From The Pew Environment Group, The Pew Charitable Trusts…
Sharks have roamed our oceans since before the time of dinosaurs, but their long reign at the top of the ocean food chain may be ending. The onset of industrial fishing over the past 60 years has drastically depleted their populations. Of the shark and ray species assessed by scientists for the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), 30 percent are threatened or near-threatened with extinction.
Shark finning –- the practice of catching a shark, slicing off its fins and then discarding the body at sea -– takes a tremendous toll on shark populations. Up to 73 million sharks are killed every year to primarily support the global shark fin industry, valued for the Asian delicacy shark fin soup.
In general, sharks grow slowly, mature late and produce few young over long lifetimes, leaving them exceptionally vulnerable to over exploitation and slow to recover from depletion. As key predators, their depletion also has risks for the health of entire ocean ecosystems. For example, tiger sharks have been linked to the quality of seagrass beds through their prey, dugongs and green sea turtles, which forage in these beds. Without tiger sharks to control their prey’s foraging, an important habitat is lost.
Canada has the longest coastal line of any country which is home to 27 different shark species. Canada has a legitimate shark fishing industry and foreign vessels are not closely monitored, possibly resulting in shark finning, For these reasons, Shark Fin Free Calgary encourages supporters to sign a federal petition to change the Fisheries Standard that will protect all sharks in Canadian waters until they are at least of reproductive age. This petition can be found along with our petition to the city of Calgary on our website and at various locations around the city.
Shark fin is served in over 30 restaurants* and other establishments that we are aware of right here in Calgary! Additionally, many restaurants not advertising shark fin on their menus, will often make it available for special order for banquets and other events. For every soup bowl not sold, a shark ultimately gets saved. Although it may not be heavily advertised, shark fin soup is popular throughout Canada. When the buying stops the killing can too!
And here’s how they suggest you can help:
To learn more about the local efforts to stop shark finning, visit Shark Fin Free Calgary‘s website.
*independent survey
On December 13, little Charlie went missing from his home. His family searched frantically for him.
On January 10, we received this email: “I regret to inform you that Charlie was found by CP Rail just a mere block from where he went missing…he passed yesterday…it is unclear how exactly. Some say the train but he was in immaculate condition, and his hair was white and no matts. Just like we last saw him, and he was being fed as he has not lost any weight.”
Charlie was just six months old when he disappeared.
The following letter appeared on The Taber Times today. It’s a letter from Charlie’s “mom” where she is talking to the person believed to have had Charlie for the more than three weeks he was missing from his home. I cannot say how this story breaks my heart. We all expected such a different ending. Everyone with DAISY Foundation extends heartfelt hugs to Charlie’s family.
EDITOR;
This is for Charlie, our sweet, loving and innocent puppy taken from us so senselessly. He never got to experience his full puppyhood with his family because of human greed and insensitivity.
You kept him for over three weeks, you kept him clean, you fed him well and were able to see him grow. Then what happened?
Did you feel the heat from all the flyers mailed out and then the Taber newspaper report?
Were your dreams dashed because this little puppy had posters up from British Columbia through Manitoba, so no one would buy him from you?
Or, were you planning on keeping him, but because he was so well known you panicked and did the unthinkable?
If you had used the brains you were born with and simply given him a mud bath or made him really dirty, given his family a call to say you had found him, everyone would have been happy — you, with your large reward and this family for the return of this very precious puppy with no questions asked.
You saw this family and the community out there every day for over three weeks scouring the village for Charlie. You must have been blind and so cold hearted not to have seen the love and devotion they had for him. To keep him from his family was the ultimate in inhumanity.
Your kind of people are a menace to any community, because who else’s pet will be taken next and then discarded so lightly when things don’t go your way? In our hearts, we know your justice will come sooner or later for your cowardly deed.
May Charlie’s memory live with everyone who knew him or of him, and his family, and know we are ever so grateful to all the people who gave of their time, energy and support in search to bring him home.
LYNDA MURRAY
Lethbridge
reprinted from The Taber Times
It’s not going to be a happy New Year for one family unless Jersey returns home. Jersey and her two canine companions woke Colleen up at 2 a.m. on December 28th. She let the three dogs out. In a couple of minutes, she whistled for Oscar, Diva and Jersey. Colleen heard a whistle immediately following her whistle. Colleen whistled again… and once again a whistle followed. She ran back into the house and locked the door. Colleen was afraid to be out there alone at 2 a.m., so she promptly awoke her daughter. When they got to the door, they hollered for the three dogs. Oscar and Diva came back. Jersey did not. She woke her son and the three of them searched the entire area including Airdrie for hours and now days.
There was no evidence of an animal attack…she just disappeared. The whistle is suspicious.
Jersey is in urgent need of her medication. She recently had surgery for an aggressive infection. There were complications with the surgery and Jersey had to have the surgery repeated. If she doesn’t get her medication, Jersey’s life is at risk.
Jersey is a member of a family. She is a 7-month-old brown brindle pit bull. She has more light hairs on her belly. She has stunning coppery brown eyes. She is a slender 18” tall lightweight. She has a slight lumpy mark on the left side of her neck from the surgery. She’s active and loves her family, is timid with strangers but not vicious.
Colleen has a very special eight year old son named Ben. He suffers from 3 major diseases; last of which was a liver transplant. He has recently been treated for a major rejection. When Ben cries, Jersey is there. He doesn’t have many friends because he is “different.” Jersey builds Ben’s confidence and is his best friend and constant companion. Jersey looks out for Ben.
Ben believes Jersey is coming home. He needs his best friend back. Please, if you have seen Jersey or know of her whereabouts, call the D.A.I.S.Y.? Foundation at 403-475-1020. Someone knows where Jersey is.
If you have Jersey’s and want to stay anonymous, you can drop her off at any vet in Airdrie, Crossfield, Carstairs or Calgary North Vet.
Colleen’s children have emptied their piggy banks and pooled their resources. These kids have come up with a $295.00 reward.
If you would like to make a donation to Jersey’s Reward Fund*, please click here and note that you donation is for Jersey’s Reward Fund.
The family is not whole without Jersey.
*Any extra monies received will go to the DAISY Foundation Veterinary Assistance Fund.
Remember Duke, the little Chihuahua who was abducted by a coyote, but managed to drag himself back home despite his injuries? Who was later abducted by a hawk, but again survived?
Yes, THAT Duke.
He has a new home!
When Gail Gallant first told his story and said that he was looking for a new home, I immediately had the feeling that DAISY Foundation founder, Heather Anderson, would be the perfect match for him. I felt it in my gut and in my heart. But knowing that Heather already has a menagerie of dogs, cats, birds and reptiles, I decided it would be best to see if they would find each other.
So we created a blog post and spread the word about Duke. We received offers from far and near, but for one reason or another, they did not work out.
About a month later, we were working on our plans for the 4th Annual DAISY Foundation Fundraiser. Because it was being held at the community center, we thought we would invite Duke. Perhaps if people could see him in person, they might be interested in him or know someone who was. And that’s exactly what happened when Heather and Duke met — Heather with her cane and Duke with his cart. A match made in heaven!
A reporter recently interviewed the two of them at Heather’s house and filed this article. He also shot a video so everyone can meet Duke, aka Mr. Hot Wheels! As you can see in the video, not much slows this boy down!
Congratulations to Heather and Duke. I KNEW you would find each other!
And a special thanks to Gail for stepping up for this little man!
JEREMY NOLAIS | METRO CALGARY
Previously down on his luck, a resilient pup has rolled his way into a new Calgary home … and the heart of his new owner.
Known as Duke, the two-year-old Chihuahua has endured attacks by both a coyote and hawk, suffering extensive injuries that left his back two legs unusable.
Unable to afford pricey vet bills, his owners in Lacombe outfitted Duke with a set of wheels to replace his back two legs, but quickly realized they would no longer be able to give him enough care and attention.
Luckily, Calgary’s Heather Anderson, founder of animal rights advocacy group The Daisy Foundation, has come to the rescue.
Duke moved into Anderson’s humble abode earlier this month and has quickly made friends with a canine named Colt, who lost a leg as result of a gunshot wound.
“He’s got this spirit you wouldn’t believe,” Anderson said. “He’s incredible. I truly believe he has come into my life for a reason.”
Duke’s previous owner, Valerie Parish, spent months searching for a new home for him with the help of a complete stranger and Good Samaritan, Edmonton’s Carol Gallant.
“I couldn’t be happier,” Parish said of Duke’s new abode. “It was a long road but knowing where he went has made it all worthwhile.”
reprinted from MetroNews Calgary
UPDATE: Duke has found a new home — with Heather, founder of DAISY Foundation 
When I think of a dog named Duke, I think of a big dog; 60 pounds or so. But in this case, this Duke is a tiny mite with a big personality.
Meet DUKE! The little Chihuahua with the big heart!
Duke used to live out in the country where he had a doggy door so he could go outside as needed. One day last summer, his owner found him laying on the doorstep unable to move. His vet believes that Duke was attacked by a coyote; that he was given the “death shake” that injured his spine. But somehow Duke managed to get away and make it home before the swelling to his spine made that impossible.
Now Duke gets around via his fancy “wheels.” According to his owner, “The [cart] he has is super light and works wonderful. I think you will be surprised as to how well it works. He can run in it; he can go through most terrain.”
Circumstances are such now that Duke’s family is looking for a new home for him: “I am so sad that we can not keep him, it breaks my heart, but it isn’t fair to him not to have someone who can change his diapers regularly and care for him properly.”
Will you help Duke?
We used to live in the country.
We had a doggy door which they used all the time. One day he was attacked by a coyote and I found Duke on the door step. He was not able to move.
The Vet figured he was given the death shake and it broke his back. He was still able to run away but as he stopped, the cord began to swell. The vet gave us the option to take him to Calgary where they could have exposed his cord to relieve the pressure. He would have had a 50/50 shot of recovering completely. The procedure was $5000 and with all the other tests and stay, it could have been up to $10.000 which we just didn’t have.
So the vet did keep him for 3 days, gave him pain killers and iv fluid, xrays, etc, etc.
The [cart] he has is super light and works wonderful. I think you will be surprised as to how well it works. He can run in it, he can go through most terrain. I personally don’t think he needs a new one.
We looked at the professional ones to get the basic pattern. It took my husband and my brother-in-law (who is a welder) 3 days to finally get it right. I have a seamstress who made all of his supplies including [the supplies] for his cart. His supplies cost over $500.00. They are starting to wear so probably in the next year he will need some of them replaced.
I am so sad that we can not keep him, it breaks my heart, but it isn’t fair to him not to have someone who can change his diapers regularly and care for him properly.
Can you take him?
Thank you.
We are looking for a forever home for Duke. Sometimes it takes a little longer with a “special needs” dog, so we are asking you to help us. If you are interested in knowing more about Duke, please email Carol (Enable Javascript to see the email address) or message her on Facebook.
If you are unable to adopt him, please share Duke’s story with your friends and family. There is a home out there for him and it may even be there with someone you know.
So, please help this little mite with the big heart out… SHARE his story.
Things seem quiet in Mirror these days after the dog poisonings in April. However, what has changed?
Last I knew, there was to be a town hall meeting in Mirror between residents and officials to discuss the poisoning deaths of 13 dogs and what was going to be done about it. But last I heard, the meeting never happened.
When the first reported poisoning of dogs happened a year ago, one RCMP officer involved in the poisonings talked with Daisy Foundation’s Heather Anderson. At that time, Heather pointed out research that shows a link between animal abuse and abuse of people. The officer rather sarcastically asked Heather if she was suggesting that there was a serial dog killer in Mirror. Her reply was, “Yes!”
A year passed and in April, at least 13 dogs died from poisoning in an overnight period. Coincidence? Or serial dog killer? My bet is on the latter.
It’s been a few months now and as expected, the hysteria has mostly subsided. People have returned to their normal lives. But what about the families victimized by the poisonings. At least one family lost dogs they had added to their family after their previous dog had been poisoned a year back. This family has again been victimized, traumatized and hurt. I wonder how they are doing these days?
Well, I think it’s time to shake out the rug and see what has settled underneath. Let’s not wait another year or even another season to see if the killer strikes again. Let’s raise some awareness.
I am asking the people of Mirror who have lost a pet to the poisonings to send me their story (Enable Javascript to see the email address) and a photo of their beloved dog. Let’s see if we can’t renew our search for justice and move forward to some resolution beyond what we have right now.
$5000 reward for the return of Benjamin to his family
call: 780-837-1049 | email: (Enable Javascript to see the email address)
Benjamin has been missing since January 20, 2011 when he was “taken” from his driveway.
“Ben was last seen on our end driveway talking to a stranger, being fed with a pizza box. Ben is not a wanderer, and is very attached to us, his people. Ben is 108 pounds, and 28 inches tall at the shoulder.”
It’s possible that Benjamin was sold to or adopted by someone who may not know that he was stolen from his family. If you have recently adopted a dog that looks like Benjamin, please check inside his ears and see if he is tattooed.
There is, however, reason to believe he is still in the company of the person who stole him.
“Benjamin is our child and our child is missing. We search everyday on all mediums…social media, websites, radio, newspapers, and posters.”
Please help us find Benjamin and bring him home. There is a $5000 reward for Benjamin’s return or a tip that brings him safely home.
If you have Benjamin and would like to anonymously return him, we are offering you several options to do that:
If you have any tips on the whereabouts of Benjamin, contact Benjamin’s family at the phone number/email above.
Our goal here is to re-unite this baby with his family; the family that has raised him from puppyhood; the family that misses him more everyday. Benjamin is out there. Neighbors saw the vehicle that took him away. Please, we are asking everyone’s help in bringing this boy home.
Below is a LOST poster for Benjamin. Perhaps you can print it out and distribute it in your neighborhood to help us get the word out.
Please share Benjamin’s story with your friends and family: email them a link to this webpage; SHARE this page by clicking on the social media buttons at the top or bottom of this page; hang posters. Think of these gestures as “paying it forward.” We would all appreciate all the help we could get if we were in the shoes of Benjamin’s family.
My neighbor has a young doe in a pen in her yard that was hit by a car not quite a week ago. She is maybe a bit over a year old according to the vet. A couple neighbors found her laying on the side of the road — alive. They dropped her off at my neighbor’s house.
Leigh, a vet tech, is trying to stabilize the doe before transporting her to a rehab center a couple hours away.
The doe’s head took most of the hit. She seems to be pretty much deaf and blind, and has difficulty standing because of the neurological effects of the accident. She gave birth to twins a few days ago, but both died… probably from complications of their mother being hit by a car.
I was sitting there with her today trying to imagine all of this: you are a wild animal and know nothing about humans. You cannot see them except maybe as very blurry shapes of lightness and darkness; you cannot hear them as they try to comfort you with soothing sounds; their touch is a most unfamiliar thing to you. You cannot stand very well and when you do, you stumble in circles. Maybe you have pain you cannot understand or explain.
She is also very small — skinny neck, skinny legs.
Wow! In a few seconds, my whole world looked like a walk in the park compared to hers!
She began to respond to my touch and even at one point seemed to almost fall into rest with her head in my hand as I stroked her neck and throat.
I was trying to force feed her some alfalfa that is laced with vitamins and other healthy stuff. No idea if her sense of smell is affected. I know cats will literally starve to death if they cannot smell. I wanted to see what she would do if I forced the food into her mouth. So I would put a wad of this stuff in the corner of her mouth. She would chew on it and try to slide it out the side of her mouth. I would push it back in. She would slide some of it out. I would push it back in. I think I managed to get more into her than she spit out. After that, she seemed more interested in eating her deer block, too.
If she can embrace human contact, I think she will make it. She will never be able to be released back into the wild, but with the right person, I think she can live her life. Sadly, not as it might have been a week ago.
I have seen animals closer to death fight to live and pull it off. I hope this little girl will do the same. She has certainly gotten off to a very rough start.
If you will, perhaps you could include her in your prayers tonight.
FYI: The photo at the top of this post is NOT this little baby. I do not have one of her and you may not want to see one at this point anyway.
UPDATE: Puffy has found a new home! Thanks to the new family!
Puffy has been an Ottawa neighborhood cat for about a year now. Neighbors have been feeding him and keeping an eye out for him. However, he was an unneutered male, so, though handsome to the eye, a “baby-maker” nonetheless. And a bit of a rabble-rouser who got into fights with other cats in the neighborhood.
Recently, a concerned neighbor stepped up and befriended Puffy.
“…he let me pat him and cut some matts out of his fur. He had a huge tick on him, a big healing abcess and lots of smaller scabs and scratches.”
After talking to his neighborhood “watch group,” it was decided that Puffy needed to be caught and neutered. Then he could possibly be released back into his neighborhood.
So this week, Puffy got a full checkup, de-worming, vaccinations, FeLV/FIV tests, and a neuter. All went well except for the FIV test. He has tested positive for the FIV virus.
If you are unfamiliar with FIV, feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV) is a lentivirus (or “slow virus”) which is characterized by a long incubation period. An infected cat’s health may deteriorate progressively or be characterized by recurrent illness interspersed with periods of relative health. Sometimes not appearing for years after infection, signs of immunodeficiency can appear anywhere throughout the body — poor coat, gingivitis, stomatitis, various cancers and blood diseases; much like any other cat might experience. [source]
What does FIV do to a cat? Infected cats may appear normal for years. However, infection eventually leads to a state of immune deficiency that hinders the cat’s ability to protect itself against other infections. The same bacteria, viruses, protozoa, and fungi that may be found in the everyday environment — where they usually do not affect healthy animals — can cause severe illness in those with weakened immune systems. These secondary infections are responsible for many of the diseases associated with FIV. [source]
In other words, FIV won’t kill him, but rather a secondary infection could. Therefore, to lessen the possibility of acquiring a secondary infection and for keeping his immune system as strong as possible, it is best for Puffy to live indoors now.
So we are looking for a home that can take Puffy in. He currently lives in Ottawa. Taking him to the Ottawa Humane Society would likely be a death sentence (read some of the reasons an animal is destroyed in a shelter) and rescue groups called are full at this time.
Per Judy who took him to the vet:
The vet says he is young and seems to be in good health other than being a bit thin. He seems gentle and friendly. When he was at my house for a little while he was comforted when I rubbed his cheeks and ears.
I have a foster home for him only until Sunday, and then maybe another foster for a few days after that.
If you are interested in fostering or adopting Puffy, please email me (Enable Javascript to see the email address) and I will connect you with Judy.
If you want to learn more about FIV — what it means, how it is transmitted, what you might expect — the College of Veterinary Medicine at Cornell University has created this great page to explain. It needn’t be a death sentence. Puffy can live a long and happy life. Even in a home with other cats.
And please… SHARE Puffy’s story by clicking on one of the icons below so we can find him a new home.
We implicitly trust those caring for our pets when they get sick. They are holding something quite precious in their hands. But what happens when that trust is betrayed?
What happens when the alleged negligence comes at the hands of a veterinary professional? Someone you think has the best intentions for the care of your sick or injured pet?
These are the questions that Renate faces daily since the death of her cat Sonny just a few weeks ago at a clinic in Mount Pearl, Newfoundland. Here is part of the letter she sent to the clinic a week later.
At approximately 8pm on April 27, 2011, I made an emergency call to your hospital – regarding Sonny.
We told the veterinarian that we noticed that Sonny was hunched up when he came out of his litter box and vomited once. We were told to bring him in to your clinic.
Upon our arrival we gave [the vet] the history on our cat. Sonny showed no other signs of discomfort. He had eaten and was drinking that day and was still quite playful. (Having owned a male neutered cat in the past, I knew full well what signs to look for in a cat that had a urinary blockage.) Sonny was on the highest quality food for urinary tract and hair ball. The doctor obtained a urinalysis and [saw] crystals and at that time he advised us that an x-ray was necessary.
When the x-ray was completed, he showed us the image and said there were small stones but no blockage and that was good. He said Sonny would have to go on special food and possibly antibiotics. He debated on giving Sonny an injection and [bringing] him back the following day but he then decided to keep him overnight and flush his bladder. Feeling quite confident in what he had said, we put our beautiful cat in his hands.
At 11 pm that night, I received a call that he had lost Sonny.
I could not comprehend what had happened. The following day I went to get Sonny and asked to speak to the vet about what happened. The events that took place next will live in my mind forever. One girl brought Sonny in to us, while another followed with a debit machine asking us how we were going to pay for this? Holding my baby in my arms with my heart broken, I could not believe the lack of compassion!
I asked to speak to the vet who flushed Sonny’s bladder. When he came in he told us this: He flushed Sonny’s bladder and all went well with that and the anesthetic. He told me that Sonny was waking up from the anesthesia and when he went to check on him – Sonny had “PUKED” and he was blue by the time he realized it. He then went on to say that he worked on him for ½ hour but lost him anyway.
Sonny was left unattended as he was coming out from the anesthesia. Perhaps because of the food in his stomach, which the vet was aware of, Sonny vomited. Because he was laying down flat and likely barely conscious, he had no way to clear his mouth. With no one there to notice and no one to help him, Sonny asphyxiated on his own vomit. He suffocated to death.
To this was the added insult of the way the staff at the clinic seemed more concerned about payment. While Renate is sitting there holding her lifeless baby and trying to get her head around this whole event, she is being insensitively asked how she wants to pay for the “care” Sonny received.
In her search for answers about the work done for Sonny, Renate received this response from a vet professional:
If Sonny did not have a urethral obstruction, that is, if he was not blocked and could still urinate on his own, then there was no reason to rush the aesthetic procedure. This is especially true since your vet knew that Sonny had not been fasted, thereby increasing the risks of vomiting and aspiration of the vomitus into the lungs…
… If Sonny’s life was not in immediate danger, then there is no reason at all why he should have been anesthetized that night. Your vet should have fasted him for 12 hours and performed the procedure the following day. In addition, if Sonny did not have a urethral obstruction and did not have bladder stones, anesthesia and flushing of the bladder is not even necessarily required.
… It is far below the standard of care to allow an animal to wake up from anesthesia without someone there to monitor him. I feel this is another area in which your vet failed Sonny.
Just this week, Renate was finally contacted by the clinic’s owner.
She said that she was deeply sorry about what had happened to Sonny and offered us a full reimbursement.
Yes, I guess that is a start. But the hard part is Sonny’s loss, especially when it shouldn’t have happened.
The big questions that still loom are those already mentioned:
Debbie, the clinic owner, has offered full reimbursement of Renate’s expenses and I think that short of performing some kind of miracle that would bring Sonny back, this is the least they can do when an unnecessary procedure is performed on an animal. Especially when that procedure results in this baby losing his life.
The vet that performed the procedure is on vacation. I certainly hope Debbie will take appropriate action with this vet to assure the public that this kind of veterinary care is never repeated; that unnecessary procedures are neither recommended nor performed because the pet’s owner ultimately pays the price.
Sonny should still be running around the house playing with his best pals — a rabbit named “Thumpy” and a budgie named “Fenster.”
So where do we go from here? We’ll talk about that in another post.This post is about Sonny.
For now, Renate has created a wonderful video honoring Sonny. I encourage everyone to watch it (grab your tissues) and leave her a message on the Daisy Foundation Facebook page. I’m sure she would appreciate the hugs.
