Wednesday, January 27, 2010

You're welcome

Hey, look at the nice letter I got from the Toronto Humane Society:

We'd like to just say thanks for coming over on Saturday and spending the day taking photographs of the dogs. Mel did a wonderful job, beautifully capturing all the individual personalities of the dogs and we're sure these new photos will help give the dogs a better chance at finding homes.

Oh wait. Sorry, that's the fantasy letter from the alternate universe where the THS is a well functioning, gracious, media savvy member of the animal welfare community.

Instead, I got this e-mail:

With respect to the posting on your blog stating that the photos taken this weekend at the THS of dogs available for adoption will be published there. [He's referring to this post]

The photos were intended for the use of the THS to use and we object to their use for any other purpose.

Ian McConachie
Senior Communicator
416-392-2273 ext. 2149
416-984-3097


So, unfortunately folks, I'm not going to post the photos up here. It's not because of any legal rights which McConachie may think he has, as the photos and all rights pertaining to the photos belong to the photographer. It's because I don't want the THS to remove the photos from their adoptions page (where they'll do the most good) because of some strange and petty convictions about their usage.

I don't even know why I have to explain this but apparently the senior communicator just doesn't get it. The reason the photos were taken is so that they can be sent far and wide to larger audiences in order to get the dogs adopted out. The photos aren't something to hoard. They are for sharing. They are for communicating. They are to show the public at large that there are some beautiful animals at the THS.

It's ironic that today at Apple headquarters, Steve Jobs, who is one of the best communicators on the planet, revealed the new iPad. It's basically a tablet computer, something super thin and light with a large screen and easy interactivity. But it's not so much the device that is revolutionary - after all, various forms of tablet computers have been around for a long time - it's the thought behind what this iPad will encourage users to do: create, share, engage, all in real time. It's like a super iPhone if you will.

So for example, a photo of a dog in a shelter is taken. Maybe more content like video or words or graphics are added. The whole mixed media document is sent out onto the www via Facebook or e-mail or blogs or Google Wave. People get interested. There's chat. There's discussion. There's action. And the dog gets adopted.

Sure, maybe not that quick but you get the picture. Well, most of you get the picture anyway. Most of you already know and understand the picture.

Why doesn't the THS?

Hoarding the dog photos on the THS site is like the on-line equivalent of someone creating a store advertising campaign but refusing to show it to anyone unless they go to the store first. That type of thinking disappeared about a decade ago. You want people to know what you have to say? You have to get your info out there and that, in turn, will drive traffic back to your site.

So, folks, until the THS catches up with the rest of the planet, the only way you're going to be able to see the fantastic new dog photos which Mel took is by going to the THS dog adoptions page. I'd link you to the page but I'll probably only get another notice from the master communicator telling me to delete the link.

62 comments:

Anonymous said...

Didn't realize Ian McConachie was "back at it" these days. Sad.

Also sad grammar use by the "Senior Communicator": "The photos were intended for the use of the THS to use..."

Also sad that we don't get to use and share the photos as happens with most rescue work that I've been involved in.

Sad sad sad.

Lynda said...

Oh my God!! Are you freaking kidding me?????!!!!

Seems nothing has changed.

Anonymous said...

Unbelievable!!!!!!! really???/ just wow

Susan

Mr Ian McConachie, I plead with you, open up your eyes to the bigger picture. Fred is trying to help not hurt The THS.

Ian said...

That really is sad and just plain pathetic.
Some of the people there obviously just do not care about the animals and have other motives.
If the photographer doesn`t care if the pictures are posted elsewhere why should they?
Isn`t the purpose of the pictures to get these animals adopted?

Marcie said...

Ian is not upset about the actual photo's, he is not upset about where they are being posted, he's just mad about who took them. Ian really should start putting his personal & petty feelings aside and let people utilize their skills to help the animals inside in whatever way they can. There is no rationale at all in his letter, it's like a toddler tantrum' "Those are mine!!!!!"

I wish Ian would of taken the 30 seconds it took to write that letter and used it towards contacting a rescue to get one of those dogs out of the shelter. Just a thought Ian.

JennaB said...

GAH. Is this guy for real? Are there not other things he could be doing with his time?

One only has to look at the "just one dog" video to see the real impact a video or photo can make, not to just the video/photo subjects, but to other animals in similar situations.

House of the Discarded said...

Oh my God, Fred. I'm incredulous!!

Stupid. Stupid. Stupid.

Anonymous said...

Once a hoarder, always a hoarder.

Perhaps it is just best to volunteer your fantastic skills and valuable time by featuring some of the lovelies the other TAS locations..?

htg

Ian said...

Just a thought

People who have blogs/websites could use the Petharbor featured pet script.

"Would you like to include a Featured Adoptable Pet on your own web page? You can, and it's easy!"

It`s on this THS page
http://www.torontohumanesociety.com/adopt/petharbor_dogs.asp

THS_Protest said...

Everything at the Toronto Humane Society has to be a big drama filled fight. Whether it is working with reputable rescues to decrease the number of animals in the shelter, making a simple change to cleaning procedures to stop the spread of URI, or taking some photographs of animals that are up for adoption.

The reality of the situation is that the people making the decisions at the THS are the same people that were trained by Tim Trow and his management. The THS adopted an us vs them mentality against the rest of the animal welfare community years ago, and that isn’t going to change until a new board cleans house.

Unfortunately the “THS knows best” attitude has created the present situation, and I doubt that they are going to start letting experienced people who actually know better than the THS get involved in developing new procedures and protocols unless it is forced upon them.

I wish that the THS would put their territorial emotions aside and allow people to help them. There are better ways to advertise the animals available for adoption. There are better ways to clean cages. There are better ways to manage the animals in the small domestics program. There are better ways to recruit and retain volunteers.

Some people at the THS view the conflict between them and the rest of the animal welfare community as a power struggle. If they would just stand back for one second and really listen to the suggestions being made by outside groups, they would realize that all anyone wants is for the animals at the Toronto Humane Society to be taken care of properly with the end goal being to see animals adopted into loving homes as quickly as possible. It doesn’t have to be a fight every single time somebody wants to help the animals.

The reputation of the Toronto Humane Society is only going to be repaired if the animal welfare community helps to repair it. If the THS was smart it would stop with the pissing contests and focus on rebuilding relationships with people and organizations who are not only capable of helping but are willing to do the work involved in fixing the situation.

Andrea said...

What a joke, the THS is threatening litigation, or simply threatening whomever they don't care for, even when it will benefit the animals! The writer of this blog can testify to that, I've seen references to Trow and lawyers threatening many other people, thank-you for sharing that message, it is indicative of the concerns of the THS - vilify enemies, keep the current managers and administrators and board doing the fantastic job we've seen.

SanDiegoDogMa said...

I went to the above link. There are only 12 dogs available for adoption at THS?

Billy said...

Good blog article. Wow, what a confused bunch of people. It seems that if you define yourself as good, an animal-lover, you can get away with anything. The THS management at the moment is a joke, these people who did whatever Trow said.

Fred said...

Hi everyone, thank you for all the comments. Sorry for the heavy editing in some cases but I'd like to keep things somewhat civil. Thanks.

Fred said...

SanDiegoDogMa, there are only 12 dogs available right now from the THS because the other 60 or so dogs are either too sick or too behaviorally challenged to go up for adoption right now. The hope and challenge is to eventually get them all healthy and well-behaved enough so they can find good homes.

It's been a long and on-going drama at the THS and if you read some of the backstory, it might help explain the current situation.

Social Mange said...

BWAAAAAAHAAAAAAHAAAAAA!!!! Too funny! Was Ian crying and screaming when he wrote that??? That's been my only experience with him, so that's what I expect.

Talk about "cut off your nose to spite your face". What a doink. Ya, Ian, keep posting those shabby, blurry photos taken on intake, they're just SO attractive.

Did his mother not teach him to say "thank you"???

Can Mel photograph the cats? They need as much help as the dogs. The cat photos really, truly suck, worse than the dogs.

Master communicator. Ya. Master of his own universe. Which apparently isn't in this one, but is skewed...definitely not parallel *LOLOL*.

Fred said...

(aside. Soche, thanks for the spellcheck.)

Laura HP said...

Oh my god, this is just...so ridiculous. Totally insane.
Those photos are absolutely gorgeous Fred! I'd love to do the same for the rabbits, some of their photos - you can't even see that there's a rabbit in there.
They've got some gorgeous dogs! Too bad no one else gets to see them...

Social Mange said...

BTW, someone thank Ian for admitting that THS is monitoring the blogs. How many donor dollars does that cost?

I'm so hurt. I feel neglected. I really must be more offensive on my blog, then I can claim a letter too!!!!

Couldn't resist. I tagged a comment to the Globe & Mail article of Jan 27th referencing this latest foray.

Anonymous said...

I'm speechless...if there was ever any doubt in anybody's mind that the THS doesn't give a damn about the animals or their future, then this has to be the defining moment for them.
Along with Hambley & the other dinosaurs on the board (and anybody else who thinks like they do), this (insert your own derogative term here) has absolutely got to go...better start checking the want ads, guy.

Fred said...

Soche, don't feel too bad. From what I hear, your blog is very much on their must read list.

Unknown said...

Great job! The new photos of the THS dogs are wonderful. Great facial expressions - they all look so adorable and friendly. A big improvement from the old photos which were side photos of the dogs with office furniture backgrounds + the handlers' knees and feet.

Don't get discouraged Fred and Mel and keep up the good work! (Same goes to small animal volunteer Laura and her Feathers, Fur, and the Occasional Fang blog.)

Volunteers are invaluable. I hope THS will open their minds, appreciate your skills and accept your kind hearted efforts to reach more people and help find homes for the animals

Lynn said...

Just when I was thinking things were getting a little better, this guy has to pop his tiny little head up. Yuck. Just Yuck.

Jason said...

HAHAHAHA @ MCCRYBABY! He kills me....I'd make fun of him but it's soo easy I can't anymore. LMAO

Erin said...

First let me say the photos are fantastic and such an enormous step up from what the THS used to post.

Secondly...unfreakinbelievable! As if their image isn't currently tarnished enough, they're wasting their time sending finger wagging emails regarding something that would actually benefit the animals in their care. My head reels at the lack of logic.

I'm also a bit sad, growing up the THS had such an amazing reputation and I have had many fine dogs that my family adopted from the THS and now all of this and really its the animals who are suffering. If I could, I would scoop them all up and take them home.

Joanne said...

If his email and attitude weren't so pitiful and detrimental to the well-being of these animals, it would be laughable. He reminds me of one of those whack-a-mole games at the CNE....you keep whacking the damn thing on the head and it just keeps coming back. At least now we know he is reading this blog, maybe, just maybe, he may get a grasp on peoples' perception and opinion of him and the job he is doing at THS. It is really possible to be that obtuse and ill-mannered. How does one front oneself out on main street like that? Perhaps a little introspection and reassessment is in order here? But, then again, if possible, that would have happened already and THS management and board would have a better image than they do, or perhaps they are blissfully aware of the public perception of them. Who knows, who cares, anyone with an iota of intelligence can see the demise of management and the board on the horizon. Gonna be mighty interesting to see the financial audit material...hahahahahha. Grow up McConachie.......

Joanne said...

As aside, since you have admitted to reading this blog Mr. McConachie (tongue in cheek on that), and since it is impossible to reach anyone at THS except on the donation line (pity any poor animal in distress), perhaps you can advise when the membership link on the THS website will be working again. I believe it has been disabled since late summer of last year. Must be hard to get new member fees that way and, by the way, the membership form is out there on a lot of other sites, so you might as well make the link operable again. I would really, really, really like to hear that you have stepped up to the plate and make an announcement that THS has fixed the membership link and is welcoming new members. After all, how are you going to tell them that the membership fee has allegedly rise to $40 if the link doesn't work?

borderjack said...

The photos of the dogs were a fantastic improvement. And Ian McConachie? He's a communicator like I'm the queen of england.

I like Social Mange's term: he's a "doink".

Natalia Buia said...

As I'm reading this, reading what they emailed you and everything, all i want to do is the facepalm! UGH :(

Miz Minka said...

*speechless*

OMG. Sounds like the misguided morons at THS still have their heads up their posterior orifices. That's just effing UNBELIEVABLE. No, don't excuse my French!!

Eileen said...

I can't add much to this, except that McConachie hasn't helped his case much (not to mention the animals). Disgusting.

Anonymous said...

Some advice for Mr. Senior Communicator:

1. Learn how to write.
2. Consult the Department of Redundancy Department if you are oblivious as to why I might suggest a remedial writing course.
3. Spend less time communicating political agendas. You are not running an electoral campaign; you are representing an animal welfare organisation. Your salary (in excess of 60K, I believe) is paid by those who financially support the THS - people who believe money donated will, in fact, benefit both the organisation and the animals therein.

Imagine if these donors were privy to the letter you wrote to the author of this blog; a letter amounting to a petty grievance in which the Humane Society objects to publication of Fred and Mel's photos on all but the THS's website. Such a parochial vision benefits neither the Society nor the animals in its care. It does, however, engender criticism and incredulity. What kind of organisation would issue such an objection? How does this help the animals?

The THS pleads, "Help us do whatever it takes for the animals.".

Fred and Mel did their part. Might I suggest you do yours.

Joanne said...

I hope Kate Hammer sees McConachie's email (perhaps someone could send it to her????) so that she can include this entire episode in one of her articles. Then, his kindness and compassion can be out there for all of the Globe readers to see. I think he truly deserves that kind of exposure. Being a "Senior Communicator", I am surprised he didn't take advantage of that opportunity himself. I would think that a Senior Communicator would understand the power of the internet... He should take a look at the Best Friends website….there is a lot to be learned from them about animal adoption and welfare and making people want to give you donations and volunteer with the animals.

I find it hard to believe that someone can be so blissfully unaware of the consequences of their actions. McConachie should learn to control that Send button. If he was doing his job effectively and from trolling this blog, he should be well aware of the impact of a video going viral (Stanley) can have. I am so disgusted.......it is almost as if it is a point of dishonour to make the wrong decision at every opportunity at THS.

I am really hoping that he retracts that statement with an apology), the membership link is fixed (just exactly what wagonload of cantaloupes does THS think we fell off of?), the pix are authorized to appear on Petfinder and any other blogs (WITH A NICE HONEST DESCRIPTION OF THE DOG), they accept help from rescues and animal behaviorists so that THS finds new homes for all the dogs AND the cats have new pix taken and posted and have the same chance at a loving home. That would be a major coup in THS regaining some good faith from the public. Sorry to keep ranting on about this but I have rarely seen anything so petty, unjust and classless and I really just hope that McConachie reads something on this blog that changes his mind.

Just what is it going to take for THS to get it? Donations are down, there is a dead cat in the ceiling, members are charged with animal cruelty (damn, your head vet is charged with animal cruelty), the board is on the verge of being tossed out the door, your vet accreditation has been lost, hydro is threatening to cut off your service, you are feeding animals food that should have been tossed out four or five years ago, animals are dying in their cages in pain and agony, your finances are being inspected, even Justice Brown said "THS's legal bills, including a lengthy appeal of revoked animal care orders in a bid to recover a few hundred dollars, raised “serious questions” pertaining to the THS's senior management and its board of directors" and you are concerned with a pissing match about some pictures???????????????? Good grief man, wake up!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

How far is the EI office from THS?

Supreme Overseer of the World said...

Hello all,
I'm the 'Toronto Animal Rights Examiner' for examiner.com. And I've written an article about this incident. Click here to see it.

Angele said...

Hey Fred, I checked their website and their are only 12 dogs listed. From your post I assumed their were many more dogs escpecially pitbulls. How many dogs did you photograph and if you only photographed 12 dogs, where are all the rest of the dogs?

Fred said...

Hi Angele, please see my comment at January 27, 2010 7:22 PM above to answer your question.

Angele said...

Fred I don't see anywhere how many dogs you photographed.'

By the way, I sent an email to Ian at the THS: Here is my email and his response:

Sent: Thursday, January 28, 2010 9:48 AM
To: Ian McConachie
Subject: Answer


I just read your response to Fred of One Bark at a Time who was in there taking photographs of your dogs. I am not sure why you would not want your dogs cross posted anywhere they could be to help get them adopted.

I used to be a huge fan of the THS, but your response makes it seem like you don't really want the dogs to have every opportunity available to help in the adoption.

I hoped that since Tim Trow resigned things would be much better now.

It doesn't seem to be the case.


"Ian McConachie"
01/28/2010 09:52 AM

The situation is that he had not disclosed to anyone at the THS that these photos were to be used for any private purpose outside of the THS use.

Our website is well known and sees over 2.5 million visitors every year. Those interested in adopting animals can view the photos there anytime.

I would have been happy to speak to Fred to discuss the matter had he chosen to respond to my email directly.



Ian McConachie
Senior Communicator
416-392-2273 ext. 2149
416-984-3097

Fred said...

Hi Angele, sorry I didn't answer that part of your question. I think in all we took photos of a total of 22 dogs on Saturday, 12 for the adoptions page and another 10 to be made available for rescues.

As for McConachie's response to your e-mail, first, thank you for writing him regarding this and expressing your concern. It's obvious his opinion about others posting up photos of the dogs hasn't changed.

The tone of his initial e-mail to this blog obviously wasn't one encouraging a friendly discussion. If he had wanted a discussion, he could easily have asked for one instead of sending out an e-mail devoid of any consideration and which basically amounted to a commandment.

The reason why this type of coercive behaviour has so long existed at the THS is because it was always done in the dark behind closed doors. That's not going to work here. Secrecy is the bane of transparency and the inner workings of the THS need to be made transparent, especially now.

Angele said...

So there are only 22 dogs at the THS? What happened to all of the rest of the dogs?

Thanks for your response and I think that you are a fantastic animal advocate.

Joanne said...

"any private purpose outside of the THS use"....what the heck could that possibly be...trafficking in puppy porn...oh for god's sakes...should have taken a little longer than 4 minutes to think over your response Mr. McConachie....do you just not get it??????????????? Hey, can we all have McConachie's email so everyone can let him know their opinion of both him and this probably made-up-on-the-spot policy. Good grief Mergatroid. Just for the future, there is such a thing as a graceful retreat...you simply acknowledge that you did not consider all your options and now, having done so, are implementing a new strategy. Simple????

Anonymous said...

The thing I hate most is that this confirms what I've been fearing - that the problem is now so much deeper than just Tim Trow. Him stepping down is only one tiny tiny part of the problem. His legacy is still haunting the halls, and you can feel it every time you go into volunteer. It's suffocating.

Fred said...

Angele, the rest of the dogs about 60 or so are either too sick or too behaviorally challenged to go up for adoption right now. The hope and challenge is to eventually get them all healthy and well-behaved enough so they can find good homes.

FrogDogz said...

Social media is one of the MOST powerful tools available to us for getting dogs placed.

With the salaries the THS has on their books, there's no reason for not having a dedicated person doing nothing but blog postings, tweets, Facebook updates, widget creation and anything and everything else possible to get the word out there about the available.

Shoot, even French Bulldog Village, which is small scale in terms of rescue organizations, has one or two people doing social media (myself among them).

This is just so, so typical of the old guard thinking that plagues THS and its ilk.

Angele said...

Here is Ian's email, I got from a newspaper story.

imcconachie@torontohumanesociety.com.

Fred thanks for your answer on the rest of the dogs and I too hope that they get adopted.

Anonymous said...

Someone please go and take pictures of those poor cats. With Himself's blessing of course, and without disrupting Evidence or inviting Litigation.

It's all about the animals, isn't it?

Anonymous said...

Ian didn't say anything about video. :)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SPNjggbERrQ

Please pass this video along to people who may be interested in adopting a dog.

Marcie said...

Redstarcafe- Getting the cats photographed is in the works. Hopefully starting with the ones that have been there the longest. There are people that work inside who have been pushing for new cat picture's and bio's for a while now. The ball is slowly rolling & if anything pans out with the picture's I'll let you know.

admin said...

Um, and what if you wanted to use some of your own photos in an online portfolio or art website, would he object to that?

This isn't rocket science. They're web-savvy enough to keep tabs on blogs, why don't they know about simple matters of photography etiquette?

Paul Hickey said...

I am absolutely dumbfounded at the response you received, embarrassing to say the least! I was hoping for change......makes me wonder. Mr Ian McConachie , i am truly dissapointed !

EB said...

Embarrassing, petty and classless response from the THS.

Thank you from the bottom of my heart to all the VOLUNTEERS who are doing their best to make the THS less of a hell hole. It's sad when they have to fight the actual staff to do so.

Heather B said...

What would happen if all of us in rescue with our own Petfinder pages, copy/pasted a dog or two from the THS site and cross posted them on our own?
I really don`t think those pics belong to THS now that they are out there in cyber space.
stirring the pot might be fun...

Anonymous said...

Now that the dogs have better pictures, maybe someone could write some better text to go with them. Check out Roxy's page on the THS website, the statement at the bottom of the page:
"I am an experienced dog owner." Good for you Roxy, never heard of a dog owning another dog but hey, as long as the other dog is cool with it...look, I know we all make typos but this is supposed to be a professional website... isn't someone checking for stuff like this?
The dogs (and cats) need major overhauls on their bios (if you can call them that). A lot of the dogs have this cryptic, generic statement at the bottom of their page: "I require experienced owners." It sounds ominous, like the dog has some major flaw. Experienced with what? Aggressiveness? Walking on a leash? Peeing in the house? What? Could we have a few specifics, please? Dogs & cats are individuals, just like people. They all have their own special quirks, likes & dislikes so how about giving some info on the dog's backgound, behaviour & personality (for lack of a better word).
As FrogDogz suggested, they could have one person on staff doing this sort of thing...but I don't think the THS staff could handle it...they probably don't bother to get to know the animals. The volunteers would be a good place to start...they probably know the animals better than anybody.
Of course, McConachie would probably claim that any words used to describe the animals are the 'special property' of THS and can't be used anywhere else.

EmilyS said...

senior communicator FAIL

Supreme Overseer of the World said...

Hi Heather B,

Actually, as I mentioned in my article on examiner.com, the THS actually encourages 'copying and pasting.' Go to the bottom of their Pet Harbour page and you'll see what I mean.

Anita

selkiem said...

The pictures are wonderful - the dogs adorable.

Fred, I'm just wondering - who told you the other dogs were too sick or behaviourially challenged? It's just I'm famaliar with quite a few dogs there and there are MANY that to even an unbiased eyes do not have such major issues they are "unadoptable". Do you know who made that decision?

I'm finding myself confused by what I'm reading and trying to figure out who is making WHAT decisions?

i.e. for which dogs are adoptable?

what sort of medical care a partciular animal gets?

Who decides if a dog or cat needs to be euthanized?

It's very confusing to read about what is going on there and try to figure out who is in charge!

Social Mange said...

On reflection...McConachie's response is characteristic of the overall lack of vision and poor attitude towards and disregard for volunteers endemic at THS under the current regime.

I was a volunteer for THS many, many years ago and experienced the complete lack of follow-up and follow-through on foster animals as well as THS'S disregard for animal welfare.

Management at THS seems to believe that volunteers should be grateful to work at THS (for free, on precious personal time) and that professional and courteous treatment of volunteers, let alone a thank-you, is not necessary.

Fred said...

Hi selkie, I wish I could give you a simple answer to your question. With regards to health concerns, the best I can suggest is to start by talking to some of the vets who are looking after the dogs and ask them questions. I think you'll get a feel pretty quick for what their decision making process is and maybe it'll shed some insight on what some of their challenges are.

In terms of behaviour assessments, I'm not a hundred percent sure where those are coming from. Is it the OSPCA? Is it information from dog walkers? If you find out, let me know because I'm curious too.

I'm actually more concerned with what's being done about those possible "bad" behaviours in animals. Anything? Or are they just allowed to fester and get worse? If the THS wants to be an agency concerned about animal welfare, it needs to at least make an effort in getting the animals there to leave in better health and behaviour than when they arrived, certainly not worse. This kind of shelter wide animal training protocol and ACW and volunteer organizing would have to be implemented by management and that would be something great to work towards.

GoodDog said...

Miss Manners would not approve. I suppose you and Mel could send THS a bill for the photography time -- I mean if there was no thank you for the gift of your time then it really wasn't a gift was it?

I went to THS's site and saw the pictures. They were wonderful - each dog looked alert and engaged. Often you see sad and "shut down" dogs. What disappointed me was the comments: "I require experienced owners" and "I'll make a great family pet but I have medical issues" Way to sell a product people! How long would it take to write 2 things about the dog: "Princess loves to play with her squeaky toy and can chase down a tennis ball in 5 seconds flat, but will need a little work walking on a lead." So so sad.

Must go snuggle my doggies now.

kb said...

This was so ridiculous I talked about it on my blog (and posted a link here). Hope thats ok...

BTW, please keep up all the good work you do.

Elizabeth said...

I started fostering because i saw a litter of 3 week old kittens who needed fostering. I saw the picture on craigslist!!! I had always thought about fostering but seeing those pictures is what made me get off my butt and do it!

These photos taken for THS need to be posted far and wide so everyone can see. So people like me will be browsing the internet for one reason or another and see a photo of one of THS's animals and dedide its fate and the time to finally adopt/foster.

PS.
Why weren't those cane corso pups at THS allowed to go into a rescue or foster home? It just doesnt make sense to choose to have puppies raised in a shelter instead of a home.

Jenn said...

Disgusting response from the "senior communicator".

Took a look at the website, fantastic photos! But (speaking as a potential adopter), photos aren't enough. There needs to be some sort of description of the dog so you can decide whether it's worth your while going down to check the dog out. TBH though, until the THS sorts out its behavioural evaluation process, I personally wouldn't take the risk of adopting a dog from them. I just wouldn't be comfortable adopting a dog without any sort of behavioural information on it.

Joan Sinden said...

I got an email yesterday from a lady thanking me for my blog - because it was from reading my blog that she found your blog, which led her to seeing Dotty - who you posted a few days ago - who she has since adopted and brought home this past week, and she's now deeply in love with.

THAT is the power of the internet - CONNECTIONS - and it's because of people like the Toronto Humane Society - who still obviously don't get it, that animals are still going to continue to die.

It's the same as shelters who still refuse to use Petfinder - because they think that people should come into the shelter to see the animals anyway - that animals will still die as well.

It is just too bad.

Joan