Rescued Dogs Become Search and Rescue Heroes

By Linda Cole

Sometimes you have to look deeper inside a pet to see the real spirit lurking below the surface, waiting for the right person to set it free. Some people think shelter animals aren't worthy of their attention and don't consider adopting them. However, many great shelter dogs and cats turn out to be a pet that saves the life of their owner. National Disaster Search Dog Foundation is a nonprofit and non-government organization that provides firefighters, who are first responders, with rescued shelter dogs that have been trained for Search and Rescue (SAR) work. Even a scruffy shelter dog has the potential of becoming a hero who might one day save your life or someone you love.

Dogs end up in shelters for a number of reasons: their owner didn't understand how to handle behavioral problems, picked the wrong dog for their lifestyle or grew tired of the dog, or the dog became lost or was dumped. Hollywood dog trainers have known for decades that animal shelters are a great place to find pets that are smart, loyal and eager to work. The pet just needed a person who saw their potential and was willing to make a commitment to work with the dog to develop his hidden abilities.

Organizations looking for Search and Rescue dogs have also discovered that animal shelters are full of untrained dogs that only need a steady and compassionate hand to teach them the art of locating people who become lost or buried under rubble after a natural disaster. Not every canine is up to the task of being a SAR dog, but many are and you only have to go as far as the local shelter to find them.

National Disaster Search Dog Foundation matches firefighters with shelter dogs, and trains both the handler and dog in Search and Rescue and how to work as a team. Currently, handlers and dogs are trained at Sundowners Kennel in Gilroy, California, but a permanent training facility in southern California is in the works and is very much needed.

SAR dogs have proven their true worth and dedication in doing their job better than we can do ourselves. Even with modern day technology, there is nothing more effective than a dog's nose for locating someone buried under rubble. Without the unique ability of dogs aiding in a search, many more lives would be lost. Rescuing and training shelter dogs for this important job is a win-win for everyone.

Those who search shelters for just the right dog know exactly what they are looking for. Armed only with a toy, they want to find a dog who responds with curiosity to the toy. They're looking for specific characteristics in the dog and how he/she acts, especially when it comes to playing tug of war. The qualities of a good Search and Rescue dog are easy to find when you know what to look for.

National Disaster Search Dog Foundation was founded in 1996 by a retired Physical Education teacher named Wilma Melville. Wilma and her black lab Murphy went through the Federal Emergency Management Agency training to become certified as an Advanced Disaster Search Dog team. Wilma and Murphy were deployed to Oklahoma City after the 1995 bombing of the Federal Building. Because there were only 15 search teams in the entire country who were certified to work a disaster site, Wilma knew more teams needed to be trained. She was determined to find a way to ensure there would be enough teams ready to go for the next large scale disaster. Today, there are around 100 SAR teams who are ready to go wherever they are needed.

Twenty teams are based in locations in Tornado Alley. Nine teams are in Oklahoma, four in Nebraska and Dallas, and three teams are stationed in Florida. Midwest states without teams are working with the National Disaster Search Dog Foundation to get more teams into these critical areas.

No one expects to be touched by a natural disaster, but they can and do happen in our own backyards. We can't stop Mother Nature, but we need to be as prepared as we can to help deal with the aftermath in a quick and organized way to save as many lives as possible. Without Search and Rescue dogs, it would be impossible for humans to locate people buried in rubble, and any shelter dog could potentially be rescued and trained for this very important job.

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CANIDAE Helps Pets Affected by New Mexico Wildfire

By Julia Williams

The wildfire season is really heating up. Wildfires wreak havoc on the land, on people’s homes and businesses, and their pets too. According to U.S. Fire Administration statistics, wildfires torch 4 to 9 million acres every year, forcing all living things in their path to flee for their lives. Residents must evacuate not knowing if they will have a home to come back to when the fire danger has passed.

Although our first thought might not be about the pets of wildfire evacuees, the devastation affects not only them but the area’s animal shelters, rescue groups and pet food stores. Shelters scramble to find enough space for the influx of newly homeless pets that need a safe place to stay until the evacuees can return to their homes. The shelters also scramble to find enough food to feed these pets, since many of their owners are facing loss of property or business income and are unable to help with the cost of caring for their pets during this difficult time.

Thankfully, compassionate pet food companies like CANIDAE exist, companies who quickly answer the call for help and get huge pallets of food delivered where it’s needed most. Last week, it was needed in northern New Mexico, where the Las Conchas Fire started on June 26 near Los Alamos. This wildfire is New Mexico’s largest to date; it’s scorched nearly 150,000 acres thus far, and is still burning today. So far, more than 400 homes were threatened by the fire, and 63 homes were destroyed.

I spoke with Lisa Gipe, the Shelter Manager at Espanola Valley Humane Society, who informed me that the residents of Las Alamos are now being allowed back into the area. When the wildfire swept through the area last week, her shelter took in a staggering 108 pets of the evacuees in just a few short days.

To make room for this large influx of temporary guests, the shelter staff found foster homes for their resident pets. Lisa explained that it works better to keep the evacuated pets housed at the shelter instead of fostering them out, because it’s less traumatic for the pets and much easier to coordinate their care. Keeping the evacuated pets at the shelter also allows the owners to come in and spend some time with their pets if they can. This helps both the pet and their owner to not feel so stressed out during this challenging time.

As you can imagine, providing enough food for all of these suddenly homeless pets is not an easy feat. Lisa said her shelter quickly ran through the food they had on hand for their resident pets, and they were very much in need of aid. “The large donation of pet food we received from CANIDAE helped us tremendously,” she said. “We were so relieved that we wouldn’t have to worry about being able to feed the evacuees' pets. We’re very grateful to CANIDAE for their support and generosity.”

Nina Chiotasso, a shelter employee involved in community outreach for the Espanola Valley Humane Society, posted updates on their website about the wildfire and subsequent aftermath. In one update she thanked all of the shelter’s supporters, whose donations of money and pet food would help them offset some of the cost of caring for the evacuated pets, which she estimated was about $120 for each animal. “Before this, we had to take weekly inventory to make sure we had enough food and litter for the coming week, and right now we do not need to worry about that. Our food sheds are full and our animals are comfortably bedded,” she said.

As the residents of Los Alamos, New Mexico can attest, wildfires are wickedly destructive beasts that can change lives forever. The greatest threat of the Las Conchas Wildfire may be over, but its aftermath will linger. Fortunately, the evacuated pets were all kept safe and well fed while the fire raged. Although these animals don’t know who was responsible for their full bellies, I’m sure they appreciated the food nonetheless. Thanks CANIDAE – you rock!

Photo by Joe Duty

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Blind Cat Rescue & Sanctuary

By Julia Williams

It can be difficult for adult cats in animal shelters to find their forever home, since many people prefer to adopt a cute playful kitten instead. For cats with special needs, the chance of being adopted is almost nil. Blind Cat Rescue & Sanctuary (BCRS) was started in 2005 to provide a safe home for blind cats that are deemed unadoptable by regular shelters. This lifetime care facility for blind cats is located in St. Pauls, North Carolina on a 24-acre farm that’s also home to numerous horses, donkeys, chickens and turkeys.

Blind Cat Rescue is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization that gives a second chance at life to kitties that have been certified by a veterinarian as being blind. Cats with 20% or less sight are accepted as blind. Most of the cats that come to the sanctuary will stay for the remainder of their life, although they could potentially be adopted out if the right family came along.

As often happens in life, Blind Cat Rescue’s inception came about through a twist of fate. In 2000, the organization’s founder, Alana Miller, was volunteering at a local rescue group with her daughter Stephanie. At an adoption event, a man brought in a tiny kitten he’d found; its eyes were crusted shut due to a severe eye infection. The rescue group didn’t have the resources to accept the kitten, and when the man said he was going to abandon it in the parking lot, Alana made a split-second decision to take it herself. From that day on, the Millers seemed to be a magnet for blind cats in need of a safe haven. When Alana realized they had become the go-to resource shelters would call when they had a blind cat, she decided to fully commit to the mission. Now, Blind Cat Rescue offers a safe, clean, climate-controlled home for approximately 40 special needs felines.

When she first started the rescue, Alana had no idea it would grow so much and that so many people would respond positively to their mission and want to help. “We thought we’d have a small rescue that would save a few lives, never imagining that it would become all that it has,” Alana said. “I believe we were all put here to change lives. It feels wonderful to know we’re doing that.” Like many nonprofits, Blind Cat Rescue relies on social networking sites to spread the word about their mission. It seems to be working, as they currently have 27,000+ fans on Facebook.

Because the nonprofit sanctuary relies on private donations, the number of cats they can take in is limited. As a result, Alana often counsels others who have blind cats in the hope that they won’t give up on their special kitty. She tries to help them see that despite the disadvantage of being blind, their cat can still be healthy, capable and a wonderful family companion. Blind cats can do the same things other cats do – like play with toys, groom themselves, use the litterbox, scamper up cat trees (and even real ones!) and be affectionate. “The cats don’t know they are blind,” said Alana. “They only know they are cats, so they act like cats.”

Blind cats may take longer to complete their routines, but they’re generally capable of accomplishing most tasks on their own. Like blind humans, blind cats learn to rely on their other senses like touch, hearing and smell. Consistency in the home can make it easier for a blind cat to get around; for example, keeping their cat food and litterbox in the same place.

Blind cats may not be able to see you, but they will still give you unconditional love as only an animal companion can. You can visit the Blind Cat Rescue & Sanctuary website to learn more about them or to find out how you can help them help with their very important mission.

Photo by Evan HB

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Operation Roger…Truckers Pet Transport

By Linda Cole

Where would we be without the dedicated truckers who move products and food all around the country? No matter where you live, trucks deliver anything and everything to communities and businesses. Operation Roger is a nonprofit organization made up of long haul and regional truckers who use their trucks to transport a very precious cargo – homeless pets – to new locations around the country.

America has always been a country made up of people with a “can do” spirit that never wavers. After Hurricane Katrina swept across the Gulf Coast in 2005 devastating the area, one pet loving trucker wanted to do something to help pets left homeless by Katrina. The only thing she could think of was to use her truck to help transport shelter pets from the area to give them a better chance of finding a new home.

Sue Wiese had the courage to go on a trucker's radio show to ask if any truck drivers would consider moving pets in their rigs to new locations across the country. She was surprised to discover that yes, they would. So on September 16, 2005, Operation Roger…Truckers Pet Transport was created. It's a nonprofit organization that moves shelter pets and pets from rescue groups to new homes no matter where they are.

Operation Roger is named after Sue's Manchester Terrier who passed away in 2005, just three months before Katrina hit. Roger was adopted from a shelter and enjoyed two years on the road with his human. Roger had been important to Sue and the more she thought about all of the pets that had been affected by Katrina, the more she knew something needed to be done to try and help shelter pets.

Operation Roger takes only one or two pets at a time in a truck, so that the driver can give them individual care and attention. People who moved to new areas of the country and had to leave a beloved pet behind can go to Operation Roger's website to request help in transporting their pet from their old home to the new one. Shelters and rescue groups can also find information on how to request transportation for their pets to new areas of the country.

How the program works is pretty simple. Operation Roger looks for a driver who will be driving straight through to a pet's new home. If a direct connection can't be found, then layover homes are used to give the pet a temporary foster home where they can wait for their next ride. Shuttle drivers are pet lovers who may not be able to house a pet in a foster home and instead volunteer to drive the pet on to their destination.

The goal of Operation Roger is to create a network of truckers nationwide who can help transport pets. They are always on the lookout for interested pet-loving truckers who would like to help out, and more temporary foster homes are needed for the pets who need a place to stay while waiting for their next ride. People who can use their own vehicles to drive shorter distances are also needed. Pilots are welcome to check their website for any pets they could fly across the country. I can't help but wonder what kind of a rescue transporting organization we could have in this country if Pilots N Paws and Operation Roger ever joined together. It would be an awesome system with one goal in mind: saving the lives of shelter and rescued pets all across the country.

In the almost six years since Operation Roger transported their first pet to a new home, they have moved 568 pets across the country. Rescue groups and shelters understand some pets may never find a home in certain areas of the country. The problem has always been how to get one pet, or a group of pets, from one part of the country to another part without requiring an individual to drive hundreds or thousands of miles just to relocate one pet.

With the help of nonprofit organizations like Operation Roger and Pilots N Paws, homeless pets have a much better chance of finding the loving home they deserve. These people have all stepped up to the plate to help make a difference to homeless pets in shelters. Visit Operation Roger's website if you or someone you know would like to help in their lifesaving mission. The next time you pass a truck, smile and give the driver a thumbs up – because they just might be transporting a pet to a new home.

Photo by Julia Manzerova

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Should You Rescue a Stray Dog or Cat?

By Linda Cole

The area where I live doesn't have a lot of options for stray dogs or cats. We have one no-kill shelter that's full, and one vet clinic that will only hold a stray for three days before euthanizing them. Other than that, a lost pet's only hope is from people who open up their homes to a stray. If I find a pet in need, I will rescue them. There's no way I can turn a blind eye. If you do decide to help a stray, however, you need to make sure that the pet is really a stray and not an outside cat patrolling his territory or a dog enjoying an off leash run.

A stray dog or cat doesn't understand you're trying to help them, and a pet that’s been lost for a long time may be wary of humans or have aggressive tendencies resulting from their experience on the street. But when you find a stray that's malnourished or injured, they need your help. And if you can't help them, it doesn't take long to make a few phone calls to a shelter, rescue organization or animal control official to make sure the pet gets the help they need.

I've always had a sympathetic heart for stray pets. As a kid, I wanted Dad to stop the car every time I saw a cat wandering along a country ditch. Of course he didn't, and assured me the cat most likely lived at some farmhouse close by. As I got older I knew some of the cats I saw were lost, but I also understood picking up every cat wasn't right either because the cat could belong to a family nearby.

A stray pet is not the same as a feral cat or dog. The stray dog or cat who shows up at your door is one who is either lost or has been abandoned by someone. Lost pets are usually friendly, although how they react to us can depend on how long they've been lost and what sort of trauma has been associated with it. The pet who has been abused while lost can become aggressive or fearful, which makes rescuing them that much harder.

A feral cat or dog is an animal that has either been lost so long they've forgotten what life with humans means, or they are descendants of a once domesticated pet and have never had a home with humans. They are very wary of people and usually stay away from us. These cats and dogs have learned how to fend for themselves, but most stray pets never get to that point and even feral animals can use a helping hand with food and shelter, especially during the winter months.

If you rescue a stray pet off the street, the first thing you need to do is contact your shelter, veterinarian, police and any rescue groups in your area to make sure the pet you found doesn't belong to someone else. Some newspapers will let you advertise a found pet for free, and you can put up posters around your neighborhood. Sometimes pets are stolen, either by accident or on purpose, and then abandoned.

Check to see if the pet has a collar with a tag, or any identifying information. If a dog has his license attached to his collar, you should be able to contact your county auditor, or whichever agency issues dog tags in your area, for pertinent information. The pet should also be scanned for a microchip or a tattoo used for identification. It's important to make an effort to find an owner because you know how you'd feel if your pet went missing and someone found him but just kept him without trying to locate his owner. Plus, you could be accused of theft if you don't make an effort to find his original owner who could still be searching for their pet.

Rescuing a dog or cat off the streets will require some effort on your part if you decide to take them in. I rescued a starving cat once that had an identification tag with her name and a phone number on it. When I called the number; a little boy answered and I could tell by his excited screams to his dad that he was happy. When they arrived to pick the cat up and the boy saw her, tears streamed down his face. That was all the thanks I needed, and it made me realize how important it is to make the effort. Even if you only rescue one pet, it makes a real difference in the life of the pet and his owner if you can reunite them.

Photo by Christopher Lancaster

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Rescue Chocolate is “The Sweetest Way to Save a Life”

By Julia Williams

I loved the taste of rich, dark chocolate long before studies confirmed that eating a few squares a day can provide numerous health benefits. When I learned that chocolate might actually be good for me, I quit fighting the craving (I was losing the battle anyway!). Now that I’ve discovered there is a chocolate bar that donates 100% of their net profits to animal rescue organizations around the country, I fear my consumption is about to skyrocket. But it’s okay…the way I see it, there are far worse things than eating chocolate and helping animals at the same time!

Sarah Gross founded Rescue Chocolate in January 2010 as a way to raise funds for animal shelters and rescue groups, while also educating the public on issues facing homeless pets. Every month, the Brooklyn-based company picks a different animal rescue organization to help.

Rescue Chocolate’s melt-in-your-mouth dark chocolate candy bars, truffles and hearts are 100% vegan and certified kosher. Their products are handcrafted in the finest Belgian tradition with high quality ingredients and no artificial preservatives. Gross works with executive chef Jean Francois Bonnet at the Tumbador chocolate factory to make the divine dark chocolate creations.

Rescue Chocolate Products

The names and the packaging of each flavor of Rescue Chocolate shed light on a different aspect of the pet overpopulation epidemic.

“Pick Me! Pepper” is a sweet and spicy dark chocolate bar created to highlight the advantages of adopting pets from animal shelters.

“Foster-rific Peppermint” is a minty dark chocolate bar with crunchy cacao nibs, created to encourage people to provide foster care for shelter animals that are waiting for their forever homes.

“Peanut Butter Pit Bull” is a crispy peanut butter and luscious dark chocolate bar, created to counter the negative public image of the pit bull breed.

“The Fix” is a pure, rich dark chocolate bar highlighting the importance of spaying and neutering.

“Mission Feral Fig” is a chewy-crunchy combo of figs, cranberries, almonds, cinnamon and other spices, created to bring awareness of feral cat colonies and the importance of Trap-Neuter-Return (TNR) programs.

“Wild at Heart” dark chocolate hearts are filled with zingy RASPBERRY ganache.

“Bow Wow Bon Bons” (truffles) come in four unique flavors: Peanut Butter and Jelly, Cinnamon, Salted Peanut and Dark 70%.

Rescue Chocolate History

When longtime dog lover Sarah Gross met a forlorn pit bull named Mocha who desperately needed a forever home, it was love at first touch. Sarah “felt an instant, profound connection” to the dog, and so she adopted her on the spot. One morning before taking Mocha out for their morning walk, Sarah polished off her breakfast of choice, a dark chocolate bar. Fueled by the feel-good endorphins of the chocolate, Sarah had an idea. She could combine her two loves – chocolate and animals – by developing a scrumptious new dark chocolate line, selling it, and donating the profits to animals in need.

Sarah had some experience in the industry, working part-time at a raw chocolate company where she had developed a best-selling flavor. “I knew what tasted good,” she said. “The idea for Rescue Chocolate was almost fully formed before Mocha and I returned from our walk.” Now, Rescue Chocolate is carried by a number of retail outlets across the U.S., including in New York, Chicago, Dallas, Portland, Seattle and San Diego. The chocolate is also sold online through the Rescue Chocolate website and other online food retailers. Those who don’t want to shop online can print out the order form and mail it in.

Rescue organizations and shelters can also benefit by selling the chocolates directly. When they sell the chocolate, they not only get to use all of the net profits from the sales for their programs, but they raise awareness on important homeless pet issues too.

Disclaimer: CANIDAE Natural Pet Foods has no affiliation with Rescue Chocolate. Also, please remember that all chocolate products are for humans only, as chocolate toxicity can cause serious health problems for our pets. 

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A Pit Bull and a Man on a Journey of Discovery

By Linda Cole

We never know from where or when a friend will come. And sometimes that friend has four legs and needs a friend of his own. Seven years ago, Ara Gureghian lost his 26 year old son, his only child, to cancer. And that crossroad is where a grieving father and a broken down dog named Spirit found each other. Spirit was as much in need of a friend as Ara was. Together, they began a journey of healing and discovery.

When life throws challenges at us, we deal with them in our own ways. For many of us, our pets play a role in helping us get through an emotional or tough period in our lives. Their unconditional love is always constant, and we know our pets won't judge us unfairly. In our time of need, a pet can be the most stable thing in our lives. Ara didn't have a pet until a year after his son's death. He was down to his last $1,000 after spending his life savings trying to heal his son, Lance. We know we have to move on after a devastating loss, but it's not always easy. For Ara, dealing with his loss set him on a path to try to make sense of things and rediscover what was important to him.

Ara's chosen profession is as a Gourmet Chef, and after graduating from a culinary school in Switzerland, he immigrated to America to follow his passion for food, cooking and adventure. Life was good until his son died. To heal his broken heart, Ara knew the best way for him to make sense of what had happened was on the open road, so he began to prepare to hit the road with his best friend, Spirit, at his side.

Spirit's story is one of an abused dog who found himself in an animal shelter. According to Ara, “He was beat up pretty badly...very, very badly. He was skin and bones – almost lost his soul. I mean there was nothing left of him.” As soon as Ara saw him curled up in a corner and they made eye contact, he knew this dog needed him as badly as he needed Spirit. It was Ara who named him Spirit.

Ara's motorcycle, Old Faithful, is equipped with a sidecar. After helping Spirit learn how to trust a human again and develop a bond with Ara, he took Spirit on a test drive with him. It's almost as if the sidecar and Spirit were made for each other. He has his own helmet that says “Bite Me” on it, red goggles and necessary and responsible safety precautions to make sure Spirit stays safely in the sidecar.

Because Spirit is a Pit Bull, Ara sought advice from other owners of the breed about his decision to take Spirit with him on a cross country motorcycle journey. Everyone said he was crazy to take a Pit Bull with him. And as we all do when it comes to advice – we have to make the ultimate decision ourselves. So Ara and Spirit climbed on Old Faithful and hit the road, discovering the beauty of this great nation in the land and the people they met along the way.

Even though he had asked for other Pit Bull owner's advice, Ara knew in his heart that Spirit would be his traveling companion. He isn't shy in admitting that Spirit is his therapy. This abused shelter dog no one wanted – until Ara came along – is now certified as a therapy dog.

Ara and Spirit's journey is still ongoing. You can follow their adventures on Ara's website that continues to grow more popular every day. In fact, his journey is being followed by so many people, a movie is in the works. Through his eyes, you can see this beautiful country in a way most of us never get the chance to see. His website is a journal of his life on the road with his best friend. You can watch YouTube videos, track them with SPOT (a GPS tracking system used by backpackers, sailors, pilots and others who spend time in remote locations), and learn more about Chef Ara.

It's been almost five years since Ara and Spirit began their adventure. Like any soul searching and healing quest, it's not the destination – it's the journey and discoveries along the way that are the most important. Only they will know when and if they've arrived at the end of the trail.

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Dusty the Cat Burglar (Klepto Kitty) Atones for his Crimes

By Julia Williams

When Jean Chu and Jim Coleman visited their local animal shelter five years ago, they were just hoping to find a friendly feline that would fit nicely into their family. Little did they know that the handsome kitty they chose would eventually become one of the most famous cats in America!

Dusty’s penchant for prowling the neighborhood and carting home his prey led to him being featured on the popular Animal Planet series Must Love Cats, which catapulted him to fame. What’s so unusual about a cat bringing home his kill? Unlike most feline hunters, Dusty doesn’t catch mice or rats – he goes after towels, gloves, shoes, socks, children’s toys, swimsuits, bras, and anything else he can find! He then carries his loot home and deposits it proudly on the lawn or driveway.

Dusty’s thieving ways were captured on tape for the show. The sight of a cat waddling up the driveway with a bra in his grasp was hilarious. Millions of people fell in love with the quirky cat burglar from San Mateo, California and “Klepto Kitty” became the talk of the town. News stations clamored to interview Dusty, and he even appeared on David Letterman.

Klepto Kitty was so popular that Must Love Cats decided to feature him on a second episode. His owners held a “reverse garage sale” that they dubbed Dusty Gives Back. All of the items Klepty Kitty nabbed in the dark of night were available for their rightful owner to claim for free. Dusty’s family had often tried to return the pilfered loot to the neighbors by going door to door, so the reverse garage sale seemed like a better idea. Klepto Kitty was on hand (on paw?) during the event, and seemed unfazed that his family was giving away everything he went to great lengths to steal.

Next up for Klepto Kitty on the road to redemption was an appearance in the sixth annual Fashion for Compassion, an animal fashion show created to raise money for the care and rehabilitation of neglected or abused animals. Klepto Kitty was the first celebricat to participate in the fashion show put on by the Peninsula Humane Society, the shelter Dusty had been adopted from five years earlier.

Klepto Kitty has also been named Honarary Grand Marshall of the 10th Annual Pet Parade in Redwood City, California, which takes place on May 21st, 2011. This family-friendly celebration of pets includes vendor booths, demonstrations, food, music and lots of fun activities for everyone. Some of the items Klepto Kitty took from his neighbors will be auctioned off to raise money for the homeless dogs and cats at the Peninsula Humane Society.

Jean Chu believes that over the years Dusty has nabbed more than 500 items, with his biggest haul being 11 things in a single night. I’ll bet Klepto Kitty took a nice long catnap after that exhausting crime spree!

One explanation for kleptomania in cats is that it stems from urban felines not being able to fulfill their natural hunting instinct. The term even has a name – misdirected predation. Some have also likened the behavior to a kind of feline obsessive compulsive disorder. Either way, there is no cure, so Dusty the Cat Burglar is likely to continue his life of crime. Those who live in Klepto Kitty’s neighborhood better bring their things in at night, or they’ll likely find them gone in the morning!

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Pilots N Paws: Pilots Saving Shelter Pets

By Linda Cole

Nonprofit organizations across the country help pets in a variety of ways. Pilots N Paws is an online organization with a unique transporting program that has given rescue organizations, shelters and people who foster pets the ability to move unwanted and homeless pets to locations around the country where a new home is hopefully waiting for the pet. Pilots and plane owners who want to help improve the chances that a pet can find a forever home are offering their planes and time. They fly pets from an area where there's little chance a pet can be placed in a home, to another area where the pet's chances of being adopted are much better. Pilots are also flying pets who have been adopted to their new homes around the country. Pilots who want to help rescue shelter pets can get together with shelters and rescue organizations to plan their own special way of saving a pet's life.

Pilots N Paws is a volunteer organization that doesn't ask for donations. It's a website that was started by Debi Boies who was involved in Doberman rescue in upstate South Carolina and her friend, Jon Wehrenberg, a pilot, who had volunteered to fly a rescued Doberman from Florida to Debi's home in South Carolina. After the flight, the two began to discuss the need for a better way of moving homeless pets across the country besides the traditional way of setting up car transports. They began on February 8, 2008 with their first official life-saving flight. To date, the volunteer pilots number over 1,800 and there are 8,100 registered users with more registering every day who use the Pilots N Paws website to connect with each other. Debi and Jon are shooting for 10,000 pilots to make sure there are enough planes to transport homeless pets wherever they need to go to help them find a new home.

Their site has a forum where rescue groups and shelters can post messages about any pets needing transport to a new location. A pilot reading the forum determines which, if any, of the pets they can assist. The pilot will then contact the person or organization making a flight request, and the two parties make appropriate plans for transporting the pet.

Pilots N Paws has a 501(c)(3) tax status. Pilots are not allowed to accept any money that would compensate them for any of the flights they make. However, the FAA gives the nonprofit organization a Humanitarian Flights tax status which allows pilots to declare part of their expenses for flights as donations, which are tax deductible.

Soldiers returning from overseas who have rescued dogs from the war zone transport the dogs on commercial flights to the U.S. Once on American soil, a pilot then flies the dog to the soldier's home. One transport flight carried a Steppe Eagle that a group of Navy Seals had rescued in Afghanistan after the bird had been shot. The eagle's new home is at Berkshire Bird Paradise alongside an American Bald Eagle.

Pilots who volunteer do so because most are happy to have a good excuse for hopping in their plane and taking off. And any time you can combine saving a homeless pet's life with flying, it's a good thing. Cats, dogs, reptiles, pot-bellied pigs, rabbits and one 13 foot python have been transported by pilots to new locations throughout the United States.

If you agree with the mission of Pilots N Paws and would like to help or get involved yourself, please visit their website for more information. They are always searching for more pilots who haven't heard about their organization and who might want to become involved in their life-saving mission. If you are a pilot, or know one who might be interested in helping to relocate homeless pets, you can find what you need on their website. To help spread the word, you can download and print out a flyer from the site to post at your local airport.

Shelter pets can use all the help we can give them. Whether it's donating some CANIDAE dog food or cat food to a shelter or rescue organization, or posting a flyer at your local airport or anywhere around town where people can read it, the help is always appreciated. Millions of pets need forever homes. The ability to transport them from one shelter to another one where the pet has a better chance of finding a home, or delivering a pet to a new home, is very satisfying to the pilots who donate their time and plane to save a pet's life.

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Musings of an Animal Shelter Volunteer

By Kevin Hattori

My wife Tracey and I are often told that volunteering regularly at our local, no-kill animal shelter is “nice” and “selfless,” but we'd venture to say we get just as much – if not more – out of our experiences there than the cats with which we work.

I've been volunteering at the Pet Animal Welfare Society (PAWS) for more than 13 years, and Tracey’s been doing so for about seven. We both feel the lessons and rewards that come from working with these incredible animals are exponentially greater than the time we've given.

People often ask what motivates us to spend every Saturday and Sunday afternoon socializing the cats of PAWS. Well, first of all, we’re huge proponents of adopting from shelters (something instilled in us from an early age). Growing up, all of our respective families' pets were rescues, or from shelters. Our current cats Sammy and Moosey were both adopted from PAWS, and our Angel cats – Bitsy, Graphite, Lady Madonna, and Maggie – were all rescues, too.

Just as our relationships with our pets past and present have helped shape the very essence of who we are, so too do the animals at the shelter. Perhaps that’s because the time we spend at the shelter is outward-focused, and we’re able to put life’s worries on hold for a few hours. This is such a great blessing after a long week of work. And what wonders we get to see and experience during our time there!

One of our favorite things is watching as cats overcome the fear and uncertainty of ending up at a shelter. New sights, smells and sounds, and unfamiliar people… we can only imagine how scary it must be for them. But we’ve seen time and again how love, patience and persistence can help shy or even extremely frightened animals learn to trust (and actually like!) people. And when those newly confident cats find their forever homes … euphoria!

The cats in the photos are two that are currently up for adoption at PAWS. The black and white beauty is Betsy, and the cutie on the chair is Jasmine, who happens to be a prime example of a cat that came to the shelter terrified, but has decided that people are pretty cool. I can even pet her belly now!

Because we spend so much time with the PAWS cats, our bonds with them are strong.  As you’d imagine, this means that whenever one of our feline pals finds its forever home, there is some sadness because we know that we will probably never see him or her again. But any sadness about having to say goodbye is eclipsed by the incredible knowledge that together we – the volunteers, shelter staff and the cats themselves – have helped that cat find its very own forever home. It’s a great feeling to know you’ve helped change an animal’s life, the lives of its new people, and the life of the cat for which the shelter now has space. 

Kevin Hattori is one of the bloggers at Animal Shelter Volunteer Life, and a volunteer at Pet Animal Welfare Society (PAWS), a no-kill shelter in Norwalk, CT. Since its founding in 1962, PAWS has rescued and re-homed thousands of stray, neglected and abused cats and dogs. The shelter’s ultimate goal is to help these animals find their forever homes, but they can live at PAWS as long as it takes for them to do so. 

How Trust and Love Can Change a Dog

By Linda Cole

I have to admit, I'm an advocate for any stray dog or cat – even the ones with aggression issues. I believe pets deserve a second chance when they've been lost or cast aside by their owners. Unfortunately, many aggressive shelter pets will never be adopted. But sometimes the right person comes along who makes a difference in an aggressive dog's life. With trust, patience, respect and love, one person can create small miracles and move mountains. We can change the plight of stray pets, one animal at a time, as long as we don't give up on them. It's worth the time to unravel a troubled mind in order to save a soul. I have worked with both an aggressive dog and cat, and that's one reason why I was drawn to the story I'm about to share with you.

When a stray dog shows up in a neighborhood or at a local shelter, we don't know what they went through living on the streets. Their history is unknown and we have no idea if they were mistreated, abused or became aggressive while on the streets in order to survive. When a dog shows aggression, his behavior is often viewed as a lost cause and he's put down. Most people won't deal with an aggressive dog because they don't know how to help him, or simply don't want to deal with trying to change the dog's behavior. A woman named Heike Munday saw something special in an aggressive dog and rescued her from certain death.

Heike first saw Josie on a snowy day in 2008. She was lost, afraid and hiding in a vacant yard near Heike's home. Josie was not looking for a friend and didn't want anyone's help. She growled to keep strangers at bay and Heike was heartbroken as she sat on a cement slab in an alley, trying and failing to make friends with an angry and fearful dog. Finally, Josie was caught by animal control officers and taken to a local shelter. But Heike had accomplished one small victory, even though she didn't know it at the time. Josie was beginning to trust her.

Josie's aggression didn't improve at the shelter and after failing a test evaluating her temperament, she was deemed too aggressive for adoption. With no hope or plans to try to rehabilitate her and only hours left to live, Heike decided Josie had been through enough. She was Josie's only hope for survival, so she decided to adopt the aggressive dog, even though she knew the road ahead would be long and difficult.

Dealing with an aggressive dog isn't easy. It requires patience and giving the dog space until she feels comfortable around you. Heike had the experience to help Josie work through her aggression issues. She knew the first step was to build trust and all of her interactions with Josie were to work towards building a bond and earning Josie's trust. Heike understood how dogs interact with each other and the importance of non-confrontational touching. Instead of petting Josie, Heike used her knees to rub up against her in the same way dogs bump against each other when they're interacting with each other. Finally, after months of patience, understanding and love, Josie learned to trust and a strong bond began to grow.

It's been three and a half years since Heike rescued Josie from the shelter. She spent hours socializing Josie with other people, dogs and situations. On March 3, 2011, Josie proved that a dog could go from an aggressive and misunderstood dog with only hours to live, to a dog who just earned her Canine Good Citizen Award from the American Kennel Club.

Even a friendly pet can become aggressive in order to survive on the street. Between people driving them away from their homes, kids throwing rocks and other dogs or wild animals chasing them, it's no wonder a dog or cat becomes fearful and/or aggressive. Aggression is one way some animals deal with the cards that have been dealt to them.

Aggressive dogs deserve a second chance. They are worth our time and effort to try and help them heal. Changing a dog's aggressive behavior isn't easy and most likely it was a person who made him aggressive in the first place. Treating aggression means changing a dog's behavior. Sometimes a dog just needs someone with the courage to help him learn how to deal with his fears. Dogs act in the way they were taught and sometimes their aggression is what helps them survive, but they have to learn to let go of it to live in our world. An aggressive dog can be healed, and nothing is impossible when you take the time to understand and earn their trust.

Photo by Christian Murdock, The Gazette

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How “Maddie's Fund” Helps Shelters Save Pets

By Linda Cole

It's a challenge for most animal shelters to meet their responsibility to feed, house and provide vet care for the pets they take in. Sometimes difficult decisions have to be made to open up space in shelters. Many pets are in shelters because their owners could no longer care for them, or didn't do the proper research to make sure their pet was right for them. Some owners surrender a pet because they lost their job or home due to an illness or layoff. For one reason or another, countless pets end up in shelters every year. Maddie was a beloved Miniature Schnauzer and her owners, Dave and Cheryl Duffield, created Maddie's Fund to honor her in the best way they knew how – by trying to save lives in her name.

Maddie passed away in 1997 at the age of 10. Dave and Cheryl established Maddie's Fund because they believe all dogs and cats should have the same opportunity of finding a family of their own to share their love with, just like Maddie shared her love with them. Maddie's Fund has a simple and clear mission statement: “To revolutionize the status and well-being of companion animals.” They intend to do this is with an aggressive campaign to help shelters transition to no kill shelters by the year 2015, creating a no kill nation. All pets that are healthy and have no serious behavioral issues should be ready for adoption and never euthanized.

Most shelters, even no kill shelters, make decisions based on available space and whether a pet is adoptable or not. Maddie's Fund is trying to change that by working with entire communities and counties to help them develop business and strategic plans that puts all shelters on a path to no kill facilities. Starter grants are available for shelters willing to show they are serious about moving toward a no kill facility. The grants help pay for shelters to gather statistics and write business and strategic plans to guarantee that healthy pets are not euthanized. Long term grants are then available to help implement the shelter's plans.

Maddie's Fund is about working together as a community. In order to apply for funds, animal groups in cities, counties or states must come together in a coalition and have a human population of at least 100,000 to be eligible for a grant. This creates a working commitment between animal control, veterinarians and shelters to move towards no kill shelters in their area.

One problem many shelters have is a lack of qualified veterinarians who can provide medical care and behavioral rehabilitation for shelter pets. Maddie's Fund supports programs at Colleges of Veterinary Medicine to develop shelter medicine programs that train vets for work in animal shelters. Adoption guarantee shelters with a full time vet on staff are eligible to apply for a grant that helps pay for medical equipment. Maddie's Fund is about changing the way shelters have done business in the past to a more humane and progressive focus to help solve the problem of homeless pets.

Putting shelter pets down to make room for more homeless pets won't solve the problem of overpopulation, and no healthy dog or cat who is adoptable should ever be put to sleep. The animal welfare community, the Ad Council, DRAFTFCB (a marketing communication agency), Petfinder.com and Maddie's Fund have teamed up for a three year public service ad campaign that began in 2010. The Shelter Pet Project promotes shelters and rescue groups as places to go first when looking for a pet.

It's estimated that 25% of shelter pets are purebred, and eight million pets end up in shelters and rescue groups every year. Three million healthy pets are put down every year. These are heartbreaking numbers that Maddie's Fund is determined to change. If only a third of the people planning to add a new cat or dog to their home visited their local shelter to find a pet, all of the adoptable pets in shelters could be placed in forever homes. The Shelter Pet Project's goal is to educate people and erase stereotypes connected with animal shelters. The majority of pets in shelters are not there because of behavior problems.

For detailed information on how Maddie's Fund can help your community become part of their no kill nation, visit their website. Roll your mouse over the bar above the picture of Maddie for the exact information you need.

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Why Should You Foster a Pet?

By Linda Cole

My neighbor is a crazy cat lady, like me and my co-writer Julia Williams. We are proud of our label and would do anything to help a cat or dog. My neighbor is also a foster mom who nurses litters of kittens that have lost their mom. She gives pets a quiet place to mend a broken leg or heal from the abusive home they were rescued from. Working with our local animal shelter, my neighbor puts a lost soul back together so the pet can be adopted out to a forever home. If you love pets and have been searching for a way to help out your local shelter, opening up your home to animals in need is one of the best things you can do.

I recently wrote an article about an organization called Guardian Angels for Soldier's Pet. Instead of a soldier being forced to give up a family pet, this organization helps find foster homes to care for the soldier's pet while they serve our country overseas. Because of caring pet lovers who open up their homes to these temporary pets, shelters across the nation have fewer animals to care for. The soldier can deploy knowing their pet is being well cared for, and they don't have to wonder what happened to them.

Shelters have seen an increase in the number of pets surrendered to them across the country. An estimated 8 million pets end up in shelters every year and many healthy, adoptable animals are put to sleep because there just aren't enough people to adopt them. Friends, family and neighbors have all been caught up in an economic downturn that sometimes doesn’t leave them with a lot of choices when it comes to a family pet. I've been fostering a friend's dog to give my friend a chance to get back on his feet financially. It doesn't matter how long it takes; this is one dog that will not end up in a shelter.

Becoming a foster pet parent is something you can either do on your own to help out someone you know who needs a temporary home for their pet, or you can work with your local animal shelter. Adoptable pets that are sick or injured need a quiet place to recover and heal. Pets with behavioral problems need someone who can work with them to correct bad behavior so they can eventually be adopted. When you foster a pet, you're giving them a chance to find a permanent home instead of being put down because they are sick or injured. A pet with a behavior problem needs someone who can understand and help by giving them patience, love and training. For some pets, being in a shelter environment is the cause of their bad behavior.

Imagine being locked up in a strange place with no idea where the people you love are. A more timid pet has a harder time adjusting to life in a shelter. It's a big change and scary for some pets to suddenly find themselves surrounded by strange sounds, smells and people, along with other homeless pets. They don't know why their family is no longer around. Fostering helps to keep pets socialized in a more relaxed living arrangement until they can find a new home. It's also the best way to learn who a pet is as an individual, which helps match them up with a new owner.

Fostering does have a downside – it can be hard to give up a pet when a forever home is found for the animal in your care. But knowing you made a difference and helped save a life makes it all worthwhile. You cared enough to open your home to a pet in need.

Fostering a pet isn't for everyone, but if you do give a pet a temporary home, it'll be one of the most rewarding gifts you can give to a homeless pet and to yourself. All pets deserve a forever home, but sometimes, it's the temporary home that means the most in a pet's life.

Photo by Lenneke Veerbeek

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Volunteer Opportunities at the Animal Shelter

By Suzanne Alicie

Animal shelters all across the country need help. Sure, monetary donations and supply donations are wonderful and are much appreciated. Shelters could not survive without those types of help. But animal shelters need people too, and they welcome volunteers with open arms. If you are interested in volunteering, call or visit your local shelter and find out what they need most. This gives you an opportunity to become really involved in a volunteer program by creating one that will best suit their needs. There may already be an existing volunteer group that you can join to help spread awareness and recruit new volunteers.

The inspiration for this post comes from a local animal shelter and an area community center for the elderly. These two groups are working together to provide a program that is not only beneficial to the animal shelter but also to the volunteers. One day a week the community center bus picks up about a dozen elderly volunteers and takes them to the animal shelter. 

They spend a few hours there helping in any way they can. Some of them aren’t very mobile and have walkers or wheelchairs; they help with filing and paperwork. Others are very active despite their age and can perform more physical tasks like walking dogs, cleaning cages, feeding the animals, etc. The high point of the day is when the work is finished and they are able to spend time just being with the animals. A litter of kittens will get lots of love before being put back into cages to wait for new forever homes and loving families.

Local social services groups for the handicapped also visit and volunteer at shelters. Whether they are able to be involved with the care involved with the animals or just spend time petting and talking to the animals, it provides a sense of responsibility and of doing something for the community that they may not otherwise have.

Volunteering at the animal shelter is even a good thing for families, to expose the kids to animal care and to introduce them to all sizes and types of pets. Though the minimum age for volunteers is usually 16, some animal shelters and rescue groups do allow younger children to participate, especially if accompanied by a parent. The opportunity to volunteer at an animal shelter is beneficial to animal lovers of all ages, and to the animals.

There are many ways to be involved in your local animal shelter, but the first step is contacting them and finding out what is needed. At that time you can either begin a program for a certain group of animal lovers, or you can work with existing programs to not only bring an extra set of hands to the shelter but to also help spread the word and find new people to help out.

Animal shelter volunteers often take on fostering animals and even adopting the animals from the shelter. The love and affection you receive from the animals at the shelter and the appreciation of the staff makes it worth your time to devote a few hours a week to helping out. The interaction of your children or your elderly parents with the animals will warm your heart, and you may find that your volunteer time becomes the highlight of your week.

If you don’t have the time to physically volunteer, consider donating some supplies or working with a volunteer group to find supply donations. Some pet food companies, like CANIDAE for instance, will donate food to nonprofit organizations, but they have to be made aware of the need before they can help. Volunteers and donations keep most animal shelters going, and they need all the help they can get.

To learn more about volunteering at a shelter, read Julia Williams’ RPO article, “What Does an Animal Shelter Volunteer Do?”

Photo by Marianne Perdomo

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2011 is the “Year of the Cat”

By Julia Williams

While the Chinese celebrate 2011 as the Year of the Rabbit, the Vietnamese zodiac says it’s the Year of the Cat (Năm Tân Mão ). People born under the sign of the Cat are said to be ambitious, talented, sensitive, compassionate and patient. Not surprisingly, they also clash with those born under the Rat.

Vietnamese zodiac aside, 2011 has also been declared the “Year of the Cat” by Care for Cats, a broad network of feline volunteer advocates in Canada. They plan to advocate for the welfare of Canada’s cats by raising awareness of the value of cats, dispelling cat myths, and addressing important issues such as spaying and neutering to curb cat overpopulation, implementing Trap/Neuter/Release (TNR) programs for feral cats, and increasing shelter adoptions and “return to owner” rates.

As a domesticated species, cats need human care and companionship to not only survive but to stay healthy. According to the Canadian Federation of Humane Societies (CFHS) the biggest problem that threatens cats in Canada is homelessness. Although it’s impossible to determine how many homeless cats are in the U.S., the ASPCA estimates there could be as many as 70 million. Did that number shock you as much as it did me?

One can surmise then, that the biggest problem for U.S. cats is also homelessness. Considering that a non-spayed female cat can produce one or two litters every year with 4-6 kittens (on average) it’s not hard to see why the number of homeless cats increases every year and more cats flow into already overcrowded shelters and sanctuaries.

8 Ways to Save a Cat

The homeless cat crisis affects nearly every community. The good news is that there are many things people can do to help cats, particularly homeless ones.

Adopt an adult cat from a shelter. Kittens always find homes, but adult cats don’t fare so well. The ASPCA estimates that 5 to 7 million pets enter U.S. shelters every year. About 70% of the adult cats are euthanized, most for no other reason than there isn’t anyone to adopt them.

Foster a cat in your home for your local shelter or cat rescue group. This saves two lives: the cat you foster, who might not survive in the stressful shelter environment, and another homeless cat who can fill the space this frees up.

Volunteer at the shelter as a “cat socializer.” By giving the shelter cats some much-needed love and attention, you help them become more adoptable, and also enrich their lives as they wait for their forever home.

Spay or neuter your own cat to ensure that you’re not contributing to the cat overpopulation problem. Spaying/neutering not only prevents unwanted pregnancies, it can help prevent health issues too.

Help Tame Feral Cats so they can be spayed or neutered to help cut down the cat overpopulation problem. With time and patience, many feral cats can become affectionate family pets that love human companionship and appreciate having a safe and warm home.

Microchip your cat and keep the contact information current. Microchipped cats that accidentally become lost are much likelier to be quickly reunited with their family.

Be a cat advocate by writing letters to your local government representatives urging them to pass legislation that contributes to the wellbeing of cats.

Donate money, supplies or your time to a local shelter or cat rescue group. Your contribution can help these organizations rescue, spay, neuter and find permanent homes for more cats.

Read more articles by Julia Williams

Pets for Vets Heals Hearts and Saves Lives

By Julia Williams

Last month, Linda Cole wrote about Guardian Angels for Soldier’s Pet, a wonderful organization that helps U.S. servicemen and women by providing temporary foster homes for their pets while they’re deployed overseas. Today I want to tell you about another important nonprofit organization that not only helps our military veterans, but countless shelter animals too! The Pets for Vets program brings together two wounded souls, so each can have a second chance at life.

Pets for Vets is a nonprofit organization created by 27-year old animal trainer Clarissa Black, in connection with local Veterans Affairs Hospitals. Their stated mission is “to heal wounds through friendship.” They do this by placing homeless shelter pets with veterans who need the special love and companionship an animal can provide. The Pets for Vets program is a way to give back to those who serve our country, while also giving shelter pets the opportunity to live in a loving forever home. It’s a win-win situation for humans and animals alike!

Many veterans suffer from physical and emotional injuries that make it hard for them to return to civilian life after military duty. As a result of their time in a war zone, many returning soldiers struggle with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), depression, addiction, nightmares, anxiety, anger management and other ailments. Pets for Vets believes that companion animals can provide the life-saving “therapy” these men and women so desperately need to turn their life around. In return, the veterans provide the pets with the friendship, affection and permanent home environment they deserve. In essence, together they help each other heal!

What makes the Pets for Vets program unique is the hands-on training the animals receive before being paired with a veteran. Clarissa Black, an animal lover since childhood, trained elephants and dolphins before deciding to become a professional dog trainer. In addition to training dog and cat “actors” to work in film and television, Black works with pet owners who need help with behavioral issues, basic and advanced obedience, and behaviors that facilitate relationship-building between dogs and their owners.

Pets for Vets is a Los Angeles-based charity, and any veteran in the southern California area with a condition that could benefit from having an animal companion is eligible to receive one from the charity. The veterans interview with the Pets for Vets team so they can determine what kind of pet would fit their needs and lifestyles. Once the perfect pet/veteran match is found, Black takes the animal to her home, where she trains it in basic obedience, socialization and behaviors it will need in order to live with the new owner. This might include becoming comfortable around wheelchairs and crutches, or important behaviors needed to help a veteran with brain injuries or PTSD.

Black’s training goal is to help ensure that the pet and vet are lifelong companions. Once the pet is fully trained and ready to go to his new home, Pets for Vets provides all of the necessary equipment for the veteran, such as food and water bowls, leashes, collars and crates. Although this program is currently only available to veterans in southern California, Black hopes to be able to expand the program to other areas soon.

If you’d like to help this worthwhile organization, there are several different ways to do so. You can make a tax-deductible monetary donation, or donate new or gently used items they need, including food bowls, dog toys, grooming supplies, towels and a good quality dry dog food that doesn’t contain wheat or corn, such as CANIDAE ALS (see their complete wish list here).

Pets for Vets also sells a variety of merchandise online, with all proceeds going to the charity. Items include T-shirts for people and dogs, hats, mugs, bumper stickers, tote bags, keychains and more. To learn more, visit the Pets for Vets website.

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How to Select the Perfect Pet from an Animal Shelter

By Suzanne Alicie

While many pet lovers choose to rescue an animal from the shelter, it is important to know certain things about the ones you are considering to ensure that you make a perfect match. Taking the time to select a perfectly matched pet will enable you to be sure you can provide a forever home with a pet that will fit into your family and schedule.

Strays and animals picked up by animal control will have less information provided, but after an examination by the vet and time spent at the shelter, the workers and volunteers will have a good idea about the behavior and personality of each animal. Animals that are turned in by their owners for whatever reason often have a lot of information for potential adopters. This may include notes such as “Scruffy loves other dogs but does not get along with cats.” Just a simple note such as that will help out in the decision making if you have a household with cats.

Some things to look for on information sheets or to ask the workers about include:

•  Is the dog or cat house trained?

•  How is the animal with small children?

•  Does the animal become nervous with loud noises?

•  Does it behave aggressively toward people or other animals?

•  Are there any known health problems?

Besides reading the info sheet and talking to the workers at the animal shelter, it is important that your whole family has a chance to interact with the animal before deciding to adopt. Most shelters have a small room where they allow potential families to play with the animal. This will enable you to see how the pet reacts to your children or whether your children are afraid of the pet. It may be tempting to choose an animal that you like and assume that your child will get over their fear; on the other hand, it may be better for your child if you let them select a pet they are comfortable with.

An ideal dog is one that is friendly and playful, but also easily controlled with simple commands. Of course, many times shelter animals may not have been trained well, but if he isn’t cringing in fear or snarling at you or your children, then more than likely he can be trained. Many animal shelters offer potential adopters a trial period in their home; this can help you make sure that after the pet adjusts to its new surroundings, it will fit into your family perfectly. If the pet is truly incompatible, you can return it and choose another pet.

Depending on the age of your children and the amount of time you have to devote to a pet, you may choose certain breeds or you may opt for a kitten instead of a cat. The decision to adopt a pet is a big one, and it’s important to know that although all animals deserve a chance to be part of a forever home, there are some that just won’t fit into your family. Taking the time to make sure you are selecting a pet that is a perfect match for your family will ensure that your new pet fits in with the family easily and provides all the attention, love, comfort and companionship you are looking for.

As a responsible pet owner, you will want to take care of arranging training, veterinary care and choosing an appropriate diet and schedule for your new pet. Keep in mind that adopting a pet is a big step and requires being committed to doing everything you can to make that animal’s life better. This includes regular vet visits, a good quality food (like CANIDAE Single Grain Protein Plus!), and perhaps even doggie daycare while you are at work and the kids are at school.

Read more articles by Suzanne Alicie

Soldier's Pets Have Their Own Guardian Angels

By Linda Cole

Before 2005, military personnel who were also pet owners were left with a hard choice to make when the time came for them to deploy overseas. If they couldn't find a temporary home for their pet with family or friends, or a new permanent home, they were forced to relinquish them to a shelter. Linda Spurlin-Dominik and Carol Olmedo decided there should be help for soldiers and their pets. They established an organization called Guardian Angels for Soldier's Pet (GASP), because they felt that no one should have to give up their pet when their chosen job is protecting our country.

Guardian Angels for Soldier's Pet is a nonprofit, all volunteer operation. Their stated goal is to provide a suitable and loving home environment for a soldier's pet when they are called to defend or represent our country anywhere in the world, whether it's in peacekeeping, humanitarian relief, or for combat duty.

It can be difficult in the best of times to find good homes for pets when circumstances force someone to have to give up their pet. Shelters across the country have seen the number of relinquished pets skyrocket over the years because of home foreclosures and military personnel who had to give their pets up before going overseas because there were no other options. It must be heartbreaking for a soldier to turn their beloved pet over to a shelter and then worry if they found a home or had to be put down to make room for other abandoned pets.

GASP created an option for military personnel deploying overseas that allows soldiers to keep their pets. Volunteers around the country care for military pets in a loving home environment until the pet and owner can be reunited. Guardian Angels for Soldier's Pet also provides emergency help for soldiers returning home who may need short term care in the VA system and can't care for their pets at the moment. Care for the pet will continue until the soldier recovers and can reclaim their pet.

As a military support organization, Guardian Angels for Soldier's Pet recruits and interviews potential foster homes to insure they are a loving and suitable home for military pets. The foster home agrees to provide care for a pet according to the wishes of the pet's owner, and they agree to give the pet back. Foster homes are not paid for their service and expenses are taken care of by the pet's owner. GASP can provide help for emergency medical care when needed, if the pet's owner can't be reached because of their duties or if financial aid is needed by the owner.Volunteers help to promote the organization and their programs both nationally and around the states they are in.

GASP has been working on building the first Guardian Angels for Soldier's Pet “Military, Veterans, and Pet” (MVP) Sanctuary that will be located 14 miles west of Fort Hood in Texas, according to their 2009 Annual Report. This sanctuary will be a home-like setting for pets when foster homes can't be found for a military pet, and they hope to be able to build sanctuaries in other states in the near future.

Guardian Angels for Soldier's Pet depends on generous contributions from the public to help them provide foster homes for military pets, help with emergency funds when needed, transport pets to foster homes and build needed sanctuaries throughout the country. Military personnel have enough on their minds when they are preparing to deploy overseas. Taking the worry of what happened to their beloved pet away is just one small way of thanking them for the job they do, and gives them peace of mind knowing their pets are cared for in a loving home.

If you would like to help, you can do so by making a contribution of whatever you can afford, by volunteering to help transport pets or applying to become a foster home for a soldier's pet. This is a great way to show your support for a soldier who is also a pet owner.

For more information about Guardian Angels for Soldier's Pet, including how to sign up as a foster care provider, volunteer or to contribute, please visit the GASP website. You can also help by forwarding this post to your family and friends. GASP is a great organization that is providing a much needed service not only for military personnel, but for animal shelters, as well by keeping pets out of the shelters and in a home environment where they belong.

Read more articles by Linda Cole

Ways to Help Your Local Animal Shelter

By Tamara L. Waters

Most local animal shelters are not-for-profit organizations and work on a shoestring budget while relying upon donations and volunteers to help the animals in their care. This year, why not make plans to give a helping hand to your local animal shelter with a few of these ideas.

Volunteer

Your local animal shelter is probably understaffed. Most often, these organizations need every willing body to keep things running and to take care of the animals that end up here. There are so many ways to volunteer your time to help out.

Are you handy with a screwdriver and good at fixing things? Your local shelter may appreciate having someone who can come in and replace and repair things in the building. How about volunteering to do some laundry? Blankets and towels that are used for the animals always need to be washed.

Shelters always need people to clean cages, show affection to animals, do maintenance, answer phones, sweep floors and many other necessary tasks. Maybe you don't have the time to go and do physical work at the shelter, but you might be able to spread the word about the shelter and its needs. You can volunteer to do fundraising or share information about the shelter. You can write letters, post fliers, help with newsletters and many other tasks.

Donate

While your first thought when you hear the word "donate" might be "But I really don't have any extra money," that's not the only type of donation shelters need. Sure, they need funds, but they’re also glad to have donations of items they spend their money on. Cleaning supplies, paper towels, blankets, pet toys, pet cages and carriers, and many other pet supplies are always needed at local shelters. Maybe you could make a donation of healthy pet food like CANIDAE and FELIDAE.

If you don't have anything to donate, perhaps you could collect donations. One barrier to a shelter receiving donations is often that the person making the donations has difficulty finding time to stop by and drop it off. Offer to pick up donations for the shelter.

You could also organize a donation drive among friends, family and neighbors. Create a collection box to place in a central location and outline specific donations needed. Take the responsibility of collecting and delivering the donations to the shelter.

Spread the Word

In the same way your local shelter is always in need of volunteers, they also need caring people who will help spread the word. In my area, there is a Facebook page for the local no-kill shelter. When they have a fundraiser, they post on their Facebook page. It takes very little effort to share posts on my own Facebook wall about fundraisers and needs for this shelter. This is an easy way for me to help out without leaving my own home.

Do you have a way with words? Offer to write press releases for the shelter and contact local media sources to get the information out to the public. Do you have a knack for computers and web programming? If so, offer to help the shelter with creating and maintaining a website.

Advocate for the animals at your local shelter. Write letters to your local newspaper about the shelter and show your support for its purpose. Encourage friends and family members to be responsible pet owners and get their pets spayed or neutered to cut down on the population of unwanted pets – which is one reason why so many shelters are full.

Transportation

My local animal shelter is always in need of people to transport animals to other locations like rescue groups and veterinary appointments.

Call Your Local Shelter to Find Out More

If you are trying to think of ways to help your local shelter, your best bet is to pick up the phone. Call them and find out what their specific needs are. Their needs may already be on this list, or they may have a completely different need. Become familiar with what the shelter uses for day-to-day operations and let them tell you what you can do to help. The animals in their care may not be able to express it, but the people involved with the shelter will be very appreciative of every caring person who makes the effort to help out.

Photo by Bethan Hazell

Read more articles by Tamara L. Waters

How Facebook Saved a Special Dog Named Nico

By Julia Williams

I love Facebook. As a writer who works from home, my days are solitary by design. Facebook allows me to instantly connect with others across the globe, which helps me to feel not quite so alone as I type away. No matter what time it is when I take my “Facebook break,” there’s always something interesting to read.

Recently, I learned about a deaf dog named Nico, and his story is so touching that I wanted to share it with you. Nico’s story is about many different things – rescue, redemption, Facebook, the kindness of strangers, and above all, why we should never “judge a book by its cover.”

Nico is a white Dogo Argentino, a rare breed from South America said to be loyal, playful, athletic, affectionate and intelligent. Not much is known about the first years of Nico’s life, but he ended up in the South Los Angeles animal shelter, which is where his heartfelt tale begins. Nico’s malnourished body was covered in fleas and riddled with sores, cuts, bruises and scars. Nico had a large tumor on his back, his teeth were chiseled and his ears appeared to have been cropped with kitchen shears. The shelter described Nico as a biter and dangerously aggressive. Who in their right mind would adopt this poor, sad mess of a dog?

The Photo That Saved Nico’s Life

The shelter would almost certainly have been where Nico’s life story ended, were it not for one incredible photograph that evoked Nico’s pain in a way that mere words cannot begin to describe. The candid photo, taken by Nikki Audet of local rescue group Mutt Scouts, showed Nico leaning against the kennel wall, his head bowed and his face clearly conveying grief, loneliness and defeat.

In an effort to help save Nico, Nikki posted the photo on Facebook in July of 2009, where it quickly went viral and was shared by legions of animal lovers. One of the many who were deeply affected by Nico’s picture was Kelly Gibson of San Diego. Kelly operates a small rescue from her home, Puggles and Pitties, which rehomes dogs or transports them to other rescue facilities that can adopt them out.

“So much emotion was conveyed in that picture,” said Kelly. “He looked so defeated and had totally given up on life.” Kelly traveled to L.A. intending to adopt Nico so he could be euthanized with dignity, but when she looked into his eyes she knew instantly that the shelter was wrong about him. Nico gently took her cookies and gave her soft kisses in return, and Kelly decided then that Nico deserved a second chance at life.

Kelly took Nico out of the shelter and placed him in veterinary care while she devised a plan to find him a forever home. Nikki created a fundable page on Facebook for Nico and raised nearly $2,000 in 48 hours from kind strangers who were moved by Nico’s plight. Kelly had previously worked with a director at the Humane Society for Hamilton County in Noblesville, Indiana and together, they coordinated a cross-country road trip. It took several weeks and 45 different people to transport Nico from California to Indiana. Once there, he began training and rehabilitation so he could be adopted.

Nico Gets a New “Leash” on Life

In November of 2009, Nico the hard-luck dog was adopted by Bridget Swan and Melissa Garris, and his fortune changed considerably. The sweet dog loves to snuggle, and enjoys balls, baths, being a couch potato, and playing with his sister Brisby, a pit bull mix who is also deaf. Bridget describes Nico as a “majestic, adorable, gentle and loving companion.”

Deena Hitchens Crouch, a board member with the Humane Society for Hamilton County, agrees. “After meeting Nico, people couldn't believe how gentle and sweet he was, especially after what he had experienced.” Despite being mistreated and physically scarred for life, Bridget said Nico has “forgiven man for everything that has happened to him.”

Nico’s story is a testament to the amazing ability of animals to forgive. Nico is also an inspiration to many, who see him as a shining example of why potential adopters need to look beyond the exterior when searching for the perfect pet. Instead of passing by that rough-around-the-edges dog, look into his eyes where his true nature will be revealed. Nico was lucky that Kelly could see past his unseemly appearance. Now, the dejected dog captured so eloquently in Nikki Audet’s photo is a handsome, proud boy who loves life, humans, other dogs and even cats.

If you’d like to know more about Nico, you can ask to be his friend on Facebook (he has nearly 1600 friends now!) where he writes regularly about his wonderful new life. Bridget and Melissa have also made a lovely YouTube video of Nico’s story, which you can watch here.

Top photo by Deena Crouch
Bottom photo by Nikki Audet

Read more articles by Julia Williams