cartoons, films, and a wide variety of media have

adapted the housecat as hero, villain, and star of

the silver screen. In The Incredible Journey, a cat

has to make sure her dog friends make it home.

(“Cats rule and dogs drool!” cracks the feline on

camera.) Tweetybird has to constantly ward off

the aggressiveness of Sylvester. Tom and Jerry

fight, become friends, fall out and fight some

more. George Hermann’s “Crazy Kat” was the

darling of the intellectuals of the ’20’s and ’30’s.

T.S. Eliot not only alludes to cats in his work – he

has written a collection of poems, Old Possum’s

Book of Practical Cats, which has been

transformed into a smash hit of the Broadway

stage. What is the name of this production? --

Cats, of course!

At Christmas, pictures of kittens in stockings and

cats that sleep in front of fireplaces abound. There

are drawings of cats in Santa Claus outfits and

cartoons of cats waiting for Santa to come down

the chimney. Even in many nativity scenes, off in

one corner, a cat watches and wonders what all

the fuss is all about.

Cats are included in virtually every aspect of our

lives. It’s not surprising that this is so. Out of all of

the animals that share the planet with us, only two

have decided to join us indoors and to share our

lives: the dog and the cat. The dog came in to

help us hunt and protect ourselves. The cat is

more subtle – it independently stalked and killed

the vermin, which robbed us of our food, spread

disease, and in the case of creatures like

scorpions, might have even poisoned us.

In late sixties, Graham Nash, a singer/songwriter

with the then very popular group, Crosby. Stills,

Nash, and Young, wrote a song entitled Our

House. To give the image of tranquility, he chose

the lines:

"Our house is a very, very, very, fine house. With

two cats in the yard…"

For many of us, the family unit is often typified in

that manner. There is the house, the man, the

woman, the children, and in the yard or on the

windowsill looking out, the cat. Think of how much

this last family member has added to our lives! In

art, and culture, in comedy and comfort, we are

certainly blessed with the beauty of the cat.

Cottonelle ADOPTED

T im e s p e n t w i t h c a t s i s n e v e r wa s t e d .

-Unknown

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PPP uuu pppppp yyy LLL OOOVVV EEE SSS ttt ooo rrr yyy EEEvvveeerrryyyttthhhiiinnnggg hhhaaappppppeeennnsss fffooorrr aaa rrreeeaaasssooonnn - CCChhhooocccooolllaaattteee bbbeeeiiinnnggg sssaaavvveeeddd iiisss ooonnneee ooofff ttthhheeemmm!!!

I can still remember the day it happened in 1999 - the day my parents let us have a dog. I was reading the newspaper on a Sunday afternoon, the PET section, as I had done for many Sundays before. This day was different from the rest; it was the day I was going to get my dog. I was about to close the newspaper when the small little section at the bottom of the page caught my eye. “Give a Chance” was the heading, so I proceeded to read the small little piece about a lady (I later found out she is a MHS volunteer) who saved a dog and also paid for his hip surgery and training.

I then asked my mom if we could get a dog, and for the first time she said “Go ask your Dad”. I was shocked that she said that. This was the first time this had happened, so I ran outside and asked my dad and he said “Ask your Mom”. I was so ecstatic that I ran inside and called the number. We were told that Chocolate’s previous owner brought him to the pound. He was going to be put down because he was so hyperactive and he also had a broken hip (a surgery was required), plus the fact that he belongs to the pitbull family. Marianna, a MHS volunteer who was also a dog walker at the pound at that time, offered to rescue him. Now this was the very first we had ever been part of a “Meet & Greet” before we could adopt Chocolate. I can’t remember how long it took before I got the call that Chocolate was ours. Later I was told that he was going to go to another family, but something happened and we were chosen. Everything happens for a reason; my parents saying “No” all those times before was because we were meant to have Chocolate. Both my parents lived on farms when they were children and they grew up with dogs, so they felt they didn’t need one now.

As I said before, everything happens for a reason. 8½ years later, Chocolate is still with us. He has brought so much into our lives. The love Chocolate has for us is amazing, and it feels like we just adopted him last week. We love Chocolate, and we know he loves us. My dad has since built him a bed of his own. He is a large dog, a mixed breed for that matter he is a Chocolate Labrador/Staffordshire Terrier. He is such a beautiful boy. He is a very clever dog too. He sits by the kitchen door to let us know he needs to go outside, and barks at us if we take to long to let him out; he also waits by our bedroom door and greets us with a wagging tail and a kiss. He likes to sleep on the couch, even though he is not allowed! He also knows how to close the door behind him when he wants to get on a bed. Chocolate has a great personality and is a wonderful addition to our family. The way he looks at us and barks at us tells me that he is trying to communicate with us. I can tell if he is upset or happy. Chocolate has the ability to express any emotion just like humans do. He also tries to “talk” to us; in the way he acts when he barks, we can tell exactly what he wants.

Chocolate has overcome a lot in his life, and many surgeries from his first hip surgery to swallowing a mango seed, and 3 surgeries for his ear hematoma (2 on one ear). My brother and I will do anything for Chocolate, he is part of our family and the love I have for him is a constant as I know his love for us is. Thank you to Marianna and everyone who has helped Chocolate. He is doing well, and it is because of everyone who has had a part in saving his life.

Melissa Tavares

Chocolate at our 2008 Walkathon with Melissa and her brother David

Chocolate in 1999

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4

On September 20 we had our annual Walkathon at the Port Credit Memorial Park. We could not ask for

better weather. It was a day filled with fun. Besides BBQ (veggie!), we had a table selling MHS T-shirts,

MHS bags, pet beds, stuffed cats, etc. There were also raffles of wonderful prizes, “Ask the Vet”, “Animal

Communicator” and a game table for kids. Everyone had a great time!

.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH to all of our sponsors, volunteers, fundraisers and participants. More than

$16,000 was raised! Special thanks to our Walkathon Committee – Amita Singer, Ana Macedo,

Anne Sinclair, Betty Karafilis, Carol Nault, Gordon Burleigh Mattice, Tina Kendall & Vera Kalbol.

Our “sale” table Sandy and her adoptive mom Winn

Burleigh (left) with his dogs Sable, Jasmine and Ethel (all adopted from MHS!), and John with Trella (for adoption!)

Nicole, her friends, family and their dogs

5

Locksley (Batman) with Dad Roger, and Lily

Randell (Freckles) and his adoptive mom

2008 WALKATHON

Kathy and her three ducktollers

Tom with two fostered dogs, Gus and Ranger

Winnie and her family

Lily with Sue and Xena, her fostered dog, and

John with Trella his fostered dog

Meenal and Anabella with family and friends…their dogs and our dogs Betty and Wilma

People and dogs enjoying a stroll in the park

Ron and Danielle playing with puppies Rascal and Rambo (now adopted)

Sophia with Princess, her fostered dog, and Lily

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Gin (left) and her adoptive family

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Thank you

Petcetera Pet Store

for the Cat Adoption Room 905-615-1419

Thank you

Endless Tails Pet Nutrition for the Cat Adoption Room

905-290-0378

‘;

:

Kitty LOVE Story FLIRT & ZEE – QUITE A PAIR! By Rena & Andrew Anderson

I have been a cat owner most of my life - Santa brought me my first cat when I was only 5 years old. There she was … a beautiful black and white kitten, wearing a bright red bow, who filled my heart with love and joy for the next 23 years! My second and third cats, who I also found through an adoption agency, were fabulous company for the next 14 years. They will always be loved and dearly missed. After about 6 months, we found our house was too quiet … expecting to hear a soft meow or loud purrs, we missed being greeted when we walked through the front door. We knew there were other loving hearts looking for good homes. On a day in September 2005, we headed to Petcetera and the MHS Cat Adoption Room. Well, let me tell you – Flirt was a charmer with incredible ‘sales skills’ and certainly lived up to his name as soon as we entered

the room! Whoever named him was bang on because it suits his personality to a tee! But we wanted to adopt two cats … who else wanted to come with us?

I strongly believe that the cats pick you, not the other way around, so we waited for a few minutes and a very shy and timid cat named Zeeta (now known as Zee) caught our eye – guess that’s where the term “scared-y cat” came from. We were told that shy cats were more challenging to find good homes for because people generally wanted more friendly personalities, so our decision was easy to make – we’ll take her. And who would have guessed that, with a little love and kindness, Zee would become

even more loving than Flirt! Just goes to show that you can’t judge on first impressions alone and that time and patience was all she really needed in order to build trust. In the beginning she would run away when we entered the same room or cower when we put a hand over her head, and now she jumps up on our laps, enjoys playing ‘tag’, and even loves being carried to bed at night – upside down - guess it gives her a ‘new perspective’ on life! Flirt LOVES to rub faces, give hugs and his purr gets so loud you can hear it from the next room. He is extremely easy-going and, when Zee is in a feisty mood, he’s quite cordial in playing the role of ‘mouse’ so she can chase him around the house. Being self-employed, I’m blessed with being able to work from home and spend a lot of time with them. I can rely on them to walk into my office with a toy for me to play with, or just to say ‘hello’ and share their affection. A great way to take breaks during the day! It has been more than 3 years now. I can’t even begin to tell you how much laughter, joy and love Flirt and Zee have brought into our lives. We wouldn’t want it any other way. If it weren’t for organizations like the Mississauga Humane Society, who knows where our cats would have ended up? Thank you so much for your hard work and dedication in making the lives of both the pets, and the people who adopt them, so fulfilling.

“AA meow massages the heart” - Stuart McMillan

7

Zee in style

Flirt posing

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LCBO store, Meadowvale for raising funds for us during the month of September 2008 by silent auction and selling goodie bags and raffle tickets. More than $7,000 was raised. A big vote of thanks to Sue Namedof who helped to organize this event.

PART SOURCE, Winston Churchill/Dundas for hosting a BBQ and fund raising day on July 10, 2008. A total of $800 was raised.

PETCETERA for hosting a BBQ on September 13, 2008. More than $200 was raised.

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A BIG THANK YOU to

- -

One day, about 2 years ago, I went to see the Brazilian movie City of God, which tells the story of several people growing

up in the slums of Rio de Janeiro. The movie started with some children on a rooftop, preparing live chickens for a

barbecue. One chicken, sensing her pending fate, panics and tries to get free from the rope tied to her leg. She escapes

and runs through the streets, chased by the children.

While I realized that the scene was not really about the chicken but rather about one child’s fight to escape a life of drugs,

poverty and violence, I could not help but wonder why the makers of the movie had chosen a chicken, and then it hit me.

A chicken can feel, can be frightened, and can have a sense of self-preservation. Who gave me the right to inflict suffering

on another creature? On that day, I gave up eating any “thing’” that could ever look at me with fear, could ever panic in the

last few seconds of life, could ever gasp for air or water. I never want to digest any creature’s suffering.

- Chistina Bambara, PETA member

-Excerpt from Animal Times, a PETA magazine

www.PETA.com

Animal JOKE A man and his wife go out one evening. A few minutes before they put the cat outside. The taxi arrives. As they step outside, the cat runs back inside. The wife goes and sits in the taxi while the husband goes back inside to get the cat. Not wanting the driver to know that there will be nobody home, she says, “My husband went inside to say good-bye to his mother." A short while later, the husband returns and says “I'm sorry, the old thing hid under the bed, and I had to poke her with a coat-hanger to get her to come out.”

SSSTTTEEEPPPSSS OOOFFF CCCOOOMMMPPPAAASSSSSSIIIOOONNN

After 3 cans of beer

HHHUUUMMMOOOUUURRR TTTIIIMMMEEE

After 1 martini

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10 SPECIAL THANKS to

Dorothy Avery & Olga Zaleswki of Mother Knows Best Dog Obedience School for

providing FREE training classes to our rescued dogs

-

After 3 martinis After 1 bottle of tequila

CCCuuubbbsss ooorrr PPPooorrrkkk CCChhhooopppsss???

AAANNNIIIMMMAAALLL KKKIIINNNGGGDDDOOOMMM

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Thank You

Thank you to all of the people who contributed articles for this edition.

A big vote of thanks to all of our dedicated foster parents, volunteers, adopters, donors and sponsors.

In a zoo in Thailand, unbelieving, wide-eyed tourists

pressed their noses up to the cage as they witnessed an

amazing scene. Benjamaj is a kind and maternal porky.

She has taken 4 baby tigers under her care and along

with 3 tiny piglets is nursing the tigers as though she

were their mum. She loves those cats and they love her

back.

As visitors moved on to the next cage they were in for

another surprise, as there, a great Royal Bengal tigress

was lolling on her side and suckling several tiny piglets.

‘Momma’ tiger Saimai is two years old and as a baby

was suckled by a pig until she was 4 months old. This

democratic start in life allowed her to form a loving

relationship with other pigs and even a dog.

In the wild, pigs and dogs would be easy prey for tigers. This is living proof that differences in life can be reconciled, even in circumstances deemed “impossible”. If tigers and pigs can live together maybe, one day, all species, human and animals, can also live in peace and harmony. Isn’t that what UTOPIA is all about?

Tiger cubs and piglets sharing Mom Benjamaj the pig’s milk

How comfortable - a living rug

“These are my KIDS - don’t even think about making bacon out of them! Grrrr."