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Jody Stockfish

The faces at Whistler Animals Galore (WAG) can change from week to week. Sometimes they are furry and brown with pointy ears and a wet nose. Other times they're shaggy and grey with baleful eyes and a goofy smile.

The faces at Whistler Animals Galore (WAG) can change from week to week.

Sometimes they are furry and brown with pointy ears and a wet nose. Other times they're shaggy and grey with baleful eyes and a goofy smile.

But for the last three years one face has been a constant: executive director Jody Stockfish.

But she's packing up her three WAG dogs - Jakey Bird, Sid Nibbler and Jed McBubbs - which she has adopted over the years, and is heading back east to Meaford, Ontario to work with another animal organization called the Beautiful Joe Heritage Society.

Since August 2000, when WAG first officially started running its day to day operations, there have been about 350 different furry faces which have left the shelter to find a new place in the world.

For Stockfish her new place in the world is an opportunity of a lifetime and she's excited for the challenges ahead.

At the same time she can't help but be a little sad.

"I feel like I'm the luckiest person on earth," she said, surrounded by four kittens in WAG's shelter last week.

"This has been such an honour."

Since Stockfish has been with WAG, the shelter has grown into a vibrant essential service in the Sea to Sky community, protecting and enhancing the lives of lost, unwanted and homeless animals.

For any animal lover, the job seems like one of the best in Whistler. There's always a friendly bark or a wet nose pushed against your finger throughout the day.

And there's the reward of seeing animals go off to loving homes.

But there have also been some tough calls along the way.

"The hardest thing I've ever had to do is on two occasions to put two animals down," she said.

The two dogs were the same breed - Presa Canarios.

These dogs are bred to be distrustful of strangers and Stockfish was concerned about WAG's liability if they were ever adopted into homes. One of the dogs had already been deemed dangerous by a judge.

Nonetheless, WAG is a no-kill shelter and it was a tough decision.

"Because it feels like you fail," she said.

"My philosophy is that we are the dogs' stewards. We have to speak out and act on their behalf. Humans have failed them."

While ending these dogs' lives was a low point, one of the highlights of her time at WAG was witnessing the midnight birth of a litter of puppies.

WAG has a firm spaying and neutering policy but watching the birth was amazing, said Stockfish.

The crowning moment of this experience however, was seeing all the puppies go to good homes. She still keeps in touch with the owners.

Even though Stockfish never intended to settle in Whistler when she left Toronto in June 1999, she's not really surprised at how the last three years have turned out.

She was originally on her way to Kelowna to take part in an Iron Man competition when she stopped off in Whistler to visit a friend. Like thousands of others before her, she found it too hard to leave.

Her relationship with Whistler's animals began with walking the municipal pound dogs with her friend and mentor Renee Resberg and working at Bow Wow dog accessories.

"When I was a youth I was always the happiest when I was physically around animals," she said.

At that time, WAG was in dire shape.

Originally founded in 1982 by Dorothy Sabie and Debbie Chow, WAG had gone through its share of ups and downs.

In 1999 it was in one of its downslides.

The current coordinator had just resigned. There was no shelter or volunteer program. And it was in dire financial straits.

Enter Stockfish with some innovative ideas and a passion for animals.

She was told she had to raise enough money for her salary.

"There was a period of time where I was working three jobs," she recalled.

But in less than a year of taking over, WAG had combined forces with the Municipal Pound and was officially running and funding the current shelter, near the parking lot 4-day lot.

Now there's WAG TV on Whistler Cable and there's a WAG web site to improve awareness about the organization in the corridor.

"It definitely has a very strong vision and identity through promotion and education," said Stockfish.

The organization also has many dedicated sponsors in the area.

To keep its reputation high, WAG maintains high standards.

There are strict requirements for potential adopters. They must live in Whistler for at least a year and be 25 years old. Sometimes people think they are doing a good thing initially but having a pet can be a lot of work, said Stockfish.

She said if she senses any hesitation, she tells the potential adopter to think about it some more and come back later.

"That's one of the things that I've tried to hammer home - the responsibility and commitment that is involved," said Stockfish.

During her time at WAG she has learned a lot and will be taking that with her to the Beautiful Joe Heritage Society.

"A lot of (the work) will be in promotion and fundraising which is what I love to do," she said.

The Beautiful Joe Society endeavours to promote humane treatment of animals around the world.

It got its name from a story by Canadian author Margaret Marshal Saunders who wrote a book about Beautiful Joe at the end of the 19 th century.

Beautiful Joe was a puppy who was horribly beaten and abused by his owner who then cut off his ears and his tail.

A loving family later rescued Joe and he lived a happy life.

The Beautiful Joe Heritage Society was formed in 1994 to celebrate the life and story of Beautiful Joe.

Stockfish said her ultimate dream is to one day own and operate an animal sanctuary and she is hoping she can convince the board of directors at Beautiful Joe to do just that.

Meantime, she is leaving WAG on a high note after applying for and receiving a municipal grant for $20,000.

"It's the most we've ever asked for and the most we've ever received," she said.

The money will go towards hiring a third part-time employee so the WAG workers can focus on the special needs of some of the dogs.

Dogs like Roxy who has been at WAG for over a year now. Roxy has a high prey drive and she once nipped a child, but Stockfish said this kind of behaviour can be worked on.

"They've all got a ton of potential," she said.

"They just need a little work. This place is a retreat and a time for them to repair themselves.

"If you don't meet the behavioural, emotional and mental needs of a dog every day then in my opinion you are doing that dog a disservice."

Through WAG it seems as though Stockfish has found her project for life.

"As long as you focus on the animals, you'll succeed at everything and that's what I've tried to do."

She is hoping to be in Meaford by May 11 for a special tribute that honours the many canine units that were used in the search and rescue efforts following September 11.