Animals pat life

Doggone, we've done it again!  In conjunction with our 10-Days-of-10 Anniversary Event, we've created yet another famed Enriched Environment Trail. But this time, we've based it on the materials of traditional anniversary gifts. For hundreds of years, people have been giving gifts based on different materials to celebrate anniversaries. So we tried our hand at a trail based on that concept. Of course, the goal of our enrichment activities is so much more than fun and games! It's to provide the our shelter pets with a chance to think and learn with the introduction of novel objects. The objects may have a unique texture, scent or sound.  Dogs love to discover new things and use their sniffers. So this enrichment trail added something unexpected to their daily routine, thus mentally stimulating the pups' minds and giving them confidence. The pooches moved along the trail at their own pace and were given ample time to investigate each activity. For the gift of paper, s...

Last January, a Good Samaritan contacted Animal Friends’ Humane Investigations Department about some domesticated rabbits running in her neighborhood – some of which were being hit on the road by cars. Not knowing what else to do, she turned to Animal Friends. When our Humane Investigations Department, along with a partner organization, visited the neighborhood they immediately saw what she meant. Nearly a dozen domesticated rabbits were scattered throughout the area. Released into the wild by their former owners to fend for themselves. The two youngest of the rabbits – at only a few months old – were found huddled together for warmth. Barely old enough to be separated from their mother but here they were, without food, water or shelter and vulnerable to the elements. But just in time, these two, tiny kits found the warm kennels and warm hearts of Animal Friends. Tahoma and Verdana, as they soon would be named, received much-needed care and were placed in a loving foster home. Soon ...

Crystalann writes about Lover Boy ... I rescued Lover Boy in Dammam, Saudi Arabia when I was living there a little over a year ago.  His age is unknown although my best guess is that he is around 2-4 years old. My friend and I found him in a local park and he was eager to come up to us for some food and affection. He is considered to be a black and white Domestic Shorthair.   Lover Boy has only half of a black mustache and a big black heart on the side of his body.  A strong and large body describes his physical appearance. Although he should not be in a household with any other animals, he is affectionate and loving towards people. He has aggression towards cats and should not be permitted around any other cats and he should always remain indoors.   Lover Boy loves toy mice, toys, affection, attention, shoulder rides, warm laps, snuggling, petting, talking to him, being around people, cat trees/castles/things to climb, scratching p...

Dear Friend, It’s hard to believe that it’s been ten years since Animal Friends moved from the Strip District to our home in Ohio Township! It sounds so cliché, but it feels like only yesterday ...  I was asked recently to share my fondest memory of our move to the Caryl Gates Gluck Resource Center. I remember thinking what an easy question to answer! Hands down my favorite memory is the day we transported the animals from the Strip District to the new Center.   After months of careful planning to devise the least disruptive way to move nearly 100 animals – some of them elderly, some of them ill and all of them certainly confused – the day came to load them into the caravan of waiting vehicles. Once here, we placed them in their new spaces. Then we waited. And we watched. Hopeful that we got it right. Then it happened. One by one, the animals sniffed and circled, checking out their new spaces and then ... simply curled up and lied down. That was when I knew we had...