Animals pat life

Read: The "S Dogs" (part 2) In one of our dog kennels, a staff member was finishing some paperwork at a makeshift desk made from an overturned milk crate. In the kennels surrounding her were about a half dozen of the S Dogs. Occasionally tossing a treat to the kennels’ occupants, she went about her work as the dog nervously paced back and forth. Although it may have seemed like an odd sight to some, this was one of the critical first steps of their rehabilitation. This was getting them accustomed to the presence of people. This continued for weeks and months. And slowly but surely, terrified looks and shell-shocked stares transitioned into fleeting eye contact or a cautious sniff. Each of these small victories were building on one another as the S Dogs learned to trust. Then one day as our staff member went in to complete some paperwork, she opened a kennel door in hopes that the occupant would take a few brave steps out. From the corner of her eye, she saw him approach. Care

Hercules Mulligan is an affectionate and friendly 2-year-old Puggle who is looking for a loving home that can provide him with the time and attention he needs. This playful boy gets along with other animals and loves to go for walks and romp around at the dog park. He has received basic obedience training and has been working with an in-home trainer. He has a stubborn streak but just wants all of the attention of the people in his life. This little guy is still figuring out the finer points of personal space and can be a little too generous with affectionate headbutts and kisses. He's working hard to overcome this, but would probably be a better fit for a home without small children. Hercules could benefit from having room to run around so he can get the exercise he needs. After 8 months in his home, Hercules' family has learned how sweet of a pup he is, but they know he needs a family that is able to provide him with the space, supervision and training that he needs. This lo

Re ad: The "S Dogs" (part 1) Dozens of under-socialized dogs had made it through the doors at Animal Friends. So scared, they wouldn’t even make eye contact, it was clear they had never felt the loving touch of a human. They were filthy, trembling and some were in need of immediate medical attention. One of the dogs, Scully, had a badly injured leg – likely an old fracture that never healed – that needed to be amputated. Serena, a timid and gentle girl, had an eye infection that had been left untreated for so long that her iris had fused to the cornea. These sweet dogs had been neglected for so long … until now.   One by one, each dog was treated by our Medical team. Topical medicine was administered to remove the fleas and ticks, followed by multiple treatments for those who had parasites. Some had giardia, others were dealing with ear infections. It was clear that these dogs had not seen a vet in a very long time … if at all. While these deserving dogs had been rescued from

When Livey arrived at Animal Friends more than 2 years ago, she began to earn a reputation. This beautiful cat with gorgeous green eyes and long gray fur was the subject of many rumors: “she is moody,” “she won’t sit on your lap,” “she only likes men,” “she hisses and swats if you try to pet her.” While there was some truth to these stories, Livey wasn’t a bad cat … she was simply misunderstood.   In February, Animal Friends began participating in Jackson Galaxy’s Cat Pawsitive initiative which was developed to reduce stress in cats who are overwhelmed by a shelter environment. The program works by associating positive behaviors with a clicking sound followed by a reward such as a treat or affection. But since Livey showed little interested in attention or treats, it was difficult to reward her for friendly interactions.   Those who knew her best saw the potential for Livey to grow into a friendly and outgoing cat, she just needed to be given the right opportunity. So, Livey was moved

A few months ago we met a man named Gary who lived in Pittsburgh’s North Side with his Shih Tzu, Sam. We introduced him to our Animal Friends for Life program, which focuses on specific communities in need of free services. Since Sam was behind on his vaccinations and hadn’t been neutered, we encouraged Gary to take advantage of the program. He was not interested in the idea of having Sam neutered, fearing that it would change his behavior and personality. So each time we saw him, we were able to teach him more about the many benefits of having his beloved pet neutered and hope that he would reconsider. After some time, Gary agreed to have Sam neutered and vaccinated. In the following days, we picked up Sam and brought him to Animal Friends for his exam and surgery. We quickly realized that we were lucky to meet Gary when we did. Sam was cryptorchid, meaning that one testicle had not descended, putting him at a much higher risk of cancer. Once he had recovered from surgery, we brought

Filthy from nose to tail and dangerously thin, Squiggy was rescued from a garage with four other dogs by our Humane Investigations team in 2013. She was incredibly sweet – despite the deplorable living conditions she was found in. Squiggy put on weight and slowly but surely regained her strength before finding a loving home. Several years went by before Squiggy found her way back to Animal Friends. Her devoted owner had been battling health problems and – despite his best eff orts – simply couldn’t give her the care she needed any longer. Devastated, he returned an 11-year-old Squiggy to Animal Friends. Shortly after she returned, we discovered several masses on Squiggy’s head and neck. Tests confirmed that they were mast cell tumors, a product of a common, and potentially, aggressive type of skin cancer. Days later, she underwent surgery and the tumors were successfully removed. Having fully recovered from her surgery, Squiggy is now cancer free and looking for a loving home to enjoy

By Elliott Enzo, Ollie's Adopter At just 3 months old, Ollie and his litter mate were brought to Animal Friends after they had accidentally been caught in a humane raccoon trap. Since he hadn’t experienced human interaction and was extremely shy and fearful, Ollie went to spend some time in a foster home where he would learn to trust people. After 6 months of a lot of love and socialization in the foster home, Ollie returned to Animal Friends in search of a very special family who would be patient and understanding of his needs. And, then, well we’ll let his adopter Elliott take it from here. “To understand why I adopted Ollie, you must first know about my other cat, Blinkn who was 3 months old when I adopted her. She was nearly feral and her skittish nature had made it difficult for her to connect with potential adopters. When I first met her, I sat back and waited. Miraculously, she slowly approached me, put both front paws on my chest and meowed. Right then, I knew that I’d be t