Comments from our Members

It is always great to hear from our members- so feel feel to drop me a line and I'll try to post it for everyone to enjoy. Photos are also welcome.


From Ott's Mom 'n Dad

"Our first time @ the park today & we met some great owners and their Pets! Otto had a great time chasing his tennis ball w/o his owners worrying about the 'Federales' coming to take him away......Thank you to Maria and Jane for establishing this!. Jane - Tx for pointing out some of the sharp stuff (cans, etc) on the ground that we need to watch out for. Was hoping to meet Frida or Memphis. Maybe nxt time? Ott is sleeping like a log as I type this.... Till nxt time, Regards all."

Dogs and cats at risk as epidemic kills raccoons
Published On Thu Feb 18 2010
Raveena Aulakh Staff reporter

If you see a raccoon lying on a sidewalk in the middle of the day, call Toronto Animal Services – and keep your dog on a tight leash.
The animal is likely sick and dying, and could infect your pet with a lethal strain of distemper, an epidemic that has killed hundreds of raccoons and skunks in the GTA since May.
"It's not transferable to humans but there is definitely a high risk to unvaccinated cats and dogs," said Eletta Purdy, manager of Toronto Animal Services. "It's not rabies but it kills quickly."
Distemper is a potentially fatal viral disease similar to measles that affects animals, especially dogs. Puppies and older dogs are more susceptible to the disease, which is spread by food, water, body fluids and feces. Cats are not as susceptible.
Distemper hits dogs in two phases: initially, they experience vomiting and diarrhea, dehydration, excessive salivation, coughing and/or laboured breathing, loss of appetite, weight loss and even pneumonia.
If the animal survives, the virus winds up in the brain. "That's when you see the neurological signs," said Doug Campbell, a pathologist at the Canadian Cooperative Wildlife Health Centre in Guelph.
"The dog will be wobbly on its feet, the teeth will be chattering."
While most dogs are vaccinated against distemper, if an unvaccinated dog gets infected, its chances of survival are still quite good, Campbell said.
"It's the raccoons and skunks who won't survive this flu."
The outbreak among skunks and raccoons started in the Etobicoke area in early spring last year, Purdy said.
"It is now moving to the south of the city and I anticipate it will move to the others parts of Toronto, too."
Smaller epidemics killed dozens of raccoons and skunks in the early 1990s, but this is one of the biggest and most widespread outbreaks, she added. "This strain has knocked out quite a few raccoons."
Animal Services hasn't compiled numbers yet to compare 2008 with 2009, but Purdy says there was a significant increase in the number of calls to pick up sick or dead raccoons and skunks last year.
Researchers don't yet know if it's a feline or canine distemper strain that is infecting the skunks and raccoons, but the disease has spread quickly because these wild animals range over wide areas.
"It could also be that a (sick) animal was transported from another area and it infected others," said Nathalie Karvon, executive director of the Toronto Wildlife Centre.
"It's hard to say how it spread, but it has killed hundreds every year," she said. How long an infected animal survives depends on its strength, she said.
While the city says it has seen a spike in the number of cases since last spring, Karvon said the new strain is at least four years old. "We've been battling it for a few years."
The wildlife centre, near the Downsview Airport, receives more than 30,000 calls every year concerning wild animals. Karvon couldn't say how many were related to raccoons and skunks.
Winters are tough on vermin scrounging for food, said Ralph Toninger, senior project manager with the Toronto and Region Conservation Authority.
The population of raccoons and skunks will take a hit, but it's nothing to worry about, said Toninger. Coyotes were hit by a mange outbreak some years ago and many died, he pointed out.
"But they will make a comeback," he said.

Off- Leash Signage up

Just a few days ago city workers put up signage along the west side of the South Kipling road (south of Father Redmond Highschool and the bus turnaround) and at the upper and lower ends of the 'dog park'. I am including a photo of the signs, with two dogs that apparently can't read (joke!)


The north end is not so clear but if you squint you can see the red line I drew to give you an idea of the area.
What I also saw was a marked increase in the number of people enjoying the site. Great!
Just remember to pickup after Fido!


The minutes to the Dec. 7th Meeting are posted on the Friends of Colonel Sam website for those of you to read that could not attend. What is clear by reading the minutes was that I must have been at another meeting- there were so many points on the notes that I either missed or mis-interpreted it is scary. Anyway, what I did hope the city got from the meeting is that although we are ecstatic that the site is opening we are disappointed that it is such a small segment of a very large unused plot of vacant land, and that we as dog owners want it to be eventually fenced for the safety and security of everyone concerned.

Hi Memphis

This is a long overdue tip of the hat to Memphis. His greeting was delayed because, like every one else, I was busy. No excuses.
Anyway- a great big hoorah to Memphis seen here with his feline pal (sorry I can't find her name). The two look like great friends. Anyway- with the opening of the new off-leash area happening in the not too distant future I look forward to seeing Memphis there!

Welcome to the club!

Off- Leash park set to open

According to the Etobicoke Guardian the opening of the off-leash site is imminent. As you can all guess, we are happy to hear the news. We still are hoping the city goes ahead with our wishes and fences the area, especially as it borders the school running track, and the busy park road. As yet they have not indicated if this is in the works or not.
We plan to keep on this issue and report back as we hear anything more.

Till then, enjoy the mild winter weather on those long dog walks.

Chase has been found

Chase was safely found and returned home- thanks to all concerned.

Please help find Chase, a brown 30 lb. beagle mix, with a black saddle who went missing from Van Dusen Blvd. in the Bloor/Islington area on Saturday Dec. 12th. He’s travelling & could be in this area.

He is wearing a red harness with Ohio Rabies tag. Chase is fully vaccinated, including rabies and microchipped.

Please help us to find this dog and bring him to safety. It would be a tradegy for him to be saved from death row in Ohio, only to die alone, cold, and afraid.

Chase is normally a friendly, timid, gentle dog but now he is frightened, alone, feels abandoned and scared. Should you encounter Chase do NOT attempt to grab him or his collar as that will frighten him. Dogs will sometimes bite in fear & we do not want anyone to put themselves at risk.

Off-Leash Park Approved

For those of you who couldn't make it out to the meeting the final outcome is essentially good news.

We had made application citing several sites in the Colonel Sam Smith area.
The city assessed all, most were deemed unacceptable, and finally they gained access to the area to the east of the RL Clark Water Treatment Plant between south Kipling and a little east of 23rd Street. The area is directly south of the Father Redmond running track and north of the treatment plant south parking/delivery area. It is smaller than hoped coming in at over 1 1/2 acres but hopefully it will be sufficient for our purposes. The city has agreed to fence but that will not happen till the spring due to installation issues.

I don't know about you but this is a great day! I can hardly wait till Frida can run loose without fear of canine capture!

For more info you can read the articles written for the Etobicoke Guardian by Tamara Shephard.
Leash Free Zone Proposal and Fencing Debated