Something totally different. Dr Phil, I got very upset when I read all over about your and Robin’s “divorce”. True or not, DON’T DO IT. Not after so many years. You won’t be happy nor will Robin. You belong together. All you gotta do is treating her (at home without cameras) like a queen and she will be your slave. Heard stories of you behaving very nasty off-cameras. If it’s true, change it please. Robin is a wonderful beautiful lady, the prettiest I’ve ever seen. Love her, adore her, cherish her and YOU will be a very happy man too.

Please note: I was advised by email from the only “Pet Friendly” Human Shelter in Toronto when I found it on the internet that they believed when they replied to my email asking if we could go there that theythought they were the only “Pets Welcome” Human Shelter in the entire Province of Ontario! I had tried to find others closer to where I was living – but even though one had a cat living in it, their policy was still what I had experienced at other Emergency Shelters I had contacted or stayed at “no pets allowed”! so we, me and my cat, travelled to Toronto hoping to get into the only “Pets Welcome” Human Shelter in the Province but were unable to.

You may be wondering what happened to the others pets I had years ago. That family had all passed being many years ago and I now had a new family (human(s) + pet(s) = family) and I tried eveything I knew, given our situation, to keep us together trying to get into the Human Shelter that would welcome me and my feline family.

It seemed to me that the conclusion of Toronto’s only “Pet Friendly” human shelter was right! I couldn’t find any others – that’s what made it necessary to fly to Vancouver with my cat in the cabin and at my feet!

This is pretty serious isn’t it?

I am writing about human shelters and the need for humans to be able to bring their PETS with them to stay in the same room with them in the human shelters as lomg as they are there.

I was living in a relationship that had gone sour and the man became abusive. I knew I had to leave but how? Although I had no children, I had 1 large dog and 3 cats that were mine. I loved them and they loved me and were totally dependant upon me. I needed them as much as they needed me – we were family (human(s) + pet(s) = family) in my opinion and also in many other people’s opinions too!

I was told I was welcome at a shelter, in Ontario, Canada, but my pets were not. As a result, I had to stay with an abuser longer than was wise because I could not leave MY PETS alone with an abuser and the shelter would not welcome US.

Another time, another town, different year, but I didn’t ask this time and I took my cat with me to another Emergency Women’s Shelter, in another town. We were moving from a small town with few jobs to a larger town with I hoped more jobs.

When it was discovered, after we had lived there for one week, that I had a cat with me, I was given two hours to decide whether I wanted the companionship of my cat my reason to live or Will to live OR help? shelter, food, clothing and use of a phone (the necessities of life or the ability to live) – not because anyone was sick because of the presence of a cat, no one had been rushed to emergency because my cat was there, and no one had died as a result of the presence of a cat – it was just policy, “no pets allowed” I chose, as many would, to have the companionship of my cat.

My cat and I were, with our stuff, escorted to the door and we had walk through the door of the shelter to the sidewalk in the dark, in winter, in a snow storm, in a town I didn’t know my way around and had no money in order to stay at a hotel or motel and hostels do not welcome pets with the humans that stay in them.

We could have frozen and had no where else to go.

I knew only one person in town – a pastor’s daughter who I had asked directions from on the day I came to see the town to decide whether I wanted to move there and we had a nice visit together and promised to meet again if I did move to the town.

Her father, the pastor heard about our plight, from his daughter the next day and he spoke to the shelter staff and that same day the head woman of the Emergency Women’s Shelter personally came to see me and my cat and kindly invited me and my cat back.

We did return and stayed there one more week – only – because during that time I found work and a place for us to live!

Please note: all during that second week again, no one was sick because of the presence of a cat, no one was rushed to emergency and no one died either because of the presence of a cat!!! Why then were we tossed out? Why are shelters allowed to have “no pet” policies? What’s the point – Why should we, and if us, a whole lot of other people too, be offered the necessities of life or the reason to live, the Will to live for many, the presence, love and companionship of our pets – especially since pets are with humans on the sidewalks, in planes for hours and cannot be hindered from tenancies in Ontario?

I found the following information on the internet:

The population of Ontario on January 1st 2011 is approximately 13,215,334.

The landlords and tenants are under the:

Residential Tenancies Act, 2006

S.O. 2006, CHAPTER 17

“No pet” provisions void

14. A provision in a tenancy agreement prohibiting the presence of animals in or about the residential complex is void. 2006, c. 17, s. 14.

Since the above is true, and it has worked since 2006 and since all men (humans) are created equal, I think it would be reasonable and fair if the above section (14.) from the Residential Tenancies Act should be added to all Canada and United States tenancy situations and short term housing ie human shelters, especially since the most prestigeous temporary housing situations in Canada and the United States both presently have pets in them being the residence of Prime Minister Stephen Harper and his family, who are pet lovers and have 3 permanent resident cats in their family and have fostered close to 100 cats while living at 24 Sussex Dr. in Ottawa, and President Barak Obama annd his family are also pet lovers and have a dog named Bo in their family.

Since it works to have pets in the most prestegeous temporary residences of Canada and the United States, i follows that having pets where people live should also work in lesser temporary housing situations, and since it works in the Province of Ontario and it should also work in other Provinces and States too!

I really think that this would be something that the Prime Minister and the President and their families, as ones who love pets and have pets in their family, would understand and help to change the above type of situations as a lasting legacy for themselves when they are in their 90’s and no longer living where they presently are, and for their children and grandchildren and their pets too.

Further, because of the policy of “no pets” in most human shelters, me and my cats have been homeless in the most serious way, not sleeping in a car, or at the homes of family or friends but sleeping on concrete, wood pallet, in bushes, behind businesses, sheds with no heat, water or hydro in order to stay together – sometimes strangers have invited us into their homes for various periods of time but that has been in between the other types of situations. This seems really wrong since the onlyt issue is that I have a cat.

Another time my friend paid for my cat and I to fly from Toronto, in the Province of Ontario in Canada to Vancouver in the Province of British Columbia where there are a few “pet friendly” human shelters, (extra $50.00 for my cat to travel in the cabin with me at my feet) because for months we were unable to get into the only Pet Friendly Human Shelter in the City of Toronto with a population of 2,615,060 (2011) and she could not let us stay with her for an extended time because her parents owned the home where she and some students lived, but the parents came and used the extra room every other weekend, so as much as she wanted to help, and it was getting cold outside, we couldn’t stay there.

Sub note:

I found it interesting that people were in the cabin of the plane for hours as we flew from Toronto to Vancouver in the presence of my cat. No one was sick, no one tried to flee from the plane because of my cat and no one died either and many even chose to eat and drink on the plane even though my cat was present, and even seemed to enjoy the experience, even though a cat was present. I wondered, since people were staying in such a confined space for hours in the presence of a cat and there was no fuss in “heaven” why the fuss in human shelterson “earth”?

Also, since we are allowed to eat and drink in the presence of pets in “heaven” (in the cabins of planes) why aren’t our pets allowed into coffee houses and restaurants with us on “earth” like they are in other countries such as British pubs and stores and restaurants in France, and Spain etc.?

Our citizens of Canada and the United States return home from these experiences in other countries to live normal lives having survived the pets being present when they eat and drink in “heaven” on Air Canada and other airlines and in foreign countries with their pets allowed to be inside eateries, drinkeries and businesses, which of course is the “New Wave” in Canada and the United States to take pets to work with us, I guess since science finally proved what humans have known from creation, that pets are good for people, in fact so good that a whole service industry was started called “pet therapy” where pets are taken to people who can’t come to the pets or have pets for one reason or another – archacic laws that have gone too far to the right and need to be brought back to where the humans and their pets (human(s) + pet(s) = family) are being treated fairly – equally to those without pets.

After arriving at the airport in Vancouver, same day, me and my cat were happily and gratefully, sleeping on a mat on the floor, inside, warm and knowing breakfast was coming in the morning at the Emergency Women’s Shelter in Vancouver after living for months and in the cold and wet in Toronto because we could not get into the only “pet friendly” human shelter n Toronto.

It is my concern, that families stay intact especially after coming through something that qualifies them as needing Emergency Shelter – perhaps escaping from abuse, perhaps escaping from a burst pipe or fire or any other type of situation. That means, to me, pets and their humans even if fleeing from the abuse of another person, should stay together because human(s) + pet(s) = family. Most pet lovers would agree this is a true statement.

As a result I am requesting that everyone:

a. Find out where your nearest local human shelter is – the one that would meet your unique requirements – because shelters are created to fit different needs ie people escaping abuse could need Emergency Women’s Shelters vs. ones for teenagers etc.

This is good to know for your own benefit as well as anyone in your neighbourhood who has an emergency and needs a place to stay to sort things through before the next stelp.

b. Find out whether your nearest local human shelter that suites your needs says “NO PETS ALLOWED” or “PETS WELCOME”

c. If pets are not allowed, and this is not the type of human shelter that you want in your community, gather all your friends and relatives in the area and ensure that the human shelter in your area is as you wish. If you wish the entire family kept intact, humans and pets then make sure that is what you have or start another human shelter in your area that is PET AND HUMAN FRIENDLYwith both staying together in the same room beside each other, and think of whatever else you may like to see at the “Pets Wecome” Human Shelter, if you ever had to use it andeput that in place too.

d. Put the information on the front of your refigerator door and make it a subject of conversation when people come to your kitchen of finding out where their closest human shelter is that WELCOMES PETS TO STAY BESIDE THEIR HUMANS IN THE SAME ROOM is so that if any of you or your friends or neighbours or they or their friends or neighbours have an emergency and need to know where to go quickly, you will be able to give them the information immediately. Also, if ever you or your family need a quick escape, as you run out the door with your children, pet(s), and photos, etc. you can grab the information about where the closest “pet friendly” human shelter that suits your needs is and be first in line, because you prepared ahead of the emergency.

There are many humans shelters and many animals shelters, but there are few human shelters that welcome humans and their PETS AND KEEP THE FAMILY INTACT -whole animals and people. It is my understanding this is a world wide issue. Therefore this information can be useful in any country have those who find out where there closest appropriate “Pets Welcome” Human Shelter is have them put that on the front of their refrigerator door and also start the conversation with those who visit their kitchen – and so on….

Everyone needs to know where their closest human shelter is that will meet their needs and especially shelters where humans and their pets can go. And, if there is not one close by, then their community needs to organize together for one to exist before an emergency occurs.

Let’s learn a lesson and be prepared before our own need arises – remembering the pets of Hurricane Katrina

epd3