Petsecure's Paws Across Canada

Petsecure wants to see your pets! Share a picture of your dog or cat along with their name and hometown and Petsecure will add them to their interactive Paws Across Canada map. 

Photos can be posted to the Petsecure Facebook timeline or tweet a photo to @Petsecure on Twitter. 

Daisy's dog

We have a Soft Coated Wheaten Terrier, Kiwi, who was our baby for a few years before we actually had babies. She has a soft temperament and is friendly and easy going. But the pet experience I'm going to share today is the story of how we chose our second dog, a Golden Retriever named Sully. 

When Sully was born we had two kids aged one and three. We were just about to move into a new house and weren't even considering another addition to the family. But a lady who had previously looked after my kids announced on Facebook that her Golden was having puppies. Both puppy parents were small Goldens (about 50lbs) so we figured the puppies would also be on the small side. Also, I knew they would be raised surrounded by young kids so ours wouldn't come as too much of a shock. It didn't take much convincing and we were heading over to meet the 3-week-old pups and choose the one we'd welcome into our home a few months later. 

There were six puppies all stumbling around the room when we arrived. They were all adorable. The four of us (me, my husband and our two kids) all sat down in a circle around the dogs so we could pick our favourite. The puppies were wild, gnawing on toys, peeing on the floor, wrestling with each other. It was mayhem and hard to get them to sit still long enough to make a decision. Within minutes though, and amidst the chaos, Sully waddled over to our one-year-old daughter Daisy and plonked himself down in her lap. He remained there for the whole 30 minute visit as she gently stroked his ears. 

Obviously, there was no question. He was the dog for us, or should I say, for Daisy. A couple of months later, we picked up our (much larger) puppy and brought him home. Sully and Daisy have been the best of friends ever since. There's a bond between these two that doesn't exist between any other dog and human in our home. She's taught him how play gently and be mindful and respectful of children. He's taught her how to treat an animal and be conscious of their emotions and signals. They play, they cuddle and he always keeps a watchful eye out for her. 

Oh, also, he's now a strapping 85lb, 2-year-old puppy. So much for small! 


- Shannon Woodward, Mum to Kiwi & Sully (and a couple of human babies as well) 

Hamilton/Burlington SPCA Announces the Wiggle Waggle Walk & Splash 25th Anniversary

HAMILTON ON (June 25, 2014) – The Hamilton/Burlington SPCA (HBSPCA) is pleased to announce the 25th anniversary of the Wiggle Waggle Walk & Splash event, taking place September 7th, 2014 at Confederation Park and Wild Waterworks. 

In partnership with the Hamilton Conservation Authority and Wild Waterworks, this year’s Wiggle Waggle Walk & Splash event will feature a 5-kilometer walk, a doggie pool party, vendor marketplace, dog agility show and live music. 

Registration begins at 10:00am and the event concludes at 3:00pm. 
Registration is open for the Wiggle Waggle Walk & Splash online at www.hbspca.com. Pledges raised will help support homeless and abused animals in the Hamilton/Burlington community. 


To celebrate the milestone anniversary of this popular event, the HBSPCA Board of Directors is hosting the Bark n’ B-BQ fundraiser on Friday, September 5th from 6:00pm to 10:00pm at the Ancaster Fairgrounds. For more information visit: http://hbspca.com/donate/join-our-events/bark-n-bar-bbq/ 

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The Hamilton/Burlington SPCA protects animals from people, cares for animals in its Companion Animal Hospital, kennels and foster homes and teaches responsible pet ownership. The HBSPCA is a donor-based, private non-profit charity. 

Charitable Registration Number 11923 6750 RR0001. 

HBSPCA Contact 

Melissa Bennett, Donor Development Officer. mbennett@hbspca.com 905-574-7722 ext. 330 

What's in a Name?

Allow me to introduce you to my 8 month old Siberian Husky, his name is Loki. It occurred to me recently that naming a puppy is certainly a big deal and may require careful consideration. A new pet owner might strive to choose the right name that suits their puppies’ appearance, personality, sex, uniqueness, and breed.

The name Loki originates in Norse mythology, he was described by scholars as that of the Trickster God or God of Mischief. In my experience naming my new pup was a struggle, but Loki chose his name, and what an appropriate choice it was…

About a month ago I decided Loki was grown up enough to get a big boy bed. My neighbour has this really great bed for her dog that I decided I would buy for Loki. It’s large and plush and has a removable cover so it can be washed and is described as ‘indestructible’.

Excited, I headed out to the local pet store and made this fairly substantial purchase thinking this bed will last him YEARS and somehow he will appreciate that I purchased such a lovely INDESTRUCTABLE bed for him. Turns out he instantly took to his new bed. I spent about an hour with him, observing him with his newly claimed sleeping spot, and then headed out for work.

Now, I can’t exactly tell you what happened in the next 30 minutes… only Loki knows the truth, but I can speculate. At some point, and perhaps I attribute too many human qualities to Loki, but I believe a switch in the God of Mischief’s mind went off. I am certain as soon as he heard the front door close and my truck pull away, the wheels started turning and the Trickster God had a plan in mind. ‘Don’t tell me something is indestructible’ I imagine him thinking. Half an hour later, my roommate walked in to a destroyed indestructible bed, with Loki as the blue eyed center piece in the middle of a stuffing netherworld! There was no tail between the legs, no apologetic look on his face, no, he was grinning ear to ear, wagging his tail and proud of his accomplishment.

Needless to say it took my roommate just about as long to clean up the mess as it took Loki to methodically create it.

The next day I took the destroyed bed back to the store from whence it came, the store clerk looked at it and laughed. ‘What kind of dog do you have?’ he asked. ‘A 7 month old Siberian husky’ was my response; he immediately refunded me.

Remarkably Loki has not destroyed the $15 bed he had since I brought him home 5 months ago, and is quite content with its ‘destructibility’.

So what’s in a name you ask? In my case, amongst the 15 or so names I tried on him, Loki was the only one he responded to when called by said name.  Just goes to show you never know if a name will suit your dog or if your dog will suit his name. It seems that Loki has really grown into his, and this is just the start of our adventures…

Sheena Neel, Loki’s Mom