Month: March 2018

LOS ANGELES, March 21, 2018  — Following the third major pet incident on United Airlines in merely a week, Adopt-a-Pet.com has announced an offer to the airline to aid in educating employees on implementing best practices in humane travel for companion animals. The proposal comes on the heels of a turbulent week for pets flying the airline, with dogs in two separate incidents ending up in the wrong destination and one beloved family dog dying as the result of a flight attendant insisting his carrier be put in the overhead compartment.

 

“As a leader in consumer air transportation, United Airlines has a profound obligation to protect the families who choose to fly with them. As a leader in pet adoption and experts in animal welfare, Adopt-a-Pet.com is ready to extend its hand and help ensure companion animal family members are protected as well,” said David Meyer, CEO and Co-Founder of Adopt-a-Pet.com. “Our team is standing by, ready to work with United Airlines – and any airline that wants to keep its four-legged travelers safe – to make their service the most sound, pet-friendly way to travel.”

 

According to the U.S. Department of Transportation, since 2014 United Airlines has had more consumer complaints regarding the death of animals during air transportation than any other airline. That, Meyer says, should be cause for concern by travelers and a wake up call for the airline that the time to act is now.

 

Any airline flying companion animals is encouraged to contact Adopt-a-Pet.com for guidance on employing safer travel practices for pets.

 

About Adopt-a-Pet.com
Adopt-a-Pet.com is North America’s largest non-profit pet adoption website, helping over 18,000 animal shelters, humane societies, SPCAs, pet rescue groups, and pet adoption agencies advertise their purebred and mixed breed pets for free to millions of adopters each month. Sponsored by companies including the Petco Foundation, Petco, and Bayer Animal Health LLC, Adopt-a-Pet.com helps homeless dogs, cats, and even rabbits and other animals go from alone to adopted.

 

 

By Dr. Dan Carey, Bayer Veterinarian
Lights, camera … adoption! There’s nothing like changing a life, unless it’s saving a life. The photos are taken, social updates are posted and you’re finally on your way home.

 

 

First steps

Playtime, mealtime, downtime: Your shelter’s staff interacts with your cat, gets to know his temperament, daily habits and, most importantly, checks on his health and well-being. The shelter knows that when it comes time to call “Here kitty, kitty,” you don’t want fleas, ticks heartworms, intestinal worms and ear mites to come, too. Checkups, vaccinations and preventives prepare him for your home.

Behind the scenes

When your cat first arrives at the shelter, it’s an overwhelming experience for everyone. By following strict rules and guidelines, the veterinarians and staff move into action. Shelter professionals understand the need to immediately identify, treat or help prevent fleas, ticks, heartworms, intestinal worms and ear mites. After all, many shelter animals bring some unwanted guests along at check-in, and it doesn’t take much for a few tiny nuisances to spread into a large shelter-wide problem. You may adopt your cat on her very first day in the shelter, or it may take some time to find each other. Regardless of how long her shelter stay is, your cat has already begun to receive the care, treatment and prevention she needs to be healthy. The staff ensures she has effective treatment or prevention products to help reduce the risk of fleas, ticks, heartworms, intestinal worms and ear mites. Your shelter staff and volunteers spend time learning more about her unique personality and needs. They look for opportunities to keep her stress level low and increase her chances of adoption. Kittens receive proper care for growth and senior cats are given special attention, too. This can include giving supplements to support joint and digestive health.

Bringing home your new cat

You may be searching for a specific breed or personality, and you’ll know when you’ve found that perfect cat match. You’ll treat him like a new family member, with plenty of scratching toys, windows for gazing and under-the-chin rubs that build your strong bond. Making good health a priority is another way to show your love. Long after he leaves the shelter, the risk of suffering and disease due to fleas, ticks, heartworms, intestinal worms and ear mites remains. These troublesome trespassers can be found year-round, even inside. Without protection they can easily cause your new cat discomfort. As a new cat owner, you can establish an ongoing prevention and wellness routine as an essential part of doing your best for his health and happiness. Learn more about caring for your cat here.