His family said goodbye and he watched as they went out the door and drove away.  He waited excitedly by the window for them to return.  He sat there for many hours.  He looked anxiously at every passing car, hoping to see them.  He grew hungry and thirsty, but his food and water dishes were empty.  It got dark outside and there were no lights on in the house; he became afraid.  Days passed and his family still didn’t return.  He wondered if he had done something wrong. He wondered if his family didn’t love him any longer. How could that be?  They had promised to take care of him for a lifetime. Lonely, scared and cold, he tried to find food, but there was none.  After a week, his legs grew tired and he couldn’t get up any longer.  His eyes lost the sparkle they always had. 

Just when his strength was ebbing away, the door opened and the couple who had bought the house from his family entered.  They were shocked to find a sweet cat in acute distress. They gave him food and water he so desperately needed and they tried to comfort him.  They would have loved to keep him, but the wife was allergic to cats.  So they took him to the NS SPCA Colchester Shelter.  He was safe now. 

He had no name, so the Shelter staff named him Tanner.  When he arrived in April, 6-year old Tanner was severely emaciated, had ear mites, fleas and a grade 2 heart murmur.  He received necessary medical care, along with love and attention from the staff.

Ketrina Harnish-Keating and her partner Ryan Turnbull had lost their precious adopted cat Tobi Jackson to a brain tumor.  In June, they visited the Colchester Shelter and were drawn to Tanner.  “He had the most beautiful amber eyes”, says Ketrina.  “He was sitting in a corner and looked so sad.  The two of us had an instant connection and it didn’t take much to convince Ryan to bring him home.  A few eyelash flutters and pouts did the trick.”

Tanner was skittish in his new home for a few days, but then settled right in.  Ryan relates that “initially, we gave him lots of space and let him come to us for the most part.”  As for Tanner’s favorite things, Ryan says “Looking out the big window in the living room for hours. Cuddling into mom’s or dad’s neck and wearing the new bandana we bought him for Christmas. And lots of treats!” He now has a baby cat-sister, Temmie, that the couple adopted last fall.  “It took some time and patience, but they’re good friends now; we find them playing or curled up together.”

The most surprising thing about Tanner is how amazing he is with children.  “I work at a daycare and he’s come to work with me for full days”, Katrina states.  “The children love him and he’s very gentle with them. The 5-10 year olds in the after-school program feed Tanner, brush and play with him, and clean his litter box.  It’s a great way to teach kids responsibility.”

Luckily Tanner’s story had a happy ending.  Not all abandoned animals are so fortunate.  Last year alone, the Nova Scotia SPCA investigated 89 cases of abandonment.  There is NEVER a good reason to abandon your pet when there are other safe alternatives available.  Ketrina’s advice?  “Pets are totally dependent on us.  It’s heartbreaking to think of the trauma that an abandoned pet must endure.  Take them to the SPCA where they will be cared for while they wait for a loving home.”  The couple’s final thoughts?  “The SPCA has been everything to Tanner.  They nursed him back to health, and gave him the love, care and attention he so desperately needed after he was abandoned. The NS SPCA is important to the community, animals and families they serve.  We’re disheartened to think where the animals they care for would be without them.”

Imagine yourself standing before a swinging rope bridge that crosses a deep ravine.  You look down and your heart leaps into your throat.  A stranger on the other side encourages you to cross, telling you it’s safe.  They hold out their hand and say you can trust them.  But fear makes it hard to take that first step.  

And so it goes with some homeless animals whose lives have not been filled with the care, love and attention that they deserve.  Their fear is often greater than their hope of finding love. We need to build a bridge of trust between what was and what can be before an animal can take their first steps towards a new life.

Take Roy for example.  The handsome 5-year old Rotti-Shepherd mix was surrendered in August 2018 to the NS SPCA Cape Breton Shelter by owners who were not able to care for him adequately.  Physically, Roy was in good health, but emotionally, he was fragile.  He was disengaged, depressed and very frightened. It took Roy several days to allow staff to interact with him. He was afraid of sudden movements and cowered or hid when anyone new was present.  Very food-motivated, treats were often the only way for staff to get close to him.

Roy needed much patience, time and love.  Shelter staff devoted extra time daily to socializing him and helping him gain confidence.  It took several weeks, but Roy learned to trust them.  Little by little, he was becoming braver but was still terrified of new people.  Then in November, Sheilah MacDonald visited the shelter and Roy’s life changed.

Over the next three weeks, Sheilah visited every few days, building his trust through baby steps. With the help of the staff, she convinced Roy to approach using his favorite food.  “I also brought a pair of my socks along one day to leave with him in his kennel, so he could get used to my smell.”  Eventually, they went for a walk. “Roy didn’t want me behind him at all; I had to be beside him or in front.”  One day, a stranger entered the shelter, “Roy was so scared, he put his paw on my leg and moved closer.  I was able to pet him for the very first time,” Sheilah relates. “I promised that day if he chose me, I’d give him a loving home.”

At his new home, Roy was scared at first.  “If I approached him, he would literally walk his feet backwards up the wall to get as far away as possible. He moved from one spot to another so slowly; always keeping me in view.” But every day since is a step forward in his amazing transformation.  Roy loves to go for walks and adores belly scratches now.  He’s learned how to play and is making friends with the people in Sheilah’s life.

He also has made other dog friends and he likes children.  “He’s learned that the people I introduce him to are kind to animals,” says Sheilah.  Yet among the milestones Roy is achieving, reminders of his past still surface.  “If my feet scuff as we walk, he crouches and gets ready to run. If the wind catches the door, fear flashes in his eyes.”

What lesson does Roy’s story teach us, I asked Sheilah?  “Time and patience are key if you want to have a strong trusting bond with an animal.  Roy didn’t trust at first.  He had no reason to.  His experience with people was not positive.  I couldn’t do anything about that. I couldn’t take that experience away but I could give him a second, better life with safety, security and love.”

“I’m so proud of Roy”, says Sheilah. “We met exactly two months ago, and he’s come such a long way in a short time.  It hurts my heart to think of what Roy’s life would be like if it wasn’t for the NS SPCA.  This gentle soul spent 5 years living without the love and kindness he deserved. Thanks to the SPCA, Roy never has to live that way again.”