Friday, July 29, 2011

HUNTSVILLE, AL - In Need of a Good Home

New mother and two kittens need a good home.
Presently in Huntsville, AL.
Kibble disappearing from the dog's dish was the first indicator that something was up in my friend's neighborhood.  So the stakeout commenced and it was discovered that a young, black female was hiding under a neighbor's car with her two young bushy tailed kittens.

As you can see from the photo, she's been outside for a while as her coat is dull and need of car.  She's spent most of her time trying to care and feed her young.  No one knows where she came from - apparently dropped off in the neighborhood.

What she and her kittens need is a home... and spaying and neutering.  If you have room in your life for a cat, please contact Animal Ark Blog and I'll help you get in touch with her present caretakers.

I encourage you not to judge her by her coat color.  She's a lovely cat whose just had a bad run of luck herself.  With love, care, and time - she could be a welcome addition to any home.

I hope we can give this little princess and her babes a happy ending.


UPDATE  September 24, 2011:

According to her caretaker, the mother cat is very good with other cats and dogs- including large playful ones.  She has adjusted well to being kept in the spare room and has joyful adjust to occasional forays into the rest of the house.  The kittens are weened and are playful and energetic and have adjusted to the dogs and other cats as well.

They are still available for adoption.

Thursday, July 21, 2011

Heat Hazard and Animals

Sure, the thermometer outside reads 96 degrees Fahrenheit and the weatherman tells us it feel likes 113 degrees.  You walk to the mailbox and back and your drenched from sweat.  You make yourself a tall, cold glass of lemonade to combat the swelter.  But how often do you think about the animals outside - be them pets, wild creatures, farm animals, or those housed in shelters or pounds?

I'll admit, I do think a lot about the heat with 2 black cats as they love the sun and heat on the screened in porch but don't know when to call it quits.  So I lug them in, occassionally to mad growls, and plop them down by the water bowl and inform them, "It's too hot to be out any longer... so enjoy some fresh water."  Occasionally, I'm forgiven quickly and other times - well - there have been some close calls at the top of the stairs.


Oh, It's Hot Outside-

Animals like humans are susceptible to heat and can experience heat exhaustion and heat related fatalities.  They don't have the luxury of dropping the A/C another degree or two to make things comfortable.  They can't just turn on the water and get an ice cold drink when they want.  They can't dress for the heat.  Their coping mechanism for heat are what nature gave them - panting, sweating (if they can), avoiding the sun, and drinking some liquid.


A lot of the steps we apply to ourselves should be considered for our furry friends.
  • Avoid the hottest part of the day - noon to 3pm.  
  • Keep plenty of fresh water available and check frequently to make sure no bird droppings, insect larvae or bacteria is present.  
  • Provide shade - who wants to spend all day in the sun with no escape - put up a tarp, old sheet, or relocate to a shaded portion of yard.  
  • Consider introducing ice cubes or frozen wet towels or toys for outdoor play. 
  • Install fans to keep the air moving - there are some new and inexpensive solar fans for attics and roofs that can be adapted for pet houses, bunny hutches, and other structures.  
  • Check on animals frequently - they can develop sunburns, heat exhaustion, or heat illnesses quickly especially if they are already diagnosed with an illness or condition.

 Not Just Dazed and Confused...


Some signs of heatstroke in animals to watch for include: heavy panting, glazed eyes, a rapid heartbeat, restlessness, excessive thirst, lethargy, fever, dizziness, lack of coordination, profuse salivation, vomiting, a deep red or purple tongue, and unconsciousness. If the animal shows symptoms of heatstroke, take steps immediately to gradually lower her body temperature and contact your veterinarian as soon as possible.

Here are some suggested tips that could save your pet's life if you notice any symptoms:
  • Move the animal into the shade or an air-conditioned area.
  • Apply ice packs or cold towels to his or her head, neck and chest or run cool (not cold) water over him or her.
  • Let him or her drink small amounts of cool water or lick ice cubes.
  • Take him or her directly to a veterinarian -as there can be serious side effect to heat crisis.

 More great information on helping animals in the heat, visit the Placer County California blog, Heat Stress in Pets and Livestock.


A Forgotten Summer Hazard
 
Now, another caution to the heat hazards is radiator overflow.  This time of year, cars overheat and the radiators can boil over leaving a puddle of radiator fluid behind.  Desperate animals looking for water might find this puddle and ingest it.  Make every effort to clean up boil-overs no matter where they happen.  Kitty-litter or oatmeal, a plastic bag, and cardboard to scoop up the absorbed overflow and dispose of it properly could save an animal from a very brutal and painful death from anti-freeze poisoning.



Remember Your Feather Friends-

Make sure birdbaths are clean and changed frequently.  The birds will most likely bath more frequently and splash more water out during the hotter days - so keep an eye on water levels.


Have a few planter saucers/bottoms setting around- why not make a few informal birdbaths about the yard?   Choose a location near shrubs but where birds would fill comfortable lighting for a quick splash and sip.

If you like to offer a little treat- chill or freeze melons pieces, berries, or even bird seed in water and set them out in trays for the birds to enjoy.


You're Not the Only One Getting Sunburned-

If you can't walk on the pavement - it probably hurting your furry friend to do the same.  Watch paws, noses, ears, scalps, and backs for signs of burns or cracks in the skin.  Just like with humans - sunburns can lead to skin cancer in animals.  Consult a Veterinarian if you notice burns, blisters, "moles" or nodules.


For our less fortunate furry friends --

Consider donating tarps to shelters for outdoor pens.  Your old box fan would probably be appreciated too to add a breeze to kennels, barns, hutches, and other animal holding areas.  Some shelters employ mister stations - check your local facilities as that may be an item to consider donating.  Ask the shelter if that old plastic pool the kids won't play in anymore would be helpful.  Some shelters with horse and cattle that have been rescued have even employed old tubs for holding water - doesn't hurt to ask if you're remodeling.


Remember, if you're hot and miserable - so are the animals.

Wednesday, July 13, 2011

The Brothers

Reposted with permission from  Peace, Love and Animals

They deserve a family to call their own
You never understand why some dogs get adopted just days after you take them in and some dogs seem to stay with you forever. As a No Kill shelter, these dogs become a part of our family and they began to settle in to our daily routine. To them, this is their home. I really think they know no different, but we do.

When I started Peace, Love and Animals in August of 2009, most of the dogs that I was saving came out of the Athens Dog Pound. I had went in to the Pound one day to pick up a dog, and there was a family in front of me with these two beautiful healthy brothers. They had decided they didn’t “want” their dogs anymore and were turning them into the Pound. (This is an issue that really gets under my skin, dogs are not disposable items. People think if they get tired of them, just throw them away, ugh!) So while I was there to get my first dog, I got the information on the brothers and went back the next day to save them from deaths door at the Pound.

You see, the brothers are what most people call common “Alabama Brown Dogs”. They are both large dogs and this works against them when getting them adopted. Our goal is to save dogs and find them forever homes. But most potential adopters that walk in our doors will ask, “do you have any small dogs?” or “do you have any puppies”. It would be an absolute miracle if someone walked in and asked if I had any “adult large dogs“, and it is such a shame because these brothers are such wonderful dogs that have great personalities. They deserve that forever home just like the small dogs and just like the puppies, if someone would just give them a chance.

Buddy
Buddy
Let me tell you about the brothers. My feelings are that when they were cute puppies and their former family took them in with good intentions, thinking that they would get two boys and not have to worry about any of the female issues, and that everything would be just fine. But this can sometimes be a big mistake that we see all the time. If one male is dominant and one is submissive, there is no problem. In the case of the brothers, both happen to be dominant males. As the brothers grew, the need for dominance also grew. First there are issues with space, a fuss here and there, but we laugh it off as puppy fights. As they grow older the dominance over food is the next issue. Sometimes these squabbles can get quite nasty. Once the brothers reached adulthood, the time had come for one to take the alpha role. When there are two really large male dogs in one household, it can get ugly. So, my guess is that instead of trying to solve the dominance problem (and it can be corrected!) the former owners took the brothers to the Pound. They just didn’t “want” them anymore. 

How sad is that? The brothers were not doing anything wrong, only what nature had given them. Dogs are natural pack animals and a pack has to have a dominate alpha to survive. If an owner is not taking the alpha role then the dominate male will step up to ensure the survival of the pack. That is something often forgotten.

Snickers
Snickers
Of the two brothers, Buddy is the larger of the two. He definitely wants to be an inside dog! Could it be that he is just a tiny bit overweight and can’t tolerate the heat? Maybe so, but whatever the case, we let him be an inside dog. He goes out to do his business and then right back under the AC he goes. Would you call that spoiled? We hope so. Buddy has the personality that bonds with one person or maybe a couple. He is very laid back and loves to just lounge around. Yes, you can get him up for a walk every now and then but to stretch out for an afternoon nap is his perfect idea of enjoyment. We do not recommend adopting him into a family with children. He does get along well with other dogs although we are not sure about cats. Once Buddy becomes comfortable with you, he is one big Teddy Bear.


Snickers is just a slightly smaller version of Buddy but much more outgoing and independent. Quite the opposite of Buddy. Snickers enjoys being outside and loves to go to the adoption events. He rides great in the car and we have often laughed at how he sits in the passenger seat just like a human, watching out the window. Although Snickers is a little picky about other dogs, he has found a few that he likes to play with. Snickers has one bad habit and that is he loves his people so much that when he is not with them he becomes a “crybaby”. I think Snickers would do great in a home with older kids that could really get out and play with him. Big dogs mean big fun!


When I think about Buddy and Snickers, I have really mixed emotions. From a human standpoint, I think how sad that they have not been adopted. They have been here almost 2 years. Then I try to think like a dog. To them, this is their home. Would they miss us if they got adopted? Maybe. But they deserve so much more. We give them a good bed, we give them good food, we give them love, but they still deserve so much more that we can’t give. They deserve a family to call their own…

Blessings,
Cathy Oakley
Director Peace, Love and Animals

If you are interested in the brothers, please email us for more information or visit Buddy's petfinder and Snickers' petfinder profiles.

Women Fight to Save Life of Ariel the Lion

Associate Press


SAO PAULO—Two Brazilian women are fighting to save the life of Ariel the lion.
The three-year-old lion has been paralyzed over the past year because a degenerative disease has immobilized his legs. So the 310-pound beast he has been sleeping on a mattress in the Sao Paulo house of veterinarian Livia Pereira. She says the lion’s white blood cells are attacking his healthy cells.
The animal’s owner is Raquel Borges, who runs a shelter in southern Brazil for sick and abandoned animals.
She has been the paying lion’s monthly $11,500 medical bill through donations from some of the 34,250 people who have clicked the “like” button on Ariel’s Facebook page.