InfoPet

07/11/2022

Really important information when dealing with relocating wildlife. 🧐

Although once a popular answer to wildlife problems, live-trapping and relocating wildlife is NOT a humane solution! Here are some reasons why:

04/26/2022

Missing from the Stouffville area April 2022

03/30/2022

It's mating season for Skunks. Please be kind if you happen across one! 🦨🥰

It's that time of year- Skunk Mating Season. Skunks breed in February and March. You're going to see skunks out and about more regularly than any other months. Once breeding season is over they will go unseen again. Please watch for them on the roads and watch your dogs when you let them out. Skunks will never run up to your dog and spray it, but if your dog harasses a skunk....they will get sprayed🦨
Skunks do not hibernate, but they do sleep for days at a time in the winter. Food is very scarce right now for them. If you see one out in the day, don't freak out, they are just looking for food, a mate, or going back to their own territory.
Skunks are extremely docile animals and they are good to have around. They will eat your mice, rats, grubs, moles, and snakes just to name a few pests that you spend a lot of time and money trying to get rid of.
Let's give them a break and understand that it's mating season and they are desperately trying to find food. 🖤🤍

08/24/2021

Please don’t feed wildlife. It’s selfish and only hurts the wild animal. Please, let’s learn from the coyote in Pine Hill. They deserve better.

The food and/or human conditioned collared coyote from Pine Hills Cemetery in Scarborough – who has been the focus of much attention lately, especially in the media – has been captured thanks to the combined efforts of a wildlife veterinarian, Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry staff and our Rescue Team. Although Aspen Valley Wildlife Sanctuary is providing a permanent home for the coyote, this is not a happy ending for him.

This outcome could easily have been prevented by simply leaving this animal alone, and now he has lost the life he knows in the wild due to disruptive human behaviour (pictured here is the Pine Hills collared coyote playing with his family back in June). Despite our initiatives working with Toronto Animal Services and Coyote Watch Canada to perform aversive conditioning and educate the public about the dangers of feeding wild animals, individuals continue to bring food to coyotes, even in neighbourhoods across Toronto. Human behaviour needs to change, because wild animals fall victim as a result.

Please read on for the full story and what you can do to help:https://www.torontowildlifecentre.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/Media-release-Pine-Hills-Cemetery-coyote-captured.doc.pdf

03/20/2021

I know this isn’t about domestic pets, but this is about animals and some thing we can do pretty easily to help them too. Plus this is basically telling you you don’t have to do yardwork until later!

With warmer weather on its way it’s tempting to start spring clean-ups, but we can harm wildlife by cleaning up too early!

Did you know that many species of small mammals and insects will over-winter in fallen leaves and brush? These overwintering insects are a crucial food source for amphibians coming out of hibernation. Mother cottontail rabbits will build shallow nests under dried grasses or leaves. Chipmunks den underground but build the entrance ways under rock piles or leaf litter to conceal it from predators. Dead trees and branches create cavities for songbirds, owls and squirrels to raise their young. And many species cache food under the bark of dying trees to get them through the cold snaps.

You can easily support wildlife at home this spring by waiting to start your yard clean-up. We recommend waiting until temperatures are consistently above 10 degrees Celsius to give your wild neighbours the best start this spring.

10/09/2020

Thank you Veterinary Emergency, Urgent Care & Referral Clinic of York Region for sharing this.

THANKSGIVING WEEKEND starts tomorrow! We want you to remember not to share any of your food with your pets! Many popular Thanksgiving dishes or ingredients can be very toxic to your pet and can cause some severe health issues if ingested! We also would like to remind you that we are open 24/7/365! If you have any concerns regarding your pet over this long weekend please do not hesitate to call us or stop in!

08/21/2020

Hopefully this makes you think twice.

Can I keep it? NO!

We get a lot of phone calls, especially this time of year, from members of the public who have or intend to raise wild animals on their own at home.

Please, Do. Not. Do. This.

First and foremost is is illegal in Ontario to keep any wild animal in your possession longer than 24 hours without approval from the MNRF. There are good reasons for this, as wild animals can be dangerous, even when immature or not feeling well. Wild animals also host many parasites and diseases that can be spread to both humans and pets.

Most importantly, wild animals raised or cared for by untrained members of the public very often have poor outcomes and very little success in the wild after release. If these animals are eventually surrendered to an authorized wildlife custodian, there are usually severe and life threatening health complications from inappropriate foods or feeding techniques.

Finders often turn to the internet for advice on what to do when they’ve found a wild animal. Unfortunately, there’s a lot of bad and misinformation available out there. Feeding a wild animal inappropriate food just once can be enough to cause severe complications and even death. Each species has very specific dietary requirements, and when an animal is ill or compromised, feeding can literally be fatal. Even if they are in good physical health, wild animals need to grow up with Conspecifics, (members of the same species), in order to self identify and know who they are. Behavioural development will not be appropriate for a wild bound animal if raised closely by humans; they will habituate or even imprint, which can not be corrected. These animals very rarely make it to release.

If you have found a wild animal in distress, the best thing you can do to help it is contact an authorized wildlife custodian and get it into experienced hands as soon as possible.