Big Box, Small Hearts

The Important Details

I know you might not all read this entire post, so I’ll start at the end of my story. Afterall, this is the really important part.

I came across a kitten in the parking lot of Grant’s Independent this evening. He’s about 6 months old, and has his fuzzballs intact. He was wet, cold and sneezing. I brought him home, warmed him up, and have fed him. He’s very friendly with people and dogs, which leads me to believe that this is somebody’s kitten!

If you know of anyone who’s missing a kitten of this description, please call me: 519-364-6417 or email me: jody@viddyworks.ca.

The Backstory

Still reading? Good.

While walking Pal near Grant’s Independent, I spotted a worried looking woman with a kitten rubbing against her legs. We stopped, and took a few steps toward them. The kitten trotted over to Pal and I, obviously not alarmed by the dog at all. After we spoke a bit, I assured this kind woman, who was late picking up her kids, that I’d make sure the kitten got somewhere safe and warm.

I really wasn’t sure how this would go! Kitten and dog in the same car with no carrying cages? I had to do something though. I picked up the little guy, and stuffed him in my jacket. Lucky for all of us, he was just happy to be warm and out of the rain! He snuggled right in and purred between sneezes. I drove home with him like that, snuggled in my jacket, one hand holding him and the other switching between the wheel and the shift, all with a friendly dog nose over my shoulder!

The Upsetting Part

If you’re familiar with Hanover’s big box area, you’ll know that Grant’s Independent shares a parking lot with Zellers, and is right near Canadian Tire. At Canadian Tire, I was told that I could not put a poster in their window! It’s against corporate policy! I snapped at the woman, but went back to apologize. My anger was misdirected; she didn’t make this rule.

I went on to the next one in line, Zellers, and got the same answer. This time, I kept my temper and handed them a poster, hoping that the little guy’s owner would inquire at some point.

After that, I went on to Grant’s Independent, in whose parking lot the little guy was found. Surely they would care, right? No such luck. I was livid, but I did not show it. The girls in customer service were just following orders, afterall. No posters anywhere, period! Corporate policy!

A Call to Action

I applaud businesses, large and small, who will do something to help their communities, even when it’s as small an act as putting up a little poster on their big glass doors. Shame on those big box stores for having such policies!

Consumers: please support businesses who are willing to support you. It’s the small businesses in your downtown core, not the big box stores on the outskirts that make a community. Real businesses run by real people.

Businesses of Hanover: please consider downloading and displaying a copy of the poster that I made up. If we can reunite the little guy with his family, it will be well worth the paper and ink.

Everyone: I know that there are people out there who feel the same way as I do: We need a no-kill animal shelter in Hanover! The animal control in this area is atrocious and needs to be improved. People who care about the strays they find end up taking them up to Owen Sound to OSAS, which is a wonderful place, but out of our area. Our municipal taxes don’t cover any of their costs, and it’s really not fair. We need something like it down here. Write to the post about it! I am planning to.