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