Colourful ride on a warm winter’s day
Volume 44 No. 21
January 26, 2016
Forgotten dog rescued from fence with Toronto Animal Services. “People do have accidents and A GROUP of concerned Beachers incidents with their pets here did the right thing when they and there.” fetched animal services to take in Leiher said she could not give a dog that was found tied up out- out specific information about side of the LCBO at Victoria Park the owner’s situation. and Danforth two weeks ago. She noted that the dog “is a Jackie Gaudaur was one of senior dog, a well-cared for dog, several citizens who noticed the there was nothing wrong with short-haired female canine had her health, and the owner had been tied up for over half-an-hour had the dog for quite a number early evening on Jan. 12. She said of years. We would never want the dog was barking, shivering to remove a dog like that from a and looked like she had been good home.” abandoned in the cold weather. The dog owner wasn’t charged “She seemed in distress, she under the bylaw, she said, noting was barking pitifully, she was that an incident like this is more shaking from the cold,” said of a teachable moment – or a Gaudaur. “I took off my coat and warning. put it on the ground beside her, “It is better not to leave your I didn’t want to get too close be- dog tied out – that’s why we have cause I didn’t know her, but she the bylaw,” Leiher said. immediately “If you need calmed down to run and do and sat on my an errand, you coat.” want to go With the shopping, stop help of some and have coffee, leave your other people dog at home. who had gathered, Gaudaur Even in good said “We perweather it’s suaded her into better not to the back of my do that, it’s out car where she in public, anything can hapwas wrapped – Mary Lou Leiher pen. The dog in blankets Toronto Animal Services can be hurt, and eventually the dog can given food and be stolen, the water.” dog could bite She ultimately drove someone.” the dog to her house and waited Not all dogs are able to tolerate for Toronto Animal Services to the cold weather, she said. arrive and take the dog to the “Often that depends on their shelter. breed,” she said. “A dog that has Gaudaur said she was worried a fixed coat like a husky is bred the dog, who she said was “very to tolerate cold weather, whereas sweet and compliant”, had been other dogs they won’t tolerate neglected. She was considering that cold weather at all.” filing a complaint with the SPCA. Leiher said Gaudaur “absoBut Toronto Animal Services, lutely did the right thing” by callwho took in the dog under the by- ing animal services to take care law that says dogs cannot be left of the dog. unattended on public property, “The fact that she called us and said that when the dog and her got in contact with us is really owner were reunited later that good,” said Leiher. “Especially evening, it was clear the owner when somebody has an accident did not intend to leave the dog with their animal, it does leave outside for the lengthy period, the animal in a situation where and so the dog was allowed to go they’re unsupervised, and therefore they’re unsafe. home with her owner. “The appropriate thing hap“The fact that the dog was left tied up, that’s probably an iso- pened, the dog came in to the lated incident – there was some- shelter system and we were able thing that occurred. This was not to return her to her owner who an intentional act,” said Mary has had her for many years. All’s Lou Leiher, a program manager well that ends well.” By Anna Killen
“” “People do have accidents and incidents with their pets”
PHOTO: JON MULDOON
A cyclist rides along the Martin Goodman trail on an unseasonably warm January morning, during an unseasonably warm winter. Though the holiday season is long past, the DeClute Light Up the Beach tree lights continue to add some colour to an otherwise monochromatic boardwalk landscape.