Wag your tale

As a kid, I enjoyed reading the way cats adore being chased by dogs. There were always better things to do, like count the bumps on the living room ceiling or see if I could pick up pencils with my toes. One summer, my mother decided that I'd better learn to enjoy reading. She feared the only career I was preparing myself for was with the circus.

The author she forced me to read was James Herriot.

At first, I thought she chose this author because he wrote veterinary tales. Her father was a tough veterinarian from Selkirk and had likely empathized with some of what Herriot experienced. My grandfather had done everything from birth calves to treat humans for broken bones. I later found out that my mom's choice had little to do with the topic or author: The only other books she had on hand were romance novels. As much as I didn't enjoy reading, I liked gushy romances even less. So, I read and loved All Creatures Great and Small.

I still enjoy tales of animal care and veterinarian woes. I marvel at how someone could care for patients incapable of vocalizing their ailments. While Herriot may have inserted vivid descriptions of large animal concerns, he taught me one thing-- I couldn't follow in my grandfather's footsteps. I can't duck a cat scratching me, there's no way I'd have the reflexes to miss a horse kick. To be honest, there were a few times he didn't miss them, either.

In an increasingly hectic world, simple things like reading, petting a ferret or walking a dog ground us. We need these brief respites.

For many, summer is reading season. Few things can top absorbing a good book as a storm whips cool air throughout your cabin. Actually, there is one thing that can top it -- snuggling up with your pet while reading a favourite animal tale.

Perhaps that's why I was excited when fellow Manitoban Lorie Battershill contacted me with her idea. She felt that Manitoba pet lovers should share their favourite animal-related books with each other. And I agree. We could recommend heartwarming fiction, good pet care guides or even children's books.

She suspects Manitobans would enjoy Dewey: The Librarian Cat Who Touched the World. I have yet to read it. Seconds after I removed it from the bag, my 11 year old daughter stole it out of my hands. That will make my mother proud.

Send me your pet-related book suggestions to be listed under the title "Tails to Read." The Adam girls recommend Who Wants this Puppy? by local author Pat Ternovetsky.

"ö "ö "ö

The Boston Terrier and Pug Rescue of Southern Manitoba contacted me a few days ago with an urgent plea: They need foster homes for dogs being released from puppy mills.

Nebraskan puppy mills are being forced to close. Thirty-five dogs are now being sent to Boston Terrier and Pug rescues throughout the United States and Canada. The BTPRMB is expecting 15 as early as this week.

Lindsay Cameron, executive committee member of the BTPRMB, said seizures from the Midwestern United States could be ongoing. It's a "bigger problem down there," she said. Cameron added, "I wouldn't be surprised to get more."

When asked why she felt additional dogs will be released, Cameron said that the "depressed economy has a lot to do with it." People aren't buying as many pets. Puppy mills and breeders, focusing on money rather than bettering the breed, can't locate customers. "Something good is coming out of something not so good," she said.

The focus of BTPRMB is to give priority to rescues in our own province, said Cameron. Spring and winter are the seasons where there is a greater need for foster and adoption families. But a sudden demand, such as these seizures, proves that the shelter always requires help from good quality people, said Cameron.

Those unfamiliar with puppy mills may be surprised by the damage done to these dogs. The longer they stay, the worse the damage can be. Cameron said, "Coming out of a mill situation, they haven't had a chance... to socialize with people." Some of them also have medical concerns.

Manitobans interested in fostering can expect to do so for anywhere between three weeks and three months. Some dogs require more assistance than others. Nevertheless, qualified families will be matched with appropriate dogs. Most care costs are covered by the shelter.

If you have a fenced yard, a bit of patience and the desire to spend time with dogs that some feel resemble a cute Winston Churchill, contact Lindsay Cameron at 946-7453 for further details.

char.adam@mts.net

twitter.com/charspetpage

Republished from the Winnipeg Free Press print edition June 30, 2009 D7