New Shelter Update
Cautiously optimistic, we are talking with the town of Whitby about a small piece of property.
This is only a distant possibility at the present time, but it is a possibility.
Our current shelter is falling apart. The air conditioning has stopped and according to service
people, it seems nothing can be repaired anymore short of full replacement. It would be painful
to put in thousands of dollars worth of air conditioning to leave behind with our current landlord.
We’ve had a portable unit donated (see five paw salute) but can only use it in the dog run
area because of window accessibility. The roof continues to leak and ceiling tiles fell in to the
front office from moisture accumulation.
In the summer it was sweltering and in the winter it will be freezing. If there are any handy people
out there who might be willing to help us with general maintenance work, we would sure
appreciate it. We’re not asking you to rebuild the shelter but often we just need help with repairs.
You can speak with Ruby at 905 433-2022 ext 0.
As far as new shelter progress, I’ll keep you informed of any developments and we’ll keep our
fingers crossed.
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Shelter News
Well I wish I had something more positive to report but we’re not having a lot of luck finding a piece of land in a good
location with proper zoning. I thought it would be wonderful to be in Harmony Creek Conservation Area, but the City of
Oshawa says no. The Region of Durham has nothing. Whitby is still looking at a small piece of land but much of it is
provincially protected wetlands. So much land out there but it all belongs to developers and nobody has 1-2 acres to spare it
seems. It’s so frustrating when the haves don’t give a care about the have-nots. We don’t cost the towns or the taxpayers one
cent because we are self-supporting and receive nothing from them. But we give back so much, who else is going to answer all
those landlord calls when people move out and leave their animals behind? Who else is going to lay charges and remove and
care for that abused little puppy that no one else was there for? What about the litter of orphaned kittens that would have been
euthanized because they’re surplus or the many to come this summer? What about the Pearls, Buddy’s, Bears, Fred’s and
Tucker’s of this community? This is who we’re here for. Now we need some councilors, a developer, and a landowner to be
here for us. Speak to everyone you know and be our animals voices. It seems to be working for the leash free park in North
Oshawa, so lets make it work for us.
Shelter Numbers
GREAT NEWS. Adoptions are happening and numbers are still going down. Presently in the shelter, we have 74 cats,
6 dogs, 6 rats, 5 rabbits and 7 Guinea Pigs. As well, one puppy is in a vet’s care and a cat, Elvis, is at another
vet. Petcetera has 8 of our cats for adoption and 5 little newborn kittens are in Karen M.’s care. Two weeks ago,
a mother cat was killed by a car at a construction site and her 5 little one-day orphans were brought to us by the workers. To
hold there wee ones and syringe feed them 2 cc’s of formula is incredibly gratifying. They are so tiny and fragile. Karen loves
to foster the orphaned newborns. She syringe feeds them every two hours, rubs their little tummies to stimulate urine and stool,
and cuddles and loves them. Mother cats do all this for the babies, so when they have no mother, Karen is their
surrogate. She loves this part of volunteering and we love her doing it. She has saved countless lives and
when the kittens are old enough for adoption, they are loving and affectionate.
As I mentioned, numbers at the shelter are improving but kitten season has begun, here we go again.
Our members have emphatically indicated they wish us to pursue a new building & location of
our own. We’re going to need your help. Some of you have indicated you wish to help with
fundraising specifically designated for a new location. We will need several people for this. School
groups, seniors, businesses, and individuals. We’ll need help with an actual building, whether it
needs to be built or a purchased building needing renovations.
Electricians, plumbers, and a contractor among others. We will need
people to help paint, clean, drywall, install windows, lay
bricks or blocks, make signs, pour cement, even just to hammer a nail! If you can do anything to
help, we need you and will welcome the assistance. We will need supplies; chain link fences, paint,
cement, concrete blocks, windows, lumber, floor tiles, and the list goes on.
At the present time, we will be compiling a list of interested people to help and as each phase
moves forward, we will call on you.
As a kickoff campaign for our new building venture, we’re going to have the “PAUSE FOR
OUR PAWS” project in November. Donate a toonie or more and sign one of our paper paws.
We hope all pet food stores, veterinarian offices or any other businesses will be willing to
participate. Anyone who wishes to help with this or any other building
or fundraising project, please call 905 433-2022 extension 29. More
info in this PDF
Please remember, at the same time, we depend on your donations to keep our
present shelter viable and continue to care for the many animals needing our help.
FOSTER HOMES URGENTLY NEEDED
Kitten season has already started. If we don’t have foster homes to help us, many will die. If
anyone is able to provide a temporary home for a mom and kittens or orphaned babies that require
human feeding regularly, please call the shelter at 905 433-2022 and speak with Ruby. We’ll provide
you with all of the supplies necessary. Fostering times vary from two to six or whatever you can give.
“Mom” will do all of the work, taking care of her babies – if you can provide a temporary peaceful
safe haven for them. We always take our animals back and you know they will be adopted.
This is the perfect opportunity for those of you who can’t have a full time pet. And what a
wonderful feeling when you watch those little ones grow into playful little kittens to know
that you’ve saved their lives. Please let us know if you can help. We can’t do it alone.
Please let us know if you can help. We can't do it alone! Back
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