Susan from PIJAC Canada and Catch - GAP

Twelve years ago I had a call from a colleague I used to work with at the Ottawa Humane Society. She was the behaviourist at the time and had a dog come in who needed a quiet foster home. This particular dog was terribly scared, but had a gentle nature and seemed to want to be with people. My husband and I had previously discussed fostering as he had not grown up with dogs like I had and I had been hoping to bring one into our family eventually. It seemed like the perfect opportunity for us to lend a hand and also see if having a dog would work for our family in the long term. 

A couple of days later we went to the shelter to pick her up. Let me tell you she was skinny, had a terrible looking coat and was about the most unattractive dog I had ever seen. We sat quietly beside her and with a wag of her tail and lick on the hand we began our journey. 

As far as could be told, she was about one year old, had most likely never been indoors and there were signs she had been mistreated. When we brought her home she stayed close to us and eventually explored her surroundings learning about soft beds and tasty treats. Despite not knowing what to do with a ball, she was quite proficient at catching mosquitos and after a day or so, Catch became her name. 

Over the weeks, we spoke gently, moved slowly and were amazed to watch her as she came around. She learned to play, master the stairs and discovered the joy of going for a car ride. One cool thing for me was to watch the development of the relationship between my husband and her, they learned together and bonded very quickly. We of course adopted her. 

All these years later Catch has been our constant companion. She comes to the office regularly, loves the mail carrier, attends family dinners, watches over our daughter and has had her fair share of road trips. Thinking back it is hard to imagine how that skinny, scared pup would become the healthy, (much better looking) people lover she is today. It all started with a phone call and we’ve never looked back.

Side note: True to her name she did eventually become quite good at catching balls too!

Susan from PIJAC Canada

HomeSafe Guest Author Program

If you Care for Cats ... post this information on your Facebook Page

PetLynx Corporation is proud to be one of the sponsors of 2011 The Year of the Cat, a Canada-wide public education initiative orchestrated by Care for Cats that is intended to "get rid of the myths and give the facts!"

This program was launched on January 5th and has been well-publicized through various media outlets, on blogs, tweets, facebook pages and good old-fashioned 'word of mouth' advertising. Thank you to everyone who has played a role in making this possible!

Loads of valuable content has been added to the Care for Cats website and new information is posted weekly. This information is there for you to use -- free of charge -- to help you better care for your own cat or to help promote responsible cat ownership in your community. Be sure to check back often!

To access these valuable resources, click on the scroll down menu on the Pet Industry Toolbox for great content on education, wellness, ID/legislation and population control.

The section for Pet Families has a kids corner, fun cat videos and a tool box.

Help use celebrate cats and educate Canadians about their value in our society ... and thank you for caring and for sharing!

Posted by Terri Perrin, Online Communications Editor

PetLynx Corporation passes the 1 Million registered entities mark

CALGARY, 24 November 2010: PetLynx Corporation is pleased to announce that it has achieved a significant milestone in the emergence of its production database by registering the one millionth entity in its automated pet recovery service.

PetLynx is Canada’s only information network for storing companion animal information and manages Canada’s most recognizable pet services brand. PetLynx automated recovery services are used in more than 211 urban centers across the country and the company has received support to move forward with automating recovery and information services for the rest of Canada.

PetLynx Achieves Record High Registrations and Recoveries

An analysis of PetLynx Corporation's statistics showed extraordinary growth in the number of registrations in the first six months of 2010. During this time, a total of 57,620 entities registered with the PetLynx Automated National Recovery System. This achievement includes 29,561 companion animals and 28,059 associates (pet families and service providers) -- an increase of 129% and 91% respectively, over the same period last year.

PetLynx Announces Collaborative Agreement with CKC's Dogs in Canada

08
January
2010


PetLynx Corporation is pleased to announce an agreement with Apex Publishing Limited, the publisher of “Dogs in Canada” Canada’s premier provider of content for dog owners and breeders.

Under the terms of this agreement PetLynx Corporation and Apex Publishing will collaborate to expand the circulation of this magazine to all dog owners in Canada through the PetLynx Subscriptions & Registry Services unit.

Pet families who register their dogs in the PetLynx system for recovery services, microchips, tattoos, licenses or other HomeSafe™ Canada initiatives will have the opportunity to subscribe to four special issues targeted toward this Responsible Dog Owners Group [RDOG] at a special discount that is related to their level of compliance.

In addition, the two parties will collaborate to provide responsible dog owner content through Apex's micro site and the PetLynx pet family portals. Pet families who normally manage their animal records using PetLynx portals will be able to manage their subscriptions in the same area.

“Adding the Dogs in Canada content and micro sites to the HomeSafe™ Canada initiative will not only increase the number of responsible dog owners across Canada, but provide valuable resources across the entire value chain that supports these pet families” said Larry R. Evans, President and CEO of PetLynx Corporation. “I am confident that we will eventually reach every dog owner who is interested in having ready access to Canada’s number one source of information about dogs.”

“We are very excited about the opportunity of using the PetLynx relationship with dog owners across Canada to expand our circulation base and improve the services we provide to dog owners through our micro site program,” said Ann McDonagh, Group Publisher, Apex Publishing Limited. “Apex Publishing Limited is a subsidiary of the Canadian Kennel Club, an organization that has serviced the needs of dog owners in Canada for more than 120 years.”

For more information please contact:

Ann McDonagh, Apex Publishing Limited amcdonagh@dogsincanada.com
(416) 798-9778 ext 3410

Larry Evans, PetLynx Corporation larry.evans@petlynxmail.com
(403) 921-5900

H1N1 and Your Pet

There have been two confirmed reports of the H1N1 virus infecting a family pet. One was a ferret in Nova Scotia. The other was a cat in Iowa.

While there is no reason for panic, the Canadian Veterinary Medical Association (CVMA)has published guidelines to help pet owners better understand the H1N1 virus and how to protect both people and companion animals.

The CVMA warns that H1N1 may be transmitted to ferrets, birds and pot-bellied pigs. It is believed that the possibility of transmission to dogs, cats, rodents and rabbits is low.

To reduce the risk of infecting pets with the flu, use the same precautions you do to prevent human-to-human transmission:

• Cough and sneeze into your arm, not your hand.
• Wash your hands frequently.
• Limit contact when you are sick.
• Avoid touching your pet's face, as germs can be transmitted through mouth and nose.

Signs of influenza in pets:

• Not eating or drinking.
• Not playing/active as usual.
• Coughing, sneezing.
• Fever.

If you think your pet is sick... especially if it has been in contact with someone who has a confirmed case of H1N1... contact your Veterinarian.

For more information, click here.

North America-Wide Animal Adoption Event

"Second Chance for Love"
Fall National Adoption Event
September 11-13 in all PetSmart Stores

PetSmart Charities(R) invites you to fall in love with a new pet this September 11-13 during the PetSmart Charities "Second Chance for Love" Fall National Adoption Event, sponsored by Hill's(TM) Science Diet(R) Brand and PetSmart(R).

The event will take place in all 1,137 PetSmart stores in the United States and Canada with a
goal of finding a lifelong, loving home for more than 18,800 companion animals.

More than 2,000 animal-welfare agencies in North America are expected to participate and will showcase adoptable pets at every PetSmart Charities in-store adoption center.

"Our vision is a lifelong, loving home for every pet," said Susana Della Maddalena, executive director of PetSmart Charities. "This event will give prospective Pet Parents the opportunity to find a great pet who will complete their families and bring them unconditional love."

In the U.S. alone, an estimated 6 to 8 million dogs and cats enter animal shelters each year, but 3 to 4 million never find homes.

"PetSmart Charities is a strong advocate for adoption when choosing to bring a new pet into your home," Della Maddalena added. "We strive to bring the needs of homeless pets into focus and remind everyone about the benefits of choosing adoption during our national adoption events, and we also give our animal-welfare partners a chance to showcase the pets in their care who are waiting for a forever home."

Hill's Science Diet Brand has donated $100,000 for the event to help save the lives of homeless pets. Plus, not only will prospective Pet Parents get a new family member during this event, but they will also receive valuable offers from Hill's.

"We are extremely proud and excited to be a part of this event," said Neil Thompson, Hill's president and CEO. "Hill's is committed to helping homeless cats and dogs find a loving, caring home to enjoy for the rest of their lives. To that end, we will donate to PetSmart Charities $10 per pet for the first 10,000 adoptions."

To find the PetSmart Charities' Adoption Center nearest you, visit www.PetSmart.com or call 1-800-423-PETS.