Lakes District News recently featured a story about Becky Thompson, friend to the animals and volunteer extraordinaire. We are so grateful for all the volunteers like Becky, who put in tremendous work to make their community a better place. And, to do it for free? That is a gift of love worth celebrating.
The story reminded us of the first time we worked with Becky on a project. You might recall that back in late winter 2019, Good Samaritans picked up three beagles found wandering in the snow in the Tintagel and Co-op Lake areas. The rescuers called them Molly, Lou, and Belle. All female, all seniors – these dogs had been bred many times.
The most logical conclusion was that these old gals had been part of a backyard breeding operation or puppy mill. When they got too old, they were abandoned in the wilderness. Open wounds from tumours, abscesses from mouth infections – they had not been properly cared for in some time.
Local people donated money, first as a reward to find the people who had abandoned them — they were never found — and then to help with vet care. Becky was one of the people who opened their homes to foster these dogs in need, and who rallied the community to support their care.
Sadly, Belle and Molly passed away not long after their rescue, but were loved hard and given a humane end of life instead of being left to starve and freeze in the cold. Lou went over the Rainbow Bridge to be with her friends about a year later.
While it is wonderful to care for abandoned animals, you know what is even better? Make sure they aren’t abandoned in the first place. When we adopt from a shelter or rescue, we are not supporting people who only see an animal as dollar signs.
Buying a pet just encourages people to breed more cats and dogs to add to the overpopulation that has brought our communities to an animal care crisis. More overpopulation means more abandonment and other forms of cruelty, which are also illegal.
There is a list of local places to adopt a pet: lakesanimalfriendship.ca/resources/adopt-a-furry-friend
If we are patient, and do a little research, many pets of all species and breeds are available from shelters and rescues, including specialized rescues. Isn’t it worth a little patience to be a critter care superhero?
Getting our pets spayed and neutered is another great way to help make sure every pet has a loving forever home.
These are two small steps we can take today to make a big difference. We all want the Lakes District to be a place where proper animal care is the norm. Turning off the tap means we can reserve the energy of loving folks like Becky for the occasional tough situation that comes up, instead of mopping up the mess day after day.
Alistair Schroff is with Increased ACCESS (formerly Lakes Animal Friendship Society).
