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Photo: BC-SPCA Biscuit Fund

In 2004, a scruffy but lovable dog named Biscuit was found wandering local streets. He’d been abused and repeatedly stabbed but somehow managed to drag himself into a garage. After being found by a family and rushed to an area veterinarian, Biscuit was nursed back to health through emergency care. The BC-SPCA created the Biscuit Fund in honour of this resilient little guy to raise funds for other sick and injured homeless animals.

March is ‘Sponsor A Cat Month’ with the Biscuit Fund. Donations are the primary funding source for all aspects of the BC-SPCA and the need for emergency animal care is steadily rising. In fact, the money spent in 2008 exceeded $2.4 million dollars. If you’d like to donate, please visit the BC-SPCA’s Biscuit Fund website. 100% of the donations are used to help the animals and are entirely tax-deductible. If you’d like to take a peek at some of the animals that have been helped by the Biscuit Fund, head on over to their Flickr site.

Pet overpopulation is a huge problem within British Columbia and around the world. When bringing a new cat, dog or other companion animal into your home, please give strong consideration to adopting from an animal shelter or rescue organization. There are countless animals waiting for your love and affection, and the more animals we bring into our homes, the less animals we’ll find fending for their lives on the street.

I can say with 100% certainty that there is nothing at which I am an expert. There are, however, a few things of which I am incredibly passionate about. Orca whales are one of those things. While there are topics worth biting my tongue over, this is one passion I freely share my firm opinion on.

Photo: TylerIngram on Flickr

The story of the whale trainer at SeaWorld in Orlando, Florida that was killed by a captured orca whale – more commonly known as the “killer whale” – has reached all corners of the globe since Wednesday afternoon’s tragedy. An event such as this one naturally triggers a landslide of questions. Perhaps the most commonly asked question is simply: how could this happen?

Dawn Brancheau was an experienced trainer, having worked with these magnificent mammals for 16 years. The whale at the centre of this story is a 12,000 pound male named Tillicum, a creature that Dawn was incredibly familiar with and one whom she had created a working relationship with through training. So what provoked Tillicum to drag Dawn under the water and into an untimely and heart-rending death?

The question of how this could have happened seems, to me, to have a rather simple reasoning. Orca whales, like any animal on this planet, is at its core a wild animal. No amount of domestication can ensure a human’s ultimate safety around animals – whether we’re dealing with whales and dolphins or cats and dogs. As an expert in her field, I have no doubt that Dawn was fully aware of the daily risks she took in working with Tillicum. While what happened is wholly unfortunate, at the end of the day it can’t be unexpected either.

Photo: TylerIngram on Flickr

Many news reports that have come out in the wake of this event have suggested that it’s likely Tillicum simply thought of Dawn as a “toy” and was merely playing with her. Though defined as predatory, orca whales (which are actually a species of dolphin, not whale) aren’t generally thought to be a threat to humans and are, more often than not, peaceful creatures. That said, it can be contended that Tillicum was simply doing what comes naturally to him. If, on the other hand, what happened was rooted in aggression, we could consider his environment a chief contributing factor.

Oceanic mammals were created with the sea as their home and playground. To pluck them from the deep blue and confine them to the equivalent of a bathtub will surely have an effect. Imagine, if you will, being contained in a single room, left to circle endlessly while people peered in through windows on all four sides. It would be enough to drive you mad, wouldn’t it?

And so the great debate regarding whales in captivity has kicked up again and everyone is sure to have an opinion. Scientists claim that capturing whales is the best way by which to study them and learn of their nature and habits in order to assist in conservation programs. It would seem to me that the most effective environment to study whale behavior regarding conservation is in the wild. But then again, what do I know? I’m not an orca expert, just an orca lover.

Contribute your two cents: Do you think keeping whales in captivity is an acceptable practice? Should they be released into the wild?

Finally, after seemingly endless days of eating, cooking, baking, wrapping, unwrapping, smiling, drinking and running around, I’ve had a day to do nothing. It’s 4:20 p.m. and I’m in my pajamas – still. I briefly dressed myself long enough to take the dogs for a long, long walk, after which I could feel the workout in my ass and thighs. Nothing has felt tight in days, except perhaps my jeans. I love winter weight.

Lately I’ve become pitiful at taking photos of things as they happen. That’s not to say I haven’t snapped any, but this is all you get. Let’s begin with three photos of my niece intriguing herself with one of the gifts her favourite auntie bestowed upon her, shall we?

It’s a musical octopus. Each tentacle plays a different note in the music scale. The best part? It’s lightly vanilla-scented (no word of a lie).

Years ago my mom was happy to resign herself from baking and cooking duties, leaving the responsibility to myself and my sister-in-law. While Laura took care of Christmas Eve, I pulled out the stops on the big day. I like to call it my Ziggy Stardust Christmas Banquet Table. Yes, that’s gold lamé that’s blinding you.

I also managed to bake four dozen fluffy buns from scratch, roasted a turkey, chopped and cooked sinfully delicious stuffing with sides of yams, garlic red-skinned mashed potatoes, cranberry sauce and roasted brussels sprouts with walnuts. You get the picture.

Kinda excessive, no?

Chillin’ with my buddy.

Each Christmas, my mom gives my brother and I an ornament that’s usually reflective of the past year. This one’s pretty self-explanatory.

This one represents my love of the ocean…

And apparently I enjoy shopping from time to time.

Anyone who knows me (and by that I mean knows me) understands the inexplicable affinity I have with First Nations culture. I have, in fact, been known to leave the First Peoples Gallery at the Royal BC Museum in tears simply because of overwhelming feelings. A few years ago my mother gave me a Haida sun from the reserve in Comox.

Daddy-O still joins us every year. I think he kind of looks like Jerry Springer.

Oma and Opa are always there too.

I’m basically obsessed with everything and anything that’s made by Wilton for baking. Sprinkles in my stocking.

My aunt bought me the last two seasons of my favourite sweaty, naked and incarcerated men. It’s HBO at its finest.

I have a plan for these…

Jordy matches everything at my mom’s house.

I really need to hurry up with this blog post so I can get moving on to more important things. I’ve opted for SNES with The Legend of Zelda.

You can’t actually tell, but the skirt of this dress was in three layers, each with a different pattern. I saved up many weeks’ allowance to buy it from Zellers. Be jealous. Be very jealous.

Guess who.

We popped open Christmas crackers with dinner and I found a blue fawn in mine. I’m thinking it’s a sign that my cake just might win the Interfaith Baking Competition.

Mom gave me a grey knit endless scarf for Christmas. I think I’m in love.

My brother and me.

This is how we roll.

Clearly I have a lot to look forward to in the next year, so I’m not filled with that dreaded “what now?” thought that usually takes over like a tryptophan nap. One thing I’ve traditionally done in January is execute a mini makeover in my home. This year I’m picking up an industrial shelving unit, storing all my cooking and baking wares on it to make more room in my too-cramped kitchen. In a few months it may be present time to me. My current lease is up at the end of March. With that, I’ve decided to stay another year in the studio I’m currently calling home before moving to a more spacious casa with a large kitchen and an actual bedroom.

It’s time to end the rambling and save the princess.

A few years ago, I was in my boss’s office when he asked me what the difference is between a website and a blog. After a brief description of each, he asked if I, in fact, had a blog. He then proceeded to pointedly ask me why anyone would be at all interested in what I have to say about anything. While he meant it mostly in jest, he also made a very good point. Why would anyone be interested in what I have to say? Half the time I’m not interested in what I have to say, so why would someone else?

Over the last eight months, my frequency of blog posting has dwindled faster than my bank account balance at the Clinique counter. While it isn’t that I don’t have anything to say, the narcissistic charm that blogging once held has been slowly fading away. Allowing perfect strangers a view to a thrill during bikini season has lost that loving feeling, while no one really needs (or should care) to know what I made for dinner, which movie I went to see or who I’ve been hanging out with these days.

My mother loves to take photos when we go for walks. This, however, normally translates to stopping every 400 metres to stage a shot. While her enthusiasm is sweet, and there’s always a time and a place for snapping photos, how can two people create memories together if they’re too busy trying to capture them on a digital memory card? I’d rather live and love my life rather than watch it pass me by because I’m too busy letting everyone else know.

Maybe Twitter has led to the demise of it all. I’ve realized that I can share my wit and wisdom in 140 characters or less, rather than dragging each of you through a large volume of mostly superfluous paragraphs just so I can hear myself speak, so to speak. (Though speaking of, doesn’t “superfluous” strike you as a bit ironic because it is, in itself, a superfluous word?)

However, that said, some people still have an insatiable need to know, some people still love to lurk and I still love to mold the English language, bending it to my will. Let me break down these days for you:

Photo: Comox Valley SPCA
Bobbi Sue 4 is available for adoption.

Meet Jake and Zack. Both boys are pomeranians and, though not brothers, clearly have a lot of cuddly love for each other.

I’m sure your first instinct may have been a heartfelt “awww…” However, if you look closer, you’ll notice that Zack is missing his right eye. If Jake’s mouth was open, you wouldn’t see a single tooth. And though their bodies are being held in a big hug, what you don’t see are the massive patches of fur that have been ripped off and the deep wounds that cover their bodies.

Jake and Zack were seized just two weeks ago from a hoarding breeder within BC and, if you can believe it, were forced to engage in dog fighting. Yes, these little 3 and 7-pound pomeranians were forced to rip at each other. Now they’ve got a loving – yet temporary – home with Jordy’s former foster mom. These boys are just two of many dogs that you have the opportunity to help out.

Do you have a craft, some dog toys or supplies, a business, a service or just something extra lying around that could fetch a price?

Please consider donating to the silent auction that Furever After Small Dog Rescue is holding in late November. Jordy is just one of many dogs who’ve been helped and re-home through this fantastic organization.

If you’d like to help out, please leave a comment or contact me directly. Donated items are tax deductible and 100% of the proceeds help dogs like Jake and Zack.

Do you paint? Run an auto shop? Knit? Distribute books? Own a shop of interesting and unique treasures? Provide a service that benefits the community? I’d like you to consider for a moment the fact that whatever you do can be of even further benefit if you wish.

When I first set out to bring a dog into my home, I found a wide range of rescue organizations across BC that were taking care of – literally – thousands of dogs that were neglected or homeless. Through that search, I stumbled upon Jordy’s profile page. At the time he was living in a foster home in Duncan on Vancouver Island, being cared for by a non-profit group known as Furever After Small Dog Rescue.

Monty, pictured above, was one of Jordy’s foster brothers. When first brought into care, Monty was filthy, emaciated, his teeth rotted and his fur was so horribly matted that the weight of the knots caused sores and bruises all over Monty’s tiny body. Both Rebecca and I had the chance to meet Monty and see the progress he’d made in foster care on the day I went to pick up Jordy to bring him home. Today Monty has bounced back triumphantly, only through the care and funds of Furever After.

Most of these dogs require emergency dental care, as well as even basic veterinary care (and most aren’t spayed or neutered), food, shelter and rehabilitation in order to be adopted out. This coming November, Furever After is holding a charity dinner and silent auction to raise these desperately needed funds. The group is entirely run by volunteers, and when the money dries up, the expenses must come out-of-pocket. 100% of money raised goes to helping the dogs!

If you have a service, product, item you’ve made or the like that can be auctioned off at this dinner and silent auction, please contact me as soon as possible. No item is too big or small and the dollar value isn’t important. Tax receipts can be provided for all items with an attached invoice/receipt detailing item value and business information.

For more information or to donate your item or service, please send me an e-mail. Any help is much appreciated! To learn more about the fundraising dinner, please click here or visit the Furever After Small Dog Rescue website.

After months of planning, preparation, anticipation and tireless fundraising efforts, the BC-SPCA’s Paws For A Cause finally arrived. While these walks were simultaneously taking place in communities all across British Columbia, Jordy, Charley, my mom and I found ourselves at Marina Park in Comox.

The sunshine decided to take a day off, but rain clouds didn’t damper the excitement everyone felt. Dozens and dozens of beautiful, amazing, playful dogs turned out to support their fellow animals.

I’m still waiting to hear the final tallies regarding how much money was raised both Province-wide and in the Comox Valley, but I have no doubt that the goals of $950,000 and $20,000 respectively were reached.

My readers have been completely awesome! Many contributed funds and many more offered supportive words of encouragement – both of which kept giving me the drive to keep up with the efforts I had undertaken to make. I’d like to take a minute to offer a huge thank you to my financial sponsors for their generous donations: Katrina Mellis, Danielle Ciavarro, Marda Mischa-Miller, Tyler Ingram, Tania Morrison, Sixty4Media, Madeline Lagden, Lindsay Davis, Phil Ogynist, Buster the Dog, Jennifer Stoddart, Mikis Manolis, Duane Storey, Tanya Martin, Winnie Sung, Nicole George, Colleen Brown, Blain Sepos, Erin McConnell, Dom Richards, “Jenn,” Sarah Dawson, A.M. Chalupa, Marlee McConnell, Craig Jangula, Eileen Henderson, Sea To Sky Network Solutions and Double S Sales (Courtenay Sears).

Between all of you, $1,590 was donated to help many grateful animals!

One of my favourite things about events like this is not only the socialization they provide for dogs – which is crucial to their well-being – but it’s also a lot of fun to watch the animals play and interact together. Anyone who doesn’t believe that dogs are loving, intelligent and communicative creatures is completely nuts.

A last hearty and huge thank you to everyone who participated, donated, encouraged and cheered all of us on around British Columbia. It’s classic cheese to say, but you’re the true heroes for giving of what you have for the betterment of another creature. One friend who donated told me that she did so because “there’s an animal out there that needs food more than I need a new shirt or a couple drinks at a pub!” That’s hitting the nail on the head and then some.

Stay tuned to my Twitter for final totals! (And don’t forget: just because this event is over doesn’t mean the need is gone. If you’d like to support, donate to or volunteer at your local shelter, please visit the BC-SPCA’s website.

With only six more sleeps until this year’s Province-wide BC-SPCA Paws For A Cause, I’m getting excited to participate in such a great event that helps any and all animals. Most people think of cats and dogs when they think of their local shelter, but as I’ve said in previous posts, even farm animals and wild animals need a little help sometimes.

Photo: Wy@rt on Flickr

As of today, I’ve reached 52% 57% of my goal. I’m hoping to reach $1,000 by Sunday’s walk and this is my last beg, plea and petition to all of you.

…Even if all you can spare is your pocket change, that’ll buy some tins of cat food or a few apples for displaced horses.

…Even if you don’t like me, you can donate anonymously if you still want to support the animals!

What you give can and does make a difference!

Photo: studom on Flickr

To those who have already generously given, I offer you a huge heartfelt thanks! There will be many wagging tails, purring kittens and oinking pigs because of what you’ve helped accomplish. Those wishing to donate, please visit my donation page before midnight on September 12, 2009 and check back next week for pictures from the Comox Valley event!

Conquering the Grouse Grind seems to be a rite of passage for Vancouverites and a claim that can be made only by the few and brave. In the more than five years I’ve called this city my home, I’d yet to attempt it until today. This morning I grabbed my Will Tippin and made my way to the base.

I’m not gonna lie: the task was far more daunting than I anticipated it would be. You might think that because I never snapped any photos on the trail that maybe I cheated and took the tram up, but the truth is that it was far too grueling to even think about my camera. That, and we were both much to focused on the beer at the top to stop for photo ops.

Nachos too…

Before descending the mountain, we took a quick walk to the five-acre Grizzly Bear Refuge, home to two orphaned grizzly bears.

I was pretty choked that I stopped filming when I did because not even 30 seconds later, the big guy started scratching up an awkward storm, Al Bundy-style.

The grizzlies were unspeakably beautiful, graceful in their lumbering and far more playful than the menacing creatures they’re made out to be. What I really wanted was to give out free bear hugs to the two of them!

I nicknamed this guy Jordy II since he lays the same way as my pup.

“French manicure, please.”

After making the ascent in one hour and 36 minutes, it was mission: accomplished for the C.I.A.

Two-second snap before they herded me onto the tram to head back down the mountain. It was the best $5 I have ever spent.

Also, just a little bit stoked that I was still rocking the glow an hour later.

It’s no secret that Vancouver Island is full of hidden gems waiting to be discovered. The only secret is figuring out where one can find those gems. It’s places like Cape Scott Provincial Park that brought about the Island Profile series; Vancouver Island is so much more than just Victoria and it can be yours for exploring.

Photo: snarlenarlen on Flickr

Just 64 kilometres west of Port Hardy lies more than 22,000 hectares of rainforest with rocky shores, peppered with densely lush trees. Endless kilometres of often muddy trails meander their way through the park. The park is home to a large number of wildlife, including a significant bear and cougar population. Stretching from Shushartie Bay, around Cape Scott and south to San Josef Bay, Cape Scott Provincial Park boasts a combination of rugged bluffs battered by the sea and beaches with snow-white sand.

View Larger Map (Please note that Cape Scott reaches further north on Vancouver Island than Google maps illustrates.)

Cape Scott Provincial Park is rich with history, first settled by the Nahwitti First Nation. The park was named in 1786 in honour of a Bombay trade merchant by the name of David Scott. Soon after, Danish settlers from the midwestern United States attempted to call the area home. However, with the lack of a direct trade route and incredibly hostile weather conditions (rainfall often exceeds 500 centimetres while battering the region with high winds), most of the settlers waved white flags, packed up their homesteads and left Cape Scott.

Photo: clompers on Flickr

Photo: snarlenarlen on Flickr

Apart from the aforementioned bears and cougars, Cape Scott Provincial Park is a virtual menagerie of animals, sea creatures and birds that are synonymous with British Columbia. Between land and sea, the park is home to coastal black-tailed deer, Roosevelt elk, black bears, cougars, wolves, Canadian geese, seals, sea lions, sea otters, orca whales and gray whales. Keep in mind that you’re in their home and the more accustomed to human contact they are, the more vulnerable these animals become. Follow the safety rules, keep a safe distance and avoid feeding any wildlife.

Photo: ahisgett on Flickr

Photo: nrtphotos on Flickr

Photo: brendan.lally on Flickr

“Roughing it” defines the experience you can expect when visiting Cape Scott Provincial Park. There’s parking located at the Cape Scott and Josef Bay trailheads, but the entire park is essentially only accessible by hiking. Dotted with boardwalks, several pit toilets and an extremely limited water supply, park users are cautioned to bring all the supplies they’ll need (whether it be for a day-trip or camping).

Photo: snarlenarlen on Flickr

Photo: nrtphotos on Flickr

Outdoor enthusiasts will be excited and possibly even overwhelmed with the number of activities available. The park is open all year round and even offers winter camping. Visitors can also partake in boating, swimming, fishing, hiking and canoeing. Those wishing to camp are in for a bargain as backcountry camping is only $5.00 per person, per night for those over 13 years of age. There are 11 first-come, first-serve camping pads at Eric Lake, though camping is permitted throughout the park. Park staff prefer that visitors camp on the beachfront (not that you wouldn’t want to).

Photo: clompers on Flickr

Photo: nrtphotos on Flickr

It’s important to remember that this space is here for all of us to use, and it’s up to us to keep it usable. Leave no trace when leaving the park – take all your belongings and garbage with you. Campfires are currently banned within the park; the forest bed is tinder dry and will light up like a match, so use care and show respect. Know where you’re going and carry a compass and map. It’s smart to leave a detailed itinerary with family or friends before embarking on your adventure.

Photo: gfroese9 on Flickr

Photo: nrtphotos on Flickr

Cape Scott Provincial Park is accessible by a combination of public roadways and logging roads from the nearby town of Port Hardy. There is also a water taxi service and shuttle for those seeking a little more guidance. For more comprehensive information, please visit the official BC Parks website. Maps, trail information and hiking precautions can be found here.