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.

Volunteer Bloggers Needed!

Do you like what you see on our blog? Do you think you could help make it better?

We are looking for volunteer blog contributors. As a reader of TAGS Tails, you already know that we like to share original content about pet health, events, the pets we have up for adoption, and good news about our adopted pets.

We have a few regular features we like to keep up with, like our Happy Tails and our Wordless Wednesday posts, but we also have specialized articles when a contributor thinks of an interesting idea for a series, such as our informative Pit Bull posts, or our fun TAGS Awards series.

Now, we want to add some new things to our repertoire, and for that we need new people with new ideas! That's where you come in.

If you are interested in gaining some social media experience, please submit an application to volunteer on our website. In your application (the link is at the very end of the page), mention that you are interested in helping out with the social media committee. You can contribute once a week or once a month as we are flexible and understanding of school and work schedules. If you have any questions before applying, feel free to contact us or leave a comment down below.

We can't wait to hear from you!

-The Social Media Committee

Bosco is bored of the same old content.
Help us spruce up our blog! 

New Foster Program Coming Soon!

For many years, TAGS has received calls from women who are victims of domestic violence. Why would they call an animal rescue? Because while they know they can find safety if they leave their abusive households, they are hesitant to do so when it means leaving behind their animal companion(s).

Many women who are victims of domestic violence have reported that their partners have threatened the safety and well-being of the family pet in order to coerce them into staying in the home. When we have been able to, TAGS has stepped up to provide a foster placement until the family pet could be returned to the woman and her children, if applicable. 

Nevertheless, this was not a formal plan or program that TAGS was able to offer the Durham Region community, and sometimes we did not have the resources to assist these women. Therefore, it has always been a goal to see this structured as a specific program that TAGS can provide to women in Durham Region. 

The Domestic Violence Foster Program

Coverage of the meeting was featured
in Oshawa This Week.
For the full story, click here.

Recently, representatives from TAGS were invited by local women's shelters to attend a meeting to discuss a future program that would bridge the organizations, creating a partnership. The overall goal and bottom line of the collaboration is to help women, children, and pets find safety after experiencing domestic violence. 

The program specifics are still being worked out, as there are many logistics and factors for the organizations to consider: the process of getting the family pet from the home and into foster care; what happens if the abusive partner claims ownership over the pet; if the animal will ever be returned to the women or if it will have to be re-homed; how to make sure women know about the program before deciding to leave their homes; etc. TAGS and the local women's shelters expect the details to take several months to iron out, but they have made a commitment to see it be followed through.

For now though, the main course of action is to recruit foster families who are interested in helping out with this program specifically. If you or someone you know would like to help out with this fantastic and worthwhile initiative, please fill out a Foster Application form on our website and specify that you would like to be part of the Domestic Violence Foster Program.

Chelsea is in urgent need of a foster home. 

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: