Travis Clark hangs out with the fiesty manx cat 'Tigger' in Second Chance Pet Network's playroom

Eight year-old Travis Clark knows the place like the back of his hand.

What he sees every day disturbs him, like it disturbs every volunteer that plays a role in the day-to-day operation of the Second Chance Pet Network’s King St. shelter.

There’s a sadness, a sense of wrong, of injustice that you can’t help feeling and acting against.

“We went to the Animal Control one day to take pictures of a cat and there was this poor little dog there – that place looked cold, like a dungeon to animals,” said Travis. “That started encouraging me to save animals.”

The experience led to his recent attempt to pass a letter of his concerns onto Prime Minister Stephen Harper during his recent visit to Dryden. While it didn’t exactly work out the way he planned, his efforts didn’t go noticed by people in the community and his friends at school.

He says he hopes to have a note outlining his concerns hand-delivered to the Prime Minister.

“My friends support me,” says Travis. “They signed my petition and that’s like saying, ‘okay I’ll help you, I’ll fight for you too.”

Travis has also helped with an outreach program to local schools that that teach kids about responsible pet ownership and helped raise donations.

With 60 cats, Second Chance was filled to capacity last week, unable to take on additional animals.

“Fifty per cent of these animals are abandoned, left behind when someone had to move,” says Travis surveying row upon row of cages. “We’re happy when we have room. When people adopt a animal, it creates space for another animal to come in.”

Second Chance’s Heather Compardo says the organization is poised on the verge of a big fundraising push and examining their options for government funding and revenue generation for a necessary expansion.

“Our thought process is to find a spot whereby we can have kennels set up – a revenue producing entity that will support the shelter,” said Compardo. “We’re still doing the research as to the cost of building the kennels as well as the shelter building and looking for some place where we’re going to be a good neighbour. It would also need to have a small residence on it as we need someone there to look after it. We anticipate that we would have two-to-three paid positions coming out of that.”

The group’s recent pitch to The City of Dryden – a proposal to become the community’s official pet licensing agent, a move that would require cats to be licensed, didn’t find much support on council.

“It’s extremely disappointing,” said Compardo. “I’ve run all the figures for how much cats are costing pet control versus dogs. Basically, responsible dog owners are paying for all the costs relating to the cat situation. The city did say they would look at providing us with a token amount (of funding) each year.”

Compardo says they hope to ramp up efforts around Second Chance’s Build and Shelter Brick By Brick campaign in the fall.

By Chris Marchand

In today’s world people buy all sorts of disposable things. Diapers, cameras, razors, and even electronics are obsolete almost as soon as you buy them! We change the decor of our homes and the type of vehicle we drive every few years.

One thing we should not ‘dispose’ of is our pets. Pets are not meant to be dropped off somewhere because they are not cute and cuddly any more. Killed because of their bad behaviour, or other numerous things too horrific to mention.

People have to realize that when they get a pet they are just as responsible for it as a child. You are responsible for its food, shelter, healthcare, training and discipline. You wouldn’t starve your child so why do some animals go without food? You wouldn’t leave your child out in the rain, snow, and freezing weather, so why do people leave their pets outside without proper shelter? When your child is sick you get them medical care. Some animals suffer until they die due to lack of care. Some even shot. You teach your child how to behave properly so they don’t get into trouble. Why not train your dog so if he does something wrong you do not beat him. People put children who they are unable to take care of up for adoption. So why do people drop off their unwanted pets at the dump?

PETS ARE NOT DISPOSABLE!

This was written by ‘Michelle’ who spends umpteen hours a week volunteering at the Second Chance Pet Network outlet on King Street. It is the feeling of all of us who are associated with SCPN. Too many animals are dumped somewhere. We have received cats that have been dumped at the dump in a garbage bag. Puppies dumped along the side of the highway in -25 degree weather. 5 others were found frozen to death. Kittens dumped here on the ice road. Puppies left to die after someone shot their mother on purpose. How many others have died needlessly that we don’t know of. A lot I’ll bet.

I can’t for the life of me understand how people can do this to an animal. My wife and I have had pets for over 30 years. We have lost many and cried every time we had to put one down. It’s too bad we can’t catch those that have mistreated their pet and heavily fine them and make sure they are never able to own a pet again.

We are just about full at the shelter. No more room unless we start finding a home for all the unwanted pets we now have. We need donations of all kinds including people willing to help out. Both at the shelter and such things as washing blankets at home.

If you can help, PLEASE call Anne at Triple F, 223-3335.