Colombia clinic will sterilize 750 dogs by injection

Last week, the Alliance for Contraception in Cats & Dogs (ACC&D) awarded its first EsterilSol grant! The grant will allow a clinic in Colombia to sterilize 750 male dogs by injection. EsterilSol is an injection that sterilizes male dogs without changing their male appearance or behaviors, which is important to many dog owners, particularly in some cultures.

The clinic receiving the grant is Sentir Animal in Felidia, Columbia. Sentir Animal’s projects for companion animals include weekend sterilization and education clinics in communities in and around Cali, Colombia. Many owners refuse to have their male dogs castrated because they don’t want them emasculated; only 14% of the dogs brought into the clinics are male. Cost of surgery is another obstacle for Sentir Animal. A faster and less expensive method of sterilization will allow them to help more dogs with sterilization and owner education.

The grant will cover training-related travel expenses and help purchase injections for over 750 dogs.

You can read more about ACC&D on their website or their Facebook cause, “Sterilize a needy dog with a $4 injection.

(photo: Outside a Sentir Animal clinic in Felidia, Colombia)

Thanksgiving Pet Tips

thanksgiving-animals-leaf-frame With Thanksgiving just around the corner, soon families will be gathering together to give thanks and feast on holiday treats. Delicious aromas will fill the air and our pets will be glued to our sides in hopes of scoring some scraps.  During this happy time of family, food and giving, people tend to become overly generous, which means that dogs and cats will get a lot of table food scraps from family members or guests. Sometimes, however, too many treats can lead to injury or illness for our pets.  North Shore Animal League America has these great tips to help keep your pets safe this Thanksgiving holiday.

‘A "Sunny" Story about Hope, Love and Karma’ – Part I

kelseyHope. In the beginning 21 year-old Kelsey Westbrook was your average, hardworking student and part-time waitress at Joe’s Crab Shack, overlooking the Ohio River. She was a true animal friend, animal lover and dog parent. Little did she know that her life would change on an average day, on an average shift, in a not-so-average way. We read about Kelsey’s heartwarming story on an animal lover’s blog and have reposted it here to share with you!

During one of her shifts at the restaurant, Kelsey and her fellow employees heard a loud “splash!” Running out to the river and under the 80 foot bridge nearby they saw a helpless and stunned dog swimming anxiously in the cold water. Everyone started to wave the dog in and encouraged the frightened pooch to swim toward them. The Louisville Fire Department dive team was practicing nearby and rescued the dog. When they finally retrieved the dog out of the river, she started licking everyone and seemed relieved. Miraculously, the dog appeared to be unhurt. Kelsey took the dog home that day, and later, to a veterinarian who estimated that the pit bull was less than a year old. Kelsey planned to find the dog a good home, but changed her mind. “After a day, I thought, ‘Nope, she’s mine. I have to keep her,” says Kelsey.

Love. Perhaps it was destiny, fate or just a lucky day, but what brought this pair together was not average. According to many sources, USA Today, NY Times, BNET, The Star, and HSUS millions of dogs [and cats] are improperly and inhumanly killed around the world. According to the National Council on Pet Population Study and Policy, roughly 9.6 million animals are killed annually in the United States. Many of these fates occur at the shelters due to space issues, however many animals do not make it to the shelter and are not “humanely” killed.

This would have been Sunny’s fate, except she was in the right place at the right time, and so was Kelsey. Sunny was brought to her forever home and quickly bonded with her new canine sister and family.

But then, the day after Sunny’s harrowing rescue, Kelsey’s landlords notified her she had two days to remove Sunny from the apartment. Areté Real Estate, the company that owns Kelsey’s apartment complex, insisted pit bulls are a “vicious breed” and not allowed on the premises. Pitbulls get so much negative attention and even though this dog was saved and gratefully kissed everyone that was involved with her rescue, she was still considered a “vicious breed.” Even with all of the heat from her landlord, Kelsey vowed to be Sunny’s forever home and promised to do whatever it took to ensure Sunny’s safety and well-being, even if that meant finding a new place to live. But once again fate would smile on Sunny and Kelsey: while she was trying to negotiate with her old landlord, a new management company took over her building, and Sunny was welcome to stay.

Next Week, Part II: Karma.

Reposted with permission – HarleysMission.blogspot.com

Find a pet-friendly rental

Pet_Friendly_IconFinding a rental house, condo or apartment that will accept pets can be a bit of a challenge. Over the years I’ve learned a lot about finding dog and cat-friendly accommodations from “cozy” studio apartments, to lovely guest houses, luxury doorman buildings, and everything in between. It did take time and patience, but in the end I was always successfully in finding a safe and welcoming home for my entire family, including all my four-pawed kids. Read on for my tips for finding your ideal pet-friendly rental, and you’ll be happily unpacking in your new home in no time!

Where can you find pet-friendly rental listings?

1. Local animal shelters, humane societies & rescues
Some maintain printed or online listings of pet-friendly landlords, buildings, or even offer the old fashioned pushpin bulletin boards with vacancies posted.

2. Local businesses
Other places you can look for listings in person (aside from the usual real estate offices, churches, and community centers) are your local vets offices, pet boarding facilities, and pet supply stores.

3. Rental listing websites
There are also many rental listing websites that allow you to search for listings that allow dogs, cats, or both. Many are free for renters, like peoplewithpets.com, mynewplace.com, rent.com, and homewithpets.com. One site, forrent.com, includes checkboxes for  “small dogs allowed” or “large dogs allowed” but the search results will also show close matches so check the listings carefully.

4. Craigslist
For metropolitan markets and spreading into many rural communities too, the most well-known (and free) is Craigslist.org. If you can’t find a good free local website with a pet-ok search feature built in, one trick is you can use any rental listing site that allows searching by keyword. Try putting “pet” and “pets”, then “dog” or “dogs” or “cat” in the search box, you will bring up listings that say “dogs ok” or “small pet allowed.”

How to be a more attractive renter:

So, you see a listing that piques your interest, and you’re ready to email or call. If listings say “pets considered” or “pets welcome” (or even just do not say “no pets”), those of us with multiple pets, larger dogs and certain breeds of dogs may need to be very convincing that we are as good or better a tenant as a pet-less applicant. I’ve found it helps to have a bit of conversation first, establishing a rapport with the landlord/manager, and then ask them about their pet policy. Know your own skills: are you better “in person”, on the phone, or writing letters and pet resumes? If you can, when communicating with the landlord or management company about your pets and their pet policy, use your strongest skill first. That first impression can make the difference in getting their attention, and the property you desire.

If the landlord has any pet restrictions, it can help to mention that you would be willing to carry renters insurance. Renter’s insurance typically costs about $20/month for $500,000 in coverage.

Other reassurances that you can offer a landlord that may hesitate at first are: if your dog has passed his Canine Good Citizen test, if your previous landlords have provided a letter of reference for your pets’ good behavior, an invitation from you to them interview your friendly well-behaved pets, bringing cute pet photos with you when you first meet them, and/or offering an additional pet deposit to cover any possible damages.

Now get ready to sign on the dotted line for the pet friendly rental of your dreams!

New Puppy Tips: What To Do When You Get A Puppy

Getting ready to adopt a new puppy? These guidelines will help you prepare for the arrival and first few months with your new pup.

why puppy-proofing is importantGetting ready to adopt a new puppy? These guidelines are not a complete guide to raising a puppy (there are entire books devoted to that topic!) but will give you some of the basics, to help you prepare for the arrival and first few months of your new puppy. This basic training, socialization, and guidelines can be used starting at the age of 8 weeks, the earliest age at which most people would be bringing a puppy into their home. If your puppy is slightly older, as long as they are under 6 months old, these steps can still be followed. For puppies older than 6 months, many of these tips still apply, but start with our 10 Tips For Welcoming Home Your Newly-Adopted Dog blog article, and stay tuned to this blog for future older puppy & dog training articles here too.

Prepare for puppy’s arrival

Being prepared can mean the difference between getting a good start, or getting started off on the wrong paw. A puppy needs a safe, warm environment. Being raised indoors with as much human contact as possible is critical at this stage. Make sure you have all the basic supplies you need, including a great dog food. For tips on dog nutrition, click here!

* Puppy-proof a play area. Puppies will chew everything, from electrical wires to socks and shoes. You need a secure, puppy-proof, enclosed area and a crate for those times you cannot directly supervise your puppy (see our article about crate training for tips). Puppies typically are not housebroken, and should be kept in an area when it is ok to have accidents.

* Establish a daily routine from day one. A puppy feels secure having dinner, playtime, lessons and walks at the same time each day. Also, being left alone all day on Monday after having spent his entire first weekend with you can cause lots of anxiety! If you do bring him home on a weekend, leave him alone for progressively longer periods of time. Schedule your puppy’s feedings so that all meals are fed by 5-6 pm (if you go to bed at 11), and so your puppy drinks very little water after that. Be regular about your (and your puppy’s) bedtime and time getting up in the morning to help your puppy learn to hold it through the night.

* Establish your house rules. If you do not want your adult dog on the furniture or jumping up, do not allow the puppy on the furniture or to jump up. Ask all visitors (and family members!) to follow your house rules. No matter how cute it is when he’s tiny, most people do not want their full grown dog jumping on everyone.

* How you deal with crying, whining and barking. This depends your puppy’s age, temperament and experiences. There are preventative steps you can take for training your puppy not to cry in his crate during the night (which we will detail in our future crate-training blog article) but we’ll mention a key point: The worst thing to do is to let the puppy cry and bark for a long time, and then go get it out or give it attention. When you do that, you teach the puppy to PERSISTENTLY make noise in the crate, because you have shown the puppy that persistence pays! You don’t want to respond quickly to a puppy making noise in the crate, provided you are sure the puppy’s needs have been met.

Teaching basic commands

At the minimum, your dog should learn to come when called, walk on a leash and sit/stay.

* Never repeat a command. Repetition is dulling, and having the puppy ignore you when you say “come here come here come here” is training him NOT to come when called.

* Try saying “come here” in a fun, high tone of voice every time the puppy starts running towards you,and give the puppy lots of rewards/tummy rubs/verbal and food treats whenever he comes running to you.

* Say “Good sit!” every time the puppy sits for the first week. Then begin asking for a sit, and use a treat to lead the puppy by the nose toward you, then put your hand over the puppies head to so he looks up, and backs into a sit (this can take some practice – on your part!). You can also use your other hand or a wall to gently stop the puppy from backing up as you lead the nose up and back. Do not push down on their behind to ‘make’ them sit. You want to teach them to sit on their own!

* If the puppy does something undesirable, you can use a calm, firm “no”, but avoid a harsh tone and never yell and NEVER use physical punishment. Punishment and yelling serve only to make your puppy afraid of you. Cowering does not mean your puppy ‘knows’ he did something wrong, he is just reacting to your voice right at that moment and showing submission. It will not help him learn what is the right thing to do. If your puppy is cowering when you are verbally correcting him, use a softer tone of voice, and focus on rewarding the positive and avoiding/redirecting negative behaviors.

* Be consistent. Always use the same command to elicit the same result. Don’t use the same word to mean two different things. When you say “down” do you mean lie down or get off the counter? When you clap, does that mean “come here” or “stop chewing on that sofa leg”?

* Socialization during a puppy’s early months is critical. Time spent with the family means the puppy will become comfortable with the sights, smells and sounds that people make, and grow up accustomed to them, rather than afraid of them. Puppies can usually be left alone in a puppy-safe area (crate, kitchen, puppy run) for 1-2 hours for every month of age (i.e., a 2 month old puppy can be alone for 2-3 hours). Leaving young puppies alone for too long means they are not being properly socialized. Try to plan your absences during naptime, or play with your puppy to tire him out before leaving. Using safe toys to entertain while you are gone, such as rubber toys stuffed with goodies, can make time alone easier. Crates can make being alone less frightening as well, by giving them a small secure “den”.

What’s next?

With the basic guidelines above, you are off to a good start getting ready for your new puppy! You’ll want to read up on housebreaking, teaching bite inhibition, possibly crate training, and when your puppy is fully vaccinated (usually at 4  months old), walking on leash and exploring the world outside your home. Enroll your puppy in a puppy socialization class, and then follow up with  a good dog obedience class. Dog training and socialization are an ongoing process usually throughout a dog’s adolescence, and are a wonderful way for you and your dog to enjoy time together, and with other dogs.

Good News In Pet Adoption 10.30

This week features a story of an adopted animal Bailey making new friends at Sunrise Living, a senior living community in Lombard Ill. Also, new laws are being proposed in snowy Colorado to cut down on puppy mills.

A task force is changing the rules for dog breeders in Colorado in an effort to crack down on so-called puppy mills without changing the law. Continue reading…

The Sunrise Senior Living community in Lombard has adopted Bailey, a 25-pound homeless beagle, as its resident therapy dog. The community opened in late September, and has 30 residents who now are Bailey’s new favorite companions. Bailey was found through an organization named A Cry For Help, which shelters battered or lost animals. Although most of his history is unclear, Bailey is known to be from Tennessee and approximately 3 years old.

How Much Time Do Pets Take?

You’re thinking about adopting a new pet and are wondering, how much time does a pet need? The answer depends on the type of pet, including but not limited to the breed, age, amount of previous training, other pets & people in your home, and your current activity level and lifestyle. In this article, we’ll help you consider these options, and list different types of pets’ needs. Matching the time a pet will take to the amount of time you want to spend on your pet is a very important part in finding your new best friend!

A good first step is really thinking about your daily routine. How much free time do you have each day that you are willing to devote to the care, training, and attention of your new pet over the next few months, and then for the lifetime of that pet? For social pets like birds, rabbits, dogs, and cats, time spent just “hanging out” with you while you’re watching a movie or reading a book, counts too!

With any human-social pet, babies and youngsters need a LOT more time. Plan on at 1-2 hours extra each day, until the pet is a trained, socialized adult. For example, puppies & kittens generally do best if only left alone (in a safe enclosure) for 1 hour for every 1 month of their age. If they are left alone for longer, socialization and behavior problems can develop as the pet matures.

Will they have a friend? Having a bonded, same-species companion can keep social pets company, reducing their dependence on your time and giving them a much happier life.

Dogs and puppies vary the most in their time requirements, ranging from an adult, already-trained, mellow breed, to a high-energy puppy that would love a jogging companion and another high-energy dog friend.

To help you decide on a pet that will be right for you, we’ve put together a basic “Average Daily Time Needed” guide below. With any pet, if possible, you’ll also want to ask experts (such as their current caregivers) about that particular pet’s needs.

Average Daily Time Needed
1/4 to 1/2 hour: Reptiles, Amphibians, Fish
1/2 to 1 hour: Ferret, Gerbil, Guinea Pig, Hamster, Mouse, Rat, Birds
1-2 hours: Chinchilla, Rabbits, pair of adult Cats
2-3 hours: pair of Kittens (or Kitten & Cat), pair of adult Dogs, single adult Cat
3-4 hours: single adult Dog, or Puppy with trained adult Dog
4-5 hours: single Puppy, or untrained/high-energy adult Dog

Good News In Pet Adoption 10.16

This week features a story of 24 animals being saved, a new book on pet adoption, and a tail of 23 trips from Iraq to the US in the name of pet adoption.

How far will people go to rescue cats and dogs? One person, Terri Crisp, has made 23 trips to Iraq to help bring home soldiers’ pets. Continue reading…

Stillwater Middle School counselor April Thompson and her Boston terrier Lily have been featured in the book “Lost Souls: FOUND! Inspiring Stories of Adopted Boston Terriers.” Lily is one of 50 dogs featured in the book, the first in the breed-specific “Lost Souls: FOUND” series about adopted dogs.

Two dozen dogs that were seized from a Ballantine breeder last year are on a cross-country bus trip to new homes.

Hero of The Month: Kim Bruck from Arizona Basset Hound Rescue

Kim BruckOver the past six months Arizona Basset Hound Rescue (AZBHR) rescued an incredible 52 Basset Hounds from a puppy mill in Pinal County. They were able to save and care for so many dogs because of their amazing big network of foster homes (97 dogs in foster care as of today!), volunteers, and donors with very big hearts! We had the chance to speak to AZBHR’s president, Kim Bruck, not only about this wonderful rescue’s work over the past decade, but how she’s helped over the past 5 years. As our Hero of the Month, we applaud her and all her volunteers’ efforts in saving the lives of so many Basset Hounds in need – over 1300 since they started, with 158 so far in 2009 alone!

Tell us about your rescue of 52 Basset Hounds from a puppy mill: How did you get involved? How did you manage to save so many?

Kim: AZBHR worked with Pinal County for over two years trying to close down this breeder and is very thankful to Pinal County and all their staff for the efforts in getting the owner to surrender the final group of Bassets as of Monday, August 3rd. As a result, AZBHR has 97 Basset Hounds in foster care as of September 10th… yes, 97! That is a RECORD for us as we usually average 60. Of the 97 dogs, there are 21 that are forever fosters who are seniors or have medical behavior issues and will be with their foster homes until they go to the Rainbow Bridge.

AZBHR would NOT exist without the many volunteers in our organization, past, present and future. AZBHR is an all-volunteer organization with NO paid staff. It’s because of the dedication and long hours our volunteers put in that we can help all these hounds! Most of the dogs have been adopted, but many are still waiting for their forever homes.

When and how did your rescue get started?

Once upon a time, Basset Hound “rescue” was something performed by Basset breeders and breed club members. In the late 1980s, when it became apparent that the need was far greater than the individuals and clubs could provide, the Basset Hound Club of America formed a committee called B.H CARES. By the early ‘90s, it was obvious that the rescue efforts were becoming greater than the club could handle, and B.H.CARES became a separately incorporated entity. We had association with the local groups, or “chapters,” who were totally autonomous. The national group served the same functions as had the original BHCA committee. One of the board members helped local Bassett Rescuers launch Arizona Basset Hound Rescue, filing papers of incorporation in 1999.

You have some interesting fundraisers going on right now! Tell us about your prizes, and how did you get them donated?

We are definitely in need of funds – our veterinary bills are currently over $70,000! We sent over 5,000 emails and letters to companies for donations for the Basset Ball. AZBHR also has a volunteer who does fundraising programs, Valerie Cree and she sets up the fundraisers such as the current Raffle for Ron Burns Limited Edition Artwork, titled Furever Homes™. The grand prize winner of the raffle will receive a limited edition of their choice from artist Ron Burns valued at up to $2,000. Additionally, three runner-up winners will be selected to receive a $100 gift certificate for Burns fine art. Visit http://www.ronburns.com to see Ron Burns’ limited-edition work. Raffle tickets are only $5 each, or a quantity of five is available for $20. Tickets go on sale September 1st and the last day to purchase will be October 23rd – drawing will be held at the AZBHR Howl event, but you do not need to be present to win. http://www.azbassetrescue.com/Events/Events.htm

What is the best part about rescuing Basset Hounds?

Knowing you have saved their life! That is what it is all about.

You can see Arizona Basset Hound Rescue’s adoptable dogs at http://www.adoptapet.com/adoption_rescue/70689.html and also see even more photos, stories, & news coverage videos on their own website http://www.azbassetrescue.com too.

(Photo: www.ADogsLifePhoto.com)