Let’s admit it. YouTube is really for watching cute pet videos. And boy do we have one for you! If you want to watch a bunch of sweet kittens playing together and enjoying their foster home catio, just click here! These white kitten siblings were taken in by our very own Director of Shelter Outreach, Jennifer Warner Jacobsen. She is an amazing foster, giving them a lot of love and getting them ready for happy forever homes. And if you think Jennifer’s catio is as awesome as we do, please make sure you check out our blog next Tuesday where you will see a whole tour of just how wonderful her catio really is!

You too can become a foster parent and experience the thrill that comes with opening your heart and home to pets in need. Fostering is an incredibly valuable way to help homeless pets as often rescue groups cannot pull animals from the shelter without foster homes. If you’d like to learn more about fostering pets, please click here! You can also fill out a volunteer profile on our homepage by clicking on the “Get Involved – Lend a Helping Paw!” tab where we will connect you with rescue groups in your area looking for volunteers. There are so many lovable kitties just like these at your local shelter who would love to spend some time with you, or better yet get adopted!

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We love hearing from happy adopters who have used Adopt-a-Pet.com to find their new furry friend! Here’s an email we received with a great photo from Susan, who found her dog thanks to the Adopt-a-Pet.com Search Saver email alerts! “I just had to write to let you know that I have found my new best friend, Snickers (pic to the left). I was able to find her with the help of your website. A couple of months ago, I put in a “saved search” with general specifics and received an email every day with possible matches. (My heart goes out to all the wonderful animals searching for a new home.) Once I saw the picture of Snickers, I knew she was the girl for me. I went thru the adoption process with Fassa Friends and on Saturday, brought Snickers to my home. She is great! The reason for this mail is to let you know that if it wasn’t for your website, I wouldn’t have found Snickers and we may never have met. So thank you for the wonderful work you do… it works! Sincerely, Susan”

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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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We love DIY cat projects and modern cat design, and of course are huge fans of the Moderncat blog, especially when it combines these two of our favorite things! We also are huge fans of repurposing items that would otherwise end up as part of a landfill, and this DIY Vintage TV turned Stylish cat bed does just that. I don’t know about near you, but thrown-away TV sets are constantly littering the alleys around where we live, so now I just have to wait for a really cool looking old one like the one Moderncat reader Melissa found and transformed to make one for my foster cat house! Plus with the advent of flat screens, cats everywhere are loosing one of their favorite lounging spots — the top of warm TV. This fixes that problem! You can see more photos of her before and after project and perhaps be  inspired by her DIY creativity to make a DYI Vintage TV Cat Bed for your kitties too.
Learn more about Jennifer, our blog author at Google+
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We have some important news: This week, Adopt-a-Pet.com, with help from a couple of sports stars, will launch a major pet-adoption campaign in the greater Miami area. Beginning this Wednesday, we’ll be blitzing Miami with more than 40 billboards and two online public service announcements featuring Miami Marlins stars Mark Buehrle and John Buck, their wives Jamie and Brooke, and their assortment of loveable dogs.  The message is clear: Adopt a pet.

The campaign will attract a lot of attention (including coverage on local TV channels) and adoptable pets on Adopt-a-Pet.com will benefit from the publicity! The billboards (above) will help homeless pets in the greater Miami area by encouraging people to “Adopt a pet. It’s the right call.” These players and their families are passionate about helping strike out pet overpopulation, and they’re giving shelter pets some major league help. With this campaign, Adopt-a-Pet.com is aiming to set records for Miami pet adoption rates! Check out the video PSAs:

Mark & Jamie Buehrle:
http://youtu.be/-CG1ny3dsGA

John & Brooke Buck:
http://youtu.be/Ii5sa_KcucM

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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.

#  #  #

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

Asphalt maybe should be called asp-hot! Did you know when the air temperature is outside is measured at 77 degrees, asphalt in the sun has been measured at 125 degrees, and jump up to 86 or 87 degrees outside, and asphalt can sizzle your skin (or your pet’s paws) at 135 to 143 degrees… and egg can fry in 5 minutes at 131 degrees! Our friend Dr. Pia Salk brought these mind-scorching numbers to our attention in a recent article on her Blog at MarthaStewart.com. Pia points out that while most of us have witnessed or experienced the driveway dance of a human in bare feet, we don’t often think of the effect that burning hot surface has on the bare four paws of our companion animals out for a stroll. She offers up some good advice for judging how safe the ground temperature is for Fido’s feet, which isn’t as simple as it may seem…

As a basic ‘rule of paw’ if the pavement feels too hot for your barefoot, it is too hot for Fido’s. Do this test: press  your own bare hands or feet on sunny pavement for at least 7-8 seconds to assess heat level. If it is uncomfortable for you, then it is too hot for your dog. Abort ‘mission dog walk’ and devise another plan for the day’s exercise or method of travel.

Remember that the air temperature is NOT an accurate reflection of ground temperature at all! Asphalt and other ground surfaces retain heat and this temperature rises exponentially as heat and sun exposure continues. See the above image for temperature correlations.

Furthermore, the time of day is very relevant! Asphalt soaks up the heat all day and can only cool down at a certain rate and only when the sun retreats- so pavement that was deemed safe for a walk at 9 am may differ greatly at high noon and into the early evening.

Summer is meant to be fun and carefree for humans and fur kids alike. And as is also the case with human kids, our animal companions need us adults to stay informed and use good judgement to keep them safe. After all, splashing in the pool, digging in the sand and rolling in the grass is a lot to cover in one day. Having to also worry about paw safety is just too much to expect of anyone with such a busy summer schedule.

Stay safe, so everyone can enjoy what summer has to offer.

In kinship,
Dr. Pia Salk

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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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