Friday, August 28, 2009

Trevor Press Release



The City of Whitehorse and Human Society of Yukon
PRESS RELEASE
August 28, 2009

Contact: John Taylor, Manager of Bylaw Services
Phone: 668-8650
Contact: Gerry Steers, President of the Humane Society of Yukon
Phone: 633-6019

ANIMAL ASSESSOR FOUND FOR SUPREME COURT CASE

WHITEHORSE – The City of Whitehorse and the Humane Society of Yukon have worked in cooperation to find a behavioural assessment expert to examine Trevor the dog.

As part of an August 10 Supreme Court of Yukon Order the City of Whitehorse and the Humane Society were directed to find an animal behavioural specialist mutually agreeable to both parties to determine if Trevor can be rehabilitated.

"I’m pleased that together the Humane Society of Yukon could find a solution that’s in the best interest of public safety as well as the animal,” said Bylaw Services Manager John Taylor.

The City and the Humane Society agreed on Dr. Shelly Breadner of Saanichton, British Columbia. Dr. Breadner is a doctor of veterinary medicine, a member of the American Veterinary Society of Animal Behaviour and has been doing referral practice behavioural medicine since 1998.

Trevor has been given a reprieve from euthanasia until a behavioural assessment can be performed,” said Breadner. “The behavioural assessment will be to determine Trevor’s basic behaviour, level of arousal, ability to learn and to settle, and how well he can be redirected from his focus or distraction.

"It’s not our intent to pressure Trevor to reactive states,” added Breadner. Breadner will fly to Whitehorse on September 7 and perform her assessment on September 8.

We are very happy that Dr. Breadner will be coming here to assess Trevor on September 8, 2009,” said Human Society President Gerry Steers. “Trevor is currently attending obedience classes with kennel attendant Chris Dingwall, under the instruction of trainer Erika Rosza-Atkinson, of Canines and Company and is showing great enthusiasm for his work. Erika stated that she believed Trevor will make a great obedience competition dog.

We are also happy that the City of Whitehorse has agreed to cover the travelling expenses for Dr. Breadner, but we will still require help to pay for the assessment itself so welcome any public donations,” added Steers.

Anyone wishing to donate should visit the PayPal link at http://www.humanesocietyyukon.ca/

Monday, August 17, 2009

Donate by Paypal!

The Humane Society Yukon now has an easy and safe way to donate online!

Go to our website http://www.humanesocietyyukon.ca/

Click on "Donate" and then "Charitable Gifts". You can choose to do a one time donation of any amount, or a monthly donation of your choosing! A charitable reciept will be mailed out for donations $20.00 or greater.

We still need money for our Bella fund to cover the extra costs some special needs animals require, such as the recent dental work we needed for Dodger and Benji, and the professional behaviour assessment we will need for Trevor the Dog.

Also, we need money for building renovations to repair the large cracks appearing in the concrete in our kennels, repair the electrical wiring in our boiler which gives us heat in the winter and hot water for cleaning,and repairs to our hot water tank which is leaking.

Each day is a struggle for our Shelter to pay the many operating expenses we have in caring for our animals, and it becomes even more difficult when we have major expenses which are outside our normal daily needs.

The Mae Bachur Animal Shelter would like to thank everyone for any donation whether it is cash, toys, food, helping out at our Bingos, providing labour and repair services, socializing the animals or walking the dogs.

All your help is valuable to the operation of our Shelter and very much appreciated!

2009 YXY GAMES

Low Life Films and Humane Society Yukon have partnered to present the inaugural 2009 YXY Games on Saturday, August 22, 2009 at the South Access Mud Bogs Grounds.

YXY Games is a fundraiser for the Humane Society Yukon. From noon until 10:00 pm, there will be a Freestyle Moto-X and Sled Competition with a live band, DJ, beer gardens, food vendors, pro riders and a Motor Sports Expo.

Pro Riders include: Cody Borchers of Slednecks, Jeff Mullin of Turnagain Hardcore, local rider Ross Mercer, Lee Stuart and Darryl Tait of Sno-X, Time Hryshchuk of Free Ryders, Brandon and Ray Cormier of Moto-X and Sno-X.

Tickets for adults are $20, and youth (13 and under) are $10 – available at Listers Motor Sports, Yukon Yamaha, Sandors Clothing, Yukon Honda, Checkered Flag Recreation (Polaris), Pizza Hut, Yukon Brewing Company and Triple J’s Music.

COME ON OUT AND SUPPORT THIS EXCITING NEW EVENT! RIDE FOR THE ANIMALS!

Wednesday, August 12, 2009

Mitzi's Closet Pet Boutique's sidewalk sale fundraiser was a success!
Thanks to Nikki (Owner and Operator) and her many customers, not only are there many fashionable dogs and cats out there now, but Mitzi's Closet raised $100 for the Humane Society Yukon.
Thank you Mitzi's Closet Pet Boutique, for all the hard work you do!

Saturday, August 8, 2009

Maggie May's Chuck Wagon - Fundraiser Continued!

Maggie May's has had a fundraiser for the Humane Society Yukon since July 7, 2009. It was originaly supposed to go until August 7, but since it is doing so well, it will continue until September 30, 2009 when it will close down for the season.

Maggie May's has raised just over $500 for the Bella-Fund! The fund was created to help unfortunate animals that find themselves in need of special treatment and surgeries, i.e. dental work, amputation, etc.

You can find Maggie May's Chuck Wagon located at the Carcross cutoff with ample space to park and sit down to enjoy your meal. Bring your dogs, your family, your friends and enjoy a great home-cooked meal!

Trevor - Press Release

Humane Society Yukon
Trevor’s Day in Court
August 7, 2009


On August 6th, Humane Society Yukon and Kevin Sinclair went in front of the Yukon Supreme Court to ask that the Humane Society’s claim on Trevor be recognized by the City of Whitehorse. Our claim was successful. Trevor has been granted a reprieve and an opportunity to have his behaviour formally assessed by a qualified trainer.

The judge agreed with our position that the City of Whitehorse should acknowledge our claim on ownership and interest in Trevor.

The City clarified that it has not declared Trevor a dangerous dog, as defined under the Animal Control Bylaw. The city also acknowledged that there are only two documented bite incidents involving Trevor, one of which broke the skin.

Most importantly, the judge agreed with us that the city cannot kill Trevor under a clause of the Animal Control Bylaw (Section 120) that is intended to protect public safety in immediate situations of urgency (such as a dog rampaging), as they had planned to do. This clause is not written in a way that should give powers to Bylaw Services to euthanize surrendered and impounded dogs such as Trevor, as they present no immediate public safety concern. This judge’s finding may help many other dogs, as the pound euthanizes approximately two dozen impounded dogs each year. We don’t know how many of those impounded dogs have been killed under Section 120 of the Animal Control Bylaw. The City will have to decide how the judge’s interpretation of the Bylaw will affect their future practices.

Humane Society Yukon and Bylaw Services will be working together over the next several weeks to determine what the best next steps will be for Trevor. Trevor will be returned to the Mae Bachur Shelter, where he will reside in the isolation area for the assessment period. He will be cared for by shelter staff, and will be formally assessed by one or two experienced trainers/assessors, chosen jointly by us and the city. For caution’s sake, Trevor will spend the next several weeks under some restrictions. For instance, he will wear a muzzle and a short leash when being walked, and he will only be walked or handled in presence of a shelter staff person. The general public will not have ready access to Trevor, and he will not be fostered or adopted out during this time.

If the assessment is favourable, and the trainers feel Trevor is fine or that he can be rehabilitated, the City will return him to the Humane Society with no conditions. If the assessment is negative, he will be returned to the City to be euthanized. There will be a court hearing in mid-September so the court may have closure on the case.

We’d like to extend a big thank you to the many members of the public who contacted us to express their support for Trevor. We’d also like to thank Kevin Sinclair for initially bringing the case to court, and those who directly supported his efforts. We are very grateful to Robert Pritchard from the Law Line for helping us navigate the process and the maze of paperwork related to the court case; thank you so much, Robert, for offering this invaluable service to the public.

The Humane Society is paying for Trevor’s assessment, and for any rehabilitation that Trevor may require. We are relying on donations to our Bella fund to pay for Trevor’s assessment and any other special care he may need. The Humane Society can process donations and issue charitable receipts. If you would like to make a donation, please contact shelter@northwestel.net or call 867-633-6019.

Sunday, August 2, 2009

SIDEWALK SALE FUNDRAISER

Mitzi's Closet Pet Boutique is having a huge sidewalk sale fundraiser for the Humane Society Yukon! From the extra large to the extra tiny - you'll find your beloved pet that something special.

Where: Mitzi's Closet Pet Boutique #3 Yukon Inn Plaza

When: Saturday August 8th, 2009

Time: 12 noon to 5 pm

20% of all proceeds go towards helping the animals of the Mae Bachur Animal Shelter.