Foster Notice

The THS foster care program is currently suspended by order of the Ontario SPCA. We can not place animals in temporary or palliative foster homes at this time.

We will update the public when the foster program resumes.

If you have any questions please contact communications@torontohumanesociety.com

A Happy Tail for Bart

"Just a little update on Bart; We are so happy to have Bart Home with us. He is such a good boy. The only time he tries to show his dominance side is when we go for walks. But from when we adopted him until now he is doing much better. He sits when asked to (before we get in the elevator and during the elevator ride).

I took him on the TTC the other day to see how he would do, and what a good job he did. He lay down on the bus ride. When we go for walks we have had several compliments on our Bart."

Adrian

Noor Javed Staff Reporter Mar 09, 2010

Scarborough highrise a death trap for birds

	Ecojustice lawyers have launched a private prosecution against the office buildings at 100-300 Consilium Place in Scarborough that are responsible for hundreds of bird deaths each year.

Shanta Persaud was standing at the photocopier one morning when she saw a little bird fly directly into a large window on the ground floor of her Scarborough office building. The receptionist ran outside to find the dying bird on the ground.

It "just hit the glass and fell to the ground. It sounded like a pebble against the glass," she said. "It's so sad." And it wasn't the first time she'd seen this happen.

For birds migrating through Toronto each spring and fall, the three multi-storey office buildings at 100, 200 and 300 Consilium Place are a death trap. So much so that, last week, the environmental groups Ontario Nature and Ecojustice – formerly the Sierra Legal Defence Fund – initiated a private prosecution against the buildings' managers under the Environmental Protection Act and the Ontario Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act. (--Click here to continue--)

Click here to read the entire story online at thestar.com

What are your thoughts on this issue? Should mirrored windows like this be allowed in highrises in the GTA? Click here to voice your opinion in the "Scarborough highrise a death trap for birds" blog.

Volunteer Notice

At this time the THS is not accepting new volunteers. We have had a tremendous outpouring of support from the community and are thankful to have more than enough volunteers at this time with the current animal population. The THS will be accepting new applications for volunteering as the need arises. If you have any questions please contact us at volunteer@torontohumanesociety.com

In loving memory of Mandy Anne Wallace

On January 28, 2010, at 17 years of age, peacefully and with her family by her side, God called Mandy home.

Mandy was adopted from the Toronto Humane Society at 3 years of age. Since the day we brought her home, Mandy had blessed and enriched our lives every day. She was a wonderful, warm, loving, energetic, caring, affectionate little girl. She loved having her chin rubbed, getting brushed, being pet and laying in the sun. She was thankful for everything she had and was never finicky.

Mandy is missed dearly by her human parents, sisters and aunt and uncle. She is also terribly missed by her canine brother Austin and canine cousin Cody. She will never be forgotten.

I remember the day we brought Mandy home. It was September 14, 1995. She was a stray, rescued by the THS. When we brought her home, she was afraid and I remember her running right under the couch to hide. Within a few weeks, she was becoming better and getting to trust us. Within a few years, she became the most caring, kind hearted animal you could imagine. She trusted everyone and showered them with affection. That’s the kind of girl she was. She had a huge heart and a terrific sense of humour!

When her canine brother Austin first came home, she welcomed him with open arms. She showed him how to bathe like a cat and always shared her toys with him. She was a great big sister.

We would like to thank the Toronto Humane Society for bringing us together and for rescuing her before she could come with us to her forever home.

Words can’t describe how much we miss Mandy.  We will never forget her and her kind spirit as she lives on forever in our hearts.

Mandy and I are kindred spirits and I know that on the day when God calls me home, she will be waiting for me. Her eyes bright and her tail wagging and we will embrace. I will kiss her and hug her and tell her how glad I am to see her again. We will then cross the bridge together, never to be separated again.

Making Cats Stay a Little Homier

Everyone knows that life in a shelter can be scary for cats. The sights and sounds can stress out even the calmest cat. Not only is this bad for the animal, but it can make the cat less appealing to potential adopters.

To help out these cats the THS is introducing a new product called the Hide, Perch and Go into the cages of adoptable cats. The Hide, Perch, and Go was invented for use in shelters in a project spearheaded by the BC SPCA. The idea behind them is that they provide cats a place they can mark with their scent, allow them to be out of public view, and to perch (which is a natural behaviour). The box then converts into the carrier that the cat is brought home in, allowing for a much smoother transition into their new environment by providing a familiar "haven" for the cat that is saturated with the cat's own scent, which helps reduce stress for the cat in the new setting.

The pilot project which currently includes twenty cats came about through the suggestion of a THS dog walker who had seen them in use in BC and thought they could benefit the cats at the THS. She contacted the THS inventory control specialist who then looked into ordering them. “The boxes are a little more expensive than the regular carrier boxes, but we feel its money well spent if it will help cats get adopted and thrive in their new homes.” said Shannon Caulfield, Inventory Control Specialist at the THS who led with the project.

The "Hide, Perch and Go" as a carrier		The "Hide, Perch and Go" as a perch
Doc enjoying his perch