… with Trina Loder, originally from Hay Cove
Trina is originally from Hay Cove, she was born in St. Anthony. Since 2002, she has lived in Whitecourt, Alberta. Whitecourt is approximately 177 km northwest of Edmonton. Trina has five dogs and a cat.
Trina, why on earth do you have so many pets?
(She laughs.) I don`t have kids! I suppose my love for dogs comes from my family who also adores dogs. My mother has two dogs and my sister has two dogs. But I also have a cat.
You seem to favour Miniature Pinschers!
Yes, I have four of them. In 2006, we got our first, Tia. She is a Stag Red which is a variation of Miniature Pinschers. Tia is turning 8 years old in July. I really love this breed!
Why?
It is something about them that speaks to my heart. They are very lovable and very loyal. I wish I could explain it better.
What kind of other Miniature Pinschers do you have?
Tessa is a Chocolate Miniature Pincher. She was born on April Fool`s day in 2009.
Then I have Dora who is a black and tan Miniature Pinscher.
There is a funny story about Dora. When we first got Tia, there was another Min Pin (Miniature Pinscher) for sale, but we couldn’t afford both at that time so we chose Tia.
We were told that the people who bought the other Min Pin named her Dora .One day I was looking on Kijiji and I happened to see an ad for Dora with the same birthdate as Tia. I called the lady and it ended being Tia’s sister. We were so happy and it was fate! Tia cost us 900 dollars from a pet store. I found out Dora’s owners had paid 1200 dollars for her.
This is a lot of money even for a dog!
Now in hindsight I would never support a pet store by purchasing an animal. Most of them are from backyard breeders! I also would not ever buy an animal from Kijiji since there are so many bad people out there. My next dog will be a rescue dog from a reputable rescue!
What made you change your mind about pet ads on Kjiji and about pet stores?
There is such an overpopulation of dogs. I wish there was a law that would stop breeding of dogs for a while. In Edmonton for instance, there are so many reports of animal abuse. Earlier this year I attended a peaceful rally at the Legislature to amend the bill which would see harsher penalties for those that abuse or neglect dogs.
But many people advertise their pets on the Classifieds.
Yes, I know. There are so many dogs being re-homed because either somebody is allergic or there is a new baby or people are moving. I say it is not fair to the animals. If people cannot make a commitment for at least 15 years, they should not get a dog. It’s so unfair to the dogs who only want to be loved.
All animals are voiceless, so it’s up to us to have that voice for them. Re-homing can have very bad consequences! The majority of dogs on the classifieds are also not spayed or neutered which is another huge problem. I’m a huge dog advocate who believes the key to overpopulation is education of those who deal with dogs. Spaying and neutering is the answer! And also the health benefits are awesome!
Do you think people are aware of the dangers of pet ads on Buy and Sale`s on
the internet?
I don`t think many people are. That is why I always write a comment like “Make sure your pet goes to a good home!”. There is a suspected dog fighting ring in Edmonton and some people’s pets have gone missing. What if someone`s pet ends up in these circles? What an awful fate for a dog! There are also a lot of bad people out there who get pets in order to torture them. It’s so important to get the word out there!
Who is your other Miniature Pinscher?
My fourth dog is a rescue dog, according to me. She was owned by an elderly couple who could no longer care for her. Olive turned 10 in February and is also a Black and Tan Miniature Pincher. Imagine, her former owners paid 2800 dollars for her at the pet store. It is just crazy!
But you have five dogs!
Yes, our fifth dog is Juna, she is a Black Lab mixed with a Golden Retriever. I got her from my stepdaughter because Juna kept running away. They did not have a fenced yard and lived in the city. So my stepdaughter brought her here because we have four acres of land. Plenty of space for the dogs to run!
And your cat, does he like that many dogs?
My cat is Milo and he is all black and no, not really. He stays away from them during the day. At night, he likes to socialize, but only with one dog at a time.
Have a look at Trina`s blog furryfab5
