“I’ve Found a Stray Pet! What do I do now?” Have you ever come across a lost pet and wondered what you should do?  Call the police?  Chase and try to catch them?  Take them home, or find them a new home? While these might seem like good ideas, without taking the proper steps first, you may be endangering the pet, breaking the law, or depriving a grieving owner the chance to be reunited with their lost pet.  But, of course, you want to help and make sure the pet is safe!  Here are some tips for getting a lost pet safely home.

If you see a cat you think may be lost:

As you may know, many people allow their pet cats to spend time outdoors, so if you see a cat outside with a collar and the cat looks to be in good health, you probably do not need to take any action.  If a cat approaches you, it’s always a good idea to see if there is a collar with identification, because the cat may have gotten lost.  It never hurts to call the owner just to make sure the cat should be outside where you found him.  If you find a cat that has no identification and seems friendly but he’s skinny, has matted hair and is need of care, see if you can pick up the cat and take him home.  Many cats are feral (wild) and won’t allow you to approach them, but a lost or abandoned pet may well allow you to approach and pick them up. Once home, follow the 6 steps we suggest to help reunite a lost pet with their owner below.

Is you see a dog you think may be lost:

First, please be very careful if you are going to try to catch a stray dog yourself. Even otherwise friendly dogs can be frightened and bite unexpectedly. Do you know the difference between a friendly wagging tail, and a warning flag-wagging? If you are afraid, do not try to catch a stray dog. Dogs can sense fear and are more likely to bite when they do. Also, chasing the dog may itself scare the poor guy and do more harm than good.  For example, chasing after a dog can cause him to dart out into traffic, or panic and run away.  Also, we certainly do NOT advise trying to capture an unfriendly pet by yourself, unless you have lots of aggressive dog-handling experience and understand the bite risks involved.  The best thing to do in this case is call your local animal control.

If you can’t or don’t feel safe capturing a stray dog you see:

• Note down detailed characteristics of the animal (color, size, breed and sex), the exact location (street number and name, or intersection) and WHICH DIRECTION the animal is moving.
• Call animal control. You can dial 411 and ask for the closest agency. Report the stray’s information. Some agencies will come out immediately if you are on a cell phone and “tracking” the pet. Others will send an officer as soon as possible depending on the urgency of other calls.
• Ask neighbors or anyone outside (including children) if anyone knows the stray dog. Often they can direct you where to find the owners.
• Follow the pet. Some pets will wander into an empty yard where you can close a gate behind them to contain them until animal control arrives or until you can ask around and locate the owner.

If you see a stray dog who acts friendly, here are some tips you can use to get the dog off the street and out of immediate danger:

• Call the dog to you, and get him to follow you into a store or yard where you can close the door without having to grab at the dog.
• Do not grab at or move quickly towards a stray pet. Crouch low or sit on the ground and use slow, calm movements.
• Leash the dog.  It’s handy to keep a slip leash in your car or in your bag for just such a purpose. Or use a regular dog leash with a loop handle. Thread the clip end through the handle to make a noose. If a stray dog approaches you and is friendly, you can slowly and calmly drape the noose over his head to leash him.
• If you are in your car, open your car’s back door. Owned pets will sometimes jump right in, and will be less frightened (and less likely to bite) than when running loose.

If you have a lost dog or cat safely in your custody, how do you reunite them with their family?

If there is an ID tag with a phone number, call and try to return the pet to the owner directly.  If you can’t reach the owner, or the pet has no ID tag, call your local animal control right away to see if anyone has reported their pet missing, and to ask for further instructions. Every city has different laws governing stray animals. Some say you must bring him to the shelter, and leave him there for a ’stray period’ to give an owner a chance to claim him (often 3 days), and will allow you to adopt or rescue him after 3 days. Others may let you house the animal if you file a lost pet report and post “found” notices in the newspaper and at the shelter.  No matter what, bring the pet to a shelter or vet to have him scanned for a microchip. Here are some other steps to take:

• Make FOUND PET flyers. Keep a couple of key details off the flyer. Give out only enough information so the pet’s owner will suspect it’s their pet. For instance, if you find a Bichon Frise with a red collar, you might advertise “Found: Small white dog with collar”. When the owner calls, ask him or her to describe the collar and ask what breed their dog is. Beware of unscrupulous characters who will try to claim dogs for nefarious purposes.

• Post flyers in the area where you found the pet, all local shelters, and vet offices.  Ask in the vet offices if they recognize the pet as one of their patients.

• As you distribute the flyers, remember to look for the lost pet flyer that the owner may have posted.

• Place a Found Pet ad in your local newspaper classifieds, and check for a Lost Pet ad as well.

• There are many web sites that specialize in lost and found pet postings. Some popular ones are TheCenterForLostPets.com, petharbor.com and fidofinder.com. (Also findtoto.com, a for-fee service.)

What if you can’t find the owner?

After you’ve followed the steps above, you may decide you want to keep the pet you’ve found or help find him a home yourself.  If the pet is in the shelter, you may have priority to adopt him (since you found him in the first place), or you may need to complete an application or follow the shelter’s adoption procedure prior to the day the pet becomes available for adoption to make sure you’re at the top of the list. Every shelter is different, so verify with your shelter how to proceed if you want to adopt (or rescue to rehome) the pet you’ve found.

If you can safely and legally house the pet while you attempt to find the owner, that’s wonderful. If not, call local rescue groups to see if anyone has room to foster the pet for you and to help find the pet a new home if the owner cannot be located. You can find rescue groups in your area here: http://www.adoptapet.com/animal-shelters

And please, make sure to microchip and keep current ID tags on all your pets!

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It’s the holiday season, one of the most popular times for families to adopt a pet – and for pets to end up in the vet emergency office! Both new and experienced pet owners are unaware of how many common items can be hazardous – even fatal – to household pets. Plus, during the holidays our homes are often filled with family and friends who may not fully realize the dangers. You may think your pet would enjoy a party, but the safest thing to do is keep all your pets closed away in a bedroom or otherwise away from the guests, who may, in the generous holiday spirit and excitement of the festivities, not realize that giving a begging dog “just one” treat could be fatal.  Especially if your home or festivities include any of these pet-toxic foods or decorative items, please be careful they stay safely out of your pets’ reach…  so everyone can safely enjoy the holidays!

If your pet ingests any of these potentially fatal items please CALL YOUR VET IMMEDIATELY.

Human Food: Chocolate, grapes, raisins, avocados, Macadamia nuts, onions or onion powder, garlic, caffeinated drinks, alcohol, any type of cooked bones, fish bones, moldy or spoiled food, raw yeast dough, products sweetened with xylitol which is found in chewing gum or mints.

Common holiday items: antifreeze (tastes sweet pets may lick off floor), ice melting products, liquid potpourri, electrical cords, mothballs, Christmas tree water (pesticides used on the tree can leach into the water), ribbons or tinsel which can clog up intestines.

Have a safe and happy holiday!

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Last week, the Alliance for Contraception in Cats & Dogs (ACC&D) awarded its first EsterilSol grant! The grant will allow a clinic in Colombia to sterilize 750 male dogs by injection. EsterilSol is an injection that sterilizes male dogs without changing their male appearance or behaviors, which is important to many dog owners, particularly in some cultures.

The clinic receiving the grant is Sentir Animal in Felidia, Columbia. Sentir Animal’s projects for companion animals include weekend sterilization and education clinics in communities in and around Cali, Colombia. Many owners refuse to have their male dogs castrated because they don’t want them emasculated; only 14% of the dogs brought into the clinics are male. Cost of surgery is another obstacle for Sentir Animal. A faster and less expensive method of sterilization will allow them to help more dogs with sterilization and owner education.

The grant will cover training-related travel expenses and help purchase injections for over 750 dogs.

You can read more about ACC&D on their website or their Facebook cause, “Sterilize a needy dog with a $4 injection.

(photo: Outside a Sentir Animal clinic in Felidia, Colombia)

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With Thanksgiving just around the corner, soon families will be gathering together to give thanks and feast on holiday treats. Delicious aromas will fill the air and our pets will be glued to our sides in hopes of scoring some scraps.  During this happy time of family, food and giving, people tend to become overly generous, which means that dogs and cats will get a lot of table food scraps from family members or guests. Sometimes, however, too many treats can lead to injury or illness for our pets.  North Shore Animal League America has these great tips to help keep your pets safe this Thanksgiving holiday.

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Congratulations! You’ve adopted a dog! Your life is about to be enriched in ways you’ve never dreamed possible. So…now what? Bringing your new dog home is such an exciting and fulfilling experience, but it can be a bit daunting as well, especially if you’ve never shared your home with a furry companion. Here are some tips to get your relationship off on the right foot (or paw, as the case may be)!

1. Be prepared: Before you adopt your dog, know which training method you’re going to use (we love clicker training and other positive-reinforcement techniques) and read up on it so you can employ the philosophy from day one. Research dog care and nutrition in advance as well, and decide which food you’ll feed your dog and how many times a day he’ll eat (usually once or twice). The more prepared you are, the smoother your new family member’s transition will be.

2. Be flexible: While it’s good to be prepared, remember that your new dog is a living being with a mind of his own, and he may well express preferences that run counter to your plans. If the sleeping arrangements you’ve laid out just don’t work for him, you may have to shuffle things around a bit. If the sound of the clicker scares him to death, a different training method may be in order. Maintain a good sense of humor and try not to get exasperated. The transition period won’t last forever. Soon you and your new buddy will have a well-established routine.

3. Shop for the basics: You’ll need a leash, collar, a bed, food and water dishes and, of course, food! It’s a good idea to have these items in place even before you bring your new dog home. One other thing to buy right away: an ID tag! Put the tag on your dog immediately—we can’t stress that enough. By the way, you’ll notice that a crate isn’t on the list of things to buy in advance. If you plan on crate-training, it’s best to take your dog with you when you shop for the crate so you can find the correct size.

4. Make sure all family members are on board: Set some ground rules and make sure everyone in the family agrees to follow and enforce them. For instance, if you don’t want your new pup on the couch, all the training in the world won’t help if your daughter lets him sit there with her when you’re not home. Also, if caring for your dog will be a family effort, be certain everyone understands and agrees to their particular roles and responsibilities.

5. Help your new pal adjust: Over the first few days to a week, your new dog will be going through an adjustment period. You may notice some symptoms of anxiety, including a lack of appetite and suppressed bowel habits. Your dog may even hide under or behind furniture or stay in one particular room for a few days. Don’t be alarmed—this is absolutely normal behavior. By showing your new friend patience and understanding, you’ll be helping him through a tough, scary time and showing him how wonderful his new home really is!

6. Establish a schedule of feeding and walking and be consistent: Try to walk him and feed him at the same times each day, and signal the walkings and feedings with the same key words every time. For instance, right before you feed him, you might say, “Dinner time!” A reliable routine is an important tool in successfully integrating your new dog into your family and helping him feel secure.

7. Set aside time to bond: Spend some quiet time with your dog each day, petting him gently and speaking in a soothing voice. Touch is an incredibly powerful method of communication, one that is almost impossible to misunderstand. Show your dog he’s safe and loved, and your relationship will get off to a beautiful start.

8. Everyone needs time alone: Your dog is no exception! Give him time every day to be alone and to explore his new surroundings. Observe from a distance to make sure he’s safe, but not close enough to intrude on his “me” time.

9. Slowly introduce him to new things and people: We know you’re dying to show your amazing new family member to all of your other family and friends, but take it slowly! A good rule of thumb is to introduce no more than one new person to your dog each day. Also, save the first trip to the dog park for a week or two to avoid overwhelming and confusing him.

10. Get him a tune-up: Schedule a first visit to your dog’s new veterinarian during the first week (or immediately upon adoption if you have other pets at home or suspect your new pup might be ill). Bring any and all medical and vaccine records supplied by the shelter or rescue from which you adopted your dog. Many veterinarians will even provide a free first checkup to folks who adopt a pet! This first visit is a great time to get clues about your dog’s personality and past history, so don’t be afraid to ask lots of questions. Also, have your dog microchipped right away (if he’s not already), so you can be reunited if (gasp!) you ever get separated. True love is hard to replace!

Adopting A New Pet, Doggie Tips, Getting Along with Your Pet, Household Tips, Pet Health and Safety, Raising Your Pet, Uncategorized | No Comments »

Non-surgical cat and dog sterilization surged into the spotlight last week when the topic was featured in Science Magazine. When U.S. billionaire Gary Michelson announced $75 million in grants and prize money for the development of a single-use, nonsurgical sterilant for dogs and cats, suddenly, researchers who had abandoned their non-surgical sterilization research work began ramping up their efforts again. Read about the research, grant winners, and how this all came to be in the article in Science Magazine online, and visit Found Animals press page for even more about these exciting developments.

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8:30 a.m., 9/1/09 Los Angeles California wildfires continue to burn out of control, threatening homes, people, and animals. “The Station fire” grew to more than 122,000 acres overnight last night, despite signs of improving weather conditions. We have put together this list of animal shelter and rescues that are assisting animals and people affected by the wildfires. If you hear any updates or have additions, please let us! This list includes: Animal Acres, Baldwin Park shelter, Basset Rescue Network, Gentle Barn, Irvine ACC, Linda Blair Worldheart Foundation, Pasadena Humane Society, Villalobos. Listing alphabetically!

Animal Acres
Acton, CA
http://www.animalacres.org
9/1 12:15am – found a more uptodate site with the evacuations and how to help Animal Acres here: http://kcdisasteraid.wordpress.com/ latest update 8/31 says they are “recruiting/managing standby volunteers for Animal Acres” for a 2nd evacuation, as where they were 1st evacuated to is now in the path of the fire.

Baldwin Park – Los Angeles County Animal Shelter
4275 N. Elton, Baldwin Park, CA 91706
The nonprofit that organizes help for this shelter is Animal Advocates Alliance http://animaladvocatesalliance.org/category/adopt-now/
8/31 11:55pm: “The fires have burned away from Baldwin Park’s service area and as of right now we are actually not that inundated. However a lot of our resources are at the fire and anything and everything could change at any moment. So I guess what we’re really most in need of is adopters to help empty the kennels! Kindest regards, Ric Browde”

Basset Rescue Network
Acton, CA
Main website: http://www.bassetrescuenetwork.org (see Latest News)
Fire updates & donations: http://www.firstgiving.com/ActonFire_BassetRescueNetwork
They have 100 basset hounds and mixes.
2:44 AM, 9/1/09, Kennel Manager updates: “We are safe as of 2:44AM. Here from the property we would evacuate all animals with the assistance of several neighbors as during an evacuation it’s unlikely that non area residents could get through.” The shelter needs money for the expenses that comes with the smoke, ashes, fire and pending evacuation.

Gentle Barn
Santa Clarita, CA
http://gentlebarn.org (for donations)
http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#/pages/The-Gentle-Barn/54967149038?ref=ts
8/31: they are taking in animals from the fires, as they are currently not in the evacuation area (but close by). “Jay headed out to the fires in Acton with our stock tailor to see if anyone needed help. So far we have four new horses and two new donkeys from the fires. we shall see who Jay brings home next.”

Irvine Animal Care Center
6443 Oak Canyon, Irvine, CA 92618
http://www.cityofirvine.org/cityhall/cs/animalcare/default.asp
8/31: This shelter took in 40+ dogs from the Pasadena Humane Society to make room for fire evacuees. Those dogs need adopters, and they accept online donations too.

Linda Blair Worldheart Foundation
Acton, CA
Fire update page: http://lindablairworldheart.org/?p=749
(FB page: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Acton-CA/The-Linda-Blair-WorldHeart-Foundation/70244399672?ref=ts )
8/31 8:56pm: “Our first and biggest need are donations. We need financial donations to help us with the many costs that can/will arise from this crisis situation. We are also in need of donated crates, at least 42″ in size as our doggies are large. We can always use blankets and dog bowls as well…. If you are willing to help load dogs in crates and transport to our evacuation spot and don’t mind getting called in the middle of the night please let us know. You can email worldheartvolunteers@gmail.com for more information.”

Pasadena Humane Society
361 S. Raymond Ave., Pasadena CA 91105
http://pasadenahumane.org then click on “Donate Now to Fire Disaster Relief!”
8/31 4pm update: they currently have all the supplies and volunteers they need. Monetary donations are still being accepted.

Villalobos Rescue Center
Canyon Country, CA
http://www.vrcpitbull.com
8/31: have heard rumors they were evacuated, but have been unable to confirm – does anyone know?

Wildlife Waystation
14831 Little Tujunga Canyon Rd 91342 (818) 899-5201
9/1 update: http://www.scpr.org/blogs/fire-updates/2009/08/31/wildlife-way-station-receives-abundance-volunteers/

DO YOU NEED HELP getting your animals to safety? Please contact the Kinship Circle Disaster Aid Network. They stand ready to deploy volunteers. You can reach them at 917-596-9040 or http://www.kinshipcircle.org

Need wildlife help? Contact Valley Wildlife Care, a nonprofit, volunteer organization. They will intake ANY wildlife from the fires. http://www.valleywildlifecare.org 818-346-8247

(image is map of the fire per LA Times as of 11 p.m., 8/31/09)

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What are the best dog breeds to get along well with children? A few have become well-known as great dog breeds for kids, due to their typically friendly, tolerant personalities. However with any dog, when looking for one compatible with children, there are more important qualities to consider than just their breed. These include: individual temperament, past experiences, training level, activity level, and age of both the dog and child. Remember, it’s never safe to leave a dog unsupervised with toddlers or babies. When you get a new dog or puppy, a slow introduction with the assistance of a trainer is the safest route. That said, here are a few dog breeds that are well-known as great “family” dogs:

• Poodles often do well with children. They are known as one of the most intelligent breeds of dog, and because they come in all sizes, from Toy (10″ or under at the shoulder), Miniature (11-15″) to Standard (over 15″, ranging from 45-70 pounds) a fit can be found for most any age of child.
• Golden Retrievers and Labradors are famous for their love of children. Many will follow children around as if they have adopted the child. They can be very playful and high energy, especially as young dogs, so plenty of exercise and training is key.
• Mixed breed or Mutts – you can always find the perfect combination of traits in a Muttigree dog! Mixed breed dogs are much less likely to display undesirable characteristics of inbred purebreds that can be dangerous with children, and you can focus on the individual and unique personality of the Mutt to find your perfect family dog.

To discover more breeds that do well with children read the article at http://dogs.about.com/od/dogbreeds/qt/dogsforkids.htm

Adopting A New Pet, Doggie Tips, Getting Along with Your Pet, Household Tips, Pet Health and Safety | 1 Comment »

Petsummary.com is a website where you can keep all your pet records handy. This makes it much easier for vets to access pet information whether its a routine checkup, or emergency.

Just like Google’s new online health record service for people, PetSummary makes it easy for pet owners, vets and caregivers to access your dog’s important health data, anytime, anywhere. So it’s perfect for unexpected vet visits while your traveling or away from your pup. Even better, PetSummary makes you less dependent on your busy vet’s office to keep you up to date on vaccines, sparing you the cost of redundant tests or shots. Read more at woofreport.com

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Having trouble deciding whether to purchase pet insurance? Not sure which plan or provider is best for you? Choosing pet insurance should be evaluated much like choosing insurance for yourself, here are a few questions to consider…

• How does each policy handle preexisting conditions?
• How many repeat vet visits for similar treatments are covered?
• What about inherent diseases and anticipated conditions?
• What are the policy coverage options and claim processing turn around times?

For a complete guide to selecting pet insurance go to woofreport.com

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