November 03, 2025

Lovable Markdale cat featured in 2026 Companions for Change calendar

A charming image of Sugar, a much-loved cat living in Markdale, has been selected from more than 36,000 entries to star in the 2026 Companions for Change calendar which raises funds for pets in need. The photo, which is featured as June in the calendar, shows Sugar soaking up the sun, mesmerized by a rainbow. Sugar’s pet parents Lianne Rambaran and Matt Rocha say Sugar is their rainbow as she brings light to their stormy days.

Making the calendar was a highly competitive process. The top candidates were determined by public vote; nearly 10 million votes were cast during the week-long voting period. In addition to Sugar, the calendar contains photos of 12 other Canadian pets including seven dogs, two other cats, a leopard gecko, guinea pig and a cockatiel.

The calendar is available in all Pet Valu stores across southwestern Ontario and the rest of Canada, outside of Quebec, for a give-what-you-can donation. One hundred per cent of the donations go to Pet Valu’s Companions for Change initiatives which have raised than $32 million since 2011 to support animal rescues and charities across Ontario and Canada.

 

---

At South Grey News, we endeavour to bring you truthful and factual, up-to-date local community news in a quick and easy-to-digest format that’s free of political bias. We believe this service is more important today than ever before, as social media has given rise to misinformation, largely unchecked by big corporations who put profits ahead of their responsibilities.

South Grey News does not have the resources of a big corporation. We are a small, locally owned-and-operated organization. Research, analysis and physical attendance at public meetings and community events requires considerable effort. But contributions from readers and advertisers, however big or small, go a long way to helping us deliver positive, open and honest journalism for this community.

Please consider supporting South Grey News with a donation in lieu of a subscription fee and let us know that our efforts are appreciated. Thank you.