Animals pat life

On July 15, an Animal Friends' dream was realized - the grand opening of the Howard Ash Animal Wellness Center. Our hearts swelled with pride as we welcomed hundreds of community members to our campus-wide celebration.   “With this progressive facility, Animal Friends will be able to increase its commitment to affordable spay/neuter from 10,000 surgeries each year to 15,000 surgeries,” said Animal Friends President & CEO David Swisher. “We will reach into underserved communities to provide spay/neuter and wellness services along with education and, when needed, transport to our clinic.”   While we celebrated the Grand Opening, our Howard Ash Animal Wellness Center isn’t fully operational … just yet. We still need to make a few construction tweaks before we can begin to transfer our Low-Cost Spay/Neuter and Vaccine Clinics, Humane Investigations and Chow Wagon Pet Food Bank programs into their new home.   We hope to fully open the doors of our Howard Ash Animal Wellnes...

Millie was adopted by her current family when she was just 4 months old. Now, at 6 years old, this pretty girl is in search of a family that will continue to give her all the love she deserves. Millie needs a home where she will be able to snuggle up on the couch with people who love her. She loves to play fetch with her toys, enjoys going for walks and rides in the car, and is even content to just relax around the house or outside. This Poodle/Dachshund mix is extremely well-mannered and is friendly toward everyone she meets. She runs to greet guests at the door with her tail wagging and loves to give kisses. She is housebroken and knows how to sit, lay down, roll over, sit up, give paw, speak, dance and fetch (whew!). She is a very smart little lady and is always eager to please. Millie is in excellent health, is spayed, up-to-date on all of her vaccinations and has a microchip. She gets along well with other small dogs but isn't quite as comfortable with larger dogs. Millie'...

This beautiful, 4-year-old kitty with big eyes is Bruce Wayne. After being involved in an accident when he was a kitten, this sweet boy only has three legs – he’s missing his front right leg – but he doesn’t let that stop him from getting around. Once he warms up to you, he’ll follow you around the house until you’re ready for his favorite activity … cuddling!   Bruce Wayne is great with other cats, but hasn’t had much experience meeting dogs. He has spent his entire life as an indoor cat and would like to keep it that way! Since he has a sensitive stomach, keeping his diet consistent has helped him to live a perfectly normal life. This lovable guy has been an amazing companion, but his current owner will soon be moving and is unable to take him along. Can you give Bruce Wayne the great family and loving home he deserves?     If you’re interested in meeting Bruce Wayne, contact Ashley: 412.799.4919 | athrone@live.com 

“Come on. Just a little further sweet boy,” our veterinary technician gently encouraged. She wrapped her arm around the young dog’s torso to help him take a few wobbly steps. She was holding a plate of warm chicken to entice him. This brindle-coated, emaciated dog is Cory. He arrived so ravaged by neglect that you could count every one of his ribs and see every notch of his spine. It was a wonder that he was even alive ... She steadied Cory on his feet and removed the support of her arm. He attempted to take a step on his own. But it was too much. His atrophied muscles gave out and he collapsed to the floor. A forlorn wag of his tail was all he could muster. She kissed his nose and rewarded his brave attempt with the plate of chicken. She worried if Cory was going to make it. It was still too early to tell, but she would do everything she could to give him a fighting chance. We’ll never fully know what Cory went through. Maybe it’s better that we don’t. We can only assume that he surv...

Linda Mitzel Photography Many of us are looking forward to Fourth of July weekend this year. Families will be gathering for outdoor barbeques, friends will be enjoying the warm summer weather by the pool and what Independence Day celebration would be complete without fireworks?   Unfortunately, in the flurry of patriotic parties that are planned for the long holiday weekend, pets can unintentionally be put at risk. Many of the activities that humans see as fun and games can be dangerous and frightening for our pets. Knowing how to keep your pets safe and happy during the festivities could quite literally save their life. Proper Identification Be sure that your pet is wearing a collar with legible and up-to-date contact information at all times. In the event that your furry friend escapes from the safety of your home, proper identification will allow neighbors, animal control and law enforcement agencies to contact you if your pet is found. Microchipping your pet is an easy and inex...

Bark N'at is a Pittsburgh-themed party fit for even the most experienced yinzers. But, we wanted to help some of the out-of-towners understand what Bark N'at is all about. That's why we came up with a few helpful tips so even if you're not a Pittsburgh native, you'll fit right in! Parking Chair You won't need to hold your place in line with one of these if you register online today! Crick A smaller version of a river, like the Allegheny that runs beneath the Roberto Clemente Bridge where we'll be partying all evening long at Bark N'at! Chipped Chopped Ham A local delicacy you might not find in our food truck alley. But don't worry, we'll have plenty of other delicious hometown favorites to choose from! Jimmies Another name for sprinkles ... not to be confused with our Lead Yinzer, Jimmy Krenn. Dahntahn Also known as downtown. This is the only place you'll want to be on Sat., June 24 for Bark N'at on the Clemente Bridge! So how's abou...

By Melanie Lippert, Clinic Services Program Assistant Most people know that their pets should be vaccinated, but do they know what these vaccines actually protect against? It’s worth the time to understand what vaccines your pets need and why they’re so important. The one vaccine that is required by state law for every dog and cat is the rabies vaccine . Most are familiar with rabies but don’t consider the risk of their household pets transmitting this deadly virus. Rabies is most commonly transmitted through wild animals such as skunks, raccoons and bats. Once contracted, there is no cure for rabies in animals or in humans. The introduction of the rabies vaccine has drastically decreased the number of cases over the years. Another vaccination, commonly called DHLPP , is strongly recommended by most animal care professionals. This vaccine protects against up to five different conditions that can be deadly to dogs: distemper, hepatitis, leptospirosis, parvovirus and parainflue...