President’s Message 2

Fundraising News 3

This and That 4

At the Shelter & Memorials 5

Membership & Donation Form 6

Inside this issue:

S.H

.A.I

.D. N

EW

S

www.shaid.ca

Spring 2009

450 LaHave St. Unit 17, Suite 138 Bridgewater, NS B4V 4A3 902 543-4849 shaidtreeanimalshelter @yahoo.ca

Page 2

PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE

S .H.A.I .D. NEWS

This will be my last message as President as I will be resigning at the Board of Director’s meeting in June. The current Vice President, Claudie Le Cam, will be your new President and I will fill the position of Vice President for at least a year. I am resigning simply because four years is long enough for anyone to be President and change is healthy. The last four years have been very rewarding. Many things have been accomplished thanks to a dedicated shelter staff, a group of very committed volunteers, and the generous support of the many individuals and local businesses who donated money, items, time or services to S.H.A.I.D. I would like to thank all members of the Board for their service and support during my tenure. I am particularly pleased with the appointment of Sara Fleischer, owner of the Dog Shop Bathhouse and Boutique, Trevor Sinclair, Investment Advisor with CIBC Wood Gundy and Lisa Rhuland, Human Resources Administrative Officer for the Town of Bridgewater and our Past Secretary. We now have a full slate of board members. I would like to make special mention of your Treasurer Daphney Tufts, Past President Lynne Ware, and past Vice President Beth Kent, as they have played a vital role in S.H.A.I.D. for many years and it would have been impossible to do my job without them. It now costs approximately $150,000 a year to operate the shelter and our various programs, and costs, such as the minimum wage and electricity, are steadily increasing. Roughly one third of this money is raised through donations, one third by fundraising and one third through adoption fees. We are doing our best to cut costs but, unfortunately, have no control over many expenses. In the past two years we have raised the standard adoption fee to $150 for a cat or kitten and $300 for a dog or puppy. Prior to this, adoption fees were tied directly to the spay and neuter costs for the particular animal. As a result, they did not even cover other medical expenses and, as we introduced more preventative measures, such as feline leukemia testing and kennel cough vaccinations, the shortfall increased. Our adoption fees include the equivalent of $400 for cats and $540 for dogs in retail veterinary costs. We also spend considerable time matching pet and adopter and doing follow up calls, are available for advice for the life of the animal, and provide assistance or a refund if we should miss an existing medical condition at the time of adoption. A raise in fees was not only needed but justifiable and we are grateful for the public’s support. There have been few complaints and adoptions are up. The new fees have ensured that we can continue to treat sick and injured animals, adopt out older cats and dogs for a

reduced fee and waive our relinquish fee in compassionate cases. At the end of last year S.H.A.I.D. received a $50,000.00 bequest from the estate of Kathryn Knox. We are most grateful for her generosity as we are now able to provide additional support to South Shore TNR and our spay and neuter assistance program. We will also be able to speed up shelter improvements and will have a respite from the constant concern over money, at least for a short time. Our shelter is a well designed little building which we are constantly striving to improve. Probably the most important improvement in the past four years was the purchase of 33 new laminated cat cages. The most recent improvements have been the air conditioning of the receiving room, major changes to the large dog exercise compound so that more dogs can be exercised simultaneously, the installation of a new ventilation system, energy efficient changes to the hot water heating system and renovations to the kitchen, which enhanced staff efficiency by freeing up enough room for the dryer and washing machine to be co-located. I am grateful that, two years ago, a mechanical engineer volunteered to help ensure that we make sound improvement decisions, as his expertise has been very valuable. The most important members of S.H.A.I.D. are our shelter staff and volunteers and we are now blessed with an outstanding group, totally dedicated to the care of our animals. I wish to thank them for their cooperation, competence, compassion and cheerful attitude. I would also like to thank the paid staff for the thousands of dollars saved in wages by their efficiency, by not logging in all their hours, and by answering emails (internet was cancelled at the shelter to save money and free up the telephone line) and doing most of the administration at home. (The wages in 2008 were $15,000 less than 2004 even though the minimum wage had risen by almost 25%.) Most importantly, I wish to thank our Shelter Manager, Jo-Anne Bishop, who is quite simply one of the finest and most capable individuals I have ever had the pleasure of working with. I would be remiss if I did not express our deepest appreciation to Dr. Andrea Lohnes for her weekly shelter visits. We should all take great comfort that our animals receive this level of care and our staff continuing medical education. I also wish to thank Mike Mcwhirter who faithfully goes to the shelter every evening to give our dogs additional exercise and human interaction, and to do shelter maintenance. Finally, I wish to thank my good friends, Velma and Howard Ricketts, who were always there when needed for the shelter or fundraising during the past four years. I believe that S.H.A.I.D has established an excellent reputation with the public, and know that it has also done so with the other animal welfare organizations through the Maritimes. The credit for this belongs to our shelter staff and volunteers. ~ Mike Anderssen, President

S.H.A.I.D. MEMBERSHIP

A reminder that S.H.A.I.D.

memberships must be

renewed annually.

The 2009 annual membership fees are

overdue. If you have not yet renewed

and sent in your $10, please do so

ASAP. You may use the form on p. 8

DONATION BOXES DOING WELL! Have you spotted any of these snazzy new donation boxes yet? Do you have an ideal place for one that we don’t know about? Contact Claudie at 634-9156 or e-mail her at armorbzh@eastlink.ca

DOGWALK RAISES FUNDS: The 2008 Walk and Wag raised $4335 for the shelter. We would like to thank all those who gathered pledges and all those who donated time and/or money to make it a success. Look for it to be even bigger and better in 2009! PUBLIC OPENS ITS HEART FOR HAVE-A-HEART: The wall at the shelter was filled with colourful hearts in memory or in honour of wondeful pets but none was more original than this one where the pets, Simba and Dino, participated in the “decoration”! A big thank you to all of you who made donations to our HAH campaign. With your help, we raised in excess of $3700! Extra kudos to Colleen and her staff at The Platter House who cajoled their customers into donating $279.07 CHANGES TO GROCERY TAPE PROGRAM:

Sadly, most of the local grocery stores are no longer participating.

At this time, we are still accepting tapes from the Bridgewater Save Easy. We thank them for their support. LIKE TO KNIT? WANT TO HELP S.H.A.I.D.?

Would you like to knit beds for cats for our next Open House craft table? We have instructions from a lady in Dartmouth who knits for shelters and Claudie would be happy to pass them along to anyone interested in knitting. Call her at 634-9156 or leave a message at the shelter.

WWW.SHAID.CA Page 3

FUNDRAISING NEWS BLUES CHASER

A man wrote a letter to a small hotel in a Midwest town he planned to visit on his vacation. He wrote: “I would very much like to bring my dog with me. He is well-groomed and very well behaved. Would you be willing to permit me to keep him in my room with me at night???" An immediate reply came from the hotel owner, who wrote: "I've been operating this hotel for many years. In all that time, I've never had a dog steal towels, bed-clothes, silverware or pictures off the walls. I've never had to evict a dog in the middle of the night for being drunk and disorderly. And I've never had a dog run out on a hotel bill. Yes, indeed, your dog is welcome at my hotel. And, if your dog will vouch for you, you are welcome to stay here too.”

SHAID NEWS DISCLAIMER The views and/or opinions expressed in this newsletter are not necessarily the views of the SHAID Tree (Animal) Shelter Society. Comments /questions can be directed to the Editor, Lynne Ware by writing to: SHAID NEWS, 450 LaHave St. , Unit 17, Suite 138, Bridgewater, NS B4V 4A3 or by e-mailing to shaidylady@eastlink.ca

Page 4 S .H.A.I .D. NEWS

SOUTH SHORE TNR POETRY CORNER

A DOG'S BEST FRIEND O Lord, don't let me once

forget, How I love my trusty pet - Help me learn to disregard canine craters in my yard.

Show me how to be a buddy even when my sofa's muddy.

Don't allow my pooch to munch postal carriers for lunch.

Shield my neighbor's cat from view, guide my steps around the doo. Train me not to curse and scowl when it's puppy's night to howl.

Grant I shan't awake in fear with a cold nose in my ear.

Give me patience without end - Help me be "A DOG'S BEST FRIEND."

by an unknown dog owner

You may remember Stanley aka BUG, our old-timer cat who passed away shortly after being made the first official “shelter cat”. The idea of having a kitty mascot was so popular with both the staff and the public that MAGIC was soon given the job. She has been working hard to greet visitors ,both human and canine. She has posed for a special edition of St. Catrick’s Day

pets on www.nshomelesspets.com website and even entered a contest for the most interesting belly picture. We think she should have won and we are sure you will agree! Do drop by and say “hello”. “Humans used to worship cats. Cats have not forgotten”

After a break over the coldest winter months, South Shore TNR, under the direction of Beth Kent and Lynne Ware, is up and running once again. Despite being on break, in the months of January to March, we still managed to have 22 cats spayed or neutered and returned to their outdoor “homes”. We have faced a few new challenges this spring. Currently our efforts are focused on trying to catch a few remaining cats from a number of colonies that we have dealt with in the past year. This can be a most frustrating task as both caregivers and trappers can attest. The cats have become trap wary for one thing and for another, we are retrapping cats who have already been fixed. This makes us very glad that we have followed the ear tipping protocol suggested by Alley Cat Allies as we are quickly and easily able to tell if the trapped cat has been already fixed without the need to handle them…..a dangerous process! We have tried using a new technique, the box trap, built for us by a volunteer. This works quite well but requires the trappers to remain at the scene until the sought after cat enters the trap when the trapper springs the trap so it is time consuming. The other challenge we are facing is new to us but will undoubtedly happen again in the future. One of our older gentlemen caregivers, with a colony of about a dozen very feral cats, recently passed away suddenly . We are faced with the prospect of what to do with these cats. They have all been spayed or neutered and currently a couple of volunteers in the area are feeding them. The property is for sale, however, so we are working on a long term plan for these cats. Relocation of a colony is a difficult and frequently unsuccessful Solution, according to our research, but it may be necessary at some point. We welcome any ideas or offers of help. Just contact either Beth 543-5909 or Lynne 688-1654. We are celebrating having completed the sterilization of just over 300 cats to date since our inception in 2007! We are pleased to have prevented thousands of unwanted kittens from being conceived and to have relieved over 200 female cats from the burden of several litters a year. Both male and female cats, once neutered, will live healthier and, usually, longer lives. We would like to thank S.H.A.I.D. for agreeing to help fund our program in 2009 and look forward to continuing to work with them in the ongoing battle against cat overpopulation.

A ‘MAGIC’-AL KITTY

Page 5 S .H.A.I .D. NEWS

AT THE SHELTER

Admitted 30 13

Adopted 30 11

JAN. CATS DOGS

CURRENT SHELTER STATS :

You may recall our special campaign “Home for the Holidays” where we gave our long stay cats a price break in the hopes of helping them to find forever homes. We are pleased to announce that it was a great success and all of them are now living happily in real homes. Worldwide, this IAMs sponsored program resulted in 1,202,751 adoptions! Will we do it again next year? You bet! Cat and dog adoptions have been excellent in 2009 so far. We are pleased to have been able to help some of our fellow shelters by taking in their dogs for placement here along the South Shore. Past President, Lynne Ware, has given tours and talks at the shelter to two groups so far this year. The girls, ranging in age from 6 to 12, were earning their Pet Badge for Guides or extending their knowledge about responsible pet care. The cats in the Playpen reaped the most rewards as they were cuddled by eager youngsters. Many of the girls were reluctant to leave their new found friends and, for one cat, RC, the feeling was mutual. We thought Laura was going to have to bunk in at the shelter as RC would simply not give up her lap!

MEMORIALS

Robert Ringer William R. Veinot Karisssa Boudreau Shirley DeMiranda Bob Walkinshaw Joan Fancey Aaron Tancock Mike Perry Eugene Anderson Jan Meisner Sadie Crouse Vera Rideout Clare Menchion Robert Zwicker Joyce Rhuland Francis Daniels Rona Bowers

Frederick Wain Trupp Jessie Panzie Nowe Frederick Rhodenizer Jean Joudrey Russell Sutton Elizabeth Wamboldt Joyce Peverill Kay Crouse Arthur Selig Annie Banks Patricia Ann Mosher Nellie Hubley Cheryl Harris Grace Levy Michael Wallenius Lewis Hackett Rodney Crouse James Mossman Joan Falkenham

BELOVED ANIMAL COMPANIONS: "We who choose to surround ourselves with lives even more temporary than our own live within a fragile circle, easily and often breached. Unable to accept its awful gaps, we still would live no other way. We cherish memory as the only certain immorality, never fully understanding the necessary plan..." The Once Again Prince - Irving Townsend. Persia Trish Norman Molly Shania Luke Maddie Shadow Grace Morgan Pixel Sophie Sam Nac

January 1st—April 30th, 2009 Donations were made in loving memory of:

Admitted 30 4

Adopted 19 9

FEB. CATS DOGS

Admitted 30 14

Adopted 11 8

MARCH CATS DOGS

All of us at S.H.A.I.D. are very grateful for the generosity of the late Kathryn Knox. A lifelong animal lover, Kathryn’s generous bequest towards the care of the animals at the shelter is most appreciated. Her gift has touched us all and will have a positive impact on the lives of so many of those in our care. We promise to use her gift wisely and well.

Admitted 33 7

Adopted 26 7

APRIL CATS DOGS

Do you feel that way as you browse the pet lists on Petinder.com? You're not alone. It's the most common sentiment expressed by the thousands of visitors who email us. The good news is that most of them go on to find the pet of their dreams--that perfect companion--and to provide him or her a "forever home".

But what about the pets left behind--those equally deserving companions who for some reason just weren’t a good lifestyle match? The ones you see over and over, week after week? Like Andy here who has grown up in the shelter!

We've got good news for them, and you can help. Petfinder.com and the Petfinder.com Foundation are excited to offer a feature that allows you to sponsor a homeless pet that has touched your heart, but whom, for some reason, you can't adopt at this time.

You can start by clicking to sponsor a pet that melts your heart on Petfinder.com! Your contribution of just $10 may enable a pet to get cared for until a new loving family comes along. They all deserve this chance! Sponsorships are made securely with your credit card and can be from $10 to $500.

Contributions are collected and distributed to the animal shelters or rescue organizations by the Petfinder.com Foundation and are tax deductible as the law allows. The participating shelters or rescue groups are notified of the donations received and donor contact information (only if given permission by the donor), so they can monitor which pets are "sponsored" and acknowledge the donation as well. In the event that the pet is no longer available for adoption or receives numerous sponsorships, the animal adoption organization may apply the donations to ongoing needs for the other pets currently in its care.

The Sponsor-a-Pet program is a great way to help one or more animals who deserve attention. Just look for the lime green “Sponsor Me” button beside each adoptable pet’s name on www.shaid.petfinder.org .

AND SPEAKING OF WEBSITES….

NEWS FROM PETFINDER: “ I wish I could help them all”

S.H.A.I.D. WEBSITE GETS A NEW LOOK! If you haven’t visited www.shaid.ca recently, do take a look. Shaun Whynacht, who designs and hosts our main website at no cost to us, has helped us put a new face to the site and we have added some new features. There is now information on TNR (Trap, Neuter and Return), a page dedicated to the many ‘Happy Tails’ we receive from our adopters and Beth Kent’s weekly articles continue to inform and educate our site visitors. We would like to thank Shaun for his support and undying patience with us as we learn to use the tools for maintaining the site. No question is ever too silly and we receive a prompt and helpful answer always. If you are looking for someone to work with you on creating a website, we highly recommend Shaun. He can be reached through his website www.imagebuild.ca or directly by e-mail at info@imagebuild.ca

Page 6 S .H.A.I .D. NEWS

Page 7 S .H.A.I .D. NEWS

When you bring a pet into your life, you begin a journey. A journey that will bring you more love and devotion than you have ever

known, yet will also test your strength and courage. If you allow, the journey will teach you many things, about life, about yourself, and most of all, about love. You will come away changed forever, for one soul cannot touch another without leaving its mark.

Along the way, you will learn much about savoring life's simple pleasures -- jumping in leaves, snoozing in the sun, the joys of

puddles, and even the satisfaction of a good scratch behind the ears. If you spend much time outside, you will be taught how to truly experience every element, for no rock, leaf, or log will go unexamined, no rustling bush will be overlooked, and even the very

air will be inhaled, pondered, and noted as being full of valuable information.

Your pace may be slower, except when heading home to the food dish, but you will become a better naturalist, having been taught by an expert in the field. Too many times we hike on automatic pilot, our goal being to complete the trail rather than enjoy the

journey. We miss the details: the colorful mushrooms on the rotting log, the honeycomb in the old maple snag, the hawk feather caught on a twig.

Once we walk as a dog does, we discover a whole new world. We stop; we browse the landscape, we kick over leaves, peek in

tree holes, look up, down, all around. And we learn what any dog knows that nature has created a marvelously complex world that is full of surprises, that each cycle of the seasons bring ever changing wonders, each day an essence all its own.

Even from indoors you will find yourself more attuned to the world around you. You will find yourself watching: summer insects collecting on a screen; how bizarre they are; how many kinds there are or noting the flick and flash of fireflies through the dark. You will stop to observe the swirling dance of windblown leaves, or sniff the air after a rain. It does not matter that there is no

objective in this; the point is in the doing, in not letting life's most important details slip by.

You will find yourself doing silly things that your pet-less friends might not understand: spending thirty minutes in the grocery aisle looking for the cat food brand your feline must have, buying dog birthday treats, or driving around the block an extra time because your pet enjoys the ride. You will roll in the snow, wrestle with chewie toys, bounce little rubber balls till your eyes cross, and even

run around the house trailing your bathrobe tie with a cat in hot pursuit, all in the name of love.

Your house will become muddier and hairier. You will wear less dark clothing and buy more lint rollers. You may find dog biscuits in your pocket or purse, and feel the need to explain that an old plastic shopping bag adorns your living room rug because your cat loves the crinkly sound. You will learn the true measure of love. The steadfast, undying kind that says, "It doesn't matter where we

are or what we do, or how life treats us as long as we are together."

Respect this always. It is the most precious gift any living soul can give another. You will not find it often among the human race. And you will learn humility. The look in my dog's eyes often made me feel ashamed. Such joy and love at my presence. She saw not some flawed human who could be cross and stubborn, moody or rude, but only her wonderful companion. Or maybe she saw

those things and dismissed them as mere human foibles, not worth considering, and so chose to love me anyway.

If you pay attention and learn well, when the journey is done, you will be not just a better person, but the person your pet always knew you to be. The one they were proud to call beloved friend.

I must caution you that this journey is not without pain. Like all paths of true love, the pain is part of loving. For as surely as the sun

sets, one day your dear animal companion will follow a trail you cannot yet go down. And you will have to find the strength and love to let them go.

A pet's time on earth is far too short, especially for those that love them. We borrow them, really, just for a while, and during these brief years they are generous enough to give us all their love, every inch of their spirit and heart, until one day there is nothing left. The cat that only yesterday was a kitten is all too soon old and frail and sleeping in the sun. The young pup of boundless energy

now wakes up stiff and lame, the muzzle gone to gray.

Deep down we somehow always knew that this journey would end. We knew that if we gave our hearts they would be broken. But give them we must for it is all they ask in return. When the time comes, and the road curves ahead to a place we cannot see, we

give one final gift and let them run on ahead, young and whole once more. "God speed, good friend," we say, until our journey comes full circle and our paths cross again.

~author unknown~

THE JOURNEY

WWW.SHAID.CA Page 8

DONATION/MEMBERSHIP FORM 2009: Join/ support S.H.A.I.D. and help us make a difference for the homeless animals in our area. I would like to purchase a NEW Membership in SHAID. Enclosed is $______ for ___ membership(s). ($10 each) I would like to RENEW my/our current or lapsed membership(s). Enclosed is $_______ ($10 each) I would like to purchase a LIFE MEMBERSHIP (65 minus your ageX10 to a maximum of $100) Enclosed is $______ I am enclosing a donation of $____________ to help care for the animals at S.H.A..I.D. Tree Animal Shelter. I am enclosing a donation of $____________ towards the South Shore TNR program for stray/feral cats. Name:_____________________________________________ Address:___________________________________________ ___________________________________________ Phone Number/E-mail:________________________________

Mail your completed form along with a cheque to: Memberships/Donations SHAID Tree Animal Shelter 450 LaHave St. Unit 17, Suite 138 Bridgewater, NS B4V 4A3

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