The Weekend Was Busy...

There was just so much to do and not enough time to get it all done, but isn't that always the case.   As far as our furry friends go, there is of course news to tell on the rescue front.  There were a couple of kittens found on a nearby highway that were picked up by a fellow volunteer so they are now safe.  There are always animals in danger of being euthanized at our local shelters as well because of space issues (i.e. too many animals coming in and nowhere to put them so they have to euthanize the ones there to make room).  Then of course there are always adoption events for the animal rescue organization I volunteer with.  The picture below is me holding a 6 week old kitten named Buttercup.

 

 

She is so sweet and had been playing off and on for the entire 3 hours she was at the event.  We of course could not resist this photo opportunity.  Would you have been able to resist her at all?  I can't, that's for sure.

 

Then Thor and Megan, our Newfoundland nephew and niece, were there getting baths as well.  Once they got done they were, as always, a big crowd draw and people were taking pictures of them and loving on them which they really live for.  Thor's Wobbler's is getting worse apparently and he lost about 4-5 pounds this week which is really not good.  He is so skinny it is truly breaking our hearts not just for him but for his parents as well.  He of course puts on a brave face at the store.  If you are owned by a large breed dog, please pay attention to their gate (walking habits) so you will know if it changes.  There is no cure for Wobbler's.

 

http://vet.osu.edu/wobbler-syndrome

 

All in all it was a great weekend and it is our hope to have many adoptions for the homeless animals and maybe even find some barn homes for homes with lots of land for some semi-feral cats.  They are quite a help to those not only with barns but with lots of property. 

 

http://www.aspca.org/adoption/feral-cats-faq.aspx

 

If you are in the Raleigh, NC area and are willing to have at least one semi-feral cat on your property please contact me for some no costs details as to how you are able to have this for your land.

 

I hope you all had a wonderful weekend and have a wonderful week.  We'll talk more about the fur kids this week!  Let me know if you have any specific you'd like me to discuss or if you have any input.  Your family and friends might be interested in reading so please tell them about us and as always thanks for reading!

Shelters vs. Rescue Organizations: What's The Difference?

I'd like to discuss today the differences between shelters and rescue organizations because I've had a lot of people over my years of doing rescue be confused and ask questions about this very topic.  It can be very confusing when several places are supposedly doing the same thing.

Here's the difference:  most shelters do euthanize animals on at minimum a weekly basis while rescue organizations do not.  A local organization in my area has said they are no kill, but this has only served to confuse people because they think the shelter is no kill when in fact it's the adoption center that is no kill.  The shelter euthanizes animals on a regular basis.

Shelters do what they can to find homes for the animals brought to them but the reality is not every animal can be saved and there just isn't enough money, manpower or space to help all the animals that are in need.  I would love to say there is, but that's not reality.  The ultimate reality is these animals are in the cages like you see below, they get upper respiratory infections (most of them, especially the babies) and once they do they are euthanized because there isn't enough money to care for them.

Rescue organizations do not have enough of those things either (money, manpower or space) but most have a cap on the number of animals they bring in so they can wait until the right home for their animals is found.  Then they can take in more.  Pleas for help are constantly coming in so people do not have to take their animal to the shelter but another reality is there aren't enough foster homes for these animals.

Ok, so to answer the question "what's the difference?"  There ultimately is no difference except for grant money and the people backing the organization.  They are all working toward the same goal...the welfare of the animals and finding them new homes.

So the bigger question is what can you do to help?  If you have room for one animal to foster in your home, if you can volunteer your time, if you can donate some of your money then it will help.  Here are some rescue organizations in the Raleigh, NC, USA area that would be very glad to have you help out with anything you are able:

www.calvinspaws.org
www.bfpa.org
www.safehavenforcats.org
http://www.secondchancenc.org/
http://www.snowflakerescue.org/

These are just a few of the very many in the area.  Of course there are also breed specific groups as well if that is your interest for both dogs and cats.  Most of the groups I listed above have dogs and cats so if you want to foster or sponsor an animal just let them know.

Our economy is so tough right now and everyone is feeling the tightening of the belt, so to speak, and many of our animals are being surrendered because of finances.  Please search for groups to see if they can help out or if there are avenues so you can keep your animal with you so they aren't euthanized.  If it's not possible, then please consider fostering while the group is looking for a home for your pet.  That way there are few moves as possible which creates stress on the animal and that can create medical issues.

As always, we welcome comments, questions and any topics you'd like to see discussed here.  Our goal is to provide you with the information you seek.  Don't forget to follow us on Twitter and Facebook and tell your family and friends about us!  Thanks for reading.

Fostering...How Do You Get Started and Who To Foster For?

Are you thinking about a new pet but not sure about the commitment?  What about fostering?  There are a lot of organizations in the area who are full to the brim with cats and dogs who need foster homes.  There are animals taken to the shelters every day that need either a foster home or adoptive home.

So what is involved in fostering?  Do you have to adopt the animal?  Well the involvement depends on the group and you.  Some groups pay for food and litter as well as vet care (for cats) and some do not.  Some groups will pay for training for dogs and some will not.  It just depends on funding and whether the group has a trainer involved or not.  As far as adopting the animal goes, you should never be required to adopt an animal as as foster parent.  If that is part of the requirement you should not foster for that particular group.

Fostering can be very emotionally demanding and very emotionally draining because the animals you are fostering often have emotional issues from being surrendered.  They are confused, scared and do not know what is going on.  They have to learn they are safe and may have been abused so they have to overcome the mental issues from that as well.  Some animals never overcome the demons from abuse depending on the level of abuse.  The type of abuse may have to be taken into consideration as well.  For instance, if a cat was used as bait for a dog fighting ring he/she may be afraid of dogs and may not be but that will be very easy to tell. 

This is a scared cat that will probably fight back

Medications may also be involved in fostering as well so it may be necessary for you to administer them for a cold or other infection if they have had an injury or ear issues, etc.  Like humans, though, it's important to follow the vet's directions and give the medications as directed.

Fostering is also extremely rewarding, though.  When a family finds your foster is the right one for their family and takes them home and they have already fallen in love with their new pet, you have a sense of pride and sadness at the same time.  Pride comes from knowing where they came from when you first got them and where they are now and the sadness comes from watching them 'leave the nest' so to speak.  I always ask for pictures and send follow up emails checking in to make sure things are going well.  It's very important to do that so the people do not feel they are alone and just got dumped with a new animal and they do not have any support if something goes wrong.

Here is more information about fostering:

http://fosterdogs.com/getting-involved.html

http://matadornetwork.com/change/beginnersguide-to-fosteirng-animals/

www.calvinspaws.org

http://www.wakegov.com/pets/foster/Pages/default.aspx

For those in the Raleigh, NC, USA area I've included two good groups to contact about fostering.  Anyone interested in those groups can either contact them directly or send me a note and I will help you get involved.  There are many ways to volunteer your time besides fostering as well, but that is the biggest need.

Please considering fostering a homeless animal or volunteering with your local rescue organization or shelter.  As always, we welcome your comments, questions, and/or concerns regarding any of our posts and if you would like to see a topic discussed please let us know.

Don't forget to follow us on Twitter and Facebook and tell your family and friends about us!

What Do You Do If Your Pet Is Missing?

Accidents happen and sometimes your pet gets away from your home and gets lost.  So what do you do?  Who do you tell?  Well the first thing you can do is print out a picture of him/her on a flyer and post it all over your neighborhood and tell all of your neighbors.  Then what?  Here's some ideas and links:

http://www.missingpet.net/cgi-bin/statepage.pl?NC

http://www.spcawake.org/site/PageServer?pagename=Lost_FoundLOSTpet

http://www.lostmydoggie.com/index.cfm?source=10

Wherever you live, there are shelters that can post flyers and information about your pet and they may even have online information so you can post your pet there as well in case someone finds him/her and looks up lost and found information.

This is also where microchipping your pet is extremely important.  People can take your pet to a local shelter, rescue organization or vet to be scanned and your information will come up as the pet's owner and you can be contacted.  I've personally seen this happen and had some happy endings for some people.

There are quite a few companies out there that deal with microchips and your vet can answer any questions you may have as well as implant the chip itself.  It is not a surgical procedure and takes less than a minute to do.  The chip itself is about the size of a grain of rice and is inserted just under the skin.  It is worth the time you spend to have this done if your pet is ever missing because if someone finds him/her and you haven't had this done and they end up in the shelter they may not make it out because they might be put to sleep.

This is a microchip (on the left)

If you are interested in some companies that will register your chip send me a note or ask your vet.  If you got your pet from a breeder then he/she should have already given you some information about microchipping.

If you find a stray animal please do not assume it's mean or feral because it may be someone's lost pet.  If it's friendly and comes up to you call your vet and see if he/she will come out and scan the pet or if you can take the animal to your vet for scanning to make sure someone isn't missing their family member.

Again, if you would like more information on microchipping companies please contact me or your local vet.

We always welcome comments, questions, concerns and other notes.  If you have a topic you would like to see discussed please send us an email and do not forget to follow us on Facebook and Twitter!  Tell your friends and family about us as well.