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NORTH SHORE SPECIALIST
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Pat Kavanagh 250-319-7938
Goose bumps and the cinematic ugly cry
kavanaghpat06@gmail.com office: 250-554-4511 51-700 Tranquille Rd
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Volume 15 Number 28 | 50¢ Alicia Ashcroft
July 13, 2016
BEST-WEST REALTY LTD.
Furry love for Pilots N Paws program Harry Ha Ha is a truly magnificent little dog that has had a tremendous rise to fame. His owner Shirley McCaffrey is quite the impressive lady herself. Shirley’s passion for animal welfare made for a very captivating and powerful conversation. Tears and laughter flowed freely from both interviewer and interviewee during a chat at a local dog park on a sunny morning. In the summer of 2012 Shirley, aka “Harry’s mom” had seen a poster for Pilots N Paws Canada (PNPC), a registered national charitable organization that provides free domestic air transportation for abandoned, abused and injured animals. The group is registered with 208 rescue organizations and shelters throughout Canada and helps both wildlife and companion animals get to adoptive families, veterinarians and other safe places. The group launched by Gini Green, a Canadian dog trainer and rescue advocate, is completely operated by volunteers, including 250 pilots who volunteer their
evacuated dogs during the 2003 North Thompson fires. Harry was being nursed back to health after the BCSPCA had rescued him and a number of dogs abandoned by a puppy mill in the forest outside 109 Mile. All cracked skin and bones and covered in lesions and scabs, with serious mange, Harry hardly had any hair on his frail little body. In fact, “Harry Ha Ha” was a tongue in cheek moniker given to the hairless pup. In the end, Harry was the only survivor out of all the rescued dogs and Shirley happily became his caretaker. She estimates that it took a solid three years for Harry to heal emotionally and physically. She was often woken in the night by Harry howling and crying in his sleep but as he learned he was very loved, safe and secure, his nightmares stopped. He also has long-standing food issues; she says that Harry treats planes and time to help. every meal as his last. Wanting to get involved, Now Harry Ha Ha, the once Shirley volunteered her 30+ wild and wounded pup found years of visual design skills wandering in the woods is a for their promotional mate- famous dog, featured on all rials; took a photograph of Pilots N Paws Canada broHarry wearing little goggles chures, banners, posters, cofin the cockpit of a friend’s fee mugs, stamps and bumper plane and the rest, as they stickers. He even has his own say, is history. fan club and Facebook page! Shirley met Harry thirteen Recently, Harry Ha Ha’s image years ago at Central Animal greeted people to the PNPC info Hospital while exercising - continued on page 2
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