It came to my attention yesterday that an Ontario animal rescue was discriminating against Autistic children. This was horrible because the only reason given for their “rule” was a child’s neurology. They did try to claim that Autistic children were abusive to animals and listed two examples from their own experience. This was immediately called out as bullshit (BS) as there are many news reports of animals being abused by Neurotypical children and adults. There is no rule that says that Neurotypical people can’t adopt a pet from them though. CBC News even ran a feature on the rescue which goes to show just how bad it was that a news organization picked up the story.
I’ve included screenshots from the Rescue’s Facebook page. Autistic children are far more likely to harm themselves and be the victims of abuse then to hurt others even during a meltdown. No child of any neuro type should be left alone with a pet. What makes the Facebook post by the rescue even worse is that they take a volunteer teacher that works with children and then try to claim that they are expert and that 99% of the students the teacher works with are violent. This tells me that the children under the teacher’s care are not getting their needs met. When a child is supported there are rarely meltdowns such as the rescue or teacher describe. It shows such a basic lack of knowledge on autistic people that the teacher should not be working with disabled people at all.
It should be noted that Kismutt also boards pets but after looking at their website it doesn’t appear that they require the dogs boarding to be vaccinated. Most pet boarding services require a RECENT Kennel Cough vaccine, as well updated vaccinations to prevent contagious diseases/viruses from spreading around the kennel. I also can’t find any qualifications other than owning what appears to be a farmhouse that would qualify these people to pair rescue animals with families. There’s courses that teach this stuff but it does cost money. There is also no way to volunteer at the rescue but don’t fret they will happily take your money via donations. There is also no mention of ventilation and filters to even prevent Kennel cough. They also don’t appear to have an isolation suite for rescue dogs that may have Parvo… or other highly contagious viruses/diseases. Which means any pet boarded there is at risk.
Here’s the FAQs from a GOOD boarding house with stars next to what you should bring with your pet.
Q. Do we have to bring our own food?
A. No. We feed a top Canadian Premium brand of dog and cat food to all of our boarders unless otherwise instructed. We have chosen to use Nutram dry food for dogs, and Royal Canin for cats. We have formulas specifically made for all seasons of your dog and cat’s life, for puppies/kittens, regular weight maintenance, older dogs or cats, and hypo-allergenic diets. In addition, we always have a variety of canned foods available. If you still wish to bring along your pet’s own special diet, we will feed as requested, and there is no extra charge for custom-feeding your pet.
Q. My pet is on medication. Will someone be able to administer the medication?
A. Yes. If your pet is on medication, we simply ask that you supply the medication, along with detailed instructions for the administration of the medication. There is a small charge for providing this service.
Q. My pet has a favourite blanket or toy. Should I bring it?
A. You are welcome to bring a blanket or toy, but we cannot be responsible for loss or damage of the article. We do our best to keep blankets clean, and try to ensure that toys go home when your pet does, however we advise against bringing a family heirloom blanket or any other irreplaceable object.
***Q. What should I bring with me when I bring my pet?
A. Be sure to bring your pet’s up to date vaccination records from your Veterinarian. We must see these documents to ensure that all our guests are protected against the following:
For Dogs: Rabies, Canine Distemper, Para influenza, Parvo virus, Bordatella.
For Cats: Rabies, Distemper [Panleukopenia] – Rhinotracheitis – Calicivrus [FCV], and should be FELV & FIV negative.
Other Family Pets: As per Veterinarian recommendations.***
Q. My dog is going to be staying with you for several days. Will he receive any grooming while he is there?
A. A complimentary bath for all dogs once they’ve been with us for 7 nights is another of the services we provide at no extra cost to you.
It’s a pretty big difference from what information you can get out of Kismutt’s website, probably because they are a terrible boarding house and an even worse rescue.
This screams shady on so many levels. Especially since there are quite a few autistics that work in the veterinary in field. There have even been Autistics that have worked in kennels and shelters for many years that have offered this rescue some advice on their Facebook page.. but Kismutt Rescue decided to delete negative feedback and close comments on the post. They have however tried to pin all the ignorant supportive messages they get from their followers but the fact remains that this group lacks both veterinary training of any kind, proper boarding facilities for pets and above all else they lack the ability to be decent human beings.