Humane Society gives hope to the helpless

David Lea, Oakville Beaver Staff

Published on Mar 28, 2009

They see humanity at its very best, but also at its absolute worst.  These are the ropes of working for the Oakville and District Humane Society, notes Johanne Golder, the Cornwall Road shelter’s executive director.

“You try and focus on the good stuff.”

The humane society has had some good things to focus on recently.  It received a $90,000 grant from the Ontario Trillium Foundation, which will allow it to computerize its vast records.  About 50 Bengal cats rescued last August from an apparent northeast Oakville breeding operation, were successfully adopted, while an Adopt- A-Thon in December found homes for about 150 other cats.  Despite this, the shelter is still operating at full capacity with some 200 cats and 20 dogs currently calling the shelter home.

“It fluctuates daily because some get adopted, they go home, but then more come in,” said Golder.

Golder noted there is normally a pattern at the humane society with many animals being admitted to the shelter in the spring and summer months while large-scale adoptions take place around the holiday season.  For the past two years, however, there has been no slack in admissions, with the shelter forced to house cats in its washrooms, hallways and even in two trailers that had to be rented.

“It isn’t just us. It’s everywhere. All shelters are suffering from the same problem. There are just too many cats,” said Golerr.

“Dogs, generally, are not allowed to roam on their own, but people are still letting their cats out and they’re not spaying and neutering them necessarily. On top of that, cats seem to have a whole different status than dogs. Cats seem to be very replaceable, very disposable.”

Ironically, the issue of animal overload is further compounded by the shelter’s humane policies.  The shelter is what is known as a ‘low kill’ shelter, meaning animals will not be euthanized because of lack of space or because they have been in the shelter for a long time.

“I would love to say we’re a ‘no kill’ shelter, but we can’t be,” said Golder. “I hate to say it, but some people will dump an animal that is really old or really ill because they don’t want the responsibility of doing what needs to be done for it and so we have to euthanize it.”

Golder said this sad task must also be carried out if an animal is injured beyond repair or if it has severe behavioural issues, such as aggression, which make it impossible to adopt.  Another factor, which keeps the cages full, is the shelter’s unwillingness to place its animals in the hands of people who are not equipped to give them a good home.

“We are very much dedicated to matching the right animal to the right family,” said Golder. “It’s a lifetime commitment and we don’t want them to have to come back because that doesn’t help anyone. If a family has already gotten attached to it and it’s not working out and they have to bring the animal back, it’s just a lose-lose situation for everyone.”

Golder said there are as many types of dogs and cats as there are people and people need to think about what their lifestyle when considering an animal for adoption.  Some dogs are great for older or less active families, while other dogs need an active family to keep them sane.

“Something like a Border Collie, they need a job to do. They need activity. They need stimulation. One of our staff has Australian Shepherds and they look at her like, ‘Tell me what to do. Tell me what to do,’ and that would drive me nuts,” said Golder.

“She takes them herding. She takes them to flyball. She’s constantly teaching them stuff and she gets off on that. She loves it. They love it. It’s a perfect match.”