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

12 - The Oakville Beaver Weekend, Saturday June 28, 2008 www.oakvillebeaver.com Call immediately when your pet is lost More than 5,000 animals a year find themselves at the Oakville & District Humane Society. For every 10 dogs coming into the shelter, eight will return home, but for cats only two out of 10 will be as lucky. Improving the odds of reconnecting with your lost pet is just a phone call away. noted Rachel Furness, of the Society's Customer Care Department. "If not, we at least have the appropriate information to help us match your animal to your lost report in the event it is picked up." Prevention is key to keeping your animal safe at home. To help improve the odds of reconnection in the event of loss, make sure that your animal has up-to-date identification and that you have a current picture. "Dogs in Oakville are required by law to wear an annual dog licence and cats to wear identification," stated Furness. "These are useful tools for matching lost pets with their owners. If the animal has a microchip, is tattooed or is wearing a name tag these also help to shorten the time it takes to reconnect a pet with its owner." Current identification is critical to a quick reconnection, it is also a message to anyone who finds your pet that it has an owner. Make sure your dog's identification is worn on a flat collar, and for cats on a quick release collar. If your animal is not wearing any visible identification, people may assume it is a stray and looking for a home and may choose to keep the animal instead of reporting their find. Even if your pet leaves home with identification, these items can fall off or be removed. Check the Humane Society every two days by telephone and visit the shelter at least once a week to go through the building's public adoption viewing and behind-thescenes kennel areas. "People sometimes visit the shelter and forget to tell the reception staff that they are looking for their lost pet. They immediately go to the adoption areas for dogs or cats and when they do not see their pet there, they are disheartened and leave. What they do not realize is that the public area is only a small portion of the areas in the building that we house lost/stray animals," added Furness. In actual fact, while there are often 19 dogs and 90 cats in the public viewing adoption areas, there can be more than 150 other animals in the building. When you visit the Humane Society please tell the receptionist that you are looking for your lost pet. Bringing in a current picture of your animal is also helpful. The colouring and unique markings of your pet can be important when matching animals picked up by Animal Protective Services staff. Leaving the picture on loan at the shelter will help with the matching process. In addition to calling and visiting the Society, there are other ways to help locate your lost pet. "Indoor cats are most likely to bolt when startled outdoors. The good news is that they usually don't travel too far. Look for a dark place that they might be hidden -- low hanging bushes, garages, sheds and decks. Cats can hide for days. Dogs are more likely to travel familiar routes," added Heather White, Community Outreach and Education Manager. If your pet is missing or you find a lost animal, immediately report it to the Oakville & District Humane Society at 905-845-1551. Typically, owners will wait several days before calling the lost and found department at the Society. The time lapse between first knowing the pet has gone and the phone call can be costly, but reporting the loss is not and can save unnecessary worry and grief. "When you leave a lost report at the Society we begin the process of trying to connect that information with an animal at the shelter, or that may have just come through the door. With 15 animals on average being picked up a day we may have your animal," Think Green. Breathe Easy. HUGE CENTRAL AIR & FURNACE $ Up to SALE BEST PRICES EVER! 2950* MANUFACTURERS CASH BACK Cash Back What's keeping you from having your dream kitchen? Consider these time, mess & cost saving options... a. Renew your cabinets with our unique "Tune-up". Our exclusive process restores and repairs the finish on wood cabinets (and any other woodwork in your home) to 90-95%. Time: 1 day Mess: almost none Cost: a fraction of replacement. AND NO PAYMENT! NO INTEREST! FOR 6 MONTHS *OAC HYDRO CASH BACK UP TO UP TO UP TO $1400 + $1000 + $550 GOV. CASH BACK *Call for details. Financing Available b. Reface You may already own half of your new kitchen! If your cabinet boxes are in good shape, why pay to replace them? Choose from the largest selection of door styles and finishes available anywhere. See our website for ideas. Time: typically 2-4 days Mess: we clean every day and you never lose use of your kitchen Cost: 40-60% less than the cost of a new kitchen 8 Locations To Serve You Better! 905-849-4998 www.aireone.com 1-888-827-2665 c. Re-style Turn the kitchen you have into the one you want. If you choose to Reface, we can change many other things you don't like about your kitchen. Add an island, pantry, molding or even new cabinets to match the refaced cabinets. Time: usually 3-5 days Mess: low disruption, thoroughly cleaned daily, often no loss of use Cost: considerably less than replacement Having a Baby? avin ving y? W Welcome Wagon W can help! Exciting door prizes & gift bags for every mom-to-be, come and experience what a Welcome Wagon Baby Shower has to offer. d. Replace Sometimes it's the only way to get what you need. Our Designers will help you create a new custom kitchen that perfectly reflects your personal taste, goals and budget. e. Don't forget the countertop: With so many exciting options available, we will help you to select the right countertop to put the finishing touch on your dream kitchen. Free Design Consultation & Estimate 905.637.3331 Showroom 3480 Fairview St., Burlington (Hours: 10-6 pm M-F, Saturday 11-3) Please contact Welcome Wagon for information regarding the next Baby Shower in your area! For further information and to receive an invitation, contact: Eight "Trustpoints" set Kitchen Tune-Up apart. We guarantee our estimates - guarantee our work - arrive on time - clean work areas daily - return messages within 24 hours - strive for harmony with your daily routine - tell you what we're going to do before we do it - listen carefully, tell it straight and keep our promises. kitchentuneup.com Kitchen Tune-Up, a division of KTU Worldwide, Inc. is a system of more than 300 independently owned and operated franchises 1-866-283-7584 www.welcomewagon.ca w.