Animals pat life

Memorial Day means many different things to us: remembering those who have served our country, spending time with family and friends, attending picnics and celebrating the unofficial beginning of summer! With everything going on this Memorial Day weekend, you may be looking for a good reason to attend Bark in the Park 2016 . Not to worry, we have 10 for you! What better way to start your holiday weekend than a beautiful walk in the park with your furry best friend? 10. Starting Strong – We’ll be kicking off the festivities as Mr. Jeff Jimerson sings the national anthem while members of the North Allegheny Color Guard present our nation’s flag. 9. Jim Krenn – Our lead walker and hometown funny guy Jim Krenn from the Q92 Morning Show will be leading the festivities and is always good for plenty of laughs! 8. Food Trucks – Come hungry and leave the potato salad at home, we’ll be joined by some of Pittsburgh’s best food trucks. 7. Patriotic Pup Parade – You’ll have the opportunity to sh

The busy life of a therapy rabbit leads to many places. From visiting preschools, high schools and college campuses to providing comfort at hospitals, whether to a pediatric cancer patient or an elderly veteran suffering with dementia, therapy rabbits provide compassionate support to those who need it most. Our Therapets animals and the dedicated volunteers who work with them are always on the move providing pet therapy sessions wherever they are needed. A recent visit to the Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh in the Hill District left two Therapets volunteers with a heartwarming story and an experience they won’t soon forget. A group of 20-25 children were enjoying the company of three therapy rabbits, reading to them and getting in some quality one-on-one time when three young boys came in and began poking fun at the group, laughing, taunting and name-calling. After being reprimanded the three left the library, but a short time later one of the boys returned. He wasn’t there to tease tho

“Something’s wrong. She’s not breathing,” one of the vet techs called to the staff veterinarian. The tiny kitten had been born just a couple months prior at Animal Friends. Her pregnant mother Sonnet, and nearly three dozen other cats, had come to Animal Friends after being rescued from a severe hoarding situation. Sadie had just escaped being born into an unspeakable life in a now-condemned house. But now, Sadie was on the verge of losing the second chance she had just been given. She was nearing the day where she was ready to find a loving home, but first had to be spayed. She was a strong, healthy kitten. And, there was no reason to expect that Sadie would have a life-threatening reaction to anesthesia during a routine procedure. But there she was … not breathing … and her heart had stopped. As quickly as the 2-pound kitten’s breath had stopped, our skilled medical staff jumped into action, performing lifesaving CPR. After a few tense moments, little Sadie was back. Every day, Anim

Yuengling is a big, handsome guy with a playful personality and soft eyes that will melt your heart instantly. But like too many of the residents at Animal Friends, Yuengling’s story didn’t start out on a happy note. In December, local police executed a search warrant while responding to a call of suspected animal cruelty. What they found was a German Shepherd that had been mistreated and neglected. Sweet Yuengling was also in immediate need of medical attention. In cooperation with police, Animal Friends’ Humane Investigations team brought Yuengling back to Animal Friends. Upon receiving a full physical exam, our veterinary staff found a cancerous skin tumor on his chest. Yuengling needed a lifesaving surgery. Fortunately, Yuengling made it to Animal Friends just in time. After his tumor was successfully removed he could start his second chance. Since his surgery, Yuengling continues to recover at Animal Friends. As he continues to progress, his endearing personality (and love for ten

When you meet Marie for the first time, you’ll probably think what everyone else does… that she’s a happy and energetic puppy, no older than a year-and-a-half, two at the most. That’s probably because, while she is actually about four years old, we're not sure if she ever had the opportunity to be a puppy. Marie is making up for lost time now because the first couple years of her young life were unimaginable. She was rescued by our Humane Investigations Department and brought to Animal Friends after she was found abandoned outside without food or water. With such a sad beginning, Marie’s story has slowly turned for the better as she has flourished in her new environment, receiving proper training, a safe place to live and play, and lots and lots of love! She has come such a long way from the frightened, malnourished, filthy from head-to-tail pup that first came to the shelter, and has developed a superstar personality. With her high level of energy, Marie is a constant source of la

  “But ma’am, your kittens …” a voice insisted, “… they’re sick.” After some coaxing, the woman  reluctantly handed over four very sick, very young kittens to Animal Friends’ Humane Police Officer. Our officer took one look at the kittens and knew this wouldn’t be our last visit.  Within the week, we returned with a warrant and support from social services. We were prepared to save lives but not for what was inside … The house was in total disarray. Buckets of human and feline waste, disassembled plumbing and walls torn down to the studs. Amazingly dozens of cats and kittens were surviving in the filth and refuse. We quickly got to work. And, over the course of the next few weeks four dozen cats were taken to Animal Friends.   All of these sweet kitties were in need of immediate medical attention. Each one was suffering from upper respiratory infection (URI). And, the condition of one gray kitten in particular, Corina, was especially worrisome. She was suffering from ear mites, mal

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