End of Year post R&R 2023

 As we near the end of another year, we'd like to take this opportunity to share some FAQ's as well as some of our upcoming plans for the New Year!

Facts about us:
- We are a charity, registered with the federal government. With being a registered charity comes annual government reporting of funds and expenditures. You can view our listing on the Government of Canada's website here: https://apps.cra-arc.gc.ca/ebci/hacc/srch/pub/dsplyQckVw?selectedCharityBn=706575883RR0001&isSingleResult=false&q.stts=0007
Each year, we tally and create a Financial Report that shows in more detail where donations go. Some of the categories other than veterinary expenses include: Office Expenses & Supplies, Vehicle & Travel Expenses, Education / Training for Staff / Volunteers, and more. We share our Annual Financial Statement once it is complete, between January and June of each year.
NO, we do not pay ourselves and never will. While legally it would be absolutely permissable to pay ourselves a salary out of rescue funds, we decided when we began the rescue that this is something neither of us will ever do. You donate for the animals, and your donations go to animal care and support. Every penny that is donated and spent is accounted for in our Annual Financial Statement as well as our report to the government. We make it well-known and understood that our business is separate from the charity. Daycare, Boarding, and Grooming pay our bills, and help allow us to run the charity.
We have always been, and always will be 100% transparent about anything and everything rescue OR business, and we encourage anyone who has any questions, to ask away.

• How many animals can we help at once? Well, it varies. We specialize in abuse cases and power breeds. We accept difficult behavioural dogs, seniors, and medical cases. These often require more intensive care and attention in their rehabilitation than say, a litter of healthy puppies or kittens. We know that each animal is an individual, and we work with them on an individual basis, getting to know them & their quirks / triggers / signals well, and dedicate our time to each one individually. We know our limits and it can be incredibly difficult to turn away animals in need, but we have also seen first-hand, multiple times, how quickly a well-intentioned rescue can get in over their heads and / or become animal hoarding. We refuse to take on more than we can provide a high quality of care for. 

• We reinvest your donations in the local community. We don’t make any decisions lightly. We have worked for years to develop a wonderful working relationship with our local veterinarian clinic. Yes, we could drive 1-2 hours away for cheaper spays / neuters. This isn’t feasible for us to do. It would require a full day of staying in the area until the animal is ready to go home, along with travel time and gas money. We prefer to support the community that supports our work. 

• We sometimes receive reuests to help between 20-40 animals in a single day. We simply can not physically take that many animals, though we are gradually growing our trusted foster network, which I will touch on again later on. However, we do our best to respond to every single inquiry and offer the help that we are able to. Usually, this means offering tips in the form of Behavioural Consultation, or recommending other options or services to contact. We prioritize the most emergent cases and work our way down from there. If you don't receive a response from us within 48 hours, send us a nudge and we'll get back to you asap.

• We’ve seen an increase in Owner Surrender Requests specifically for aggression issues in dogs. We added to our purpose and mission in 2023, to provide education to encourage responsible pet ownership, and we will be addressing these concerns further in 2024. We've begun to attend local Q&A sessions, and are considering creating videos or podcasts on our social media, where we would share more and answer questions. We will also have guests from recommended businesses (trainers, pet health professionals, etc) We’d love to guage interest, so let us know if you’d participate if we put forth an effort towards this initiative. We’d love to hear your ideas as well!

• Quarantine zone: We would love to set up a comfortable quarantine zone in 2024. This would be a separate out-building for 1-2 sick or injured animals / emergency intakes, to offer them a safe place to heal / recover, without any risk to the other animals. We often assist in wildlife rescue and transport, and sometimes this includes staying overnight while finding a driver for them. Requirements for this out-building: Insulated and heated / air conditioned. Large enough for us to walk in, and about 8'x10' to fit 2 large crates with space in between. With our current dog bunkie and cat bunkie paid off, this would be the final out-building for our expansion plans on this property to help as many animals in need as we possibly can. Situations like Captain Morgan recently, accentuated the need for this quarantine zone. We could not have left him to suffer with his wounded eye, but the inn was full and we suspected FIV, so he couldn't just join the bunkie cats. If you come across a structure you think might work for us, please get in touch.

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Paperless 2024! We have been working behind the scenes towards going paperless. Printer ink is expensive, and we have a lot of paperwork that piles up and is a lot to keep organized. We recently purchased a refurbished convertible laptop, and one of our board members has been working tirelessly to create a whole new system for us! This will help to stay on top of everything - Daycare, Boarding, Grooming, Rescue, Intakes, medical scheduling, pet & owner profiles, forms and waivers, volunteers, fosters, etc, all in one place that we will have easy access to anywhere. We would like to thank Callum for all the work they’ve put in so far towards this.

• What do you want to see us do in 2024? Any changes you’d like to see implemented that we may not have thought of? We are always striving to improve. 

• We are purchasing microchip scanners for each of our board members, to help get lost pets home quicker and easier.

• We are training volunteers to help keep the empties area tidy: sorting and organizing empties for return will save a lot of time on our end.

• We have co-op students lined up for both semesters of 2024! We're so honoured to be able to contribute to education in our community. Rachel's schooling background is mainly in Education, and it's always been important to us to educate rather than judge. We need to build each other up and encourage students to pursue their passions practically.

• We’d love to organize a spay/neuter/microchip clinic locally, but there will be some hurdles in getting this to happen. Let us know if you’d like to help!

• Focus on animal welfare in Ontario. We want to see change happen. Puppy mills should be a thing of the past. Backyard breeders and accidental litters should not be happening, especially now while litters of puppies are being dumped or shot because they can't be sold. PAWS should enforce the current laws, and those laws should be updated. Sterilization should be affordable. Our area is now lacking emergency veterinary services, which is devastating to the animal lovers and pet owners in the community. There should be oversight for animal control as well as rescue services. These are all things we want to see happen, but we’d be starting from the bottom to try to enact change. 

• In 2024, we would love to spend more time on professional development and furthering our education to deepen our own knowledge and skills. This may include attending animal welfare conferences, and taking courses. We recently received a certificate from Fear Free Shelters, and Rachel has qualifications in Pet Psychology, Pet Nutrition, and will be pursuing accreditation for Canine Behaviour Consulting in Spring of 2024. We will also be providing our board members with Pet First Aid certification in February 2024. 

• We are (mostly) keeping our business pricing the same for 2024. The only increase will be for cat grooms (from $75 up to $80 plus tax). It's very important to us that our services are as accessible as we can make them.

Phew! That was a lot to cover. If you’ve made it to the end, thank you for powering through. Please leave a comment to let us know if you’ve read the rant, and share your thoughts. 

Reputable Rescue vs Dog Flipper

You may think that when you support a local rescue or an animal shelter that you are doing a good thing by supporting the saving of animals. However, what you may not know is that all rescues are not created equal.

There are a few different options when running a rescue. The owner can choose to have the rescue registered as a charity. In this case, it will be governed by Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) in what it can and cannot do. Financial decisions are limited, but it gives the rescue a more reputable reputation. In addition, the rescue can give charitable tax receipts for most donations, and can apply for financial grants that are restricted to charities.  However, becoming a charity can be quite a lengthy and costly process. If you're wondering about a rescue, you can check if they're a charity here: https://apps.cra-arc.gc.ca/ebci/hacc/srch/pub/dsplyBscSrch?request_locale=en

Secondly, the owner can choose to become a registered non-profit. This requires less paperwork, but has fewer advantages than becoming a charity. A non-profit cannot give charitable tax receipts, and cannot apply for most financial grants. Finally, the owner can choose to remain sovereign, without any registration status from the government. This is an option chosen by many rescues, as they are able to make their own choices to a greater extent, and are not governed or watched by any larger body such as the CRA. They are able to use finances with greater freedom. However, this also means that they are susceptible to spend their donated money in ways that their donors may not agree with, and that the public may not appreciate. Please don't misunderstand me, this is not the case with most rescues. Most people who open and run a rescue do so with the best of intentions; to save and rehome animals who need help. It is rare that a rescue does something that causes harm to an animal or other people. Though rare, this is something that appears to be unknown by much of the public. 

Someone is ready to adopt a dog for example, so they search for a rescue and find just the dog they dreamed of. They then apply for the dog, are quickly accepted, and adopt the dog for a high, though considered fair, adoption fee. What is wrong with this picture? 

First of all, it can take months, even years of searching through reputable rescues to find 'just the dog you're looking for'. Rescues often have to deal with dogs who have unknown, or abusive or neglectful pasts, which means time for assessments and training, as well as gaining trust and further assessing. We then need to ensure that the dog is matched to you; not just that you find the dog you want. 

Secondly, it will often take us a bit of time to consider your application, contact your references, and decide whether or not you will be a good match for the dog you applied for. 

Thirdly, reputable rescues try to keep their prices fair. We DO NOT make a profit. Though it is allowed, we DO NOT make a salary or have employees to pay. We have volunteers and dedicate our lives, usually 24/7 to helping animals. We do have to pay for veterinary expenses, as well as training fees, and often supplies and various equipment for the animals. As we want to help animals, we also don't want to take advantage of people with unnecessarily high adoption fees. These are just simple examples of some of the things to watch for when choosing a rescue to support. 

It often begins with good intentions. In general, people like animals and want to help them if they're able. As described in a Globe and Mail article from 2016, "In Canada, there are no regulations at any level of government specific to foster-based (meaning in private homes) animal rescue groups. Anyone can set up an animal rescue, take in animals, and solicit donations. Canada does have a set of recommended guidelines for standards of care in animal shelters, but those pertain more to bricks and mortar operations like humane societies and SPCAs. Each province also has their own general set of animal welfare laws, but they often lack the financial resources and manpower to enforce them. And for home-based animal rescues, there are simply no rules and no governing bodies overseeing their practices, and thus, as it seems, things can easily get out of control."  As these cases begin with good intentions that get out of control, there are specific signs to watch for. 

We will not be naming names here. As an organization, we always try our very best to focus on the positives. There are a lot of negatives in the rescue world. We deal with lot of difficult situations on a daily basis, and we want to convey the good that is being done in the world, and in the rescue world. We are always more than happy to suggest rescues and shelters that we know are being operated well, with the animals' interests at their heart.

They usually stop saying 'no' to animals in need. 

Unfortunately, we all only have so much space and resources to help animals in the right way. This means that to give quality care to the animals we do take in, we have to learn to say 'no' to ones that we don't have space for, or the ability to provide quality care for. The same article correctly states  "The mentality of 'better alive in misery than dead' is very infectious among rescues," and this is what ends up happening in these situations. The rescue takes on too many animals, and then quality of care declines until it is no longer provided, and horrific neglect takes place, leading to deaths of the animals that were meant to be helped. (https://www.theglobeandmail.com/opinion/well-intentioned-animal-rescue-groups-need-intervention/article31459366/)

More signs to watch for:

The animals at the rescue consistently appear to be in poor health

This, like all signs, must not be taken singularly, without taking the full picture into account. First of all, rescues often take in neglected or abused animals, with the intention to provide care in order to fulfill their needs. In the case to which we are referring, the health of the animals will be mostly untreated. This means that animals in their care will be emaciated, neglected, suffering from flea and / or tick infestation, worms, etc. They may be placed in overcrowded conditions, causing fearful and / or aggressive behaviours. 

Adoption rates are surprisingly low or shockingly high

Let's discuss each of these instances. When a rescue has lower adoption rates, this can mean a number of things. It can mean that the rescue has a foster program. This is not in its essence a bad way to do rescue. However, what we have seen in some cases is that a rescue with a foster program will continue to take in animals after their capacity is met, because they can continue to search for foster homes, without necessarily meeting the needs of the animals currently in their care. 

When adoption rates are too high, this to me, is more of a red flag. It takes time, energy, and resources to properly evaluate dogs especially. 

Have you heard of the 3-3-3 Rule? We say that it takes 3 days for a dog to decompress, 3 weeks for them to realize they are in a new home and start to feel at home, and 3 months for a dog to fully show their personality. These numbers are of course, estimates and can vary somewhat from dog to dog. However, they are a good guideline to consider when adopting a dog, and also when evaluating a rescue. If a dog is spending less than 2 weeks in the care of the rescue (or approved foster home) before being adopted out, this means that they may be proceeding too quickly through their assessments, or not providing them at all. Remember, it also takes time to evaluate adoption applicants for the animal, and if the animal is being adopted out quickly, the rescue may just be searching for a home, not necessarily the best home, or the best match for the animal. This is what we call an animal flipper. They are usually in it for the money, or for the clout they get for adopting out hundreds or thousands of animals in a year. What this doesn't tell you is how many of these adoptions are successful, or happy. 

The living conditions are not clean. 

Animals can be dirty. Cats can stink. This is something we're well aware of when we enter into rescue work. It can take a lot of work and time to keep up with the animals. If you enter a shelter and it smells overwhelmingly like ammonia, the staff may be overwhelmed with the amount of animals they have in their care, and may be unable to keep up with the needs of those animals, such as cleaning up after them.  This can lead to illness, infection, and respiratory issues in animals and humans.  Chances are, they are lacking in other areas as well. 

The staff doesn't work with you.

One of the main goals of a good rescue is to find the perfect home for each animal they provide care for. This means finding out about each potential adopter's home life. Their application process should be fairly thorough, including but not necessarily limited to: preliminary application, shortlist, reference contacting, Meet &  Greet, adoption day, follow up. Rescues may also require adopters to provide professional training and / or pet insurance after adoption. If things don't work out with a potential adopter, they will be professional and polite, and refer you to another reputable rescue who may be a better fit. Also, good rescuers stand behind their animals and adopters and offer support when able. 

https://www.petmd.com/cat/care/10-signs-bad-animal-rescue

When searching for an animal rescue to support, keep these things in mind, and do your research before assuming that all rescues are run by similarly caring people.

Review: FlowerTown Cat Collar

FlowerTown Cat Collar Review

This collar came exactly as shown in the listing. Colours are true to what is shown, and the personalized embroidery is accurate and good quality. 

The little tinkle bell is adorable. 

The sizing is very adjustable so it fits my cat well. 

It has a break-away closure so it is safe for kitties that go outside, but great for any cat. I would definitely recommend.

You can purchase this collar for your own kitty in multiple different colours and personalize the embroidery as well, at:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07544Y24D/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Review: iPhone 11 Case

iPhone 11 Case: Black

Quality
Please note: this is not an iPhone brand case; it is a black case that fits iPhone 11, 11 Pro, and 11 Pro Max.
This case is a good quality overall. It feels like a smooth, hard plastic. It will offer a good amount of protection to your phone. It has a grip on the inside, as can be seen in the photos, which will help your phone to stay inside, and it also fits the phone well.

Feel
The case is made of a nice smooth, thick, and hard plastic material. It feels good in the hand, and it looks good overall. I like the matte black of this case, it is very sleek. I personally enjoy the rubbery feeling cases more, and feel those provide more protection to the phone if dropped, but this one feels to be quite good quality.

Overall
Overall, this is a great case. Is it worth the cost? I would say it is. This case is $30 USD. This is around the same price as other brand name cases of similar quality. I have seen cases cheaper on sites like wish.com, but the quality of those tends to be lacking, and they won't last as long, nor offer your phone quality protection. I feel this is a good investment for your phone and would recommend overall.

This case can be purchased at https://www.bestbuy.com/site/reviews/saharacase-classic-case-for-apple-iphone-11-pro-black/6378753?variant=A

Book Review: "Who You Were Meant to Be"

Book Review: "Who You Were Meant to Be" (Author: Moshe Sharon)

Main Parts of the Book

This book is mainly divided up into 5 sections, which Sharon refers to as "Insights". The insights are as follows:

'First Insight - The Mission is Always Directed Towards Others
Second Insight - No One Will Perform Your Mission for You
Third Insight - Your Talents Hint at Your Mission
Fourth Insight - Even Failure Connects to Your Mission
Fifth Insight - The Mission Implies a Higher Source'

The next 3 sections consist of 3 stories, which are in order:
'The Story of a Messenger The Penny Dropped
The Story of a Messenger Who is Not Good at Anything
The Story of a Messenger From Egoism to Altruism'

You may already be able to tell just from the titles of these sections whether or not this book is attractive to you. The author insists that the book can be of help to everyone, no matter where they may be on their journey of finding their purpose.

Purpose of the Book

The author states the purpose of the book as four-fold:
"a. To help you connect to the idea of a mission.
b. To find out exactly what your mission is.
c. To translate the insights we discover in everyday reality.
d. To offer solutions for the fears that arise in some of you."

Many people do not believe that they have a mission in life, and if they do, they may have no clue what their mission is. This book will help you to at least consider the above purposes, and hopefully set you on your journey, or satisfy you in your work along your journey.

Is it for Me?

That depends. The book starts off with a strong emphasis on Kabbalah, Jewish, and Christian beliefs, stories, and leaders' quotes. The book in itself does not require that you are of any particular religious faith, but there are definitive spiritual undertones throughout the book. If you are closed-minded to spirituality and believe that religion serves no purpose in human life, then this book may not be for you. However, if you are open to the role that spirituality plays in the present and past development of humanity, you will likely benefit from the insights in this book.

My Favourite Part

My personal favourite part of this book is that it has personal exercises for you to fill out within the book. These exercises help to personalize the book, and I love books that have exercises like this, where you can think about how it applies to your specific life, and it encourages you to answer questions that you may or may not have though about before, and then apply it to your life.
If you like the idea of this book, and want to check it out for yourself, you can find it at  https://www.amazon.com/Who-You-Were-Meant-Be-ebook/dp/B07N6FXWSV

Check out my review on Youtube at https://youtu.be/uu6dLUQRyJ8

Like us on Facebook at facebook.com/rrrescueresort

Find us on Instagram at RRRescueresort

Book Review: "The 10 Paths of Self Healing"

Review of "Walking the 10 Paths of Self Healing"

I have really enjoyed reading this book. The author asks so many questions that encourage the reader to reflect inward and find personal answers to those questions, which will help develop knowledge of the self. The author has really been through so much, and turned inward for self-healing. The entire book is for self improvement, and that has to be your goal if you plan on reading this book. I would recommend it to anyone who is having trouble emotionally, physically, spiritually; There is so much encouragement to build yourself up and know your own strengths, and work on your weaknesses.

Here is a small excerpt from a passage on Drawing Closer and finding a healing space for yourself:

Check out my video review at: https://youtu.be/s8Ye5_sXFTk

You can read this book too at https://www.amazon.com/Walking-10-Paths-Self-Healing/dp/1676167706

Velcro Dart Board Review

Here's my review for the Gdaytao Velcro Dart Board:

My nieces and nephews will love playing with this when they come to visit! The Velcro balls stick well when they hit the board. The bright colours are fun. The board is super easy to put up on the wall for when the kids come, and easy to take down when they leave. It's lightweight and a great toy / game for everyone!

 You can check out my full review video here,and please subscribe to our channel: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ToMU7Azoe6o

Like us on Facebook at Find us on Instagram at Instagram.com/rrrescueresort

Our website is www.rayray1632.wix.com/rrrescueresort

You can find and purchase this product at:https://www.amazon.com/Gdaytao-Sticky-Classic-Adults-Inches/dp/B07XMBZDQH/ref=cm_cr_srp_d_product_top?ie=UTF8