Corbin is a 3-year-old blue merle Catahoula who has been neutered. He is calm, friendly and likes to be petted. His ID number is A028258 and he is available for adoption at the San Martin Animal Shelter. If you are interested in adopting this or any other animal at the shelter, please call (408) 686-3900.
by Colleen Grzan, werc@werc-ca.org
Guns - even BB guns - are not toys! Besides the admonition that was repeated over and over to Ralphie in “A Christmas Story” that a gun would “shoot your eye out”, stray pellets can also accidentally hit a living creature who happens to walk or fly by the target at just the wrong time. This goes for slingshots and bow-and-arrow sets, too. Heaven forbid that these instruments would be used deliberately to injure or kill some innocent squirrel or bird or the neighborhood cat.
The Red-Tailed Hawk that came to W.E.R.C. early in December was in flight when she was intentionally shot. “Hope”, as she’s been named, suffered a broken wing and her x-rays showed at least 6 pellets in her wings, neck, and beak. She was unable to fly and couldn’t eat anything on her own. She needed weeks of pain medication, antibiotics, wing stabilization, and hand-feeding.
Jefferson is an 8-month-old domestic short hair cat. He has been neutered, is sweet and relaxed and would make a great lap cat. He has been at the San Martin Animal Shelter since July and is available for adoption. If you are interested in adopting this or any other animal at the shelter, please call (408) 686-3900.
by Colleen Grzan, werc@werc-ca.org
Luna, W.E.R.C.’s educational Great Horned Owl, had eye surgery performed Dec. 19 by Dr. Patrick McCallum, DVM, at Animal Eye Specialists in Campbell. He was assisted by Dr. Laura Bellinghausen, DVM, of Western Career College in San Jose. Both veterinarians donated their services.
Sure Santa Claus is coming to town with gifts for little Sammy and Sue, but what about your pet? If your pet has been good this year it is time to reward them with a holiday present.
“Pet stores sell all kinds of holiday presents for our animals,” states Dr. Mark Stickney, clinical assistant professor and director of general surgery Services at the Texas A&M College of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences. “However, not all those presents are good choices for your pet.”
Added holiday pounds are not just a worry for us; our pets can be at risk as well.
Courtesy of McClatchy Newspapers
Holidays bring out the party animal in all of us, and dog owners are no exception. Today more people are including their canine companions in their holiday celebrations. To help make your next party dog-friendly, the November/December issue of the American Kennel Club Family Dog magazine offers tips on how to make your dog a welcome guest at your next party.
- Dangerous foods
Most people know that chocolate is toxic to canines, but make sure your guests know that grapes, raisins, onions, icing and even bones are off-limits to your dogs.
Bats, ducks and assorted songbirds have been known to drop down for a visit, albeit accidentally. No prancing reindeer though – yet. The critters probably were just stopping for a rest on the rooftop or might have been all “snug in their beds” (nests) when they flew or fell down. We heard of a frightened squirrel that came out of a fireplace, “all tarnished with ashes and soot.” It frantically ran “all through the house” and on the living room’s snowy-white carpeting before being captured and released back outside.
Arana is a 2-year-old short hair Chihuahua. She is very friendly and has lots of energy. She would do well in a dog training class. She has been at the San Martin Animal Shelter since September. If you are interested in adopting this or any other animal at the shelter, please call (408) 686-3900.
by Brigid Wasson
Thinking of bringing a new canine family member home? If so, you’re way ahead of many people who buy or adopt a dog … without thinking.
Adopting a dog can be a fun and rewarding experience for the whole family. At the shelter we love hearing good reports on our adoption follow-up calls. New owners say things like, “He’s the best dog ever! We don’t know what we did without him. He fits right in to our home.” Unfortunately, adoption can also be an unpleasant experience for both the adopter and the dog.
By the Associated Press
No fair! What parent hasn’t heard that from a child who thinks another youngster got more of something. Well, it turns out dogs can react the same way. Ask them to do a trick and they’ll give it a try. For a reward, sausage say, they’ll happily keep at it.
But if one dog gets no reward, and then sees another get sausage for doing the same trick, just try to get the first one to do it again. Indeed, he may even turn away and refuse to look at you.
Dogs, like people and monkeys, seem to have a sense of fairness. “Animals react to inequity,” said Friederike Range of the University of Vienna, Austria, who lead a team of researchers testing animals at the school’s Clever Dog Lab. “To avoid stress, we should try to avoid treating them differently.”
Courtesy of Pet Talk
For most pet owners, traveling can be bitter sweet. While we all have job and family commitments that require travel, pet owners often have to entrust their beloved companions to others while they are away.
Finding a boarding facility that will treat your animals as well as you do and make sure they are safe and happy is a daunting task. Dr. M.A. Crist, clinical assistant professor at the Texas A&M University College of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Science, outlines some guidelines to go by when making this important decision.
“The first thing you want to do is find a facility in your area that is reputable and licensed,” notes Crist. “The best source for this information is the Pet Care Service Association (PCSA) Web site. They should have a license through PCSA and the website has a list of all these facilities with addresses and phone numbers.”
Roxy, a 3-year-old Jack Russell Terrier went into the vet’s office the other day to get treatment for an ear infection. At least that’s what her owner, Jan, thought was her problem. Fortunately, Roxy’s veterinarian did a thorough exam and found a foxtail in both of her ears. They were both dry and covered in a little wax from the ear canals. Her owner was incredulous. “There aren’t any foxtails in my garden this time of year,” Jan said. So the vet asked a few questions, and found out that Jan and Roxy had been for a visit to a friend’s ranch home in the Sacramento area. Roxy played with another dog, her friend, out in the straw and hay that the horses used. A closer look found that there were foxtails in that hay! Yes, even in December or any other month…..if the conditions are right. And Roxy’s ears are just fine, now that those pesky foxtails are gone. I wonder if her friend went to the vet to get her ears checked……
By Laurie Frazer
At a party held by the Gilroy Dispatch to launch this Blog site I met several people with similar dreams to mine: to do more for the communities homeless pets and to have a sane connection for those looking to adopt them to the South County Animal Shelter in San Martin.
With our philosophy of treating people well, with respect, love and without judgment , a friendship with Doreen Copeland, her group of All About Critter staff and myself was formed. From this friendship we launched Bow Wow Adoptions.
The “sane” connection to the shelter is that animals are available to good homes, period. You do not have to pass a FBI background investigation, provide blood samples or bring in 10 witnesses to your animal husbandry skills. You will not be subjected to a humaniac lecture on how animals should be kept, fed, trained, exercise or life partnered.
Courtesy of McClatchy
Getting a pet for Christmas?
It’s one of those ideas – like spray-on hair and Kosuke Fukudome – that may seem sensible at first but can be quickly slapped silly by reality.
Buying a holiday pet – whether a dog or cat or even a bird or tank of fish – is something that needs to be carefully considered. Some of the issues:
Getting a pet should be a family decision. Everyone will have a stake in raising the dog or cat – feeding, walking, training, the inevitable cleaning-up-after – so everyone should be involved in the decision, from the type of animal to its name.
The cost of a new pet goes beyond the purchase price. There are vet bills, food costs and upkeep, not to mention the ever-climbing price of squeak toys. And don’t forget damage repair; a clawed sofa or chewed carpet can be costly.