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rT ta ---------- ---- 7 oa r-- cn pT ay, "Scugog's Community Newspaper of Choice" By Heather McCrae Port Perry Star All her life, Liz Armitage has had a love affair with animals. When she was a little girl she'd often bring home frogs, sick birds in her pocket, anything she could find. Although her mother often said she'd outgrow her infat- "uation with critters, she never did. Now, at age 51, Mrs. Armitage houses close to 400 stray and injured pets on her 10 acres outside of Little Britain. It's here, at Earliz Haven Animal Shelter, that cats, dogs, birds, rabbits, horses, rodents, llamas, goats and more now make their home. Mrs. Armitage and her husband Earl have been caring for animals and finding them homes "on a serious basis" for 20 years. Up until a year ago they did it all on their own, but now have help from Carol Shows, a volunteer who has been faithfully helping twice a week. It's an endless job, looking after all these animals. "It's a 365 days a year job, with no pay, nothin' fancy, and we recycle everything," Mrs. Armitage said during a recent tour of her property. "A lot of the animals we have here are ones nobody wanted anymore," she says. "Nine times out of ten, people get tired of the cute little puppy. Suddenly it's a big dog and they don't like the responsibility that comes along with owning a pet. It's a continual line of BS I hear every day." A former dog catcher in Woodville, Mrs. Armitage insists everyone should get their pets spayed or neutered: "Millions of dogs and cats are put down every year because they're unwanted." For 20 years Mrs. Armitage has been taking in strays and unwanted animals, healing any injuries and finding new homes for them when possible. Dogs brought to her because they've bitten someone remain with her even after she's retrained them. "I won't place a dog that's been violent in the past," she said. "I wouldn't want to take the chance of it happening again." She recalls the shar'pei that was brought to her by an animal control officer: "He said the best place for her was in the ground. She had bitten everyone in her family before coming here." But after two days of retraining the dog quit being aggressive, and loves it now when people make a fuss over her. A highlight for Mrs. Armitage is when she finds a caring home for an animal. She recalls a purebred Texas Longhorn bull calf that came to her haven a few years ago. Full of lesions and festering wounds, not to mention ticks and ringworm, it was terribly underweight and had injured itself, tearing a strip of flesh from underneath its jaw to the top of its chest. "In 30 days he'd put on weight and his skin had all started to clear," she said. "We found him a good home. He's now living life happily on a farm, chasing all the girls." Currently 74 cats and 42 dogs make their home at Earliz Haven, as well as a host of other animals, large and small. All are dewormed and vaccinated regularly, are fed and watered daily, have clean, dry bedding and receive an abundance of love. Mrs. Armitage certainly has a way with animals. In 1992 she acquired a mean registered quarterhorse appaloosa: "She was not a nice girl. She broke three halters in the first week here. But man, she's calm now. Even Earl can ride her." In the house some 100 mice, rats, an iguana, hedge- hogs, guinea pigs, hamsters, gerbils, turtles and a parrot make their home. All are kept in clean cages and looked after like the rest. "I won't put up with dirty ani- mals in the house," said Mrs. Armitage. Many people are probably taken aback by the crude shelters, and tend to forget it's not a petting zoo or pet iy It's simply a place for unwanted and abused ani- mals. You can see how content the animals are. When Liz is about, tails are wagging, cats beg to be stroked, and the gentle heads of the llamas are thrust forward to be petted. Little Britain home is a haven for abandoned, abused animals Every day Mrs. Armitage is up before dawn, working with the animals until 10 p.m. or later, feeding them, cleaning, milking, tending to babies and ensuring they're all content. "Some people complain we're not fancy, but I always say I don't put on airs to please them," she said. "Instead, I do it for the animals, nothing else. They have their houses and runs, their hay, food and whatnot. We don't have things like automatic waterers or feeders. I'm the automatic waterer." The animals don't have matching cages. Most shelters are made out of old bed frames, doors and donated wood from old buildings. Sometimes Mrs. Armitage gets donations of new material. Home Depot in Whitby has donated lumber, and Cashway in Lindsay gave her sheeting and floor- ing to complete a shelter for cats. Mrs. Armitage always does a lot of shopping at the dump. "You'd be sur- prised what people throw away," she said. Old cages and dog houses, fencing, beds and mattresses can be recycled for the animals. Money is tight. Caring for all these animals leaves the couple -- they live on Mr. Armitage's pension -- with little reserve. The shelter is kept afloat through donations. No government support is given. The Armitages welcome any type of donation, from shavings, leaves and sawdust, to salt licks, dog and cat food, kitty litter, carpet samples, dog collars, hay, straw, even fencing, boards, old towels and pillows which can be used to create more "homes." Cash also goes a long way toward supplying food, bedding and veterinary services. Any money donated goes back to the animals, Mrs. Armitage vows. If you'd like to make a donation, kindly call (705) 786-3177. Mrs. Armitage says she's had her work described as dedication to the animals in her care. "I like that better than someone saying I'm nuts or crazy, which is what some people say," she said. "My husband says I'm a slave to the animals," Mrs. Armitage said. "But, to me, there's no greater love than an animal's loyalty." Liz Armitage's love affair with animals includes Buster Boy (top left) an American Staffordshire Bull Terrior and a rhea, bottom left.