Adopt-a-pet show a labour of love
Northern News Services
Yellowknife (Mar 21/01) - "It looks like his ear was either frozen or bit," says Rebecca Rossetti.
"Yes, he's missing a bit of his ear," agrees Denise Bicknell.
The topic of conversation is a thin, shy sled dog, sitting in a tense crouch at the feet of the two new hosts of Take Me I'm Yours.
For almost a year volunteers have been gathering once a month in the small front office of the Great Slave Animal hospital to record the cable television adopt-a-pet show.
The show is an example of how much can come of co-operation, even when it is not accompanied by money.
This night at least, it is also gives the lie to the old showbiz saying about how difficult animals, together with children, are to work with.
"You never know how the animals are going to react," says Laureen Schidlowsky.
Schidlowsky works at the animal hospital, is an SPCA volunteer and this evening is out in the cold with her son leading dogs from the pound to the front door. She estimated about three quarters of the animals taken in at the pound are adopted out as a result of the television show, together with newspaper advertising.
Apart from a little hissing from Kammy, a cat named after the industrial subdivision in which he was found, everything goes smoothly.
It is a creation of the Yellowknife chapter of the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, the animal hospital, the community access cable television show, students of Sir John Franklin high school's media studies program and people like Malgorzata Buczynska.
Buczynska is the show's third host, the cat lady. Urging viewers to adopt kittens and tomcats since Take Me I'm Yours first appeared, she has worked as a volunteer at the animal hospital for the last nine years.
"The first one was really bad," Buczynska, owner of four cats, recalled of her debut.
"I was very nervous. But I'd do anything to help them."
With encouragement from the CAT Channel's Bob Ellison ("You know this is a one-take show, right?") the new hosts appear to have an easier start.
"It could've been worse," said Rossetti. "I'm more nervous about seeing myself on TV."
