The Lions Club Dog Park is located at 25 Talbot St., just west of the Jumbo statue in St. Thomas.

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News

Dog Park Meeting

Bring your lawn chairs, we will meet in the Lions Club Dog Park on Saturday, May 26 at 2 pm, Sunday the 27th in case of rain.  Among items of discussion will be the lack of proper maintenance in the park, including getting the weeds cut (that were allowed to grow 6 ft tall last year) and clearing up the pile of brush and debris that is now a hazard.

 

Considering the Lions Club Dog Park is now one of the most used parks in the City, the lack of attention is somewhat puzzling to those who use the park on a daily basis.  The pictures shown here were taken May 15.  Already the weeds prohibit finding dog poop easily and make it almost impossible to clean up after your dog, one of the principals of responsible dog ownership that also presents a hygiene issue to anyone visiting the park.

 

And this, from the St. Thomas Dog Blog almost a year ago in June 2011:

“…So different parks, different needs.  Sometimes specific uses, sometimes co-existence of multiple uses.  Different maintenance and different rules of usage.

So here’s a question for you.  Why is it easy to understand that a ball park has specific maintenance needs but the fact that a dog park’s maintenance needs are equally specific seems harder to grasp?

If we apply the same logic for tending ball parks that seems to apply to the Lions Club Dog Park, what would we have?  Baseball diamonds with grass 3 feet high, sumac bushes allowed to grow in the infield, a nice “natural” path to run around the bases, the outfielder frantically searching through ragweed for the ball while the hitter ran the bases.  Picture it.”

See also St. Thomas Dog Blog/Field of Dog Dreams

Council approves Donation Boxes for Loose Change

 

City Council has given permission for the St. Thomas Dog Owners Association to install donation boxes similar to the one shown above in the Lions Club Dog Park.  These type of boxes, used currently at Archie Coulter and Springwater Conservation Areas, will simply ask for your Loose Change (instead of a Trail Fee) on a volunteer basis and will hopefully help pay for Poop Bags and other improvements to the park.

Dog Food Recall

The presence of salmonella has resulted in a dog food recall in the US and Canada, with some brands recalling as a precaution.  Among the brands affected (May 8, 2012) are Solid Gold, Apex, Diamond, Canidae, Wellness, Natural Balance, and Kirkland.  You can check out current recalls on Dog Food Advisor and other sites.

St. Thomas Food Bank forced to cut back

The need and demand is so great now that the Caring Cupboard Food Bank in St. Thomas has been forced to give out every other month, instead of once a month, and is having to send people to the Sally Ann on alternate months.  It has been less than a year since the heavyweight Ford closed, and more pain is to come with the 18 month closure date not coming up till Feb. 2013.  Also, the demand has stepped up for our Pet Food Donation program, which is an effort to help keep pets with their owners instead of surrendering them to our overcrowded animal shelters.

Animal Aide Fire

 

An overloaded dryer is the suspect in a fire that broke out at Animal Aide in St. Thomas.  Thankfully no one nor animals were hurt thanks to the quick action of a volunteer who when through the smoke to put out the fire.  More on the St. Thomas Dog Blog.

Charges laid in Whistler sled dog massacre 

 

Charges have finally been laid in the Whistler sled dog slaughter which took place over two years ago in April of 2010, but only came to light after a WCB claim was made public in January of 2011.  The WCB claim was for post traumatic stress by an employee/general manager of Howling Dog Tours, Robert (Bob) Fawcett, after he had been told to “cull the herd.”

The investigation, which included the exhumation of 54 bodies, reportedly cost over $250,000 and resulted in a charge being laid against Bob Fawcett.  No mention was made in this Vancouver Sun article about Joey Houssian of Outdoor Adventures Whistler, who actually owned 80% of Howling Dog Tours at the time.

Our page Whistler Sled Dogs tracks the story from the beginning, and it is telling to read it again and remember how information was not forthcoming at all after the incident.  See also Massacre in Whistler, Sled Dogs–The Fix is In, Timeline–Whistler Sled Dogs, and Aftermath of Whistler.

Redemption: Shelter Plan B

“If … motherless kittens are killed because the shelter doesn’t have a comprehensive foster care program, that’s not pet overpopulation. That’s the lack of a foster care program.

“If adoptions are low because people are getting those dogs and cats from other places because the shelter isn’t doing outside adoptions (adoptions done off the shelter premises), that’s a failure to do outside adoptions, not pet overpopulation.

“…If animals are killed because working with rescue groups is discouraged, again, that’s not pet overpopulation. If dogs are going cage-crazy because volunteers and staff aren’t allowed to socialize them, and then those dogs are killed because they’re quote-unquote “cage crazy,” because the shelter doesn’t have a behavior rehabilitation program in place, once again, that’s not pet overpopulation; that’s the lack of programs and services that save lives.”

Continue… St. Thomas Dog Blog

Wilma the Cat

We are still raising money for Wilma the Cat.  Wilma’s surgery was successful, but we are dealing with the $400 vet bill to cover costs. If you can help, please contact Linda Spencer through Facebook, or contact Beaver Creek Animal Hospital (519-637-0966) to make any donation in her name.  The story from the St. Thomas Dog Blog is reprinted below:

From March 27, 2012 ~ Wilma had surgery to remove her damaged teeth and also a hernia in her abdomen.  She’s recovering nicely.  She has domesticated herself and it seems she would love to live indoors.  But in her present home, there are dogs that really wouldn’t do well with her presence inside.  So a foster or, ideally, a permanent home for her would be wonderful.  Contact ABCR or me if you have a place in your home or barn for a lovely cat.

Turns out she was already spayed, so she had been lost or abandoned.  I don’t know which, but there are a lot of Wilmas in our city.  They need help.  There are also a lot of truly feral cats who likely will never allow themselves to be tamed.  They too need help.

Continue… St. Thomas Dog Blog

BSL — A Contentious Issue

 

From the St. Thomas Dog Blog March 22 ~

I don’t often agree with Peter Worthington, but I did with what he wrote last week about Pit Bulls and Ontario’s Breed Specific Legislation.  He calls BSL a “Ku Klux Klan law”, “akin to deciding guilt based on appearance, not behaviour.”  Like him, I applaud Cons. Randy Hillier, NDP Cheri DiNova and Lib. Kim Craitor for bringing forward a private members’ bill to rescind it.  No law should apply to a specific breed and dogs who look “substantially similar”.    Continue… St. Thomas Dog Blog/Pittie Myths

Yarmouth Natural Heritage Area

We’ve added a new page under our section of Local Places, the Yarmouth Natural Heritage Area, expanding our list of excellent places to go in our area.  A 208 acre site located east of Sparta, it features a 24 acre wetland preserve know as The Herb Kebbel Wetland, named after a prominent Ducks Unlimited member and resident of Aylmer.

People & businesses come through for Food Banks

Feb. 25th - Thanks to the local people and businesses the supply of cat food for the Food Banks has been replenished–for now.  We want say a special THANK YOU to three businesses that really came through in a pinch– Beaver Creek Animal Hospital, Tabby’s Treasurers (next to Animal Aide), and Dixie Dairy Bar & Tackle Shop. We are extremely grateful for your help.  More on this on the St. Thomas Dog Blog.

And with fishing season upon us, we’d like to give a special plug to Dixie Dairy Bar & Tackle Shop for rising to the occasion when the Food Banks needed it.  Thanks to people like them, the wolf is kept away from the door for those who have cats and need help in these hard economic times.  And we’ll also give a plug to their German Shepherd, Dixie.

Remember, we make it easy for you:  there are donation bins, you drop it in, we bag it and deliver it to the people who need it.  If you can help, there are 12 locations with donation bins listed on our Pet Food Donations page, including a new location Dudes and Dads Barbershop.  It can also be dropped off directly to the Caring Cupboard at the corner of Mondamin & Talbot during their business hours Mon & Thurs 9:30 – 3 pm, Tues noon – 3 pm.  Thanks.

New collection point — Dudes & Dads Barbershop

We have a new collection point for the Pet Food Donation Program, the wonderful Dudes and Dads Barbershop on Ross St. in St. Thomas.  The business, founded in 1913 and for years was known as the Ross St. Barbershop, will celebrate 100 years next year.  Drop in and see Gregory (below left) or Jim (below right) in their comfortable shop at 133 Ross St. open Tues – Fri / 8am – 5pm.  You can also visit them on Facebook.

They’re baaackk–

Don’t forget we have a reliable recipe for skunk encounters on our Health Alerts page just using 1 cup of baby shampoo and 1 cup of peroxide in a gallon of warm water (keep out of dog’s eyes).  If you have a dog, it is far easier to pick up a bottle of baby shampoo and peroxide next time you are at the drug store and have it on hand, than go through a panic for information at the worst possible time.  You can thank us later…

Committee Presents to City Hall

The Animal Welfare Advisory Committee presented to City Hall on Feb. 6th outlining possible solutions for the cat overpopulation in our community.  This is the first time in history that a City Council in St. Thomas has heard a consideration for a TNR (Trap, Neuter & Release) and Community Cat Program.  The idea is that it is cheaper (and more humane) to take a proactive approach to the problem than cope with a never ending surge of kittens year after year.  What positive changes might be implemented in St. Thomas remain to be seen.  Other communities have implemented programs, such as the feral cat colony on Parliament Hill in Ottawa, shown above right.

St. Thomas Dog Walkers

 

Dog walking can be one of the most beneficial things for your body, soul, and mind.  It is also an opportunity to let your dogs socialize with other dogs, if they are so inclined.  If you are interested, there is a new Facebook Group called the St. Thomas Dog Walkers that shares information and you may find useful for exploring the wealth of interesting areas in our community.  Enjoy.

Chicken Jerky Treat Warning making the rounds

You will probably get a Facebook message or email that will look something like this:

Before you re-post or forward the email on you might want to read this first from Snoops.com:  snoops.com/chicken-jerky.  You will see that the Warning has not been proved at all, and “appears to be a misparsing” of a 2007 complaint about 70 dogs getting sick from treats.

Please consider checking out the 25 Hottest Urban Legends before automatically re-posting alarming messages or emails.  Your friends will thank you later.

Lost & Found Pets

Here are links to three main sites for Lost or Found Pets: City Animal Services, The St. Thomas Blog, and London Lost Pets.

Current Projects -

1. 1. Fundraising for improvements to the Lions Club Dog Park such as poop bag dispensers and benches.
2. 2. Working with the City of St. Thomas to improve conditions at the St. Thomas Animal Shelter.
3. 3. Caring Pet Cupboard donation and distribution program of pet food to local Food Banks and Animal Rescue Groups.
4. 4. Working with the City of St. Thomas to create a 2nd Off Leash Dog Park.
5. 5. Working with local Animal Rescue Groups to assist relocation of animals.

Current Issues -

1. 1. People not cleaning up after their dog.
2. 2. Children in the Dog Park.
3. 3. The state of The St. Thomas Animal Shelter
4. 4. Puppies being sold on Kijiji and by backyard breeders.
5. 5. The overwhelming number of animals hitting the shelters.

What giving a damn can do-

Hard to believe it’s even the same dog.  On the left – Bosco, Sept 30, 2010, left tied to the fence at the St. Thomas Animal Shelter.  On the right, Bosco Jan. 2011 in his new home.  This is due to the efforts of ABCR and people like you who contribute to the vet care of these animals.  More on our page The Bear & Bosco Story and on the St. Thomas Dog Blog– Bosco’s New Year, Dumped and Found, and Bear and Bosco go to City Hall.

Children & the Dog Park

There continue to be incidents with small children in the park which is mainly due to a lack of understanding of the purpose of an off leash dog park.  The Lions Club Dog Park is a park for dogs, hence the name.  A children’s playground is for children and most parents would find it unacceptable if dogs were running wild in a designated kids playground.  There is ample information on this, here is one example from About.com:  “There are many good reasons to keep children out of off-leash dog parks, and no good reasons to bring them in. The possibilities for accidents are staggering.”  And from Suite.101:  “Your child should never be allowed to run, scream, chase dogs or even approach them unless given specific permission from the owner.

Update Oct 4- City installs signage regarding children

The City of St. Thomas has installed new signage regarding children in the park which is posted on our page Children and the Dog Park.    See also article Whose Park is it Anyway?

St. Thomas Dog Blog

Field of Dog Dreams

by Dorothy Stewart – May 17, 2012

We built it, and they came.  When you can keep an eye on your dog and there’s enough open space that dogs and people don’t have to all crowd together, Lions Club Dog Park is one of the busiest parks in St. Thomas.  But in summer, a lovely time to take your dog for a leash-free run, our dog park can become unusable by all except the hardiest and sleekest-coated big dogs.

It’s only mid-May and the weeds at our Lions Club Dog Park are nearly as high as an elephant’s eye.  Already, they’re higher than most dogs are.  Lots of people upset – they can’t see their dogs, small dogs won’t venture off the path, the one grassy space is overcrowded with people and dogs, no one can find their dog’s poop to clean it up.  Ragweed and burdock already as high as the fence, limbs not cleaned up from a tree that was cut down two years ago.

Why aren’t park users cleaning it up, you say.  Why doesn’t somebody just chop down the weeds and take the wood away for firewood?  Because as a City park, it’s City employees who must, by City and union rules, do the work.  Volunteers cannot. We’re allowed to pick up dog poop, but not to make it so that you can see the poop without needing a machete to cut down the undergrowth.

City employees at this time of year, understandably, are busy making Pinafore and Waterworks Parks the showcases of beauty that they are.  But I doubt that ball field preparation and maintenance are being neglected for the sake of other parks.

Continue… St. Thomas Dog Blog/Field of Dog Dreams

Jim’s Notebook

Whistler Sled Dogs: Bob Fawcett takes a bullet

by Jim Stewart  -  April 20, 2012

Bob Fawcett was finally charged with the Whistler sled dog massacre that happened over two years ago. So why don’t I feel happy? Because I still wonder whether a patsy got hung out to dry, that a depressed, weak and vulnerable man took the fall for a rich kid with a 2 billion dollar family.

I’ve written lots on this and it doesn’t get any better with the re-reading.  It’s sick, no matter how you look at it, and might better be titled “Our Disposable Society.”  I hope some good comes out of it.

The page Whistler Sled Dogs tracks the story as it unfolded from the beginning.  More… (if you can stand it) Massacre in Whistler, Sled Dogs–The Fix is In, Timeline–Whistler Sled Dogs, and Aftermath of Whistler.

Back to Jim’s Notebook.

Dog Urban Legends

We’ve started a page on Dog Urban Legends.

 Local Places to go…

Above–one of the many great spots in our area– the Fingal Wildlife Management Area.  On the left side of this page under “Local Places” we also have info on Archie Coulter Conservation Area, the Aylmer Park System, Aylmer Wildlife Management Area, Dalewood Conservation Area, Pinafore Park, Waterworks Park, and Yarmouth Natural Heritage Area.   And please, don’t forget to pick up after your dog.

Treasures in Our Own Backyard

With the good weather upon us, here is an overview of some of the great places to go in our area.  Above — conservation areas within the Catfish Creek Conservation Authority, and below within the Kettle Creek Conservation Authority.  We have more info in Maps under our Local Places section.  And please, don’t forget to pick up after your dog

Our little dog park in the woods.

Incredible aerial photos by Corey Casimir of St. Thomas from his flying machine, a powered Para Glider.  Looking south, in about the center of the photo, you can just barely see people standing in a small clearing.  Right above them to the south is the Old Talbot Rd. with the trails curving off the end into the Lions Club Dog Park.  A white van is in the parking lot due southeast, and Kettle Creek is to the north, which is the boundary of the park.  In the background to the south is the old CASO train trestle.  This is a historic part of town going back well over 150 years, at the intersection of creeks and roads.  More photos on the Lions Club Dog Park page stdoa.ca/lions-club-dog-park/.

Your Photos

~Merlin~

Merlin, a Shepherd/Husky cross, passed away recently.  He was a lot of fun and a big fan of the dog park.  He was there from the beginning, when the park was being formed from a group of people who were meeting at the New York Central Ball Diamond because there was no where else to go, hence the need and founding of the Lions Club Dog Park in St. Thomas.  Merlin was about 10 years old.  He will be missed.

~Stormy~

 

Stormy, a Greyhound rescue from Wisconsin, recently passed away.  He is also show here at the Grand Opening of the Lions Club Dog Park.

~Robbie~

Robbie, another big fan of the Dog Park, recently passed away after a big battle with cancer.  Robbie had many friends among the rescue circle, and like most family dogs, was a treasured member of his family.

City Launches New Animal Services Website

A new website has been launched by the City of St. Thomas to centralize information on lost and found pets and animals up for adoption.  The website, called cityanimalservices.ca is fairly easy to use–you can upload a photo and description of a lost or found pet yourself and easily see what animals are available from the City Pound, ABCR, Animal Aide, and Pets/Friends for life.

This is a great idea whose time has come and we have to compliment the City of St. Thomas for listening to ideas about making the best of our available resources. Hopefully this will make a positive contribution to the already overcrowded shelters in our area.  We will also add a link on our Lost & Found page.

The Face of a Volunteer

Great picture of Yolanda, one of the enduring volunteers we’re blessed to have at the Lions Club Dog Park, who has worked tirelessly along with others to try to keep the dog park clean.  Like other volunteers in St. Thomas, none of these people expect a thank you or take anything from the public purse.  Without them our society would be poorer place to live.  Perhaps a thank you and maybe a bit of help wouldn’t go astray.

Luanne Demers, Founding President

It was with much sorrow that we learned of the passing of a lovely woman – our friend and founder of STDOA Luanne Demers.  Luanne died of cancer, too young, last weekend.

Those of us on the executive of the STDOA met Luanne three years ago when she began bringing her dogs, Lab crosses named Katie and Buddy, to play with our dogs.  I remember her watching Katie and Buddy wrestling with each other and anyone that would play, and saying “what we need in town is a proper dog park.”  The response of some, like me, was “yeah, like that’s going to happen!  Been tried, hasn’t worked.”  She said, “well, it’s gonna happen this time.”

Continue…St. Thomas Dog Blog

Also see Grand Opening and Memorial Bench

Your Membership is Important

  

2012 Memberships are due for the St. Thomas Dog Owners Association.  A Not-for-Profit organization, your Membership of only $20 per household goes towards improvements to the Lions Club Dog Park and other projects, plus entitles you to vote on issues.  Or, if you don’t like joining groups, donations are gladly accepted and appreciated.  Either way, you can mail new Membership Forms or donations to:

STDOA Treasurer, 
63 Rickwood Pl.,
 St. Thomas, ON
  N5R 5Z4                                      Thank You.

Our Purpose

St. Thomas Dog Owners Association promotes off-leash dog parks and supports responsible dog ownership and the welfare of dogs.

For information on Membership please go to our page http://stdoa.ca/membership/