Quite the farm dog

Gettin' in trouble

Learning his boundaries

Pooped from a hard days' work!

Loving farm life.

Cats are for Lovin'

Peaches after her bath on her first day
She was covered in fleas, full of worms, and has
a nail so grown over it had gone into her pad

Seems very appropriate after the "commercial kennel" seizure story from the weekend.

Cat Crazed doc was on CBC and is viewable online, it's a great watch if you love kitties.

I feel very strongly about how we should make spay/neuter clinics available to everyone, paid for through licensing programs. I really don't mind paying the $15 to have our dogs licensed each year, especially knowing they will be hand-delivered back to us if they ever strayed.

I also feel people should take responsibilities for all their feral kitties. The dressage barn I used to work as, as much as it seemed a little nuts at times, did an amazing job of caring for their colony of around 8-12+ cats. They remained at that low number because of TNR, and feeding the cats regularly. 

You can get a special TNR rate at some vets in our area, I believe the cost is around $80. Yes, that is a lot of money for something you may not feel you have to pay for. Especially when you're caring for 5, 10, 15 cats. But I've also been to many barns where they don't control the population and having 100 un-managed cats running around isn't healthy for anyone, including your livestock. You need to either maintain what has decided to make your barn home, or find another humane solution. 

By contacting your local cat shelter you may even be able to find TN ferals or barn cats at a very discounted rate if you're willing to provide a home. These cats are very difficult to place because of their natures and are a drain on the shelter's resources.

We picked up our kitty Peaches from a barn that does not control their cat population. On top of having been pregnant with Oscar around 6 months of age, both cats have both mental and health problems. Even being managed in a loving home, they are not "normal" cats.

Have room in your heart/home?

Photos by the Toronto Star

 
I'm not in anyway personally affiliated with this story, just that I heard it on the news, and it is relatively close to us. I want to pass on this information so that we can all help these dogs.


PawsRUs Kennel near Shawville Quebec has had over 500 dogs & puppies seized.

People have know about this kennel for years.
Canadian Goldens.com forum has a posting back from 2004 by a woman named Lorie Gordon. The Ottawa Citizen carried this information about what happened. Basically Lorie purchased a Labrador from PawsRUs in 2002(?) who developed a heart murmur and hip dysplasia and had to be put to sleep. PawsRUs gave Lorie a golden retriever as a "replacement" dog, and that dog either came with or developed sever mange, and also has problems with epilepsy.

Both hip dysplasia and epilepsy are well known genetic problems with these breeds of dog, and responsible breeders preform genetic screening to prevent breeding animals who might pass on these problems.

PawsRUs sued Lorrie Gordon for liable in 2006 for calling the "commercial dog breeder" a puppy mill online.  PawsRUs won a judgment for $14 000. It seems Lorrie Gordon has appealed, I'm not sure what the trial date is (conflicting unreliable information online) or what is happening.

I want a pound dog seems to be right on top of the story.

Montreal Dog Blog is actually involved in the rescue.


On Friday PawsRUs had over 500 dogs and puppies removed from their property. A lot of the dogs reportedly have skin and respiratory problems. http://www.hsi.org/ conducted the raid, and would be the best place to start if you want to help.


This story is still developing, but if the animals are won in court, eventually over 500 dogs are going to need new loving homes.

Miss Kitty is NOT Impressed

I stole the great huntress' lunch. I'm not really quite sure what it is but I've been told it was probably a martin and I probably should not have taken it away from M.K. and will live to regret setting him free ...

So long little guy! Never return please!

Roll Call!

We've been here for just over a month now.

A very exciting, very exhausting month! 

The farm dogs

Madison (doberman x border collie) and Kayla (smooth coated collie)

5 & 4 1/2 and amazing puppies!

The beautiful and talented Iberian Warmblood Meg (AndalusianX) 

4 Shorthorn cows (2 mamas, 2 bull-babies) 

3 Muskovy ducklings

1 Mystery "Barn Rooster"

(he comes and goes as he pleases, no one is sure what he is)

6 Cuckoo Maran Chicks

(Were supposed to be Barred Plymouth rock!)

4 Narragansett Turkey

Lenny the Dominique rooster. 

(Also supposed to a BPR!)

Henny (Deleware) and her mystery-chick eggs.

Penny (a real Barred Plymouth Rock) laying hen 

The gorgeous & talented Miss Kitty.

She predicts the weather!

(not kidding, she was a stray who found us & she always seems to know when it's going to rain and heads inside for cover)

Peaches.

Not the brightest bulb in the box... but we love her :)

Oscar, a.k.a. Big Fat Oscar. 

Peaches' son, so we've had him since he was born, and he is the laziest, sweetest kitty that ever grew so large!

2 Saanen Goats 

(no names still!) 

And of course there is Billy!

We're finished expanding the farm for just right now, although if I can get things lined up, there may be just one more 4 hooved creature coming to stay.