Everyone knows about the cost of living. But when it comes to pets, it takes on a whole different meaning. While one can't put a price on the life of a dog or cat, one still has to pay for food and proper care for their beloved pet. 

Just like you, the SPCA Laurentides-Labelle is dedicated to providing cats and dogs with good food, vet care and a lot of TLC - 365 days a year! It takes a lot of love to maintain this vision for the hundreds of animals we take in every year, and it also takes some financial support to help out with special cases that come to us, especially since our shelter doesn't receive any financial help from government or other Canadian SPCAs. During the month of September alone, our team has taken care of five pets which were seriously hurt or ill: 

- Fly, a lovely female stray dog, came to us with both ear canals completely blocked due to an untreated otitis. After several treatments, her condition has improved, but surgery is inevitable. 

- A female cat named Espoir, found at the SPCA LL's door, had a front leg painfully stuck in her collar. Her neck was injured to the point where surgery was needed to clean up and sew affected tissue. 

- David, a kitten, was found lying on the side of the road by a pedestrian who heard his cries of pain - his back leg was fractured. 

- Buddy, a puppy, was brought to us after he was hit by a truck. Two of his legs were fractured. Buddy had two surgeries, including the insertion of a metal rod to keep his leg functional. 

- Finally, an adorable puppy named Bullet was found tied up at the SPCA LL door. We're not sure what happened to him exactly, but Bullet was very ill with intestinal bleeding. He couldn't eat and had to have a surgery to remove what looked like cement in his bowels. 

These animals deserved a second chance at a healthy life in a loving family. Vet care for these five cost us more than $2,000. We need your help to help us provide them this second chance. A donation, small or large, can make a huge difference in the lives of pets in need. Your donation will help save lives! 

You can make a check to the SPCA Laurentides-Labelle and send it to 355 Demontigny, P.O. Box 532, in Ste-Agathe, J8C 3C6, or send your donation online at www.spcall.ca. 

Thank you for helping us help them! 

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 Do you know... 

... the difference between a pet control service and the SPCA Laurentides-Labelle? 

A pet control officer's mission is to solve pet-related problems for taxpayers. The officer is paid by a specific city to enforce each municipality's by-laws concerning household pets. For instance, every year, they'll make sure pets in every home have a tag and collect the money for the tags, which finances their services. If someone calls about a stray dog or cat, some officers will get the animal if it's specified in their contract. They'll call the owner if they can locate them. Otherwise, they'll keep the animal for a few days and then, depending on the by-laws, if the animal is not claimed, they will proceed with euthanasia. 

The SPCA Laurentides-Labelle's mission pertains to animal welfare, period. Our territory is not limited to one city. We cover a huge territory, from St-Jérôme to Labelle. Our mission is to protect animals, educate the public and provide a shelter for those which are abandoned or mistreated. The SPCA LL is a no-kill shelter, meaning that whenever a pet is ill or has behavioural problems, we provide vet care, behaviour modification and lots of TLC to make them adoptable. Only in extreme cases will we proceed with euthanasia. There is no time limit and no discrimination based on age, appearance or sex. Our only consideration for refusing a pet is space limitation. While the SPCA LL has contracts with three municipalities for which we put pets up for adoption instead of opting for euthanasia, our mission is much wider and includes public awareness and social programs.

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Come visit us!

The SPCA Laurentides-Labelle's adoption center is open to the public seven days a week, from 1 p.m. to 6 p.m. We're located at 355 Demontigny in Ste-Agathe. You can also contact us by phone at (819) 326-4059 or visit our web site at www.spcall.ca.