Humane Insider - May 2023

HUMANEINSIDER

FEATURED ARTICLES

Purchase One-of-a-Kind Puppy Artwork

Page 2

Toronto Humane Society’s Humane Open

Page 3

Mother’s Day Online Silent Auction

Page 4

Spring Animal Talk – It Begins with Safety

Page 4

Toronto Humane Society in the News

Page 5

Can I Talk About “Black Tag” Animals?

Page 6

Dillon Dodson Joins the IAVSW Board

Page 7

Mental Health Awareness Month

Page 8

Finding Foster Homes for 8 Mastiff Puppies

Page 9

Helping Buddy to Cope with His Anxiety

Page 10

Transport Truck Upgrades

Page 11

Jacklyn Ellis Gives Advice on Conan's Podcast

Page 11

Attending the Animal Care Expo in New Orleans

Page 12

Volunteer Updates

Page 13

Staff Announcements & Career Opportunities

Page 14

National Volunteer Week Winners

Page 15, 16

Beetle’s Miraculous Recovery

Page 17

Upcoming Events

Page 18

Puppies, Paws, and Paint –Purchase One-of-a-Kind Artwork

To celebrate their first tiny steps and new beginnings at Toronto Humane Society, some of the puppies in our care have been hard at work expressing themselves artistically – and now their one-of-a-kind paw paintings will be available for purchase!

The Paw Paintings will be available for purchase in our Paws for Spring e-store starting on May 8th There are only 60 works of art available – so once they’re gone, they’re gone for good

Whether you frame them, display them on your fridge, or give them as a gift to a fellow animal lover, you’ll be supporting our puppy artists, and others like them, with their new beginnings

Stay tuned to our website and social media channels for when they'll be available for purchase - you won't want to miss this adorable opportunity!

Get Ready to Tee Off at Toronto Humane Society’s Humane Open

June 28, 2203

Wyndance Golf Club, Uxbridge, ON

To celebrate Toronto Humane Society’s inaugural Humane Open, golfers will tee off at the beautiful Wyndance Golf Club located in Uxbridge, Ontario This is a unique opportunity to play a private Clublink course, while connecting with friends, fellow animal lovers and supporters of Toronto Humane Society!

Enjoy friendly competition in the shot gun start tournament along with skills challenges Plus, you’ll have the chance to win some prizes by participating in our contests and bid on unique items at the exclusive Silent Auction that features collectible items and memorabilia.

fellow golfers, you will have plenty of time to enjoy the event.

Funds raised through the Humane Open Golf Tournament support animals in need, in our community and beyond.

Ready to tee off and raise funds in support of Toronto Humane Society? Register today at humaneopen.ca.

Save the Date:

What: Toronto Humane Society’s First Annual Humane Open Golf Tournament

When: Wednesday, June 28, 2023, at 12:30pm Where: Wyndance Golf Club, Uxbridge, ON

Shopping for Mother’s Day?

Check Out This Online Silent Auction

A unique getaway in Bali, rare artwork, and diamond rings – these are a few of mom’s favourite things, and they’re all available at this Online Silent Auction in support of Toronto Humane Society.

Proceeds from the auction help animals in need find their forever homes – animals like new mother Ava and her 7 "cheese" puppies and mother-to-be Pickles. Both moms arrived in our care last week.

How the Online Silent Auction Works:

Visit this page to browse all available items Create a free account and bid on the items you want to purchase Because you can’t see what others are bidding, make sure you place your highest bid to secure the goods When the Online Silent Auction is over, winners will be contacted via email and items will be shipped with free shipping across Canada

Act fast! The Online Silent Auction is only open for a week Place your bids before 9:00pm EST on May 8th, 2023

Spring Animal Talk – It Begins with Safety

From caring for the lives of vulnerable kittens to controlling the spread of infectious disease, safety is a necessary and key component that is always considered when pursing our mission

Featuring interviews with Dr. Karen Ward and Dr. Linda Jacobson, and guest writers Dr. Jacklyn Ellis and Beverley McKee, the Spring issue of Animal Talk highlights how our experts demonstrate the various and unique ways an all-encompassing adherence to safety improves lives

The issue will be released digitally on May 5, 2023.

Toronto Humane Society in the News

As a leader in the animal welfare industry, Toronto Humane Society is often quoted as a professional source in the media. Which newsworthy topics were buzzing and trending in the animal welfare world? Here are our top three topics discussed during the month of March

Positive Pet Parent Campaign

Featured in City News Toronto, Centennial College post-graduate public relations students and Jessica Harwood, Assistant Manager, Marketing speak about the Positive Pet Parent campaign. The campaign highlights the efforts of Toronto Humane Society’s Pet Parent Support Network to help pet parents during challenging times

Adopt a Guinea Pig Month

During the month of March, Toronto Humane Society offered 50% off the adoption fee for guinea pigs. To help spread the word, The Sun featured Donald and Fabio as their “Forever Friend” monthly feature, and one-year-old Tigger was featured on Global News

March Media Stats: Mentions: 58 Impressions: 28,179,880

What’s Behind the Rise of Pet Abandonment?

During an interview on TVO Today, Phil Nichols, Chief Operating Officer, highlights the cause of increased abandoned animals in Canada, including the capacity issue within the veterinary industry and insufficiency of models of care delivery.

Other Media Hits:

The New Classical FM Pet of the Week: Fabio and Donald - The New Classical FM

The New Classical FM Pet of the Week: Boba and Coffee - The New Classical FM

Zoomer Radio Pet of the Week: Togo

Pet Profile: Fort - Global News

Pet Profile: Kitty and Tessa – Global News

Pet Profile: Tigger – Global News

Sprocket the cat is looking for a lovely home in the Toronto area (torontoguardiancom)

Mojito the cat is looking for a new lovely home in the Toronto area (torontoguardian.com)

Maddie the cat is looking for a new lovely home in the Toronto area (torontoguardiancom)

New Jersey the cat is looking for a lovely home in the Toronto area (torontoguardian.com)

Can I Talk About “Black Tag” Animals?

Animals are categorized based on behaviour and medical status using colour codes The most critical cases receive the colour black - you may have heard these animals being referred to as "Black Tag” animals. These animals may have severe medical issues or behavioural barriers that require intensive training, and a non-adoption pathway may be considered.

Examples of “Black Tag” animals include puppies that have Parvovirus, a cat that came into our care after falling from a balcony, or a dog that is dealing with a behavioural challenge such as humandirected aggression.

Should I Share Photos of Black Tag Animals?

Although they’re not available for adoption and may be housed in areas not accessible to the public – most of our “Black Tag” animals eventually become available for adoption so we can still share their photos and talk about them Keep in mind, “Black Tag” animals have an unknown outcome so you may want to exercise discretion when sharing their story – and possibly be prepared to deliver unfortunate news

How Do I Know if an Animal is Considered Black Tag?

Most “Black Tag” pets are not housed in public areas around the shelter- for the rare cases that they are, they often have a sign on their cage indicating they are not ready for adoption. If you're unsure if an animal is classified as “Black Tag”, you can check their patient file on PetPoint or ask a staff member for assistance.

Being “Black Tag” is not Permanent

Black Tag is a classification system used to indicate an animal's critical condition at a certain time – this label does not last forever. Here are two examples of pets that arrived in our care in critical condition, but with support and medical care they improved and found their forever homes

Jenny: Jenny was a one-month-old kitten born with a host of congenital abnormalities including blindness, a missing gallbladder, and liver complications the odds were against her from the start. She received 6 months of medical care from our staff of expert staff and her quality of life

because he was in severe pain due to his entropion condition – which is when an eyelid turns inward so that eyelashes and skin rub against the eye surface After receiving surgery and time to adjust, Carling's personality improved drastically, and he was soon cleared for adoption and found his way to a loving home

proud to witness her hard work reach new heights Dillon's appointment represents a significant stride forward for our organization as we acknowledge the importance of social work in animal welfare initiatives. We are honoured to have an IAVSW Board Member as part of our expert team!

The IAVSW is an organization that promotes the integration of social work practices in veterinary medicine to improve animal welfare Its members are experts in animal behaviour, the humananimal bond, and the emotional needs of both animals and their caregivers.

Dillon is an excellent fit to be a board member She has an extensive background in social work and advocating for the human-animal bond –especially in her latest work with us as she helped launch our Urgent Care program in 2020

Dillon has had a significant impact not only on the animals she encounters but also on the people involved By joining the IAVSW board, Dillon will be able to help share Toronto Humane Society’s research and work on the importance of preserving the human-animal bond and how social work is integral to animal care This appointment is a testament to Dillon's dedication, skills, and expertise and will further our mission to Improve the Lives of Animals beyond our doors.

Congratulations, Dillon Dodson, on this outstanding achievement! .

These are difficult times, and it is okay to feel not okay. Being kind to yourself means accepting these very natural feelings. Second, you are not alone. From 24/hour hotlines, to text support and online apps, or specialized crisis and support services, there are all kinds of resources available across Canada to help you, your family, or your friends in need.

Everyone copes with their mental health differently, and there are many different resources available for us. For example:

CCHMS provides 24/7 text and phone hotlines for youth and adults, e-counselling, selfmanagement tools, anonymous peer support community and more.

As Canada's largest mental health teaching hospital, CAMH provides workshops, online materials, self-assessments, 24/7 hotlines and more

it out To get your login information, please click here.

Staff members with benefits also have coverage from mental health professionals

How to help a friend that’s suffering

We haven’t talked in a while, how are you doing?

You seem kind of down lately Let’s talk and see if there’s a way I can help

Seems like you’re having a hard time. I’ve been there too, and it can help to talk about it

If you’re having a hard time, I am a judgementfree ear you can talk too

It’s never easy to approach the subject of mental health with a friend, family member, or colleague who may be suffering from mental health Here are some conversation starters that might help open the dialogue: .

Finding Foster Homes for 8 Mastiff Puppies

They say it takes a village to raise a child – and in our case, it took multiple teams to assist eight adorable five-week-old mastiff puppies to find their forever homes.

The gem puppies – Garnet, Amethyst, Pearl, Diamond, Aquamarine, Opal, Jade and Citrine –arrived on April 3rd, 2023, while we were experiencing a Parvovirus outbreak. Knowing that vaccine-naïve puppies were especially susceptible to this virus, staff from a variety of Divisions came together with the plan of completing their admission exam through our Public Veterinary Service clinic. Each precious gem received a medical exam which included their puppy vaccines, dewormer, and microchip

From there, the Community Sheltering and Transport team divided the puppies, and they were immediately paired off to four different loving foster homes. Their foster parents will care for them until they’re old enough for their spay and neuter surgeries

Thanks to the incredible team effort, these eight puppies are now healthy, happy and parvovirus free! A special thank-you to the Public Veterinary Staff for their generosity in sharing their space and to everyone who had a hand in helping these puppies start their journeys to finding their forever homes.

help Buddy to feel more confident again, Buddy’s pet parents book a consultation with our Public Training Services

Dr. Jacklyn Ellis,CAAB, and Certified Professional Dog Trainer, Jessica Tartaglia CPDT-KA, created a custom plan to address Buddy's anxiety Their goal was to help him familiarize himself with everyday stimuli, new environments, and cooperative care.

The first part of the behaviour plan was to gain Buddy's trust Through patient and compassionate training, Buddy learned to feel comfortable with his new trainer and his pet parents. Buddy's pet parents were taught how to read his body language, communicate more effectively with him, and provide the support he needed to feel safe and secure. With the guidance of our team, Buddy now more confidently approaches visitors and even responds with kisses and a wagging tail!

“We began working with Jessica to better understand Buddy’s needs, his body language and how to comfort and support him. Through this training our bond has strengthened; Buddy trusts us more and has gained so much confidence! Thank you so much to Jessica and the team at Toronto Humane Society for all they do!”

Buddy's story is a testament to the power of positive reinforcement-based training, which can help pets overcome anxiety, build confidence, and strengthen their bond with their human families

If you, or someone you know, needs guidance on how to support their pet, book a consultation to speak to an expert on our team

Transport Truck Upgrades

monitored bed and cap, ensuring the safety and comfort of the animals during lengthy road trips With this new addition, we can transport anim more effectively, ensuring they receive timely a responsive care.

The transport truck also features lighting install on the outside of the cap This allows us to eas illuminate staging areas during early morni hours or at night for our outreach trips. These

trailer which will enable us to transfer more animals By upfitting our transport truck, our

Dr. Jacklyn Ellis Shares Cat Bonding Tips on “Conan Needs a Friend”

Conan O'Brien, television host, comedian, writer and pet dad to two cats, featured Dr Jacklyn Ellis, Director of Behaviour at Toronto Humane Society, on his podcast "Conan Needs a Friend." On this special episode titled ‘Welcome to the Jungle’, Dr. Ellis discussed how our dedicated staff train animals to become great pets and provided tips on strengthening the human-animal bond

In this clip, Dr. Ellis discusses effective tactics such as the "slow blink" approach to build a stronger connection with your feline friend. To listen to the full podcast where Dr. Ellis also talks abbot turtles, monkeys, and more – please click here

Toronto Humane Society Attends

the Animal Care Expo in New Orleans

During the first week of April, hundreds of animal welfare professionals gathered to discuss emerging trends and services that impact how we view and deliver care to pets and their people at the Humane Society of United States’ Animal Care Expo in New Orleans

Dillon Dodson, Senior Manager, Social Worker, and Larisa Nagelberg, Division Manager, Community Sheltering & Animal Transport, were honoured to be included as presenters at the conference as they represented Toronto Humane Society

Their presentation named "Preserving the Human-Animal Bond in Your Community: Trauma-Informed Emergency Foster Care" shared information about our Urgent Care Program, which formally began just ahead of the pandemic in 2020.

Dillon shared information on the principles and importance of trauma-informed care, which is gaining wider attention in the animal sheltering world

They discussed the data collected over the past 2.5 years from Urgent Care program, and spoke to information they gleaned about both the human and pet populations served through our crisis sheltering program. This data included highlights on admission statistics, length of stay, reunification rate, and more

The conference included topics related to access to care, community-centric programs, how to improve processes and data-driven strategy By attending conferences like these, we have the opportunity to do more than just brainstorm new ideas. We can actively engage in reflection and use our collective insights to improve the work we do in our community The attending team looks forward to using this information as we continue to ethically and accurately explore the challenges that pet parents are experiencing.

Thank you, Dillon and Larisa, for representing us at the Animal Care Expo and for sharing what you’ve learned with the team.

Volunteer Updates

Anniversaries

Please join us in celebrating volunteers who are reaching a milestone anniversary this month! Thank you for all your hard work and continued dedication!

5 years: 15 years:

Hannah K., Feline Care

Kathy M, Feline Care and Special Species Care

May Volunteer/Foster Town Hall

On May 25th the bi-monthly volunteer/foster town hall will be held Various departments will share updates regarding what is happening at Toronto Humane Society. It is also an opportunity for our volunteers and foster parents to ask questions and share any feedback they may have We’ll be hosting this onsite in the boardroom and virutally so that you can choose how you’d like to attend.

Date:May 25th, 5:30pm – 6:30pm

Location: Virtual over Zoom & in-person in the boardroom on the second floor

Registration: Please sign up to attend meeting via Zoom or join us in the boardroom

Cancelling Trainings

Just a note that if you must cancel an animal care training course you have booked, please do so through the confirmation email you received when booking the training Chris or Nathan cannot cancel it for you due to system restrictions. Please keep in mind that there is a limited number of spots so cancelling a course that you can no longer attend will open a spot for another person to receive training

Work in the Hospitality Industry? – We are looking for a Partnership Opportunity

Our Urgent Care Program is looking to set up a partnership with a local hotelier (as close to Toronto Humane Society as possible) for situations where we may need to help Urgent Care Service families get into a hotel for a short period of time. The hotel(s) must be pet friendly. These situations are few and far between, and the length of stay is most likely no more than 1 - 3 days

If you work in the hotel industry in the city, or know of anyone who does, who may be interested in helping us, please reach out to Chris at cbuchner@torontohumanesocietycom

Employer Volunteer Grants

Our volunteers are important to us Your time and effort, your skills and your passions are what drive and sustain our life-saving mission But did you know that there’s a way to increase your impact for every hour you selflessly volunteer?

Through Volunteer Grants, your employer could make financial donations towards Toronto Humane Society for every hour you volunteer with us

Here’s a quick rundown Companies vary in their requirements, but there is usually a minimum number of hours that the employee must volunteer, and the company will either donate by the hour or provide a set amount once a threshold has been met. Reach out to your employer to learn about how you could be making even more of an impact.

For any questions, please reach out to Willow Tambakiscorporate@torontohumanesociety.com

Staff Announcements & Career Opportunities

Staff Announcements

Toronto Humane Society is continually growing! Here is a list of new staff members that joined our team in February.

Xavier Boakye – Data Reporting Analyst

We've also had some members move into different roles

Sakina, Shah – Veterinary Assistant

And a special congratulations to Sydney Wellham, Kyla Cooper, and Sally Kerek for passing their exams and becoming certified dog trainers with Certification Council for Dog Trainers (CCPDT)!

Career Opportunities

Toronto Humane Society is committed to Improving the Lives of Animals. Our team of talented, dedicated staff work to support this mission

If you are interested in joining our dedicated team please forward your resume to our Human Resource Department via email at hiring@torontohumanesocietycom

Current Job Openings:

Public Relations Coordinator Development Officer, Direct Response Fundraising Development Officer, Monthly Giving Development Officer, Community Giving

N lunteer Week Winners

Although National Volunteer Week is o , love and appreciation for our volunteers and foster parents never ends Here is a recap of our National Volunteer Week winners – as nominated by you!

Helping Hand

Ellen J: In just over a year, Ellen has already volunteered for over 456 hours! Starting in January 2022, Ellen’s first role was as a shelter clinic volunteer, which she still does to this day She is also a feline care volunteer, feline training assistant, and has been a canine care volunteer as well. With all the help she has given us, it’s no wonder she was nominated for this award. As a member of the medical staff put it, “Ellen is an amazing addition to our surgery team Always so friendly, helpful, and hard working.” Thank you for all your help and keep up the amazing work, Ellen!

Diana C & Eric B: Diana and Eric have been fostering together with Toronto Humane Society since 2018! This dynamic duo has taken in some of our most intensive feline TLC and medical cases, and simply knock it out of the park every time

r Rookie

Kylie S: Kylie joined PPSN in the summer of 2022, has volunteered for over 55 hours and has been doing a fantastic job connecting pet parents with the support they need! She has been consistent in her shifts and has provided excellent feedback to better the program She started to train new team members within a very short time, and her easy going yet knowledgeable approach makes her an asset to Toronto Humane Society

Cassandra S: Cassandra has only been fostering for Toronto Humane Society since September 2022 but has already made a huge impact. Cassandra’s first fosters were a momma dog and her six puppies Unfortunately, as the puppies got older, they began to have episodes of vomiting and diarrhea and later diagnosed with a parasite called giardia Cassandra had to bring all the puppies for multiple appointments at the shelter until the puppies improved Throughout the entire process Cassandra remained so kind and patient. Thank you, Cassandra, for all your hard work and dedication! The foster team is so thankful for you, you truly are a rockstar!

Ellen Kylie Matthew Diego Rain

Diana & Eric Cassandra Shastine

Joey Laurie

Going the Extra Mile

Matthew B: If you have been to the shelter, you have probably seen Mathew either helping with the food bank, running around to find pet supplies for people in need, doing laundry and dishes, and just generally lending a hand where he can. He has been with us since October 2019, and has volunteeredan astounding 994 hours! Seeing the smile on members of the public’s faces when he finds them the food or donated items is a beautiful thing Thank you so much for everything you do, Mathew!

Shastine B: Shastine started fostering for Toronto Humane Society in December 2021 and has been deemed "Foster Kitten Queen"! Shastine has taken on many cats, orphaned bottle feeder kittens, kittens with medical conditions and even puppies over the last two years. One of her more recent fosters were two momma cats who were coraising their combined total, seven kittens Talk about going the extra mile!

You’re A Gem

Diego C: Diego has been a volunteer with pet support and retail since November 2022, and in that short time he has already made an incredible impact He is always friendly with potential pet parents and staff and is such a joy to be around Not only does he help with pet support and retail, he also is trained in canine care and in marketing/fundraising events. He has donated over 62 hours of his time to help us, and we cannot be more grateful Diego is trulya gem!

Joey: Joey the foster parent of Kola, Hazel, the "nut puppies" aka “the Barbaras”, Azelea, Lavendar, Golden Grahams, Lillian, Jessica, Brittney, Mya, Rose, Garfield, Buster, Raspberry, and Melon

Rain P: Rain has been a volunteer with us for over 12 years and has over 1300 hours of volunteer service under her belt, which is truly incredible! Rain is always very helpful - especially when we are low on staff and when she knows the enrichments for dogs are low, she takes the extra step to help us finish the walks and other tasks needed. She also always stays longer if needed for her help. She has great handling skills and asks questions when needed Rain is an amazing person, and her passion shows with how much love she gives animals. Rain, thank you for your continued dedication and support, we cannot put into words just how grateful we are for all the years and countless hours you have volunteered!

Laurie M: When the foster team thinks of a longterm foster parent they instantly think of Laurie. Laurie has been a hard working, dedicated foster parent for almost eight years now Over the years Laurie has fostered roughly 116 animals. Way to go Laurie! We all know Laurie has a soft spot for kittens, but she is now well known at Toronto Humane Society for her amazing work with the ringworm positive cats Caring and treating ringworm positive cats can be a little more work and can be a little more time consuming compared to the average foster cat but if you ask Laurie, we’re sure she’ll say it’s worth it Thank you, Laurie, for being our ringworm foster extraordinaire! Thank you so much for your many, many years of fostering care!

Our veterinarians had to act fast, as infection was almost guaranteed if the wound was not immediately cleaned and closed Once Beetle was placed under general anesthesia, our team began carefully removing dead tissue. The opening was then thoroughly flushed, and the wound was carefully sutured shut.

Will you help the next animal receive the same level of care? Your gift today will provide lifesaving care for an animal tomorrow.

Upcoming Events

Mental Health Week

May 1st - May 7th

A week to raise awareness about the importance of caring for our mental health

National Specially-abled Pets Day

May 3rd

A day to acknowledge and bring attention surrounding the care and needs of pets with disabilities.

Mother’s Day

May 14th

A day to celebrate and honour the role of mothers, maternal bonds, and their influence on society

International Day Against Homophobia, Transphobia and Biphobia

May 17th

A day to celebrate people with diverse sexual orientations, gender identities or expressions, and sex characteristics, and raise awareness surrounding the violence and discrimination that the 2S/LGBTQIA+ community faces

Victoria Day

May 22nd

A public holiday in Canada in honour of the late Queen Victoria's birthday

Click here to read more dates that we are acknowledging this month.