NS SPCA METRO SHELTER

OUR ADORABLE ADOPTABLE PET LIST

ANNUAL DOG JOG SET FOR SATURDAY JUNE 14TH at POINT PLEASANT PARK

This year's annual Metro Shelter Dog Jog will be taking place on Saturday June 14th at the Point Pleasant Park in Halifax. Please go to our main website at www.spcans.ca to read more about the event and to get your pledge forms.

This event is the largest single fundraiser for the shelter which assists with rehoming and rehabilitation of approximately 2000 animals annually. The NS SPCA only receives a $3000 grant annually from the Dept of Agriculture so the SPCA is almost totally dependant on publically donated funds to do the work it does. The shelter alone costs almost $500,000 to operate annually.

Please come out and show your support for all the animals. Thank you on behalf of the animals.

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YARD SALE at the METRO SHELTER on SATURDAY MAY 24TH

Please drop by the Metro Shelter as we join in with the Burnside Park Annual Yard Sale. Many wonderful items will be for sale with all proceeds going directly to the shelter to help the animals.

CAPE BRETON SEIZURE BRINGS 51 DOGS AND 79 CATS TO METRO SHELTER!!

On Friday, February 8nd, two NS SPCA investigators, one special constable and RCMP officers from the Port Hawkesbury detachment arrived at the home of Alice MacIsaac, Port Hawkesbury, Cape Breton with a warrant to seize animals in her care. Alice MacIsaac is the mother of Zonda MacIsaac, owner of Celtic Pets Rescue shelter that the SPCA shut down last Saturday. The elder MacIsaac is also a former volunteer of the SPCA but was stripped of her duties as special constable last October. "When we received the warrant to seize the animals at the Celtic Pets Rescue shelter, we had no idea that it would escalate further" states NS SPCA president, Pamela Keddy. The SPCA found out late this week that MacIssac was harbouring excessive number of animals in her home, suspected to be overflow from the Celtic Pets Rescue. A warrant was issued on Friday, and the subsequent search resulted in a seizure of 24 dogs and one cat.

Most of the animals appear to have sound temperaments but each will need to be fully assessed before any will be made available for adoption. Some of the dogs were taken directly to the the Metro Animal Emergency Clinic in Dartmouth for assessment and treatment. The SPCA has been moving dogs from its Metro Shelter to other SPCA shelters across the province as well as to foster homes in order to accomodate this recent influx of dogs.

In total the SPCA has seized 51 dogs and 79 cats from the MacIsaacs over the past week. All the cats from the seizure are being housed at a rental space provided at a reduce rent from Ivano Andriani, HR4 HIRE INC. The NS SPCA would like to thank all the officers of the Port Hawkesbury RCMP detachment for all their assistance as well as our our hard working & dedicated Metro Shelter staff and volunteers for all they have done and are doing to assist these animals.

The SPCA is hoping that the public will find room in their hearts (and in their wallets) to help all of these animals while they are made ready for their future placement. To donate to help these and other animals within the care of the SPCA, please contact our Provincial office at 835-4798 or go to spcans.ca.

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ADOPTING A DOG OR PUPPY FROM THE NS SPCA METRO SHELTER

Important: All members of the family – including children - must meet the dog or puppy before the SPCA will accept an adoption application and place a hold for adoption (NLA) for a specific animal.

When animals have NLA (meaning "no longer available") on them at the shelter it means that an adoption application has been received on that animal. For those animals that are on our website if an adoption application is received it is placed as NLA - adoption pending and it is no longer viewable on the website.

To adopt a dog or puppy, an Adoption Application Form must be completed.

Processing of the adoption application may take between three to five business days depending on the availability of references and the volume of applications.

It is possible to be pre-approved for adoption which means that the Adoption Application Form is completed without a specific dog being applied for. The approval process is the same but may take up to ten business days to be completed. The selection of a dog may be done at any time during the pre-approval process. When approved, the approved applications are held at the shelter for six months.

When approved to adopt a specific dog, if adopters currently have other dogs an arrangement is made to bring in all dogs in the home to meet the new pet. This is done at the shelter with a member of the SPCA staff under controlled circumstances to ensure that the dog being adopted is a good match with the existing dogs in the household.

If the dog being adopted has the provision “Obedience is mandatory”. Once an adopter has been approved for adoption, the adopter must register and pay for the obedience classes prior to the dog being adopted and released. A list of known positive reinforcement obedience classes is available and can be provided upon request. If an adopter decides upon a class other than those on the SPCA approved list, please inform the shelter immediately before registering to ensure the trainer meets with SPCA approval. The SPCA has the right to decline enrollment in any class with any trainer at their discretion. ** Please note: For obedience classes to meet the SPCA requirement for “mandatory obedience” the classes must:

1) be of a class structure (i.e. not private one on one in-home training) so that the newly adopted dog experiences various stimuli such as differing people, animals & situations under a controlled environment with a qualified instructor

2) must only use positive reinforcement methods (i.e. use of prong /choke/ pinch collars are not permitted)

3) must be at least 8 weeks in duration and

4) must be taught by a certified dog trainer who can provided resume, vet reference & letters of recommendation and meet with SPCA approval and mandate. ***The SPCA has the right to decline enrollment in any class with any trainer at their discretion.

Please bring a collar and leash when picking up your new pet.

Collars, leashes and Gentle Leaders are available for purchase at the Metro SPCA Shelter

Adoption Fee for a Dog or Puppy - $150 Includes:

- Free visit to a SPCA participating veterinarian for a health check within two working days of adoption

- Shelter Care Pet Insurance – 30 day free coverage for accidents & illnesses common to shelter pets

- Flea treatment (Revolution)

- De-worming treatment (Strongit-T)

- First vaccine

- Microchip (implanted & registered with 24hr Pet Watch)

- Spay surgery (female) and/or Neuter surgery (male)

When a puppy is too young to be spayed or neutered prior to adoption, a spay/neuter certificate to cover the cost of the procedure is included in the adoption fee. This certificate has an expiry date so must be used prior to that date. If the certificate is lost, there is a $10 fee to replace it and you must contact the SPCA in advance to get the certificate

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ADOPTING A CAT OR KITTEN FROM THE NS SPCA METRO SHELTER

Important: All adults in the household must see the cat or kitten before the SPCA will accept an adoption application and place a hold for adoption (NLA) for a specific animal.

To adopt a cat or kitten, an Adoption Application Form must be completed.

Processing of the adoption application may take between three to five business days depending on the availability of references and the volume of applications

It is possible to be pre-approved which means that the Adoption Application Form is completed without a specific cat/kitten being applied for. The approval process is the same but may take up to ten business days to be completed. The selection of a cat may be done at any time during the pre-approval process. When approved, the approved applications are held at the shelter for six months.

When you have decided on a specific cat or kitten, all adult members of the household must see the animal before it can be reserved pending your approval for adoption. If the adopter is already pre-approved, all adult members of the family must see the animal before it can go to its new home.

Please bring a cat carrier with you when picking up your new pet.

Adoption Fee for a Cat or kitten - $120

Includes: - Free visit to a SPCA participating veterinarian for a health check within two working days of adoption

- Shelter Care Pet insurance – 30 day free coverage for accidents & illnesses common to shelter pets

- Feline leukemia test

- Flea treatment (Revolution)

- De-worming treatment (Strongit-T)

- First vaccine

- Microchip (implanted & registered with 24hr Pet Watch)

- Spay surgery (female) and/or neuter surgery (male)

When a kitten is too young to be spayed or neutered prior to adoption, a certificate to cover the cost of the procedure is included in the adoption fee. This certificate has an expiry date so must be used prior to that date. If the certificate is lost, there is a $10 fee to replace it and you must contact the SPCA in advance to get the certificate replaced.

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METRO ADOPTION AGREEMENT

For the benefit of all future adopters we have provided a copy of the Metro SPCA adoption contract details below to clarify what adopters are agreeing to when adopting an animal from our shelter:

ADOPTER AGREES TO THE FOLLOWING TERMS OF ADOPTION:

1. The animal will be kept primarily indoors, and if outside for any length of time will be provided with a weatherproof shelter and bedding. Animals are not to be left unattended for any long duration of time tethered and the tether must be longer than six feet.

2. The animal will be provided with proper and sufficient food, water and veterinary treatment as the animal may require throughout its life.

3. The Society shall have the right to inspect the animal from time to time. If the conditions under which the animal is kept are not satisfactory, a SPCA Inspector (or their designate) may take re-possession of the animal, in accordance with the powers of a Special Constable, and in such case the Society shall not be liable to refund the adoption fee.

4. The Society will not be responsible for the nature or condition of the said animal at the time of adoption, nor will the Society be obligated to refund or exchange the animal. _____ Adopter Initial

5. The Adopter will forthwith obtain a license tag as may be required by law.

6. The Adopter will observe all laws and by-laws concerning animals, and not permit the animal to run at large or become a public nuisance. The Adopter will retrieve the animal from any shelter/pound if impounded.

7. The Society is not responsible for any medical expenses after the animal leaves the shelter. ______ Adopter Initial

8. The Adopter is provided with a free vet visit within 48 hours of adoption. If health problems are detected, a full refund or exchange will be given within a day of the vet visit provided this receipt is returned.

9. If animal is not already spayed or neutered prior to adoption than the Adopter is required to have animal spayed or neutered at age of maturity (6 months old) or within two months from the date of adoption.

10.Adopter will notify the SPCA Metro Shelter immediately if no longer able to keep the animal, as it must be either returned to the SPCA for re-adoption or the SPCA must approve of the ownership change.

11.Under the NS SPCA Policy Manual, mutilation to an animal is deemed as a cruel act. The SPCA does not support ear-cropping, tail docking, de-barking or declawing. Adopters are not permitted to have any of these procedures done on any animal adopted from the SPCA. If declawing is an issue for adopters than those adopters will only be permitted to adopt cats currently in the SPCA's care that have been admitted to our care already declawed. ______ Adopter Initial

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