Author: Abbie

Did you know that the staff here at Adopt-a-Pet.com has decades of volunteering experience helping homeless pets? Be inspired by our stories (and yours!) in our brand-new Volunteer Newsletter! To subscribe, and lend a helping paw to shelters and rescues near you, fill out your Volunteer Profile at http://www.adoptapet.com/volunteer/signup. Make sure you check the box next to: “I want to receive Adopt-a-Pet.com’s special quarterly newsletter all about volunteering.” Now, read on as Jennifer Warner, Adopt-a-Pet.com’s Director of Shelter Outreach, shares her volunteering story…

“Where should I volunteer?” written by Jennifer

Volunteering for an animal shelter or rescue can be one of the most rewarding – and challenging – experiences of your life! It has been for me. I’m Jennifer, the Director of Shelter Outreach for Adopt-a-Pet.com, and I’ve been volunteering for animal shelters and rescues for almost 20 years. I’m here to share with you what I’ve learned from my very diverse experiences in choosing where I volunteered, from one-person rescues to some of the biggest organizations in the US. You may hear from me on other volunteering topics in future issues of our newsletter as well. I’d like to help you get the most out of your volunteering to help homeless pets!

I got my start volunteering to help homeless pets at a large nonprofit shelter in New York City, taking dogs out for walks around the park. I’d grown up around and loving many dogs, horses, barn cats and a rabbit, but this was my first direct exposure to the world of animal sheltering and the reality of pet overpopulation. I chose to volunteer at that shelter because I thought as my first “shelter” experience, it would not be as overwhelming as the city shelter system. They also offered flexible hours, allowing me to come in any time I had time. That worked out perfectly with my ever-changing school and work schedules. And they certainly had plenty of dogs living for months in kennels, who were overjoyed to have me take them out for a walk!

When I moved to Los Angeles, I thought volunteering would be a great way to meet some new animal-loving friends. It was… and little did I know it would also help me find a job! I started right away at a local spca. They had immediate volunteer training and opportunities available, while the shelter that was closer to me had a many-month long waiting list for orientation space, due to springtime students. Anyway, the spca’s mobile adoptions really needed volunteers. They could only take out as many dogs as they had handlers, and high adoption rates at their mobiles meant those dogs had a really great chance of finding a home. Fortunately for me too, it was a wonderful way to be introduced to places all over my new city, as well as new friends.

As much as I enjoyed volunteering for that spca, I’d read about the Pasadena Humane Society & SPCA’s innovative shelter design and extensive volunteer opportunities. They were a relatively large shelter, taking in over 12,000 animals each year as animal control for (then) six cities, but had the flexibility and funding of a private nonprofit to also offer education, spay/neuter, cruelty investigations, and more. I’d done my research, and wanted to help an organization that did all that to help homeless pets.

A few months later, during the orientation, their Volunteer Coordinator announced that they were looking to hire a Mobile Adoption Coordinator as staff. After a few outings as a volunteer, I was hired, and so began my career in animal welfare! Over the next decade, I worked for the Pasadena Humane Society & SPCA, though I still continued to volunteer for other rescue organizations, mostly transporting animals. My line between “staff” and “volunteer” was sometimes blurred. But, I was fortunate enough to have wonderful management that supported all of my “extracurricular” activities, from fostering litter after litter of underage kittens in my office, to driving vans full of animals to rescues all over California!

When I started working for Adopt-a-Pet.com over two years ago, I  expanded my volunteer work to stay in direct contact with dogs and cats at my local shelters and rescues. Since I now work from home, I can now foster from home too, and I also continue to take photos and videos of shelter pets on the weekends. I had interacted with many rescues and shelters, and knew which ones had policies and people that were a good “fit” for my volunteering skills and style.

I hope my volunteering story will help you decide where and how to volunteer. If you haven’t signed up for the of Adopt-a-Pet.com’s Volunteer Community – that’s a wonderful first step! Thank you for offering your time and skills to help homeless pets.

October 26 2010 (Chicago) – White Sox pitcher Mark Buehrle has a message for the city of Chicago: adopt a shelter pet. Buehrle and his wife Jamie have partnered with Adopt-a-Pet.com, North America’s largest non-profit pet adoption web service, for a public service campaign launching today in the greater Chicagoland area. Starting today, Chicagoland residents will see light-hearted adoption-promoting billboards and televised public service announcements featuring Mark and Jamie Buehrle playing with their three dogs on the grass at U.S. Cellular Field. Funding for the billboards was generously provided by Nestlé Purina.

“Pets in Chicago’s shelters are getting a boost today, thanks to Mark and Jamie Buehrle,” says Adopt-a-Pet.com executive director Abbie Moore, “By speaking out about their passion for pet adoption, and educating people that they can go to Adopt-a-Pet.com and see photos and information about pets in shelters, they’re truly making a difference in the lives of people and homeless pets.”

Says Mark Buehrle, “Our dogs add so much to our lives, and our family wouldn’t be complete without them. The shelters are filled with great pets, both mixed-breed and purebred. We recently adopted a purebred Viszla. You can pretty much find any kind of pet you want in a shelter.”

Adds Jamie Buehrle, “We’re really excited to launch this campaign with Adopt-a-Pet.com, and we hope that everyone, no matter what team they root for, will become a fan of getting pets out of shelters and into loving homes.”

The Buehrles are extremely active in companion-animal welfare issues. Together they founded Sox for Strays, a monthly pre-game adoption event that brings pets from local shelters and rescue organizations to U.S. Cellular Field. They are also funding a brand-new adoption and care center for Hope Animal Rescues, an Illinois-based rescue group.

Downloadable hi-res PSAs, b-roll and billboard artwork can be found at http://adoptapet.com/chicagomedia

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About Adopt-a-Pet.com:

Adopt-a-Pet.com is North America’s largest non-profit pet adoption website, helping over 9,500 animal shelters, humane societies, SPCAs, pet rescue groups, and pet adoption agencies advertise their homeless pets to adopters. Over 200 Chicago-area animal shelters rely on Adopt-a-Pet.com’s services to help them find homes for the pets in their care. Every month, Adopt-a-Pet.com displays photos and descriptions of adoptable pets to over 1.2 million people trying to adopt a pet. Funding for Adopt-a-Pet.com is provided by the passionate pet lovers at Nestlé Purina and Bayer Animal Health.

By Nancy Kay, DVM

Melissa Ross / Stocksy
Halloween can be incredibly enjoyable — for us humans, that is. Think about it from the perspective of your pets: The ridiculous costumes they are forced to wear and scary sights and sounds, such as the horror show of constant doorbell rings over and over again. For our dogs and cats, Halloween can be downright ghoulish and, in some cases, even pose a threat to their safety.

But, if you absolutely must indulge in this spooky celebration, here are six safety tips to ensure your pets don’t become unwilling participants in a haunted house of horrors. Because let’s face it, the only thing our pets want this Halloween is a quiet night and a comfy spot on the couch — and maybe a few treats. (If you’re considering adopting a pet, October is Adopt a Shelter Dog Month, the perfect time to adopt one of the many pets who are still searching for their forever homes. See all the available adoptable pets in your area.)

Halloween safety for your pet

1. Guard the candy bowl

Given the opportunity, most dogs will gladly gorge on chocolate, wrappers and all. Chocolate contains theobromine, a substance chemically related to caffeine and toxic to dogs. The richer (darker) the chocolate, the more toxic it will be for your pup. And while cats are less likely to eat chocolate, it’s still toxic for them.

Symptoms of chocolate toxicity include restlessness, irritability, increased urination, muscle tremors, and sometimes even seizures. Vomiting and diarrhea are also commonplace following chocolate ingestion. 

If you suspect your dog(s) has raided the candy bowl, call your family veterinarian or local emergency clinic immediately. The sooner treatment is initiated, the better the chance for a good outcome. Based on the approximate weight of your candy thief and the type and amount of chocolate ingested, you will be advised whether or not your dog needs medical attention. Downing a couple of milk chocolate kisses is likely no big deal for a Great Dane, but for a four-pound Chihuahua, however, a few ounces of bittersweet chocolate could be a lethal dose.

2. Don’t forget the wrappers

Although a discarded candy bar wrapper may not contain enough chocolate to be dangerous, it may have enough to be tasty. If ingested, candy wrappers can create a blockage in the esophagus or digestive system, so throw all candy wrappers away in a secure trash can with a lid.

3. Watch the front door

If you welcome trick-or-treaters to your home, your front door will open and close repeatedly, providing many opportunities for your dog or cat to escape into the dark of night when their familiar territory has become particularly spooky. Getting lost or running out in front of a moving vehicle are potentially disastrous holiday outcomes, so don’t include your pets as part of your Halloween welcoming committee. It’s far safer to confine them behind closed doors.

Keep pets indoors on the days leading up to Halloween. Animal abduction and torture might sound like a cheesy horror movie, but it does happen, so better safe than sorry.

4. Switch up your nightly routine

Also, while there is likely nothing your dog enjoys more than accompanying you for a walk around your neighborhood, doing so on Halloween night may be a downright spooky experience for your best buddy. It’s better to give them some long walks earlier in the day and keep them inside at night.

5. Give them a calming space

Does your cat hide under your bed every time someone new comes to your home? Does your dog’s job description include barking and protecting whenever a stranger (trick-or-treaters included) arrives at your front door? Think about how these poor animals must feel on Halloween night when that doorbell rings dozens of times within just a few hours. Talk about emotional exhaustion. Confine your pets behind closed doors, ideally in a sound-proof part of your home, and consider the following options to preserve their sanity:

• Provide trick-or-treaters with a “help yourself” candy bowl on your front walkway, or sit outside with the bowl to avoid the doorbell ringing.
• Board your pets elsewhere on Halloween night.
• Turn off your house lights and skip the holiday altogether (although, there are no guarantees your house won’t be egged the following day).

6. Limit Halloween costumes for pets

Halloween costumes for pets certainly make for some giggles and terrific photo opportunities. But how do our pets really feel about wearing those silly outfits? They aren’t huge fans. If you do decide to dress your pet up, make sure there are no small parts your pet can choke on, and never put anything around your pet’s neck other than their collar.

The bottom line? Halloween is a holiday for humans. Let’s leave our pets out of it.

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Nancy Kay, DVM, Dipl., American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine, is a 2009 recipient of AAHA’s Animal Welfare and Humane Ethics Award and author of Speaking for Spot.

If you’ve ever lost a pet, you know how frantic you felt in that moment you realized he or she was missing. We’ll bet you wished for a way to instantly notify all your neighbors to be on the lookout. Now there’s a way to do just that. FindToto is an amazing service that telephones up to 10,000 households in your area to alert them about your missing pet. You pay according to the package you select: notifying 250 households will cost $85.00, and prices go up to $875 if you want 10,000 neighbors to be called.

FindToto is also useful when you find a stray pet without a collar or other ID. In fact, Adopt-a-Pet.com staff member Laurie Wisneski recently tried the service after finding a dog in her front yard. She opted to call 250 of her neighbors, and less than a minute after being notified that the calls had gone out, she received a call from the pup’s relieved owner. How’s that for effective? We love FindToto!

Take one fabulous powerhouse baseball couple with a major-league love of companion animals, add in the support of their team and stadium, mix in several adorable, adoptable dogs and a couple of awesome animal rescue groups, and what do you get?  Sox For Strays, an incredibly innovative event I had the pleasure of attending last week.

Sox For Strays is an adoption-promoting program founded by Jamie and Mark Buehrle, of White Sox fame.  If you’re a baseball fan (or if you’re even remotely aware of the game), you know Mark Buehrle by his impressive accomplishments.  Last season, he became only the 18th major-leaguer since 1900 to pitch a perfect game (July 23rd at home against Tampa Bay…yeah, I’m a baseball nerd).  He’s one of just a few players in Major League history to have thrown both a no-hitter and a perfect game.  He’s an All-Star, a Gold Glover…I should stop myself, but believe me, I could go on.

Believe me when I say Jamie Buehrle is every bit as cool as her husband, and she is a force to be reckoned with.  Luckily for us, she uses her powers for good.  Every month, Jamie and Mark invite an animal shelter or rescue group to bring a few adoptable pets to a special pre-game adoption event at U.S. Cellular Field, home of the Chicago White Sox.  Jamie records a special public service announcement featuring the pets, which is played on the stadium’s huge video screen during the game.

The July event was very special because it featured Hope Animal Rescues.  Although Mark and Jamie Buehrle support several animal shelters and rescues, they are particularly connected with Hope Animal Rescues, even donating a new facility that will be called Buehrle’s Barn in their honor.  Jamie had told me how amazing she thought Hope Animal Rescues was, and when I met Jackie Spiker, Hope’s co-founder, I could see why.  Jackie is an energetic, compassionate, tireless advocate for animal welfare.  Whenever Hope has room to take in a few more dogs, Jackie and her partner Kim Lee go to animal control and take the dogs that are on their last day.  It doesn’t matter what they look like, how old they are, if they have medical issues, or anything else: if they’re out of time, they end up in the car with Jackie and Kim.

Jackie told me about a very special puppy named Soldier who currently needs a foster home in the Madison County, Illinois area.  Soldier is a 4-month-old lab/basset hound mix with a deformed front paw that will need to be removed.  Although Soldier’s veterinary costs will be covered, he is currently being boarded and desperately  needs a loving foster home where he can recuperate.  After that, he will be available for adoption.  If you can help, please go here and apply to be a foster home.

The dog who most captured my heart at the Sox For Strays event was a really special guy named Truman.  I’m not alone, either.  When Jamie and Mark Buehrle heard about Truman, they really stepped up to the plate, so to speak, and took financial and emotional responsibility for his care.  Truman has an amazing story: he was found on the street, guarding the body his friend, a dachshund who had been killed by a car.  He was terrified, and it took Jackie and Kim of Hope Animal Rescues three days to catch him and take him into their care.  You can read all about Truman’s story here.  Warning: have some tissues handy.  Since this story was written, Truman has made so much progress.  He’s in a foster home, he’s working with a trainer and doing agility, and he’s ready for the right forever home.  Truman will need a very patient, calm, and kind family to love him.  I think you’ll agree that Truman is a study in loyalty, and I was honored to be able to spend some time cuddling with this amazing being.  I can’t get his beautiful face out of my mind.

If you’re in the Chicago area, don’t miss the next Sox For Strays events, which will be at U.S. Cellular Field on August 11 and September 17.  If you bring a donation to the featured animal welfare group, you’ll be entered to win a signed item from Mark Buehrle himself!

Below are some pictures of the day, including a couple of Truman:

Fabulous A-List (in our book, anyway) actress and comedian Kathy Griffin is an animal lover with a huge heart.  So when her beloved 12-year-old dog Chance passed away recently, Griffin was absolutely devastated.  Her other dog, Pom Pom, was also grieving, so Kathy decided to add a new member to her family.  Always one for fashion AND compassion,Kathy wanted to adopt her new dog from a shelter or rescue group.

Choosing the right companion for herself and Pom Pom was daunting. As Kathy so eloquently put it, “I want to save the right dog, and I need the right dog to save me.”  So, on the most recent episode of Griffin’s series “My Life On The D-List”, a panel of experts was assembled, including Adopt-a-Pet.com’s own Katya Friedman, who introduced Kathy to three wonderful dogs.  See the heartwarming (and hilarious) meeting here.  The adoption story begins about 40 seconds in, and Katya, of course, is the one wearing the Adopt-a-Pet.com t-shirt!

The uber-fabulous Kris Carr, whose story was told in the documentary Crazy Sexy Cancer (which she wrote and directed, too) is a woman on a mission to defeat disease and educate people how to be their healthiest.  Through her inspiring books, Crazy Sexy Cancer Tips and Crazy Sexy Cancer Survivor, and her amazing blog, Crazy Sexy Life she’s training an army of “wellness warriors” to achieve radiant health…and to have a great time while doing it.

In her most recent vlog, Kris–and her adorable adopted pooch Lola–tout pet adoption (and give Adopt-a-Pet.com a huge shout-out!) as a component of a healthier life.  How does adopting a pet make you healthier?  Check out her video.  While you’re there, leave a comment and let Kris know you support pet adoption, too!

On Sunday, May 16th, I ran the 99th annual Bay to Breakers race.  For those of you unfamiliar with it, Bay to Breakers is a giant, moving party that travels 12 kilometers, or about 7.5 miles, from the Bay side of San Francisco to the Pacific Ocean.  Many people, both runners and spectators, dress in costume (or wear nothing at all, but that’s another topic entirely) for the event, so NATURALLY, I used my costume to make a statement about something near to my heart: pet adoption.

I dressed as a cat, because cats have a hard time of it in shelters.  They enter shelters at a higher rate than any animal and have a much, much smaller chance of being adopted than dogs.  I specifically dressed as a black cat because black animals, both dogs and cats, are statistically much more likely to die in a shelter than animals of any other color.  My costume read “ADOPT ME” in the front, and “SPAYED” in the back and, of course, sported the Adopt-a-Pet.com logo, so anyone seeing me run past would know exactly where to go to see photos of pets in their local shelters.

Running Bay to Breakers was an experience unlike any other I’d had.  What an incredibly fun day.  Best of all, though, I’d never been able to combine my love of running with my passion for pet adoption in such a tangible way before.  Each person who saw me run past and yelled out, “Yay, Adoption!” or  read my shirt out loud and laughed made me feel as if I were making at least a little difference in the lives of shelter pets…those innocent beings waiting patiently for their cage door to open and loving arms to take them in.  After all, we do what we can.  If you can be a rescuer, great.  If you can’t, then adopt a pet.  If you can’t adopt a pet, foster a pet.  If you can’t foster a pet, volunteer at your shelter.  If you can’t volunteer, make a donation of supplies or money to your local shelter or rescue group.  If you can’t do any of that, then TwitterACritter (well, do that anyway).  Whatever your circumstance, though, you can do what I did and simply spread the word that adopting a pet is the right thing to do and the very best way to add a pet to your family.

This photo, by the way, is me crossing the finish line.  I was sad it was over, but I’m already looking forward to next year…and thinking about an even better, more effective costume to make my statement.

This week features a story in which students chose what they call an alternative spring break. Spring break used to be synonymous with beer and bikinis. But these days, a large and growing number of college students are spending their precious time off helping abandoned pets, underprivileged kids, disabled veterans, or disaster victims. At the University of Central Florida, the alternative spring break program has grown so much, so fast, that this year three students were turned away for every one accepted. What are the students doing? One wonderful example is Marlon Gutierrez, a 20-year-old UCF junior, who spent last week in San Juan, Puerto Rico, working with homeless dogs at an overwhelmed shelter. As student leader for the trip, he was charged nothing, and other students paid $300 each for the entire week – for which they put in some hard labor. “After the first four hours, we were really tired,” Gutierrez said. “The woman who runs the place – she basically takes care of 200 dogs by herself. There was a lot of work to be done.” Not that he was complaining. The hardest part, he said late last week, was having to leave.

This week news that MD may ban puppy sales of dogs less than 9 months old. A proposed bill in the Senate would ban the sale of puppies under the age of nine months at Maryland pet stores as a way to combat puppy mills. According to the National Humane Society, a majority of puppies sold through pet shops in Maryland come from puppy mills. The legislation is designed to dry up that demand. In another story students from Pittsburg State University are preparing to take on a project that will not only enhance their construction skills, but also give back to the local pet community. The project, “Habitat For Hounds,” is now in its second year and results in the construction of dog houses for dogs from the Southeast Kansas.