And the winner is...

These are the results and the prizewinners from Rendezvous.

In the Pet Parade:

First Place: Rhonda Kotelko with Charley.
Charley is the three legged dog in the pirate costume.

Second Place: Sophie Senecal with Bijou.
Bijou is the hamster who took part in the parade.

Third place: Kelly Pollard with Maggie.
Maggie can be seen wearing tartan in our picture of the howling contest.

In the dog howling contest:

First Place: Diane Pawluck with Stitch and Sophia & Sullivan Bond with Wib.
The contest was so tight that Stitch and Wib could not be separated.

Second Place: Michael Pelow with Nanuk and Steve Brewis with Kyloe & Sika.
Another close battle for second with one of Steve's dogs as backing singer to the rest.

Third place: Sparks.
We don't have Sparks' owner's name.

Congratulations to the winners and thanks to all for taking part.

Happy Rendezvous!

Yes, it's Rendezvous again in Whitehorse complete with all the fun and crazy events. The Humane Society was involved in the Pet Parade and the Dog Howling Contest. There will be a full update of the Dog Howling results later but we did have a three dog tie for first and a two dog tie for third place.

Here are some of the entrants.

The dog in the lower right also acted as a backup singer for the rest of the dogs.

These are some of the dogs in the pet parade.

This was an ingenious costume, the peg leg is real. The dog was unfortunate enough to lose a hind leg and wore the peg leg as part of the outfit. This was the costume that won first prize.

Yes, it is a pet parade not a dog parade so we do get other pets.

Thanks to all those who took part in the parade. Thanks also to those who dropped some money in our donation can.

Enjoy the rest of Rendezvous!

Musher Donations

The Yukon Quest ended this month with Hans Gatt as the winner, arriving with some very healthy looking dogs who were ready to keep going. A musher started an initiative to raise money for the shelter and we were presented with a cheque for $1,000 this week. So, thanks (in no particular order) to Hans Gatt, Gerry Willomitzer, William Kleedehn, Michelle Phillips, Simi Morrison, Maren Bradley, Jeff Luehmann, Ryan Kinna, Darren and Leanne Kinvig, Kenny Tetlichi, Sky High Wilderness, Uncommon Journeys and Didier Moggia.

As you may have heard or seen on CBC Yukon on Wednesday, we are in need of money to help us cope with the influx of puppies and dogs in the shelter. Thanks to everyone listed above for the much needed donation.

Dogs and puppies and cats, oh my!

The shelter is completely full! As of writing we have 17 dogs, 23 puppies and 11 cats in the shelter. We are looking for help both for fostering animals and with donations of puppy food and money. We have already been forced to tell people that we cannot accept new dogs at the present time.

The major part of this problem is the lack of spaying and neutering of pets. To all those of you who have taken the time and expense to fix your pets, thank you.

These unwanted puppies and kittens become a burden on those people who care for them. Even worse, they can be abused, left to starve or freeze to death. There is no need for a dog or cat to have one litter of young to be healthy. We have had two puppies literally left outside the shelter this week, one of whom was paralysed.

The staff at the shelter do everything possible to take care of the animals here, but sometimes we are in desperate need of help. Food and money donations are always welcome, especially so given our current situation. 23 puppies need a lot of food, taking care of all the animals requires a lot of money.

Thanks to the Carcross Posties

The posties in Carcross have once again been working hard and raising money for the Mae Bachur Animal Shelter. They called by on Saturday 23rd January and donated a cheque for over $3,000.

A great job by the posties and the people of Carcross, thanks a lot. Without help like this we could not help the animals.

Moonstroke Festival

Moonstroke Music Festival was held on 22nd January and was a great success. Over $5,000 was raised for the Mae Bachur Animal Shelter. Moonstroke was held at the Mount MacIntyre Rec Centre and if this year is anything to go by then we will definitely need a larger venue for the 2011 festival.

Our musical acts this year were: Gordie Tentrees Band, Sophisticated Cavemen, Ben Mahony and friends, Ryan McNally, Alex Machidon, Sasquatch Prom Date, CHS and Nemesis. Jeff Brewster was MC for the evening.

A full list of those who volunteered time, money, silent auction items, etc. would make this post sound like a long and boring Oscar acceptance speech. But our main sponsors were Triple J's Music, Yukon Brewing, CKRW and Omni Productions. On behalf of the Humane Society and all the dogs and cats currently in the shelter, thanks for your support. If we could write and thank you all individually, we would.

Don't forget that we will be at Sunstroke again in the summer.

Pet Photos with Santa the Best Ever!

The Humane Society's annual Christmas Fundraiser, "Pet Photos with Santa," at the Feed Store took place on November 28 & December 5 this year. Although the setup was a bit different than in the past, it seemed to work well (is there a perfect solution?). The wait times were shorter than they have been in the past, but Santa was busier than ever this year.

First and foremost, we would like to sincerely thank all the pets and their people who came by again this year. You are what makes this fundraiser such a success every year. It simply wouldn't happen without the people of Whitehorse showing up and being so generous every year! You never let us down, and continuously show that you care about this shelter and the work we do.

Also, a big thank-you to Lisa and her hard-working (and ever patient) staff at the Feed Store for once again hosting this event. The staff somehow manages to stay calm and keep working admidst the distraction of puppies and dogs milling around and waiting their turn to see Santa. Their dedication to this event is much appreciated!

Roger Jorde was our Santa again this year, as well. Thank you, Roger, for your patience, calm demeanor and sensitivity when dealing with all the pets who come to visit you. Some of our visitors are very uncertain about the man in the red suit, but Roger is extremely kind and patient with them and it always pays off with at least one great shot. See you next year, Roger?

Thank you, Gerry Steers, for the photography. It's not an easy job, but the time and energy you put into it were greatly appreciated.

With your help this year, the Pet Photos was the most successful yet: $1724.00 was raised for Mae Bachur. Thank you for your continued support of our efforts to care for our animals!!

Thanks to Yukon College Staff

The Yukon College Staff held a silent auction at their annual Christmas party, and raised $2432 for the Mae Bachur Animal Shelter, as well as a large donation of food and pet items. On behalf of the Shelter animals, the Mae Bachur Shelter Staff and Humane Society Board of Directors wish to thank Orlanna Aubichon who solicited the items for the auction, and Jaime Hewitt for organizing the fund raiser. It is people like you who make our job easier, by helping cover the many expenses the Shelter experiences in its daily care of the animals. We very much appreciate all your good work, and the generous support of the Yukon College Staff!!
Photo Left to right: Orlanna Aubichon, Karen Wienberg, HSY Director, Jaime Hewitt

Help - Trevor Needs a Foster Home

Trevor the Dog needs your help. Trevor has been released by the Court to go into a foster home to continue his rehabilitation. The Mae Bachur Animal Shelter is looking for a foster home in Whitehorse that is willing to commit 6 to 9 months of foster care to help Trevor work through his rehabilitation plan. We have professional trainers to help us and you get Trevor to that point.

Trevor is a playful, rambunctious Shepherd-cross who requires ongoing positive guidance, support and training as he learns to respond appropriately to new and anxiety-producing situations. His foster home must not have more than 2 adults in the house, no children, and no cats. The property must have a secure fenced back yard, and not be adjacent to a school or playground.

If you can open your home and heart to foster Trevor to help him complete his rehabilitation program, we would be very pleased to hear from you. You will not be alone, but be fully supported by the Humane Society, the local trainers, and Dr. Shelley Breadner, the veterinary behaviourist who did Trevor’s assessment.

Help us win Best Shelter

Mae Bachur shelter has the chance to win some much needed money to continue their good work for the Yukon's homeless animals. Follow the link and vote for us as your favourite shelter!

We are in dire need of shelter repairs, more space for our loving residents, a mouse-proof storage shed, as well as funds for the general day to day business of running the shelter.

Our staff work hard every day to care for all the animals that come through our doors and don't need the extra worries that come with an aging building. We're not a big shelter, but to the animals who rely on the care, compassion and day to day visits from staff and volunteers, we are home for as long as necessary.

Please vote by December 16th!

http://www.care2.com/animalsheltercontest/78545

Thank you!