Adopted puppy saves family from gas leak

Pet information

When the McLarty family decided to adopt a puppy from the Michigan Humane Society, they could never imagine how quickly the little dog would return the favor and save their lives.

The three-month old husky mix had only been with the family for two weeks when he woke the household up with his crying. His new human mom took him outside, but he kept on crying, and when they came in he ran circles in the hallway before leading her to the kitchen. There, he sat next to the stove until she looked at it.

One of the gas burners was on, without a flame, leaking gas into the house.

Bring your dog to work day

Pet information

Bonnie inspects sliding tracks on a PlexiDor and points out that they should be white and not silver when mounted on a white frame.

June 20, 2014 is Bring your dog to work day. The event started in 1999 and was founded by Pet Sitters International as a means to promote pet adoptions. Participation has exploded; the first year less than 300 businesses took part, and this year over 300,000 visitors have looked at the website.

Bringing a pet along isn’t always possible. Some workplaces are poorly suited for four-footed friends, and in other places allergies might make it unsuitable. When it is possible,  bringing a dog gives benefits. Pets lower stress and blood pressure, create a focal point for conversation, inspire walks and exercise, and cheer people up.

Some companies encourage bringing pets all around the year, and some larger corporations provide doggie daycare to employees.

What do you think? Would you bring a pet if you could?

 

June is Adopt a Shelter Cat Month

Pet information

maine coon catJune is adopt a shelter cat month, and this is not a coincidence. During spring and summer, overwhelming numbers of homeless kitties arrive at shelters, and they all need homes.

The Watauga Humane Society has done some calculations, and one un-spayed female cat together with one un-neutered male cat can – together with their offspring – produce 420,000 kittens in just seven years. There are many cats needing home, and if you adopt one you don’t only get great company for yourself; you save a life.

So, what should you think about if you’re planning to adopt a cat?

Maybe you should take two?

If you’re considering adopting a cat, think about taking two. Cats are social, they need exercise, and they need mental stimulation. If you have two cats they’ll entertain each other. This makes it easier on you, and you get twice the purring, cuddling, and other kit tie benefits.

Consider the cat’s personality

Just like people, cats have different personalities, and it’s important that you match. Do you want an easygoing kitty, or an active one? Shelters and rescue groups have all kinds of cats. Do you want a playful and energetic kitten or a senior who’s happy to nap?

Make a budget and stock up on supplies

All pets cost money, and cats aren’t an exception. When you adopt, the cat might already be vaccinated, microchipped, spayed, or neutered, and  this is a great saving. But you still have to think about vet visits, litter box, cat litter, food, toys, scratching posts, bed, grooming, food bowl, and water bowl. It’s a great idea to have everything in place before kitty arrives, so he or she can feet welcome and at home.

Plan and kitty-proof your home

Cats are like children in many ways, and they get into stuff. It’s difficult to predict what will look like a great toy. You might want to put expensive decorations away for a while, until you and kitty get used to each other and figure things out. Make sure you don’t have loose things lying around the cat can accidentally swallow, keep food put away, and keep an eye on electrical cords. Kittens who don’t know better might try to play with them or even chew them.

Plan where you want to put the cat’s food and water bowls, and where to put the litter box. Many put it in a bathroom, closet, or laundry room, but that means that the door needs to be open all the time so the cat can get in and out. This isn’t always a feasible option, and we’ve seen some creative cat owners who put a PlexiDor cat door in the door to the laundry room or similar to allow kitty access while being able to close the human size door.

Take it slow

It will take your new furry friend a while to relax and settle in. Give him or her some time to get used to the new surroundings and new people.

Kitty cam success

Pet information

KittensWhen John Bartlett set up a webcam to watch his foster kittens, he did not expect to become a worldwide phenomenon. His camera shows kittens eating, sleeping, rolling around, and other pretty uneventful stuff that cats do.

The camera has become a great success; the website komonews.com reports that Bartlett has hundreds of people watching sleeping cats for hours.

Watching the cats help people all around the world de-stress. People Magazine posted a link to his site, and and he now has over 20,000 regular viewers.

The cam has led to even more than that: cat lovers have started talking in chats while watching the footage, and recently a convention of cat fans from all around the globe met in Seattle. The web cam inspired people to come all the way from Australia to talk about cats.

Barlett fosters for Purrfect Pals, and his goal with the kitty cam is to get attention for the rescue and the important role fosters play in the lives of homeless pets. He says every cat that has been featured on the camera has been adopted, and he has found homes for nearly 200 kittens.

 

Massive ASPCA campaign to save California strays

Pet information

Los Angeles is a city with millions of inhabitants, many very poor and far away from the Hollywood glamour associated with the area. There are also hundreds of thousands of stray cats and dogs. Approximately 173,000 animals enter LA shelters every year, and only half are adopted. The rest are killed.

These are grim numbers, and the ASPCA are determined to change the situation. The organization are rolling out a project where $25 million will be used to save these tens of thousands dogs and cats.

The project is already underway, and started with a ribbon-cutting ceremony for a free spay and neuter clinic in South LA. The area is extremely poor and packs of stray dogs roam the streets. Hopes are that the clinic will sterilize over 4,000 dogs and cats during the remainder of 2014, and even more in upcoming years.

With $25 million, the ASPCA aims to get all dogs of Southern California neutered or spayed. They will also strive for increasing adoptions, helping rescue groups, and helping people keep their pets instead of giving them up. Another part of the project involves moving animals from the most overcrowded shelters to areas where they might find new homes.

The project will encompass Los Angeles city and county, Burbank, Pasadena, Long Beach, Upland, and parts of Downey.

This is one of the most extensive projects in the 148 year long history of the ASPCA. The money is budgeted to last for five years, but the project as a whole is estimated to take longer.