Nova Scotia SPCA Quarterly NewsletterIssue 5, August 2009Click here to view print version in Adobe Acrobat (PDF) format. In this edition:
Cruelty Complaints on the Rise: SPCA Investigators Reaching New Heights in Humane Law Enforcement Cruelty investigators with the Nova Scotia SPCA have handled a record number of cases so far in 2009, representing a 30% increase over 2008. With total cases expected to exceed 1600 this year, you may be asking, is an increase in cruelty complaints a good sign, or a bad sign? “It’s a good sign if it means more people are reporting cruelty than ever before,” says Roger Joyce, Chief Provincial Investigator for the Nova Scotia SPCA. Mr. Joyce heads the SPCA’s investigations division, which is based in Bedford and employs two other full-time investigators and several volunteer Special Constables. Under provincial law, the Nova Scotia SPCA is responsible for investigating and intervening in cases of animal cruelty. While many people associate the SPCA with pet adoptions, the foundation of the organization’s mandate is cruelty prevention and investigation. The provincial Society is responsible for providing the resources to investigate cases of cruelty across Nova Scotia. The Metro Shelter in Dartmouth and other shelters and foster care networks operated by SPCA branches provide happy endings for animals rescued from cruelty situations by caring for animals and helping them get adopted into new homes. However, the most important role in cruelty investigation belongs to the public. The reporting of suspected cases of cruelty and neglect by Nova Scotia residents saves the lives of hundreds of animals every year. Reporting cruelty is easy, explains Mr. Joyce. “We have a toll-free number that is available 24 hours a day. We treat all callers as confidential, so people do not need to worry about their identity being revealed to the accused. Often, people are reporting their neighbour or someone else in their community, and we want people to feel comfortable coming to us to ensure the best possible outcome for the animals involved.” Calls received during SPCA business hours of 9AM-5PM, Monday to Friday, are taken by investigations support staff, documented, then reviewed by Mr. Joyce. When people call outside of SPCA business hours, they are advised to direct any urgent complaints to the RCMP or local police; otherwise, they can leave a message, which will be followed up on the next business day. Additional information may be sought before a complaint is investigated, such as further details about the location. “That’s why anonymous complaints are difficult to handle and are discouraged, as we will often need to learn more about the case from the caller, and we can’t do that without knowing who they are,” Joyce says. Once a complaint is reviewed, an investigator is dispatched to the property or area to investigate. Many times, the result is that investigators work with the pet owners to educate them about proper care and treatment and to address any issues they find. However, if the animal is in immediate distress or the person responsible does not comply with SPCA instructions, investigators will ask that the animals be surrendered to the SPCA, or will seek a warrant to seize the animals. In addition to a record number of complaints being investigated this year, the SPCA has also laid 15 charges under the Animal Cruelty Prevention Act and Criminal Code, and conducted two major seizures of 35 animals from a wildlife rehabilitation centre in Lunenburg County and 89 animals from a property in Guysborough County. While seizures of large numbers of animals often make the headlines, serious cases of animal cruelty occur everyday. Earlier this year, a Dartmouth man was charged with animal cruelty when his dog was found to be severely neglected and starved to the point of near death. The dog gained his weight back over several months and was adopted. Charges were laid in a second case involving a female Border Collie who was emaciated and neglected. A Dutch Settlement man was charged. The dog recovered and was adopted. With new complaints coming in everyday, SPCA investigators are increasingly being pushed to the limits to serve the animals of Nova Scotia. While one-time only funding of $100,000 provided this year from the provincial government helped the Nova Scotia SPCA hire an additional investigator to meet the growing need for humane law enforcement services in the province, more resources are needed to ensure animals are not left in distress while waiting days for an investigator to arrive. The SPCA is hopeful the new provincial government will honor their promise made during the election to consider increased on-going funding to enable the organization to fulfill its duties under the law. In the interim, the Nova Scotia SPCA is recruiting more volunteer Special Constables to enable quicker responses to cruelty complaints in communities across Nova Scotia. Volunteer Special Constables are able to handle initial inspections to assess the condition of animals and report back to headquarters in Bedford. Volunteer Special Constables also play an important role in educating pet owners to help them provide better care for their animals. If you or someone you know has an interest in law enforcement and helping animals in need, visit our website to learn more about becoming a volunteer Special Constable for your region. We also encourage concerned residents of Nova Scotia to contact their MLA to voice their support for increased funding for the SPCA.
Humanity 101: Teaching Students to Care One Classroom at a Time Amanda MacLean is not your average teacher. She doesn’t teach math or science. She doesn’t teach English, or art or drama or politics, or any other staple subject in your average curriculum. She teaches a subject that, ironically, isn’t taught. At least not as much as it should be. Amanda specializes in Humane Education, meaning that she strives to educate people about compassion and injustice and how they affect us and our world. “I had originally been introduced to the suffering of animals issues through my mentor and professor Dr. Richard Keshen while completing a Natural Science Course at Cape Breton University,” Amanda says. “Keshen awoke the compassion in my heart and I soon realized that helping those without a voice was my true passion and purpose. I conducted further research on my own and spent many days trying to figure out why such injustices are occurring.” Of course, why injustices occur is a universal unknown, But, as people like Amanda show, it’s not so much a question of “Why” but of “How” – How can we prevent them from happening? How can we teach people to give rather than take away? As Amanda says, “education and awareness of issues is the solution.” This is why she is working towards completing a Masters degree in Humane Education through the Institute of Humane Education and Cambridge College. “This program will help me develop humane education methods, strategies, and lessons. I don't simply want to teach about compassion, I plan to guide students to experience compassion. The only way to truly empathize with how another feels is through experience and face to face interaction.” She is already putting this theory into practice, giving face time to the SPCA developing lesson guides and curriculum plans that adhere to Nova Scotia Department of Education guidelines and ASPCA suggestions. These guides will be integrated with other sources to teach compassionate practices, theories and lessons within a framework of course outcomes. She became involved with the SPCA Education Committee, discussing ways to increase awareness of animal cruelty. The ultimate belief is that this awareness can help to decrease inhumane treatment of animals, and this in turn can reduce human violence, including acts such as bullying. “Animals can feel pain and emotions just like you and I,” Amanda mentions. “There are many strays in the community because some people do not spay or neuter. With knowledge and ability comes responsibility. We have the ability to take steps that will help animals live a life without pain and suffering.” It’s clear that Amanda tries her best to live her life in a peaceful, meaningful and respectful way in all areas of her life. At home in Cape Breton, where she lives with her husband and cat Baby (adopted from the SPCA in Sydney), she enjoys cooking vegan meals, and being close to nature (doing yoga on the beach, hiking, etc). It is also clear that Amanda’s message of hope and her passion for all life forms is one that needs to be spread far and wide, and there are small things we can all do to help. Amanda points to a few examples: “People should teach children to have respect for all life forms, at home and in all classrooms. People also have the power to combat suffering through their purchases by not buying products that come from factory farms or that have been tested on animals. Policy makers and government will become more sensitive to these issues if people share this message.” Amanda’s dream is that one day “battery cages will be replaced with free range, slaughter houses will no longer exist, and cats and dogs will no longer endure abuse and neglect.” Sometimes, it seems this dream is a long way off. However, this future becomes more and more possible with the efforts of passionate volunteers like Amanda, who keep this dream in their hearts and work as hard as they can to feed it and keep it alive. Amanda started a blog to share information and resources with people interested in humane education and working towards achieving a compassionate world. The web address is compassion4ourworld.wordpress.com. She is also interested in connecting with other humane educators and can be reached by email at amanda_m_maclean@yahoo.com. Amanda may not teach conventional subjects, but she teaches love and caring and these are lessons that last a lifetime – long after those fractions and Shakespeare sonnets we all endure have been forgotten.
Branch Spotlight: Cape Breton SPCA Contributed by the Cape Breton SPCA When one looks at the story of the SPCA in Cape Breton, one is inclined to say that the age of the incredible has not yet passed. How did it all happen? Way back around 1973 a young woman, placed an ad in the Cape Breton Post, inviting anyone interested in forming an SPCA to come to a meeting. About forty people came, and the meeting ended with the determination to start the job, and a silver collection of $7.41. After correspondence with the Provincial SPCA, the group in Cape Breton was formed under the name of “Cape Breton Branch Nova Scotia Society for the Prevention of Cruelty.” Every known means of fundraising was used. But as the years went by, it became evident we were never going to get our shelter by this means alone. We were not even close and building costs were rising each year. Then one brave soul announced that she would undertake a house-to-house campaign of the whole industrial area. In fact, she conducted two of these campaigns. She raised about $30,000 with these ventures. TNow with some money, we began to look for land. Finally, on the outskirts of Sydney, in barren blueberry land, opposite a cemetery we found about two and one-half acres up for taxes. Now, with the land and with some money, construction started in November 1977. On June 12th 1978 we opened our doors and the official opening was September 30, 1978. We starting accepting animals and, at first, the numbers were between 10,000-12,000 animals per year. We started a spay/neuter program and over the years are numbers declined to 2,000-3,000 per year and are still declining. We were able to obtain an Animal Control contract, which helps us keep the shelter open. In November of 1984 we received a bequest from Ellen Fazekas. With this bequest we were able to construct an education wing, in memory of her. We had a fire in 1996 and almost lost the building. We than erected a fence around the entire property and shutters on the windows to stop vandalism. The shelter has 43 dog kennels, 3 isolation dog kennels, 30 cat cages and 6 isolation cages. We opened a memorial garden where people can plant a tree, bush or flowers in memory of a lost pet. In 2006 a low-income spay/neuter program was started for cats, at a cost to the owner from $5-$20, depending on their income. This program is in partnership with the Cape Breton Regional Municipality and provides funding for spay or neuter surgeries for 300 cats per year. We have been operating for 31 years. Our adoptions are increasing, some due to the mobile adoptions we have for both cats and dogs. We have a small staff of eight people, which includes three animal control/agents, two kennel staff, two office staff and a manager. We have three vehicles that cover animal control and cruelty investigations on the island, which keeps our employees very busy. Our cat playroom in under construction and we are also working on repairs to our outside dog runs. The Provincial Board provided us with a grant to complete both projects. Our goal is to bring about improved humane attitudes in all our communities through humane education, with particular emphasis on responsible pet ownership, as well as our moral obligations to all animals entrusted to us. In this way, we hope to create better communities for our citizens, as well as for the animals whose cause we feel obligated to defend.
Our SPCA Education and Outreach Committee The Education and Outreach Committee supports the Society’s mandate of educating the public, volunteers and staff about responsible animal care and the development of humane, compassionate relationships with animals. The Committee meets several times a year to plan its work. In between meetings, members prepare articles and fact sheets for the Newsletter and web site, represent the SPCA at public events as well as visiting schools and other youth organizations to promote awareness of the animal welfare issues. This year we ran a poster contest in HRM and we intend to expand the contest to the whole province next year. We are also working on production of humane education material that fits into the Nova Scotia education curriculum. Thanks to a grant from the Canadian Federation of Humane Societies, later this year we will be training youth outreach volunteers so we can increase our capacity to spread the message that animals must be treated humanely. Our work is supported by the SPCA Outreach Officer, Kelly Welsh. Kelly’s job has many aspects but in a nutshell she coordinates the presence of the Nova Scotia SPCA at public events and awareness opportunities, provides volunteer orientation and leads the development of a provincial SPCA humane education program for children and youth. Kelly and the small band of volunteers can’t do it all: we need help. If you can write or provide editorial services, or if you would like to represent the SPCA at public events or assist with the school visit program, please contact the Committee at outreach@spcans.ca In particular, we are looking for a youth columnist for the newsletter.
Nova Scotia Cats Fund to Support TNR Groups The Nova Scotia SPCA is pleased to announce a new collaboration with trap-neuter-return groups to help increase access to spay/neuter surgeries for feral cats. Through the Society’s Spay/Neuter and TNR Committee, a fund called Nova Scotia Cats has been established with the assistance of local TNR champions. The fund will allow TNR groups to have spay/neuter surgeries completed and paid for from the fund. Brittany Hilton, committee chair and Board member, explains the rationale for the SPCA’s affiliation with the fund. “We wanted to help increase public awareness about TNR and promote contributions towards TNR as an option for our donors. Through the SPCA, more people will become aware of the Nova Scotia Cats fund, and donors and members can target their donation to the fund through the SPCA, receiving a tax receipt for their generous contribution,” says Ms. Hilton. The SPCA’s Spay/Neuter and TNR Committee will be developing an application process for TNR groups to access the funds, and will be helping plan fundraising initiatives to attract contributions. Information will be available on the Nova Scotia SPCA website once the fund begins accepting applications. While the fund is currently focused on TNR groups in the Halifax area, Ms. Hilton hopes it will serve as a pilot for future expansion across the province. “The Board of Directors recognizes the need for TNR support to be province-wide. We hope that demonstrating success through the current fund will light the way for a larger scale program,” Ms. Hilton says.
Teaching Dogs One of the most important responsibilities of a dog owner is to train your four-legged pal so he will be a welcome member in the community and a treasured part of your life. Many of us quickly realize, though, that our dogs have just as much to teach us as we have to teach them. Some of the best doggy teachers are the ones that come with the greatest challenges, including many adopted dogs who have suffered abuse or neglect in their previous lives. Dogs with behavioural issues teach us valuable life lessons when we take the time to help them overcome challenges. These life lessons include the ability to think creatively, patience and how to communicate effectively. When dealing with behavioural issues there are no quick fixes. What works with one dog, may fail miserably with another. The easiest way to assess and treat a behavioural issue is by imagining the world through your dog’s eyes. Analyze what triggers are provoking the unwanted behaviour and what may be rewarding your dog for their response. Then make a plan to control your dog's environment so you can prevent or prepare yourself for those triggers and teach your dog a more appropriate response. Remember to be creative. Breeds like Terriers and Hounds are independent thinkers while other dogs who lack confidence or are fearful are often wrongly labeled as being stubborn or dominant. Make sure to set up your training sessions so the dog can only make the right choice and make sure the dog's rewards match your expectations. Most humans wouldn't go work everyday for a pat on the back but will show up for work for a big reward like a paycheck. Because there are no effective quick fixes for behavioural issues, dogs are great at teaching humans patience. Bad behaviours take time to become habit and changing bad habits to good ones doesn't happen overnight. It is essential to be calm, consistent and have a clear training plan. Having patience with problem dogs will transform nervous and insecure dogs into happy-go-lucky, relaxed animals. This transformation is a powerful reward for us humans and can provide the strength and patience to face future life challenges. Finally, our challenging dogs teach us effective communication skills. We learn that yelling and nagging won’t work to change a dog’s behaviour any better than it does to change a spouse or co-worker. When we learn to focus on and acknowledge the small successes our dogs experience when overcoming a behavioural issue, this will often transfer to the rest of our lives and we will be more likely to see the good in people which results in healthier professional and personal relationships. Get started on the road to success with a challenging dog by contacting a qualified trainer who focuses on modern, positive training technique. Enjoy teaching your dog new tricks while you learn a few yourself!
The Nova Scotia SPCA views humane education as teaching responsible animal care and how to develop humane, compassionate relationships with animals. The Nova Scotia SPCA Education Committee is building a bridge between humane education and the classroom, to help incorporate these issues into Nova Scotia schools. It doesn’t have to be hard work, or even a lot of work. The goal is to teach students to think before they act, and to recognize what animal welfare is. Encouraging this behaviour in young students can help stop animal cruelty in their generation before it begins. There are many easy ways to incorporate humane education and animal welfare issues into the classroom and everyday life: Start a discussion: Ask your students questions such as, “What does be kind to animals mean?” and “What do animals need to survive?” Have your students create a top ten list of ways to help animals, other than simply donating money to your local shelter. Encourage open discussion to motivate students to start thinking about animal welfare and its role in their own life. Encourage them to get involved: There are many ways your students can get involved with animal welfare issues without leaving the classroom. Help them organize a pet drive: collect blankets, toys, treats, and encourage them to think of other things that animals need. Donate the collected items to your local animal shelter or rescue group. The Nova Scotia SPCA has launched a new education program featuring an art contest aimed at students - encourage your students to participate for extra credit or marks. Start a kindness club: A kindness club is great way to encourage students who want to help animals, but don’t know where to start. A kindness club is where students take the lead, creating projects to promote animal welfare and kindness to animals within the school. A kindness club can help students share their talents and express their opinions in a controlled setting. Structure lessons around humane topics: There are many complete resources available to help. Lesson plans are available online that include information on how to tailor them to your individual curriculum requirements. These lesson plans have been created to suit different age levels, incorporate different subjects and provide different means of stimulation. Classroom presentations: The Nova Scotia SPCA will soon be launching a classroom presentation series based on a new animal welfare topic each year. These presentations will be presented in a classroom setting, and will incorporate a variety of presentation methods. There are many resources available online, or by request from the Nova Scotia SPCA. Why try to re-invent the wheel if you don’t have to? Try these resources for materials that can be easily tailored for your needs:
Generous Donation Brings a Wealth of Benefits to the Animals of Nova Scotia Giving away money is not something a charity usually does, but the Nova Scotia SPCA did just that when it turned a generous bequest of $180,000 into two grant programs to benefit its branches and committees. The bequest was received by the provincial Society in early 2009. The Board of Directors decided to divide the funds into three streams, with one third used to support the ongoing costs of cruelty investigations in the province, one third to be given in equal amounts to the Society's branches and the Metro Shelter, and one third to support special projects proposed by branches and provincial committees. "While the significant costs of cruelty investigations are increasingly difficult for us to cover with donations alone, the Board recognized the need to invest in front-line animal care as well as proactive solutions such as education initiatives, spay/neuter assistance and trap-neuter-return programs to ensure the full spectrum of our mandate is supported," explains Jim Kochanoff, Treasurer. The result was much-need financial support for a wide range of projects across the province, many of which will benefit animals for years to come. The bulk of the funding, over $75,000, went towards necessary shelter upgrades throughout the province. Spay/neuter assistance and trap-neuter-return programs were the recipient of over $25,000, and over $12,000 went to education projects at the provincial and branch levels. When asked how they would spend their discretionary funds, many branches identified spay/neuter services as a priority, to enable adopted animals to be spayed or neutered before moving to their new homes and to enable owned animals from lower income households to be spayed or neutered through financial assistance to their owners. Low-cost spay/neuter assistance is widely recognized in the animal welfare community as a critical factor in reducing the number of unwanted animals who find themselves abandoned or in the care of a shelter every year. Through the special projects funding, the Metro Shelter was awarded $5,000 to launch a new low-cost spay/neuter program for the Halifax Regional Municipality. Brittany Hilton, chair of the Society's Spay/Neuter and TNR Committee, worked with local vets over several months to create a new sustainable program that meets the needs of veterinarians, pet owners, and the SPCA. The funding will allow the new program to start accepting applicants. Another priority area that emerged through both grant streams was shelter upgrades to improve quality of life for shelter animals and increase the efficiency of shelter operations. "The capital and maintenance costs of running an animal care facility can be excessive," explains Mr. Kochanoff. "It was clear that many of our shelters that have been operating for several years or even decades were in need of work to bring them up to today's standards and to improve the care experience for animals, staff, volunteers and the public," Mr. Kochanoff states. Often, basic but sometimes costly upgrades to shelter facilities will have a dramatic positive impact on disease control, enabling more animals to remain healthy while they wait for the new owners. the windows down, and water nearby does little to nothing to slow this process. The grant funding will also significantly advance the education and outreach work taking place through branches and the provincial Society. Cait Maloney, Chair of the provincial Education Committee, was successful with a grant that will almost double the amount of funding available for education, enabling the committee to reach more young people, in particular. "Expanding our efforts to reach children and youth by utilizing effective, proven approaches to education and outreach has been a priority of the committee for over a year," explains Ms. Maloney. "Now we have the funding needed to make it happen." Remembering the Nova Scotia SPCA in your will or through a life insurance policy is a wonderful way to leave a legacy that will benefit the animals of Nova Scotia. For information on planned giving and the many other donation options that are available, visit our website at www.spcans.ca and click on "Donate," or call the Provincial Office at 902-835-4798.
Putting for Pets Golf Tournament a Hole in One for Nova Scotia SPCA The first annual Nova Scotia SPCA Putting For Pets golf tournament presented by Kwik Kopy and held August 18th was deemed a huge success! Everyone that came out for this inaugural event had a great day and super weather at the Links at Penn Hills golf course. Participants mingled with celebrity golfers such as Trailer Park Boys Robb Wells (Ricky) and John Paul Tremblay (Julian), singer/songwriter John Gracie and BT’s Jayson Baxter, and competed in contests and challenges. We look forward to seeing everyone back next year along with their friends. Thank you to our generous sponsors and players, and our dedicated volunteers!
Cause for Paws Dinner, Auction & Gala This 6th annual event in support of animal cruelty investigations across the province takes place at the Marriott Halifax Harbourfront Hotel on November 7th from 5:30-11pm. Join us for an exciting formal evening hosted by Neville Mackay and featuring performances by Juno-nominated, multiple award winner singer and songwriter John Gracie, harpist and vocal duo Ardyth and Jennifer, classical guitarist Louis Leroux, floutist/harpist Saeed Foroughi and pianist Bill McDow. The evening will feature a gourmet three-course meal and silent and live auction. Visit www.causeforpaws.spcans.ca or call 835-1624 for more information and to reserve a ticket!
Board Notebook: May - July 2009 The Board of Directors of the Nova Scotia SPCA is comprised of a President, Vice President, Treasurer, Secretary, nine Directors-at-Large, and ten branch representatives. The Board meets monthly to discuss issues related to animal cruelty investigations, finances and fundraising, educational initiatives, public relations, branch developments, and the operation of the Metro Shelter, which also falls under the responsibility of the Nova Scotia SPCA. This Board Notebook feature provides a summary of the Board’s activities and decisions during the past three or four months to keep Society members, supporters, and the general public informed about the work of the Nova Scotia SPCA. May In May, the Board met for the first regular business meeting of their new term following the Annual General Meeting in April. The Advocacy Committee presented a proposed position statement against rodeos, which was approved by the Board and made publicly available. The Board dealt with its first major challenge of the new term – the resignation of the Executive Director and subsequent need to start the recruitment process over again. The Board also launched the strategic planning process with approval of a go-forward plan. June The June meeting was an opportunity for the Board to reflect on recent events and longer term initiatives. The capital campaign to build a new shelter for the Halifax area was discussed following consultation with a fundraising firm, with the Board putting plans on hold until some key foundational steps could be completed. Recent seizures of large numbers of animals in two separate cases were reviewed and a new policy to address responsibility for animals seized from cruelty situations was put forward. With an eye to ensuring the Society’s sustainability into the future, fundraising targets for the next three years were reviewed. The challenges in recruiting and retaining volunteers for provincial committees such as fundraising and education was discussed, including the need for more coordination to centralize recruitment initiatives and improve efforts to recruit volunteers through the Metro Shelter. July July proved to be far from a relaxing summer month for the Board, with two meetings to solidify important new initiatives. During the first meeting, candidates for the position of provincial Executive Director were interviewed by the full Board. The Executive Director position will be critical to the sustainability and advancement of the Society in both the short and long term. At the regular monthly meeting, the Board approved funding for new database software that will vastly improve the organization’s relations with donors, volunteers and other stakeholders, and provide a significantly higher level of reporting and accountability for fundraising and donations. The Board also approved funding for nine special projects by branches and committees, which are discussed elsewhere in this newsletter. The Board also indicated their support for a fund to be established through a local veterinary clinic to enable SPCA donors to direct their contribution to support trap-neuter-return programs. Lastly, the Board reviewed and revised the roles of the Executive and Committee chairs to reflect the new Executive Director position and a shift in the Board towards governance and strategic leadership rather than day-to-day management and operational support. |
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