November Recap!

TAGS had a busy November! 

In addition to our regularly scheduled sessions at Whitby PetSmart and local Pet Valu locations, our volunteers were busy this month with several exciting events. Tags Dinner (November 16)

TAGS hosted its volunteers and supporters on Saturday, November 16th for a dinner to celebrate its 26th year serving the Durham Region community. A silent auction was held which raised over $1,000 for the organization.
A big congratulations goes out to the volunteers who were recognized at the dinner! We had 41 "One Year" milestone achievers, two "Five Year" keeners, and FOUR volunteers who were honoured for reaching the 10 year milestone. It was a very inspiring night, thank you to all of our volunteers for their contribution to TAGS, we couldn't do it without you! 

10 Years with TAGS! 
Photo credit: Heather Harton

The festivities were capped off with a slideshow of all of the dogs adopted in 2012 and 2013, bringing back memories of some of the lives TAGS has managed to improve and save in the past two years. 

UOIT Puppy Room (November 20)

What an uplifting day! Quincy, Jasper, Snoopy, Roxy, Sheldon and Biscotti were dispatched to the UOIT campus to bring smiles to stressed out students as they prepare for their exams.
Snoopy, a 9-month-old Dalmation mix was the most energetic dog to come out to play, while Sheldon, a Chihuahua mix and Biscotti, a Cocker Spaniel/Hound, preferred to win hearts by cuddling up to students.

Biscotti working the crowd.
Photo credit: Heather Harton

TAGS also visited the UOIT and Durham College campus earlier this year. Another visit is planned for early 2014.

Pet First Aid (November 24)

This course was taught by veterinarian Dr. Tanya Varley, or Dr. Tanya as she prefers to be called.

Participants learned:

-How to correctly bandage a wound on the leg, using gauze and sticky vet tape
-What key items to have on hand in a Pet First Aid Kit
-How to correctly administer CPR using compressions and breaths for small and large dogs and cats
-What human medications can be used for treatment of some animal ailments & which ones NOT to use
-What human food can be given to our pets to cure an upset tummy and which ones NEVER to give
-Having the knowledge and the confidence to treat a sick or injured pet and when to go to the vet

Oliver's mom learned how to bandage a wound.
Photo credit: Julie White

Needless to say, a broad range of subjects were covered throughout the day. Dr. Tanya answered any and all questions directed at her, which added to the value of the session by far. It was also interesting to learn her perspective on when you need to go to the vet versus knowing when it may not be necessary. This distinction is not always clear. We were also able to discuss more intense subjects such as dealing with an emergency situation in the event a veterinarian was not easily accessible. It was stressed by Dr. Tanya that it is an owner's responsibility to avoid unsafe situations: there is a fine line between letting your dog enjoy itself, and knowing when it is a good idea to stop an activity when it could be unsafe or dangerous.

Adoptions
November was also a very busy month for adoptions! Our adoption committee has been very busy these past few weeks reviewing applications, scheduling home visits, and walking potential new adopters through our adoption process. We'll reveal the adoptions on TAGS Tails this upcoming Monday, December 2. 

New Arrivals

Learn more about these dogs on our adoptions page.

This post was written by Nick.

Santa Claus is Coming to Town!

Christmas is one month away!

 That means it's time to get your annual Santa photos taken with TAGS!

Date: Saturday, December 14

Time: 11:00a.m.-3:00p.m.
Location: Pet Valu (Kendalwood)
Cost: $10 and all proceeds go to TAGS

Please share this event with your friends by joining our Facebook event and inviting others!

We will also have a booth set up in the store that day with an 

adoptable dog or two, so be sure to visit!

Happy Holidays! 

Paws and Hearts Jamboree - It Was a Fun Day!

A Beautiful Day to Be Outside With the Dogs

I'm so happy that the weather was good. With a bad weather, everything looks different no matter how hard you were working on everything. And we were working hard on this alright! Our Event Planning Committee (along with GPAWS) met for two hours every week for four weeks to make sure that you and your dog had a great time. And it seems like you did!

We had one of the best local bands play music for us all day - Sean & Dave's Duo, Hard Tymes, Loud n' Clear and The Winter Vault.

Our Silent Auction was a great success, with lots of items and donations. Some people were able to get some really good deals! Our thank you goes out for the following people and companies who donated:

Inner Reflections Massage, Marie, Ladybug Massage, Cedarcove Wellness, Indulgences Gifts & Decor, Karen Koene, 99th Monkey, Aye Lighthouse, Dr duQuesnay, Valerie, Nicky MacDonald, Heather, Sandy, Andrea, Spinning Wheel Alpacas, Green Street, Nikki, Adrienn, Spruce Tree Unique Gifts & Home Decor, Hampton, Shari's Quest, Janet, Eldon Lighting, Christmas in the Village, Rolling Acres Restaurant, Blunt, Timeless Essentials.

Having such a huge dog park has its advantages - there were lots of people with lots of dogs. It was the perfect way to socialize! We got to meet many of our former TAGS dogs, too! Our selection of vendors were great, our visitors had a big variety of items to browse from. A big thank you for the following vendors for coming out and making this day more colourful: Scentsy Consultant, 5 Tails Boutique Dog Clothing, Norwex, Stewie's Cool Stuff, Tangles Pet Grooming, Apple Melon Designs, All Pawz, Multi Menu, Outside the Box, Parkadilly, Indulgences Gift & Decor, Marion's Dog Coats and Shari's Quest.

Everyone loved the doggie games, directed by our very own Sandra. We had racing, Simon says and hot dog eating from a water bowl. I would say that the dogs' favourite was the hot dog one!

A special thank you goes to Emma Joynson and her agility group, performing some cool jumps and sprints during the agility demonstration.

The food court was busy as you can expect from a busy jamboree! A big shout out goes to our food volunteers, especially for the cooks. Great job, everyone, thank you for helping us raise some much needed funds.

Check out this little video below of our food court, the TAGS booth and some of the vendors. Stay tuned for a longer video to come soon...

Thank you everyone who came and participated! See you next year on September 13, 2014!

Paws N' Hearts Jamboree!

TAGS (The Animal Guardian Society) and Guardians Promoting Animal Wellness  (GPAWS) are partners in hosting an outdoor fundraiser event next Saturday, September 14, 2013. 100% of the money raised from the event will go to animal rescue.

Location and how to get there:

Tickets: $7 in advance and $10 at the door. *Kids under 12 are free* Email your ticket request to tagsinfo@yahoo.ca.

Door Prizes: Drawn every hour 12:00-6:45

Food

Combo: hamburger or hotdog, chips, corn, pop = $5.

Individual foods: burger: $3, hot dog: $2, water or pop: $1, corn: $1, chips: $1, coffee: $1

Events:

• Demos!
• Vendor booths!
• Silent auction! 
• Doggy games!
• BBQ & corn roast! (Food, food, food!)
• Live music from Hard Tymes and other great bands!

Bring your family, friends, your dog(s)--everyone is invited !

*At the event there will be a fenced-in dog park. We ask that no dog is left unsupervised please.*

Vendor information: Be a vendor for this event for just $25 (two to three people per booth). Vendor does not need to be doggy/pet-related!

Short video about the Paws N' Hearts Jamboree:

Wordless Wednesday: Paws n' Hearts circa 2007!

Playing a game at the TAGS corn roast in 2007!
(The event is now called Paws n' Hearts, and this year it's on September 14.)

- - - - - 

This is a blog hop.

Click on the image below for more Wordless Wednesday photos!

The Paws n' Hearts Jamboree

Mark your calendar! Paws n' Hearts is only a month away! 

What is the Paws n' Hearts Jamboree?
It's an outdoor fundraiser hosted by TAGS in partnership with Guardians Promoting Animal Wellness (G.P.A.W.s). All of the money raised will be used to support animal rescue initiatives.

Who is invited?
Everyone!

How much does it cost to go?
Advance tickets are $7.00, and tickets at the door are $10.00.
* Kids under 12 are free

Can I bring my dog? 
Of course! This event is all about dogs, after all. The event site includes a fenced-in dog park, but we ask that every person supervise his or her own dog or arrange for someone else to do so. In other words, no dog should be in the park without supervision! 

Where is it and how do I get there?
Paws n' Hearts is being held at the TAGS dog park.

Click on the map to view a larger version. 

What can I do there?

• Listen to live entertainment from three different musical groups throughout the day, including Hard Tymes and The Winter Vault. Make sure you bring a lawn chair! 
• Watch demonstrations in between musical sets from G.P.A.W.s, TAGS, a local groomer, and more!
• Bid on items in the silent auction.
• Participate in the 50/50 draw and other contests running throughout the day.
• Play doggy games with your furry friend(s).
• Eat! (There will be burgers, hot dogs, chips and drinks for sale for $5.00).
• Browse vendor booths and purchase items (not all are dog-related, so there will be a big variety)! 

Dexter is excited for Paws n' Hearts!

I want to be involved! What can I do? 

• We will be accepting donations for silent auction items or door prizes until Monday, September 9. The more items you are able to contribute, the better! This way, we will be able to raise more funds to allow us to continue to do our rescue work. 
• Volunteer! We need people to help supervise the dog park, sell draw tickets, handle cash at the BBQ, and assist with setup and take down of booths. 
• Spread the word! Join our Facebook event and let everyone in your social circle know what you'll be up to on September 14. The more, the merrier! 

Can I be a vendor?
Yes! The cost to set up a vendor booth at Paws n' Hearts is $25, and there will be room for two or three people per booth. Remember, your business does not have to be dog-related.

What else do I need to know?

• It is likely that Paws n' Hearts will be a cash-only event. Please plan accordingly because there are no banks or ATMs near the TAGS dog park.
• For tickets and vendor information, contact Kathy (tagsinfo@yahoo.ca), Shari (sharis.quest@yahoo.ca) or Rick (rickrene@bell.net). 
• For other information, please ask in the comments! 

Wordless Wednesday: TAGS Goes to the Mall!

Volunteers Wendy, Nicky and Jenn were at the Oshawa Centre on Sunday to promote TAGS.
The big red dog got a bunch of hugs throughout the day from kids passing by! 

This is a blog hop. Check out the other participating blogs as well by clicking on the image below.

Helping Rescue Dogs Get Adopted in PetSmart

The Animal Guardian Society is a small rescue. We do not own a shelter or a wellness centre (however, it is one of our long-term goals). Therefore, if we want to keep in contact with the public or showcase our dogs, we can do so only through PetSmart (or Pet Valu, which recently became part of our weekend schedule).

PetSmart volunteers at the Whitby location

Through this sort of outreach, we get better exposure for our dogs by letting PetSmart customers meet them "in person." Seeing a dog somewhere other than on a photo is still the most efficient way to get him or her adopted. It's often hard to take a photo of a dog that will truly reveal his or her personality.

We are at PetSmart and Pet Valu (different locations) every weekend from noon until 4 p.m.(or 3 p.m. on long weekends). We usually have one to three adoptable dogs in crates and two or three volunteers who look after them and answer people's questions. This is one of the few volunteer position at TAGS that involves dealing with animals directly (others include fostering, doing home visits and transporting). We have other volunteer positions available, too, but most are ones done through interaction with a computer, not with dogs.

Are you interested in volunteering for The Animal Guardian Society? Teenagers, you can get your community service hours while helping animals in need! 

A typical PetSmart/Pet Valu shift includes:

-Setting up our table (arrange adoptable dogs' photos, folder and other brochures on the table)

-Setting up crates for the dogs

-Interacting with people who are interested in adopting or volunteering (you have to answer questions about the dog, our adoption process, adoption fees, etc.)

-Cleaning crates and our surrounding area if needed

-Representing TAGS in a professional and respectful manner

We offer a volunteer orientation for new volunteers to help them get started with TAGS or simply schedule our newcomers in PetSmart shifts to shadow our other, well-seasoned volunteers. This way, they can observe the way we work "in action." Click here to see more photos from our PetSmart shifts.

Please click here to submit an application to become a volunteer with TAGS.

Izzy at PetSmart. She's adoptable!

Oshawa Centre Community Contact Day

Are you still hesitating about volunteering? The Animal Guardian Society promotes its volunteer and foster programs every June at the Oshawa Centre. 

Our table

If you have any questions or concerns and don't want to write lengthy emails, come out and talk to some of our volunteers to get a better picture of what TAGS is about. We always need volunteers or foster homes, and you can apply online.

Some of the positions available:

-PetSmart volunteers
-Fosters
-Designated cameraman or -woman for our YouTube channel
-Graphic designer

 

We will also be selling various dog toys, dog jackets, magnets, stickers and much more in order to raise money for our dogs and cats in need.

Our big red dog has become an attraction of its own over the years. Come and take a photo with him!

Dates: June 22, from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.
            June 23, from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Location: Oshawa Centre, 419 King Street West, Oshawa, ON L1J 2K5

Our big red dog

Paws for Mental Health: Ontario Shores 2k Paws-a-Thon Dog Walk

                                     

On Sunday, May 26, 2013, all are welcome to attend the Paws for Mental Health 2k Paws-a-Thon Dog Walk!

Where/When
Sunday, May 26, 2013
10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.
Ontario Shores Centre for Mental Health Sciences
700 Gordon Street, Whitby

Did you know that 1 in 5 Canadians experience mental illness severe enough to affect their daily activities? The sad reality is that even more than that will become affected by mental illness or affected by the mental illness of someone close to them. 

Did you know that dogs are effective in helping to relieve stress, anxiety, depression and and other aspects of mental illness?

This event will showcase the therapeutic benefits and joys that dogs bring!

When you support Ontario Shores, you are providing patients with specialized, recovery-focused mental health care and the benefits of a broad range of innovative research. You also join the important and growing public conversation about mental health. This walk-a-thon event will support the building of a new Family Resource Centre and Staff Health and Wellness programs at Ontario Shores. 

Also, The Animal Guardian Society (that's us!) will be joining dog lovers, owners and those supporting Ontario Shores in what should be a lovely afternoon! We will have a booth, staffed by our knowledgeable volunteers. Purchase some of our exciting gift items, including TAGS T-shirts, doggy jackets, magnets, stickers and toys.

Boston Pizza Celebrity Server Event!

You are invited to attend the Boston Pizza Celebrity Server Event!

This Wednesday, March 13th, volunteers from TAGS will be pairing up with servers at Boston Pizza (Whitby North location) to serve you and your friends hot, delicious meals between 5:00 and 8:00p.m. 

We are so excited about this fundraising event because it allows us to meet more members of our community. Also, since part of the proceeds from the food sales are going to TAGS, the event will raise money for our rescue dogs, some of whom desperately need some help.

Photo by : Robert Duncan

Look at the picture above and slowly count to five. 

Still not convinced that you should spend your Wednesday night with us? Here are the top reasons why you should attend the Boston Pizza Celebrity Server Event: 

1. You get to eat pizza! (and other delicious menu items)
2. It's on hump day. Sharing a meal with friends or family is the perfect way to start the second half of your week.  
3. 10% of the food sales from the night will be donated directly to TAGS, which will help us pay for things like vet bills and dog food.
4. You will get to meet some wonderful volunteers from TAGS!
5. You...get...to...eat...pizza! 

RSVP on our event page and invite your friends. See you on Wednesday! 

TAGS Dogs at PetSmart Oshawa

We love to showcase our dogs around the community at various outreach events so that people can find out more about us and maybe even find a new family member.

You may already know that we can be found in the Whitby PetSmart every weekend, but did you also know that we've started setting up shop in the Oshawa location as well? Every Saturday from 12:00-4:00 p.m., we are there to share information about our adoptable dogs, the adoption process and volunteer opportunities.

Yesterday, Shelly, Sam and Jennifer were the volunteers on duty, and Balin and Rocky were there with tails wagging to meet and greet visitors.

Rocky and Shelly pose at the TAGS booth.

Rocky's eager to play. Balin watches from the background. 

Balin sits pretty, eagerly waiting for a treat. 

See you again next weekend!

Wordless Wednesday: TAGS visits UOIT/DC!

UOIT students hang out with Sheldon (formerly Redman)
 at Durham College & UOIT's Puppy Room January 21.

This is a blog hop—please click the link below to visit other participating blogs. 

Outreach Event - Pet Valu Adoptathon

The Animal Guardian Society is set up for an adoptathon event at the Pet Valu in Oshawa located at the intersection of Taunton and Harmony. The adoptathon will be on Saturday, January 26 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. 

June Bug, Noelle, Lexi Leigh and Tanya will be at Pet Valu on Saturday and can't wait to meet you! Click on their names below to view their profiles on Petfinder. 

June Bug - a Shetland sheepdog (Sheltie) mix

Noelle - a rat terrier mix

Lexi Leigh - a terrier/shih tzu mix

Tanya - a Chesapeake bay retriever

TAGS Dogs Are Headed to College!

The Animal Guardian Society is teaming up with the Student Association at Durham College and the University of Ontario Institute of Technology (UOIT) to help students conquer Blue Monday blues.

Hard to feel blue when you're looking into these eyes!
(Livvy is available for adoption through TAGS.)

The third Monday in January has been dubbed "Blue Monday" as it is considered to be the most depressing day of the year. The days are short, the weather is nasty, and the holidays are over—which means there is less to look forward to and, potentially, some leftover Christmas-related bills to deal with.

To help reduce student stress and lighten the mood on Blue Monday, TAGS dogs will be at the North Oshawa campus January 21 to lend a paw as part of a campus-wide de-stress day.

The Student Association will be hosting the event in its Student Centre lounge, where they also plan to have massage therapists, snacks and refreshments available for students.

Playing with dogs is a great stress reliever.
(Iggy is available for adoption.)

Dogs from TAGS will be there from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. to receive pats and hugs from student visitors.

The idea to include TAGS dogs in the de-stress day came from Dalhousie University's puppy room, a successful campaign held last fall that helped students unwind during the exam period. Dogs from a local organization were invited to play and interact with students who needed a break from the grind of student life.

Stay tuned to find out how the TAGS dogs' visit to Durham College/UOIT goes!

Santa Photography Day in PetSmart

Thank you all who came and helped out or supported our charity on this rainy winter day! 

Mr. and Mrs. Claus with June Bug. June Bug is up for adoption!

Despite the weather, the Whitby PetSmart store was extraordinarily busy. A lot of people came to have their pets' holiday photo taken with us. We ended up selling 63 pictures! TAGS received half of the proceeds, which can go toward rescuing more dogs in need.

Many people were interested in our program, too. Our helpful volunteers were there to answer any inquiries. Thanks to them, no one had to wait long for their pictures, because our helpers were handling the printing of the photos, as well.

It was a great opportunity for us to let people know about our charity and what we do. Very often, we find new additions to our volunteer team during these events or even a potential new home for our dogs!

Kadein was also there. He's up for adoption!

It was hard not to believe Santa Claus exists because our Santa and Mrs. Santa made the dogs' day magical with their enchanting presence. 

For more photos, visit our Facebook group or Facebook page. 

Were you there to have your pet's photo taken? Leave a comment about your experience!

TAGS Event: Santa Pictures

Russell is ready for his close-up with Santa.

It's that time of year!

Riley is ready to sub in as a backup reindeer.

Every year in December, Santa Claws spends a weekend with TAGS at the Petsmart in Whitby and helps us raise some much-needed funds by posing for pictures with the pooches. All pets are welcome to have their picture taken with Santa. Santa, Mrs. Claws and their helpers will be at Petsmart between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. for pictures on Saturday, December 8. 

 

A portion of each of the picture packages will be donated to TAGS by Petsmart and will go a long way to helping our dogs, whose only wish this Christmas is to find their fur-ever homes.

 

So, come on down to Petsmart this Saturday—unless you know you're on the naughty list, like Russell here!

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