Weekly News Roundup
Week of November 18, 2022

Sunday Edition

Lost dog takes himself to police station

A dog named Rosie who became separated from her owners managed to turn herself into a police station. After being spooked by a firework on Nov. 3, the border collie was spotted on camera walking into Loughborough Police Station. After taking a seat in the station’s waiting area, police officers were able to provide her with some water before calling the phone number attached to her identification tag.
Steve and Julie Harper, Rosie’s owners spoke with BBC News about their 10-year-old rescue dog and how she ran away during a walk.

“She went and stood with her dad, which she does when she is nervous, and then skedaddled [when the firework went off],” Julie explained.

“She pushed herself through a hedge and handed herself in to the police station.

“The police station is right next to the park.”
Steve, who was taking the couple’s other dog home, was quite shaken up by Rosie running away. He received a phone call from the police station as he was returning home.

“I was so pleased and so happy she was safe and so proud of her that she was clever enough to find her way to the police station,” she said.
Leicestershire Police said: “Thankfully she was wearing a collar, so a lead was available to contact Rosie’s owner, who was delighted she had been found safe and well.”

Is your dog in pain? Here are some signs to look out for

Knowing when your dog is experiencing pain is an important part of being a responsible dog owner. Dog body language can be used to reveal what emotions and feelings your dog is experiencing.
The Mirror UK recently spoke with a dog expert who says there are hidden things that dog owners often overlook, when it comes to their pets and the pain they might be experiencing.
Anna Webb, animal behaviourist says dog owners just need a bit of training and intuition to ensure their pets get the support they need when they are in pain.

“I find so many owners are oblivious to the subtle signs dogs give us, so that messages get lost in translation,” she said.

“Dogs are masters at trying to disguise pain, so it’s about observing your pet and getting to know them over time to recognise when they are trying to tell you something in dog language.”

Yawning

It’s rare that your dog’s yawns actually mean your pet is tired.
Instead, yawning means your dog is feeling uncomfortable! This could range from them being overwhelmed while walking or being stressed or in pain.

Licking and chewing paws

This is a compulsive behaviour which your dog may do when they are stressed or anxious.
It could also be an indication that your dog is suffering from arthritis or they could have sore small grazes on their paw pads.

Mobility issues

If your dog cannot walk or jump properly, they may be in pain. This also includes walking up stairs. Look out for things like widened eyes, ears being pinned back and a hunched back. These signs mean they are stressed or in pain and could be suffering from soft tissue damage, a torn muscle, arthritis or an infected graze.

Facial expressions

Licking their lips, sudden panting and trembling are both signs your dog could be experiencing discomfort. In addition to this, if they do not want to look at you, this could also mean there is something wrong.

Change in behaviour

If your dog begins to act differently such as being snappy, wanting alone time, being picky with food, being less engaged than usual, being overly vocal or wanting more sleep than usual, this could also mean your dog is in pain.

Shelters in Saskatoon seeing huge number of pet surrenders

Dog shelters across Saskatoon are seeing a rise in surrenders due to various reasons including the pandemic slowing down. “We are seeing a slowdown in adoptions after COVID. We noticed during COVID we had a high number of adoptions. Everyone [was] really excited to get a dog,” said Gemma Omidian, manager of animal care and community engagement with the SPCA.
Gemma who recently spoke with CTV News said there’s also been a slow down in seized dogs finding their owners.

“We are noticing there’s less redemption, so if you are missing your pet we’d really love for you to fill out those lost reports and check out the pound.”

The We All Need a Rescue and K-9 Country Lodge which is located west of Saskatoon says they have been experiencing more surrenders than normal.

“COVID was tough on people and tough on dogs. A lot of people got dogs during COVID, and a lot of people that did didn’t put any thought into it,” Brent Arstall with K-9 Country Lodge said.

This year alone, they’ve received approximately 500 calls from people wanting to give up their dogs.

“Last year, we had an enormous amount of people contacting us needing us to take their dogs. This year it’s three times that amount,” he says.

Many puppies who didn’t receive proper socialization as a result of COVID isolation periods are now experiencing behavioural problems, resulting in even more surrenders.

“What we’re seeing now is a lot of people saying, ‘My dog just wants to bite everybody or he’s fearful to go outside for a walk.’ When it comes right down to it, it’s humans that caused this,” he said.

Animal rescues work hard to get dogs out of shelters and into permanent homes.

“At the end of the day, as much as we try, the shelter environment will never be a home environment. So, the goal is always to get the animals in the shelter and then out the door into a home,” Gemma said, adding that she is unsure when surrenders will slow down.

“It is really hard to say what will happen with the dogs, to be honest. My crystal ball is malfunctioning. I can’t see what the future will hold.”

Cat survived abuse and now wears stylish sweaters

An orange tabby named Angus has a collection of stylish sweaters which help protect the scars he received from his previous owners. Angus who lives in Calgary, has been through a lot, according to a recent article from Global News. Sgt. Dennis Smithson with the Calgary police says Angus was involved in one of the worst cases of animal abuse he has ever seen.

“He had come from a house where a domestic incident occurred,” said Sgt. Smithson, adding that Angus was critically injured in July 2020.

“A young woman had come home and found him injured in his cat bed with all the burns on him.

“Her domestic partner disclosed he tried to give the animal a bath and maybe [the] water was too hot… She noticed bleach and chemical stains on his clothes,” Smithson explained.

Dr. Margaret Doyle, a forensic veterinarian, participated in the investigation.

“That’s why he is the one hardest on us, emotionally, because it’s hard not to think about what he went through,” she said.

Angus’s abuser received an 18 month prison sentence for animal cruelty.

It was never shared publicly what caused Angus’ injuries.

“He was burned to over 30 per cent of his body,” Dr. Doyle said. “He ended up losing half his back feet and he lost a third of his tail and the tops of both his ears and his front paws are badly scarred.”

“He was in rough shape. It was day-to-day managing his pain.

“I watched him coming home and not able to move, to learning to walk, to where he is now,” Sgt. Smithson added.

As a result of the case, Sgt. Smithson and Dr. Doyle adopted the cat.

“Once he started to recover, he had such a sweet personality,” Doyle said.

“He went through a lot and I hope he doesn’t remember it because he was so young.”

“He came home and never left. I don’t want to have to worry whether someone is really taking good care of him,” she explained.

“In the four-and-a-half years I’ve worked on animal abuse files with the Calgary Police Service, this is the one that gets me the most,” Smithson said.

A key part in Angus’ recovery is wearing customized sweaters to protect his fragile scars.

“He was in baby onesies for the first five months of his life and now he graduated to shirts,” Doyle said.

Angus sports custom designed stenciled shirts, provided by a woman from Quebec. His wardrobe even includes a tuxedo.

“Now I am a crazy cat wardrobe person,” Doyle said.

“Now I own a cat that wears sweaters,” Smithson said.

“These are tough cases and tough on everyone. We had a lot of tears because it’s not easy on investigators or the vets or the Crown prosecutor. So to have him be as happy as he is, this is a vitally important thing for us to do.”