[bethaliz]

Originally Posted by wolfcat

Humane and rescue shelters are overcrowded and cannot cope with the steady stream of unwanted and stray animals. Although they do a lot to try to place properly spayed/neutered/vaccinated animals in their care – how can they compete with free throwaway ads on the internet? None of these shelters get government funding and rely on scarce charitable dollars.:

I think that it would be a good idea for local kennel clubs to support their local humane society. Many cities, at least area's, have one or more all breed club. These are people who show, train, and work their dogs. One thing I"ve noticed is there are a lot of old people that are burnt out. We need to get new people who are energetic, like you, who want to help. Sure most clubs support pure breds, but they will never turn away a mix breed or rescue. Breeders and rescues should be working together, instead of fighting about whether or not a particular breeder is a byb. A byb isn't likely to jump in head first to try and change things.

To have a club (breed specific or all breed) you have to hold a show every year as well as a sanction match. These shows should encrouage the SPCA and local resuces to come out to the shows. Many puppy buyers come. This would be a great time for the SPCA and Resuces to find great homes for their dogs. Also, most shows charge a small entry fee for the general public, why not donate that money to the SPCA or local resuce? Why not have a donation box? Most exhibitors will donate. Or hold a rescue raffle or something to raise funds. The show will make their money from entries and food (at least thats what we hope), so its not a big deal to make the donation, and I think it can be written off. These clubs are supposed to support dogs, and this is the best way, don't you agree? It would help take some of the burden off of the SPCA and other rescues.

Originally Posted by wolfcat

What could be the solutions?

*Spay/neuter clinic opening up in late 2008/early 2009 in Newmarket to charge low rates for spay/neuter (website: www.spaycentral.com/ ). Will even do pickup and delivery.:

They have one in Welland too, its not free, but its really inexpensive. And I think that vets in the area donate a few hours each week, but I'm not really sure. Apparently its been there for a while, but I only just found out about it, so I don't have the details.

However one Idea, along these lines, is; Why doesn't someone try to set up a free or inexpensive clinic? Maybe the SPCA could donate the space. Maybe the city could be encourage to offer funding for medical supplies. And if every Vet in Toronto (or what ever city you live in) were to donate even 4 hours once a month for free, just to preform s/n, think about it? there would be NO excuse for unfixed pets. I mean in Doctors do it for medical clinics, why not vets? Get some techs to do the same? it would cost virtually nothing to run, maybe for a cleaner and a seceratry.

I'm sure there are enough vets and techs in Toronto that they'd only haveto offer 4 hours once every couple of months. The Rescues and the SPCA could get all their charges fixed. Any dog that couldn't while in there care could be released on the terms that they are fixed by a certian time.....Free at this clinic or for a small fee. Nonrescue people who can't afford the cost of a s/n at their vet could apply for "funding". And maybe they pay $50, but the dog still gets fixed.

OOOO!!! Brainstorm.......Get pet companies Purina, Nutro, Sience Diet etc to fund it!!! They'd jump at something like that. Look what they did for the CKC National Charity Show last year? IF they donated that every year for a s/n clinic imagine home many pups we could get fixed? That would be an amazing thing!

Originally Posted by wolfcat

* Create city-wide program whereby all pets and strays must be spayed/neutered, funded by the City (it's a health issue too):

See above............but also, I think that is should be law and that you need a licence to breed. You need one to drive, why not to breed? You'd have to meet minimum requirements etc. I mean you're suppose to licence your dogs (not that everyone does), and they do have or at least they used have breeders licences (to allow more than the 3 per household). So if the CKC and Canadian Law makers work together.........

- Make it law that only licenced breeders can breed. This would do a lot for byb and puppy mills. How? Well if

- The CKC requires every pup in a litter to be registered with a tattoo or a chip, so every dog that goes to the vet, any vet, they hook up to a national database that confirms the dogs id and makes sure the dog is registered, which should include licences, once s/n that infor should be listed too. If a pup comes in that can not be verified, then have the law enforce it. it would take a bit of work at first, but it could be done.

Obviously theres a lot that needs to go into it and it's just the start of an idea, but I think we need to get dog people to work together. They all have the same goal, but some many are going it alone. I don't know about cat, people, but In general we need to stop the cat fights and start working as a pack! lol! But really it's true. There are a lot of people out there that are actively working to correct the problem, and many more who want to help but don't know how or have lost their motivation and become defeated. If we work together, we'd get farther.

Originally Posted by wolfcat

* Legislate that NO ANIMAL may be transferred ownership without a set minimum fee being paid (fees to go to shelters)... kinda like swiching a used car registration when you sell it:

Same kind of thing as above. You'd have to register all dog and make sure their all licenced, logistical nightmare, but with the righ push and with all the pet factions and the government working together it could be done. The major problem will be getting all the dogs, cats etc registered. The CKC wont because their not "purebred" so their may have to be two registries or national one to connect everyone, or the CKC to create a mix breed, cat etc registry. Obviously all s/n.......But getting the CKC to change will be harder than getting the government to change.....Sad but true. They're still fighting about fun licences for non-pure bred dogs to have obedience, rally and other dog sports. uggggg

"when we all work together, together together......"

Originally Posted by wolfcat

* Education campaign to remind people that a ‘no pets’ requirement for tenants is invalid (it’s in the Ontario TENANT Protection Act, which list very, very limited parameters for this):

Its a great thing and it should be done. Both's should be set up at shows and other pet events. Literature should be offered at resuces and the SPCA when someone comes in to surrender a pet. Maybe free education classes could be offered.

Also, I worked for the Red Cross one year and each year they hired students (partially funded by the governments hire a student program), to go out to schools, summer camps, the Y etc to educate kids about dummer safety ( you know sun, boats, swimming etc). We had to call them and ask if we could come in and do an hour presentation. We had games and leaflets etc. It was fun and educational for the kids. The schools, camps ect were egar to have us come (time they didn't have to spend amusing them). Send the kids home with information for thier parents.

If you could get donations for literature, maybe a designer/journalist would donate time to put it togther so donations would just cover printing. And if you tried you might beable to get a discount or partial donation from the printer too. Get club members etc to donate time to give teh talks. Get someone to donate time to phone and make appointments. It could work. It would be a great way for the SPCA and rescues to get donations. Breed clubs could get members. It could work all the way around for everyone.

Edcaution is the key to stoping the next generation from making the same mistakes......Look at how well it's worked for recycling? Not everyone does it, but it's still huge. And when I was a kid kid they'd only just started. I'm not even 30 and it's huge.

Originally Posted by wolfcat

1. Is this a Toronto-specific action - Yes, right now, to start. My city hall politicians just passed a tax grab cat licence plan and have a government run animal services bureaucracy that is quite happy to euthanize. No politician I know of cares about pets enough to do anything meaningful.

...something you'd like to see adopted Canada-wide? I wish but too big for me right now.

One step at a time, right. And the Internet is a HUGE tool. Use it. Get some people together to really work on this. I'm in your area and I'm willing to help. And Toronto, whether we like it or not, has a huge effect on the country. So get it working here, use the internet and the media. And hopefully others will do the same. It only takes one or two people, right?

One man makes one movie and we're 10x's more green.

Originally Posted by Winston

You know what else is really sad and somewhat related is the poor seniors that are elderly but can still manage to care for a pet that are placed in homes and they have to give them up after many years! that is truly heartbreaking..I dont know what the perfect solution is but many of these pets end up in rescues, shelters and or euthanized..sad really...

I hope that something valuable comes from this!

I hope so too. I'm willing to work. I've been trying for a while to motivate my local club. Sadly, everyone is burnt out. We need energetic people. but don't worry I'm still trying!

As for the seniors......I know its not exctly the same but.......There is a charity shop, kind of like Value Village. The store sells second hand items. The profit from the stor goes into a fund to help families with pets. Maybe they can't afford a s/n or their dog is sick and needs emergancy vet care and they just dont have the money. This charity will help them. This way they don't have to surrender their pet to a rescue or the SPCA when they just need a little help. It's a good idea and should be implemented elsewhere.

Originally Posted by Dingo

Licensing is a huge rip-off.

I agree and I don't on this one. However, You have made some great points in other threads about focusing the energy on to byb's and puppy mills. Which is a great idea. One idea that our national breed club has is to make breeders responsible for what they breed. We are asking that for every puppy that a breeder, who is a member of our club, sells that they give $50 to our club to go directly into Rescue. What if the CKC did the same? What if more breed clubs did it? An ethical breeder will have no problem with that. It will help fish out bybs that are hiding under the umbrella of "reputable breeder because I'm a club member". It also makes breeders really be responsible for their actions and to think before they breed. If you're cutting a check for $50, bucks it doesn't seem so bad, but when you have to cut one for a few hundred. You have to wonder if you really needed to breed that many puppies. We even suggested it be done once a year with their annual membership. How much harder will that check be to right if you have to write it as one lump some? If you breed 20 puppies in a year, it doesn't seem like a lot at the time, but when you cut a check for a grand, it's a totally different thing. And it would help a lot.

Sorry I'm so long, but no one ever asks for my ideas.......and as you can tell I've been sitting on them for a while! lol! So anyone whose interested in implementing them. Go for it! Take all the credit.........But if you wouldn't mind naming a pup Duckie.....lol!!!