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Dont let love Hes cute little fella isnt he Just right for threeyearold Johnnie for Christmas or for sister Sue who lives in small apartment in downtown Toronto Hes cute now and hes small now but bear in mind he will grow Will Johnnie or Sue be able to cope with humungous Labrador retriever Examiner Photo Eightrmonthrold William Thomas of Spruce Grove Alberta is pictured here hooked up to oxygen and monitor tubes before surgeons fix the hole in his heart in surgery in Edmonton on Sunday December CP Laserphoto as $35 Pediatric cardiac surgeon Dr Robert Fortune waits patiently for the repaired heart of eightmonthold William Thomas to resume beating At right the baby is back in the arms of his mother Betsy Thomas CP Laserphato By MARY DELANEY The Examiner Every little girls Christmas dream is cuddly kitten under the tree with big red bow tied around his neck Right And theres nothing like the companionship of puppy for the middleaged couple whose children have finally left the nest Then theres the gal who just loves cats and has always regretted having her female cat spayed Shed love little kit ten Surprise somebody with pet for Christmas Something to add life to dreary apartment companion for single per son entertainment for ram bunctious sevenyearold The perfect gift right Wrong What may seem like the perfect solution to the gift giving doldrums contains number of catches some of wiich can be tragic for the reci pient and for the pet Donna Koens supervisor of the Barrie Humane Society discourages anyone who wants to buy cat or dog gift for someone else You want to buy your husband dog fine 77 br ing him in and let him choose his own puppy she says The pattern for Christmas has already started nc morn ing this week woman had to bring in kitten Her daughter 10 years old had bought the cat in pet shop as gift for her mother She didnt know her brother was allergic to cats Thats only one example of the things that can go wrong TIIRIIY GROW Puppies are cute and cuddly when theyre puppies But puppies have dismaying tendency of growing into big ungainly dogs that dat moun tainous amounts of food have to be taken for walks leave messes on the lawn and have to be dogsat when you go on vaca tion The kitten or puppy may only cost you few dollars to buy but the upkeep costs are ris ing phenonmenonly The cost of food kennels shots visits to the vet and spaying or neuter Ix the examiner Wednesday Dee 51979 swa our judgement ing mean that many people cant afford any pets let alone two or three Bear in mind that if there is already one animal in the house it may be jealous Jealousy bet ween dowager cat and boun cy new kitten is not pleasant sight It can even become violent Noone wants to see the Christmas kitten mauled on Boxing Day Even if you know the person loves animals remember they may not be able to have pet in the building where they live Bear in mind too the size of his or her house and yard dog needs lots of room and place to be walked If you do decide to give Christmas pet perhaps to your own child and know it will be loved and well treated there are still things to consider If the child is young dont get puppy that will outgrow him Saint Bernard full grown will inspire more fear than fun in threeycarold And if the child is very ac tive with tendency to tear apart his Christmas toys before you sit down to Christmas dine ner perhaps you should wait until hes little older Pets are living creature not play things Perhaps the best idea is to give yourself pet for Christmas tr else give the per son you want to surprise card with note inviting them to Christmas pet not the cats meow chose their own ll tend as your treat An animal is not sweater to be exchanged or thrown out And that is too often the case when animals are given as sur prise gifts Abuse neglect and abandonment are all too com mon So if you know an apartment that needs livening up give plant For that middleaged couple whose kids have finally left home bear in mind theyre probably loving the freedom At last they can take vacation And for that single friend who needs companion sign them up with computer dating Dont give them pet The paws reach out to you and the purr boxes start up instantly Its hard to be hardhearted when you walk through the animal shelter but its kinder in the long run not to give an animal for Christmas if the pet will be mistreated neglected or returned to the shelter because the recipient doesnt want it Examiner Photo The sign reads For adoption Before you go to pet shop check the local Humane Society animal shelter You may find just the companion you want perfect for your size home budget Four generations assembled recently at the home of Mr and Mrs James Rugman of Midhurst for family photo Pictured are back row from left Everett Rugman and daughter Nancy Frankcom holding her daughter Nicole Mrs Tina Brandt her mother Mrs Patricia Four generation and tastes But dont choosing the perfect pet for somebody else The result may be tragic Examiner Photo make the mistake of if in Midhurst Brandt and grandmother Dorothy Rugman front row left to right James Rugman 83 and great granddaughter Charity Frankcom Mrs James Rugman Mrs Richard Milford and great grand daughter Danielle Brandt Mr Richard Milford 83 Pth0 by Favero Gardeanotes Dant forget to feed birds By JEAN GABLE Of The Barrie Horticultural Society This column is usually about about birds not only because birds are part of most gardens but because so many people in our area have birds and spend money and take time to feed them Others plant their gardens with shrubs that please the birds We moved into our house in midMay 1944 There had been no garden here and cedar hedge was very short There were some mountain ash trees and three huge elms on the street edge of the property The first summer sap sucker ringed all the ash trees and they had to be taken down That bird was so tame you could almOSt touch it and didnt realize what it was doing to our trees That first fall milkman who was very handy made us survival bird feeder 1t sat on tall post at the edge of the garden and the wind turned it was young then and did not mind ploughing through three feet of snow daily to feed the birs Because the feeder was in open great variety of birds came What picture thay made all feeding together What food some knocked down others picked up off the snow All through the years have continued bird feeding and bird watching from the house windows Today there is whole array of different feeders from suet logs to fancy feeders made by friends to Javex bottles made into feeders and hung on the clothesline There is suet in mesh bags on every trellis on the porch and under the eaves Already even though we have had little snow downy woodpeckers one hairy woodpecker chickadees in numbers white breasted nuthatches and blue jays galore are here So far there are no sparrows no starlings or pigeons but they will come We have pair of cardinals visit some times but they ar not regulrs EXPENSIVE Every year the evening grossbeaks come and am glad this year it is not yet as they eat so many sunflowers it is hard on the grocery budget Later on there will be white throated sparrows juncos tree sparrows pine siskins redpolls and finches Two crows are wintering nearby and often drop into the garden They have an eye on the compast heap Last winter hawk sat in shrub not ten feet away from where was watching at the kitchen window think it wanted our eat We have two cats but they are house cats and do their birding as do through the windows It is well to have very handy pair of binoculars and Petersons Field Euide to the Birds so you can identify newcomer have had flock of cedar wax wings come year after year to high bush cranberry shrub One year grouse spent several weeks in white spruce in the corner of our property It also fed on cranberries If you are not already bird watcher make it new hobby this winter You will find it most rewarding and it will sure help to pass the winter Just remember one thing if you start to feed the birds you must continue or they may starve They come to rely on you so dont let them down SOCIETY NEWS This Thursday Barrie Horticultural Society elects new board There will be some new but well known people in our community on it 1979 has been very fruitful year in the Societys work There has been excellent cooperation from city boards and all the media We have no reason to believe 1980 will be less successful Poll Pointers Oven wont clean itself DEAR PULLY Attach sturdy cup hooks along your roof overhang or wherever you usually hang Christmas tree lights out of doors Leave these hooks year round When the weather is cold hanging up the lights takes only short time Also would like to know how to clean selfcleaning oven that will not clean itself MRS IIH DEAR MRS IIH If an oven does not clean itself as it should it may mean that the cycle was set for too short period of time and should be lengthened or that it is not being selfcleaned often enough Never use oven cleaner on selfcleaning oven Before using the self cleaning cycle thorougth wipe out the oven interior with damp cloth Excess grease and spillovers need to be removed to avoid overloading the smoke eliminator POLLY Bgople and places Christmas Euchre The Interested Parents Assn of akley Park School will hold its annual Christmas euchre party executive PTA Dance be attending to member of the on Thursday December star ting at 730 pm at the school on Davidson Street Admission is $150 per person There will be coffee and light lunch and ten turkeys as prizes Decorations The Barrie Horticultural Society will hold an open meeting on Thursday December 730 pm at the Codrington St School Guest speaker will be Millie Door man giving instructions on how to make Christmas decora tions There will be draws and refreshments The door collec tion will be given to the Christmas Cheer Fund All welcome Le Leche League The next meeting of La Leche League will be held 930 am at the home of Claire Craig 315 Big Bay Point Road Painswick 7260809 on Thurs day December Sunny Park in Thursday December from 730 pm the Barrie and District Association for the Mentally Retarded will hold its official opening of the Sunny Park Childrens Centre 190 Cook St at Steel The public is invited AECE The Association for Early Childhood Edueation will hold its general meeting on Thurs day December from 730 pm at the Municipal Savings building second floor corner of Owen and Dunlap Streets Everyone is welcome For fur ther information pleasc call 7261426 72fiA13lti Bay International Bay International Com munications will hold its Christmas dance on Saturday December from 830 at the Sunnidale Community Centre Members $7 per couple nonmembers $10 per couple There will be DJ and buffet Tickets from any executive or by calling 7371955 Also at the Sunnidale Centre from 13 pm the same day there will be Christmas party for the children of members of Bay In tenizitional mnmunicatioiis Admission is free Please give the games of children who will St Marys School PTA will hold Christmas dance on Saturday December 830 pm at St Marys Parish Hall Tickets are $8 per couple and include meal There will be cash bar Tickets are available at the door or by calling 7281997 Peanuts The Barrie French Nursery School is presenting the Ieanuts film Itun for your Life Charlie Brown at the Georgian College theatre on Saturday December at 1245 and 230 pm Tickets are $125 per person and can be purchased at the Young Canada Shop Birch Stationary the PCPC office on Bell Farm Road or by phon ing 7370024 or 7373905 or at the door St James UCW The St James UCW is holding bazaar white elephant table and bake sale in the church basement on Satur day December from IO am until pm Toffee tea and muffins will be served Adults 75 cents children 50 cents hristian Singles The Collier Christian Singles will be having an evening of bridge Saturday December from 730 pm On Sunday December ti at 730 pm at the church there will be tape and discussion on the topic of remarriage Phone 7263533 for further information Animal Party Christmas party for the animals will be held at the shelter of the Barrie Humane Society between and pm Sunday December Everyone is welcome to come and visit the animals admission is gift same dog or cat food for the animals There will be sleigh rides with huskies for the kids and Santa will be there Big Sisters The annual Big Sisters hristmas Party will be held at the Sunnidale Centre Sunday December from 130 pm All Big Sisters Little Sisters and board members are invited to attend There will be food films and fun and Santa will be there Any unmatched Little Sisters can call 7372092 for ride