The following text may have been generated by Optical Character Recognition, with varying degrees of accuracy. Reader beware!

www.oakvillebeaver.com The Oakville Beaver Weekend, Saturday July 29, 2006 - 13 Shelter bathrooms, offices housing cats due to volume It happens every year in the spring/summer and if fortunate the Oakville & District Humane Society is visited by owners anxious to be reconnected with their pet, or adopters looking for a pet to call their own. It's stray cat and kitten time at the Society, which annually overloads the shelter with felines. Each year more than 2,000 cats find themselves at the society. Currently, the six designated cat areas are all full. The overflow is so significant that hallways, offices, foster homes and even the bathrooms at the shelter are being used to house these animals. "We never compromise the care of the animals that find themselves at the shelter despite the volume in our care," stated Johanne Golder, Executive Director at the Oakville & District Humane Society, "but we can be challenged by our limited space when so many animals, and cats in particular, are in need." How can you help? If your cat has gone missing, report it immediately to the Humane Society. Visit the shelter to determine whether a member of the public or an Animal Protective Services Officer has picked up your cat as a stray. Cats are required by Town of Oakville By-law #2001-83 to wear identification and are not permitted to roam beyond their own property. With the proper identification (Humane Society registration tag, microchip implant) a cat's chances of being reconnected with its owner are significantly improved at a much faster rate. Without identification it's up to the owner to locate their cat. Once stray cats are returned to owners, space is freed up for cats that Pets of the Week Woman pulls knife on man, demands $40 Halton police are investigating an attempted robbery that occurred on July 11 in the Hopedale Mall parking lot. A woman demanded $40 from a man sitting in his car and after he refused to give her the money, she pulled out a butcher knife and threatened him. The victim, who is in his late 50s was able to drive away, but the woman punctured one of his tires. The suspect is white, mid-20s, 5foot-6 and thin with dark hair. She was wearing a ball cap, black sweatshirt and sweatpants. Anyone with information about this incident should call Crime Stoppers of Halton at 1-800-222-TIPS (1-800-2228477) or visit www.haltoncrimestoppers.com. have been abandoned at the shelter. Cats come into the shelter for a variety of reasons, including those surrendered by their owner. Last month on June 8, eight people wanting to surrender their pets arrived at the Humane Society two hours before facility closing time. The problem is common. It's moving time and the owners are not able to move their new pets into their new residence because of rules. Assuming a friend or family member can care for their animal they don't plan ahead: the Humane Society becomes their last-minute solution. "Most people know at least a month in advance that they will need to place their pet," stated Golder. "What they may not know is that there is a waiting list at the Humane Society if they choose to surrender their pet. We simply cannot accommodate the volume of last-minute requests that we receive." People placed on the waiting list are encouraged to find their own solution for re-housing their animal. Be it as a result of a move or finding out that a member of the household is allergic to the pet, the perception that the Humane Society can accommodate every animal may not be realistic. The Humane Society makes every effort to help all animals; alternate solutions should be pursued first. Similarly, with many abandoned pregnant cats the services of the Oakville & District Humane Society at this time of year become overloaded. Mother cats will look for a safe place to have their young. Eventually the kittens will emerge. If you have this situation occurring on your property call us right away. A humane capture device (a box that has a door that is triggered when they enter it to get some food) may be required to catch them. This is usually the only way to catch the kittens because they are scared of people as they have not been raised around them. Spaying or neutering cats is a responsible way of preventing unwanted pregnancies. In turn it will help to contribute to the reduced volume of abandoned mother cats and litters in the shelter or in the foster homes of Society volunteers. One final tip that will help the feline challenges faced by the Oakville & District Humane Society can be resolved with a trip to the veterinarian. Make sure that your cat is up to date with its vaccinations. A sick cat that finds itself at the shelter requires specialized care, which requires more staff and volunteer time. There is also the risk of sickness spreading amongst the other cats it is exposed to at the shelter. Make sure that you visit the veterinarian annually and keep your cat's vaccinations up to date. There's no place like home for a happy and safe cat! With so many finding themselves at the shelter at this time of the year, responsible pet ownership would significantly help with the feline overload that takes place at the Humane Society each year. LET'S PLAY: Peter, Edmund and Susan have fun at the shelter while awaiting adoption. The Oakville and District Humane Society also has many other cats available. Please visit our website @ www.oakvilledentalarts.com "Smile File" First it was Atkins, then it was South Beach, now it's the White Smile Diet The most unattractive thing about a smile are discolored teeth, according to a recent consumer poll. And the numbers prove it! Whitening treatments are the number one requested cosmetic dental procedure and have increased more than 300% since 1996. While daily home care and regular professional cleanings are essential for maintaining healthy teeth and gums, certain foods can help remove stains from your teeth. White Smile Diet Foods include: · Strawberries will naturally whiten your teeth. · Lemons will lighten and brighten too (just as they naturally "bleach" your hair, they can do the same for your teeth)! Just keep in moderation due to the citric acid. · Avoid drinking coffee, dark syrup sodas, red wine and blueberries. All stain teeth quickly. · Drink from a straw whenever possible...allows food dyes to bypass teeth altogether. · Baking soda will help remove stains and build up. Brush it on your teeth twice a month, just as you would toothpaste, and rinse. · Raw veggies are not only healthy to eat, but they will clean your teeth and remove surface stains. · The mechanical action of chewing sugarless gum can also stimulate saliva and clean teeth surfaces, though not recommended for patients with TMJ. Foods such as apples, pears, celery, carrots, cauliflower, and cucumbers produce saliva which combines with the foods' natural fibers to naturally clean teeth and remove bacteria. Yours for better dental health. Join Our Growing Dental Family ... and benefit from the protection y offered by our 5-year continuing care dental warranty that guarantees all porcelain crowns, bridges, veneers and dental implants for 5 full years. Experience complete Family,Cosmetic & Restorative Dental Care in a relaxing Spa - like setting. · Smile Make-overs · Dental Implants (from start ot finish) · BriteSmileTM in office Tooth Whitening · Custom Crafted "Same Day" Onlays & Crowns · Natural Looking Custom Matched Veneers · Braces & Invisalign · Gum Specialist · Oral Surgeon · Full sleep Dentristy · Fresh Breath Center Call for your "personalized" complimentary smile analysis & to inquire about our new patient Tooth Whitening special CALL THIS PROFESSIONAL GALL & ASSOCIATES OPTOMETRISTS "Our goal is clear comfortable vision!" Comprehensive Eye Exams Laser Vision Care Contact Lenses & Glasses New Patients Welcome 247 North Service Rd. W. Suite 203 ©Smart Practice 905-338-2020 Dr. Ronald Gall AT DORVAL DRIVE A E S T H E T I C , I M P L A N T & R E S T O R AT I V E D E N T I S T R Y 1344 Cornwall Road, Oakville ON Appointments 905-337-3511