Animals pat life

In honor of Adopt-a-Shelter-Dog Month, we would like to share a wonderful success story of a shelter dogs who found his forever home!  Here is an awesome success story that demonstrates the love and compassion that shelter animals are capable of! Havoc Many of us can relate to having a house full of four-legged family members, just like Dawn and Mark Lubbart. They are avid Animal Friends supporters, having adopted from us multiple times. Thirteen years ago they adopted their first dog, Thor, who quickly became the love of their lives.  Next they added Cyclops, a wonderful puppy who unfortunately developed seizures. Without missing a beat, Dawn and Mark worked with him and bonded closely with their poor baby boy. After many trials and errors, they figured it out and Cyclops has been seizure-free for quite some time! In May of 2015, a month after having to send their beloved Thor over the Rainbow Bridge, this wonderful couple decided to adopt again. After spending over three hou...

In light of the Halloween season, Animal Friends is again providing some not-so-spooky enrichment for its shelter residents based on this ghoulish holiday. Our eerily creative Animal Enrichment Specialist, Suzanne Denk, cooked up a “Halloween Enriched Environment Trail” for our shelter dogs this past weekend! The first stop on the trail was a pool of leaves, with hidden tasty treats, requiring dogs to use their noses to find them. Another scent game included sealed boxes with holes to tempt canine noses. Fresh hay, herbs and apple cinnamon air fresheners were hidden inside the boxes. Spooky hanging obstacles (pool noodles) were used as a confidence builder for our shyer shelter residents (you can also stick treats in the hollow end of the pool noodle to entice shy dogs to approach). Many made a quick stop at the festive Jack-o-Lantern duck pond and then it was on to the final stop of the trail – The Magic Potion Cheese Tree. Treats were stuck to the tree with a bit of cheese for the do...

    James writes about Stubbie: He is 8 yrs. old but still very young at heart. His name came from him being the runt of the litter, who later grew to actually be bigger than his siblings.  He loves to play as well as being a lap-cat. With the passing of my mother, I am looking for a good home to send him to. He is house trained for a litter box. I can't keep him due to family allergies. If you can help Stubbie find a forever home, please contact James at Jguiddy@kaier.net.

  By: Suzanne Denk, Animal Enrichment Specialist Remember paper bag pumpkins from preschool?   A brown lunch bag filled with hay provides an enriching way to provide a rabbit with some of his daily portion of hay.      Simply fill the lunch bag with hay.   A treat or a few pellets can be added. Twist the top of the bag into a pumpkin stem.   Wrap raffia around the stem.   Wrap the loose end of the raffia in as you wrap.   Leave loose ends as leafy tendrils! A Jack-O-Lantern smiling face is optional!

Nala is a beautiful, 4-year-old female, orange Tabby cat who was found, as a kitten, abandoned and alone, on the side of the road.   We took her in, and she was immediately given a clean bill of health by the vet, and introduced to our family - including an adult female cat, 2 adults and a 2-year-old girl, with a baby to follow in a year. Nala is a sweet cat who gets along well with the young children in the house, a 3 year old and 6 year old - often sleeping in their beds with them.   She can be a bit rambunctious, but it is mostly with attempts to play with a non-compliant older cat.   Since she has been with us, she has been diagnosed by multiple vets with high stress and anxiety.   Because she does not do well in a high stress environment, we are unfortunately looking to place her in another, loving home.   She would likely do best in a home with a consistent schedule.  If you can help give Nala the home she needs, please contact Talia at taliaeubanks@...

Providing enrichment to your pet gives the pet an opportunity think and use his senses.   A new or unusual toy each day stimulates the pet’s mind.   Rabbits :          Hay carrot : Gather a bundle of hay into a log about 6” long.   About 1/3 of the way down the hay log, begin to wrap the raffia.   Leave a loose tail of raffia which will be used to tie off the raffia when finished.   Continue to wrap the hay with the raffia, tying additional lengths of raffia as needed.   Gradually pull the raffia tighter and to create a carrot shape.   Cut excess hay to shape of carrot if too bulky at bottom. Continuing to wrap the hay, work the way back to the top and tie ends of raffia together to secure. Trim “leafy” carrot top. Bunny Sushi Roll : The rolled toy moves, is textured, and provides a challenge to reach the treat.   Cut a 2” by 6” piece of corrugated paper.   Tightly roll up the herbs or hay in the paper...

“Just hold on, little guy. You can do it.” An Animal Friends vet tech is holding a small bundle of fur in her hand – no more than a few days old – named Billy. Frequently called “bottle babies,” this neonatal kitten has just been brought to Animal Friends and is in dire need of medical attention. His breathing is shallow and his body is cool to the touch. Billy’s needs help immediately so the kitten is rushed to the trusted emergency vet clinic. He recovers, slowly but surely, there for a few days. It’s the crucial first step that began the journey to his second chance. Animal Friends’ staff veterinarian fell in love with Billy and is currently fostering the little gray ball of fluff. She dubbed him such his unique-sounding meow was reminiscent of a billy goat when he was being fed. Now that Billy’s of sound health, he must learn another important part of growing up for a kitten – socialization. Animal Friends’ medical staff matched Billy up with Ken, another underweight kitten that n...