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Keep our Community, Feral and Stray Cat population in check

Keep our Community, Feral and Stray Cat population in check

By SNN Admin | 14.04.2022

Each community cat costs $85 to $100 for spay or neuter surgery. The majority of this cost is reduced through our SPAY IT FORWARD donation fund so people can afford to trap, neuter, and return these cats to the community. These programs will only continue to be available with your support. Your donations are what keeps the stray cat population from overwhelming our cities! Spay Neuter Network is a 501(C)(3) Public Charity. EIN / Tax ID #: 20-0276988

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Help more pets like Hero

Help more pets like Hero

By SNN Admin | 14.04.2022

Hero was rescued by a foster at Dallas Pets Alive through our Pet Support and Resource Center’s diversion program.

Hero’s owner’s apartment complex changed ownership, and she was only allowed to have one pet. She was devastated to have to surrender him, but with the help of the Pet Support and Resource Center, a foster was found just in time- the day before his surrender appointment! Hero spent less than 2 months with his foster family before he was adopted. Hero follows his new mom everywhere and meows at the garage door when I leave each morning! Hero and Felix are seriously best friends now. They love to chase and wrestle and the wrestling always turns into Hero licking Felix’s head!

The Pet Support and Resource Center is a partnership program that addresses feral cat issues, provides resources to keep pets in their homes, helps pet owners rehome their pets, or routes pets directly to rescue groups for quicker adoption.

Dr. Alana Canupp new Medical Director for Spay Neuter Network

Dr. Alana Canupp new Medical Director for Spay Neuter Network

By SNN Admin | 06.12.2021

Spay Neuter Network is pleased to announce the appointment of Alana Canupp, DVM, MS, MPH, as its new Medical Director effective December 6, 2021.  Dr. Canupp, is a nationally recognized award-winning professional that will be a huge asset to the Spay Neuter Network leadership team.

“Dr. Canupp brings a wealth of education and experience to her new position. A critical role for Spay Neuter Network as she will represent the organization within the veterinary profession, lead the medical teams and begin a surgical training school at our Crandall facility, instilling passion in new and old veterinarians to help stop pet overpopulation,” said Jennifer Lavender, DVM, Board President, Spay Neuter Network.

Dr. Canupp brings over 8 years of experience to Spay Neuter Network.  She has performed more than 55,000 spay and neuter procedures and taught many veterinarians high-volume spay-neuter techniques throughout her career. Most recently she served as Chief Veterinarian for City of El Paso Animal Services helping the City reach a 90% save rate, up from 50% within 5 years.  Before going to El Paso, she worked at First Coast No More Homeless Pets, where along with shelter medicine, she was responsible for teaching and evaluating 4th year veterinary students performing externships at the clinic.  In addition to her passions of teaching, surgery, and shelter medicine, comes the need to help build compassionate communities free of homeless pets.

She received her Bachelor of Science in Marine Biology at the University of West Florida, then her Master’s in Science in Biology at the University of Central Florida, going on to get her Master’s Degree in Public Health and Doctor of Veterinary Medicine at the University of Florida where she was a Maddie’s Shelter Medicine Student. Dr. Canupp began her career as a teacher and professor in Jacksonville at Florida State College while at the same time studying for her Doctorate progressing through her internship at USDA/APHIS, Gainesville Florida.  She has also been an active volunteer with many organizations including ViDAS, Operation Catnip, First Coast No More Homeless Pets, HSUS, ASPCA, and Jacksonville Humane.

SNN Welcomes Jordan Craig New Executive Director

SNN Welcomes Jordan Craig New Executive Director

By SNN Admin | 03.12.2021

Dear Friends,

On behalf of the Board of Directors, I am pleased to announce the appointment of Jordan Craig to the position of Executive Director of Spay Neuter Network beginning January 3, 2022. Our board of directors is thrilled to introduce a leader of Jordan’s caliber into our organization. We believe that she possesses the qualifications and expertise to grow Spay Neuter Network into a better, more successful organization to create a lasting impact on pet care in Texas.

Jordan’s appointment concludes a lengthy search process completed by a search committee led by the outgoing board president, Jennifer Lavender, DVM. It was evident to the committee almost immediately that Jordan’s ability to perform at the highest level, along with her business acumen, would align well with the work we are doing at Spay Neuter Network.  Her skills and aptitude align with the cornerstones of the launch of a new strategic plan in 2022, which calls for Spay Neuter Network to ensure all dogs and cats in Texas have access to affordable veterinary care.

As an experienced, energetic, and innovative business leader, Jordan brings a wealth of leadership experience and a passion for positive change to our organization. With 13 years of experience in animal welfare, she already has a proven track record of taking animal welfare organizations to the next level. Jordan recently served as General Manager at Dallas Animal Services. She helped lead the City of Dallas through changes that have been recognized and replicated nationally as innovative and forward-thinking. Before that, she served as the Animal Services Supervisor at Austin Animal Services. Her “let’s make it happen” attitude, combined with her penchant for evidence-based data analysis, makes her the perfect choice to help us reach the upcoming goals set in our strategic plan.

Jordan says, “I could not be more excited to accept the position as Executive Director of this well-established and well-loved organization whose long history of serving the pets and people of Texas is well-known among donors and nonprofit partners. My goal in leading this organization is to build on the achievements of the past 17 years and broaden our depth and vision throughout the animal welfare industry. Spay Neuter Network will not only continue to maintain its high level of ethical standards but will work to expand upon our impact to help build compassionate communities free of homeless pets.”

Ursula Evering
Incoming President, Board of Directors

How to Self-Rehome Pets

How to Self-Rehome Pets

By SNN Admin | 08.11.2021

Sometimes people can no longer care for a loved pet. That may be because they’ve lost their job, or lost their housing, or for some other reason.

It can be a confusing, extremely hard situation for families in this position who may think their only option is bringing a pet to the animal shelter, to help them stay safe and find a new home.

Some 36 percent of pets entering shelters are owner surrenders. But often the better course is for a family to self-rehome their pet.

Self-rehoming is more humane for pets, and gives peace of mind to the people who can select—and even stay in touch with—their pet’s new family. It’s also very important for the pets who are in physical shelters, who will have more much-needed space and resources.

This infographic is aimed at demystifying how someone can rehome a pet themselves, without the pet ever entering the shelter.

 

And here is the HASS Supported Self-Rehoming Toolkit, with more great information and resources for animal shelters to help people rehome their pets.

This information is critically important—all the more so now, as we face a looming eviction crisis that could result in 8 million pets losing their homes. Together we can ensure these pets and others stay safe, in homes, where they belong.

More information: https://www.humananimalsupportservices.org/blog/please-share-this-infographic-on-how-to-self-rehome-pets/

 

National Animal Shelter Appreciation Week

National Animal Shelter Appreciation Week

By SNN Admin | 19.10.2021

This week is National Animal Shelter Week. 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, dogs and cats 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 that 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 its 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 rescue. 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

Home Again for the Holidays

home again for the holidays

Home Again for the Holidays

By SNN Admin | 05.10.2021

Home Again for the Holidays Goal

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Thank you for supporting Spay Neuter Network this holiday season. Your support in 2021 helped us expand our services and find new ways to help people and their pets in North Texas. Your continued support means more dogs and cats can be cared for and loved, regardless of one’s ability to pay for basic services.

This year, our Home Again for the Holidays campaign celebrates the love and companionship we share with our pets. We appreciate your support this holiday season to continue helping pets in need. Your gift today ensures we can provide the services and resources needed to keep these dogs and cats in homes where they are loved.

A gift of $25, $55, $100, or whatever you can afford – this holiday season will ensure we can continue helping dogs and cats in North Texas.

Did you know you can make your gift through your Donor Advised Fund?
Make your gift through through Venmo

A Note from Victoria Cowper, CAWA

A Note from Victoria Cowper, CAWA

By SNN Admin | 16.06.2021

With the retirement of our founder and executive director Bonnie Hill, we are extremely excited to announce that we have selected Victoria Cowper, CAWA (Certified Animal Welfare Administrator), our current interim executive director, as the new Executive Director for Spay Neuter Network.

Victoria’s 22 years’ experience in animal welfare is wide-ranging and vast. While much of her career has been working for animal shelters and spay/neuter organizations in Arizona, she has spent the last 3 years traveling the country to provide leadership and executive-level support for animal shelters and spay/neuter groups in transition. Her experience in open admission and limited admission animal shelter management, disaster response, spay/neuter services in rural and metro areas, and managing county and city animal care and control contracts make her an ideal leader for developing programs and collaborations to advance our mission in the community. Her expertise in implementing lifesaving strategies also brings a unique perspective to the ongoing management and future development of our new Pet Support and Resource Center.

From its inception in 2005 until 2014, Victoria served as Vice President of the State of Arizona’s Companion Animal Spay/Neuter Committee administering spay/neuter grants through the state’s pet-friendly license plate program.

Victoria’s passion for animals extends into her personal life as well. She and her rescued therapy dog Nana are one of 300 teams with HOPE Animal Assist Crisis Response, a member of the Alliance of Therapy Dogs. HOPE teams are trained to respond to more intense emotional and environmental situations than usually encountered in typical animal therapy work, so Victoria and Nana have received specialized training in crisis intervention skills (emotional first aid), animal behavior and stress management, critical incident stress management, incident command system training, first aid and CPR, and pet first aid. She was in the inaugural class for the Navigator Buddies program at Sky Harbor International Airport in Phoenix, Arizona, where she and Nana helped destress travelers.

Through the years, Victoria has served and led several disaster teams during wildfire and hurricane rescue work and cruelty investigations that have resulted in the seizure of hundreds of abused and neglected animals. In 2010, she received the Arizona Humane Officer of the Year award.

In addition to Nana, she also shares her home with “Charlie Brown,” a “blocky-headed whatever” dog, as she likes to refer to him, whose claim to fame is being “the best cuddler.” When not spending time with her four-legged children, she enjoys spending time with her son who is serving our country as a commissioned officer in the Navy.

We’re excited Victoria’s officially on board with Spay Neuter Network. If you haven’t met or spoken to her already, please reach out to her at Victoria.cowper@spayneuternet.org to arrange for a meeting. She would love to talk to you.

Canine Parvovirus

Canine Parvovirus

By SNN Admin | 02.06.2021

Canine Parvovirus is a highly contagious virus that can affect all dogs that are not vaccinated. Puppies younger than four months old and unvaccinated dogs are most at risk. Parvo affects dogs’ gastrointestinal tracts and is spread from dog to dog and from contaminated feces, environments, and people. The virus can live in the environment for months and may survive on inanimate objects such as food bowls, shoes, clothes, carpets, and floors. Unvaccinated dogs can contract parvovirus from the streets, especially in urban areas where there are many dogs.

Some of the signs of parvovirus include:

  • lethargy
  • loss of appetite
  • abdominal pain and bloating
  • fever or low body temperature (hypothermia)
  • vomiting
  • severe, often bloody, diarrhea which can lead to dehydration

If your puppy or dog shows any of these signs, you should contact your veterinarian immediately.

SNN offers the DAPPV vaccine. DAPPV is a combo vaccine for parvo, distemper, hepatitis, respiratory disease, and parainfluenza for $20. We also offer vaccination packages here. Get your pet vaccinated at one of our clinics in Dallas, Crandall, and Fort Worth.

Crandall Clinic is located at 102 East Trunk Street Crandall, TX 75114 and is open Monday – Friday 10am – 2pm.
CLINIC CLOSED June 10, 17

Dallas clinic is located at 2223 S Buckner Blvd #203 Dallas, TX 75227 and is open Tuesday through Friday 10am – 2pm.
CLINIC CLOSED June 8

Fort Worth Clinic is located at 3117 E Seminary Dr. Fort Worth, TX 76119, and is open Monday – Friday 10am – 2pm.
CLINIC CLOSED June 9, 15, 16, 22, 28

Your veterinarian can run several tests to help determine whether your dog is infected with Parvo. There are currently no drugs available that can kill the virus. Treatment consists of aggressive supportive care to control the symptoms and boost your dog’s immune system.

Dogs infected with parvovirus need intensive treatment in a veterinary hospital, where they will receive antibiotics to control secondary infections, drugs to control the vomiting, intravenous fluids to treat dehydration, and other supportive therapies. The average hospital stay is about 5-7 days. Treatment is not always successful, so it is important to make sure your dog is vaccinated.

Because parvovirus can live in an environment for months, take extra care if there has been an infected dog in your house or yard. Parvo is resistant to many typical disinfectants and can be difficult to eradicate. A solution of one part bleach to 32 parts water can be used where organic material is not present. Clean and disinfect the infected dog’s toys, food dish, and water bowl in this solution for 10 minutes. If these objects are not able to be disinfected, they should be discarded. You can also use the solution on the soles of your shoes if you think you’ve walked through an infected area.

Make sure your dog is up-to-date on his vaccinations. Parvovirus should be considered a core vaccine for all puppies and adult dogs. Generally, the first vaccine is given at 6-8 weeks of age and a booster is given at four-week intervals until the puppy is 16-20 weeks of age, and then again at one year of age. Until a puppy has received its complete series of vaccinations, pet owners should use caution when bringing their pet to places where young puppies congregate.

Eight Facts You Should Know About Heartworm

Eight Facts You Should Know About Heartworm

By SNN Admin | 12.04.2021

April is Heartworm Awareness Month. Heartworm is a preventable disease spread by mosquitoes. Left untreated, it can cause permanent damage and death. But prevention is affordable and easy. Here are eight things you should know to protect your pet.

1. Heartworm can kill your pet. Heartworm is caused by a parasitic worm called Dirofilaria immitis that enters your pet’s body after an infected mosquito bites your pet. Worm larvae left by the infected mosquito-spread through your pet’s bloodstream and migrate to your pet’s heart and surrounding arteries. The worms take 5 to 7 months to mature. Female worms are about the size of spaghetti noodles (up to 14” long) and produce millions of offspring that live in your pet’s bloodstream. Hundreds of adult worms can live inside an infected pet. As worms clog your pet’s heart and blood vessels, they block proper circulation and can lead to lung damage, organ failure, and death.

2. Texas is one of the top 10 states with the highest rates of Heartworm. Every three years the American Heartworm Society gathers data from thousands of veterinary clinics across the country to track the spread of Heartworm. Texas consistently ranks among the top 10 states with the highest rates of Heartworm infection. In 2019, the most recent year the study was performed, Texas clinics participating in the study reported 100 cases or more of Heartworm, compared to fewer than 5 cases reported by clinics in areas such as North Dakota. Both the American Heartworm Society and the Companion Animal Parasite Council rank Texas as a zone for extremely high rates of Heartworm.

3. Signs of heartworm include lethargy, shortness of breath, and fatigue. In the early stages of Heartworm, there are few symptoms. As the worms grow in size and number, your pet may develop a cough, become short of breath, grow lethargic, lose its appetite and lose weight. By the time your pet develops symptoms, the disease may have already caused permanent damage to your pet’s heart and organs.

4. Heartworm can infect cats. It is rarer for Heartworm larvae to grow to maturity in cats, but once they do, there is no treatment for cats with Heartworms. Cats cannot be treated with the same medication used for dogs, so the only protection for cats is prevention.

5. It costs less than $8 a month to prevent Heartworm. Heartworm prevention often takes the form of chewable tablets that you give your pet once a month. Tablets from Spay Neuter Network cost $30 for a 6-month supply for dogs less than 25 pounds ($5 a month). The cost is $35 for a 6-month supply for dogs that are 26 to 50 pounds and $45 for dogs over 50 pounds. The cost for a full year of prevention is even cheaper.

6. It costs $500 to $1,000 or more to treat Heartworm. If your pet gets infected with Heartworms, treatment is costly, complicated, and lengthy. The exact cost of treating Heartworm depends on the size of your dog and the stage of the disease. Before treatment, your pet may need x-rays, blood tests, and an echocardiogram to determine how much damage the disease has already caused your pet’s body. Treatment starts with a combination of medicines taken orally, including prevention medication and medication to minimize a negative reaction later when the worms begin dying in your pet’s body. After taking these medicines for several months, your pet will get its first injection of melarsomine to kill the adult Heartworms. Thirty (30) days after the first injection, your pet will need a 2nd injection. Twenty-four (24) hours after the 2nd injection, your pet will need a third injection. During treatment, your pet cannot exercise. No jumping, playing, or running. Pets need to stay as calm as possible during this period because the dying worms are getting dislodged from your pet’s heart and surrounding arteries. As they travel through your pet’s blood vessels, exertion can cause these worms to lodge in other arteries, especially those in your pet’s lungs, causing a pulmonary blockage that can lead to shock and death. Injections are given deep into your pet’s muscles and may cause pain. Your vet may prescribe pain medication. Depending on your pet’s age and health and the severity of its Heartworm disease, your vet may also recommend that your pet stays at the clinic overnight after injection in case of a negative reaction. It is much easier and far less costly to prevent Heartworm than it is to treat it.

7. Heartworm prevention keeps your pet healthy in other ways. Most kinds of Heartworm medication also prevent other worms. Currently, the Heartworm prevention tablets provided at Spay Neuter Network also prevent two kinds of roundworm (oxocara canis, Toxascaris leonina) and three kinds of hookworm (Ancylostoma caninum, Uncinaria stenocephala, Ancylostoma braziliense).

8. Start prevention early. Puppies and kittens can get bitten by an infected mosquito as soon as they are born. The American Heartworm Society recommends that you start giving your puppy or kitten prevention medication when they are 8 weeks old. Giving your pet Heartworm prevention medication once a month is the safest, easiest, and most affordable way to protect your pet from a preventable disease that can cause lasting damage and death.