We love that PeoplePets.com is helping to promote pet adoption by regularly featuring lucky, adoptable fur-balls on their popular website!  Meet Connor, the recent star they’ve chosen to highlight.  Only 2-years-old, this gorgeous German Shepherd boy is so affectionate that he loves to give hugs!  He’ll literally stand up on his hind legs and wraps his arms around ya!  Left tied up outside of Fur Baby Rescue in Downtown Los Angeles, Connor had a terrible infection in his eye. After the group took him in and had him vetted, they discovered that he had a foxtail stuck in his poor little eye!  Thankfully, they were able to remove it safely and Connor has healed up nicely.  During his stay with Fur Baby Rescue, Connor has become quite the well-adjusted stud.  Referred to as “so endearing”, this hunky pup loves other dogs and people, he’s healthy, neutered, and all-around awesome!  What Connor needs now is just a happy and loving forever home.  Please help him find one by sharing his story.  For more about Connor, click here!

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Adopt-a-Pet.com Launches Pet Adoption Awareness Campaign in Miami

August 6, 2012 — Miami Marlins players Mark Buehrle and John Buck are going to bat for homeless pets.  Mark and his wife, Jamie Buehrle, along with John and spouse Brooke Buck, have partnered with Adopt-a-Pet.com, North America’s largest non-profit pet adoption web service, on a public service awareness campaign launching this week in the greater Miami area.

Miami residents will see multiple billboards promoting pet adoption that feature the Buehrles and the Bucks, as well as online videos featuring each couple.  Mark and Jamie appear with their four dogs, including their most recent rescued pit bull, Slater.  John and Brooke are featured in another PSA with their two dogs, Nala and Sandy.

The Buehrle family have long been involved in animal rescue.  Since moving to Miami, they’ve founded “Buehrle’s Buddies,” a monthly pre-game adoption event that brings pets from local shelters and rescue organizations to Marlins Park, where they can meet potential adopters.  They are also major supporters of Hope Animal Rescues, an Illinois-based rescue group, where a building they donated is named in their honor.  Jamie also serves on the board of directors of Five Acres Animal Shelter in St. Charles, MO, and volunteers her time there and at Stray Rescue.

“Pets in Miami animal shelters are getting ‘major league’ assistance thanks to these heroes,” states Abbie Moore, Adopt-a-Pet.com Executive Director.  “By speaking out about their passion for pet adoption and how easy it is to find a new furry family member through Adopt-a-Pet.com, they’re truly making a difference in the lives of people and homeless pets.”

“The shelters are a great place to find wonderful pets.  Our dogs have added so much to our lives and our family wouldn’t be complete without them,” states Mark Buehrle.  “You can pretty much find any kind of pet you want in a shelter, both mixed-breed and purebred.  In fact, one of our adopted pets is a purebred Viszla.”

Jamie Buehrle adds, “It’s easy to say ‘You should adopt a pet because it helps the pet’, but what we want people to understand is that pet adoption has an amazing impact on your life.  There’s nothing like having this incredibly loyal and grateful friend to greet you at the door every night. It’s the best feeling!”

Expressing his family’s passion for pet adoption, John Buck said, “There are so many pets already out there to love, why wouldn’t someone want to add that love to their family?  Local shelters have the perfect pet for every person, and Adopt-a-Pet.com can help anyone find their perfect match.”

The PSA’s for the Buehrles and the Bucks can be found at http://youtu.be/-CG1ny3dsGA and http://youtu.be/Ii5sa_KcucM.  Artwork is available upon request.

About Adopt-a-Pet.com is North America’s largest non-profit pet adoption website, helping over 12,000 animal shelters, humane societies, SPCAs, pet rescue groups, and pet adoption agencies that advertise their homeless pets to adopters. Over 200 Miami 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 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.  Visit www.adoptapet.com for additional information.

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Contact:

Sue Cornick, Coterie Media, 310-995-1074; sue@coteriemedia.com

Nikki Pesusich, Coterie Media, 818-788-7650; nikki@coteriemedia.com

Abbie Moore, Adopt-a-Pet.com, 323-791-4327; abbie@cms.adoptapet.com

There are unsung heroes who walk amongst us. Without hesitation, without recognition, and without fail, these people work tirelessly to improve the lives of animals. They come from all walks of life, all sorts of backgrounds, all shapes and sizes. What do they have in common? Helping feral cats. Anyone who’s ever met a feral cat caretaker knows what I’m talking about. These are people who go above and beyond the call of duty, dedicating hours of their time and in many cases their own money, because they are committed to helping homeless kitties. By finding, feeding, and earning the trust of feral cats, these heroes are often able to identify groups of feral cats living together, provide Trap-Neuter-Return, and get them vet care. And through the befriending of colonies of felines who would otherwise sadly live unnoticed and uncared for, feral cat caretakers are helping to reduce the feral cat population while improving their quality of life. Yes, feral cat caretakers notice these animals. They hear their purrs and look into their eyes and they acknowledge them as worthy beings who need our assistance. They answer the call.

In some special cases, feral cat caretakers are even able to rehabilitate kittens or young cats and secure them forever homes. If you’d like to read an inspiring article about heroes, or learn more about helping feral cats, click here.

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When a dog fight suddenly and surprisingly breaks out, it can be an incredibly frightening experience for humans and dogs alike. The sounds made, the teeth bared, the sheer speed by which dog fights usually happen – it’s all very unsettling. Although we don’t like to think about it, it’s important to remember that dog fights can occur anywhere: at the dog park, during a play date in your own yard, even during walks. So it’s advised to be prepared, and to know what works best and doesn’t work best when it comes to breaking up a dog fight. The most important things to remember are to stay calm and not put your hands in the middle of the fight!

Different people have different opinions about what to do to actually break up a fight, but all agree that you should never stick your hands in a dog fight, even if you are trying to break it up. Also, do not pull at your dog’s collar because it’s best to steer clear of the mouth area. Most dog bites occur because a person is trying to break up a dog fight, and the dog will turn around and redirect onto the hand. Please avoid this trap. There are other ways to get separate dogs such as getting a broom or piece of cardboard to stick in the middle of the fight. This great article by BentleyBarkz.com has some very helpful tips about what you should do and what you should never do when it comes to breaking up a canine quarrel.

Dogs fight for some reason or another, so it is almost never for “no reason” that the fight happens. Often it’s hard to pinpoint what the trigger may have been, but common culprits are battles over food, bones, toys, or prey instincts that kick in when a dog an off-leash dog attacks an on-leash dog. There are some pooches who also just don’t like other canines, and it’s best to know that about your dog so you can stay away from other pups, keeping your own dog and others safe. It can also be very helpful to learn to your dog’s communication signals, and those of other dogs. Dog fights usually happen after a series of signals and warnings that too often we guardians miss. Is one of the dogs growling or baring teeth? Are hackles up? Are tails low and in between the legs?  For a list of canine signals and postures to become familiar with, click here!

Last but not least, if you find that your pup is getting into regular scuffles, please consider seeking the help of a certified, professional, positive-reinforcement-based dog trainer nearby who can help you asses and manage the behavior.

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One of our wonderful Facebook fans wrote in to ask the following question: “What is the best way to handle ‘resource guarding’? My puppy recently bit my husband while he was trying to retrieve part of a dead bird from her mouth. She has never been deprived of food or mistreated in any way but seems to be very protective of strange things she picks up outside ie, branches, leaves, feathers, and in this case part of a dead bird. Please help so we can train her properly.”

This is a good question and resource guarding is a common problem. For starters, resource guarding is exactly what it sounds like. Your dog believes he has something of very significant value, which he feels defensive about or threatened by if you try to take the resource away. Usually the higher the value of the resource, the more your dog might guard it. Dead animals are a very high value reward for dogs because they are hardwired to protect their “prey”. So even if your pup has had a good life (and we thank you for loving your adopted dogs well!), your dog’s instincts may kick in to protect certain things.

When it comes to resource guarding, I would recommend enlisting the help of a certified, professional, positive-reinforcement-based dog trainer in your area. Often dogs protect resources they think will be taken away from them. Of course we are trying to take that thing away from them, which often makes the behavior worse! But a professional dog trainer knows how to teach your pooch the “drop it” command, and will make your dog a believer that dropping a resource is in fact a good thing by giving him a treat for backing away and letting go of the resource. This treat should be of higher value than the item he is protecting.

With the help of a certified dog trainer, dog bites can most effectively be avoided and your dog can learn to have a positive association with resources being taken away. Teaching your dog that good things come from resource removal, through treats, praising, petting, etc, will likely decrease or eliminate the guarding behavior. Furthermore, an experienced  dog trainer will know how to read your dog’s communication signals and make sure that a bite doesn’t happen by detecting any early warning signs. It’s highly suggested that your dog never learns to use biting as a method to get what he wants!

Best of all, a good trainer will teach you how to read your dog’s body language and make sure that your dog learns to have a positive experience when dropping both the resource and the guarding behavior. The end goal: your dog will not feel the need to defend, protect, or guard the thing he wants and will trust you to give and take his resources no matter what they are!

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N2 is quite the cat! He’s black and smooth. He’s charming. He’s a rescued kitty! And he’s also a rap star! Check out the catchy “Super Hero Cat“, and practice your dance moves. In this video, N2 the Talking Cat is in his preppy outfits (we love his wardrobe) when all of a sudden the time machine office chair reappears. He fuels it up with cat nip and takes off for an adventure like no other!

On top of writing songs and shooting music videos, N2 is on a mission to spread the pet adoption message as he shares his tunes and we love him for it! He’s calling on everyone to adopt their next best friend, and he’s got a special soft spot for black cats who are sadly the least of all shelter animals to get adopted. Unfortunately, many people still associate black kitties with bad luck, or assume they’re mean simply because of their color. Often dark colored pets are overlooked in shelters because their coats may not stand out as much.

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Chinchillas (affectionately known in Chinchilla circles by their nickname “Chin” or “Chins”) look like a cross between a rabbit and perhaps a mouse, but they are actually more closely related to guinea pigs than to rabbits.  They are a popular pet because of their quirky and unique personailities, their super plush fur – fur that is so dense that even parasites like fleas cannot live in it – and of course how incredibly cute they are! Our friends over at WebVet talked to Lani Ritchey, the president of California Chi and Chinchilla Rescue about how Chinchilla rescue is growing. You can read their interview with her about Chinchilla Rescue here, and also find out some basic facts about Chins and their care that have been reviews by a veterinarian. As with any pet, being informed and prepared for the responsibilities of Chinchilla ownership are key in keeping your pet happy and healthy, so you can enjoy them with your family for their entire life.

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We received another #AskKatya question on our Facebook wall! Kari wrote in to seek help with her dog’s tendency to lunge and bark at other dogs while on walks and on leash, even though he gets along great with dogs off leash. This Woof University training video is dedicated to answering that very question! Leash aggression or leash reactivity is a common problem, often caused by fear or insecurity about interacting with other pups while feeling constricted by the leash. Creating a greeting ritual for you and your dog can make all the difference! By having a consistent routine for your pooch that you can use on walks, you can avoid the lunging and barking, teach him how to greet other dogs on leash, and offer your pet a safe and positive experience. Once dogs meet one another, the curiosity is usually quenched and the reactivity subsides.

This is an effective tool that gives your dog the structure he or she needs when dealing with other dogs on leash. Best of all, it comes from you therefore enforcing the human-animal bond! Make sure to keep the meet-up short and sweet, then carry on with your walk. Greeting rituals are great to use with dogs who do like other canines. Just make sure to ask if the other dog is friendly, too, before you do an introduction! However, when it comes to pups who don’t care for others, a greeting ritual is not appropriate. Crossing the street, practicing “sit” as the other pooch passes, or making sure to walk your pet during off hours when the chance of encountering other dogs is less likely are better recommendations for dogs who don’t like other dogs.

Woof University is our series of pet-related training tips, and you can post your pet-related questions on Adopt-a-Pet.com’s Facebook or Twitter page, too! Just make sure to include the hashtag #AskKatya, and once a week we’ll be picking a question to answer with video. Did you like this article? Click an icon below to share it on Facebook, Twitter, and more!

Another reason to adopt a pet for your family! On top of teaching your kids compassion and providing a home for a deserving friend, we’ve got another pro-pet-adoption point! A recent study from Kuopio University Hospital in Finland shows that babies who live with pets during their first year of life are approximately one-third more likely to be healthier, and less susceptible to respiratory infections and colds. They found that children exposed to dogs and cats were overall healthier than babies who do not have a pet at home. How much healthier? It seems antibiotics were not needed as much, the children experienced fewer ear infections, not as many runny noses, and suffered less weeks with a cough, according to the study. Although the evidence was strongest for babies exposed to dogs, exposure to cats also showed positive effects. And even more good news is that this research doesn’t stand alone! There have been various studies suggesting that pets in the home, especially dogs, could potentially provide protection for kids against developing allergies or even asthma.

If you’ve been hesitant to adopt a pet for your family because of health or allergy concerns, we hope this study will ease some of your worry and encourage you to consider opening your home to a rescued furry family member. If you’d like to read more about this study, click here!

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