Goodbye to 2010

Thought I'd finish off the year with a few more of the famous, or infamous :-) tongue pictures! It's been a while and as yesterdays posting was a sad one I thought it would be nice to end the year on a lighter note.

Soooo . . . here they are, the last of tongue pictures for this year (please note that all of these animals have already been adopted)

Betty practising with her teeny tiny pup tongue

Zelah . . . yum yum, cat grass

Sprout, for a malnourished and skinny little
pup you sure do have a big tongue :-)

Sam, trying hard to look dignified . . . but that darn tongue popped out and spoiled the cool dude look

Tom being Tom, you got something for me?

Mika soaking up the rays and licking her face

Parker licking her lips while waiting for her next victim
(Parker was a bit of a moody gal)

Jack caught off guard after just arriving

Bongo, you want me to pose how? Will this help find me a new home?

Happy New Year and thank you to everyone for your support throughout the year!

Chad

After his diagnosis of lymphoma 2-1/2 months ago at only 2 years old
Chad's quality of life started to deteriorate quickly two days ago and

yesterday morning employees said a sad good-bye to Chad.

Heartfelt appreciation and a huge thank you to everyone who cared for, walked, spent time with and loved Chad while he was with us. Chad enjoyed many walks, meals, logging road excursions, play times, cuddles and yes, Christmas, while in care.

Thank you everyone for caring and especially to the employees at the shelter for their compassion and care of Chad who truly was an inspiration to us all

Shelley and her home made dog treats

Thank you to Shelley, who baked and baked a whole lot of dog treats and spent December 23 and 24th in Sunnycrest Mall selling them, with a percentage of her sales going to the Sunshine Coast SPCA!

Thanks for thinking of us Shelley.

PS Shelley was also promoting the animals on the adoption board, I also bought a bag of treats and they were a hit with Mushka and Yogi . . . Mushka has been known to "spit out" treats (she flings them into the air and walks away) that are new or different than what she is used to :-)

Christmas Day at the shelter

Even though it's Christmas Day, life goes on at the shelter. Employees are there looking after the daily cleaning, feeding and caring of the animals, volunteers ensured all of the dogs were walked and the cats received some extra cuddle time. As the shelter was closed employees were able to spend some extra time with the animals which everyone enjoyed.

One of the animals spending Christmas at the shelter is Jezabel who literally "walked out of the woods" and into someones yard on December 19th, the people kept her for a few days in the hopes that someone was looking for her and then brought her to us . . . so far no one is looking for this extremely friendly cat but at least she is out of the rain, warm and dry, eating regularly and getting lots of attention.

Another recent addition to the shelter is Mercy, who found herself homeless two days before Christmas when her owner was not allowed to have her at the new place; the landlord would only allow one cat (there were two) so her guardian sadly decided to surrender Mercy.

Phoenix and Myla head out for a walk with Joe and Shelley, two of our regular volunteer dog walkers . . . Christa, also a volunteer dog walker, was up earlier and walked and spent time with some of the other dogs. Every one received walks or play time today!

Foster dogs, Gracie and Chad with foster mum and employee Cindy waiting to have their Christmas bows and bells put on.

Gracie all decked out in her bows and bells

Chad, all smiles, showing off his Christmas collar

Merry Christmas to everyone from Chad and Gracie

Home for the Holidays, Ozone, Junior and Chad

Chad is a young dog that was first featured here on November 6 looking for a special home http://sunshinecoastspca.blogspot.com/2010/11/chad-looking-for-special-home.html

Unfortunately due to the time of year, and probably Chad's cancer diagnosis, few people have contacted us about Chad. Though there was a wonderful opportunity for Chad to go in to a foster home on 5-acres, but due to his keen interest in cats - and there being 3 cats in the home - Chad was unable to move out and in to this foster home.

But there is some good news for Chad! He is now in foster care with one of our employees :-) Chad is now hanging out with another foster dog who is also living at the home . . . . Merry Christmas Chad.

Ozone found himself with us along with three of his room mates when their owners were moving "up North"; outgoing, sociable and a bit of a flirt, Ozone enjoyed playing with toys, other cats and pretty well anyone who wanted to interact with him while at the shelter. After previously living with other cats, a dog and interacting with kids it really didn't take Ozone long to find himself a new home . . . he is now living here on the Coast in a home with a Rottweiler buddy who is missing having a feline friend.

Junior is a young dog who found himself looking for a new home due to his guardian not having the time to spend with him, after a relative left Junior at the home. A calm, quiet and clean dog, Junior tended to watch everything going on around him in the kennels, walked nicely on leash after the initial excitement of setting off on a walk and sat and shook a paw perfectly! On the flip side, Junior was quite head shy and could be a timid and hesitant around new people - he didn't throw himself at you but rather took his time before warming up and accepting you as a friend. A bit of a scardy boy until he knew you.

Junior is now on to a new adventure in his life and is going to be living in Fernie!

A wonderful couple who have experience with dogs such as Junior and also have a male Staffordshire Bull Terrier looking for a pal spotted Junior on-line and after talking on the phone, submitting an application, etc they drove here (over 900 klms plus a ferry ride) with their dog to meet Junior . . . Junior and the Staffi hit it off really well, it was as if they had been buddies forever! Junior then hopped into their car with his new canine pal and the two boys plunked right down in the back and started to cuddle a little. Fantastic news for Junior on Christmas Eve :-)

Daisy and Charlie find their new homes

Daisy is a sweet young dog, who like all young dogs is active, playful and ready to enroll in school to learn some obedience commands . . yes, Daisy is pretty much a blank slate waiting for some direction and guidance. Gentle and kind, Daisy doesn't have a mean bone in her body, but can be quite fearful of new people though she does warm up quickly once she has met you and even more so if you happen to have some yummy treats in hand. Yes, Daisy can be won over with a cookie. But until that time, Daisy can be coy and skittish and will not go near you. Good natured and friendly with other dogs, Daisy loves nothing better then a play session with her canine pals - she is very playful and is more relaxed around other dogs then people.

After seeing Daisy on-line a very nice couple from North Vancouver hopped on the ferry and came over to meet Daisy, and loved her. They have had experience with fearful dogs before and once Daisy was spayed they came back over here to finalize the adoption papers . . . and Daisy is now living on the lower mainland.

Charlie Charlie Charlie . . found himself back with us after being adopted in early October (then named Lucky) due to being too overwhelming for the other cat in the home, yes Charlie can be a bit much for some cats in his quest to play. Active, outgoing and a bit pushy, there is nothing shy about Charlie, who will even tap you on the shoulder if he thinks you haven't noticed him. And how can you not notice him! Friends with everyone he meets, Charlie was the number one people greeter in the Communal room . . . . rushing over to say hi and enjoying hugs and giving love nibbles when being petted. But, Charlie was NOT happy at finding himself back in a shelter environment. Fortuately Charlie has quickly found himself a new home and is now living in Sechelt with a friendly Labrador-mix who loves everyone and everything! Charlie will be the only cat in the house though, which is probably a good thing as like I mentioned, he can be a bit overwhelming for other cats. Merry Christmas Charlie, you are home!

Rolly (aka Bubbles) Happy Ending!

Rolly (aka Bubbles) was adopted in August 2010 . . . . here is his story
http://sunshinecoastspca.blogspot.com/2010/08/bubbles-jina-sid-and-calie-go-home-bear.html and is doing great in his new home.

Here are some pictures of Rolly in his new home and a few words from his new guardian Sonja.

"Rolly is doing great – he completely runs the house and Lucy and I just love him to death! "

Handsome Rolly lounging in his new home

Beau, Luke and Fonzie are adopted

Beau & Luke

Beau (left) and Luke are two young pups who started of life in the Pemberton area . . . under socialized, scared and fearful they were first in care at a WAG foster home receiving some one-on-one. They were then transferred here for further socialization and exposure to every day activities and life in general in a foster home with one of our former employees, who now volunteers at the shelter training and working with the shelter dogs.

Beau has now been adopted by an acquaintance of the foster mum who met Beau while in foster care, and Luke has been adopted by his foster mum, who fell in love while fostering him and will continue on with Luke's socialization :-)

Fonzie is a cheerful and friendly boy who was abandoned by his owner - don't let his serious face in the picture fool you - Fonzie is a happy boy and though he was originally a bit vocal in the kennels once he settled in, he rarely made a peep. Always up for a walk, Fonzie is an easy walker and walks wonderfully on leash he is also attentive, smart and appears to have received some training while in his former home. An all around great companion who is easy going and playful with other dogs - and extremely tolerant of pups - Fonzie is a big pup himself and enjoys squeaky balls, stuffies and is up for a game of fetch whenever you are.

Fonzie has now worked his way into the heart of one of our regular dog walkers who met Fonzie, while- you guessed it - volunteering and walking Fonzie and the other shelter dogs. After thinking about it for a while and discussing with hubbie, and then arranging a meet and greet with Mabel (adopted from the shelter November 2008) that went well, the decision was final and Fonzie (now renamed Teddy) is now living with his new people and a new female canine friend.

PS Don't worry we haven't lost a dog walker, she will still be coming in for her regular hours during the week . . . it was part of the adoption agreement :-)

Happy Ending for Abby

We just received a wonderful Happy Ending from Abby's people . . . Abby is a cat who originally found herself at the Prince Rupert branch in September 2008 and was transferred here in February 2010 to help her find a home after no one noticed her in Prince Rupert
http://sunshinecoastspca.blogspot.com/2010/03/great-cat-adoptions-zupiter-chloe.html
as you will read, Abby has settled in beautifully.

December, 2010

Hello,

We adopted Abby, a fluffy Tabby/Manx cross, from the Sunshine Coast SPCA in March 2010 when she was 4 -1/2 years old. She had spent 18 months in two SPCA shelters. Abby is the gentlest, friendliest, and most easy going cat we have ever met. She does love attention - if there's a lap to sit on, Abby's there! She loves to be groomed - two or three times a day! Abby also loves to come around when we have visitors and she isn't at all shy about making new friends.

It took a few weeks of slow introduction, but our 10 year old tabby cat, Fufi, has really accepted Abby - in fact, they will sleep side by side very contentedly! Abby's pretty tolerant when our son's six month old puppy comes to visit, too!

We are so very happy to have Abby as part of our family and we think Abby's pretty pleased to be here, too! Abby has transitioned so well into our lives. We can't imagine life without Abby.

Wishing everyone at the SPCA a wonderful holiday season and all the best for the coming year. And thanks for taking such good care of Abby while she was at your shelters!

Dennis and Jennifer Vancouver

Abby hanging out in her new home!

It's the cats turn!

Neila is a young cat who was transferred here from the Abbotsford SPCA to help her find a new home. Neila originally found herself in care after being abandoned, but fortunately someone found her and brought her to the Abbotsford branch for help. Neila is a tiny bit shy but once she's your friend she can't get enough petting . . . purring contentedly the whole time you are stroking her. Yes, this little girl loves attention and is very affectionate. Playful and good with other cats - as long as they aren't too overwhelming and scare her - Neila has a tiny squeaky meow which makes her even more adorable . . . and is now living in her new home here on the Sunshine Coast.

Licorish

Kia

Licorish is another young cat who was transferred here from the Abbotsford branch to help her find a new home after initially being abandoned by her owner. Kia (5 months old) found herself in care with us after being acquired out of the newspaper and then her guardian soon moving and not taking Kia along. These two black & white cuties are now living together in their new home.

Boots is a young cat who was brought to us in early October with her very young kittens, which she raised and who have now all found homes. Once spayed it was Boots' turn to find herself a new home . . . easy going, playful, sociable and friends with everyone Boots is so laid back you can hold her on her back and stroke her tummy. How many cats allow you to do that! Boots also LOVES dogs and was looking for a home with a cat friendly dog to be her pal. An all around cool little cat, Boots has now found herself a home that includes a Bernese Mountain dog who is missing having a feline friend.

Bigwig Tig is an extra large tabby who too was transferred here from the Abbotsford branch to help him find a new home. Bigwig Tig is a highly sociable fellow - don't let the stern face in his picture fool you - who loves people, cuddling and giving head butts and though large, Tig tended to keep to himself in the Communal room and preferred to hang out with people - if you even looked at him sideways he figured you MUST want to pet him so would trot on over to visit with you. Bigwig Tig really is a people cat and was missing having a place to call home, thankfully he didn't have to wait long and 25 lbs of pure love is now settling into his new home.

Pups Murphy, Poindexter and Annie leave the building

Murphy is another of the Prince Rupert pups transferred here along with his siblings Mouse, Betty, Frieda, Timber and Poindexter. Murphy has actually been in his new home for a little while now, but I forgot to post him as adopted because it seems that he has never really left . . . Murphy (now named Sam) was adopted by a family member of one of our shelter employees; so he really is still a part of the family :-)

Poindexter is a sibling of Murphy (above); again it doesn't feel as if he has really left either after being adopted by one of our Community Council members! Poindexter now has a new name, which is not only easier to say but also easier to spell, Gunner :-) Gunner is enjoying life with another canine pal and two young kids along with mum and dad of course.

Annie is a young pup who was originally "rescued" from a barge on the lower mainland, her rescuer then tried to sell her for several hundred dollars here on the Sunshine Coast, when that didn't pan out Annie found herself surrendered to us to find a home. A lot happening for a young pup barely 9 weeks old. Annie quickly won everyone over with her outgoing personality and wrinkly little face and though lots of people inquired about her it took a little time for the right home to come along . . . . Annie is now living in Powell River with an active family near the beach and a park.

Annie being Annie

2010 Pet Pictures with Santa

Our annual Pet Pictures with Santa was held last Sunday . . . .

Esther arrives early with "Major Tom"

(adopted from the shelter several years ago
and now enjoying the good life)

Shannon (Branch Manager) and volunteer Marilynn man the merchandise table selling eveything from hoodies and calendars to pedometers and Twoonie draw tickets

Volunteers Jenn and Gail at the registration table ~
it may look quiet in the picture, but it was HECTIC most of the time

Volunteers Karen (moi) and Christa ~ in charge of bows, handing out treats and working the squeaky toy (to help grab the attention of the pet having his or her picture taken)

Waiting . . . waiting . . . . waiting

Recently adopted Luna-Leela stops by for a picture

The local Greyhound Club came by for a picture ~
approx. 11 greyhounds came for a group picture plus some single pictures!

The following pictures were taken by Darren Bernaerdt
who has been coming with his family from Richmond to volunteer
his time for over 12 years at the event . . couldn't do it without you Darren!

Jenna (shelter employee) and newly adopted "Sam"
who yes, is a laid back pup

"Major Tom", not looking too impressed

"Roo" (aka Aroo) hamming it up with Santa ~
Roo was adopted this past Summer from the shelter

Group picture
Back row, Santa, Darren with Kia and Gail
Front, Karen (moi), Marilynn and Shannon
missing are Jenn and Christa who had to leave before the picture was taken

THANK YOU TO OUR SPONSORS

Darren Bernaerdt (photography)
Eagle Ridge Veterinary Hospital (treats)
London Drugs (picture developing)
Sunnycrest Mall (use of Santa display)
and of course, Santa

plus everyone who brought their pet for a picture
the event raised over $1,400 for the Sunshine Coast Branch!