Holiday adoptions, and why they work

We do a lot of adoptions this time of year.  Like, a lot a lot.  The December/January months are our favorite time, because that's usually when we do so many adoptions that we (gasp!) have a little open space available, and we don't have to scramble quite so much to find room for the new pets coming in.  One of our biggest goals as an adoption center is to help people realize that a pet is a lifetime commitment - that it's 15-20 years of hard work, expense, and poop, not just a cute thing for Christmas - so the fact that we do so many Christmas adoptions seems a little counter-intuitive.  I've found that many people's first reaction to that news is sort of a skeptical, "Is that really a good idea?" facial expression, and if I wasn't here in the thick of things I would probably be making exactly the same face.

But I am here in the thick of things, and our holiday adoptions usually do work out just fine.  And here's why: we screen potential adopters just as well around Christmas as we do the rest of the year.  Most of the people who come in to adopt this time of year are families who have been considering taking home a pet for months (sometimes years) and have finally decided to take the plunge, and want to time it to make their holiday extra special.  If they came in any other time of year, they would still be great homes for great pets.  No matter who comes in to adopt, we help them select the right pet for their home, counsel them about proper care, and make sure that they're ready before we send them out the door with a pet.

"Surprise! Better get a litter box."

What we don't do, around the holidays or any other time, is send home pets as gifts.  There's always someone (or several someones) around the holidays who wants to surprise someone else with a puppy or kitten; a girlfriend, a mom, a sibling, whoever.  Here's the thing: pets can be great gifts, but they should never be a surprise.  Think about it: you may be giving your whoever a cute cuddly puppy with a bow around its neck, but you're also giving them that aforementioned 15-20 years of hard work, expense, and poop.  For most people, that's not such a great deal, and for most gift pets, it's a ticket back to the adoption center a couple of days later.  So, if you come in hoping to adopt a pet for someone else, even if you're sure they will love it, we will offer you two options: you can bring them in with you to pick the pet and fill out the paperwork, or you can purchase a gift certificate to cover the adoption fee and send them in on their own to pick the pet and fill out the paperwork.  It's an easy way to have a lovely gift under the tree while saving a person and a pet the heartbreak of returning to the adoption center.

Why wait weeks when I'm this cute now?

There's one other thing that invariably pops up around the holidays, and that's people who want to pick out and adopt a pet, but have us hold it for them until Christmas Eve so it will be a surprise for their kids.  This is another one of those things that we don't do, not because we're stubborn or Grinchy but because we just can't.  People may be able to put their adoption schedule on hold until December 24th, but our intake schedule somehow never gets the memo; every space is precious for a pet who has no home, and we can't have dozens of adopted pets (or even a few) waiting here, using those spaces for days or weeks, when there are so many others who need help.  If you're one of the many thinking of adopting this month, please consider letting Christmas come a little early for your family and a lucky pet.  You'll be giving two pets a wonderful gift: the one that gets a home and a family to call its own, and the one who gets to come in out of the cold and take its place at the adoption center.

If you're not one of the many who adopt this month, but you're overflowing with holiday cheer and want to spread it around a little, well, you're always welcome at the adoption center!  Spend a little time volunteering, foster a pet for the holidays, or bring in some items off of our Wish List: we're always in need of toys, treats, collars & leashes, bleach, paper towels, canned food, and pill pockets, to name a few.  Or, get in that year-end tax deductible donation and help us meet our SAVE Fund goal: donations of $100 or more marked for our SAVE fund will be matched at the end of the year if we can raise $55,000 by December 31st.  You can donate to SAVE or any of our other funds through our website at woodfordhumane.org, or swing on by and see us in person...and you just might find a new friend to take home while you're at it.  However you spend your holidays, we're wishing you a safe, warm, and happy season, and a purry New Year!

Have a PET-rifying Halloween!

[Author's note: I have been asked to apologize for how horrible that pun is.  Sorry; I guess I thought I could blog with imPUNity.]
[Author's note: Sorry again.  Back to business.]

For lots of people (this WHS blogger included), Halloween is kind a big deal.  It's tons of fun for kids of all ages (even the grown-up ones), and it's one of those rare occasions when you can put on something ridiculous and embarrassing and walk proudly out of your house and into the public eye, because everybody else is doing the same thing, so who cares?  Plus, there's candy.  Lots and lots of candy.  Nobody outgrows candy, right? 

Halloween can be even more fun if you have a pet to embarrass, but it can be a pretty stressful night for your four-legged friend, too.  That's why we're offering a few reminders to help you make sure Halloween is as much of a blast (or at least not a disaster) for your pets as it is for you.

First things first: we hope you keep your pets indoors anyway, but for those of you who have indoor/outdoor pets, Halloween is a good night to try out that indoor-only thing.  Many people worry about people who use Halloween as an excuse to deliberately harm animals they might come across, and although this is really an uncommon occurrence, it's worth noting that your pet is much less likely to be accessible to anyone who might want to hurt him if he's safely enclosed in your home.  There are other, more common outdoor risks to think about on Halloween, though; candles in jack-o-lanterns, discarded candy and wrappers, tangly spider webs and other decorations, and the general terror that comes with roaming hordes of children make for a scary night for an outdoor pet.  Add to that the increased risk of gates being opened (due to the previously mentioned roaming hordes of children), and your pet can easily become lost and disoriented.  

Candy and pets do not mix, so keep an eye on that candy bowl!  If you're really concerned that Fluffy or Fido are feeling left out, have some pet-friendly treats on hand to offer them - but it's never a good idea to let them share the sweets.  Everyone (hopefully) knows that chocolate is a big problem for pets, but the dangers that lurk in the candy bowl are greater and more varied than you might think: sugar-free candies that contain xylitol can be lethal within hours, even in relatively small quantities; although peanuts are ok, macadamia nuts and many others that might be mixed in with those sweets are toxic; and, if you've decided to go the healthy route and hand out raisins, guess what!  Those are toxic, too.  Don't take the risk, especially on a late night when access to veterinary services will be difficult to find.  Some healthy alternatives, if just plain old pet treats that you can buy at the store don't seem fancy enough for the occasion, are fresh fruits and veggies like carrots, apple slices, green beans, and bananas; well-cooked, lean, deboned meat or fish; or unsalted pretzels dipped in yogurt.  

Booze and pets do not mix.  Every time I see a "cute" photo of a puppy drinking beer on the internet, it makes me cringe; since when is deliberately endangering your pet considered "cute?"  Alcohol affects dogs and cats in much the same way that it affects us, but it hits them harder and faster; even a small amount puts your pet in danger.  We're talking visible drunkenness within 15-30 minutes of ingestion, and from there a slowing heart rate, cardiac arrest, and death.  The scariest thing about this scenario is that, in a house party situation, there might not be anybody paying attention to your pet's symptoms, or sober enough to get him to the vet if he needs it.  If you're hosting a party this Halloween, set strict ground rules with your guests: absolutely no drinks shared with pets.  Or, better yet, keep your pets separate from your guests entirely.  And if you're a guest at a party, don't be the guy who thinks that giving your host's pets booze is cute.  It's not.

If you get a lot of trick-or-treaters at your house, and you have a pet who freaks out when the doorbell rings, you're in for a long night.  Add to that the strangers at the door dressed up as even weirder strangers, and a nervous pet might end up in melt-down mode.  If you know your pet will be frightened by the ramped-up activity at the front door, the best solution is just to close him in a quiet room at the other end of the house so he can be buffered from it as much as possible.  It doesn't hurt to turn on the radio or tv, too. 

Dressing your pet up for Halloween?  Make sure you keep an eye on him while he's in character!  Some pets are thrilled about dressing up, but others might be tempted to chew, scratch, or struggle; you definitely don't want your dog or cat eating part of his costume, or getting a leg caught somewhere and taking a tumble.  As cute as costumes are, if your pet is not handling it well, it's a better idea to take the costume off than to stress him out by keeping it on all night...just make sure you take a photo first.  You know, for blackmail purposes down the road. 

WHS alum Dax really knows how to make a blackmail photo pop.

We saved the best for last, and this one is VERY important: always, always, always have legible, up-to-date ID tags on your pet on Halloween.  Do that on any day, really; but ID is especially important on holidays like Halloween when the stress level is ramped up and the door is spending a lot of time open.  If your pet is microchipped, double-check the registration and make sure that it's also up-to-date; if your pet is not microchipped, why the heck not?!  Collars and tags can get scratched up or fall off; microchips don't.  Talk to your vet or your local humane society about having your pet chipped. 

Happy Halloween, from all of us at WHS!  May your evening be spooky, and your pets, although potentially humiliated, be safe and stress-free.

I'm not a dog person

I’m not a dog person.  I never had dogs growing up, and to tell the truth I never really got comfortable with them until I started working in rescue, just over four years ago.  Cats are my comfort zone.  But you can’t spend much time working in rescue before you meet a dog that changes all that.  For me, that dog was a Rottweiler/black lab mix named Rocco.  

When Rocco first came through our doors here at Woodford Humane, he didn’t seem like a dog who would ever find a home.  He was terrified of people; he couldn’t be handled, and it was all we could do to keep him as fed and happy as possible.  He was suffering from sarcoptic mange and severe hip dysplasia, despite being just a year old; that sort of ailment doesn’t often occur in such a young dog unless he’s spent far too much time penned in a tiny space while his bones and muscles are still developing.  The world had not done this dog any justice, and it showed through his fear.  

Rocco, during his wait for a home

And then, one week later, something happened: one of those small miracles that make this job so special.  When we walked in to bring Rocco his breakfast, he reached out a paw.  To this day, I don’t know what changed his mind so suddenly and completely, but Rocco became the best part of my day.  We would bring him up into the office, and his joy at the prospect of a little quality time with the people he loved was so great that he would barrel in, throw his front paws up on our laps to give us his big puppy hugs, and then push us around the office in our rolling chairs, to our (and his) endless amusement.  

Despite his love for the staff and volunteers he had come to know and trust, Rocco struggled at the adoption center.  It's a high-stress environment for any dog, with the constant stream of new sights, sounds, smells, and faces; for a dog with a background like Rocco's, for whom trust did not come easily, it was overwhelming.  He didn't show his true colors in the kennel; if you took him out for a little quality time, that big puppy shone through, but if you just walked up to take a look he would often respond by growling and pacing.  Not many people were interested in getting to know the puppy behind the growl.  By this point I was hopelessly in love with Rocco, and seeing him passed over for younger, happier, healthier dogs, when he needed a home so badly, was heartbreaking.  We did everything we could to make him comfortable, but I spent sleepless nights worrying that he wouldn't be able to cope, and his behavior would continue to deteriorate.  It seemed so unfair, after all that he had been through.

But there was another small miracle in store for Rocco: a family.  A family who didn't mind that he was big and shy, that he was black, that he wasn't a puppy, that he needed hip surgery.  That walked up to his run in the kennel, saw him pace and growl, and instead of walking away, gave him the chance to show them the puppy inside. 

Rocco's family already had a rottie/lab mix of their own who needed a playmate, so his new home hinged on him getting along with their dog.  The first introduction was shaky; Rocco was stiff and nervous, and the puppy hid behind the growl again for a moment.  I looked at the family.  

"Let's try it again."  

And this time, the growl was gone.  There was sniffing, and wagging, and suddenly I was watching 200 pounds of dog jumping, playing, and romping around the yard.  I could have cried right then, because I knew Rocco had found his home and his family.  That kind of joy only comes when you’ve officially turned into a dog lover, and I have Rocco to thank for that.

 

The dogs who come through our doors every year come from every walk of life; some are abused or neglected, but most are just the victims of unfortunate circumstance that they can neither understand nor control.  But there’s one thing that makes all of these dogs so special, and Rocco is a perfect example: give a rescue dog the time to realize that he is safe and loved, and his capacity to forgive any wrongs that humanity has dealt him in the past is bottomless.  He will love you in return, unconditionally, joyfully, and for the rest of his life.  If you're lucky and you have a rolling chair, you might even get to go for a ride now and then.

October is national Adopt-A-Dog Month, but in reality, that’s every month around here.  If you’re looking for canine companionship, I want to personally invite you to come and find your Rocco.  He’s here, waiting to share that joyful, unconditional love.  He might be the bouncy puppy you came looking for; he might be the dog pacing and growling in the kennel, unsure of himself and his surroundings.  You'll never know until you offer him that second chance...and you'll never regret it once you do. 

-Beth

Beating the back to school blues

It's that time of year again: back to school is upon us, whether we're ready for it or not.   If you live here in Woodford County, yesterday was the big day, and we're sure it went off with much excitement (and many groans).  But, whether it’s a dreaded or exciting event for the folks in your family, it definitely means a big change in your daily routine.  It also means a lot of time alone for your pets after a few months of constant attention, and that can be a tough switch for a dog or cat to make. 

Sir Pugglepants doesn't want you to go back to school, either.

Summer vacations are bliss for a family pet, because both kids and parents are spending more time at home.  In the hustle and bustle of a new school year, it’s easy to forget that your pets have become so accustomed to your presence that the sudden departure from their summer routine can leave them feeling lonely, bored, or even abandoned.  Changes in behavior often crop up around this time of year that can seem, on one end of the spectrum, like a lapse in training, or even an act of revenge – destructive chewing, potty accidents in the house or on your things, excessive barking and meowing – and on the other end of the spectrum, like a lack of interest in the usual joys of life – lethargy, inactivity, or just plain old depression.  This manifestation of separation anxiety doesn’t usually last long, but it’s just as important to help your pet through it as it is with more chronic cases.  The key is to know what’s coming, and help your pet weather the storm.

Routine is everything to your pet, so try to keep potty break and walk schedules as close to normal as possible, even though your schedule is on the move.  And, although it seems kind of counter-intuitive, it’s important to downplay departures and arrivals; it’s great to see a super-enthusiastic pet waiting to greet you when you come home, but by encouraging their behavior you’re just reinforcing the idea that departures and arrivals are a big deal…or that they’re permanent. When you first come home, the best thing is to just ignore that bouncy, hyper, excited pet for 10 minutes or so, and then greet them calmly and affectionately.  If your pet is really struggling with your departure in the morning, try and make it a positive experience; give a special treat every time you leave, like a stuffed, frozen Kong toy that is especially desirable and will keep your pet distracted for a little while after you're gone.  For kitties, a favorite catnip toy or a canned food treat can be good options; you can even try making kitty popsicles by freezing the water from a can of tuna, a little canned food, or a little chicken baby food in an ice cube tray.

Smells help, too, so little things like a shirt or blanket that smells like you can be enormously reassuring to a pet.  And don’t get so tied up in school and work that you cut back your pet’s exercise time: physical activity keeps your pet feeling content and happy, and that’s especially important when your kitty or pooch might be feeling a little neglected.  Plus, regardless of your schedule, exercise is important to your pet's mental and physical health.  Duh.  We all know this, but it can be easy to forget when we get busy, so a reminder never hurts.

If you've done all of these things, and your pet still seems to be struggling with your back to school schedule, just sit down with your pet and make a little time for extra snuggles.  Extra snuggles go a long way.

Head back to school or work this fall with the same gusto (or groans) as always, but remember your pets, too: they’re a part of the family and they miss you when you’re gone.

Have a happy (and safe) 4th of July

Woo hoo, the 4th of July is right around the corner!  For lots of us, the holiday means a day full of outdoor fun with the family, and we're willing to bet that lots of pets are included in the festivities.  After all, they're part of the family, too, right?  We all know the basics for keeping ourselves safe over the holiday, but we need to think about our pets' safety, too - here are some things to think about if Fido and Fluffy are joining in the fun next week.

1. It's hot out there.   You may have noticed.  If next week is anything like this week, the 4th of July is going to be a scorcher; you can bet it'll be over 90 degrees (although that'll feel downright brisk compared to the 100's we're looking at for the next few days).  Heat can be a dangerous thing for any pet, but the extra-fluffy, squashy-faced, and older ones are all at additional risk.  Just use some basic common sense heat-safety tactics: make sure there's shade (or better yet, somewhere indoors to go and cool off if your pet seems to be getting overheated) and plenty of fresh, cool water to drink.  Know your pet's limits and don't push it.  Whatever you do, do not leave your pet in your car; on a 90 degree day, temperatures in your car climb to 110 degrees in just 10 minutes.  And, know the signs of heatstroke: heavy, excessive panting; tongue and gums bright red or dark purple; vomiting and thick, mucusy saliva; loss of coordination or collapse.  Heat stroke is serious, and your normal vet probably will not be open on the 4th.  Do your homework ahead of time - just in case - and have contact info on hand for a nearby emergency vet clinic.  If your pet is exhibiting any of the symptoms of heat stroke, seek help immediately; move him indoors, and run cool (but not cold - cold can send him into shock) water over him to gradually lower his body temperature until you can get him to the vet. 

2. People food abounds.  What holiday would be complete without way too much food?  The 4th is full of burgers, hotdogs, and beer - all things your pet should not be eating.  Consider this: a 20lb dog eating a hotdog is the equivalent of a smallish person eating 3 hamburgers.  If there's a little cheese on there, you're talking about the equivalent of another 2 1/2 hamburgers.  In that one "treat," your dog is consuming a couple of days worth of calories.  Not healthy...and if you've ever had a dog get into something fatty and delicious and had to clean up after it, er, afterwards, you know it's not a pretty sight.  Plus, there are hidden hazards in giving your pet people food.  Like onions on your burger?  They're toxic to pets.  Think it's cute when your dog drinks a little beer?  Also toxic.  Set strict rules, and make sure any and all of your guests know it, too: No people food for the pets, and definitely no beer.  Trust us, it'll save you a mess, a vet bill, and it could save your pet's life.

3. Sunscreens and bug repellants aren't all pet-safe.  It's important to make sure your pet doesn't get crispy and chewed, but don't just put whatever you put on yourself on your pets.  First of all, DEET is very dangerous for pets; we're talking neurological effects.  And sunscreens are likely to get licked off and eaten, resulting in drooling, vomiting, diarrhea...all things you don't really want happening at your 4th of July party (or ever).  Think ahead: make sure the monthly flea and tick prevention you use on your pets also repels mosquitoes.  If it doesn't, ask your vet to recommend something that does.  Or, use natural alternatives like citronella candles - just make sure they're up out of reach where they can't be eaten.  The best way to keep your dog from getting sunburned is also part of the solution to the heat problem: make sure there's plenty of shade around, and put it to good use.

4. To quote the ever-popular Frankenstein's monster: "Fire, BAAAAD!"  This should go without saying, but fire, explosives, and pets do not and should not mix.  Keep matches, sparklers, grills and all other open fire sources away from your pets, and never leave an open flame unattended.  It's never safe to assume that your pet is smart and knows better than to stick his face in something that's on fire, because let's face it, he's probably not and probably doesn't.  Either way, you don't want to find out the hard way, so err on the side of caution.  As far as fireworks go, it's best that your pet is safely indoors before you start setting anything off.  Even small explosions are noisy, confusing, and scary to pets, and they may panic and wind up in the line of fire.  At the very least, have your pet leashed before anyone starts lighting any fuses, and be prepared to head inside the moment he seems fearful.  Also, keep in mind that it is very dry out there right now and the outdoors is more flammable than usual; you definitely don't want to be the person whose pet panics and starts the wildfire that burns down the neighborhood. 

5. The 5th of July is one of the busiest days of the year for humane societies and animal control agencies.  Why?  Because the 4th of July can be horrifying for pets.  Pets who are afraid of thunderstorms and other loud noises are especially vulnerable on the 4th; the sound of large-scale fireworks displays being set off is enough to send many pets into full-on panic mode.  Thousands of pets escape and become lost on the 4th of July every year in a desperate attempt to escape the noise, putting them at risk for injury or death; on the 5th, rescue organizations are inundated with calls about lost pets, calls about found pets, and reports of wandering animals in need of pick-up.  Don't put your pet in that position: keep him indoors during fireworks displays!  It is much harder to escape from a home than it is to escape from a yard.  If you have a Thundershirt, use it.  It may also help to turn on the TV or radio to further muffle the noise of the fireworks.  And take precautions, just in case: make sure that your pet is wearing a sturdy, reflective collar with current ID tags.  If he's microchipped, double-check your contact info with the microchip company ahead of time and make sure it's up-to-date; if he's not microchipped, get it done!  Collars can come off, but microchips can't, and they save thousands of lives every year.

This Easter, just stick to candy

Every Easter, pet stores send countless parents, grandparents, aunts and uncles home with that “perfect” Easter gift for the little ones: a chick, a duckling, a bunny, or maybe even a kitten or puppy. They’re awfully cute, and they get the “aww” factor going full-steam. But before you buy an Easter pet this year, think about this: a few weeks after Easter, most of those pets are abandoned, surrendered to humane societies, or worst of all, have died. Many pets purchased as gifts don’t get the care they need before or after purchase, or are just more of a commitment than the buyer realizes - do you know what goes into raising a healthy, tame duck? Because I don't, if we're being perfectly honest.

If you’re considering bringing home a pet for Easter (or any other day, for that matter), don’t just think about the present; think about the future, too. Do you know the nutritional, grooming, and attention requirements of a rabbit? Do you have the space and set-up to house an adult chicken? How about the cost involved in raising any animal? The ASPCA estimates that it costs $700 to $875 to provide the most basic care for a dog or cat for one year. And, if you bring home something like a duckling, that is going to grow up into a wild animal, and you find that you can't care for it after all...what the heck do you do with it? Most humane societies aren't going to be able to take on wildlife, and a hand-raised duck will have trouble surviving in the wild.

What it boils down to is this: If you’re not prepared to make the full commitment to a pet, it’s best not to bring one home at all. Don't fall victim to rampant adorability unless you're 100% ready for years of expense and effort. Visit a local rescue instead and share a little love with some pets in need! You can enjoy all of the fun aspects of spending time with a pet without taking on all of the responsibility, and you’ll make a homeless pet’s day a little brighter, too. We have plenty of homeless pets who would love a little of your love, and we even have a bunny you can play with.

If you are ready to become a pet owner this Easter, it’s a better idea to adopt from a humane society or shelter than to purchase a pet from a pet store. First of all, when you adopt you’re getting a pet that has already had basic veterinary care and is in good health; you get no such guarantee from a pet store. Secondly, you’re saving a pet that needs a home without encouraging irresponsible breeders or puppy mills to keep doing business at the expense of the animals. Puppies and kittens start showing up in big numbers at most adoption facilities in April, so there are almost always plenty of options available. And finally, when you adopt, a big chunk of that $700 to $875 total is already taken care of: most rescues provide vaccines, spay or neuter surgeries, microchips, and other essential veterinary care. When you adopt you can feel pretty darn good about yourself, and save a big chunk of change at the same time.

Whether you decide to spend your Easter with candy or a new four-legged friend this year, the important thing is to be prepared and make the best decision…not just for you, but for the pet. If you’re not ready for a pet this spring, well, there’s always next year! Or next month, or this summer...you get the idea. Until then, enjoy an abundance of chocolate and jelly beans, and we hope you’ll come visit our pets at the Woodford Humane Society to make their holiday weekend a little brighter.