When people think of animal control officers, we normally picture them on the streets picking up strays and investigating cruelty cases. We usually don’t envision them giving behavior advice to the owners of horses. But that’s exactly what Tracie Graham was doing this morning. As I stopped in for a chat to hear what cases she was working on, Tracie was on the telephone coaching an adopter of one of our horses. The horse was having difficulty adjusting to her new environment. She was kicking at people, pacing the fence and not accepting of her new barn mates. I marveled at the suggestions Tracie gave to the adopter – many of which I would give to an owner of a dog who is having behavior problems. Tracie covered topics like diet, exercise and other environmental adjustments that could be made to affect positive change for the horse. The conversation lasted for at least an hour and ended with Tracie giving the adopter a comprehensive list of ideas to consider. The adopter seemed satisfied and relieved to have an action plan, and especially to have someone to talk to who cared about helping her to work through the issues.
It’s all in a day’s work for the Animal Rescue League – rescue is not just about saving the animals, it’s about getting them into good homes and ensuring they stay there.
We have an adorable 1-year-old Rottie/Shepherd mix here at the shelter who has a torn cruciate ligament in one of his legs. For anyone who has been through this problem with their dogs, they know this is not an easy issue to deal with. First, there's the surgery. Of course it costs money. But the more difficult issue is the recovery time from this surgery. Depending on the method of surgery used by the vet, some dogs can walk rather quickly again on the leg. But other vets do surgeries which require the dog to be immobile for up to 8 weeks. The only exercise allowed is to go out for potty breaks -- and then right back into quiet confinement.
If anyone would be up to the challenge of fostering this wonderful dog while he gets his surgery and recovers, you would be giving an enormous gift not only to this dog but to the staff members of the ARL who love Ripper very much. Please consider this option to help a loving dog.
Christmas is a time for peace and love. At wartime, cease fires and truces are called during this season. To all animal lovers - let's work together in peace to help the animals that we love. As I left the shelter last night, tears flowed as I thought about all of the homeless animals who do not have families to love them. They need all of us to help them, working together in peace.
Happy Holidays
We’ve been saying it for months now – the economy is affecting people’s ability to properly care for their pets. From cutting back on gourmet treats and clothing…to feeding less expensive foods…to skipping veterinary care…to having to surrender their pets to shelters or rescues. These are the hard realities that I am hearing through my observations here at the ARL, with my private business as a pet behavior consultant and trainer, and through the several rescue organizations where I volunteer. I frequently stand at the counter in our lobby and listen to the stories, or I quiz our front desk personnel. We are definitely seeing more and more people surrender their pets due to lack of money or being forced to move to places where pets are not accepted. It’s heartbreaking.
I read an article this past weekend on MSNBC about this topic. Sadly, shelters around the country are seeing an increase in surrenders due to the economy as well. Here’s a link to the article: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/28337845/
There was a very happy ending story recently about pets who had to be surrendered because their owners needed to go into a homeless shelter. I was volunteering one day at Main Line Animal Rescue when I saw a sweet yet dirty Cocker Spaniel getting bathed. I was told that this dog and a cat were taken in by MLAR when the couple became homeless. MLAR cared for these pets for several weeks until the couple found a home that took pets. Last week, the dog and cat were reunited with their owners. I wish all stories had happy endings like this…
The Animal Rescue League frequently sees pets come in with terrible teeth, and not just from old age. The teeth are so bad that the pets require dental work to remove the rotten teeth. If the teeth are not removed, the pets’ health is endangered. Heart and kidney disease can result which can be fatal. The most common reason for bad teeth is poor diet. Feeding canned food and human food increases the chances of tartar buildup on the pets’ teeth which leads to decay. How do you prevent tooth decay in pets? 1) Feed only hard food which scrapes the teeth and is less likely to get stuck in the teeth like soft food does. 2) Regularly brush your pets’ teeth. 3) Take your pet to your veterinarian every year for a check-up and schedule a regular teeth cleaning, just like humans.
For the first time since I started working here at the ARL in May, we have no horses! Three were adopted this week, leaving our llama, Snickers, and our goose (who has no name) all alone except for the continual presence of a turkey and some roosters. This is truly reason to celebrate because keeping horses at the shelter can be very expensive. Anyone who owns a horse can attest to that!
But I’m hearing that the barn will not be empty for long… There’s a possibility of another horse coming in soon. And any of you who work in rescue knows that there will always be more to arrive. The celebration is short-lived. But for now, we’re very happy that good homes were found for these gentle animals.
It’s Animal Rescue League Night at Koziar’s Christmas Village on December 9! We will have a table there from 6:00pm until 9:00pm. Bring pet food, blankets or a new pet toy and receive $1 off admission to the Christmas Village. I’ve never been there and I’m very excited to see it! And I hear that Tuesdays are not very busy, so what a great time to go to be able to enjoy the sights and to help support the ARL. For directions, visit their web site at http://www.koziarschristmasvillage.com/. See you there on Tuesday!
