Caring for unwanted, abandoned animals

Posted 11 months ago

Caring for unwanted, abandoned animals

This letter is in regards to the letter written from Linda Stark which appeared in the September 11th issue of the Interlake Spectator.

First and foremost I understand the pain that this lady is feeling. Some of my closest and dearest friends were cats and dogs. I miss them dearly. My thoughts and prayers are with her and her dog. On behalf of those who cannot speak for themselves ... thanks for caring.

Unfortunately criticizing a registered non-profit charitable organization dedicated to animal welfare will not bring your dog back. What type of person chooses to criticize such an organization without having seen its facility and met its staff? So to better educate you and the readers of the Interlake Spectator I have compiled some facts.

q We are not called The Gimli Animal Shelter, we are the Gimli Humane Society.

q Throughout the years our staff have played a key role in saving the lives of over 900 cats and dogs versus the one dog that you mention rescuing in your letter. These are 900 animals that would have been humanely euthanized had it not been for our organization.

q Our staff which is composed of seniors, children and adults with intellectual difficulties, teenagers, everyday people and an animal control officer love and care for each and every animal that comes through our doors. We spay/neuter, vaccinate, tattoo, de-worm, groom, feed, walk, clean up after, hug, kiss and love these animals. We want them to have a great life and go to the right environment.

q The Gimli Humane Society highly recommends fenced yards. They are a wonderful way of ensuring your pets safety.

q You cannot adopt a dog over the phone. I instructed you to either check out our website www.gimlihumanesociety.org or to drop by in person.

q Poor cell phone reception should not be confused with sighing.

q Like all other Humane Societies we have an adoption policy. It was created to ensure that our animals go to safe caring homes. Part of our mandate is promoting responsible pet ownership which involves keeping your pet safe.

q The term warehousing does not accurately describe our 8,000 square foot indoor/outdoor facility where our animals await adoption.

q The reality is that we look after and find homes for animals that others have given up on. Our shelter is pretty much always full. The costs associated with this are often overwhelming and the timing of your letter and the bad publicity that you are trying to bring upon us could not have come at a worse time.

In closing, I would like to personally invite this lady to drop by our shelter. Hopefully after this visit she can reevaluate and maybe form a different opinion.

Sincerely,

Rene Granger

Construction slump may have silver lining

Re: “East Interlake Construction slumps compared to last year”, Roger Newman, Fri., Sept. 11, p. 3

The rural municipalities of the Eastern Interlake Planning District should count themselves lucky of the slump in construction. This is an opportunity to update requirements for home constructions and all other, to mandatory installation of individual sewer/water treatment systems for each new home, and other buildings.

The result being no costly extension of outdated lagoon sewer treatment plants and sewer lines over great distances; an expensive renewal project, which has plagued this area for some time. Stonewall for example having to stop all new development since their outmoded water treatment plant could not handle additional loads.

With individual treatment systems implemented, repair and upgrade of existing sewer treatment facilities can then begin in earnest for considerable less cost to boot.

Helma Rogge Rehders, Artist

Winnipeg Beach

Open letter to MP James Bezan (Selkirk-Interlake)

Dear Mr. Bezan:

I might begin by saying that I was astounded at the recently revealed ‘musings’ of our Prime Minister — but nothing the man would say or do would astound me. I am a little longer in the tooth than you are and have seen a bit more of life than you have. Among the advantages I have over you is that I have witnessed the work and character of prime ministers from Louis St. Laurent to the present time. Without a doubt, Mr. Harper is the most mea-minded and partisan of them all; and that is saying a lot given I recall quite clearly the days of Mr. Mulroney. In some crucial ways he is also ignorant — see below.

I am a social democrat; a member of the New Democratic Party. I am not a socialist in the classic sense, or even in the popular sense; my early training as an economist taught me that Canada has functioned and continues to function as a mixed economy. I subscribe to that view and have no desire to have government control all aspects of our economic life.

In this regard I draw your attention to the recent comment by Mr. Ignatieff that there has not been a socialist in the New Democratic Party for decades. I might also point out that social democrats have had and still have quite a fine record as governments in Scandinavia and much of the rest of continental Europe — including Iceland where they have recently had to take over from the rabid private enterprisers who, last year, brought the country to its economic knees.

My point at this juncture is that Mr. Harper’s penchant for character assassination revolts me. I might add, by the way, I take no great personal offence at being erroneously labelled a socialist. Such a view of the public good as held by socialists has a long and honourable history.

However, Mr. Harper uses the term with scorn. And since he believes that it applies to me and millions of other loyal Canadians who vote for New Democrats, he undermines the foundations of our democratic institutions. We live in a liberal, representative democracy — something Mr. Harper still does not understand. If he were a citizen of the United States (something I think he secretly desires) we would say that he had failed his elementary civics course. His views recently made available in the media (he will not be pleased — another reason to hate our National Broadcaster) clearly indicate that he despises all who disagree with his view of Canada, a nation I treasure and in which I have lived longer than you or he.

Mr. Harper raised the specter of a possible coalition should his Harperites not gain a majority in the House of Commons at the next federal election. Again, Mr. Harper has ‘failed his civics course’. The possibility and reality of coalition government is part of the package our parliamentary representative democratic system. Clearly on this and on the matter of his responsibility as the Prime Minister of a minority government to work with other parties Mr. Harper has indicated that he does not deserve the office he holds.

On a more personal note, Mr. Bezan, it puzzles me that you can continue as a member of a Harperite government. Yes, the power must be intoxicating. But what about your integrity?

Sincerely,

Bryan D. Bjerring

Arnes

Shorepointe students at risk: open letter to education minister

Dear Mr. Peter Bjornson:

When is the safety of children not a priority to a community?

As a senior citizen of this community, and parent and grandparent, I am very concerned of the decision of one or two people at the Evergreen School Transportation Division in Gimli to cancel busing from Shorepointe Village. These children are on the edge of the 1 km radius imposed by individuals of the division.

Last year, some children at Shorepointe were picked up, while others not as they were outside this radius. I know this was also happening in other parts of the town. Of course, anyone inside this radius were informed that they could pay $200 for EACH child in the family they wanted to be bused, and only then, if there was enough room on the bus for them. When I brought this up to those in authority, I was told that they weren’t my concern and that the parents/guardians of these children could fend for themselves. How many families can afford to pay out this amount of money? Especially when parents weren’t told until after school had started, and the money had to be paid before the child would be allowed on the bus. Bus drivers were even told not to allow these kids on the bus if they had not paid. Can you imagine? What were these people thinking?

Now, this year, those in “authority” have decided in their great wisdom to just cancel Shorepointe busing altogether — of course they waited until school had started to implement this idea without advising parents of this change.

A decision was supposed to have been made by the board at their meeting held on September 9, as was told to one parent; but apparently, once again, the decision was made by the one or two, as the only thing on the agenda about busing was whether to buy any new ones. You can never get a straight answer from anyone working there.

With the amount of school taxes being paid by all in this area, why are these problems occurring? Where is all this money going?

The children from Shorepointe have to cross two very busy, major highways into this town, without any crosswalks, sidewalks or lights. Who is going to assume responsibility when one of these children is hurt or worse?

Those in “authority” need to walk that road and see just how scary it is for a young child.

It is time for you, as Minister of Education, to step in and insure our children are getting to school in the safest possible manner, and without the money coming out of the parents pockets.

It is time that these “I’m King of the mountain” people are brought down from their “thrones”. They are working for us, the taxpayer, and abusing their authority.

Doris Costello

cc: Interlake Spectator, Gimli Town Council