Animal passion

>>Keeping critters alive, fed and clean
a labour of love for SPCA Laval worker

by CHRIS BARRY

Name: Julie Laurin

Age: 23

Occupation: SPCA adoption/foster

Bio: This sassy Laval babe started her career with the Laval SPCA just over three years ago, volunteering for the endlessly glamorous task of cleaning up shit and washing animal cages. A committed woman with a strong sense of purpose, within three months, Julie had secured herself a paying gig with the organization, overseeing the shelter’s pet fostering program while also arranging the odd animal adoption, working especially closely with “animals that aren’t easily placed, like pregnant cats and dogs and older animals.” While she officially only works 40 hours a week, she says she ends up working much more than that because “I’m always thinking about my duties there, and I do a lot of stuff from home over the Internet as well.” That said, she may well soon find herself with a lot more time on her hands, as the Laval SPCA is scheduled to close its doors this summer with no plans on reopening anytime in the near future.

What will happen to the animals currently hangin’ at the Laval SPCA: “They’ll be going to the Montreal SPCA and/or adopted. We haven’t been accepting any animals for a while, so we only have 10 dogs looking for homes right now. We do, however, still have lots and lots of kittens here.”

If one were to morph into a four-legged creature who found themselves sheltered at the SPCA, what kind of beast would one want to be so far as finding a happy home is concerned? “A puppy from a breed of small dogs. What you wouldn’t want to be is a cat.”

The number of beasts she’s personally adopted since working at the SPCA: “Not that many really, I just moved into my own place two months ago and before that I was living with my parents, so I was kind of limited. I’ve adopted one cat who I’d fostered but just couldn’t bring back after awhile, another big old male cat that I’ve since had tattooed on my arm—he lived on the street for three years before finding me and he’s the best cat ever—and one dog who I adopted just before moving into my new place. Oh, and I have another cat who I adopted two weeks ago but may not be able to keep because he can’t get along with the dog and he attacked me the other day, lunging right at my face, so I’m very, very sad about it but I’ll probably have to find him a new home. And, uh, I also have two ferrets living with me.”

Is it better not to be too emotional about animals to do her gig? “No, you have to care about them, but it can be pretty hard sometimes. Not as many animals are put to sleep here as you might hear in the media—but it’s really trying when you have to put animals down because their owners just don’t care. That’s the hardest for me, being polite to these people who consider their pets as furniture and come here to simply discard them.”

Best part of the gig: “Saving lives.”

Worst part of the gig: “Not being able to save lives.”

Literary preferences: Tattoo magazines.

Musical preferences: Johnny Cash, Ignite, Rise Against.

Words of wisdom: “As Bob Barker would say, spay and neuter your pets.”

Comments: dimwit@hdot.net