June 2017

With the arrival of summer comes more crowds of people and their dogs in public places. This can be good and bad for the dogs – good in that they are getting outside and not stuck in the house, but bad in that if they are not comfortable in crowds or are not well-socialized, it could lead to a dog bite.

Animals give signals when they are stressed, nervous and anxious.  Most people can recognize that a dog’s tail between their legs means they are not comfortable and may be scared. But many people don’t notice the subtler signs a dog uses to warn others that they are scared or anxious, such as lip licking or yawning.

Check out the poster, developed by Dr. Sophia Yin and illustrated by Lili Chin, that shows both the common and more subtle signs of fear and anxiety in dogs. You can order in bulk or scroll down to download a PDF if you want only one poster.

A Dog’s Life: The Autobiography of a Stray
by Ann M. Martin

Grades 4-7

A Dog’s Life tells the story of two young, orphaned pups, Squirrel and Bone, who must find a way to survive in the world. They have learned from their mother’s experience how to avoid humans and find food, but when she doesn’t return to the shed, they set out on their own to explore the world around them. After narrowly escaping being hit by cars, they are taken home by strangers. Since Squirrel and Bone have never lived indoors their stray dog habits of eating trash and howling to go outside soon land them back on the streets in a mall parking lot. Squirrel is left behind when someone takes Bone home with them.

Left on her own, Squirrel must now defend herself and find food and a warm place to sleep. She faces many challenges but also finds kindness along the way. She becomes friends with another stray, Moon, but finds herself on her own yet again after living with a family for a short period of time. Will she ever find a person to care for her and give her a warm place to sleep?

This heart-touching story, told from the dog’s perspective, will help readers understand how early experiences in a dog’s life can influence their behaviour forever, but how kindness and patience can help them learn to trust humans.

This book is recommended for a grade 4-7 reading level.

This year we had some amazing teachers and students let us know what they did to help animals. Thank you to everyone who worked so hard to make a difference, including these school groups:

• To help both animals and people in their community, the 23rd Elsie Roy Scout Group created more than 100 gift bags to be given out at the BC SPCA Charlie’s Food Bank in Vancouver. The bags were filled with toys and treats for dogs, cats, hamsters, rats and birds.

• For the second year in a row, Grade 6 students from AJ McLellan Elementary fundraised for the Surrey SPCA. They collected $1,741.78 through a freezie sale, coin drive and jellybean guessing jar.

• The Grade 4 class at North Glenmore Elementary donated supplies and made adoption posters to help the animals at the Kelowna SPCA.
 
Let us know about groups of kids in your area who are making a difference for animals. Send us a picture and a brief description of their kind act and we’ll try to feature as many as we can in upcoming newsletters or Bark! magazine.

School is almost done and now many parents will be scrambling to find things for their kids to do this summer. Why not let them know about summer camps at the BC SPCA?

At camp, kids are immersed in animal-themed activities and are challenged, in fun and engaging ways, to learn about responsible animal care, discover fascinating new animal facts and develop positive, respectful relationships between people, animals and nature. Activities range from active indoor and outdoor games to quiet hands-on projects, and include crafts, guest speakers and time with animals. All activities are designed by the BC SPCA to incorporate positive animal welfare themes.

Do you know a student who loves animals and wants to learn more about them with like-minded kids? Then this is the camp for them.

Kindness counts
(Primary)

  Bite free
(Primary/intermediate)

Making the right choice
(Intermediate)

You can make a difference
(Intermediate)

  The farm-food connection
(Intermediate)

Cats in the community
(Intermediate)

Including animals in social justice
(Intermediate/Secondary)

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On behalf of all the animals we care for and protect, thank you for your support.