Healing Animal SCARS - Sonya's Cat and Animal Rescue Society

dentists are expensive, for pets too!

2011-03-03T16:18:00.000-04:00

I have had a number of rescued cats this year who required dental work. Life as a stray on the rough streets is not pretty, ekeing out a miserable existence foraging for food. and fighting off predators.
You know what it is like to have a tooth-ache. Well, imagine you are a cat and what it's like having many broken or missing teeth, and you have to try to bite frozen food from a dumpster in the wintertime at 30 degrees below zero (Celsuis, that is). Then imagine having an abscessed jaw and it hurts too much to eat anymore; you have a raging infection and a high fever, and you just want to die.
Suddenly, a human traps you and whisks you off to a strange environment (you hear them call it a vet's office). You get knocked out cold with drugs, and when you wake up your mouth feels different. Still some pain, yes, from the extractions, but no longer do you feel that throbbing pain that kills the will to live.
You are taken into a warm room to heal, being fed soft healthy food every day, as much as you want, never hungry again. In the days that follow, your pain disappears as the anitbiotics help your heal, and the human gives you plenty of love.

So I started this post with the intent to ramble and complain about the price of having a dental surgery done for the cats we recue, but as I wrote from the cat's prespective, I realized how very valuable this service is and it is worth every penny!
I am sure if the cats could talk, they would thank you for donating to take away their pain. Dentists are important for everyone! People and pets too.

So enjoy the pictures of some of the cats who have had dentistry surgery this year!

Felix was in hard shape when we got him, but later when his teeth wre cleaned and extracted, he felt much better!

Then there was Lefty, a battered white fellow from our Superstore colony

Me and my dogs in Halifax, Nova Scotia: It was all good news today - we gave away $5,000!

2010-12-19T08:12:00.000-04:00

Me and my dogs in Halifax, Nova Scotia: It was all good news today - we gave away $5,000!

Me and my dogs in Halifax, Nova Scotia: I've been watching television

2010-11-26T16:40:00.000-04:00

Me and my dogs in Halifax, Nova Scotia: I've been watching television

This is a good question - why is the Homeward Bound City Pound not accountable to the public for their business? If it is a contract paid by taxpayer dollars, we should be allowed to know how many animals they take in, how many are euthanized, and how cats without critical injuries are somehow miraculously appearing at the Pound, when the HRM Animal Control contract is clear about only accepting cats with critical injuries. When I recently made an inquiry about the adoptable kittens at HBCP and asked HRM to tell me why these kittens were lucky enough to make it to the pound, they told me I would have to submit a FOIPOP request to gain access to that information. See the email chain below:

From: Andrea MacDonald [Macdonaa@halifax.ca]
To: Sonya
Cc: Jackie Barkhouse
Sent: Thu 07/10/2010 9:51 AM
Subject: Re: FW: Petfinder.com Pet Inquiry: Autumn PFId

Ms. Higgins,

Further to your request regarding this situation, you are required to submit a FOIPOP request.

The following is the URL that will assist you with your request: http://www.halifax.ca/Police/FOIPOPrequest.html

Andrea

>>> Sonya 10/6/2010 8:30 pm >>>
Interesting.

I had emailed the pound when I saw a picture of a cute adoptable kitten on their website, wondering how the kitten ended up in their care.

HRM By-Law states that the ONLY cats to be picked up are either critically injured or already deceased.

So if this kitten and her littermates were not critically injured, how and why were they picked up by Animal Services? What did the citizen in question have to do to convince Animal Services to pick up these cats? Why is it a different answer for all the other residents of HRM who ask Animal Services to come pick up other stray/injured cats?

I really want to know the specifics on this case. Who do I have to ask?
Would I need to submit an ATIP or FOIPOP request to get the truth on this situation?

Sonya Higgins
Cat rescuer extraordinaire
469-MEOW

From: Adoption Homeward Bound City Pound [mailto:adoptions@citypound.ca]
Sent: October-06-10 5:55 PM
To: Sonya
Subject: Re: Petfinder.com Pet Inquiry: Autumn PFId

Hello,

Autumn and her siblings did not have any critical injuries when they came in. They were an Animal Services case through Halifax Regional Police that we took in. We do not accept any amimals apart from what Animal Services brings us.

Thank you

----- Original Message -----

From: Sonya
To: adoptions@citypound.ca
Sent: Saturday, October 02, 2010 1:24 PM
Subject: Petfinder.com Pet Inquiry: Autumn PFId

What type of critical injury did this kitten have? How and why did it end up at the Home ward Bound City Pound? Do you accept cats apart from what HRM mandates?

Sonya Higgins
Chairman/Director, "Healing Animal SCARS - Sonya's Cat & Animal Rescue Society"

ChipIn to spay feral mother cats in Eastern Passage

2010-08-23T23:23:00.002-03:00

Update On One Of Our Adoptees

2010-02-22T23:58:00.000-04:00

One of our adopters, has sent an email report of Alex's progress. He is the brother to Sam & Robin. He's doing so well in his new home. Isn't it nice to see how great Alex looks with his new sister?

She writes:

Hi Sonya,

Well, Odin (Alex) and Maya are getting along great! He's very cuddly and loves to get into mischief. I think they've learned the definition of "tag team". I can hear them right now playing with the new tunnel I just bought for them. I only get worried when I DON'T hear them because that's what I figure they're planning something truly evil. HA!

Any how, hope you like the photos I'm sending along.

Take care!

Alex's Furr-ever Parents

It's always good to get updated reports of how our adoptees are doing. I'm so proud for him.

Prevent A Litter - Fix Your Critter!

Sonya Higgins
Chairman/Director, "Sonya's Cat & Animal Rescue Society"
Phone: 469-MEOW (469-6369)Email: katsonya@accesswave.ca
Pet Finder Web Address:http://www.petfinder.com/shelters/NS28.html

Update On Lefty & Other Rescues

2010-02-22T23:56:00.002-04:00

Feb 22 @ 10 p.m.
I think Lefty just purred! I was feeding Lefty wet food from a spoon. For the first time, he stood up in his bed and ate voraciously from the spoon, and then licked the dish clean. All the while he allowed me to rub his face and chin, and at the end he even licked my fingers, gently and calmly. A few tears welled up in my eyes, let me tell you!

One of our supporters, Andrea, has now trapped 3 new feral kittens, & they're now in foster care with her. We'll soon have them spayed, & neutered, then they'll go up for adoption.

Andrea writes:
4 beautiful kittens & their mum, so worried about them. Came home and they were in the garbage before I could feed them, just cold and hungry. I call the little grey one with the pink nose that yells at me Sam.
Prevent A Litter - Fix Your Critter!

Sonya Higgins
Chairman/Director, "Sonya's Cat & Animal Rescue Society"
Phone: 469-MEOW (469-6369)Email: katsonya@accesswave.ca
Pet Finder Web Address:http://www.petfinder.com/shelters/NS28.html

Reminder of Party Lite Fundraiser

2010-02-22T23:56:00.000-04:00

Dear Healing Animal SCARS Supporters,

This is just a quick reminder that there are only 5 days left in our Partylite Fundraising Campaign. I know I can count on your support so to make things easy you can shop via email (send your order to Jennifer at thewilliamsclan07@yahoo.ca and please include a contact number), via the phone (Call in your order to Jennifer at 902-406-0551) or online via www.partylite.biz/JenniferJWilliams (Look me up as your hostess before shopping to have it count towards the campaign). Please remember all of the proceeds from this Campaign go back to Healing Animal SCARS so I do hope you have fun decorating your homes with all the fantastic Partylite products available.

Once again, thank you for your continued support!

Sincerely,

Prevent A Litter - Fix Your Critter! Sonya Higgins Chairman/Director, "Sonya's Cat & Animal Rescue Society"
Email: katsonya@accesswave.caPet Finder Web Address:http://www.petfinder.com/shelters/NS28.html 469-MEOW (469-6369)

Adoptables Updated

2010-02-22T22:55:00.000-04:00

Hi All.
I thought I'd update the list of adoptable kitties, who are looking for their furr-ever homes, besides Lefty our featured pet. All of our adoptees are spayed/neutered & up to date on routine shots.
***************************************
Jeannie ( Domestic Short Hair-black and white, Tuxedo)
Jeannie's story goes back to 2006. She's lived with Gloria, who passed away from cancer, after which Jeannie found a home with a wonderful human, Jim. In June 2009, he passed away & there was no one left who could keep Jeannie in their family.
She came into our program as part of our Spay and Neuter day event. She'd had a litter of kitts back in summer 2006, and all three of them were rescued here. After she was spayed, she was a joy to watch, as she seemed to relive her kitten hood.
She was spoiled in her home & became Very affectionate, demanding to hop on a lap, or interrupt while on the computer. She still would love to be the only cat in a home, so she can monopolize all of the affection. Ideally, we'd prefer her to be in a home without children._________________________________________
Bailie (Domestic Short Hair, Calico [Mix])
Bailie comes from the new feral colony at the Young Street Superstore. She was suffering from frostbite on her tail, paws, nose & ears, which has since completely healed.
Being feral, she was at first a little shy & scared. She likes to play chase games with our dog & other cats here. Ideally, we'd prefer a home that has an other pet, to keep her company. She gets startled & tries to run away, when I reach for her. But once I have her in my arms, she purrs, becoming very affectionate. She still hides a little, but is easily coaxed out with a toy, or laser light.
We promised Bailey that she would never be hungry or cold again. She needs to find a human that will understand her & take the time she needs to overcome the harshness of the beginning of her life.________________________________________

Eliza (Calico, Torbie)

Eliza was another victim of abandonment. She spent months in the cold with her kittens. She's now in a foster home, enjoying her own room with her son, Puck.

She loves to cuddle, & is very gentle. She's still a little fearful, naturally, of humans, having endured being chased, yelled at, and who knows what else she's been through. Sometimes, when she's approached, she hisses, in protest, but has never bitten or scratched.__________________________________________

Puck (Domestic Short Hair-black)

Puck lives with his mom in a temporary foster home. He's about five or six months old. He's shy, but lets you pick him up, and love him, even rub his belly. He wants to be loved, and play but is shy & nervous.

Puck is neutered & up to date on his routine shots. He needs someone to invest time in him, building trust & bonding with him, which will make him an even more affectionate boy, than he already is.

___________________________________________

For more information on any of these beautiful babies please contact me.
Prevent A Litter - Fix Your Critter! Sonya Higgins Chairman/Director, "Sonya's Cat & Animal Rescue Society"
Email: katsonya@accesswave.caPet Finder Web Address:http://www.petfinder.com/shelters/NS28.html 469-MEOW (469-6369)

New BLog Entry - Can Ferals Be Tamed

2010-02-22T22:38:00.000-04:00

Good Day Folks:
A few mornings ago, I spent a bit of time reading the FACEBOOK group page. I came across a topic on the discussion board, that I think bears special note, & is worth repeating. For those considering adopting a feral cat and question whether it's a good choice, the question was asked whether or not feral cat can be tamed. My belief is that every feral cat can be tamed to some degree. I have rescued 249+ cats since May 2006, mostly feral. Kittens are easier to tame, but there are no guarantees, as I have had 6 - 8 week old kittens (such as Ickory) grow into adults while waiting for a patient adopters to give them a chance. Oreo, a tough male feral who had an injured paw is now the king of his home, with another shy kitty to keep him and his human keepers company. I have a female feral in my home who still won't let me pat her, after 2 years, but Luba-lou loves to eat from my hand and rubs stuff near me.
Here are a few stories from other feral cat parents.

Christina writes:
BatCat has been with me a year and finally began to let me pet him this summer and fall, on his own terms (i.e. he approaches me, not the other way around)... He pretty much hid for the first few months we lived together. That being said, now he spends a lot of time hanging out near me, eats treats from my hand and often just sits in a room with me... He also likes to rub is face on furniture near me, get up on my bed and sleep by my feet... He meows for a scoop of food or a treat and politely waits for me to hand it to him even though I leave the bag of food open by his dish... He wouldn't dare overstep hahaha... He's awesome and I wouldn't trade him... He totally deserves a good life and now he has one thanks to you and me!
Lauri wrote:
I as well have two feral cats living in our home with our other 12 regular cats. They do just fine. We have had them almost two years. We trapped them from a big colony when they were about 3-4 months old. While one of them was easier to tame, the other one just NOW lets us pet her on her head from time to time. Ferals make great pets, you should have to know that you most likely will never be able to pet them or hold them, just love them from a distance, as they will love you from a distance as well. If you are lucky enough to be able to pet your feral cat then that is just such a huge bonus. But they all deserve love, all of them.
Janice's story:
FERALS CAN BE TAMED .. Two of my five cats are ferals, (adopted from Sonya) They progressed at different rates, and have such different personalities. It's been very rewarding to see my ferals become comfortable in my home, to see them learning to trust me. They had no problem integrating with the other cats.
Flare, unknown age, hid out for months. He's still skittish, and contact is on his terms, he may race off when I approach, but a minute later he's snuggling up to me on the couch. he's the first one on the bed at nite, and insisting on his rubbing. The other younger feral is now my shadow, begging to be on my lap EVEN in the bathroom.. but she will not sleep on the bed nite time. They play like kittens, I think the five of them have a night time bowling league .. the noise they make racing about!
I'm certain they enjoy their comfortable life inside, and don't miss all the hazards they faced outside. A sudden movement or cough can send the ferals scurrying off ... reminds me that they may never overcome the need to be constantly alert.
It's been more rewarding for me to open my home to the ferals, I look back on the progress they've made, the first couple of months I thought there was no hope of ever touching Flare, now he insists on his Loving...
Rosie's Katts:
I've had Monkey since she was four months old. I'd trapped her along with two brothers & a sister. Even at nine years old, she is still developing. As she's more exposed to people, she gets more used to people being around. Several moves have also helped her come out of herself. She's been extremely helpful with the foster kitts I've worked with this past year, & even now, as Jenni begins her life as a house feral, Monkey has for the most part been tolerant. She's taken this past year in stride, with all the foster kitts coming & going. She's ever curious, is definitely the Queen of her domain. She loves crinkled up newspaper, as it's a favourite sleeping place. Boxes make wonderful dens. I've seen times when a new cat house would come in the door, & every time, she'll abandoned the new digs for a box, any day. She eats from my hand & is extremely affectionate, actually giving kisses to us. She loves to share my cheese with me and is a wonderful companion. I don't think I'd describe her as tame, though, as when she gets scared, she hides, from even me, & won't come to me when called, until the danger is passed. Monkey & her brother Timmy progressed at very different rates, though they were siblings. Timmy was much more afraid, & while he was ok with just me, additional chaos wasn't his thing.
Jenni too, even at this early stage, after three & a half months, is making great strides in her rehab as a house pet. She now prefers to be out with the rest of the pets here. She loves a piece of string, or favourite cat nip treat, often rolling around on her back with the toy in her hands, sliding along the floor on her back. She takes treats from my hand, as she does an entire meal, straight from my hand. Yesterday, for the first time, while out in the house, she's allowed me to scratch her cheek, when I gave her her meal. She's now eating at the same mealtime as the rest of the house, allowing me to approach, without hissing, with her portion. She's curious, though it will take her a while to trust. No one knows what happened to her out there, but I can tell you, humans are not her favourite people. It's my hope that someone will want to adopt her, allowing her the time she needs to develop & she'll find her furr-ever home.

So, there you have it. In the testimonies of feral parents, the verdict is clear. Ferals make awesome companions, can learn to trust, can become affectionate, & just like domestic cats, have Very different personalities. Please consider giving a feral a home. While, it's true, that establishing a bond with your feral, make take time, the bond that can happen is so rewarding, why wouldn't you adopt one. They need someone to love & understand them. It's easy to love the cute & cuddly, & we need that. But it's so incredibly rewarding to bond with a cat that most consider unlovable, & unadoptable. They will surprise you, & even exceed your expectations.

If only I had space and time, I am sure I could eventually tame most feral cats. I have changed my rescue more towards TNR these days, to save a greater number of kittens from being born.

For more information on our adoptable ferals, or to volunteer call me, Sonya.

Prevent A Litter - Fix Your Critter!

Sonya Higgins
Chairman/Director, "Sonya's Cat & Animal Rescue Society"
Phone: 469-MEOW (469-6369)Email: katsonya@accesswave.ca
Pet Finder Web Address:http://www.petfinder.com/shelters/NS28.html

Update on Halifax Shopping Center

2010-02-15T15:09:00.001-04:00

Back on the 13th of February, I mentioned I'd be at the Halifax Shopping Centre with a display at the Q104 Kommunity Booth.

I'm so pleased to announce that we made $833.50. I want to say a huge thank you to everyone who donated in support of Healing Animal Scars - Sonya's Cat and Animal Rescue. I also want to thank Andrea, Tracey, Darlene, Christine and Marilyn helping.

Prevent A Litter - Fix Your Critter!

Sonya Higgins
Chairman/Director, "Sonya's Cat & Animal Rescue Society"

Email: katsonya@accesswave.ca

Pet Finder Web Address:
http://www.petfinder.com/shelters/NS28.html 469-MEOW (469-6369)

Healing Animal SCARS is ready to launch Operation Cat-snip.

2010-02-15T13:56:00.001-04:00

Here is specific info on Operation Cat-snip:

Operation Cat-Snip, a Pet Over-Population Control Program, is designed to provide financial assistance to cat owners for spay/neuter surgeries in order to help reduce pet overpopulation.

Cat owners will pay a portion of the cost of surgery and associated medical procedures, with the remaining portion being subsidized by the Healing Animal S.C.A.R.S Pet Over-Population Control fund.

This is a voluntary program with a strict set of rules for acceptance. Sonya Higgins, as the director of Healing Animal S.C.A.R.S., holds complete control over who is accepted to the program, and may at anytime disqualify an applicant from the program.

Why are we offering this service? Spaying and neutering is the best way to help control the pet over population problem in HRM. A female cat could produce 3 litters of 4-8 kittens each year; and a male cat can impregnate as many females as he can meet. In the past 4 years, Healing Animal SCARS mostly focused on rescuing feral cats and kittens born in the wild, as there are few other resources for feral cats. We do not wish to discriminate against tame cats, and recognize the need for ALL cats to be surgically altered to prevent reproduction. So we are now offering pet owners who would otherwise not be able to afford the full cost of having their cat spayed or neutered, the opportunity to have this valuable service subsidized by Healing Animal SCARS, to make it more affordable.

Spaying and neutering is also the only way to protect your pet from deadly reproductive cancers like ovarian, uterine, mammary and testicular cancer. It will also eliminate the "Tom Cat" smell of an adult male. "Fixed" cats are also less likely to roam and get in fights, meaning they live much longer, happier lives.

How Does it Work?People can apply to receive a certificate for a set cost, outlined below, which entitles their pet to be spayed or neutered. Healing Animal SCARS will subsidize the remaining cost of the veterinary bill. When an animal is having surgery, normally the owner must pay for additional health services, such as viral testing for Feline Leukemia and FIV (feline immunodeficiency virus = cat AIDS), vaccinations against disease, Pre-anesthetic blood work and IV Fluids.

Due to the nature of the Pet Over-Population Control Program these procedures are optional for you at the time of surgery because an additional fee does apply.

More information is given on these options below:

Vaccines Many of the most dangerous diseases that cats get are easily prevented by vaccination. These include feline viral rhinotracheitis, calici virus, panleukeopenia, leukemia virus and rabies. Panleukopenia, commonly known as distemper, is a widespread and deadly disease. Healing Animal SCARS advocates strongly that all cats be given this vital vaccine, FVRCP for upper respiratory illnesses, to ensure public health of cats in HRM. We have seen first hand what distemper does to young kittens, and never want to encounter such a deadly disease again. It is simple to prevent with a vaccine.
It is recommended that ALL cats receive a minimum of two Upper Respiratory (formally called FVRCP) + LEUKEMIA vaccinations given 3 weeks apart, with a rabies vaccine given along with the second shot. These would be followed by yearly vaccinations for Leukemia, and vaccinations for FVRCP + Rabies every 3 years.

It is best for your cat to have the first vaccine and veterinary exam done three weeks prior to surgery.

This will help your cat have some protection against diseases before being hospitalized with other cats. It will also allow the doctor to be able to discuss any potential health problems with you prior to surgery day.

If you choose to pay for this at our participating vet 3 weeks prior to redeeming the certificate for spay or neuter, we will include a second booster vaccine at the time of surgery, without additional cost to you. This should serve as incentive for responsible owners to provide their cat with 2 sets of vaccines for the price of one, so the cat is fully protected. Healing Animal SCARS would subsidize the cost of the second vaccines.

WHAT ABOUT VIRAL TESTING?
Feline Leukemia and Feline Immunodeficiency Virus are two serious viruses that cats and kittens can contract from their mothers, or from other cats they come in contact with. These viruses can lay dormant for years before eventually becoming evident and causing deadly disease. It is important to screen all cats for these viruses so that we can limit the exposure of positive cats to negative cats, and help limit the spread of disease. We screen for these diseases by taking a small blood sample and testing for both diseases, called a combo test. Results are available within 15 - 20 minutes of taking the blood sample. We feel it would be very important to know if your cat is already infected with one of these viruses, as it may affect your surgery plans and you would then be able to educate yourself about the disease and symptoms to watch out for.

WHAT ABOUT BLOOD WORK AND IV FLUIDS?

Advances in anesthesia and surgery have made routine pet surgery relatively safe with few complications. Nevertheless, complications can arise.

Pre-anesthetic blood work can help pick up pre-existing conditions that a physical examination cannot. This could alter anesthetic protocols and avoid potentially deadly drug reactions.

Having an IV catheter in place and IV fluids running before, during and after surgery is an added safety method for anesthesia. This allows the doctors and technicians to monitor and maintain blood pressure, provides instant access to veins for administering medication (especially important during emergency procedures) and allows for easier/safer anesthetic inductions and recoveries.
It is strongly recommended that any pet undergoing surgery have both blood work and IV fluids. However, because of the nature of the Pet Over-Population Control Program, these procedures are optional for you at the time of surgery because an additional fee does apply.

Cost Of the Certificate

Certificate Pricing

Male:                                 $103
Female mature spay:          $135
Female immature spay       $119 (under six months old)

**Please note that if your cat has an UNDIAGNOSED health condition, there may be an additional cost, which would be discussed with you prior to going ahead with treatment or surgery. For example, if your male cat is cryptorchid - meaning his testicles haven't both descended - the neuter surgery would cost $165 instead of $103.

Additional fees will apply if you opt to provide your cat with any of the additional recommended services. Please contact Healing Animal SCARS for more information on pricing.

We promote and offer high-quality veterinary services and do not recommend that people pick a vet based solely on lowest cost.

PLEASE NOTE: We cannot offer subsidized care for SICK OR INJURED ANIMALS. If your cat should arrive in a condition that is unfit for surgery, you will unfortunately be turned away ( a refund will be offered) and it would be up to the owner to seek veterinary services.

THIS PROGRAM DOES NOT PROVIDE ANY VET SERVICES OTHER THAN SPAY/NEUTER and the previously mentioned services.

We have opted to provide this program to help with spaying and neutering to reduce the pet population. We value and respect all fees that veterinarians must charge for their services. We have developed this program to assist people who require assistance. Those who can afford regular cost veterinary services are encouraged not to apply for the program, as we need to reserve space for those who are truly in need.

If you do not feel that the prices we are able to offer through our subsidy are affordable enough, we invite you to check the Yellow Pages for any vets in your area and check the cost of these quality services. Once you see the average cost of having your cat fully vet checked and spayed or neutered, we are confident that you will recognize the value of our service.

This is a pilot project and we regret that not all applicants can be approved for the subsidized service. Successful applicants will be notified and a certificate can be purchased.

Then, once approved, Healing Animal SCARS would book an appointment for your cat at our participating vet hospital and arrange to meet you at the pre-arranged time.

To apply now please email me for an application. In the near future, we intend to have a new website explaining more about the process and an online application.

Sonya Higgins
Chairman/Director, "Sonya's Cat & Animal Rescue Society"katsonya@accesswave.ca
http://www.petfinder.com/shelters/NS28.html 469-MEOW (469-6369)

PartyLite Fundraiser Feb. 8 - 28, 2010

2010-02-15T10:19:00.002-04:00

Dear Healing Animal SCARS supporters,

We need your help to raise funds, to help those in need. I am running an awesome fundraiser during the month of February and I hope you can find it in your hearts to once again support us.

I will be having a big PartyLite Fundraising Campaign with all the proceeds going back into the SCARS program. SCARS will be receiving 25% of all the sales. The fundraiser starts on Monday February 8th and all orders need to be in by Friday February 26th. All YOU need to do is SHOP!!!!!

To support me with this fundraiser please go online to www.partylite.biz/JenniferJWilliams where you can view the most recent PartyLite catalogue. Now you can shop one of three ways:
-Online at the website above by selecting Host Sonya Higgins and then shopping.
-Over the phone by calling our consultant Jennifer Williams at 902-406-0551 directly and let her know what you want.
-Over the internet by sending an email to our consultant Jennifer at thewilliamsclan07@yahoo.ca

You can pay for your order either by Credit Card, Cash or Cheque. Once the order is placed the products can either be picked up at the consultants address, or arrangements can be made with your consultant at the time the order is placed to have it shipped direct to you. Don`t worry if you live outside of the Halifax area as there is no extra shipping charge to have the items you ordered sent directly to you. (Please note: If you want the order shipped direct to you the online method is no longer an option...Please order through email or by phone).

Our Consultant Jennifer Williams and her family have recently adopted two of our Shearwater kittens, and would now like to help raise funds to help many more animals in need.

If you have any questions about anything to do with this fundraiser please contact Jennifer directly. I hope I can count on your support and all the current and future animals thank you.

Enjoy decorating your homes and adding some beautiful fragrances to your life.

Yours Sincerely,
Sonya

For Online shopping:...

(1) Go to www.partylite.biz/JenniferJWilliams
(2) Select SHOP
(3) Look up Sonya as your hostess by clicking the end of this link.....Can't make it to the Show? If you were invited to one of my Shows and wish to order, look up your host>>
(4) Enter Sonya Higgins and select her from the list that comes up
(5) Begin shopping under SHOP BY CATALOGUE.....Everything you buy will be credited to the SCARS Fundraising Campaign
(6) Your order will be shipped to your consultant and arrangements will need to be made for pick-up

For Phone or Email Shopping:
(1) Go to http://www.partylite.biz/JenniferJWilliamsJWilliams
(2) Select SHOP
(3) SHOP BY CATALOGUE
(4) Phone or Email your consultant what you want to order and how you want to pay for it...Everything you buy will be credited to the SCARS Fundraising Campaign
(5) Your order can be directly shipped to you (please provide a full civic shipping address) or available for pick up (please make arrangements with your consultant)

Jennifer

New Programs Fundraisers, & Adoptables

2010-02-14T20:17:00.001-04:00

Hi All!

Well, there's a lot of wonderful new programs and fundraisers happening now. I will post individual blogs on each of the new fundraising campaigns here, but here is a list of new things happening till now.

Operation Cat-Snip:
We have launched "Operation Cat Snip" - A Pet Over-Population Control Program, and are now accepting applications for the program. HRM has far too many homeless cats. Every case started with a human being who did not spay or neuter their pet cat. If the cat has kittens outside, they grow up feral (wild) and continue to breed until there is a colony of cats trying to survive in horrible conditions. Spaying and neutering could prevent this cycle. We are offering a subsidized spay/neuter program for low-income citizens of HRM an opportunity to "fix" their cat through "Operation Cat Snip"

PartyLite Fundraising Campaign:
One of our adopters, has started a wonderful fundraising campaign for the month of February, 2010. Jennifer Williams is a PartyLite consultant, and is raising funds through the purchase of PartyLite products. 25% of all proceeds will be donated to Healing Animal SCARS - Sonya's Cat and Animal Rescue Society.

Dance and Auction:
On March 27 there will be a dance & silent auction, to raise more funds for our cat rescue. Daisy M DJ is holding a dance at the Fleet Club @ 7:30. The cost is a mere $5.00 a ticket, which also gives you a chance for a door prize. Drinks are cheap, music will be great. So, come out and have a good time for the cause!

Lefty Needs A Caring, Understanding Furr-ever Home
We rescued Lefty, a domestic which short hair boy on January 13th, from the Superstore colony that has been established. He is unfortunately, & obviously not part of the family of feral cats in that colony. He's not been accepted into that colony, suffering from bite wounds on all four of his limbs and feet, from the other cats. At the vet, the staff commented that "it's like he just stuck out his legs & let them gnaw on them." He also has a broken tooth, and fractured tail.

Lefty was brought to the vet on January 14th, treated for wounds, tested negative for Feline Leukemia & FIV. We've made a makeshift large kennel for him to stretch his legs a little, and so the litter box wouldn't crowd him. He was formerly tame, and now is a depressed little man, who we know there's no way we can return him to his miserable life on the streets. In fact, the vet told us that Lefty wouldn't have lived long, if he hadn't been rescued.

Lefty desparately needs a dedicated owner, someone who is willing to take the time Lefty needs in order to trust humans again. He allows me to scratch his chin now, even drooling in my hand. He's up to date on his vaccinations, and is neutered. Please consider adopting this lovely, shy boy. For a picture of him, go to http://www.petfinder.com/petnote/displaypet.cgi?petid=15652947

As always, check out our FACEBOOK page for more information on our group,
Healing Animal SCARS - Sonya's Cat and Animal Rescue Society
http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=10562570893

Sonya Higgins
Chairman/Director
"Healing Animal SCARS - Sonya's Cat & Animal REscue Society"
katsonya@accesswave.ca
http://www.petfinder.com/shelters/NS28.html
469-MEOW (6369)

Halifax Shopping Center

2010-02-13T01:48:00.002-04:00

WE will be at the Halifax Shopping Center all day tomorrow, Saturday, February 13th. There will be 2 adorable kittens on display, to teach people about rescue and TNR. We will also be featuring "Hearts Fur Pets" in honour of Valentine's Day, where you can buy a heart and write your pet's name on it, to post on our Wall of Love. We will also be selling cat treats, chocolate bars, T-shirts, calendars, pins, magnets, scratching post and other goodies!
Please drop by the Q104 Kommunity booth to see our display and make a donation!
Call Sonya at 469-MEOW for more info

Superstore cats

2010-01-14T12:39:00.002-04:00

I got an email from Lori Martin on Monday morning about a cat and kittens sighted at the Superstore on Young Street. For those who don't know this wonderful woman, Lori maintains an email distribution list of unknown numbers and she sends out animal rescue messages to keep our commmunity informed. She is also rescuing a colony of cats herself in Hubley.

I have been trying to rescue these cats for three days so far, with the help of Pamela from ca-r-ma and a new volunteer, Tracey. So far we have rescued 3 adult cats and one kitten. We are still trying to catch the mother cat and 2nd kitten. We are requesting donations to help with the vet care, so please email katsonya@accesswave.ca if you can help.

Check out our Facebook group for more info on Healing Animal SCARS

Homer is missing and what I've been up to on Facebook

2009-12-13T13:11:00.003-04:00

It's hard to keep track of the days sometimes, and I find myself relying on technology to figure out when I did something. For example, when did I last talk to Mom? Oh I'll just check the call display on the home cordless phone set. Or what is the phone # for the lady who called about kittens right after I got out of the shower and didn't have a pen handy to write it down? Again, I refer to call display history on the home phone. I look on my cell phone to track call history, review emails to see when who said what, and when I need to see when I recently did something, I look at my Facebook posts on my profile. So that's what I am going to do here, to help me chronicle the activities of the past few days.

Wed. Dec 9th
Euthanized Snowflake due to ongoing urinary issues.
Step-grandfather Doug had a second heart attack today. His wife Shirley was admitted to a home yesterday due to Alzheimers.

Thursday, Dec. 10th 9:44am door blew open during storm overnight and now Homer is missing
Called Animal Control to see if his dead body was reported or picked up - no info
Called vet to report missing cat - no info
Set traps in my yard - 3 traps, for Homer, Karma and Jack the bad guy. Jack is the big scary tabby feral cat who hurt Kramer this summer/fall, andhe sprays on my property and feeds here often.

Friday, Dec 11th
Caught Jack around 1pm, too late to have him neutered today, so he is in my shed in a cage for now and he will be TNR'ed on Tuesday.

Went to Fisherman's Cove and installed a winter shelter to keep the 3 Cove cats warm this winter. We jacked up the empty tuna containers that they hide beneath, and installed the large Rubbermaid and Styrofoam cooler lined with straw. Once the tuna containers were let back down into place, the cats can still crawl under and it blocks the snow and wind to prevent the shelter from blowing away.
While installing the shelter, I had to crawl under the tuna bin to shovel away gravel, so we could push the shelter underneath. I was moving away old garbage that had blown in there, and discovered an old carcass of a deceased cat. It was absolutely hollow, nothing but skin and bones left. Poor thing must have crawled in there last year, maybe froze to death or just laid down there to die of his injuries or infections. It makes me sad to know that the living cats have still had to crawl in there, as it is the only place to stay dry, beside their dead comrade or family member. I removed the deceased cat's body and brought it to the vet for humane disposal. At least now the living cats at the Cove won't have to admire thier dead buddy....

Went to the colony on Howard Avenue and took 2 kittens (about 4 - 5 weeks old) from a feral mother cat, and delivered the babies to Inge at Pick of the Litter Society

Back to check traps, no sign of Homer

Emails:

Flea products that kill

2009-10-07T01:57:00.000-03:00

Hello pet lovers,
NEVER purchase over-the-counter flea treatments on your cat or dog, (such as Hartz brand) unless you want it to possibly die a horrible death due to poisoning. See the You Tube video below for more information. Only purchase veterinary prescribed medications such as Advantage, Revolution or Program and follow the dosing instructions very carefully

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w_uqBjvy7YI

Sonya Higgins

Hazardous toys and risk of obstructions

2009-10-07T00:48:00.003-03:00

My mother had to bring one of the cats she adopted from me, Glow, to the vet for emergency surgery today. Mom noticed the cat wasn't herself and it appeared (in a multi-cat household, it's hard to keep track of everyone) that Glow had not eaten or used the litter box in a day or so.

She paid over $1,000 for the poor sick kitty to have an Xray, subcutaneous fluids and surgery to remove the items the cat had swallowed. At least a foot and a half of thin yellow ribbon and several elastic bands were extricated from the cats twisted and mangles intestines and bowels.

Please do an inventory of your pet cat or dogs toys and throw away any of the following dangerous articles that may cause an obstruction or perforation:

ribbon or string - anything less than an inch wide can be ingested, so use long thick strips of fleece to attach dangling toys or mice
tinfoil balls - because they can chew off bits that will harm the intestines
styrofoam packing chips
elastic bands ( some cats like Fefe tend to steal hair elastics as well and then eat them)
twist ties (use plastic bread tags to keep bags closed)
do not use tinsel on your Xmas tree
small toys with foil, jingle bells, the eyes on fuzzy mice, many small things that can come off a toy will go down a cat's throat easily enough, but it will not pass in the stool
sewing needles and thread - make sure these are put away in drawers the cat cannot reach
plastic bags of any sort - some cats will chew and swallow parts of shopping bags, then may not be able to vomit or poop it out

How to find a lost cat

2009-10-06T21:03:00.001-03:00

I hope you find your lost kitty! If you want to borrow a humane trap, please call me at 469-6369 to make an appointment for a lesson on how to properly use the trap and sign a waiver form and give a deposit. I am attaching files so you can make your own lost cat flyers to put up in the area. You should also check out these websites for tips:

www.missingpetregistry.com

http://www.metro.spcans.ca/lostFound.html

http://petdetective.ca/

http://www.catsinthebag.org/

http://www.halifax.ca/AnimalControl/index.html

On posters, Minimize description and put PLEASE CHECK: Sheds/garages, Basement windows/skirting/crawlspaces, Vacant homes/apts/offices, Unused Vehicles for sale or not, Dumpsters open AND closed, Drainpipes under driveways. Focus on sensory-impaired and elderly folks' places

Consider sharing this email with a list of other animal lovers who may assist you in finding your pet.

I strongly encourage you to post ads online on sites such as Kijiji, Facebook, and our local community site here http://www.easternpassage.ca/news.php

http://geocities.com/helpfindsabina/

http://www.petfinder.com/classifieds/classifieds.html

http://www.flealess.org/lostpets/novascotia.html
http://www.flealess.org/lostpets/lost.found.pets.html
http://www.maritimeanimalrescue.com/lost.shtml

Check with other rescue organizations to see if your cat was found, you can find some here:

http://www.maritimeanimalrescue.com/contacts.shtml
http://atlanticcanadarescue.ca/links.html
http://www.petfinder.com/awo/index.cgi?location=B3G+1B1&keyword=

Good luck in your search and let me know if I can help

Sonya Higgins
Cat rescuer extraordinaire
469-MEOW
http://www.petfinder.com/shelters/NS28.html
katsonya@accesswave.ca
469-MEOW (469-6369)

How to donate and what we need

2009-09-20T12:28:00.003-03:00

Hello from the kitties at Healing Animal SCARS,

We always need financial donations to pay the vet bills. Every cat costs a minimum of $300 and with the time dedicated to actual hands-on animal care, we have little time to spend on fundraising events. You can donate by PayPal on our Petfinder website ( see link in this post)

Below is a list of items we could use, as well as cash on our account at the Eastern Passage Village Veterinary Hospital - call 902-465-1213 to donate by credit card

Our vet bill is already over $500 and we have 9 new kittens to be treated and spayed or neutered, so cash is vital to our success!

Animal Rescue Wish List

-Cat Litter – clumping or non-clumping, wood pellets or other types

-Canned/wet Food – any type will do for feeding outdoor cats or colonies, but our rescued cats and kittens are only fed Veterinary prescribed diets

-Kitten food – Royal Canin Baby Cat 34 dry kibble and cans of Medi-cal Development or Medi-cal Development dry food

-Adult Cat Food – Medi-cal Preventive dry or wet food, and other vet diets, such as food for cats with crystals or Urinary Tract Infections (i.e.: Medi-cal Urinary S/O or Hills Prescription Diet c/d)

-Cat Treats (preferably Medi-treats from the vet or Greenies)

-Whiskas Cats Milk-Kitten Replacement Milk – or dry milk powder formula, available to purchase at vet clinics

-Kitten Nursing bottles, baby blankets, onesies (baby outfits for injured cats to wear to cover wounds), baby wipes for cleaning paws and kittens bums

-Cat Toys

-Bleach and other cleaning supplies, such as Mr Clean magic erasers, Lysol wipes, Laundry Detergent, Dish Detergent, Garbage Bags-Spray Bottles

-Latex Gloves

-Facial Tissue boxes, Paper Towel

-Blankets, Towels-Pet Carriers, Humane traps, wire Pet/dog crates, plastic Vari-kennels

-Stainless Steel Bowls

-Stainless Steel Litter Pans

-Newspaper

-Canadian Tire Money & Gift Cards to various stores, grocery or department stores

-Recyclables (refundable bottles only, such as juice, pop or alcohol bottles – no milk containers accepted)

-Puppy Pads

-Electric Heating Pads

-Large Shoe Boxes

-Pet Beds

-Plastic Shower Curtains

-Hand Sanitizer

-Plastic Storage Containers

-Pillows & Pillow Cases

-Digital Food Scale

-Cat litter pans, either small trays or large hooded-type litter boxes

Thank you on behalf of the kitties at Healing Animal SCARS,

Sonya Higgins
Chairman/Director, “Sonya’s Cat & Animal Rescue Society”
katsonya@accesswave.ca
http://www.petfinder.com/shelters/NS28.html

469-MEOW (469-6369)

converted ferals make Great pets

2009-08-22T20:17:00.002-03:00

I got an email today from Angela, who had fostered our "hard to place" feral cat Ruffian for a while before finding him a purr-manent home with her in-laws. I asked her permission to share it, as a testimonial that feral cats, even those who are hard to tame, make wonderful pets.

Everyone who met Ruffian recognized that he was a fabulous cat, but he was a difficult cat to adopt out. Ruffian had a history of fighting with other pets, escaping and running away for 6 months, and multiple other issues than deterred most adopters from considering taking him home. Ruffian was with us for months at a time, then in winters he would be shuffled off to a new foster home. He was even adopted a few times, but it turned out to be a bad match in each case, so he came back to our rescue time and again. When he was transferred to yet another foster home (with Angela), he won their hearts! They introduced him to Wilma and Ed, who decided to take him home. They understood that he would be shy and hide at first, and it took him a while to come out and show his true colours. Now I think Ruffian finally understands that he is home.

Here is Angela's email:

2 weeks ago Ruffian got outside by accident! Wilma was going out the patio doors and he bolted past her. We all knew it would happen eventually, Wilma obviously needs more time and room to get out than most people. (*she uses a wheelchair) Anyway, she was sick over it all. Ed got home and called for him, walked around, and went to the neighbours' houses to let them know their cat was out.

Later on in the late afternoon Ed went out on the patio and called him and he came right up to him, he must have been just around the house/under the patio! He came right inside and right to his food dish. Guess he didn't want to miss supper time.

Since then he has gotten out twice more (he has a taste for it now) but he stays mostly just on the patio and sometimes wanders down to the pavement in front of the garage and lays on it in the sun. He comes back into the house without any problems, so everyone is pretty happy about that! :)
They figured he has it too good there, so he wasn't going too far, just went for a little exploring adventure. haha :) Seems to have that out of his system now!

He is Wilma's little snuggler. He hops up on her and lays in her lap. They really couldn't be happier with him. When we come over he comes right up to us and jumps up on the couch or wherever we are looking for some pats.
He really has done a total 180. He's just a happy lovey cat now. No one would ever guess he used to live outside and be scared of people. Ruffian is a true example of how feral cats can become loving pet cats.

Angela

Lost and found

2009-08-14T22:00:00.003-03:00

time for a rant: so it's the first time this has happened to me. I rescue a cat from possible death and 4 days later I get a call from a person asking if I might have taken in their lost pet. I was very taken aback when I heard her description of her missing cat, as my heart sank, I realized the cat I rescued could in fact be her missing cat. In most circumstances, I would be jumping for joy at the opportunity to re-unite a missing pet with it's owner. However, this "owner" admitted that her cat (only a 4 or 5 month old kitten) is primarily an outdoor kitty, and he has never been to a vet.

So I tell her she would have to repay me for all his vet work, which was over $100 and to email me photos ASAP, and she says she can do it as soon as she gets off work at 9pm that evening. I hear nothing from her that night or the following day. I finally get an email from her 28 hours later, no photo, and asking if I can accept a payment plan....

So I waited 24 hours before I replied to her, seeking advice from other rescuers about how to best handle this ethical problem. See below for what I sent her

The story goes:

On Friday, August 7th at 9:39am I received a call about a found cat at Fisherman’s Cove. I made inquires with the SPCA and Bide Awhile to see if a cat matching that description had been reported as missing. I went to the Cove to see the cat and took photos at 11:13am, assessed his condition; he appeared to have been on the streets for months, as his coat was greasy and he was flea infested. He was full of bite wounds and injuries I promised to come back for him with a carrier. I made an appointment at my vet for the earliest time they had available, 1:20pm. He was tested for Feline Leukemia and FIV, then examined and treated for bite wounds, worms, fleas, and a host of problems due to his life outside. He had his paw and tail shaved to treat the bite wounds, and finally he was vaccinated. We took him home and set him up in a safe cage with food and litter. He was ravenously hungry. The following day, after waiting 24 hours for the Advantage flea treatment to settle in, we had to bathe him to get rid of the hundreds of dead fleas and all the flea dirt. The grooming took well over an hour, but he turned out to be a clean and happy kitten in the end.

I sent an email to the person with the following information:

This is a link to the Nova Scotia SPCA website for Lost and Found Pets. http://www.spcans.ca/community/lostAndFound.html Then a similar link to the Metro Shelter http://www.metro.spcans.ca/lostFound.html This is from Animal Control for HRM http://www.halifax.ca/animalcontrol/LostPets.html how to get your pet back, if reported within 72 hours http://www.halifax.ca/animalcontrol/FoundPets.html#HowDoIRetrieve

I am still awaiting a photo of your missing kitten, to confirm if he looks like the kitten we rescued.

Firstly, I would like to ask why it took you over 24 hours, from our initial phone conversation on Monday, August 10th at 7:06pm, until Tuesday at 10:57pm, to get in touch with me regarding your missing cat. I had asked that you email me current photos as soon as you got off work at 9pm that evening. I think I told you when you called that I was in the process of interviewing potential adopters for him! I was waiting to hear back from you, before I could introduce the cat to the lovely people who were interested.

Here is our stance on this issue: as you have previously stated, your kitten was living in conditions that are obviously dangerous for him. If, in fact they are the same cat, then your cat is not being kept in sanitary conditions. When we found the cat, he was filthy dirty, horribly flea and worm infested, full of bite wounds and injuries, and last but not least, he was starving.
So again, if in fact they are one and the same, and you truly care about your cat, wouldn’t you rather know that he is going to live a long, happy indoor life, with the best of care? When interviewing potential adopters, we ensure they are planning to spoil the cat and can afford to take him to the vet regularly.
Or would you rather see him back with you, where you cannot keep him inside, and see him disappear again before he reaches a year old. Or worse, to find him dead in the street, if he gets hit by a car on your very busy road.
The infections from his injuries alone could have caused his death within a matter of days or weeks. This cat was found at Fisherman’s cove, where certain individuals have been drowning and killing cats through other cruel methods. His only saving grace was that the man who reported him found said, “this one was too nice to drown”. The Cove also has a colony of feral cats who would have surely beaten the stray cat up and maybe killed him.

If you wanted the kitten back and could provide concrete proof that he is your kitten, you would first have to re-pay me for all his vet bills and boarding costs. He has been scheduled to be neutered next week, before I can release him to anyone, whether it is a previous owner or a new adopter. We cannot accept personal cheques or any type of payment plan.
If we believed that this was an accidental loss of a pet and it was going to be returned to a safe environment, we would return that pet (still needing to be compensated for the care).
The vet bill on Friday was for $111.23, which includes a combo test for Feline Leukemia and FIV, a fecal analysis ( which discovered roundworms) and a full set of vaccines; FVRCP + Leukemia and Rabies. We also paid for the following medications: Advantage $12, Milbemax $10, Clavamox $25 ( an antibiotic for his bite wound injuries). We paid $50 for professional grooming on Saturday, since his fur was badly matted and he had to have a bath to clean all the fleas and dirt from his fur. We follow the same policy as the SPCA and HRM Animal Services, and need to charge $25 a day for boarding costs.

The total we would have to be re-imbursed so far is $358.23, plus he must still be neutered, so that’s an extra $90 on top of that figure.

Please call or email me within the next 24 hours if you wish to discuss this further,

Sonya Higgins
Cat rescuer extraordinaire
469-MEOW

so what do you think? Will I ever hear back from this person? Will she try to make a bad name for our rescue and claim that her pet was "stolen" ? Will she even give a damn, now that she knows how much she is on the hook for financially? Will she browse Kijiji for another free kitten? Will she learn a lesson about keeping her pets inside? Will she bother to spay and neuter her other 8 year old cat or her dog?
Worse thought, will I end up taking more animals from this person if someone el;se finds them on the streets and surrenders them as strays?
Can't she be stopped? There are millions out there like her, who leave animals outside all day long and THINK IT'S OKAY - not in my books!

abandoned cats tied up in a box

2009-08-10T23:41:00.003-03:00

It is time for government to fund animal rescues and get legislation in place to deal with cruelty and abandonment cases. We also need a huge amount of Public Education and PR about abandoning pets, and the importance of spay and neuter. The problem, is not with cats - the probelm is with people who allow cats to breed.
My favorite bumper sticker I've seen in a while: Don't litter, fix your critter

This article was recently in the Herald:

The faces of abandonment
Ditched kitties just tip of the icebergBy BRIAN MEDEL Yarmouth BureauSat. Aug 8 - 4:46 AM
These kittens were tied up in a cardboard box and tossed into a water-filled Digby County ditch.These kittens were tied up in a cardboard box and tossed into a water-filled Digby County ditch
This cardboard box held an adult cat and her young kittens. (Brian Medel / Yarmouth Bureau
DIGBY — It’s been one week since someone stuffed a mother cat and her kittens into a cardboard box, tied it shut with black twine and then tossed the box into a ditch filled with water.The animals are alive, but the director of a local animal shelter is fuming.Dorothy Andrews said that she saw two kittens and an adult cat sitting by a soggy cardboard box as she was driving home from the TLC Animal Shelter at about 6 p.m. on Aug. 1.The cat had somehow scratched and poked her way through the wet box as it lay partially submerged, less than two kilometres from the animal shelter.Ms. Andrews said the cat had likely pulled her kittens out of the box, which had been tied shut like a Christmas gift.Ms. Andrews went back to the shelter for a live trap and some cat food. When she returned to the scene, she heard another kitten crying a few hundred metres away. This cat was larger and obviously from a different litter. It too had been thrown away.On Wednesday, another kitten was found near the trap, barely able to move."It must have been hiding under the brush," Ms. Andrews said Friday.The mother hasn’t been caught yet, and no wonder, said Ms. Andrews. The animal is traumatized, she said."I’ve seen the mom there looking for her babies," said Ms. Andrews. "I set a bigger trap there but I can’t seem to catch her."Sadly this episode is not unique.At the end of each month when people move, cats and dogs are often left inside the former residence or tied outside. Sometimes they’re simply left to wander.People routinely drop cats at the shelter during the night, sometimes in boxes and sometimes loose, said Ms. Andrews."A neighbour will call and say, ‘My neighbour moved out west and is not coming back and they left their dog," said Ms. Andrews."These are adults . . . and the children are seeing this."The TLC Animal Shelter is a "no kill" shelter, and it’s bursting with cats and dogs.All animals that pass through the shelter are spayed or neutered before being released for adoption. The shelter relies solely on donations and all who work there volunteer their time.The shelter needs supplies, especially cat food."We so over-supplied with cats," said Ms. Andrews.It’s important to stress to pet owners that they are responsible for finding homes for pets they can no longer keep, she said.( bmedel@herald.ca)

Raffle basket - tickets for Sale

2009-08-10T23:32:00.001-03:00

ca-r-ma and Healing Animal SCARS
Raffle Basket
Tickets only $2 each or 3 for $5
Lottery Licence #
AGA-225891.09

Disney’s Aristocats 5 piece Gift Set – cat bed, blanket, collar, 2 stuffed cat toys
Double-wide Cardboard Scratch Post with catnip
Large deluxe Cats bath towel Cat & Kitten Birthday Book
Green Polar fleece Friskies blanket Herring Steak cat treats
White golf shirt with Friskies logo Blue plastic large food dish
Cat Tunnel Exercise Toy Cat litter box plastic tray liners
Catnip “grow it yourself” Garden Large tub of Cosmic Catnip
Magnetic Cat notepad Ceramic ornament - Cat with hat & ribbon
Brooch: silver 3 cats in a basket pin Cat Charm Key Chain
Anna’s Bears & Wares ceramic Cat Pin
Ceramic Cat magnet Bottle of “Keep Away” cat repellent
Set of 4 pewter cat magnets – Seagull Pewter
Small pewter clock with 2 cats - Seagull Pewter Cat wallet
Garfield pencil and bookmark 14 Cat Toys
Black and white cat Pen
Cat stickers EZ Fill Automatic Waterer and Feed dish
Healing Animal SCARS - Sonya's Cat & Animal Rescue Society has joined forces with ca-r-ma (CAt-Rescue-MAritimes) to hold a raffle fundraiser.
We have a large basket of cat-related items valued at over $250 to be raffled off. Tickets are being sold for only $2.00 each or you can buy 3 tickets for $5.00.
They are available for sale at the Eastern Passage Village Veterinary Hospital at 105 Cow Bay Road, or you may contact Sonya at 469-MEOW or at katsonya@accesswave.ca to purchase tickets.
The draw date is September 30th and it will take place at the EP Village Vet Hospital.
Lottery permit # AGA-225891.09

Snowflake needs a home

2009-08-10T23:29:00.002-03:00

Home Wanted

This very loving kitty needs a home. He’s a wonderful kitty (currently called Snowflake) who wants nothing more than a safe, comfortable home. He has all his needles, has tested free of Feline Leukemia and FIV, is neutered and is all ready to love. He’s quite content to be an indoor kitty. If you can help, please call
469-MEOW

We will interview potential adopters and ask them for a donation towards his vet care, and to sign an adoption contract

Petition to HRM for TNR of cats

2009-08-10T23:22:00.002-03:00

I have started a petition to be presented during my meeting with the Mayor and Council. It asks for funding from the municipality to be provided for a Trap, Neuter, Return (TNR) program in Halifax Regional Municipality.

It reads as follows:

Healing Animal SCARS – Sonya’s Cat & Animal Rescue Society Petition Started August 5th, 2009
Phone 469-MEOW Email: katsonya@accesswave.ca by Sonya Higgins
Website: http://www.petfinder.com/shelters/NS28.html 143 Briarwood Drive, Eastern Passage, NS B3G 1B7

Petition to HRM for TNR of stray and feral cats
We, the undersigned, do request municipal funding from HRM to create a TNR (Trap, Neuter, Return) program for stray and feral cats in our community. TNR involves humanely trapping cats to take to the vet for medical attention, including testing for Feline Leukemia and FIV, then fully vaccinating each cat and getting it spayed or neutered to prevent population growth. Tame cats and kittens would be put into shelters and adoption programs, while feral or wild cats would be returned to their original location and provided with a volunteer caretaker to feed and monitor the cat colony for injured or sick cats, and to watch for new entries that would need to be TNR’ed to keep the colony size stable.

I would like to get help to distribute paper copies of this petition across HRM, in businesses and workplaces. If anyone would like copies, please contact Sonya at 469-MEOW or email katsonya@accesswave.ca

My lofty goal is to obtain 25,000 signatures. If we can show the politicians that this is an issue that matters to the taxpayers of HRM, perhaps they will take it seriously and consider providing tax dollars $$ to volunteer groups, who could carry out the work on behalf of HRM. All we need is money to pay the vets!

finally something sensible on Kijiji

2009-07-08T00:22:00.000-03:00

Free to a good home – two male HUMANS – father and son combo. Breaks my heart to have to part with them as I've had them for such a long time. The trouble is – I’m afraid one is going to seriously hurt the other if they continue to live in the family home and obedience classes for either one is out of the question (aka expensive). In addition, all of a sudden I’ve become allergic to the younger one! The older one does need a bit more attention - certainly is in good health, but urinates and poops on the floor when left alone for more than 12 hours, isn't walked or played with. I would like to keep them together or the suppressed behaviourial problems might surface. They are used to being ignored and would thrive with the right attention. I guess I should have done the research before committing to such a huge responsibility and forever screwing up their lives.

Does anyone realize that it sounds just as ridiculous when you are giving away a pet? Animals are supposed to be for life, not just keep them until it becomes inconvenient. Please consider your animal's feelings before detaching them from the lives and people they are accustomed to. For people considering adopting an animal, why not leave Kijiji now and surf on over to Petfinder, where you can save a life of a shelter animal? Before you decide to take a pet home, be prepared for a lifetime committment!

Kittens to adopt

2009-06-17T00:07:00.006-03:00

Elegance and Hallie are the last 2 kittens left for adoption. They are survivors of a distemper outbreak. Each one is loveable in their own way. Elegance is more feisty and a bit of a tomboy, as she loves to wrestle with Hallie. Hallie, on the other hand, will purr as soon as you touch her, and is gentler most of the time. But when she sees something she is afraid of ( a big cat or a raccoon) Hallie will growl and hiss and act tough! Both kittens are sweet and cuddly in bed.

Read about Elegance here: http://www.petfinder.com/petnote/displaypet.cgi?petid=13590964

and here is Hallie's biography http://www.petfinder.com/petnote/displaypet.cgi?petid=13795814 She was already spayed, to prevent accidental litters of kittens.

We are hoping to adopt them out soon, so we can finish disinfecting the rescue workshop and re-paint it. Then we can begin rescuing new cats again!

Jeannie's owners passed away and she needs a new home ASAP

2009-06-17T00:04:00.002-03:00

Hello animal lovers,
I am sending out a desperate plea for help. Jeannie is a formerly feral cat who was rescued in February 2007 from the waterfront in Eastern Passage. A kind lady named Gloria had been feeding Jeanie and her kittens until I rescued them. Eventually she ended up adopting Jeannie and understood that the cat was still a little bit hissy and fearful of humans. The family came to love Jeannie a great deal and she fit in well, despite a few bites when she wasn’t getting enough attention!
Sadly, Gloria passed away in December 2008 and Jeannie came back to live with me for a few months, while the family got their lives back in order. In March 2009 Jeannie went back to live with Gloria’s daughter Lisa and has been getting along well in her new home. Unfortunately, Lisa just got news today that her father passed away while on a trip to visit family in Scotland, so Lisa has to leave the country and cannot take care of Jeannie anymore. She doesn’t even know where she will be living when/if she returns to Canada.
So we are really hoping that somebody out there is willing to foster or adopt Jeannie. She is a spicy little meatball that needs a person who understands her moods. Here are some excerpts from emails between myself and the Lindsay family

“I couldn’t wait to tell you that Jeannie hopped on my lap last night when I was sitting on the couch. I rubbed her for a while, she hissed and pretended to bite, so I shooed her off of me. I am NOT going to reward nasty behaviour! A few minutes later, she jumped back up and sat in my lap for a long time. Tonight she got in Frank’s lap while he was downstairs building a fire. She is meowing at me as soon as I get home and in the front door. I think she has decided to claim me as her own! “

“It will be good to find a home for Jeannie but I will miss her. She has fit in quite nicely here after a while, and chases the other cats playfully. She has totally taken over the spare room downstairs yet spends a lot of time upstairs and even hops into my bed with me sometimes. She is very playful and wants affection”

Please consider giving Jeannie a chance. You can begin by fostering her, and I will provide the food and litter, then if you fall in love, you can keep her without an adoption fee. If you are interested or know someone who needs a cat, you may contact Sonya by phoning 469-MEOW or by email at katsonya@accesswave.ca

Her profile in on my Petfinder website here: http://www.petfinder.com/petnote/displaypet.cgi?petid=8196117

Sonya Higgins
Chairman/Director, “Sonya’s Cat & Animal Rescue Society”
katsonya@accesswave.ca
http://www.petfinder.com/shelters/NS28.html
469-MEOW (469-6369)

Bottle Drive was a success, but we need more volunteers

2009-05-17T08:34:00.005-03:00

We did a bottle drive yesterday and earned nearly $400 to help the animals. While I am content with any amount, it would be nice if we had a bigger team of volunteers to help with the fundraising.

I must thank the volunteers who did show up:

Darlene Richard: a fabulous woman who is my lifesaver! Without Darlene's help I don't know what I would do! She volunteers almost every day in the kitty workshop, and I can always count on her to help with fundraisers. Darlene and her husband Michel have adopted Hazey and Eeyore from Healing Animal SCARS, and they paid to TNR some cats in their back yard.

Darlene volunteered to stand all day at a table to display our cause and collect donations.

Shane Bennett: Another wonderful regular volunteer who is reliable and helps with everything under the sun. Shane and his lovely wife Amanda have adopted Marble from our rescue. They live just down the street from me, so I can call on them for anything, and they even take home laundry to clean for the kitties!

Lee Sampson: the big hearted pizza man! He runs the King of Donair on Windmill Road and has helped numerous cats. He recently adopted Reese (aka Cinnamon), an emaciated and dying cat foundoutside his restaurant. When I found her, Lee immediately took over as her Fairy Godfather and my vet and I were considering euthanizing her, but Lee nurtured her back to life.

Anita Doward: she was willing to drive, even with last minute notice from me, and always helps at our Bottle Drives. Anita takes in stray cats too and has 4 lovely young kitties for adoption on our website.

http://search.petfinder.com/shelterSearch/shelterSearch.cgi?shelterid=NS28&preview=1

Nicole Bigney: a great lady who works at Mercedes and has helped with many events since we began almost 3 years ago. It was great to see you again Nicole!

Wendy McKellar: another great gal, she lives in Shearwater and I helped her find her missing cat Skytz a few months ago. Wendy was willing to pitch in and help with her mini-van, even with two babies in carseats! Thanks a bunch for your help!

Juanita Faulkner and her son Adam Greenly: They read an ad on Kijiji and offered to start volunteering. Adam sells chocolate bars and donated the $24 profit to Healing Animal SCARS. Big thanks to a great young man!

Katie Hanrahan: my little sunshine girl! Katie has been a dedicated volunteer and always helps out at the kitty shed and at all events. I can always count on you Katie! You're the best!

Rachel Dix: another sweet girl who lives on my street and helps with Bottle Drives and Car washes. We really appreciate your help!

Michelle Clark: she helps with the kitties too and many fundraisers. Michelle brought along a new volunteer to help, her friend Kelly

Kelly: Thanks so much for joining us yesterday! We hope to see you at future events

Kassie Hagen: Her family has rescued countless cats and found homes. Kassie is a young woman with a huge heart and loves all animals. She has brought me many kittens over the years, most recently a litter of barn kittens from the barn where she keeps her horse. Unfortunately these kittens turned out to have Distemper and 4 of the 5 kittens died. Elegance is still hanging on though, and looking better every day.

We pray that Elegance will pull through and be the true poster child survivor story!

So in closing, I want to thank all the volunteers who showed up, and every person who donated to our cause, whether by donating refundables to the volunteers who knocked on your doors, or those who dropped off recyclables to the Depot to donate to our cause.

The kittens thank you too!

SPCA hosting Town Hall Meeting on feral cats

2009-05-10T23:46:00.000-03:00

Will you attend this important meeting?
http://www.spcans.ca/events.html
May 30, 2009
Town Hall Meeting on Stray and Feral Cats
8:30AM-12:00PM,
Saint Mary's University, Sobey Building, Room 265,
903 Robie Street, Halifax.
Volunteers, advocates, concerned residents, municipal animal services staff, and veterinarians from across the province are invited to this meeting facilitated by the Nova Scotia SPCA to discuss approaches for managing and assisting stray and feral cat populations. The meeting will provide a forum for generating new collaborations and sharing information

Ruffian is doing well in his foster home

2009-05-10T23:40:00.002-03:00

Ruffian is making himself at home in a new place again.

He is now comfortably ensconced in a spare room chez Angela Miller until we can find him a purr-manent home! Angela and her partner Mark are actively helping us look for an appropriate home, where Ruffian will be understood and loved. After all he has been through, I don’t think I should send him home with just “anyone”. While he has been very good with the many children he has met in my rescue workshop over the years, and he is great with my boyfriend’s 4 year old daughter Sidney, I do not entirely trust him not to lash out with his claws if a child alarmed or harmed him. So I don’t think he should go to a home with small children. Also I have tried adopting him to someone with physical limitations but they could not reach under the furniture he was hiding under. At first he is shy but if you can reach under the bed/chair/couch/whatever, Ruffian pushes his head against your hand to get rubbed. Soon after he will come out and sit on the furniture and allow you to caress him all over! He is very playful and loves other cats, if properly introduced. He was very social with the multitudes of cat-friends he met in my rescue workshop over the years.

Here is the latest message from Ruffian's foster family, sent Sunday afternoon:

Hi Sonya,
Ruffian doesn't hide anymore. Whenever we go in to visit he is laying on the bed. When one of us lays down with him he snuggles right in :)
Mark's dad popped by yesterday afternoon and met Ruffian. He really liked him. He told Wilma (Mark's mom) about him and she wants to meet him. Would it be okay with you if we took Ruffian up to meet Wilma ?
(edited)
She has a soft spot for orange tabbies, and they didn't want a male cat, but they may make an exception for him and put in an application to adopt him.
Apparently Wilma really missed Moxie once we got back from Mexico last month, and they started talking more about getting a cat of their own.
Angela

So together I hope we can find a permanent home for this loveable cat! Truly everyone who meets him loves him.

Barn Kittens with Panleukopenia

2009-05-09T22:09:00.004-03:00

these 5 kitties were found by Kassie Hagen at the barn where she rides horse, so she and her mom delivered them to me on Saturday night, April 25th. It appears they are from 2 different litters. The 2 orange tabbies and the brown tabby are about 5 weeks old. The two tiny black striped kittens are only 2-3 weeks old

Tue, 5 May 2009 18:19

Friday, May 8th

Unicef has joined his brother Tongo at the Rainbow Bridge. I will miss him so much! Unicef was doing farily well when he went to the vet yesterday afternoon, but upon arriving home he suddenly took a turn for the worse. He wouldn't eat anymore, got very tired and lethargic, then started vomiting bile. Over 24 hours he lost a lot of weight, could not even keep waer or Pedialite down, and had constant mucous coming from his poor sore little bum. Last night his fever skyrocketed to 40.3 degrees Celsius, so this morning I decided to bring him to the vet for IV fluids, instead of giving subcutaneous fluids every few hours. As soon as the kind doctor saw him, she shook her head and said, "No, Sonya" She knew he couldn't handle the trauma of having an IV needle stuck in his leg, the veins are too tiny , dehydrated and collapsed. I took a few moments to say goodbye to him, kiss him goodbye, and then I held Unicef while the vet gave the needle to end his pain and suffering.

Ruffian has found another foster home

2009-05-09T12:15:00.002-03:00

Ruffian has been rescued again.

I posted the following request on Facebook: "Ruffian needs a home ASAP - he is coming back from foster this week and cannot enter the infected rescue workshop , due to the distemper outbreak. Check out his profile here http://www.facebook.com/l/;http://www.petfinder.com/petnote/displaypet.cgi?petid=8002355 and tell everyone who loves cats that he is about to become homeless! Foster or adopt this lovely boy"

Well the Facebook nation came through for me! I had a few responses from adopters and volunteers, also Laurie Wheeler posted Ruffian's bio on her HART website here: http://www.valleyhart.com/adoptus.htm

Yesterday I met a wonderful woman, Angela, who offered to bring Ruffian into her home of 2 other cats and 2 dogs. I brought her to his former foster home, and she met him and saw how he like to be rubbed, once I dragged him out from under the bed. So I brought him to Angela's house to help him get settled in. It is starting as a foster home, but if he gets along well with the dogs and resident cats, he may be adopted!

Here is a message sent this morning by Angela, his new foster Mom

Hi Sonya,
just wanted to give a quick update on Ruffian. He came out from under the bed last night on his own after a few hours of Mark and myself being in and out of the room for visits. He hopped up on the bed with Mark at one point and laid down with him.
Both our cats have been at the door hissing and sniffing. Ruffian is interested and goes to the door but doesn't make any noises. He also caught a good look at our German Shepherd, I don't think he knew what to make of that, but he seemed very curious.
Last night around 3:30am he started to cry. He was scratching around in his litterbox quite a bit too. So I went in and cleaned the box and added some more litter. He was still crying so I gave him some more food and he seemed fine after that.
This morning he's playing hard to get again, but I don't expect it will last too long based on last night.
Angela

Bottle Drive Fundraiser

2009-05-06T11:29:00.002-03:00

Healing Animal SCARS is doing another bottle drive to fundraise for rescued cats and kittens. Please let me know if you would be available to volunteer on Saturday May 16th from 9:30am to 1pm

We need to fundraise to cover veterinary costs, as each cat is tested for Feline Leukemia and FIV, fully vaccinated and spayed or neutered. Each cat can cost over $300 so raising money is vital to our rescue.

Desperate plea: we had an outbreak of distemper and need to buy all new supplies and pay the vet bill for the sick kitten that was euthanized. Now more than ever, we need helpers for this bottle drive. If you don't want to travel to join us in the Eastern Passage area, maybe you could canvass your own neighbourhood for refundables and let me know how to obtain it from you.

We need volunteers with a truck or van to drive! Other volunteers can be passengers and knock on doors to request donations.

Residents who wish to support may deliver their own refundable recyclables to the Enviro Depot on Cow Bay Road in Eastern Passage at any time and put it on Sonya's Cat Rescue account. Each month we earn enough to neuter another cat! Every can or bottle helps add up to make a difference.

Call 469-MEOW to volunteer or donate or adopt a cat.

2009-05-06T11:28:00.001-03:00

Hi there friends and supporters,

It is with great sadness that I must report that for the first time in 3 years and 201 rescued cats, we have a confirmed case of distemper (panleukopenia) in a kitten. Tongo was outwardly healthy for the first 8 days he was here, but on Sunday morning, he suddenly fell quite ill. We treated him and kept him as comfortable as possible, but by Monday afternoon, he was too far gone to hold out any hope for survival, so I helped him make a trip up to Heaven, by humanely euthanizing him at the vet.

His littermates, Elegance and Unicef, are living in separate cages, so I can monitor how much each of them is eating, drinking, peeing or pooping. The other 3 kittens (Gemma, Hallie and Woofer) are doing fine, still sharing a cage. For those who have visited the rescue workshop in the past week and seen the kittens: Thanks for all your help with them in the last week,and I wish I could still let volunteers come over, but it is shut for now. Quarantine is required to diminsh risk of contamintaion. We don't want the sickness to spread, but the volunteers shouldn't have to worry about bringing it home to thier cats, as long as those cats are up to date on vaccines
Here is what I wrote on Facebook on Monday morning, before he died:
I am very sorry to report that for the first time in our 3 years of rescue, we have a kitten with distemper, also called panleukopenia. He is very sick and I am praying he will survive, but it is not looking good. Tongo was doing fine since he arrived last Saturday, but yesterday he suddenly developed a high fever, is vomiting, has bloody diarrhea and no appetite or energy. We provided Pedialyte and subcutaneous fluids last night, and this morning I took him to my vet. He was tested with a rectal swab SNAP test, and it came back positive, so this is not just a suspected case, but has been confirmed.
Thus we are trying to disinfect EVERYTHING he may have come in contact with, and will have to keep the rescue workshop under QUARANTINE until further notice. Donations of bleach and disinfecting wipes are badly needed.
We will have to throw away all our litter boxes, scratching posts and cat beds. We would really appreciate donations of new cat supplies, to re-stock our rescue.
As it is, I don't have any idea how I am going to pay the enormous vet bills! Please volunteer at our Bottle Drive on May 16th Thanks so much,
Sonya Higgins

Since writing that message, I have had a case of bleach donated! So we don’t need any more bleach right now, but I am including a “Wish List” for the things we could use:

I would like the following items for cleaning:
paper towels
boxes of tissues
Disinfecting wipes (Lysol, Mr. Clean, Clorox or any brand)
hand sanitizer
small hand broom sweepers with dust pans

Extra miscellaneous items:
a Dust Buster
a space heater
a large cat scratching post or tower
a digital thermometer

Cat items:
small scratching posts
cat beds
cat blankets
toys: balls, mice, feather wands, etc
cat carriers
litter boxes
litter scoops

Of course, we need money to help cover the vet bills. Donations of cash may be made in person at the Eastern Passage Village Vet hospital to the SCARS account. They also accept debit and credit card. If you want to donate, but cannot make it to the vet in person, you can call in your credit card and they would mail you a receipt. I have also had a few people send me an Interac email money transfer.
Personal Cheques are not accepted at the vet, but may be mailed to me:
143 Briarwood Drive
Eastern Passage, NS
B3G 1B7

Thank you so very much on behalf of the (remaining) kitties,

Since the distemper virus can live for a long time in the environment, as it is airborne, we will NOT be able to take in any new kitty cats for quite some time. At least a few months, possibly for up to a year! This does NOT mean the end of Healing Animal SCARS – we can still help people who are willing to foster the kitties through our program. I can also still help folks who want to TNR an adult cat, as long as they are not looking for financial assistance. People who want to help a feral or stray cat and are willing to pay the reduced veterinary costs, can borrow a trap form me, get help trapping, plenty of advice. I can lend them equipment to keep the cat confined in their own shed or spare room for a few days post surgery. I just cannot have any new cats come into my rescue for a while. So please spread the word! We need foster homes desperately!

Sonya Higgins
Chairman/Director, “Healing Animal SCARS - Sonya’s Cat & Animal Rescue Society”
katsonya@accesswave.ca
http://www.petfinder.com/shelters/NS28.html
469-MEOW (469-6369)

getting rid of cats on Kijiji

2009-04-30T15:45:00.003-03:00

Why do I ever look on Kijiji? I post ads about my rescue and have found some wonderful volunteers and compassionate people, but when I see so many ads to "get rid of" a cat or "free kittens" it makes me sick.
The following is an example of someone giving away kittens. When I asked for more information, this is the story I got:

Date: Wed, 29 Apr 2009
From: katsonya@accesswave.ca :
RE: Reply to your "Kittens For FREE!!" Ad on Kijiji
To: debra
____________________________________________
can you tell me more about these kittens?

She replies:

They are six weeks old.I cant tell if they're boys or girls they're healthy.i own the mother, shes the most loving cat ever.the father is a male cat from the neighbor hood & hes a tabby.

So I stupidly reply again, offering to help:

Hi Debra, If you are interested in getting the mother cat spayed, I can get you a discount at my vet. Then I would be willing to take these kittens to adopt into loving homes that can afford their health care. One of the pictures shows a kitten with black, white and orange – calico cats are always girls. Sonya Higgins

then she tells me____________________________________________

hi first of all i also have another cat that had 3 kittens 3 weeks ago a black and white 1 and 2 orange ones they are all short hair also i was wondering how all calico can be females when the mother is not a calico so that would mean that the father is i think anyways how much would it coast me to get both females spayed and i dont have a car or any way 2 get them to a vet

End quote. So the only way I could possibly help someone like this is to put myself in great personal debt to spay/neuter her pets and take away all the kittens. This would probably not teach her any lesson about the importance of Sp/neutering because the next cat she gets, she will figure, "hey, Sonya will just take care of it for me"

In conversations with other animal rescuers and shelter managers, I hear a lot of different philosophies, such as "if you can't afford an animal, you should not get it in the first place" What about those softies who can't bear to watch a starving stray and when they start feeding it, more cats show up, start mating and make a colony on the kind person's property? It is so easy to get in over your head. The local SPCA used to tell people not to feed stray cats if they didn't want them around. Or that if they did feed the cat, it was now thiers, so they had to pay to get it fixed and the shelter wouldn' t take it. Luckily, their position statements have changed, pointing out that NOT feeding is inhumane and even starving pets still mate.
Wow, I got off topic here... Kijiji sucks for pets... The posts should be only permitted for rescue groups and animal related services, not backyard breeders and people who continually allow thier cat to have kttens by accident... We need a TNR and spay and neuter clinic here in the Halifax area NOW

Adoptathon

2009-04-30T15:43:00.000-03:00

Healing Animal SCARS is sniffing out good owners for homeless pets.
Thousands of animal welfare organizations in cities across North America and around the world are teaming up with Healing Animal SCARS for Pet Adoptathon 2009, an event designed to unite pet-loving adopters with homeless pets that are in need of quality homes. Pet Adoptathon, founded by North Shore Animal League America, is a 36-hour event scheduled for May 2nd and 3rd that aims to link thousands of dogs, cats, puppies and kittens with good loving adopters.
Pet Adoptathon 2009 will kick off at 9am, Saturday May 2nd.
Name of organization Healing Animal SCARS
Address 143 Briarwood Drive
Day/Date Sat, May 2nd and Sun, May 3rd
Time 9am to 8pm
For more information, call 469-MEOW.

Looking for that special someone in your life? That lifelong companion? Lifelong friends have been hard to find
... until now.
Healing Animal SCARS has just the friend for you — a furry friend, that is. On May 2nd - 3rd, we are
joining thousands of other animal welfare organizations throughout the world for Pet Adoptathon 2009. The annual worldwide event, founded by North Shore Animal League America, was organized to make lifelong friends by matching adorable homeless pets with loving people — like you.
Special Pet Adoptathon 2009 activities include things you won’t want to miss. Specially trained volunteers will help find you the perfect pet to match your lifestyle.
So visit Healing Animal SCARS at 143 Briarwood Drive in Eastern Passage on May 2nd - 3rd, from 9am to 8pm to find your lifelong friend. For more information, call 469-MEOW

TNR - overcoming objections

2009-04-30T15:42:00.001-03:00

TNR involves several aspects to be successful. First we humanely trap each cat and transport it to a vet for testing for disease, vaccinations to keep it healthy, and it is spayed or neutered to prevent further populations of cats from being born. (After a cat is surgically altered, it will stop many, if not all, of the undesirable behaviours, such as spraying urine to mark territory, howling and fighting during mating, and it will improve the cat's quality of life.)
TNR Part 1: If the cat is feral or wild, we would opt to return it to the original location - relocation is rarely an option, as it requires weeks of containment in the new area to ensure the cats doesn't just run away. A newcomer cat is not always welcome in an existing or new colony and would have to fight for food and hierarchy within that colony.
TNR Part 2: If the cat is tame or we find a kitten, obviously we don't want to return it to a hard life on the streets, so we put it into an adoption program.
TNR Part 3: If the cat tests positive for either Feline Leukemia or Feline AIDS (FIV) then we would opt for humane euthanasia. This prevents suffering of the individual sick animal and also serves to protect the countless number of other cats who could be infected from one sick feline.

TNR = Trap, Neuter, Return: It is all part of having a healthy, stable, sterile colony of cats returned to keep the colony from growing. Google information on the vacuum effect for cat colonies that are simply removed, you will see that it is only a band-aid to a much larger problem. Removing all the cats simply leaves space for more cats to move into the territory and start reproducing. They cycle continues. Once a whole colony has been TNR'ed, if a new cat is abandoned or shows up at a colony that has already been fully fixed, then we can catch the newcomer right away and get it fixed to prevent more kittens.
I got 2 females from the Cove spayed last week, and both were pregnant... Do you think I should have left those dozen kittens to be born outside and suffer with the rest? NO - we must spay and neuter all the cats there ASAP if we don't want dozens of kittens being born this season. Of those born, less than half will survive to 6 weeks, succumbing to cold, starvation, infection and parasites, or being eaten alive by larger prey. So let's do TNR to help the whole problem. Some objections are easy to overcome, others need a little research into a solution, but I believe that we can do it!

Once returned, the cats will have 3 things to improve conditions:

1. Shelter
2. Feeding station
3. Litter boxes

Update on Fisherman's Cove colony of cats

2009-04-30T15:40:00.000-03:00

April 29th
Here is an update: I have take 8 cats in total from Fisherman's Cove. Four of them were kittens or tame cats that had been dumped there, so I sent them into adoption programs. They don't deserve to endure the hazards of living outside!

The other 4 cats were young semi-ferals that I wanted to return to the Cove after they had been tested, vaccinated and spayed/neutered, BUT too many people were objecting to me returning them. Some fishermen threatened to kill them if they caught the cats on board their vessels... Harbour authorities also said they will poison them. Other cruel individuals threaten to shoot them, just because they see the cats as a nuisance.

So I ended up relocating these 4 cats to a barn, thanks to help from the Provincial SPCA

A maintenance worker was quite upset with me for removing cats - and told me I better pay for rat removal too! How can I please everyone?

The day after an article was published in the Chronicle Herald, I found a dead cat at the Cove, so it was sent for an autopsy, to determine if it was natural causes or cruelty (ex: shooting, poison, drowning). I am aware that some people making threats are just "acting tough" but I have had confirmed reports of men beating a cat to death with a shovel... I don't want to catch the individuals, just to educate the community at large about cats and hopefully prevent more cruelty.

I know TNR (Trap, Neuter, Return) is the only effective way of managing cat colonies, but I cannot get the locals of Fisherman's Cove to come to an agreement on what to do... Some folks are mad if I don't take away the cats, others are upset if I DO take away the cats.. I just can't win!!! And nobody in the community has offered to assist financially, so I have to fundraise and spend money out of my own pocket to pay for the vet work.

If all the cats were removed, it creates a vacuum effect and more cats would move into the territory and start the cycle all over again. So TNR is the only way to maintain a stable colony size and keep the rat catchers working!
Two of the cats I caught were pregnant, so the vet spayed them to prevent the birth of more kittens who would suffer. One black cat has had her kittens and is hiding them outside somewhere, hopefully I will find them before it's too late. There are also 2 other pregnant cats there, ready to drop any day!

Suggestions are welcomed.

Harbourville Cats still around

2009-04-14T20:50:00.001-03:00

The following is an email I recieved moments ago from Laurie Wheeler, of HART

Hello everyone,
Scott Saunders, Anthony Watton and myself all went to the Wharf at Harbourville late this afternoon to post signs. Much to our total disbelief we immediately spotted two ferals on the restaurant deck. I will attach pics later, IF they turned out. We were so shocked. These are the two that live under the deck area of the restaurant. We immediately went over to the rocks by the water, not too close to the restaurant, and didn't see any evidence of the other cats. We waited a while, but nothing. We are wondering if perhaps the colony living in the rocks are the ones removed? We have no idea why the two cats at the restaurant went missing for a few days. When I had received the telephone call from the restaurant owner, Elke Huber, she was adamant that ALL of the feral cats were gone. She was very sure of it. We are praying that they are still alive, but still have many doubts. I personally can't help but wonder why the two we saw this evening were there if the others are gone, or why they went missing for a few days, and did not touch their every day feedings for a few days .... beats the heck out of me. Needless to say, we did not post ANYTHING. If ALL of the ferals are still there then we still want to perform a TNR. We want this done ASAP. We cannot do anything until we know we can return these cats after having them altered and tested, IF they are still there. If there are only the two cats by the restaurant we will still TNR those two. A meeting must be held asap regarding this URGENT matter to deal with these cats PROPERLY (TNR). I wish we knew had more proof of whether they are or are not there. I need someone to camp out there and watch the "rock area"!!! Any volunteers??!!!
Warm regards, Laurie WheelerPresident, H.A.R.T.
visit our website:www.valleyhart.com
Please spay and neuter your pet!

Atlantic Regional Summit

2009-04-14T20:28:00.000-03:00

Hello animal people,

Check out this information – I plan to attend. It would be good to convince all HRM animal control/services staff to attend this summit.

I am especially concerned about the identification of deceased pets since I discovered last week that HRM does NOT check for microchips when they dispose of a pet carcass. Microchips can be an effective way of reuniting lost pets with their owners, but it would be good if municipalities would start to scan the dead bodies to see if they were micro-chipped so the owner can be identified and become aware of the outcome of their lost pet.

http://www.bsuas.com/Content/Documents/Document.ashx?DocId=43567

Sonya Higgins
Cat rescuer extraordinaire
469-MEOW
http://www.petfinder.com/shelters/NS28.html

Help needed to start TNR at Fisherman's Cove

2009-04-02T15:51:00.002-03:00

I am looking for volunteers to help me start a TNR program in Eastern Passage at the Fisherman's Cove, where some fishermen want to get rid of the cats. We need to convince them that it is beneficial to keep a small sterilized colony of cats there to manage the rats, if we remove all the cats the vacuum effect will allow more new cats to move in and start the cycle all over again.
Update April 14th - I have captured 7 cats so far, 4 of them were adoptable and the other 3 have been spayed and neutered, etc. I want to be able to return these 3 cat sto their own home environemtn at Fisherman's Cove, but until I am convinced that there will be no cruelty I do not want to put the cats back. Any suggestions welcomed.

support needed for cat shelter - Denise's reply

2006-12-08T16:09:00.001-04:00

Hi Sonya,
The neighbor that threatened to shut you down. What are the laws re a non profit on your property?
Re some of her concerns:
Increased foot traffic............no more than her family or daughter having people in. There are 3 of them and only 1 of you! People are on your property and not theirs. They may want to put up a fence if it bothers them that much. Bags of cat litter in the garbage.............well, there are not too many homes that do not have pets, and where else might the cat litter go? Verbal abuse from them is not called for. You are on your property and not theirs. Who and how many people are at your place should be nothing to them. If the verbal abuse and harassment keeps up you will; maybe have to look at a restraining order.Maybe your neighbors would prefer to see hundreds of cats running around, tearing up their flowers beds, etc..
I think you are doing a great job.
Denise

> Hello to all the wonderful supporters of Healing Animal SCARS,>> When I sent a mass email requesting help to insulate and drywall my shelter, I had many encouraging responses and ended up with 4 wonderful men who gladly volunteered their time. I cannot thank them and their families enough! I could never have done it myself, and am truly grateful for their community spirit. They ended up not only providing their construction services; one family decided to take 2 mother cats in to foster, and other volunteers joined the Simply Delicious Fundraising Sales Team - best $2 chocolate bar around! So I need to thank Bill Flowers, Marc Chenier, Marc Perron, Mike Power, Michael Pollett and Matthew for their help again today, trying to complete the job out in the shed.
However, as my city councillor, Becky Kent predicted, a neighbour has threatened to "get it shut down" because I don't have the right to do this next door to her home. This neighbour exploded at me today, and said she won't live next to a cat house. She seems to feel I am running a business - Ha! As if there were money to be made in rescuing cats! I am requesting your individual feedback. She has some valid concerns to be addressed, such as increased foot traffic and privacy issues, bags of cat litter in the garbage and so on. I did not want to impose upon my neighbours, just to help a few cats.
One of my volunteers was so taken aback by her verbal barrage of me that he spoke up to help, only to be physically threatened by the husband! I would really appreciate if my Board of Directors members can attend the meeting 7pm Wed, Sept 27th, as it is the only night we have available. I want to invite Becky Kent to attend our meeting so that she can address her concerns.
I also need help from anyone who wants to write to our councillor and local politicians to ask them to support a new animal rescue, instead of preventing it from doing good work, help find ways to do that work unobtrusively to my hostile neighbours. Time for campaigning! I can never thank you enough for helping get these cats off of the streets, away from misery, starvation and certain death. You can be proud knowing you have made a difference in saving real lives - 16 adoptions so far and counting. Let people know that pets are not disposable. Please pass your opinions to the politicians below, and any others you can think of! Email can be sent to Becky Kent here: mailto:kentb@halifax.ca> mailto:info@kevindeveaux.com is the way to reach Kevin Deveaux.
Please pass along your own opinion to our politicians and ask what they intend to do about the growing cat population in HRM. Shutting down a fledgling new rescue is not going to help - do they want to be seen as co-operative or non-supporting?
Thanks so much,
Sonya D. Higgins

2006-12-08T16:04:00.001-04:00

Forwarded by Edna on 09/19/2006 09:16 AM -----

"Kevin Deveaux" 09/19/2006 10:07 AM
To Edna
Subject Re: Stray cat population

Thanks for the e-mail. I appreciate your concern with regard to the need to have a better system for dealing with stray cats. As a "cat person" I have always been concerned with the need for a cat bylaw, but your description of how difficult it is to deal with stray cats may change my mind. As for a short-term solution, I would suggest asking some of the service clubs in the community (Lions, Buffaslo, Legion, KoC) if they would help fund a program through Dr. Steele so she has the funds to address this problem. In the longer term, as noted above, a bylaw may allow animal control to deal with such animals. Also, there may be a role for the Province in passing a law dealing with irresponsible owners and the need to spayed or neuter. I would be glad to discuss this in more detail with you, but I wanted to send you some early thoughts to see which direction you would like to proceed. Kevin Deveaux, MLA Cole Harbour-Eastern Passage

----- Original Message ----- From: edna. To: info@kevindeveaux.com ; kentb@halifax.ca Sent: Monday, September 18, 2006 3:38 PM
Subject: Stray cat population Hi, My name is Edna, I live on 15 Serop Cres., Heritage Hills. I have talked to Becky earlier this summer about the over population of stray cats. I wanted to drop you a quick line now, before I formally write to you and others. Late in July, I discovered that a stray cat had made a home under my deck and had a litter of kittens. The first week of August, I found another stray cat on my property and she too had a litter of kittens. I was basically stuck with these 2 mother cats and 9 kittens. I started making phone calls to various agencies to see what could be done, this is what I found:
The SPCA was full - and if they aren't you need to "trap" and bring in the cats yourselves - there is no assistance for this. (rent trap from MacFarlands and try and trap the cats). Liz from the SPCA actually recognized my voice I called day after day.
BideAwhile will not take feral cats,
Animal Control will not come and take cats as they do not fall under the ByLaw,
Of the approx. 30 vets I called only about 4 have cat shelters and they were full,
I called the SPCA in Truro also, although they were full they don't service our area,
Then I began calling the few cat shelters that I could find, Sonya - Healing Animal Scars was full at the time but very supportive and provided alot of information to educate and help me. She is a very energetic, caring, wonderful person who has helped so many people in the past, as I have found out from talking to people in the community. She couldn't take the kittens and cats in from my yard at the time, but offered help in calling people, to assist in trapping etc. Sonya is the only person that I found that is willing to deal with feral cats, to put the time into them that they need so they can be adopted.
I called Dr. Steele (Eastern Passage Vet) who has been so supportive through this whole process, before I called Becky to see what the cost would be if worse case I had to have the Stray cats and kitten euthanized. Most vets have a "no kill" policy so this is not even an option. Dr. Steele is very educated and has experience in the past with stray cats, she has some ideas that should be considered. They are cost efficient and provide easy ways to follow up on offenders.When I called Becky, the first thing she recommended was to contact Sonya, I updated her on all of the avenues I had already done as stated above as I had already called Sonya. At that point there was nothing that she could do for me. She did say to write her a letter. There has been an obviously high population of stray cats in Heritage Hills for several years and it would seem that it is continuing to grow. Everyone knows as you can see the cats running at large when you walk down any street. I don't have many answers or suggestions at this point, which is why I will write to you again soon but want to bring to your attention that there is a problem and something needs to be done. I would not like to see any harm done to the cats; if they can be tamed and adopted that would be great, seeing a greater level of responsibility on the part of the owners in having their animals spayed or neutered. There isn't enough help presently to deal with the number of stray cats. I called the SPCA and some other places again today just before I emailed this to you and currently no one has any space to take any cats or kittens. At the very least, I feel, funding and support should be given to our vet Dr. Steele, as she is a registered Vet and has the skills to make sure that money is spent the best and most efficient way it can be. She is in contact with all of the general public in Eastern Passage and the connections with the "cat shelters". She has years of experience. More support has to be given to shelters - who from my experience are truly caring people who seem to put huge effort into humanely taking care of the cat population, using their personal time and money in response to other peoples carelessness. Owners need to be held more accountable for their animals. I think people should have a choice if they have there cats loose but they should be spayed or neutered. People need to be educated about this. So many people that I have been talking to had no idea how little help there is out there when you find yourself in a predicament like I did this summer. Some are not surprised but something that I found very disheartening is that Becky never called to follow up to see how I made out. I have lived on Serop for nine years, we've had stabbings, murders, the increased number of RCMP calls to my street, 6 or 7 a weekend (and now more even during the week), the vandalism of my personal property with windows being smashed in my car, a boy being beat up and robbed right in front of the house next to me yesterday in the middle of the afternoon, I'm not asking for your help with those things. My request should be easier to address. Please help our Vet Dr. Steele and cat shelters with the stray cats, give them the support they need. Thank you for your consideration, Edna

MLA response to request for help

2006-12-08T15:55:00.001-04:00

An email from Kevin Deveaux on Sept 25/06:

Thank you for your e-mail. To be clear, I have always tried to direct people to HRM, as the rules with regard to operating a business are HRM rules.
That said, as noted in my earlier e-mail to your supporter, I am glad to provide some advice on how to formalize the shelter in a way that ensures it can operate legally.
if you believe it can operate legally at your house (and HRM agrees) then that is good. if you wish to discuss how to raise funds or gain support for a shelter located in another location, I would be glad to provide advice.
I apologize if there is some confusion as to my position. Let me clear, I support compliance with HRM Land Use Bylaws and I support the need for a cat shelter in the community. If that cannot be done at your house, then the community needs to find a place that is suitable.
Kevin Deveaux, MLACole Harbour-Eastern Passage

From: Sonya Higgins To: deveaux.mla@ns.sympatico.ca, 'Becky Kent' <kentb@halifax.ca

Subject: please help Healing Animal SCARS - Sonya's Cat & Animal Rescue Society

Hello Kevin,> First of all let me thank you for your donation to my auction held back in July, to fundraise for Healing Animal SCARS, a new cat rescue group that has been formed in Eastern Passage. I have assembled a Board of Directors and we are in the process of completing the paperwork to get registered with Joint Stocks. We did send in the application earlier this summer, but it was returned asking for clarification, which we gladly provided. We have also obtained a letter of support from the NS SPCA. There has been an enormously positive response from the community, and I feel I am providing a much needed service. However, my neighbours have suddenly turned on me! She complained to the city that I was running an illegal business, which is not the case. I have spent well over $6000 at the vet alone, and my various fundraisers and adoption fees have only earned about $4000, so it is obvious I am doing this for charity, not to get rich. I have always covered the costs for the many stray cats I take in, out of my own pocket. I have met with my city councillor, Becky Kent, and the Office and Recognized agent for the N-P society will be at one of the other directors homes, so that my neighbour cannot complain that I am running a business here. The angry neighbour has even accused me of misappropriating funds raised by the neighbourhood children, and has been slandering my good name in the community. Her daughter was corresponding with another of my volunteers, via MSN messenger on Friday, and wrote something to the effect that Kevin Deveaux had already told her Mom that Sonya is not allowed to have cats in her shed anymore. If this family or any other complainant does continue to ask questions of you regarding my cat rescue, I would appreciate if you would refer to Becky Kent and the 2 Land Use officers listed below, to clarify the solution that has been suggested. I would appreciate any advice you have to offer, and am requesting that you telephone me at home to further discuss my options. Thank you very much from myself and the cats who have been given a new lease on life, Sonya D. Higgins, Director & Chairman> Healing Animal SCARS -

-----Original Message-----> From: Sonya Higgins [mailto:katsonya@accesswave.ca]> Sent: September 23, 2006 5:16 PM> To: 'stoffp1@parl.gc.ca'> Cc: 'Becky Kent'> Subject: Healing Animal SCARS - Sonya's Cat & Animal Rescue Society> > > Hello Peter,> > I have received 2 phone messages from you this summer, commending me on my work in animal rescue. I would love to speak with you on the phone, because I am seeking your support in writing this time. I have been getting harassed and threatened by a nasty neighbour, who has called the city and tried to get me "shut down". It is very unfortunate that one bad apple can make a lot of grief for the many other caring citizens who have helped me with the fundraising over the past 4 months. I met with my city councillor, Becky Kent, and 2 Land Use officers, Shawn Audas and Marc Ouellete, at my home on Thursday, Sept. 21st to discuss how I can legally keep operating without breaking any by-laws. We are in the process of registering with Joint Stocks, and would like to have letters of support from politicians to show that there is a need for more animal rescues, to deal with the enormous problem of stray cat colonies in HRM. Please phone me at your earliest convenience,> > Thank you so much,> > Sonya D. Higgins

Email of support from an adopter

2006-12-08T15:52:00.001-04:00

----- Original Message ----- From: <deveaux.mla@ns.sympatico.ca> To: "Rita " Sent: Tuesday, September 26, 2006 8:38 AM Subject: Re: SCARS

> Thanks for the e-mail. I am glad to hear testimonials about SCARS. > > Kevin Deveaux, MLA

> From: "Rita Date: 2006/09/25 Mon PM 12:13:37 EST >> To: <kentb@halifax.ca>, >> <deveaux.mla@ns.sympatico.ca>, >> <stoffp1@parl.gc.ca> >> Subject: SCARS >> >> Hello , I thought I would drop a line in the defense if Sonya Higgins and the wonderful work she is doing to save so many innocent cats lives and to make many people very happy ourselves included. I adopted a cat from Sonya last Feb. Hendrix is our cat's name and he is an absolute gem, I cannot began to tell you how much happiness and love this little guy has brought to our lives. I brought Hendrix home on Feb. 17 / 06 and being a feral cat as he and his two siblings were living at the Tim's drive through and after three consecutive nights Sonya was able to rescue all three. This is where I come into the picture four months later. I brought Hendrix home, he was of course very nervous and hid out . I spoke with Sonya daily and on the 10th. day Sonya came to our house and crawled in a very small space and was able to get him out, we then closed the space and he started to trust us a little more each day and now we have the most wonderful cat in the entire world "sorry all other cat owners"
I do hope Sonya can carry on with her work as she is making a huge difference and I do hope her neighbour can find it in her heart to be a little patient and understanding and everyone will be happy in the end as we are with our beautiful cat. Rita, John Garett and Hendrix

Cat rescue against residential by-laws

2006-12-08T15:47:00.001-04:00

Hi Sonya,
I don't have much time to write but I wanted to respond to your email. I am sickened by the whole thing and I cannot BELIEVE that it has turned out like this. I am very sorry, Sonya. I am in shock. How could someone be annoyed with construction when it is just a shed?! I will draft a letter of some kind in support of this.
Honestly!! Good luck. Kathleen

On Sun, 01 Oct 2006 22:16:59 -0300, "Sonya Higgins" <katsonya@accesswave.ca> said:> Hi there, I ran into a huge problem - the neighbours complained to the city. They apparently didn't appreciate the construction on my shed, ( 4 different days over a few weeks) and complained to the city that I was running an illegal business. Long story short, I met with my councillor and 2 Land-use by-law officers and I am not allowed to have a non-profit that involves the keeping of animals here at this zoning address, because the city views it as a business. I am seeking legal advice, and will always keep cats here and rescue them. I cannot believe the burocracy that sees a non-profit society as a home business! Nonsense! I strongly urge you to write to city council to express your views on their lack of action on behalf of homeless cats ( there is currently NO by-law in place to deal with cats, the city just doesn't do anything unless they are already dead or near dying...) Tell them they need to consult with local animal rescuers to get feedback/input on their new by-law for animal control. Tell them about all the pets who were saved because of a good-hearted rescuer who is now in peril of being charged as a criminal for trying to help cats... Please speak out on this ridiculous interpretation of the law, I need to keep helping cats only because the city is not doing their part. HRM has no affiliation with the local branch of the SPCA. When the SPCA and Bide-Awhile are full ( every day) there is absolutely no other option for ordinary citizens who find a stray cat. So when a person like me tries to start a new animal rescue league of foster homes, I am accused of nonsense by one bitter individual and forced to stop the good work I am doing... How does that show support for the animals?
Sonya D. Higgins, Director & Chairman> Healing Animal SCARS - Sonya's Cat & Animal Rescue Society> Phone: 469-MEOW (469-6369)> Eastern Passage, NS> katsonya@accesswave.ca > http://scars-sonyascatandanimalrescuesociety.blogspot.com/> www.petfinder.org/shelters/NS28.html

cat by-law

2006-12-08T15:09:00.000-04:00

There is a new by-law that will be proposed to HRM City Council in Feb. 2007. Below is an excerpt from the minutes of the HALIFAX REGIONAL COUNCILCOMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE MINUTESOctober 25, 2005

4. PROPOSED HARMONIZED BY-LAW A-300 - RESPECTING ANIMALS
• A report dated June 29, 2005 was before Council.
• Four suggested amendments submitted by Councillor Younger were before Council.
• An e-mail dated October 25, 2005 from Councillor Sloane was before Council.
Mr. Brad Anguish, Director, Environmental Management Services, presented the report assisted by Mr. Allan Waye, General Manager, Community Projects, EMS, Ms. AndreaMacDonald, Manager, Animal Control/Taxi & Limo Services, and Ms. Stefanie Turner,Operations Coordinator, Animal Control Services.

MOVED BY Councillor Hendsbee, seconded by Councillor Harvey that Council give first reading to By-Law A-300, Respecting Animals (attached as Appendix “A”), and set a public hearing date to adopt the By-Law and repeal the existing animal related By-Laws to come into effect June 1, 2006. Mayor Kelly left the meeting at 2:19 pm. Deputy Mayor Goucher assumed the Chair at this time. Mr. Waye and Ms. MacDonald advised that staff were not looking for a recommendation today as there are minor refinements to be made to the draft By-Law.
Deputy Mayor Goucher suggested the motion be to approve in principle in order to move the item forward for a notice of motion at this evening’s Council session. Councillor Younger suggested an increase to the fees to make the program more cost recovery.
MOVED BY Councillor Younger, seconded by Councillor Uteck that the four following amendments be included in the by-law:
1. Replace Section 14 with the following: NOISE 14 (1) No owner of an animal shall knowingly or not knowingly allow any animal to make noise excessively. (2) For the purposes of this section, a dog shall be deemed to be making noise excessively if it barks or howls repeatedly for a period of twenty (20) minutes.
2. Add the following to Section 17:(9) The municipality may, by Administrative Order, establish a committee to monitor shelter operations and establish guidelines on humane treatment and euthanasia.
3. Add and/or modify Section 18 as follows:Amend (1) by adding:“business” between “three (3)” and “days”Amend (a) to read:(a) be sold, adopted; or
Add a new section (3) as follows:(3) Notwithstanding any other provision of this by-law, no animal kept by the shelter keeper may be sold, adopted, or otherwise disposed of for laboratoryor any other experimental purpose.
4. In Section 20 replace the minimum fine of $100 with a minimum fine of $200.

As the four amendments were distributed just prior to today’s Council session without anopportunity for staff/Councillors to review the information, Ms. Donovan suggested that staff provide a supplementary report that would speak to Councillor Younger’s four proposed amendments before the draft by-law goes forward for first reading. The supplementary report could provide some refinement in the language to achieve the objective of the amendments without causing prosecution problems. Ms. Donovan clarified for Councillor Younger that no notice of motion has been given therefore,Council may approve in principle what has been presented then give notice of motion this evening. The supplementary report would be available at the first reading stage. Councillor Younger stressed that the information contained in the supplementary report be included in the by-law in advance of the public hearing.
Various members of Council expressed concern with the inability of HRM to enforce some of the regulations in the proposed by-Law such as: not feeding waterfowl on HRM property, requirement for certificates of spaying/neutering of cats, licensing of cats. Concern was also expressed that some aspects of the by-law would set false expectations and that the limitationof three dogs/three cats would be taking rights away from responsible pet owners.
Councillor Snow commented that By-Law Enforcement (animal control) is the most underfunded department in HRM and there is no point in having a by-law if we do not have the resources.
Councillor Kent suggested the wording be reviewed as some of the definitions are confusing.
Councillors Wile, Adams and Harvey suggested that there be some provision in the by-lawregarding citizens who deliberately feed pigeons (waterfowl) on private property.Ms. Donovan suggested the concern of feeding pigeons on private property be included in the supplementary report.
Deputy Mayor Goucher recommended that Councillor Younger’s amendments and additional comments of Council heard today be considered by staff. He clarified that the current motion is to include the licensing and limitation of cats in the by-law. Mr. Anstey responded to Councillor Smith that the February 8, 2005 minutes show that Council approved in principle the section respecting cats. Additional issues such as limitation and licensing are now to be considered. Mr. Anguish explained that the licensing of cats will be part of the budget preparation as money will have to be invested to commence the program. He advised staff will return with more information on that matter at a later date.
Councillor Murphy expressed concern that the public have not been educated on spaying/neutering/licensing of their pets nor have they been given information on how to be a responsible pet owner. Mr. Anguish responded that funds are being reclaimed in regards tothe current contract as the education aspect was not fulfilled. Mr. Anguish responded to Councillor Kent that the HRM website will be updated with information for the public once staff receive clear direction from Council on what it is Council would like to have included in the proposed by-law.
Councillor Hendsbee suggested that a fee and fine table be included with the by-law to provide clear reference to the registration fees as well as the fines for non-compliance. He further suggested that there be mandatory registration for all cats and dogs and that the penalization structure have incremental fines for repeat offenders. He encouraged the promotion of responsible pet ownership through the offering of a rebate on fees if the pet is spayed/neutered. He also suggested that addresses convicted of cruelty to animals be banned from the ownership of pets. Council agreed that this item be deferred and that staff provide a supplementary report at that time. Council was encouraged to forward additional comments to staff for review.

Please contact your city councillor to give your feedback. The new law limits a household to owning no more than 3 cats, and will no longer allow cats to roam at large. Residents will be able to rent a trap from Animal Control to catch the offending cat ( whether it is a suspected stray or a known neighbour's pesky cat) and give it to Animal Control to dispose of. The city currently does not have a contract with the SPCA so they have no place to bring the cats they would be catching... Why pass a By-law if the city cannot even afford the budget to enforce it?

Here are some suggestions I will be making to the people working on the propsed by-law:
I feel strongly that all pets going outside should wear ID tags and be licensed.
The new law should involve mandatory spaying and neutering of household pets, so unless you are a licensed breeder your pets cannot add to the growing population problem. If people would spay their cats, there would be less of them roaming on the streets, females in heat often escape and never return home, having their kittens in the wild. Male cats must be neutered, females don't get themselves pregnant. I am tired of hearing irresponsible owners of male cats say "well, I don't have any kittens" - think about how many babies your big boy has sired without your knowledge.

No dumping Allowed

2006-09-04T22:22:00.000-03:00

I might have known that publishing my address could lead to trouble...
Some crazy person purporting to be named Michelle Hurst dumped her cat on my lawn when I was at work on Thursday, August 31st. My neighbour caught her and got her cell phone #, soI tracked her down and called the RCMP to press charges of abandoning an animal. I want to emphasize to the public that my rescue group does not have a shelter, as such, it is just a network of foster homes that care for stray cats. I feel that "Lack of planning on your part does not constitute an emergency on mine" so if you want to get rid of your pet, don't dump it here! I am not like the SPCA, who have a shelter location, paid staff and many volunteers. I am a single person who has to work full time for a living, and I only do cat rescue on the side.

If someone dumps their pet on my doorstep, there may not be space and I do not have the money fundraised to care for additional animals. The cat abandoned her this week had horrible case of fleas, so I had to spend about 14 hours disinfecting all the rooms he had been in, and I had to reapply Advantage to all the cats in the shelter and my home.... Costly venture! A new cat requires a great deal of time and care and inspection,so having one show up unexpectedly in my garden meant I had to cancel my other plans that evening, and it also took the last cage I had available, which was reserved for a mother cat and 4 kittens... so they had to stay out in the wild, since this abandoned pet was taking up space...

When I phoned the abandoner, she refused to take my calls or answer questions about the cats name, age or medical history. I finally tracked down this woman's ex-boyfriend, who came to claim the cat a few days later. Here is the message I want to get out there: DONT MESS WITH ME AND MY CATS - This house is under surveillance and charges will be laid if I catch someone else abandoning their pet. Please do not take advantage of my kindness and soft spot for cats - I am doing the best I can and if people keep dumping on me, I may not be able to continue my rescue, which would be unfortunate for all...
Thank you for understanding, I can only rescue so many cats, I cannot do it all. My mission is to rescue cats that already live on the streets, not to save them from dumb owners...

Critter Walk August 11, 2006

2006-07-29T16:41:00.000-03:00

Eastern Passage Summer Carnival - Critter Walk sponsored by the Village Vet Clinic. To take place on Friday, August 11th at 4:30pm - Pledge sheets available at the Vet Clinic or by calling Sonya at 469-MEOW

Join the Staff of the Eastern Passage Village Veterinary Hospital on Aug. 11, 2006 at 4:30pm at the Boardwalk in Eastern Passage
In support of “Healing Animal S.C.A.R.S. – Sonya’s Cat & Animal Rescue Society” 469-MEOW
We save stray or feral cats and kittens from a life of misery on the streets, provide vet care and find them loving adoptive homes.
Your donation will help pay for vaccines, spay/neuter operations, medications and food and litter. The medical expenses and care for each cat costs over $300

APPRECIATIONS and VOLUNTEERING

2006-07-24T12:12:00.000-03:00

SCARS

recognizes that as a non-profit rescue it relies on the energies and efforts of other animal lovers.

Dear animal lovers,

Thank you to all who helped at the car wash held today, June 17th at the Irving Blue Canoe in Eastern Passage.
We raised a whopping $335.40 to put towards the rescue cost of the 13 cats and kittens currently in our care.
That will be enough to either :
spay 2 mother cats,
or to give 3 full sets of vaccines to two kittens,
or to do "the whole package" for one adult cat, which includes test for FLK/FIV, vaccinate and booster, deworm and deflea, spay or neuter.

We will be doing another Car Wash fundraiser on July 29th and one August 19. Volunteers are asked to contact Sonya Higgins at 469-6369 or katsonya@accesswave.ca to sign up for a shift.
We need people to: make signs for Car wash with Bristol board and markers
carry Bristol board signs on sidewalk to attract cars
to direct traffic and supervise
people to wash cars, of course, and
people to work at Cat Rescue table to discuss adoptions

Special thanks go to Denise, Terry, Jenna, Wanda and Emily for their help preparing for today's event.

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SCARS JULY 22 2006 Auction Appreciations.....

I would like to thank the following for donating items and /or services to the animal shelter fundraiser auction held at The Sandtrap. (not in any particular order)

Global Pet Foods, TPI, Alteen's Jewelry, Sobeys, 99 Cent or Less (Penhorn Mall), KFC, McDonald's, A&W, Our Friend's Pub, Starr's Desert Cafe, Tapered Edge, Kim Clarke, Rita Schwartz, Christa Piercey, Lloyds Supermarket, Ultramar (EP), EP Massage (Megan Tofflemire-therapist), Becky Kent, Kevin Deveau, Peter Stoffer, Woodbury Animal Hospital, Atlantic Cat Hospital, Colby Village Vet Hospital, Dartmouth Vet Hospital, Companion Animal Hospital, Frank Hagen Trucking and TopSoil, Vetcetera, Kara's Urban Day Spa, Boston Pizza, Molly's Whiskers, Pizza Delight (Tacoma), Bowlarama (Woodside), Dairy Queen , Jungle Jims, Haven Therapeutics, Woodlawn Animal Clinic, Lori Ann Pye, Raven's Haven, Elaine's Poodle Parlour, Happy Hounds Gourmutt bakery, Fairview Animal Hospital, Ship Shape Cleaners, Pets Unlimited, Moirs Chocolate Factory and to the private donors as well THANK-YOU!!!

And to all our animals lovers who made the auction a sucess...thank you to you from me and the animals.!!!!

NEW FAMILY ADDITIONS

2006-07-09T15:29:00.000-03:00

Pet to Fuzzy Family Members

Many of us share our lives and our homes with more than one pet. There are many factors that determine the kind of relationship your pets will develop. Some factors we have control over - others we don't. Hopefully you have kept personality combinations in mind when you chose your new pet. Then if you are lucky both pets have had positive experiences with other animals.
It is best to observe a few simple guidelines and exercise patience. Careful observation by experienced, comfortable pet handlers is extremely important. Watching each pet's body language and reacting appropriately can help to avoid conflicts BEFORE they occur. A good time for the first meeting is when both pets are relaxed. Try to keep the initial introduction short - allow time for investigation without aggression or anxiety. Handlers should stay relaxed and use a friendly voice. Positive reinforcement should be used to encourage desired behavior (verbal praise, petting). Tell both pets "it's okay". Do not use this term if either pet is misbehaving as this reinforces negative behavior.

If you have multiple pets at home - try introducing them to the new kid on the block one at a time. This will help avoid a "mob mentality". No matter what the number or combination of species, there are likely to be growls or hisses during the first meeting. It is a rare first meeting that results in immediate friendship. Generally, with time most pets either develop a close relationship or simply decide to tolerate one another. Unfortunately, some pets never accept one another. In these cases, alternative placement should be considered.

If you are introducing a cat and a dog, again the dog should be on a lead and under control. The cat should have an easy escape route. If you are introducing two cats both should have trimmed nails. They should either be on harnesses far apart in the same room or they can be started in different rooms to investigate one another through a door. Both pets should have their own secure space with all the necessities. The resident pet should have the more desirable space initially. By the same token, you should greet and feed your resident pet first then your newcomer. They can work out the social hierarchy later on if they so choose.

Set aside time everyday for individual attention. This will reassure your first pet and establish a bond with your new friend. Remember to progress slowly each pet meeting. At mealtime, feed pet at a distance at which they will eat comfortably - decrease this distance slowly each day. Be sure neither can get at the other's dishes!! Pets should be restrained during meetings until they are showing consistently good behavior. This may take several days to weeks and should be with supervision. Have a noisemaker or water bottle on hand. If a conflict arises use these to break it up - NOT your hands.
If you any concerns regarding the integration of your new pet into the family consult your veterinarian or animal behavior specialist.

They are a great source for information. As well medication is sometimes indicated to help pets over the initial hump. Remember to stay relaxed, cautious and patient and have fun with your fuzzy friends.
Articles by Dr. Emma RaghavanAppearing in the Halifax Daily News

CAT CONCERNS

2006-07-09T15:23:00.000-03:00

SCARS

strongly encourages and advocates for animal owners to know their pets' needs so that this lovable new addition to your family is as safe and healthy as can be.

Vaccines
Cats should be immunized against feline panleukopenia, rhinotracheitis, calcivirus, and rabies, and, depending on their lifestyle, against feline leukemia. Most vaccines require boosters and it is vital that you adhere to the schedule set out by your veterinarian. Without boosters, the immunity given by vaccination will disappear and leave your pet susceptible to diseases. The following are certain diseases that can be controlled by vaccination.

Distemper Caused by a parvovirus
Distemper in cats is distinctly different from distemper in dogs. Also known as feline parvovirus or panleukopenia (FP). Since most cats are likely to be exposed to panleukopenia in their lifetime, vaccination against this virus is extremely important. Clinical signs of panleukopenia include vomiting, diarrhea, a loss of appetite, and lack of energy or depression.

Upper Respiratory Infection (URI)
Upper airway disease is caused by a group of viruses and bacteria that attack the cat's upper respiratory tract. URI is highly contagious among cats. Feline Viral Rhinotracheitis (FVR) is a herpes virus. It, along with Calicivirus (FVC) is responsible for 90% of URIs. Signs are sneezing, tearing/ pusy discharge from the nose and eyes and hypersalivation. Some cats will also have a moderate fever and suffer dehydration. Infection in kittens can be fatal. Much less commonly, bacteria called chlamydia can cause URIs. Signs of chlamydia are usually limited to the eyes. Even if treated successfully, URIs can lead to a lifelong disease making vaccination extremely important. Transmission of URIs is by aerosol spray or from direct contact with an infected animal.

Rabies
Caused by a virus and contagious to all warm blooded animals by attacking the nervous system. It is invariably fatal once symptoms occur. The greatest incidence is in foxes, skunks and a new strain that is affecting raccoons. While the HRM does not currently require vaccination for licensing, due to the nature of the disease and the fact that it can be transmitted to people vaccination is strongly recommended. It is important to know the laws regarding rabies vaccination when travelling with your pet.

Feline Leukemia
Feline Leukemia Virus, or FeLV, is a serious viral disease that researchers now considered the number one infectious disease causing death in cats. FeLV can potentially affect any cat at any age. Indoor cats living in single cat households are least likely to be exposed. In the natural environment with cats going outside, the incidence of infection is only about one percent. In multi-cat households or in catteries, it can run as high as ten percent.
The virus itself is highly contagious, readily transmitted from cat to cat through saliva, blood, feces and urine. Close cat contact is necessary for transmission, yet without the cat the virus is very unstable and will die within a few hours outside of a victim. It is highly unlikely you will bring this virus home on your clothing.

Research has shown that kittens can become infected while still in the womb, and for this reason it is very important for breeders to have their cats tested for FeLV prior to mating.

What is surprising to many cat owners is that the majority of cats at some time in their lives actually come in direct contact with FeLV. Fortunately, some cats will never show any clinical signs, let alone succumb to the disease. In these fortunate cats, their own immune system is able to fight off the virus. For the cats in which FeLV does cause disease, it occurs either in the form of cancer or as a suppression of the immune system. This, in turn, causes the system to be weak against other offending diseases. A second form of cancer, although less common, occurs when the virus attacks the bone marrow and blood cells leading to leukemia.

TestingTrying to determine if your cat suffers from FeLV is not a straightforward issue.

Diagnostic testing has its limitations. In most cases the test results have to be determined by a veterinarian in the light of all the other information on your cat's condition. Routine screening of your cats should be done before being introduced into a household containing any other cats. Treatment Unfortunately, there are no long term, successful treatments or cures. Efforts have therefore directed at finding a means of prevention in the form of a vaccine. Vaccination The initial vaccine program consists of a series of two injections followed by an annual booster. It is important when the vaccine program is initiated for your cat that you carefully adhere to the booster schedule outlined by your veterinarian. Missing a booster will require starting the program again from the beginning.

Homecoming
Hopefully, you have picked up all the necessary items and have them ready at home. That way you can take Whiskers home without unnecessary stops.

Try to remember that this is a time of great change for your new pet. If you have a brand new pet, this is his first time away from mom and littermates. With adult pets it is a move to a new home, different from their current residence. It is a good idea to bring your new buddy home in the morning so you have the better part of the day to spend together. Weekends or the beginning of holidays are excellent times for homecomings as well. This will help to make his first few days at home as smooth as possible.

To help with the transition, please remember to get all of the pertinent information from the people who know your pet best. Find out what diet is being fed and the feeding schedule. Then be sure to get the exact same food and follow the same feeding routine. A problem we see quite commonly in pets going to a new home is diarrhea - often due to sudden diet change or the addition of too many new treats. If you would prefer your pet be on a different food that what is currently being fed, simply wait about 2 weeks. Once your pet has had this initial period to "settle in" you can gradually switch to the new diet. We also often see intestinal upset when milk is given to puppies and kittens. Many of these little furry guys are lactose-intolerant. Once they are weaned, puppies and kittens really need only water and a good quality diet to meet all of their needs.

Your pet's health record contains vital information as well. Be sure that you get a copy of this and that you understand the immunization and deworming status of your pet. Once you get home, if you are unsure about repeat deworming or booster immunization date, do not hesitate to call your local veterinarian or your pet's original home.

On the car ride home, the driver should have an assistant to hold the new pet even if you are getting an adult - maybe Fifi will want to be on the driver's lap. If you are going alone to pick up your new addition, a kennel is a great idea. If you have a long drive, plan some stops along the way. Regardless of the length of the drive, have paper towels and bags handy in case of accidents or vomiting.

Once at home, take your pet immediately to his new "bathroom" area. Give him ample time to sniff around and do the necessities. Once in your home, your new pet should be given the opportunity to explore your pet-proofed home. Give him some space and time - resist the temptation to crowd around him. Speaking of crowds, you probably want to keep them to a dull roar for a few days. New pets draw lots of well-intentioned family and friends. Try to give your pet time to get familiar with things before introducing him to the "whole" gang.

Then there is the picking of a name. Try to pick something short and that doesn't sound like any of the commands you will teach him later. Oh, you may want to make sure you know the sex of your pet –so you don’t have to change Charlie to Charlene when you realize the cat is actually female!

VETS ARE ANIMALS FRIENDS TOO

2006-07-09T15:17:00.000-03:00

Healing Animal SCARS
– Sonya’s Cat & Animal Rescue Society

Proposal for veterinary care of indigent felines

I wish to obtain a quote for veterinary services to assist the cats that come into my rescue.
I am seeking veterinary advice regarding what health care is required for kittens and grown cats, since the information available online varies greatly.

I intend to test for Feline Leukemia and FIV, provide vaccinations, parasite removal and finally having the cat altered so they cannot reproduce.

Testing for fatal disease:
I have been told that kittens only need to be tested for Feline leukemia, not FIV because it always comes back as a false positive. If the mother cat is with the kittens, is it okay to only test the mother cat, and presume the kittens are the same as the mother?

Vaccinations/immunizations:
At what age does a kitten require vaccines, and which type and how often? What about if I find an adult feline? I should presume that it has never been provided with any vaccines, etc. so what do they need to start? Is it necessary to give boosters of the vaccines, and if so, how far apart?

Parasite control:
Worms - Strongid-T dose every 10 days for 3 doses, then follow up with a pill (Drontal or Cesstex) to eliminate any tapeworm (from fleas or hunting).

Fleas – what product should I use, and at what age? If it is a nursing mother, when can I give flea treatment? If there is no visible sign of fleas, is it still necessary to give a dose of flea treatment?

Feral cats (Trap Neuter Release):
What should be done for feral cats that I intend to trap, alter and release? Should I give them flea and parasite control? Vaccines only needed once? Alter and keep for how long before releasing? Could we put a notch in their ears to identify which cats have already been caught and released?

Please provide me with your opinion as to what health care I need to provide to my rescued cats, as well as your price schedule. I greatly appreciate your time,

Thank you,

Sonya Higgins, Director, SCARS
PHONE: 469-MEOW (469-6369)
FAX: 461-2029
143 Briarwood Drive
Eastern Passage, NS B3G 1B7

COMMUNITY EVENTS/FUNDRAISERS/NOTICES

2006-07-09T15:10:00.001-03:00

Healing Animal SCARS-

3. August 19 at 10am - Car Wash at Irving Blue Canoe on Cow Bay Road in Eastern Passage. Volunteers needed to wash cars and discuss adoptions, please call Sonya at 469-MEOW

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2.Car Wash
on Sat., July 29th from 10am to 3pm
at Blue Canoe in Eastern Passage

I rescue stray cats, provide medical attention and then find loving homes for the friendly cats. I also have started a Trap, Neuter and Release program for feral (wild) cats.
I am trying to raise funds to pay for the vet care so desperately needed by these stray cats. Each one needs a test for Feline Leukemia and Feline AIDS, then to be vaccinated and treated for parasites such as fleas and worms. They must be spayed or neutered, to prevent further unwanted litters of kittens.

Can you help on July 29th, at a car wash at the Eastern Passage Irving Blue Canoe?
If so, please call Sonya at 469-MEOW (that’s 469-6369)

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1.Healing Animal SCARS -
Sonya’s Cat & Animal Rescue Society - rescues cats and kittens from the wild. We are a volunteer organization operating solely on private donations.

We are holding an auction on Saturday, July 22, 2006 at 6:00pm at the Sandtrap Restaurant and Lounge in Cole Harbour and request your assistance in the form of a donation, whether it be merchandise, gift certificate or monetary donation.

Presently there are 14 kittens and cats being cared for and requiring medical attention before a loving family can adopt them. The veterinary care for each cat can cost up to $300, so fundraising is vital to our rescue.

If you would like to offer a good home to one of these felines, require more information on our fundraising, or can volunteer your time to our rescue efforts please contact me. Thank you for your interest and donation.

Sonya Higgins, Director
Sonya’s Cat & Animal Rescue Society
902-469-MEOW (902-469-6369)
143 Briarwood Drive
Eastern Passage, NS B3G 1B7
katsonya@accesswave.ca

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http://www.herald.ns.ca/Search/517281.html
Choice baths and other best bets By RICK CONRAD

I HATE TO admit it, but sometimes Hubert stinks.
Being a basset hound, it kind of comes with the territory. So that’s why we give him a bath once a week so he doesn’t offend our or others’ olfactory senses too much. (And before you write telling me how cruel I am, he hasn’t exhibited any negative side effects from it.)
con't on link....
A new animal rescue group, Healing Animal SCARS — Sonya’s Cat and Animal Rescue Society, is holding a fundraising car wash on Saturday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Irving/Blue Canoe on Cow Bay Road in Eastern Passage. All proceeds will go to the vet care and spaying/neutering of stray and feral cats. For more info, give Sonya Higgins a call at 469-MEOW (6369) or e-mail her at http://www.herald.ns.ca/Search/.
( http://www.herald.ns.ca/Search/)
Rick Conrad is The Chronicle Herald’s education reporter.
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Healing Animal SCARS - KITTY BIOS.

2006-07-09T15:07:00.000-03:00

Healing Animal SCARS - Kitten & Cat Biographies
updated Aug.3rd by Sonya

Litter #1 Tested FLV June 15, vaccinated June 22 , neutered
Aura Male - Born May 3 - Orange tabby Adopted
Domino Male - Born May 3 – Black and white smokey (has a mild heart murmer)
Earson Male - Born May 3 – Tabby black and brown, crooked ears

Litter #2 Tested FLV June 15, vaccinated June 28,
Emma Female - Born May 17 - White with tiny black spot on head
Izzy Female - Born May 17 - White (adopted)

Litter #3 Tested FLV June 15
Abbey Female - Born May 10 - Calico (adopted)
Bear Male – Born May 10 - Black
Betty-Boop Female - Born May 10 – Black with tiny white facial hairs
Della Female - Born May 10 - Tabby Black/brown with white paws/neck

New kittens
Jade Found June 21st - Female - Born May 10 – Tabby black and brown
I think she is part of litter #3 because she was left behind in the original rescue, and came from the same location.

Kanaday Found July 2nd – Female - tabby black and brown

Finnegan - male black and white kitten - tested for Feline Leukemia, and got his first vaccines.

Nancy - long haired tabby brown kitten - tested for Feline Leukemia

Mother Cat – Charity – under 1 year old – Calico (face is black with bits of orange). She has been tested for FLV/FIV vaccinated and spayed Adopted

Cat – Glow – 8 months – Orange long-haired cat with white stomach and neck. She has been tested for FLV/FIV and vaccinated and spayed, and is ready for a patient home with lots of love.

Cat – Flare –Male under 1 year old – Black long haired cat Tested, vaccinated and neutered

Cat – Hazey – Calico (10 months) Tested vaccinated and spayed

If you are interested in adopting or need more information please contact me at:

Sonya Higgins
469-MEOW
katsonya@accesswave.ca

SCARS :General Questions for Animals

2006-07-09T15:01:00.000-03:00

Please note this pertains to Nova Scotia.

SCARS FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Q. Is it against the law to leave a dog (or other animal) outside all winter long? A. According to the Nova Scotia Animal Cruelty Prevention Act, the owner or caretaker of an animal must provide it with proper shelter and protection from the weather. Therefore, a dog or other animal may remain outdoors provided it is in good health and weight (for its breed), has access to an appropriate shelter, and is not of an age or breed where temperatures could be potentially dangerous (very young or old animal).
The NSSPCA recommends, however, that all domestic animals should be allowed access to the inside, especially during temperature extremes.

Q. Do I need to leave my name to make a cruelty complaint?
A. Yes. The NSSPCA cannot legally respond to anonymous, hearsay or secondhand information. However, because all calls are confidential, a complainants identity is strictly protected from disclosure to others.

Q. My neighbor recently moved away and left two cats behind. Is that illegal? A. Yes. Whether as owner or custodian, any such person who willfully abandons an animal is in violation of Nova Scotia cruelty laws.

Q. I know of someone who isn't caring for their pet properly. Can you come and take it?
A. In order to take an animal into NSSPCA custody, a Cruelty Officer must: a. Obtain a surrender from the owner b. Obtain a warrant from the court authorizing the removal of the animal c. Find the animal in distress, and be unable to locate the owner or caregiver or
d. Deem the situation to be an emergency

Q. Who do I call concerning a problem I saw at a pet store?
A. NSSPCA Cruelty Officers are authorized to inspect pet shops that offer animals, birds, fish or reptiles for sale or exhibit within the province of Nova Scotia; however, they can only act if animals are found in distress and the owner or caregiver is unwilling to remedy the distress.

Q. Do I call the NS SPCA about stray dogs?
A. No. You should call your municipal Animal Control agency.

Q. What about stray cats?
A. Although the NSSPCA makes every effort to shelter stray cats when space is available, stray and feral cat overpopulation is becoming an epidemic in this province, and cat control does not strictly fall within the NSSPCA's mandate unless the animals are ill or suffering. Unfortunately, Municipal Animal Control agencies generally refuse to respond to stray cat populations unless the municipality concerned has a cat by-law. If YOU are concerned about stray and feral cats in your area, please write to your local councillor to tell them you expect your local government to intervene.

Healing Animal SCARS - ADOPTIONS

2006-07-09T14:56:00.000-03:00

Current Adoptions:

We have 18 kittens and 5 adult cats in our care now. The adoption process will involve completing a thorough application prior to approval. The adopter will complete a contract upon adoption of the cat, and pay an adoption fee of $150.

This fee will include:

Testing for Feline Leukemia and FIV
3 full sets of vaccinations

Deworming and parasite care
Advantage flea treatment
Spaying or neutering

While the cats are in our care, Healing Animal SCARS will cover the cost of food, litter, shelter and general health care (ie: to treat infections or injuries).

Each cat can cost well over $300 to care for, so we feel $150 is a reasonable adoption fee to request. The fee covers all the start–up veterinary costs of getting a new cat; that way we are assured the people adopting these precious creatures are willing to bring it to the vet regularly. We intend to prevent further litters of unwanted kittens by having our kittens spayed and neutered at an early age, prior to being adopted.

Healing Animal SCARS BIOGRAPHY

2006-07-09T14:50:00.001-03:00

Healing Animal SCARS – Sonya’s Cat & Animal Rescue Society

Helping Every Animal Live

Mission Statement: To rescue and help heal the scars left on felines that are living in the wild, whether the scars be physical or emotional. We provide love, food, shelter, veterinary care, and finally more love, to the cats that come into our care.

Goals include:
Rescue stray, feral, and roaming cats
Find adoptive homes for the friendly cats
Humanely trap feral cats and help to rehabilitate them – if they do not turn out to be adoptable, we would do a Trap, Neuter, Release program.
To educate the public about proper animal care
To promote spaying and neutering pets to prevent further overpopulation

History
Healing Animal SCARS – Sonya’s Cat & Animal Rescue Society is a rescue organization that helps abandoned, stray and feral cats and kittens. In the 5 years before I officially started this rescue, I have rescued about 80 cats, usually paying out of my own wallet to provide veterinary care, food and shelter to these poor creatures, before finding them loving adoptive homes. I have been a volunteer for other animal rescue organizations, such as the SPCA, Bide-Awhile and Raven’s Haven, and I have decided to form a volunteer Board of Directors to start a non-profit organization. We are in the process of applying for non-profit status and are trying to fundraise to cover costs of the cats currently in our care.

Prayer for the Animals

Hear our humble prayer for our friends the animals, especially for animals who are suffering, for any that are hunted or lost or deserted or frightened or hungry; for all that must be put to death. We entreat for them all Thy mercy and pity, and for those who deal with them, we ask a heart of compassion and gentle hands and kindly words. Make us, ourselves, to be true friends to animals and so to share the blessings of the merciful. .... Albert Schweitzer