Animals pat life

November is Adopt a Senior Pet Month. And, to spread the word about the benefits of adding an older four-legged member to your family, here are five reasons why you should adopt a senior pet ... You can teach an old dog new tricks … The old expression simply isn’t true – not just for dogs, but for cats and rabbits, too! Unlike their youthful counterparts, senior pets can be much more focused on learning the rules of their new home. A puppy, kitten or baby bunny will often be distracted by the new sights, sounds and smells of a new environment. With an older animal companion who has been around the block a time or two, you’ll be the newest and most exciting thing in their world, so you’re sure to be the center of attention! What you see is what you get … When it comes to personality, behavior or medical needs, senior pets usually wear it all on their sleeve. Youngers animals are growing so fast, that they’re almost certain to undergo personality changes as they continue to develop. Plu

EDIT: We're happy to report that Oats has found a loving new home!   Oats is a 5-year-old Terrier mix who joined his family about 3 years ago. He was originally adopted from a shelter in Texas after being found as a stray. Although he is very shy, Oats has never shown any signs of aggression toward humans or other animals. He's a sweet and gentle dog, but is fearful of new situations and loud noises like fireworks.   This lovable boy is housebroken and loves going for long walks outside. He does well around small dogs and cats, but isn't a big fan of larger, energetic dogs. He would probably thrive in a family with another small dog to help him explore his new home. While he is very shy, Oats is great in the car and is very brave at a groomer or vet's office.   Since adopting Oats, his family has welcomed two new members who are currently 2 years and 4 months old. Although he hasn't shown any signs of aggression toward them, the loud noises and chaos that come with

Building a feral cat house is a great way to keep community cats safe from the elements during the cold winter months ahead. To get started with your feral cat house, you'll need to gather a few materials first. Materials needed: Large Styrofoam cooler (or sheets of 1-inch thick hard Styrofoam) Large cardboard box or plastic storage bin Box cutter or utility knife Black plastic sheeting Gorilla tape Straw To build your feral cat shelter, follow these steps: Place the Styrofoam cooler in a box that is about the same size and tape it closed or line the box with sheets of Styrofoam cut to fit. Cut a round doorway about six inches in diameter in one of the long sides of the box, cutting through both the box and Styrofoam. Do not cut the hole in the center – the wind will blow straight in. Be sure to cut the circle toward the side and high enough so the bottom of the doorway is several inches above the ground. Cut a piece of the plastic sheeting to completely cover the box. Wrap the box

It’s always a great day at Animal Friends. But, September 20 was especially great as we welcomed 25 cats and one dog into our new Howard Ash Animal Wellness Center for our very first clinic day! These four-legged clients were treated like royalty in our brand-new holding kennels, prep room and surgery suite. Everything went seamlessly and in no time the pets had recovered from their spay or neuter surgeries and were ready to go back home with their waiting families.  The next day, September 21, we opened the doors to our first low-cost Vaccine Clinic in the Animal Wellness Center. Our exam rooms were filled with wagging tails and our lobby was a cacophony of barks and mews. More than a hundred vaccines were given as well as flea treatments, microchips and plenty of advice to anxious owners.  And we are just getting started! We know that everyone deserves to have access to affordable wellness care for their pets. And, with the new Howard Ash Animal Wellness Center, we can ensure that

Nala is a 3-year-old American Pitbull Terrier. She is up to date on all of her vaccines including Bordatella and is also microchipped. Nala is a girl who enjoys going on walks or short runs and likes to chase sticks and tennis balls in the yard. She loves being around her family, but does well by herself for about 8 hours during the day. When she is with her favorite people, she is always up for cuddling and happily lays with her head on someone's leg. Although she is not deaf, Nala is hard of hearing which is causing some anxiety when she is away from home. She does adapt to new environments, it just takes some patience. Since she is hard of hearing, Nala can be spooked fairly easily, so her current family recommends that she not be left unsupervised with small children. In January 2015, Nala underwent exploratory surgery which caused her to get Pancreatitis. While she has fully recovered, she is now fed on a low-fat diet. She also has a scar on her right front leg from an infiltr

Bella is a 4 year old American Stafford Terrier / Boxer / Afghan Hound mix (we’ve had her DNA tested) who weighs around 80 pounds. We adopted her from a shelter when she was 4 to 5 months old.   She has a redish/brown short hair with minimum shedding.   She has been spayed, is up to date on all her shots, and has been micro-chipped.      She has gone through obedience training with two private trainers in our home and is well trained on all basic commands and leash walking.   She has also gone through the “Fearful Fido” Class at Animal Friends.   She is crate trained and house trained and does very well for even long periods of time without any accidents. We have had no chewing problems and she demonstrates no destructive behavior.   She is invisible fence trained as well.   She is a quiet dog that only barks on occasion or when strangers enter the house or when she sees other dogs.   She has a medium energy level and is as happy laying at your feet as she is going for a walk.   When s

Dear Friend, You know, you never can tell when you’ll make a connection with a very special animal (or two!). Somehow, they just seem to work their way into your heart more than the others. And for me, Kiefer and Jack were two of those very special pets. I’ll never forget the first time I saw them. Once I locked eyes with them from behind their kennel door, it was love at first sight. I decided to foster them … even though I knew it would not be a temporary situation. So, I brought them home but soon after, I realized there was something not quite right. They were starting to exhibit signs of upper respiratory infection … which quickly became much more severe. Coming from a hoarding situation, Kiefer and Jack were two of 17 cats who lived in a filthy and disease-infested house. They never received veterinary care ... not even basic vaccinations. It was no wonder that their infections were soon out of control. I knew I needed to get them back to Animal Friends – and fast. There they wou