Uncategorized Archives - Page 13 of 14

National Animal Shelter and Rescue Appreciation Week Nov. 3-9

By SpayNeuterNetwork | 03.11.2015

This week is the National Animal Shelter and Rescue appreciation Week. The Humane Society of
the United States (HSUS) started celebrating in 1996 in Lincoln, Neb. The week is to focus on the 3,500 animal shelters across the US who try to place the estimated 6-8 million homeless animals each year.

The week “encourages people to become acquainted with their local shelters and rescues and to learn how they can assist their lifesaving work.”

Every local shelter or rescue needs volunteers – fosters especially. Without fosters the dogs cannot be rescued from shelters and given a chance to transition into a home environment. Many rescues and shelters have people who are working with limited resources and do not have the means to get these animals noticed.

There is a way that you can help. You will often see rescues ask you to share pictures and posts of animals. Sharing saves lives! The more they are shared, the more they are networked, and the better chance they have at finding a rescue who has a foster or adopter.

Ten Ways to Help Your Local Shelter or Rescue

1/ Share your love

Tell the world how you feel about your local shelter or rescue by sharing their messages in person and on social media.
2/ Get to know your local shelters and rescue groups

Locate the ones in your area and go visit. They are always looking for people to help walk dogs or clean food dishes or cat cages.
3/ Learn before you leap

Before you adopt, do some research to learn what to expect when adopting a pet. Each breed has their own quirks. The more you know, the less likely you will become frustrated and return your new pet. Understand the challenges and rewards of adopting a pet beforehand they come home.
4/ Say “thanks!”

Take time to say thanks to the people who work at your local shelter or rescues. When you adopt a pet, share pictures and show how well your pet is doing. Rescuers love to see updates! Send a letter, email, or post something on their Facebook page or Website.
5/ Get crafty

Combine fabric, yarn, recyclables, and imagination to bring much-needed fun into the lives of local shelter and rescue pets. There’s no end to the toys you can make. Try braiding strips of fleece into fun for dogs, or cutting and folding a surprising household object into a cat distractor.

Create attention-grabbing “Adopt-Me” vests to spotlight available pets at adoption events held by shelters and rescues.
6/ Become a fan

“like” the individual groups on Facebook.
7/ Make wishes come true

Shelters and rescue groups always need towels, toys, and other supplies. Most have a list on their websites.
8/ Volunteer

Even if you can’t adopt now, volunteer! Do you have experience as a carpenter or electrician? All types of skills are valuable!
9/ Help at your own home

Make the jobs of shelters and rescues easier: Have the proper ID for your animals (a microchip and ID tags) at all times. Have all of your pets spayed or neutered. Keep your cats indoors, where you can keep them safe, and keep dogs on leashes when off your property.
10/ Help your shelter make positive changes

If you see something – say something. The HSUS’s has published guidelines for addressing that concern in the most effective way.

Reference:
http://www.humanesociety.org/animal_community/resources/tips/help_shelters_rescues.html?credit=web_id473712362

Just a Snippet from the Director

By SpayNeuterNetwork | 09.09.2015

A little pink collar and matching leash – Why North Texas Giving Day is the best day to donate to Spay Neuter Network

Last week I saw such a moving act of kindness from one of our clients. We serve so many pet parents who really couldn’t afford to spay/neuter their animals or get their pets vaccinated unless we were here for them. It is a rewarding experience every day, but this day I was moved to tears. A young family came in with their female yellow lab mix in the back of their truck and the dog wore a piece of chain as her collar and leash. A man was bringing in his little bully mixed girl to be spayed and he saw how the family as struggling to get their dog inside. He took the brand new pink collar and leash off his girl and helped the young boy put it on his dog. With a smile, he told them they could keep the collar and leash. The entire family smiles back in thanks.

Each and every day I am amazed by the care and kindness of the pet parents we work with. Our mission is to eliminate pet overpopulation through subsidized spay/neuter services, while empowering communities to care responsibly for dogs and cats. This mission is infectious and shared not only by our incredibly dedicated staff, but it spreads to our customers, neighbors and community. Every dollar we receive from our wonderful funders in the area, including our customers goes to help pets and pet parents.

Now you have an opportunity to make a powerful donation during North Texas Giving Day on September 17^th and it’s really easy! This is an online campaign and you just go to http://northtexasgivingday.org. Also, find out what we are doing with 150,000 p”NUTS” to get people giving on our Facebook Page September 17th! So please give from your heart so we can continue and do more wonderful work for our Pets and Pet Parents.

Deanna Sauceda
Executive Dir
Spay Neuter Network

Cherish Your Chihuahua

By SpayNeuterNetwork | 15.07.2015

Chihuahuas and Chihuahua mixes are some of the most at risk pets entering U.S. shelters each year. Spay Neuter Network, with funding support from PetSmart Charities, the largest funder of animal welfare efforts in North America, are addressing the problem by introducing the “Cherish Your Chihuahua ” spay/neuter campaign.

Through the “Cherish Your Chihuahua” campaign, Spay Neuter Network will offer a special $20 spay/neuter surgery and free nail trim for Chihuahua and Chihuahua mixes during the month of August.

“Spaying/neutering a pet is the most effective thing a pet parent can do to prevent unwanted litters from being born and contributing to the homeless pet overpopulation problem. ,” says Deanna Sauceda, Executive Director, Spay Neuter Network.

The American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) endorses spaying and neutering puppies as young as eight to 10 weeks old. Research also shows that the procedure may improve the behavior and health of the pet, including reducing the risk of certain reproductive cancers and infections.

This special $20 rate is even less than the organization’s normal low-cost priced and is available to all residents in the areas we service. Pet parents who wish to take advantage of this offer must mention the “Cherish Your Chihuahua” campaign when they call to schedule their appointment. The campaign is based on availability.

Thanks to the PetSmart Charities grant, Spay Neuter Network will provide 500 “Cherish Your Chihuahua” sterilizations for $20 in August. Please visit www.spayneuternet.org or call 972-472-3500 for more information or to schedule an appointment.

PetSmart Charities’ “Cherish Your Chihuahua” campaign provides more than $145,746 to spay/neuter clinics to fund affordable, high-quality spay and neuter surgeries for more than 3,106 Chihuahuas across the nation during the month of August.

About Spay Neuter Network

Spay Neuter Network is a volunteer 501(c) 3 nonprofit corporation eliminating pet overpopulation through subsidized spay/neuter services, while empowering communities to care responsibly for dogs and cats.

Spay Neuter Network operates a regional clinic outside Dallas with free transport pick-ups for those needing services in outlying areas. We also operate a Mobile Animal Spay/Neuter Hospital (MASH) in the Dallas / Fort Worth Metroplex, providing affordable pet vaccinations, sterilizations and pet care resources to more than 20 communities.

Spay Neuter Network performed more than 17,000 spay / neuter surgeries last year preventing more than 250,000 unwanted animals. Contact Spay Neuter Network at 972-472-3500 or www.spayneuternet.org

About PetSmart Charities:
PetSmart Charities, Inc. is a nonprofit animal welfare organization that saves the lives of homeless pets. More than 400,000 dogs and cats find homes each year through our adoption program in all PetSmart® stores and our sponsored adoption events. PetSmart Charities grants more money to directly help pets in need than any other animal welfare group in North America, with a focus on funding spay/neuter services that help communities solve pet overpopulation. PetSmart Charities is a 501(c)(3) organization, separate from PetSmart, Inc.

Tips to keep your pets from starting a house fire

By SpayNeuterNetwork | 14.07.2015

Wednesday is National Pet Fire Safety Day. According to the National Fire Protection Association, an estimated 500,000 pets are affected annually by home fires and nearly 1,000 of these fires are accidentally started by the homeowners’ pets themselves. To help prevent fires and keep our pets safe from this residential threat, the American Kennel Club provides the following tips:

Extinguish open flames. Pets are curious and will investigate cooking appliances, candles or even your fireplace. Do not allow your pet to be left unattended around an open flame, and make sure to thoroughly extinguish any flames before leaving your home.
Remove stove knobs. Be sure to remove stove knobs, or protect them with covers before leaving the house _ a stove or cook top is the No. 1 piece of equipment involved in your pet starting a fire.
Give flameless candles a try. These candles contain a light bulb rather than an open flame and take the danger out the ambience of candlelight. Cats, in particular, are notorious for starting fires when their tails knock over lit candles.
Keep pets near exits. Keep collars on pets and leashes at the ready in case firefighters need to rescue your pet in the event of an emergency. When leaving pets home alone, keep them in areas or rooms near your home’s exits where they can be easily found.
Secure young pets. Especially with young puppies, it is important to keep them confined and away from potential fire-starting hazards when you are away from home. There are many options for safe, secure and comfortable crates and gates.
Hang a pet alert window cling. Write down the number of pets inside your home and attach the static cling to a front-facing window. This critical information saves rescuers time when locating your pets.

I Cower in the Shower on the Fourth of July

By SpayNeuterNetwork | 01.07.2015

Every Fourth of July I think of this “dog thought”…I cower in the shower. Many years ago my family had a wonderful 65 pound Golden Retriever and Lab mix named “Nuva.” She loved the kids and let them crawl all over her. After the initial puppy and teen years, she never chewed up anything, never pottied in the house and was gentle and courageous, but come Independence Day, she was a different dog. Fireworks scared the heck out of her and she would become nervous and whale-eyed and very unpredictable, but then she found a solution.

One day, about four days before the Fourth of July, I couldn’t find Nuva anywhere. I was frantic. Our yard was dog safe and the house, the same. I decided I needed to head out and comb the neighborhood. I went to the bathroom before I left and suddenly heard whimpering coming from the shower. I pulled back the curtain and there was Nuva, huddled in the corner, slobbering, shaking and miserable. I tried to coax her out, but there was no budging her. I realized that was probably the best place for Nuva during the Fourth of July week; she was inside, no windows, sheltered from much of the booms and flashes and secluded, but easy to find. Most importantly, she was contained.

The Fourth of July is a horrible day for many dogs and cats. Every shelter agrees they are flooded with lost dogs and cats once the fireworks begin. So, what can you do? I asked our medical director, Dr. Jennifer Lavender for advice.

“Don’t ever underestimate the ability of your pet to escape,” says veterinarian, Dr. Lavender. “When dogs are scared they can scale large cinder block walls, escape through locked doors and windows and chew or dig their way out of yards, rooms, garages and kennels. The most important way to keep your pet safe and sound is ‘containment.”

Also, if your dog is on anti-anxiety medications, make sure their prescription is filled and dosage is correct and you have kept them on their meds consistently. You have probably heard of “pressure coats” called “Thundershirts” and these work for some, but not all dogs to ease anxiety. There are some over the counter dog appeasing pheromones that come as collar or diffuser. You should test these possible aids well in advance of the Fourth of July to see just how effective they will be.

I know we all love to party, but if you have dogs and cats who hate fireworks, it’s probably not a good idea to have people going in and out of the house and fireworks nearby. If you are going to be out of town, don’t leave the safety of your pet with a house sitter or friend checking them before and after work. Instead, consider a professional kennel or consider taking vacation time during a less stressful time for your pet.

But, things can happen, so make sure your animal has a tag with their name and two phone numbers. You can get these made immediately at a vending machine at the big box pet stores or Walmart. If your pet isn’t chipped get it done (here at Spay Neuter Network, we do it very cheaply for $16.50 per chip per pet) and make sure your information is updated!!!!

If your dog or cat does get lost or takes off, time is of the essence. Hit the streets immediately and talk to everyone, not just neighbors, but also postal workers, delivery people and people just walking around. Put up simple flyers on telephone poles right away in the neighborhood with a picture and phone number. Post a picture on social media like Facebook and Next Door. Post immediately to the lost and found sections on the area shelter websites. Many cities and counties also have a pet lost and found on their websites and Facebook pages. As soon, as the shelters open, start walking the closest ones to your home at least once a day and recruit a friend or two to do the same. Oh, when you find your dog or kitty, be sure to post that they have been found and there is a happy reunion! Also, if you see a four-legged running about, bring them in and help get them home.

So, as the rockets start glaring and the bombs bursting in air, watch your best friends and watch their cues; what helps them feel safe? For my old girl, Nuva, the best bet was to hit the shower; it was the safest space she could find. So, I put her bed in the shower and let her cope in her canine way. Nuva knew best.

From all of us here at Spay Neuter Network, have a safe Fourth of July and enjoy your most precious independence and freedom here in America.

Hello! And Please Spay/Neuter Your Babies!

By SpayNeuterNetwork | 22.06.2015

Hello, I’m Deanna Sauceda, the incoming executive director here at Spay Neuter Network. As you may have heard, our founder and former executive director, Bonnie Hill is retiring. I am so excited and honored to carry on the work of Spay Neuter Network.

Spay/neuter as the only real solution for a no-kill world for our dogs and cats. Just take a look at the math; there are 6 to 8 million dogs and cats entering U.S. shelters every year and about half or 2.7 million of those animals are euthanized. Adoption and fostering is making a difference, but the most effective and exponential way to reduce euthanasia is to prevent the birth of dogs and cats.

Spaying and neutering literally saves millions of dogs and cats each day. During the life of one female dog, she and her puppies can result in 20-40-thousand dogs! For cats, one female cat and her offspring can theoretically produce 420-thousand cats in seven years. So, you can see why it’s important to spay and neuter early, but there are other reasons as well, your dear pet may live longer!

“There are many health benefits to spaying or neutering your dog or cat early and we call this pediatric spay/neuter,” said Dr. Jennifer Lavender, Spay Neuter Network medical director. “As animals get older, reproductive organs get larger; have more blood supply and more nerves. It is actually easier on your pet to have surgery at an early age. It’s faster, perioperative complication rate is lower and even the healing time is shorter than in adult animals.”

Another health risk for intact female dogs is pyometra, according to Lavender. Pyometra is a hormonal abnormality that can be accompanied by a bacterial infection in female dogs following their heat cycle. It can be life threatening. Other benefits of pediatric spay/neuter include male dogs and cats not wandering or escaping to search out mates and potentially being hit by cars, shot, injured or taken to a shelter. Pediatric neutering also reduces aggression and marking by male dogs and cats. Overall, spaying and neutering reduces the risk of various cancers like testicular, mammary and ovarian.”

I speak to our dog and cat parents every day here at the clinic in Crandall and I always ask if they are going to get their puppy or kitten spayed or neutered. Some pet parents worry that their pet is too young for this procedure, but spaying and neutering is safe and easy for kittens and puppies as young as eight to 10 weeks old, according to the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA). Many times people say another vet told them the animal should go through a heat cycle for females or the males won’t gain size and muscle mass if they are fixed early.

During the month of June, Spay Neuter Network, with funding provided by PetSmart Charities, the largest funder of animal welfare efforts in North America, is running a fantastic campaign called “Precious, Not Parents.” Through the “Precious, Not Parents,” campaign, Spay Neuter Network offers $20 spay and neuter surgeries for puppies and kittens under six months of age through June 30th. We’ve had hundreds of pet parents respond and we have a few slots open and you can call to make an appointment.

PetSmart Charities’ “Precious, Not Parents” campaign provides more than $705,541 to spay/neuter clinics to fund affordable, high-quality spay and neuter surgeries for more than 13,935 puppies and kittens across the nation during the month of June. That’s saving a lot of lives…I’ll let you do the math.

Dog and Cat Vaccination Guide

By SpayNeuterNetwork | 03.06.2015

Dogs

1st Round Puppy(6-8 weeks old): DAPPv and dewormer.

2nd Round Puppy (9-11 weeks old): DAPPv booster, bordetella and dewormer.

3rd Round Puppy (3 months old): Rabies, DAPPv booster, bordetella booster and dewormer.

Annually: Rabies booster, DAPPv booster, bordetella booster, heartworm test, heartworm prevention and dewormer

Cats

1st Round Kitten (9-11 weeks old): FVRCP, FELV and dewormer.

2nd Round Kitten (3 months old): Rabies, FVRCP booster, FELV booster and dewormer.

Annually: Rabies booster, FVRCP booster, FELV booster and dewormer.

Click here for Vaccination packages and costs.

Rabies: Rabies is a virus that may affect the brain and spinal cord of all mammals. Vaccination is required.

Distemper, Hepatitis, Parainfluenza and Parvovirus (DAPPv): Commonly called the “distemper shot,” this combination vaccine actually protects against five diseases: canine distemper, adenovirus, hepatitis, parainfluenza, and parvovirus. It’s given to puppies in a series of three vaccines and then given every year to adult dogs. Along with rabies, DHPP is considered a set of core vaccines: those universally recommended for dogs no matter what the circumstance.

Bordetella (commonly called “kennel cough”): The bordetella bacteria causes an extremely contagious upper respiratory infection. Puppies should be given two doses of the Bordetella vaccine, about a month apart. Annual boosters are recommended if your dog regularly interacts with large groups of unknown dogs (boarding facilities, groomers, dog parks, etc.)

Heartworm Preventative Medication: Heartworms are contracted through mosquito bites. The best way to reduce the risk of infection is to administer a safe heartworm preventive that kills immature worms before they cause damage. Treatment for heartworms is risky and expensive so it is important to use year-round preventative medication since heartworm disease is preventable. Puppies should begin on heartworm preventative by 7 months of age. Any dog older than 7 months should be tested prior to beginning heartworm preventative. Testing is required annually even if your dog has been on preventative.

Canine Influenza (CIV): Commonly known as “the canine flu,” canine influenza is easily transmitted between dogs through a combination of aerosols, droplets, and direct contact with respiratory secretions. Annual boosters are recommended if your dog regularly interects with large groups of unknown dogs (boarding facilities, groomers, dog parks, etc.)

Leptospirosis: Dogs can become infected with “Leptospira” bacteria by exposure to contaminated water, exposure to urine from an infected animal, bite wounds, and ingestion of tissues from infected animals. Annual boosters are recommended if your dog has potential to come in contact with any wild animals or unknown bodies of water.

General Dewormer: Strongid-T is a general dewormer that treats hookworms and roundworms. Most puppies are born with internal parasites or worms derived from their mother, so puppies should be given three doses of this dewormer. It is also used to treat worms in adult dogs.

Tapeworm Dewormer: Virbantal (dogs) and Drontal (Cats) is a dewormer that treats tapeworms. Tapeworms are caused by the ingestion of fleas.

Feline Leukemia/Feline Immunodeficiency Virus (FeLV/FIV) Testing: This testing is recommended for all cats, especially those with unknown histories. This is a blood test that checks for these infectious diseases in the cat’s blood stream. Leukemia and FIV are transmitted through bites, infected body fluids such as saliva, grooming, sexual contact and mother to offspring.

Feline FHCPCh Combination (feline distemper): This vaccine protects against common upper respiratory diseases such as Rhinotracheitis, Calici, Chlamydia, and Panleukopenia, that cats can catch even if they live indoors. It is recommended if your cat is ever boarded, hospitalized, etc. Many veterinarians, boarding and grooming facilities require this vaccination.

Bonnie Hill: It Just Made Sense

By SpayNeuterNetwork | 26.05.2015

In about a month, I will be stepping down as the founder and president of Spay Neuter Network and let me tell you, it has been an amazing journey! But in many ways, I really didn’t have much of a choice.

It all started ten years ago on a drive down highway 429. I had a highly successful career in medical sales and I was having one of my chats with God. I was asking a common question many of us ask, “God, what should I be doing with my life?” Now, understand God had spoken to me many times during that period and often I heard words of encouragement to help animals. My human friends would cock their heads when I told them about these chats and ask me, “Bonnie, why aren’t you helping people?” No doubt, I was a bit confused, but I asked God to give me a sign and there, right in front of me, a cat ran across the highway.

It was a tipping point in my life. It was then I began looking at the most impactful way to save lives of animals. Initially I wanted to open a shelter and I gave a call to the then executive director at SPCA, Warren Cox. I shared my desire to open a shelter and he responded, “Girl! We need to have lunch! If you have a shelter you will be killing animals all day long.”

Warren was right then and still is today. Each year 2.7 million cats and dogs are euthanized in shelters in this country. It’s very simple, but harsh math; there just aren’t enough homes for all the dogs and cats born each day. These numbers don’t include the number of animals that are hit and killed on roadways or starve to death after being dumped. That’s when I decided to focus on high quality, high volume spay neuter: the best and most effective way to prevent euthanasia and tragic endings for our companion dogs and cats.

There is a simple and clear cut answer to what many people see as a complicated problem; pet overpopulation. A lot of really brilliant people are spending a lot of time and money on solving this problem, but I am often frustrated because the answer is really clear and we just need to do the right thing; spay and neuter.

As a business person, I developed a plan, set goals and systematically developed a process to make a difference. Ten years later, Spay Neuter Network performs 17,000 surgeries a year. Due to our work, along with other organizations pushing spaying and neutering, we are seeing a drop in euthanasia rates, a drop in shelter intakes and more animals that do end up in shelters are sterilized. My focus is based on a problem that society has created and solving the problem in the most humane way. I also feel very fortunate and we are lucky to have incredible funders who get it and they have been by our side the entire time.

The numbers tell the story and that story is right in my front yard. I moved to a rural home in Kaufman County ten years ago and during that first year, I personally had 45 dogs dumped on our property. If I wanted a dog, I just had to walk out my front door. This year, we lost one of our older pups and I haven’t seen stray dogs for some time in my neighborhood. Instead, I made a trip to a shelter and found Rusty. We can solve the pet overpopulation problem, and the best, most impactful and humane solution is spay/neuter. I feel honored to have spread the word.

Bonnie Hill

Spay Neuter Network

Video: See who we are and what we do!

By SpayNeuterNetwork | 20.03.2015

Video to thank PetSmart Charities

By SpayNeuterNetwork | 25.12.2014

We did this video to thank PetSmart Charities for their wonderful support over the years. It is worth watching to learn more about who we are, why we do what we do and how we could not do it without PetSmart Charities.

Post by Spay Neuter Network.

Ten Ways to Help Your Local Shelter or Rescue

Your Unique Referal Link